“Felons presents an exciting new drama by Roseleen Walsh [web]– The Vigil – sixty one years apart yet both [Kieran Doherty 1981 and Terence MacSwiney 1920] died on hunger strike for the cause of Ireland.” The play was produced for Féile An Phobail (web). Walsh’s introduction and excerpts from the play are available on youtube.
Falls Road, Belfast, on the railings around the site of the former RUC barracks.
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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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
The brothers in question are Raymond and Brian McCreesh, from Camlough, Co Armagh. Raymond is third in the list of the ten deceased 1981 hunger strikers. “In memory of the volunteers who died on hunger strike in H-Blocks 1981.” “H-Block is rock that the British monster shall perish upon for we in H-Block stand upon the unconquerable rock of the Irish socialist republic – Bobby Sands”.
The lower stone reads “These men made the supreme sacrifice for their country by dying on hunger strike from 1917 to 1976: 1917 Thomas Ashe; 1920 Michael Fitzgerald, Joseph Murphy, Terence McSwiney; 1923 Joseph Whitty, Denis Barry, Andy Sullivan; 1940 Tony Darcy Sean McNeela; 1946 Sean McCaughey; 1974 Michael Gaughan; 1976 Frank Stagg. “It is not those who can inflict the most but those that can suffer the most who will conquer” – Terence McSwiney.”
New Road, Silverbridge
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“This stone was erected by the republican movement, south Armagh, in proud and loving memory of the twelve hunger strikers who laid down their lives during this phase of the struggle for Irish freedom.” “Fuaır sıad bás ar staılc ocraıs ar son saoırse na hÉıreann. Go ndéana Dıa trócaıre ar a nanamacha.” “Beıdh an bua agaınn go fóıll (We will win yet) – Raymond McCreesh – two days before he died.”
Newry Street, Crossmaglen
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The Irish tricolour flies outside Raymond McCreesh House – his birthplace – at Maryville, Camlough.
“Keep on marching, don’t give up – Raymond McCreesh 1957-81. Died after 61 days hunger-strike, H-Block Long Kesh 1981.” The phrase was spoken at the end of a visit with Jim Gibney.
“Beıdh bua agaınn go fóıll” [victory will be ours yet].
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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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A tarp has been added to the Ardoyne memorial garden (seen previously in 2008) putting the 12 deceased hunger strikers from the modern Troubles alongside those who were executed for their part in the Easter Rising.
Berwick Road, Ardoyne, Belfast
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This is the sixth mural by the Bogside Artists, commemorating the hunger strike. The main figure is Raymond McCartney, shown after 53 days on hunger strike in 1980; the female figure is perhaps Mary Doyle (the other two female strikers were Maıréad Farrell and Maıréad Nugent).
Visual History page for the Bogside Artists.
Rossville Street, Derry
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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
“Dungiven remembers INLA Vol Kevin Lynch. Help build the socialist republic for which he died.” Lynch died on August 1st, after 71 days on hunger strike.
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Extramural Activity 