“You Are The Generation That Will Free Ireland – Join the republican socialist youth movement”, “Drop the rents”, “There is nothing normal about the PSNI – controlled by MI5, political policing, collusion/coverup’s, abuse of powers” – IRSP (web) stickers in Gardenmore Road, Twinbrook, Dunmurry,
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The large Miriam Daly board in Oakman Street was temporarily taken down while symbols and slogans to mark the fiftieth anniversary (“1974-2024”) of the creation of the INLA on December 8th, 1974 (WP) were mounted.
The wall was completed by early December, 2024, and the roll of honour added in the top-left corner by the end of the month. Those listed are: Hugh Ferguson, Danny Loughran, Brendan McNamee, Miriam Daly, Ronnie Bunting, Noel Little, Jim Power, Matt McLarnon, Joe Craven, Paul “Bonanza” McCann, Thomas “Ta” Power, John O’Reilly, Mickey Kearney, Emmanual Gargan, Gino Gallagher, John McColgan, Patrick Campbell, Christopher “Crip” McWilliams, Harry O’Hara, Barry “Bar” McMullan, Martin McElkerney, James McWilliams. The last five post-date the Agreement, starting with Patrick Campbell, who died in 1999 at the hands of drug-dealers in Dublin (Irish Times | Bel Tel).
“Let the fight go on” are the final words of (INLA) hunger-striker Patsy O’Hara; the group officially ended its armed campaign in 2009 (BBC).
December 5th, 2024:
November 23rd:
November 20th:
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Commemorations of the INLA’s fiftieth anniversary have so far been limited to graffiti – see Saoırse Go Deo in Derry and Let The Fight Go On in Belfast – but here we have two deliberately painted panels in the Bogside (specifically Meenan Square) (one replacing The Way We Were).
“Irish National Liberation Army, Derry brigade. This mural is dedicated to the women and men who gave their lives in the struggle for national liberation and socialism. Erected by the James Connolly Memorial flute band.”
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Copyright © 2024 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
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This is a west Belfast instance of INLA graffiti – seen previously in Derry (Saoırse Go Deo) – celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the group’s founding, in December, 1974.
The Lasaır Dhearg (web | tw) stencils go back to 2020; see Britain’s Occupation Of Ireland.
Waterford St, west Belfast, replacing Victory To The [Palestinian] Resistance.
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The Easter lily and the red star mark this graffiti-art-style slogan in Durrow Park, Derry, as republican-socialist; RSYM = Republican Socialist Youth Movement (Fb), IRSP = Irish Republican Socialist Party (web), AFA = Anti-Fascist Action (Fb)). There is a small “Victory to Hamas” graffito to the right.
For the large Arm Saoırse Náısıúnta Na hÉıreann (INLA) board, see Serious Trouble.
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Copyright © 2023 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
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Martin “Rook” O’Prey was the Belfast brigade commander of the IPLO [Irish People’s Liberation Organisation], a breakaway INLA group responsible for killing George Seawright and attacking the Orange Cross social club (WP).
There is a plaque to O’Prey in Leeson Street (M07985).
The RNU has reserved the spot to the left; the edge of the Kieran Abram board is visible on the right.
“Martin ‘Rook’ O’Prey – OC IPLO. Murdered in 1991 aged 29 by loyalist death squads in collusion with British state forces. He fought and died for Ireland. Also remembering his fallen comrades. “Ireland unfree shall never be at peace.””
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“Est 1913 Irish Citizen Army / Irish National Liberation Army Est. 1974”. The Irish Citizen Army was founded in Dublin in 1913 to protect striking workers from police violence. After taking part in the Easter Rising of 1916, however, the ICA did not participate in the War Of Independence and the Civil War. In 1974, some founding members considered reviving the “ICA” name to reflect the organisation’s “allegiance to the working class” while Costello (pictured on the right) suggested “National Liberation Army”, which was then amended to include “Irish” (History Ireland | WP | WP). MNI includes an “ICA-INLA” Starry Plough on the stairs into the New Lodge from 1989 (C00105).
The banner raised over the Liberty Hall headquarters of the ICA read “We serve neither king nor kaiser but Ireland” – the famous photograph is included in the post of the same name – but this has been updated. The Belfast version of the board, above, reads “nor Nato”, while a Derry version, below, reads “nor quisling”.
The Derry mural in the background is The Runner, part of The People’s Gallery.
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An IRSP (web) electoral board joins the Miriam Daly tribute at the end of Oakman Street (see previously History Is Written By The Winners). