The name ‘Belfast Confetti’ was basically slang for the homemade hand grenades put together by the Irish opposition in Belfast that were filled with leftover pieces of nuts, bolts and other small metal items.
Where does the term Belfast Confetti come from?
The poem won the Irish Times Irish Literature Prize for Poetry. The name of the poem derives from the nickname for the large shipbuilding rivets and other scrap metal that were used as missiles by Protestant shipyard workers during anti-Catholic riots in Belfast.
What does the title Belfast Confetti mean?
homemade bombs
The poem describes the confusion, shock, and horror immediately following the explosion of a bomb in the city of Belfast. (“Belfast confetti” was slang for homemade bombs.) Through the speaker’s experience, the poem illustrates the devastating and dehumanizing effect that violent conflict has on people and places.
How is the title of Belfast Confetti ironic?
Belfast confetti refers to the wage metal fragments from Belfast’s shipyards, already in sever decline by 1990. The ironic use of ‘confetti’ could suggest the uncomfortable marriage of the Protestant and Catholic residents. The phrase refers to the bomb’s shrapnel which Carson pictures as punctuation.
Why is punctuation used in Belfast Confetti?
The poem ‘Belfast Confetti,’ one of the best-known poems of Ciaran Carson, pulls the reader into the aftermath of Belfast’s sectarian riot. He has used punctuation to symbolize missiles that Protestants used during this riot, which was against the Catholic crowd in Belfast.
What does Belfast mean in Gaelic?
Name. The name Belfast derives from the Irish Béal Feirsde, later spelt Béal Feirste (Irish pronunciation: [bʲeːlˠ ˈfʲɛɾˠ(ə)ʃtʲə]) The word béal means “mouth” or “river-mouth” while feirsde/feirste is the genitive singular of fearsaid and refers to a sandbar or tidal ford across a river’s mouth.
Where does Belfast accent come from?
Scots, Irish Gaelic, 17th century English and Hiberno-English (the English spoken in the Republic of Ireland) have all influenced the development of Northern Irish English, and this mixture explains the very distinctive hybrid that has emerged.
What is a Belfast accent called?
Ulster English (Ulster Scots: Ulstèr Inglish, Irish: Béarla Ultach, also called Northern Hiberno-English or Northern Irish English) is the variety of English spoken in most of the Irish province of Ulster and throughout Northern Ireland.
Why are parts of Belfast in color?
The changes from black and white to color amplifies Belfast and creates a distinguished look and feel to the film’s story, illuminating the differences between past and present, reality and fantasy. In many ways, this allows the film to live in different time periods despite Belfast’s 1969 setting.
Why is the seahorse the symbol of Belfast?
“In myth and legend the seahorse stands for protection, recovery and health – traits which are welcome in our city as much as any other.” Belfast’s coat of arms, dating back to 1890 with its depiction of two seahorses, a ship and a ship’s bell reflects the city’s strong relationship with its harbour.
Was Belfast about the IRA?
The Belfast Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) was formed in March 1921 during the Irish War of Independence, when the IRA was re-organised by its leadership in Dublin into Divisions and Joe McKelvey was appointed commander of the Third Northern Division, responsible for Belfast and the surrounding area.
Is Belfast historically accurate?
While Belfast is not exactly a true story, Branagh’s own childhood experience allows the film to touch on the issues faced by many families in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.
What does a fount of broken type mean?
This means a group attack. Suddenlyas the riot squad moved in, it was. raining exclamation marks, Nuts, bolts, nails, car-keys. A fount of brokentype.
Did the Irish invent punctuation?
Irish scribes and medieval monks on the European continent also contributed to the development of punctuation. But it was not until the invention of the printing press that punctuation marks became regularized both in their appearance and in their usage.
What poem can you compare Belfast Confetti to?
If you were to compare Belfast Confetti with The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost for example, you could use some of the following points: Both poems reflect the poets’ background and are anchored in place.
What is the tone of Belfast Confetti?
The tone of the poem is indicative of someone who is bewildered. Notice the very short sentences for effect, and the multitude of question marks “fusillade” in this case showing someone not being sure of what to do or where to go. This reveals the shock and panic of a person trying to find a way out.
How do you say hello in Belfast?
Saying Hello in Ireland. To say “Hello” in Irish Gaelic, you say: Dia dhuit. That phrase is how you say hello to someone in Irish.
Why is Northern Ireland not Irish?
Northern Ireland was created in 1921, when Ireland was partitioned by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, creating a devolved government for the six northeastern counties.
Are you Irish if born in Belfast?
If you were born in Ireland before 1 January 2005, you are an Irish citizen by birth. If you were born in Northern Ireland before 1 January 2005, you are entitled to claim Irish citizenship. This means that you can choose to be an Irish citizen and apply for an Irish passport if you want to.
Is Belfast more British or Irish?
In 2021: 42.8% identified as British, alone or with other national identities. 33.3% identified as Irish, alone or with other national identities. 31.5% identified as Northern Irish, alone or with other national identities.
Is Belfast more Catholic or Protestant?
These figures based on the 2021 census at district level mask wide variations on smaller scales. In the Belfast City Council and Derry and Strabane District Council areas, the figures at ward level vary from 99% Protestant to 92% Catholic.