New wall murals unveiled in Waterside

A Waterside community association has said it hopesthree new murals unveiled in Bond Street this week will result in more people visiting the area. The new works, which were created by three bothers from the street, will replace a number of older murals which were connected to loyalist paramilitaries. The most recognisable mural was a painting depicting the ‘Eddie’ figure from the heavy metal band Iron Maiden emerging from the ashes of the Bogside clutching a bloody sabre in one hand and tattered Union Jack flag in the other. However, following a consultation with the community, and funding from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, three new murals ‘representing the culture and tradition’ of the area have taken their place. Created by brothers Dee, Mark and Peter Logan, all of whom hail from the Bond Street area, each of the murals depicts history of the community. One of the murals represents the well-known Pages Bakery, which was established in 1953, the Ebrington Presbyterian Church which opened 1897, the Waterside branch of the Royal British Legion, which was established in 1936 and Ebrington Primary School which opened in 1901. The second mural shows the Mountjoy Ship ‘Breaking the boom’ at the Siege of Derry whilst the third highlights the contribution of the local cricket club and Orange Lodge to the community. The third mural highlights the contribution of the local cricket club and Orange Lodge to the community. Lloyd Magee, chairperson of Bond Street Community Association, said he hoped the murals would encourage more people to now visit Bond Street. "We are indebted to the Community Cohesion Unit of the Housing Executive for providing funding to allow this project to proceed,” he said. “This has allowed us to replace the old murals which were in a very bad state of repair and will also help attract more visitors to the area.” He added: "We were delighted the artists involved in our project are brothers from the Bond Street area - Dee Logan, Mark Logan and Peter Logan." Avril McAllister, the Housing Executive’s Area Manager, said that it was ‘delighted’ to invest in theproject by Bond Street Community Association. “The updated cultural murals depicting local connections and history are providing a positive welcome to the area,” she said. “They show how industry, culture and sport play an important part in the Bond Street community and are helping to cement relationships between businesses, residents, sporting groups, the church and other organisations with a vested interest in the locality.”