Click to enlarge.Five years after the University of Ulster invented a fake residents' group it's time to ask "What have they Regenerated?"
When called upon to help, the Extern Organisation could only find 204 residents. That was five years ago. Less than a hundred remain. The Universities have got their campus for free, courtesy of the taxpayer who forked out £24,000 for each property converted. That was generous of us don't you think? The Cancer of Landlordism has spread throughout South Belfast, raping community after community. Stranmillis is being pulled down house by house just like the Holyland. Now there's massive oversupply. Those crazy landlords just keep on going, driven by a compulsion called greed. Now they're invited back to the meetings from which they had previously been ejected. It's Grounghog Day, only there's fewer residents present. Soon landlords will outnumber residents at these things. How could anyone seriously beleive that that place would be turned around?
Denial's a dangerous thing. It enabled a handful of mediocrities to act as a PR front for the Universities and silence the cries of pain from the remnants of a community. What do they have to say for themselves now? Sorry? Mea Culpa? Don't hold your breath. They have no remorse. Instead they mourn the loss of their importance. There's nobody left for them to feed off. They're all that's left on The Raft of the Medusa.
58 comments:
yap yap yap yap fucking yap
students are again objectified as the problem might as well just call myself the problem and go and apoligise to every single resident i meet
residents perpetuate the problems in the holyland just as much as students do
they refuse to engage with students because were all bastards
a big lump of exactly the same bastards not one individual thought amongst us
and residents are beautiful enlightened people who never bear a grudge against someone theyve never met because of the actions of someone the same age as them
youre the worst alan youre all talk
strike that
all bullshit
Very few of us have been paying attention. The Holylands is a convienient solution to the major concerns of the police, politicians, probation services, university, landlords et al.
Essentially the way we're being fucked over works like this: crime figures are sky rocketing. Communities are up in arms about anti-social behaviour, social services can't home violent and sexual offenders in Northern Ireland, Universities cant house their students.
The convienient solution is to great a big black hole where there is no community and so no opposition or collective outrage. Students enable this. Everyone lives annonymously including the dealers, pimps, rapists, burglars etc etc etc
This is not exaggeration. Most people, bar the remaining 50 or so residents, who do not appear to be students are in the Holylands are there for dubious reasons. Beware
The funny thing about it is that for so long we've been banging on about the students [admittedly a major problem] but they are not the worst problem in the area.
Heroin dealers, crack dens, burglars, rapists, child molesters, car thieves, paramilitaries [both sides], violent criminals,rent boys, whore houses,sexual trafficking, organised pick pocket teams, cannibis factories, meth labs etc etc etc
[every example there is based on personal knowledge or direct observation: just cant get into specifics for legal reasons]
Maybe we should start paying attention. The students only serve to deflect attention from the more ugly underbelly of the Holylands. This stops people asking more awkward questions.
I hate pig ignorant students as much as the next resident but when your privy to the big picture [or just start to pay attention] it is truly horrifying what this place has become
Everything on this new posting was predicted 10 - 12 years ago by the then Holyland/University Residents Group and now has reached fruition.
I remember the inaugural meeting of the Holyland University Residents' group. The top room in City Church was packed. There were over 200 people there. I remember some little arsewipe from Queens Student Union, the president I think, taking his orders from a Sinn Fein counsellor and then publicly trashing anyone who criticised "students" or landlords.
I spoke to Gordon Douglas tonight; said I saw him on the TV with the ten remaining residents; told him Queens have got their campus now they've gotten rid of the community. He hadn't much to say to that, just the usual bullshit.
nobody fucking cares what you think
if you want things to be different then do something about it instead of whining like a little bitch
the residents commit and queens and uuj may not be doing much good but theyre not going on and FUCKING ON, complaining like you do
you achieve nothing you self satisfied piece of shit
and you dont even live in the holylands go annoy the people you live with now
fucking BORING inadequate bastard
"the residents commit and queens and uuj may not be doing much good but theyre not going on and FUCKING ON, complaining like you do"
You're right they're not doing much. I know, why don't you all go to meetings about meetings about a fucking mural and then have a fucking big PR launch for it and show the world what a great job you're doing.
