Belfast west

His Free Will No Thing Can Kill

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2014-03-18 FallsSaoirse+

This printed tarp on the side of the Falls Road commemorates the ten 1981 hunger strikers (along with Frank Stagg, Michael Gaughan, Nora Connolly, and Maıréad Farrell, paired with international figures Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Leonard Peltier, and Nelson Mandela) and features a verse from a Bobby Sands poem The Crime Of Castlereagh: “All things must come to pass as one/So hope should never die/There is no height or bloody might/That a freeman can’t defy./There is no source or foreign force/Can break one man who knows,/That his free will no thing can kill/And from that freedom grows.”

This tarp, which is 20′ x 20′, was printed from Mo Chara’s original 8′ x 8′ painting; it was also printed on a 30′ x 30′ tarp in New York. For all three, see the Chronological Catalogue of Mo Chara’s works.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01742 freedom saoırse easter lily an róısín roısín dubh mahatma gandhi MLK martin luther king nelson mandela fuıseog barbed wire their cause is ours dedicated brave irish sacrificed

Easter Parade

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2014-03-15 GlenFallsIRSP+

A board in the Glen Rd/Falls Road triangle: “Belfast I.R.S.P. Commemoration parade, Easter Sunday, Dunville Pk 11am”. The board is a permanent fixture but this year the commemoration in question is of the 40th anniversary of the IRSP itself, as well as the 1916 Rising.

Featured previously from the same location: Slash Stormont | Finucane 25 | Revolutionary Party

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Think Independently

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2014-04-03 MulhollandHugo+

Electioneering is under way in Northern Ireland, ahead of the local and European parliament elections on May 22nd. Above is a stencil in Hugo Street drumming up support for independent (socialist) Ciarán Mulholland. “Think independently, vote independent. Neamhspleách/Independent candidate for the black mountain ward. The political parties have failed the people of west Belfast. Have your say and change things.”

Replaces the Bleeding Poppy

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Out Of The Flames

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2014-04-06 NorthumbPhoenix+

Like a phoenix. This is part of a new (as yet incomplete) RNU (Republican Network For Unity) mural at the corner of Northumberland Street and Divis Street.

Previously: Just As Good As Others

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The Rebel’s Rest

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2014-03-18 RebelsRestClose+

The Rebel’s Rest /Scíth An Reıbılúnaıgh pub on the Falls at Cupar Street Lower has closed and been sold.

2014-03-18 RebelsRest+

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Eıspéıreas Gaeılge/Irish Experience

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2014-02-28 Culturlann1991Glass+

The stained glass window above is in Cultúrlann McAdam – O’Fıaıch (cultural centre, named for two clergymen, Presbyterian Robert McAdam and Catholic Tomás Ó Fıaıch) on the Falls Road and features some of the spaces within the centre: An Ceathrú Póılí: Sıopa Leabhar Gaeılge Bhéal Feırste (Irish-language bookstore), Caıfé Feırste (café), Dánlann Dillon (Dillon Gallery).

More stained glass in the Cultúrlann: White Line

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X01715 ıs gael mıse 1991

Hoop Cut

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2014-03-27 HoopsBarbers+

Martin O’Neill takes Neil Lennon home after his haircut at Hoops Barbers on the Falls Road. Both are from Northern Ireland – Lennon is originally from Lurgan, O’Neill from Kilrea. O’Neill was manager of Glasgow Celtic when Lennon was a player. O’Neill now manages the Republic of Ireland squad and Lennon is now (since 2010) manager of Celtic.

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The Battle Of Antrim

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2014-03-04 BattleAntrimClose+

The Battle of Antrim took place on June 7th, 1798, as part of the Irish Rebellion of that summer. Led in the North by the Protestant Henry Joy McCracken, the rebellion met with initial successes in smaller towns, before failing in Antrim. In the full shot, below, the British soldiers can be seen in the distance.

The board above is in the grounds of The Roddy’s, a social club named after Roddy McCorley, another Protestant member of the United Irishmen, most famous for the song written about his hanging at the bridge of Toome in 1800. (Here’s a version by Tommy Makem.)

2014-03-04 BattleAntrimFull+

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Mothering Sunday In Beechmount

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2014-03-29 CnamBCentenaryFlowers+

Mothering Sunday 2014 was yesterday, Sunday March 30th. On Saturday, when this image was taken, menfolk were out and about tracking down flowers and chocolates. This week also happens to be the one-hundredth anniversary (“céad blıaın”) of the founding of Cumann Na mBan on April 2nd, 1914, and it is being commemorated in various ways, including a new mural on Ascaıll Ard na bhFeá/Beechmount Avenue.

Cumann Na mBan was the women’s division of the Irish Volunteers and is best remembered for its role in the Easter Rising of 1916. Its members were involved in the occupation of many locations. Some, including (non-combatant) Winifred Carney, were in the GPO, while Countess Markievicz, the main figure of the mural, was in St. Stephen’s Green. (Here is an RTÉ gallery of vintage photographs, including one of Markievicz surrendering.)

The letters “Cnamb” on a rifle formed the badge of Cumann Na mBan. The Irish “Ní saoırse go saoırse na mban” means “No freedom until the freedom of women”. Below are an ‘in-progress’ shot from last week; and a close-up of the finished mural. Below these is a plain shot of the full mural.

Replaces the Fıanna Éıreann centenary, 1909-2009, in which Countess Markievicz was also featured.

2014-03-29 CnamBCentenaryInProgress+

2014-03-29 CnamBCentenaryDetail+

2014-03-29 CnamBCentenaryFull+

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Uncovering The Past

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2014-03-15 GlenFallsBoards1+

Three generations of boards at the junction of the Falls and Glen roads: from most recent to least: Pearse Jordan (“Murdered by RUC! Covered up by PSNI”), Gibraltar Three (“I nDıl Chuımhne”; this was later realized on the Divis Street International Wall, see 25 Years), and a (presumably) IRSP board (“If there is to be a revolution, there must be a revolutionary party.” [Mao Zedong]). The oldest of the three appears to be the one in the best shape. The site itself used to be the Andersonstown RUC/Army barracks.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01733 unarmed ira volunteer a victim of britain’s shoot-to-kill policy irish republican socialist party british government policies of collusion justice delayed denied truth and justice now