hunger strike

A Great Feeling Of Love

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“The true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality” – Che Guevara Lynch. The INLA’s Kevin Lynch died in the second hunger strike after 71 days. He is buried in Dungiven, where this memorial sits on the main road between Derry and Maghera.

“I ndíl [ndıl] chuımhne ar Óglach Kevin Lynch a fuaır bás ar staılc ocraıs ar son saoırse, 1ú Lúnasa 1981 [who died on a hunger strike for freedom, 1st August 1981]. Erected by the Irish Republican Socialist Ex-Prisoners Memorial Committee.”

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07481 X07385 X07384 X07386 X07387

We Have Hit Five

Extramural 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 new additions to 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.”

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06560

The Proclamation

Extramural Activity2 Comments

Robert Ballagh’s 1916 Proclamation was first painted as a mural by Mo Chara Kelly and Rısteard Ó Mhurchú in 1991 for the 75th anniversary of the Easter Rising (see Cáısc 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”.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06110 our revenge will be let there be no bitterness

Thomas Ashe

Extramural Activity1 Comment

Here is an update to the mural of Gaeılgeoır, 1916 Volunteer, and hunger-striker Tomás Aghas/Thomas Ashe at the top of the Whiterock Road: a Maid Of Erin harp – familiar from the crest of 1798’s United Irishmen – has been added to the background.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04936 X04935

Comóradh 100 Blıaın

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Thomas Ashe was born on January 12th, 1885, in County Kerry, into a bi-lingual household. He became an Irish teacher in Lusk and joined the Gaelic League and the Irish Volunteers, commanding the Fingal battalion during the Easter Rising. His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, which in fact lasted only a year. He was released but soon charged and convicted with sedition, and died on hunger strike on September 25th, 1917, after an “inhuman and dangerous” attempt at force-feeding by the authorities (WP). See also Tomás Ághas.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04630

RPG Avenue

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
03826-2016-09-04-a-coy-2-batt-temp

Since 1982 (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 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 Committee”.

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.

See also: RPG west Belfast 1981 | PLO-IRA RPG 1982 | RPG with phoenix north Belfast 1986 | RPG with ‘Vote Adams’ 1987 | RPG with phoenix west Belfast 1989 | RPG south Belfast 2002 | also surface-to-air missile launcher and SAM-7 Avenue in Strabane.

03825-2016-09-04-h-block-armagh-comm

03463-2016-05-12-rpg-ave-d

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03826 X03825 X03463 roll of honour stan carberry frankie dodds paul fox sean bailey paul marlowe tony campbell albert kavanagh tom mcGoldrick fuaır sıad bás as son na héıreann ireland unfree will never be at peace ascaıll ard na bhfeá

No Excuse

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
03776-2016-08-20-interned-159-days

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 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).

03810-2016-08-28-tony-taylor-rally

03626-2016-07-04-tony-taylor-fight

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03776 X03810 Rossville St

Where Did The Seeds Fall?

Extramural Activity1 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 Maıréad 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/Maıgh Nuad(h) of the 1798 rising. A photograph of the stone 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.

03740 2016-08-09 IntWall2016 Hunger Strikers+

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

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03741 X03740 X03713 Divis St armagh women’s prison proclamation irish republic smash h block

Breaking The Chains

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
03624 2016-07-04 Mickey Devine+

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

03625 2016-07-04 Mickey Devine slant+

03621 2016-07-04 Oglach Mickey Devine+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
03513 2016-06-10 Pat Sheehan+

Sınn Féın 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, hearkening 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 re-elected from his Belfast West constituency.

03514 2016-06-10 Pat Sheehan w+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03513 X03514 whiterock rd