On 1st July 2009, residents of Seymour Hill, Dunmurry, Co. Antrim unveiled a pair of murals made possible by the Art Council of Northern Ireland's Reimagining Communities Programme. Both murals depict a part of the area's heritage and replace older paramilitary pieces. Of interest to those with a passion for Second World War history is "Seymour Hill in WWII" by artist Tim McCarthy.
Among those at the unveiling were: Colonel Robin Charley (Royal Ulster Rifles), Paul Porter (Deputy Mayor of Lisburn), Mark Black (Seymour Hill and Conway Community Network), Margaret Tollerton, Reverend Fred Greenfield, Patt Kerr (daughter of Rifleman William Harbinson), and Jonathan Craig MLA. Colonel Charley’s family were previous owners of the nearby Seymour House.
WartimeNI Photo: Colonel Robin Charley of the Royal Ulster Rifles unveiled the Seymour Hill in WWII mural at Hornbeam Walk, Seymour Hill, Dunmurry, Co. Antrim on 1st July 2009. Photo taken on 30th June 2020. Copyright Scott Edgar - WartimeNI.
The mural celebrates the role played by local people, families, farmers, and soldiers based in the area during the Second World War. It depicts the Nissen Huts at Ballybog Road used by the United States Army, local Rifleman William Harbinson who became a Prisoner of War at Colditz, and Seymour House, where evacuees found a home following the Belfast Blitz.
A plaque beneath the artwork reads:
This mural was dedicated by Colonel Robin Charley on 1st July 2009 to the people from this area who contributed to the effort during World War II. Also, our American allies who were based here and later contributed to the conflict.