I see it pissed on your carol service. How apt. Did Anne Monaghan the Vampire give the reading? Or is she to busy feeding off dying children? Fucking Ghoul.
Definition of stupidity:
"Doing the same thing for 10 years...failing miserably and expecting different results"
Well if the community is gone now why don't you stop complaining?
We'll all wallow in the shite of our own making and you can sit at the sidelines and tell us all you told us so. You pathetic person.
Somebody has to tell the story.
So are students to blame for the problems in the Holylands?
Your like a stuck record.... why don't you go to Stormont and chain yourself to the railings to make a statement. Either that or do a protest on top of a hih building...
maybe but not from such a one sided point of view and go on and on about personal vendettas and the time you got pneumonia
i got pneumonia-great story wish id came up with it
I agree with the above alan, what do you contribute to the community?
What community? It has ceased to exist. I've been documenting its destruction. People have to know what happened here. And people have to know how it was silenced. It's a morality play worthy of Brecht.
why don't you write a book on the destruction of the holylands. will go down well
There's a thought. If I live that long I think I will. If I live that long.
Worthy of Brecht? Hahaha
Jesus, you need to get some perspective. Either that, or stop using flimsy analogies like that. Oh, surely, it's possible that Brecht could've used the deterioration of the Holylands and your perceived silencing of the fact for some kind of moral juxtaposition to explore something actually relevant to the people outside your tiny little world. Highly improbable, though, and just makes you look like a pretentious and sensationalist hack for even suggesting it; you cheapen his name.
Not to mention the fact that pretty much everyone is aware of state of the Holylands, whether they'll openly admit to it or not (be it the universities, students, newspapers, whoever). I think that's what you fail to grasp - you're not uncovering some major conspiracy here. Unscrupulous landlords, rowdy students and institutions appearing at best indifferent. Well done, you've discovered that what happens all over the world can happen in Belfast too.
Brecht hahahaha
youre so full of shit
and you will live that long
youll go on and on talking shite for fucking ever even though nobody cares
blah blah like a stream of consciousness blah blah kafka brecht chomsky
alan murray has a copy of literary terms for retards you dont even know what youre talking about
FUCK OFF THE HOLYLANDS IS A SMALL SHITHOLE THERE ARE BIGGER PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD THAN THIS GAY LITTLE PLACE AND YOUR STUPID SELF INDULGENT SHITE TALKING
TAKE THE FUCKING HINT
Wow!!!!!!!! That was some furious reply!!!!!!!!
The story of the Holylands is one of overlapping power agendas; the debasement of academia; the destruction of Public Housing; Rachmanism as housing policy; the invention and pampering of a new demographic in Mid-Ulster; the sectarian reality behind the veneer of reconciliation; money laundering; property speculation; the obliteration of a community to service the interests of institutional power; the fact that in the New Order we're not free to tell the truth without facing violence and prosecution; the role of Collaborators; the pseudo-reform of policing; the political and moral bankruptcy of the Provos. Brecht would have a field day with this.
I think someone's not very happy. In fact they seem very angry.
you are so full of shit its unbelievable
put you in a room with a man hitting a pig with a stick and youll come out with a pile of shit of the man projecting his anger at institutional power onto the pig and subjugating the pig by being prejudice to his legs especially and that the stick is like us all in a way and blah fucking im gay alan murray
you dont give a fuck about any of this
its just a topic you use so you can listen to your own voice and confuse people with your fancy dictionary of university words THAT YOU DONT FUCKING UNDERSTAND
you dont fool me sonny cunt
youre shite
and you only get loads comments when people are telling you how shite you are
ANYONE READING THIS
POST A COMMENT TELL ALAN HE IS A SELF INDULGENT SHIT
OR OFFER SUPPORT
The story of the Holylands is one of overlapping power agendas;
NO IT ISNT- THE STORY OF THE HOLYLANDS IS OF STUDENTS LIVING THERE, BEING A BIT DUMB A FEW TIMES THEN MOVING AWAY FOREVER
the debasement of academia;
WHAT? EVIDENCE? AND IF YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF AN ACADEMIC THEN IT IS CERTAINLY A VERY SORRY STATE OF AFFAIRS
the destruction of Public Housing;
PUBLIC HOUSING CAN BE RELOCATED TO BETTER AREAS LIKE THE NEW FLATS ON ORMEAU ROAD ALSO THE STUDENTS MUST LIVE SOMEWHERE ANY SUGGESTIONS WHERE?
Rachmanism as housing policy;
GREEDY LANDLORDS ARE EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND SO ARE GOOD ONES YOURE A ONE EYED CUNT
the invention and pampering of a new demographic in Mid-Ulster;
WHAT? YOU MEAN CATHOLIC STUDENTS? WELL IM SURE THEYRE VERY SORRY FOR ACHIEVING HIGHER SOCIAL STATUS AND BIGGER WAGES AFTER BEING SECOND CLASS CITIZENS IN A SUPPOSEDLY DEMOCRATIC 'COUNTRY'
the sectarian reality behind the veneer of reconciliation;
BALLS SHEER BALLS HOLYLANDS HAS NOTHING SECTARIAN ABOUT IT CEPT SOME DRUNKEN STUDENTS AND YOU
money laundering;
CALM DOWN QUINCY! THATS JUST A BIG LIE
property speculation;
WHAT? WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? IN LESS THAN 1000 WORDS PLEASE
the obliteration of a community to service the interests of institutional power;
THINGS CHANGE COMMUNITYS CHANGE A COMMUNITY IS A DYNAMIC CHANGING THING WE ARE HOLYLANDS PEOPLE WE FEAR CHANGE WE HATE THE YOUNG WE HATE CATHOLICS ETC
the fact that in the New Order we're not free to tell the truth without facing violence and prosecution;
IRRELEVANT YOU DONT TELL TRUTH YOU TALK SHIT FOR YOUR OWN GRATIFICATION
the role of Collaborators;
I HOPE YOU THINK THAT IM SOMEONE IN THE POLICE IR A LANDLORD YOURE THAT RETARDED
the pseudo-reform of policing;
LEAST THEY GOT A JOB MURRAY! HOW CAN U CRITICISE PUBLIC SERVICE WHEN YOU DON'T WORK? NO CONTRIBUTION
the political and moral bankruptcy of the Provos.
HOLYLANDS PROVOS NO LINK YOURE A ROTARDED NOBFLOP
Brecht would have a field day with this.
YOU SIR ARE A STUPID STUPID PERSON- BERTOLT BRECHT
Hi Alan,
I'm still waiting for a reply to my post enquiring as to your progress coming off valium and how many job applications you have made since you left the holyland. As I said I expected you to be moving up in the world now that you have peace and serenity in your new abode away from the Holyland.
You will never be a Berthold Brecht. He expressed himself through his writing. You express yourself through a mickey mouse blog. I remember you when you ran a pathetic book shop on the Lower Ormeau Road.
Give us an update on your life since you left the Holyland. Are You working? off the valium? Are you saving the hard pressed taxpayer some money? Tell us about life in Shameless.
Such anger and resentment!!!!!!!!!!
It must be fun inside your head. ;)
the reason you write this blog is because you are a virgin
So what is the deal here? Ive just moved into the holylands from scotland, and did so cause i thought it would be a mixed area with a student vibe, but according to this ive moved into world war 2 warmed up? So far ive not really seen anything dodgy but now im kind of worried.
ready for new year alan?
ready to not go anywhere and watch holylands students have a good time so you can complain about it?
good times alan
Our Scottish poster has just moved into a very dodgy area. It is not mixed. The population were driven out by sectarian bigots from Mid-Ulster. Unless you wear a GAA top and scream "Up the Ra!!" at the top of your voice you are not welcome.
Still...there is some comfort in the fact that the students in the area are having their cars damaged by one another and when that's not happening every hood in Belfast is in their houses walking away with their ipods and laptops.....
Good Times...eh?
"Our Scottish poster has just moved into a very dodgy area. It is not mixed. The population were driven out by sectarian bigots from Mid-Ulster. Unless you wear a GAA top and scream "Up the Ra!!" at the top of your voice you are not welcome."
