CNR

When Young People Are United …

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“… they can never be divided.” The two parts of this slogan are found at the end and the beginning of two murals and symbolically join together PUL Tiger’s Bay (with a mural at the end of the “peace” line on Hallidays Road, shown in the first three images) and CNR Newington (with a mural on Limestone Road, shown in subsequent images). Youths from both communities worked on the murals (Belfast Live).

The Hallidays Road wall previously had a similar ‘Welcome’ mural on it – see The Bigger Picture.

Presumably these are Blaze FX (web) productions. The murals were started back in May but were only completed last week. The muralists are perhaps busy with another job …

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X11389 [X10404] X11388 [X10402] X10403 X10406 X11390 [X10405] X11392 [X10407] X11391 [X10079] [X10080] [X10081] it takes a community to raise a child holy family parish Limestone United four colours of man

Saoırse Go Deo

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Saturday will be the 51st anniversary of Michael Devine’s death, the last of the ten strikers to die in the 1981 strike. This mural was painted last year during lockdown for the 50th anniversary.

“Vol Mickey Devine, Derry Brigade, INLA. In memory of Michael Devine “Red Micky” H-Block martyr, died 20th August 1981 after 60 days without food. Remembered with pride by his family, friends and comrades. ‘They have served their British masters, the poor pathetic fools, they think that inhumanity and cruelty can break us, haven’t they learnt anything? It strengthens us, it drives us on for then more than ever we know that our cause is just’ – Micky Devine”

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Shared History

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New panels – dubbed the ‘Wall History Project’ – have been added to the previous row of vintage images of the area (the “Peace” Wall Reimaging Project), telling personal stories of life during the Troubles including positive interactions with British soldiers and RUC officers. The “peace” wall in question runs along the top of the Fountain in Londonderry along Bishop Street WIthout. (The street was also “settled’ by the construction of senior citizens’ home, Alexander House.)

“The spoken words scattered across this peace wall are those of local women who have endured the Troubles in the City and continue to live in the shadow of its legacy. It gives a platform to all too long silenced voices, to share real real life experiences, memories and hopes for the future in a divided society. During lockdown, a group of women who have transcended division for years through the Bogside & Brandywell Initiative’s Peace Barriers Programme continued to connect on Thursday evenings via Zoom. The craic was 90, there was laughter, tears, words of encouragement, banter and good old Derry/Londonderry slagging.”

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“This Shared History Panel Initiative was officially launched by Mayor of Derry & Strabane, Councillor Elisha McCallion and Dr Adrian Johnston, Chairman, International Fund for Ireland, 12-12-2015. … This initiative is a symbolic display of what can be achieved when community groups and residents work together.”

We Will Never Stop

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A rally is planned for 1 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday 13th) at Belfast City Hall in support of the family of Noah Donohoe and in protest at a request by the police to use PII (Public Interest Immunity) certificates to redact portions of three police files. (The primary source is a paywalled article in the Sunday Independent, which both the Irish News and Belfast Telegraph reported on.) Visual reminders of the case are all over the city and many have been featured on this site previously. Today’s post collects those not previously featured. In order, they are from Beechmount; University St; Duncairn Gardens (replacing the board seen in Between The Lines); Rossville St, Derry; the Markets.

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Serious Trouble

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These INLA/Arm Saoırse Náısıúnta Na hÉıreann pieces – including armed volunteers among a graveyard of Celtic crosses – are in Meenan Square/Durrow Park in Derry’s Bogside, next to the bonfire site. The “serious trouble” board on the electrical pole (“RUC, Council, Sınn Féın – if this wood is removed there will be serious trouble”) is not from this year and there was not much happening yet in terms of collection for this year’s so-called “Assumption” bonfire when these images were taken last week. For more information, and images of last year’s controversial bonfire, see Fire In The Sky.

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X10913 Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10270 [X10269] [X10265] [X10266] X10267 [X10268] Copyright © 2022 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
X10910 [X10911] X10912 Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
unbowed unbroken RUC scum not welcome arm saoırse náısıúnta na héıreann

Mıse Éıre

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Mıse Éıre (short for ‘Is mıse Éıre’ [I am Ireland]) is a short poem by Patrick Pearse in which Mother Ireland speaks of her glories and sufferings. The un-partitioned Ireland (though with the flags of the four provinces in the corners) is used here by Sınn Féın Poblachtach (web) to call for unification of “the whole people of Ireland … Protestant, Catholic, and Dissenter” [Wolfe Tone, from his autobiography].

The poem also appears in a Derry mural from the 1980s and a current New Lodge GAA mural.

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X10834 Falls Rd

On The Streets Of Derry

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“This mural is dedicated to all those who tragically died on the streets of Derry during the hunger strike era. Suaımhneas Dé da nanamacha. 3rd October 2006.” The mural referred to is in fact the ‘crumbling cell’ mural (see M03350); the ‘Spirit Of Freedom’ mural was first painted in 2011 for the 30th anniversary (see X00999) – the 30th anniversary plaque remains, on the right of the mural. For the 40th anniversary of the 1981 hunger strike “40” has replaced the “30” in the bottom border – see the final image.

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X10899 X10902 X10903 X10901 X10900 our revenge will be the laughter of our children baınfear ár ndíoltas amach leıs an ghaıre dár bpáıstí

Cuımhníonn Doıre

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For many years there were portraits of the hunger strikers (either the 10 deceased from 1981 or the 12 from the 70s and 80s) along the long wall in Bishop St Without – see 2009, 2004, and 1998 (before that time the wall was divided into a number of panels for a variety of republican imagery – see 1984 and 1982) but in the portraits – which were on boards – soon started coming off and over the next decade the wall began to fade and become covered in graffiti (as can be seen in Street View). For the 40th anniversary, the deceased hunger strikers were restored to the wall, as shown here: “40th anniversary of the 1980-1981 hunger strikes. Rededication of mural, by the Bogside and Brandywell Monument Committee.”

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Ban Plastic Bullets Now!

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The United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets organised a march on July 16th, from Divis to the middle Falls, ending in Islandbawn Street with the launch of a new mural commemorating 17 victims of rubber or plastic bullets (Irish News). (Belfast Media has a gallery from the march.) Amnesty International last year released a report on the continued use of Attenuating Energy Projectiles (AEPs).

“Seeking justice for victims of rubber and plastic bullets. Plastic bullets = murder, main & mayhem”

For the previous plastic bullets board in Islandbawn Street, see Plastic Death.

Francis Rowntree, Tobias Molloy, Thomas Friel, Stephen Geddis, Brian Stewart, Michael Donnelly, Stephen McConomy, Paul Whitters, Julie Livingstone, Henry Duffy, Carol Ann Kelly, Norah McCabe, Peter Doherty, Peter McGuinness, John Downes, Keith White, Seamus Duffy.

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Na Fıanna Éıreann Leanúnachas

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“The Continuity Fıanna”. The Irish National Boy Scouts or “junior IRA” were founded in 1909 by Bulmer Hobson and Countess Markievicz, who is at the centre of this photograph. The Fıanna followed the Provisionals in 1969 and Republican Sınn Féın (and the Continuity IRA) in 1986 (Fianna History blog | Irish Examiner), while Provisional Fianna became Ógra Shınn Féın and then Sınn Féın Republican Youth (An Sionnach Fionn).

For the previous stencilling in this spot, see In The Cause Of Irish Freedom. For the plaque and old (single bugler) tarp (to Josh Campbell, Davy McAuley, Bernard Fox, and Joseph McComiskey), see Purity In Our Hearts.

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X10429 X10428 Berwick Road ardoyne