Select Image To Visit The Photo Gallery: Cheers Is An Example Of Paint-A-Box Street Art By Zippy

Photographed By William Murphy - Select Image To View Photographs

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AT THE BULLITT HOTEL IN BELFAST

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In December 2025, I travelled to Belfast, drawn by the promise that the city embraces the Christmas festive season with even more vigour than Dublin. My primary objective was night photography, and I naturally assumed my Leica Q3 would be the ideal companion. However, the trip proved to be something of a trial; the city was gripped by severe weather so intense that I was frequently forced to seek shelter just to remain safe. The wind made it impossible to stand steady, and keeping the lens dry for more than a few seconds was a losing battle. Since returning to Dublin, I have spent considerable time salvaging and processing the few usable frames I managed to capture.

One such survivor is a photograph of "Cheers!", a piece from the Belfast Paint-A-Box street art collection. Created by the artist Zippy, it is located on Ann Street, directly outside the entrance to the Bullitt Hotel and Tetto rooftop bar. Interestingly, I had originally booked a stay at the Bullitt, but I switched to the Maldron at the last minute to be closer to Grand Central Station—a pragmatic decision dictated by the worsening weather forecast.

The artwork was commissioned to celebrate the city centre’s vibrant nightlife and social culture, hence the "Cheers" and pint glass motifs. The installation spans a cluster of three utility boxes, rendered in a bold, graphic style with striking blues, pinks, and yellows. The atmospheric neon red glow visible in my images emanates from the TETTO signage positioned above the hotel entrance.

The Belfast Canvas Project

This initiative is a successful collaboration between Belfast City Council and local Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). The project aims to deter illegal graffiti by providing local artists—such as Zippy, Leo Boyd, and Danni Simpson—with a legitimate platform to showcase their work on unconventional "canvases."

If you wander through the Cathedral Quarter, you will discover dozens of these decorated boxes, with styles ranging from hyper-realistic portraits to vivid abstract patterns. While I had intended to document the entire collection, the December weather eventually got the better of me.