This shrine to a deceased youngster – “John Mongan, died 15th May 2011” – is near the entrance to Ardcaoin, Belfast.
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My Dear Son
CNR
In Defence Of The Nation
This is a new mural from the 32 County Sovereignty Movement (web) on the international wall, Divis Street, (Visual History) with symbols of nationalism (the crests of the four provinces, the harp, the tricolour), socialism (the plough in the stars) and support for republican POWs (the barbed wire).
For images of the mural being worked upon, see the Peter Moloney Collection; for an earlier version see 100% British.
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X02744 End British Rule Smash Stormont 32 County Sovereignty Movement 1997-2015
United Irishwomen
Here are two images of the extremes of the Mná Na hÉıreann mural.
In the four corners are circles of Betsy Gray, Anne Devlin, Mary Ann McCracken, and Máıre Drumm. Gray and McCracken were Presbyterians; Gray fought (or at least, was killed) in the 1798 rebellion, as did McCracken’s brother Henry Joy; Mary Ann went on to work for the poor of Belfast and lobby against slavery. Anne Devlin assisted in Robert Emmet’s 1803 rising. (National Graves Assoc) Máıre Drumm was vice-president of Sınn Féın and commander of Cumann Na mBan, who are shown marching on the right-hand side.
In the cloth cap and holding a rifle is Eithne Coyle, a leader and later president of Cumann Na mBan, imprisoned both by the Black and Tans before the treaty and after it by the Provisional Irish government (WP). For the photograph on which her pose here is based, see An Phoblacht‘s History Of Cumann na mBan, which also includes the photo of marching women (discussed previously in Mothering Sunday In Beechmount) though the faces have been changed here, presumably to those of more contemporary volunteers. The same is probably true of the third woman with a bin lids on the left – leave a comment or send an e-mail if you can put a name to any of these faces.
See also Do You Care?
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X02734 X02737 h-block do you care? funeral republican ira
Do You Care?
Here are two details from the Mná Na hÉıreann mural. This one shows three Derry women protesting the conditions in Armagh Women’s Prison and in the H-Blocks. This article on Mary Nelis (the protester on the right, with Kathleen Deeny and Theresa Deery) describes the photograph on which this part of the mural is based. The women in Armagh prison were allowed to wear their own clothes and so were not ‘on the blanket’ as their male counterparts in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh were. However, they did engage in a “no wash” protest, which lasted from February 1980 until March 1981, and three of them – Maıréad Farrell, Mary Doyle, and Margaret Nugent – joined the 1980 hunger strike.
In the second image, below, grieving mothers, wives, and sisters stand over a coffin draped in the Irish tricolour with paramilitary gloves and beret on top.
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Mná Na hÉıreann/Women Of Ireland
Countess Markievicz, carrying a flag of Cumann Na mBan, and Ethel Lynch, carrying a flag of the Derry IRA, take centre stage in the Mná Na hÉıreann mural in London-/Derry/Doıre’s bogside. Markievicz is famous for her role in the Easter Rising of 1916 (WP); Lynch died in December 1974 of injuries sustained when a bomb exploded prematurely. (Derry Journal – also contains the photo on which the painting above is based.) Between them, “Liberty leads the people” waving an Irish tricolour.
This is the one of three posts detailing the 2014-09 piece. See also: Do You Care? and United Irishwomen.
Launched 2014-09-30. In-progress shot in Derry Journal.
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02738 X02733 brıogáıd dhoıre maire drumm mary-ann mccracken betsy gray anne devlin h-block armagh do you care
End British Internment
“End the torture in Maghaberry Gaol – Smash Stormont – www.irpwa.com – Irish Republican Prisoners’ Welfare Association – strip searching – isolation – controlled movement.”
IRPWA board on the rear of Free Derry Corner.
