Belfast west

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
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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

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
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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

Safe House

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00073 2004-07-27 TolanSafeHouse+

IRA volunteers Tommy ‘Toddler’ Tolan (in blue), James (Jim) McGrillen and John Stone (seated at table), and Michael Kane (foreground) are pictured in a safe house in Ballymurphy, with plates of sandwiches and a cache of weapons. The women are Annie Adams(?) and Kathleen Moore(?).

Tolan is also depicted at a larger scale on the right of the mural; in the original (2001) version, this figure was dressed in fatigues and carried a rifle (as can be seen in the Peter Moloney Collection), but this was changed within 18 months to a brown suit as shown here (July 2004).

The Springmartin “peace line” can be seen in the gap between the houses.

Update: The large Tolan figure is preserved in the 2014 mural Working Class Heroes and the other five are included anew.

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Copyright © 2004/2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Bryson-Mulvenna

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2001 mural to IRA volunteers Jim Bryson and Patrick Mulvenna in Ballymurphy, both holding serious weaponry. For the plaque, see M01657.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
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Three Volunteers

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“In passing this mural, pause a little while, pray for us and Erin, then smile.” This is a Ballymurphy mural dedicated to three local PIRA volunteers: Bobby McCrudden, Mundo O’Rawe, and Pearse Jordan. McCrudden was shot in Ardoyne in 1972 (Sutton). O’Rawe was shot on the lower Falls in 1973 (Sutton). The circumstances of Jordan’s death in 1992 at the hands of an undercover RUC unit were controversial; his case went to the European Court Of Human Rights (WP).

From a photo in the Peter Moloney Collection, the plaque reads “I ndíl [ndıl] chuímhne [chuımhne] Oglach [Óglach] Edward ‘Mundo’ O’Rawe, Oglach Robert McCrudden, Oglach Pearse Jordan – who gave their lives for Ireland’s freedom.”

This is one of the murals in the Ballymurphy Mural Project.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
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Belfast Graves

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“And all around are monuments that bear a martyr’s name/True patriots who fought and died to kindle freedoms flame/Jimmy Quigley, McCormick and O’Neill/Remember them, they died for us and found a martyr’s grave.” The words of Ray McAreavey’s song are modified to include four Ballymurphy IRA/Fıanna volunteers.

This Ballymurphy mural uses symbols of ancient Ireland and the pikes of 1798/1803 to commemorate four modern volunteers — Jimmy Quigley, Eamonn McCormick, Teddy O’Neill, Michael Magee – and two other deaths – Alice Franklin, Mary Fegan.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
X00048 Belfast Graves with brave, I ndıl cuımhne [chuımhne] volunteers

Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann

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“Grieve not nor speak of us with tears but laugh and talk of us as though we were beside you.” This mural is on the gable wall at the end of the street which is depicted in it, namely Ballymurphy Parade, which is to the left of the mural. It reproduces a photograph of IRA volunteers on patrol taken by Gerard ‘Mo Chara’ Kelly in An Phoblacht ?1979?.

For a close-up of the plaque, see M07999.

Glenalina Road, Ballymurphy, west Belfast

Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
X00070 oglaıgh na heıreann belfast brigade b. coy 2nd batt

Easter Rising

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This Easter Rising (1916) mural shows Countess Markievicz (WP) outside the Dublin GPO, accompanied by Connolly and Pearse, though they would end up inside.

Whiterock Road, west Belfast.

(Also shown, in 2014, in the foreground of Yes Yes Catalonia.)

It’s difficult to get the whole mural without the fence and light-post. Below is a shot of the whole …

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
X00060 X00061 freedom fighters outside the G.p.o. easter rising 1916