“Providing a community transport system for over 40 years.” The West Belfast Taxi Association (WBTA) have had a mural on the International Wall since at least 2006, offering tours of west Belfast and the murals in particular. Martin Meehan was originally OIRA but switched to the Provisionals after the split. He was the first person convicted of membership of the PIRA and spent 18 years in prison during the Troubles (WP). “Codaıl samh a chomradaí.”
“Councillor Liam MacCarthy, Ireland’s forgotten son. Gael, patriot. Winners of the All-Ireland hurling championship are awarded a trophy named after MacCarthy.
This is an unusual mural in terms of form: it is a mix of mural and board and the knot-work border does not go around the top, so that the hurley players extend the painting and not do not break the frame of the painting.
Pro-Cuba mural on the International Wall and criticism of the Obama regime’s continuation of the US blockade. “The world opposes US blockade of Cuba. Time for a change Mr Obama.” “UN General Assembly resolution Oct 2008. Countries opposed to the blockade: 185. Countries in favour: 3 (US, Israel, Palau)”. “¡Aqui no se rinde nadie!” [There’s no giving up here!] (For criticism of Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush, on the international wall, see this mural.)
The word “Venceremos” would later be added on the left; see M05637.
“Askatasuna [freedom]. 700 political prisoners! Political parties banned! Incidents of torture! Civil rights abused! Not Spain, not France. Self-determination for the Basque country.” Also highlighted on the map are Galicia and Catalonia.
This mural on the International Wall commemorates the Manchester martyrs, Philip Allen, Michael O’Brien, Michael Larkin.
The three were publicly hanged on November ?23rd?, 1867, for the killing of a Manchester policeman, Charles Brett. Brett was inside a prison van carrying two IRB leaders when it was set upon by 30 or more people (depicted in the small insert at the top of the mural). The attendant escort fled, leaving Brett inside; he was killed by a bullet fired into the lock. Five people were convicted, one of whom, O’Meagher Condon, shouted “God save Ireland” during the trial; this was turned into an extremely popular song in memory of the three (Wolfe Tones version). Their graves were discovered in 2003 (Irish Times) and a campaign is being waged to repatriate their corpses (Sınn Féın).
“Bring them back to Irish soil. Three Irishmen, one an American citizen, were falsely accused, convicted and hung on the 24th November 1867 in Manchester where their bodies still lie. God save Ireland.”
Picasso’s Guernica (WP) was recreated on The International Wall (Divis Street) in 2007 and now (2009) a reference to the deaths in Gaza has been added on the right, in the form of two bombs — one with a swastika and “Guernica ’37” and the other with a Star Of David and “Gaza 2009” — above and below the information plaque (which can be seen in the Peter Moloney Collection).
“Inspired by two Irishmen to escape from slavery, Frederick Douglass came to Ireland during the famine. Henceforth he championed the abolition of slavery, women’s rights and Irish freedom.”
“Perhaps no class has carried prejudice against colour to a point more dangerous than have the Irish and yet no people have been more relentlessly oppressed on account of race and religion.
(Also by Douglass, and which would have made an apt quote for the mural: “I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.”)
Last year’s pro-Palestine mural on the International Wall (see Free Palestine From 60 Years Of Nakba!) has been augmented with words in red reading “End this barbarian Israeli aggression! “This is a war crime!” – Yonaton Shapira, Israeli refusenik. 1300+ slaughtered. Get the truth! Go to aljazeera.net/english”
The number was originally 700 (Alamy); it was presumably changed to 1000 at some point, though no image has been found of this; in any case, here 1000 has been crossed out and replaced with 1300.
Extramural Activity 