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A Small Area
“Ardoyne-Bone boxers have punched well above their weight. As professional we have won … British, Commonwealth, European & W.B.U. titles. As amateurs we have won 3 olympic bronze, European Gold, Commonwealth Gold, World Junior silver, 17 Irish senior titles & an A.B.A senior title. Nor forgetting all our boxing coaches, who put in their time and effort for all our young boxers. Truly amazing for such a small area.” The wide shot below shows the whole of this new Ardoyne/Ard Eoın mural celebrating local boxers; the boxers named are Darren Corbett (WP), John Kelly (FightsRec), Paddy Barnes (WP), Harry McAuley (BoxRec), Anthony Maguire, Hugh Gilhooley (BoxRec), Eamonn McAuley (BoxRec), Freddie Gilroy (WP), Terry Magee (WP), Sean Brown, Noel Magee (WP), Barney Burns, Pat Kelly, Eamonn Magee (WP).
A mural celebrating Paddy Barnes’s 2014 Commonwealth gold medal: Oh, Paddy Boy
Pathé video of John Kelly being knocked out in 1954
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We Can Step In Anywhere And Turn Back The Clock
Students from Coláıste Feırste took part in a Forbaırt Feırste (Fb) “pop-up art” project, designing plastic wrap for the installation of blocks at the old entrance to Beechmount leisure centre (see the wide shot immediately below). Taking its lead from a Ciarán Carson poem, the design features “a million wind-blown buttercups”, as well as the front page of Edward O’Reilly’s English-Irish dictionary (image #4, below). The piece was officially opened by Caral Ní Chuılín during Féıle An Phobaıl. Press release from NI Executive. Sponsored by the Arts Council and Feırste Thıar.
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02710 X02712 X02709 X02711 X02707 an irish-english dictionary with copious quotations from the most esteemed ancient and modern writers to elucidate the meaning of obscure words and numerous comparisons of irish words with those of similar orthography sense or sound in the welsh and hebrew languages tá am gan teoraınn bogann sé sıar mar scáth ar an léarscaıl seo ach tríd an chuımhne tıg lınn bheıth ın áıt ar bıth san am atá caıte. tá mé ı bpıctıúrlann chluaın ard arís ag amharc ar the wizard of oz den chéad uaır arís eıle tá an gort os comhaır teach ard na bhfeá lán de na mıllıúın fearán séıdte cıarán carson time is a moving boundary drifting like cloud shadow westwards on this map but through memory we can step in anywhere and turn back the clock i’m in the clonard picture house again seeing the wizard of oz for the first time once more the field in front of beechmount house is trembling with a million wind-blown buttercups i ndíl [ndıl] cuımhne [chuımhne] [ar] ár gcomrádaí clive dutton ar aghaıgh onwards deirdre mackel deirdre robb arthur scott damien rea Robert Shipboy McAdam antiquorian and gaelic scholar 1808-1895 lived in a house on this site éıríonn teanga agus spreagann sí
IRPWA Prisoners
The IRPWA (tw | Fb) placed the names of prisoners currently held in Maghaberry in the barbed wire above the so-called “international” wall. Barbed wire is the symbol of republican prisoners though this barbed wire is used to protect Andrews Flour. Above, you can see the boards for Harkin, Mellon and McGilloway.
The full list, from left to right: Seamus Kearney, Gerard McManus, Nathan Hastings, Mark McGuigan, Sean Kelly, Barry Concannon, Damien Harkin, Thomas Mellon, Martin McGilloway, Jason Ceulemans, Gavin Coney, Liam O’Donnell, Neil Hegarty, Jon Paul Wooton, Martin Kelly, Colin Duffy, Harry Fitzsimons, Christopher O’Kane, Tarlach MacDhomhnaill, Seamus McLaughlin, Gavin Coyle, Brendan McConville, Kevin Barry Nolan.
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Rest Easy Big Man
Former CIRA commander Tommy Crossan’s 2014 murder by former colleagues was unusual in that is was carried out during the daytime (and also because he was abducted just off the Springfield Rd). (BBC-NI news video) The graffiti above declares that vengeance will be won.
Previously: Tommy Crossan
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X02708 RIP Vol Tommy Crossan 18/4/2014 justice will be done
Extramural Activity 