Excuse me Murray..YOU ARE A FUCKING FAGGOT!! No wonder there was so much shit whilst you lived on the left hand side of Jerry St...you stirred it all up! There have been no real problems since you left and the druggy, scally, criminal overdosed in April last year. We all know it was him who burnt out the cars around the Holylands...don't be telling us otherwise. A lot of the problems on that street disappeared after both of them subsequently departed. The sooner this blog is closed down the better. Its propaganda of the highest degree. Murray you think you are going to be the saviour of the universe, however you are a bum and always will be one. There are other places in Belfast/Lisburn with higher rates of the intimidation, robberies, beatings etc for example Poleglass, Ardoyne etc etc etc. You are tarring all of us students with the same brush and its unfair. I wear a Gaelic top....does that make me sectarian.........???? You wouldn't know sectarianism if it came up and bit you on the left hand testicle. Im from mid ulster....does that make me sectarian? I went to a Grammar School...does that make me any better than the rest? I am at uni, live in the Holylands, play gaelic, wear gaelic tops, and from MID ULSTER.....That must make me SECTARIAN!!! Well fuck you Murray... I am far from Sectarian, always have been and always will be. I went to a Grammar School because I was given the chance to do so. I left it at the end of 5th year and went to Tech because it wasn't for me.. I subsequently went to uni. I pay for my way through uni, have done since the day I started. Have paid for my own digs without any help from my parents. I am self sufficient. Its not my fault that 75% of Belfasties don't go to a Grammar School, sponge off the dole, claim benefits, can barely read or write their own name and become a burden on society. There are a hell of a good lot of people in Belfast, I for one know that and I am not tarring everyone with the same brush. A lot of Belfasties have no vision, they despise country people because they have achieved well etc. Thats nothing to do with me or anyone that lives in the Holylands. Quit this vendetta against the students Murray now. Its unfair that your blaming us all for something that we have no control over. Id rather live in the Holylands than in Rathcoole, the Falls road, the Shankhill etc.. WHY?? Why, because I feel safer here, I know that I will not be vicitimised by residents because of who I am and because its alot cheaper to live in than up in Stranmillis, the Malone Road, Ravenhill Road etc. There are other cities in the world, smaller than Belfast and bigger that have more problems than you will ever imagine.
To the Scottish person, this blog belongs to one CRAZY man who believes that he is the solution to a "major problem". In essence his blog is well know and is the laughing stock of society. He lives in a bubble world of valium and communism. He is one of the major problems of this part of Belfast. The Holylands are no where near a WW2 ZONE and have been cleaned up a lot in the past 2/3 years. You are very welcome to live here. It is no worse than any other part of Belfast or any other city in the world. Murray has to learn to wind his neck in a bit.
bullocks al complete bullocks
students may get drunk and a bit rowdy but there is nothing sectarian AT ALL about their behaviour
youre the one being sectarian here
dont bring the whole catholic thing into it
makes you look (more) stupid
and you never respond to criticism
just go on and on about something completely different
youre afraid to enter into dialogue because you know that you are shit
admit it
You're entitled to your opinion. You won't be beaten and then prosecuted for it will you?
neither will you you dumbass
you say one thing accuse students of being sectarian
or of mid ulster people of being unworthy of living in belfast
and then when criticised you run and hide
dont make the point if youre not willing to defend it
you sir have no convictions just rant a little then change your tune
you have no overall point
all you have is personal prejudices that are constantly proved wrong
since when did all catholics in the holylands come out in support of the IRA?
or exclude people who are not catholics from the holylands?
and since when were people from belfast so much better than people from mid ulster?
Seamus Heaney-Noble Prize for Literature-From Bellaghy, Mid-Ulster
John Hume-Noble Prize for Peace-From Derry, Mid-Ulster
FUCK YOU
i hate city people who dislike country people for no reason, though there is a small minority who do
explain yourself
To say that the Holylands isn't sectarian is not entirely true- while I'm sure there are students from both sides living in the Holylands, why is it that The Fields of Athenry (along with a republican refrain) is constantly sung (if you can call it singing) by drunks at three o'clock in the morning, while nobody sings The Sash?
People in the Holylands should be more worried about the level of sex offenders, paedophiles, dealers and those who have been 'resettled' here from other parts of belfast than a few rowdy, and annoying, students.
How about some stimulating debate on the blog instead of the same old, same old?
It is getting rather boring listening to the same old sound bites again and again: this includes Alan and the student posts slagging him.
For example: what do people think about the use of the area to hide all types of pedos, criminals, junkies and undesirables?
What do people think about the vast sums of money being made in the area by a few [about 5] mega landlords?
What about the brothels and drug dealers in the area?
Is the Holyland doomed or can we cultivate a community here again?
Should the Housing Executive rehouse families in the area to try and create a community again?
Has student anti-social activity been tackled or have we just got used to it?
Can any students tell us about their experiences in the Holylands?
Let's have something a little more original?
Something to think about?
Some good points. When I have time I'll do some articles, but for now I'll do my best.
The area is a dumping ground for our undesirables. This will continue and accelerate as landlords cram in whoever they can. This will not change. It can only get worse.
There is a large drug sub-culture in the area. This has been the case for a very long time (20 years) and its endless growth in the Holyland/Botanic reflects the blight of drugs on our society and the loss of hope for a whole generation.
Anna Lo has done some sterling work on the brothels issue. There's a big expose waiting for some investigative journalist.
There are about 50 residents left. The Holyland was doomed a long time ago. There will never be a community there again and the Housing Executive should imprison no more people in that environment. To do so is morally depraved.
The behaviour of "students" will never be tackled. People simply take it for granted. Don't think that there will be spot fines given out.
Abandon false hope and demand to be rehoused.
i'm a catholic who shares a house in the holylands with a few protestants
i don't wear a gaelic top or sing republican songs
*does a wee you're-wrong-shut-yer-hole dance*
Chunky wunky winky wanky random insult to student
alan am i
i think the person talking about stimulating debate sounds like they should be running this blog
as they are concerned about the actual issues in the holyland instead of a personal vendetta against students
unfortunately i assume that they are intelligent and social enough to spend minimal time thinking of stupid shit to write on a blog unlike alan
you pay peanuts you get a cunt
hahaaha looks like we finally broke the "unbreakable" alan murray. Hows it feel down there murray, in with the scum that you know you are. All the no hopers who have excepted the inevitable purge of holylands native. We students are just like isreali's, fighting a cause that we know weve already won.
No more ivory tower for you mine chum.
Hiya Alan,
Jesus life is not good to you. Maybe you were still in bed but I heard the other morning on the news, that the residents of Shameless were protesting on the Ormeau Road about drug dealers crime etc. Have you moved from the frying pan into the fire???
Can we have a Blog about life in Shameless. I see Katrina is one of ur new neighbours... tell us how ur getting on with her now.
i think alans lost his commitment no posts short replies
get off the ropes son
Give me a chance!! I'm very very busy. Some of us have exams and trials and shit!!
I'll write some new articles soon.
can i ask if you have got a job yet and started paying TAX?
How did the court case go. Give us an update Alan.
The court case is ongoing, so I can say very little. However the non-appearance of the defendant and his witnesses on the 26th of January was a surprise. The judge was not amused.
Are you accepting defeat? No new posts?
I haven't gone away you know ;)
aye you have
we win
It's hard to argue that you (I'm assuming you're a "student") have not succeeded in driving an entire community from their homes. You have won; and you have no guilt or shame or human decency. Tomorrow belongs to you. Fuck help us all.
Fuck you very much
what is a community?
are we not allowed to be part?
we win because youve stopped your big slur on all students
always playing the fucking victim
residents have no respect for students either
why should i as a student be held account for what other students have done in the past?
I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING so fuck you
you generalising shite bastard
I see the English language has defeated you yet again. Another triumph for higher education.
Well Done!!
nice one alan
don't take issue with my argument or points but my spelling and grammar
cos thats really what matters here
you can never be a journalist because when youve got nothing to say, which is often, you resort to insulting the other person
and please point out my mistakes and give me pointers and a little pat on the head and a gold star
you're pathetic at least argue with me like someone with a brain
you make yourself look bad with this spellcheck shite
explain yourself alan
in less than 100 words
without insulting someone
or talking about their spelling
or spewing some semi-romantic shite about the loss of a community etc etc and referencing literature you barely understand
go!
Truth is, he can't!!!
Truth is, he can't!!!
Northern Irish People(Pathetically Leeching Extravagent Subventions)cannot hold their alcohol as eveeryone knows.
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