“Rotten And Corrupt: Christopher Little (39) entered guilty pleas to nine charges at Belfast Crown Court last month – including attempting to have sex with a child. [Irish Times] 20 officers shared racist, sexist and misogynistic messages including texts and images which mocked Arabic and Islamic people. [Spotlight programme] Six PSNI officers all had hearings for an array of alleged offences. PSNI revealed they themselves had dismissed 11 police officers amid claims of over 130 misconduct cases throughout the force. [Belfast Live]”
It’s not clear who is behind these flyers in north Belfast; the harpist on the electical box is by Kerrie Hanna (ig).
“Est 1913 Irish Citizen Army / Irish National Liberation Army Est. 1974”. The Irish Citizen Army was founded in Dublin in 1913 to protect striking workers from police violence. After taking part in the Easter Rising of 1916, however, the ICA did not participate in the War Of Independence and the Civil War. In 1974, some founding members considered reviving the “ICA” name to reflect the organisation’s “allegiance to the working class” while Costello (pictured on the right) suggested “National Liberation Army”, which was then amended to include “Irish” (History Ireland | WP | WP). MNI includes an “ICA-INLA” Starry Plough on the stairs into the New Lodge from 1989 (C00105).
The banner raised over the Liberty Hall headquarters of the ICA read “We serve neither king nor kaiser but Ireland” – the famous photograph is included in the post of the same name – but this has been updated. The Belfast version of the board, above, reads “nor Nato”, while the Derry version, below reads “nor quisling”.
Clare Crockett grew up in Derry and became a nun in 2001. She died at the age of 33 in an earthquake in Ecuador in 2016. The mass for the seventh anniversary of her death was held last month (youtube). A documentary film about Crockett’s life is available on youtube.
Painted by Razer (ig) in Racecourse Road, Shantallow, Derry.
There is another mural to Crockett in the Brandywell: All Or Northing!
“Sr Clare Crockett was born in Derry 14th November 1982. The daughter of Gerard and Margaret Crockett. During a Holy Week Retreat in Spain in the year 2000 she experienced the intensity of the Lord’s Death and Resurrection that led to a deep conversion of her life. Sr Clare entered the Servant Sisters of the House of the Mother 11th August 2001. She went to found a new community in Jacksonville, Florida in October 2006. Sr Clare took Perpetual vows 8th September 2010. In 2014, Sr Clare undertook the mission in Ecuador. She died in an Earthquake, protecting her pupils 16th April 2016. She was buried in Derry 2nd May 2016.”
“Heavenly Father, for your Glory, that or [of] your beloved Son, that of the Holy Spirit and that of the Mother Of God, we ask that grant us the grace (mention your request in the silence of your heart) … as a sign that the life of our Sister Clare Theresa Crockett has been pleasing to you on this earth and that she is now rejoincing with you in Heaven. We ask this through your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”
“Victory to the workers”. Costello House is home to the IRSP (tw) “Advice Hub” with representative Dan Murphy (Mid Falls & Springfield) and Michaely Kelly (Lower Falls). Murphy (in Black Mountain) received 2.7% and Kelly (in Court) 3.2% of first-preference votes in the recent local elections (WP).
“Ireland – Palestine – one struggle!” Carlos Latuff’s Belfast piece with Risteard Ó Murchú about Palestinian hunger-striker Khader Adnan was featured yesterday in They Hungered For Justice And Freedom. Here is the piece he did on Free Derry Corner with local artist Razer (Fb), showing Irish and Palestinian hands together throwing a Molotov cocktail.
Long-time Palestinian activist and former spokesperson for Islamic Jihad Khader Adnan died on May 2nd, at the age of 45, after 87 days on hunger strike in Ramla prison, in central Israel (Al Jazeera).
This was Adnan’s fifth time on hunger strike. In 2017, he spent 58 days on hunger strike and in 2015, 56 days. The strike in 2011-2012 lasted 66 days, during which time a mural was painted just to left of the mural shown here, featuring Adnan and Hanna Shalabi; they, along with many other prisoners, were on hunger strike to protest the “administrative detention” (imprisonment without trial) of more than 300 Palestinians – see Administrative Detention. Earlier, shorter, strikes took place in 2002 and in 2000, when he was imprisoned by the Palestinian National Authority for directing a protest against Lionel Jospin, then French Prime Minister (Gulf News).
According to Amnesty International, there are currently more than 1,000 Palestinians being held on ‘administrative detention’ (Amnesty).
As can be seen from the in-progress shots below, Risteard Ó Murchú painted Latuff’s cartoon, with Latuff looking on.
“I measc laochra na nGael go raibhh siad.” Profiles of Patricia Black, Frankie Ryan, Michael Ferguson, and Sean Keenan were added in late 2021 (video of launch) to the pair of existing monuments that memorialise them in Colin/Poleglass (for which see The Undauntable Thought on Peter’s site).
Black and Ryan were IRA volunteers killed by in a premature bomb explosion near London (An Phoblacht).
Michael Ferguson and Seán Keenan were activists and Sinn Féin councillors. Both died in 2006 of cancer (Irish Times | Bel Tel).
On Pantridge Road, which runs down to Michael Ferguson roundabout (An Phoblacht).
Here is a gallery of ten images of republican graffiti (and some basic muraling) from Glengormley, particularly the Elmfield area (see previously Glengormley Republican Youth).
Above: “This is republican Glengormley – GGRY”/”Is é seo Gleann Ghormlaithe [mis-spelled in the graffito as “Ghormliath” – the ending comes from “flaith” rather than “liath”] poblachtach [mis-spelled as with a final “t”, perhaps by attraction to “poblacht”].
Among the various images below: “resist British rule” along with an exhortation to join the IRA and Fianna (the sunburst); attacks on the IRSP/INLA (though a hammer and sickle are included); politically, attacks on the PUP and a threat that the “fascists” in the National Party “will be crucified”.
Voters go to the polls tomorrow in the loca government elections. Of the parties standing, the TUV, DUP, and – presumably this west Belfast household’s preference – Aontú are against the legal status of abortion in NI.
Here are two more responses to the coronation of King Charles last weekend: (above and last) a Lasair Dhearg (web) tarp in north Belfast reading “Fuck King Charles”; immediately below, an Éistigí (web) sheet/flag reading “Ní Mo Rí [Ní hé mo rí é/[he is] not my king]. Not our king.” in Strand Road, Derry.
Extramural Activity 