Belfast south

Murdered By Cowards

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“In loving memory of Taughmonagh residents Brian McMillan, Alan ‘Rocky’ Meehan, Dennis Berrty (Sgt UDA), Thomas Vance (2 Para), Thomas Douglas. Murdered by cowards during the conflict in Northern Ireland. Those we love don’t go away, they walk beside us every day.”

McMillan and Meehan were civilians shot along with TA staff sergeant (and English Catholic) Joseph Flemming on July 9th, 1972.

Dennis Berry was shot by the UVF after leaving the UDA social club in Taughmonagh. According to Lost lives, “Reliable loyalist sources said the shooting was the result of a personal row rather than having any political or organisational basis.” (p. 441)

Thomas Vance died in the IRA’s 1979 ambush of the British Army at Narrow Water Castle, near Warrenpoint (WP), on the same day that Louis Mounbatten was killed. (Republican mural)

Thomas Douglas was shot while walking along the street. His family denied he was a leading loyalist and simply a member of the Orange Order (CAIN | Fb).

This plaque has been added to the UDA memorial garden in Taughmonagh (at the corner of Finbank Gardens & Malfin Drive).

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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RIP Grandpa

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Here is another in an occasional series of “RIP” graffiti to local people, this time in south Belfast’s Village neighbourhood: “RIP Grandpa – love from John”. Previously: Jamie and Kev | Caomhan, Punk, and Butt.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Battle Of The Markets

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Internment (imprisonment without trial) was introduced on August 9th, 1971 by NI Prime Minister Brian Faulkner, with 342 people arrested on the first day. The Bogside was “hysterical with hated”, according to Eamonn McCann (History Ireland) and of Belfast Kevin Myers wrote “Insanity seized the city.” Two dozen people would die in the rioting and gun-battles that followed, leading to the suspension of Stormont rule (WP). In the Markets area, OC Joe McCann and other (Official) IRA volunteers took over the Inglis bakery and reportedly prevented 600 British troops from entering the area – the image to the left of the board above is a Ciaran Donnelly photograph showing McCann during the battle, kneeling beneath a Starry Plough and holding an M1.

For information on his death the following year, see Joe McCann.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04933 soldier of the people erected by the official republican movement

South Belfast Volunteers

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Here are five more small boards from the Village. Above is a one to the memory of soldiers from the 36th (Ulster) Division lost in WWI; the remainder refer to the modern UVF, though all of them include poppies, suggesting that they are memorial in intent and so less menacing than yesterday’s hooded gunman in Welcome To The Village.

Also, previously: Village UVF | A Hive Of Glass| For God And Ulster

X06734 2019-08-02 TatesAve UVF+ c

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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Sunshine Not Skyscrapers

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Residents of the Markets are challenging a planned 55 million pound high-rise office-block next to Central Station, which they say will overshadow their homes (Irish News). A decision in the case is expected by the end of the month (BelTel)

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The Devil’s Handshake

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Vintage graffiti in Sandy Row – “Devils hands[h]ake means fuck all”. If you know of a specific referent, please get in touch.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Kids In The Jungle

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This mural of children transported to the jungle replaced a long-standing UFF mural.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04855 X04854 Linfield Road

Loyalist Ave

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Here are two portraits from the “Loyalist Avenue” mural and memorial garden hear Sandy Row. If you know anything about the people depicted, please leave a comment. The central figure (in the wide shot) is Gareth Morrison (see Big Henry). For the King William mural, see British And Proud.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Benson Kingsberry

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When the UFF hooded gunman were removed from the corner of Kilburn Street and Donegall Road in 2009, a memorial panel to the UDA’s Stephen “Benson” Kingsberry, who died from consuming tainted ecstasy (perhaps distributed by the UVF) was again included, illustrated with a poppy – an early use of what has become common in 2017: UDA (rather than UVF) poppies, as seen in Fulton & Goatley | Common Sense | Sandy Row Remembers. For the main mural see Progress.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Big Henry

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Gareth “Big Henry” Morrison was a drummer in the Ulster First Flute band in Sandy Row and a Rangers supporter. He died at age 26 on June 23rd, 2013 from a dose of PMA (BelTel), one of eight such deaths in Northern Ireland and seven in western Scotland. (1997 image of a UFFB mural in Linfield Road.)

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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