blanket/dirty protest

Óglach Bobby Sands

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“Óglach Bobby Sands 9th March 1954 – 5th May 1981”. Sands was the first of the ten IRA and INLA prisoners to die in the second hunger strike. For the 44th anniversary of his death, a statue was unveiled in Twinbrook, near the Sands family home and next to the memorial garden in Gardenmore Road (Peter Moloney Collection).

The statue was created by Packy Adams (Belfast Media | Irish News) and appears to be based on the photographs by Gérard Harlay – discovered in 2019 – of Sands carrying a United Irishmen flag in a march that took place a few months before his (final) arrest in 1976 (Bobby Sands Trust). The hair is also reminiscent of Wolfe Tone. The new statue (which does not have planning permission) has a built-in flag-pole, to which an Irish Tricolour was added for the launch on May 4th.

There is also a free-standing information board about Sands at the other end of Jasmine Corner, part of the Colin Heritage Trail.

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They Were Faithful And They Fought

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The D Company board that was placed over the Brendan Hughes painting earlier in the year (see: Nailed To The Mast) was prelude to this new mural. Brendan Hughes has been included since the 2008 version (compare 2005 with 2008) but Crumlin Road hunger-striker Billy McKee is included for the first time. McKee was the first OC of the PIRA’s Belfast Brigade and arrested for possession of a handgun. The hunger strike was to secure political status for prisoners who had been convicted of crimes (WP).

“This mural is dedicated to the lives of: Billy McKee, Hunger-striker, Crumlin Road Gaol, achieved political status, 1972; Kieran Nugent, Blanketman, H-Blocks Long Kesh, fought the loss of political status, 1976; Brendan Hughes, Blanketman, Hunger-striker, H-Blocks Long Kesh, 1980.”

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Nailed To The Mast

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“For what died the sons of Roısín?” The Dogs of IRA D Company [second battalion, Belfast brigade] move around the corner from Northumberland Street (see Our Struggle Continues) onto the International Wall and encroaches onto the mural of native son and first blanket man, Kieran Nugent: Nugent is reported to have said to his mother, “If they want me to wear a uniform they’ll have to nail it to my back.”

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The Courage And Sacrifice Of The Hunger Strikers

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The Clowney Street phoenix, which dates back to 1981 (see The Oldest Murals), has been repainted, and above, the blanketmen painting (see 1981-2011) has been replaced with a montage of photographs from the period, including prisoners on the blanket and dirty protest, the funeral of Sands and of McDonnell, and three pieces of graffiti: “Thirty thousands can’t be wrong” (Sands’s election to Westminster), “Bobby Sands murdered 1.17 am 5th May 1981”, and “My position is in total contrast to that of an ordinary prisoner. I am a political prisoner.”

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Kevin Lynch

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Mural to Kevin Lynch (WP) in Dún Geımhın/Dungiven. Lynch died after 71 days on hunger strike – the longest-surviving striker – in Long Kesh/the Maze prison.

The four black-and-white squares show (top left) Mary Nelis, Kathleen Deeny and Theresa Deery, protesting the arrests of their sons; (bottom left) the memorial to Lynch in nearby Park, where has was born; (top right) blanketmen Hugh Rooney and Freddie Toal; (bottom right) Lynch’s gravestone in Dungiven.

Along the bottom are the emblems of Kevin Lynch Memorial flute band (Fb), Kevin Lynch’s hurling club (“mısneach ‘s dílseacht”), and St Dympna’s football club, Luton (Fb).

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Copyright © 2013 Extramural Activity
X02866 X00927 kevin lynch 1956 1981 i’ll wear no convicts uniform nor meekly serve my time that Britain might brand Ireland’s fight 800 years of crime memorial flute band mısneach is dílseacht st. dympna’s gaelic football club my sister brother son is not a criminal

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Lynch raising the Under-16 County Derry hurling trophy.

Maghaberry Dirty Protest

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“Support the Maghaberry “Dirty Protest” 1981-2011″. Republican prisoners in Maghaberry began a dirty protest of throwing urine and excrement onto prison landings, as well as not washing or shaving, to protest forced strip searches (BBC).

See previously: Maghaberry Concentration Camp.

Beechmount Ave/Ascaill Ard Na bhFeá, west Belfast.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Remember The Hunger Strikers

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This is the seventh year of the hunger strikers mural in Twinbrook. This is 2012/31st anniversary edition. See previously 2006 and 2008. There is a Marian Price poster on the left, next to Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg, who died on hunger strikes in 1974 and 1976. Blanket-men Hugh Rooney and Freddie Toal are shown in the large mural on the right hand side, next to Bobby Sands.

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Free The POWs

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2011 image of the historical republican POW mural in Ludlow Square, New Lodge, Belfast, seen previously in 1997 and 2010.

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Cogús

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Cogús [conscience] is the POW-support organisation of the RNU (web). On the left is a blanketman, on the right is a contemporary POW being beaten by a prison guard in riot gear. “Make a difference – Join RNU – Be committed, stand as one – Implement 12th August Agreement – End strip searches – End controlled movement.”

Berwick Road, Ard Eoın.

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1981-2011

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For the 30th anniversary of the second hunger strike, the mosaic portraits of the ten men to die (plus Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg) used at the Falls Road end of Beechmount Avenue to commemorate the 25th anniversary, are placed around the blanketmen board above the Clowney Street phoenix.

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