Belfast

Deserted! Well I Can Stand Alone

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Here are two images of women defending Protestant territory in Ireland. On the left, the date is “1914”, that is, Ulster during the Home Rule Crisis and WWI. The words “Deserted! Well – I can stand alone” can refer both to Britain’s proposed desertion or the absence of menfolk who joined Kitchener’s army.

On the right, the date is the early days of Northern Ireland: “A Protestant farmer’s wife guards her husband against sectarian attack from across the border.”

This is the third of three murals in the courtyard of the Rex Bar at Moscow Street on the Shankill Rd. Betting Office | Ready For War. The first also has a wide shot of all three and surrounding area.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
X00066 ycv moscow street

1914-2004

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“Preparing to bear arms 1914 – Prepared to bear arms 2004.” The Ulster Volunteers and the modern UVF are put in parallel.

A wider shot, including the stone memorial to the right of this mural and a banner above, is shown in Fasting For Human Rights And Justice.

Spier’s Place/Shankill Rd.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
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Ready For War

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Carson inspects the Ulster Volunteers at Glencairn (the grounds are also mentioned in this mural). The date is June 14th, 1914: guns have been smuggled in, but Britain has not yet declared war (August 4th).

The is the middle of three murals concerning unionism at the time of the (third) Home Rule bill and First World War. The first depicts the signing of the Covenant; the third depicts women farmers protecting their lands.

The first also contains a wide shot of all three and the surrounding area.

The photograph on which the mural is based in the Mary Evans collection. See e.g. this copy at the Express.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
X00074 1st belfast battalion moscow street

Families Of Displaced, Dispersed, Distressed

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X00072 2004-07-27 QueenMother r+

This is a 2002 mural commemorating the death of the Queen mother, HM Queen Elizabeth. “Salute our sovereign, now we part/To us our queen was dear/Because she had a soldier’s heart/And man she did not fear/Her soul forlorn she will not scorn/Where her worth is known/No rebel hate will harm this state/The bible and the crown”

At the Shankill Road end of Conway Street, west Belfast.

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Copyright © 2004 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Betting Office

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“Ulster Day. Sir Edward Carson (WP) signing the covenant (WP). Belfast City Hall, 28th September, 1912.”

This is the first of three panels on this wall that together trace the history of the Ulster Volunteers; see also the second (Carson and the Ulster Volunteers) and third (women defenders while the men fight in Europe).

Below is a shot of the full scene in the courtyard of the Rex bar, two weeks away from the 12th

Moscow Street/Shankill Road, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
X00049 X00050 1912, lest we forget, 36th ulster division, battle of the boyne, 1st july 1916, ycv, uvf, rex bar est. 1865 moscow street

90 Years Of Resistance

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“The Peoples Army 1912-2002” showing landmarks in the history of the Ulster Volunteers and UVF:

“1912 – newly formed Shankill Volunteers train at Fernhill Estate, Glencairn”;
“1916 – RIR (West Belfast UVF) go over the top at the Somme”;
“1969 – Volunteers defend Shankill community from republican attack”;
“2002 – At the crossroads?” with PUP leader David Ervine pictured holding a copy of the Good Friday Agreement.

Canmore St and Shankill Rd.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
eire united kingdom war peace X00045

Buchanan

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Three murals in the series “From pioneers to presidents” were painted in London-/Derry, to Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington, and James Buchanan. A version of the latter was also painted on Ainsworth Street/Woodvale Road in Belfast in the same year (1999).

See the Visual History page on Ulster-Scots Murals.

00086 2004-07-27 Buchanan+

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
X00054 X00086 from pioneers to presidents, my ulster blood is my most priceless heritage, james buchanan 15th US president 1857-1861

Where Is Our Truth?

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“30 years of indiscriminate slaughter by so-called non-sectarian Irish freedom fighters. Where are our inquiries? Where is our truth? Where is our justice?”

?2003? mural off the main Shankill Road at Bellevue Street. The central panel reproduces a BelTel photograph of the Balmoral furniture showroom bombing, 11 December 1971. The others are the Mountainview Tavern, Frizzell’s fishmongers (shown in the detail, above), the Bayardo Bar, and the Four Step Inn.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
X00090 X00076 no military economic legitimate targets, fourstep inn bombed sept 29th 1971 2 innocents killed, balmoral showrooms bombed dec 11th 1971 2 adults and 2 babies killed, mountainview tavern bombed april 5th 1975 5 innocents killed, bayardo bar bombed aug 13th 1975 5 innocents killed, frizzells fish shop bombed oct 23rd 1993 9 innocents killed

No (Decom)Mission

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This Bombay Street board commemorates the 1969 riots which led to Bombay Street being being cut by the Cupar Way “peace” line.

Update: This board was removed, but a copy of it has been placed over the garden of commemoration, across the street. See Never Again in the Peter Moloney Collection.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
X00069

Lady In Red

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This 2002 Ballymurphy mural commemorates females (including several Cumann Na mBan members) who died in the troubles: anti-clockwise, they are Maura Meehan, Anne Marie Pettigrew, Dorothy Maguire, Eileen Mackin, Catherine (Cathy) McGartland, Anne Parker.

The volunteer on the right dates back (at least) to the 1982 poster below; the parade is perhaps based on a picture of Mao’s China?

Information from CAIN on four of the women shown.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
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1982 IntWomensDay