“Off to France our boys were sent. All gave some, some gave all – In memory of the loyal 36th.” The first phrase might come from the Rangers’ song ‘We’re Coming Down The Road‘. The second phrase dates not to WWI but the Korean War in the 1950s (Reference). Kitchener Drive, the Village.
This August marks the 50th anniversary of what are euphemistically called “The Troubles”. The Battle Of The Bogside (Derry) began on August 12th; in Belfast, fighting began on the night of August 14th and before dawn three people in the Divis Street area were dead: Protestant Herbert Roy and Catholics Patrick Rooney and Hugh McCabe, both shot in the Divis flats complex by the RUC’s Shorland armoured cars. (Two other Catholics were killed in rioting in Ardoyne.) This new board is on Divis tower, next to the plaque commemorating Rooney and McCabe.
Crusaders – off to a perfect start of two wins – travel the mile and a half across north Belfast to Solitude to play Cliftonville at 3 this afternoon in the north Belfast derby. Today’s images are of the mural outside Seaview and the scene from the run-up to the team’s Irish Cup win over Ballinamallard (BBC-NI). In meetings between Crusaders and Cliftonville, Crusaders lead 151 wins to 84 (WP).
“In memory of IRA volunteers Gerard Crossan, Tom McCann, Tony Lewis, John [Sean] Johnston, who died while on active service on the 9th March 1972 at 32 Clonard St. Erected by the Greater Clonard Ex-Prisoners Association.” The four died in a premature explosion (“active service”) presumably at the home of Lewis, who lived in Clonard Street. Crossan and Johnston were 19, McCann and Lewis were 20 (The Troubles 11).
The East Belfast UVF memorial parade primarily commemorates hitman Robert ‘Squeak’ Seymour, who killed the IRA’s James Burns in his own home in 1981. He was killed by the IRA in 1988. Here is video from the 2019 parade. Seymour’s portrait is included in Ballymacarrett (see Standing Guard) and in London Road (Ulster’s Brave).
“In memory of Gary McCann (Magoo) – one of Ulster’s finest. GBNF [Gone but not forgotten].” In addition to being a Linfield supporter, McCann was also a volunteer in the Village UVF. He died in 2016. See The Battalion Of The Dead.