hunger strike – Extramural Activity

We Have Hit Five

2019-08-212019-08-22Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The Westrock bungalows were aluminium prefab houses built in 1949 during the post-war housing shortage next to Springhill and Ballymurphy. British troops fired on the area from the high position of Corry’s timber yard in the summer of 1972; their bullets could go through the walls. Five people were shot dead, including a priest. The plaques shown are in the memorial garden in Westrock Drive.

“On the evening of July 9th 1972 British marksmen mounted an unprovoked and sustained attack on this community. Among the snipers[‘] victims lay five dead. Gunned down during efforts to bring aid an succour to the wounded. Still waiting for justice to their memory and for freedom of the truth.”

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X06729 X06728

The Proclamation

2018-09-032018-09-04Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Robert Ballagh’s 1916 Proclamation was first painted as a mural by Mo Chara Kelly and Risteard Ó Mhurchú in 1991 for the 75th anniversary of the Easter Rising (see Cáisc 1916 which also contains the Ballagh piece). That version stood for ten years on the Whiterock Road. It has reproduced again in Ard An Lao above the hunger strikers, after the removal of several plaques (see All Our Dead). “With special thanks to Hugo Óg Wilkinson”.

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text: X06110 our revenge will be let there be no bitterness

Unsung Heroes

2017-02-132017-02-14Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“In memory of the all the unsung heroes off [sic] this area who’s [sic] hardship, sacrifice and support during this struggle for Irish freedom will never be forgotten by the Belfast Brigade óglaigh na h-éireann.” The plaque depicts the work of print-makers (“Smash H-Block Armagh”), marchers carrying portraits of hunger strikers (“Mid Falls supports the women of Armagh”), bin-lid rattlers, and muralists (the mural shown is Free Ireland, which was at the bottom of Beechmount Avenue).

Previous work from Hugh Clawson: The Lark And The Bin Lid | Conway Mill

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text: X04026 X04025

RPG Avenue

2016-09-212019-01-31Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Since 1984 (and perhaps earlier) Beechmount Avenue in west Belfast has been known as “RPG Avenue”, after the rocket-propelled grenade launchers used by the IRA. The temporary murals (on tarpaulins) shown in the first two images (from a recent dedication at the memorial garden across the street) here recall the 80s, with images of armed volunteers and of the support for the blanket men and hunger strikers from “Beechmount/Iveagh H Block-Armagh Comittee”. The first (above) was previously used in 2001 – see J1054. The final image, taken in June of this year, shows that the street still retains its unofficial name and also gives the names of various volunteers from A Coy, 2nd Battalion, including Pat McGeown, a hunger striker whose family intervened when he lapsed into a coma, and who was elected to Belfast City Council in 1993 and died in 1996 of a heart attack.

For the murals in the background see Free Tony Taylor and Bilal Kayed.

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text: X03826 X03825 X03463 roll of honour stan carberry frankie dodds paul fox sean bailey paul marlowe tony campbell albert kavanagh tom mcGoldrick fuair siad bas as son na heireann ireland unfree will never be at peace ascaill ard na bhfeá

No Excuse

2016-09-172018-09-16Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

As a comparison of the first and third images – taken six weeks apart – show, a count of the days in prison has been added to the Tony Taylor board on the green in front of the H-Block memorial in London-/Derry, reminiscent of the counts that were kept of the hunger strikers in 1981 (see, for example, Day 55 | Day 61 on the Peter Moloney Collection blog).

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text: X03776 X03810 Rossville St

Where Did The Seeds Fall?

2016-08-262016-10-07Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

03741 2016-08-09 IntWall2016 Kilmainham+

This part of the new mural on the International Wall uses the area of Kilmainham jail where most of the leaders of the Easter Rising were executed in order to tie together the blanket protest – Kieran Nugent and Mairead Farrell are shown with raised fists – the hunger strikers – including Frank Stagg and Michael Gaughan on the ground – and Roger Casement, walking towards the gallows. Casement was executed not in Kilmainham but in Pentonville Prison, England, convicted of treason for his attempts to secure German rifles and machine-guns for the Rising.

Between Bobby Sands and Mickey Devine in the lower centre of the image is a 200th-anniversary stone in Maynooth/Maigh Nuad(h) of the 1798 rising. The photograph on which the mural’s version is based is available here. The Tree Of Liberty: What is that in your hand? It is a branch. Of what? Of the tree of liberty. Where did it first grow? In America. Where does it bloom? In France. Where did the seeds fall? In Ireland.

At the launch (on August 3rd) actor James Doran (see the final image, below) read from Casement’s speech from the dock after his conviction for treason.

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03740 2016-08-09 IntWall2016 Hunger Strikers+

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03713 2016-08-04 IntWall2016 Jim Doran+.jpg

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text: X03741 X03740 X03713 Divis St armagh women’s prison proclamation irish republic smash h block

Breaking The Chains

2016-07-112018-09-16Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This new full-size mural to INLA hunger striker Mickey Devine replaces a smaller black-and-white board (for which see Waked & Buried).

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text: X03624 X03625 X03621 Rathkeele Way In proud and loving memory of Óglach Mickey Devine. Died 20th August 1981 in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh after 60 days on hunger-strike. Mickey was waked and buried from this house, the family home of his sister Margaret. Also died 30th March 2005.

Support The Hunger-Strike Demands

2016-06-192016-10-07Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Sinn Féin candidate Pat Sheehan attempted to shore up support among republicans by using the image shown above and below for his campaign propaganda in the recent Assembly elections, harkening back to the 1981 hunger strike, in which a 23-year-old Sheehan went 55 days without food, until the strike was called off. The tactic was successful and Sheehan was reelected from his Belfast West constituency.

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text: X03513 X03514 whiterock rd

Stop Shell In Mayo

2011-11-082018-08-17Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The éirígí sticker refers to the Corrib gas controversy, which has been raging since 2001. (See murals about the Rossport 5 in 2005: Belfast M02549 | London-/Derry M02640 | M02643.) For background on , see Workers Solidarity Movement and WP.

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text: X05072 Falls Rd

1981-2011

2011-09-272019-07-14Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

For the 30th anniversary of the second hunger strike, the moasic portraits of the ten men to die (plus Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg) used at the Fall 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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text: X00422

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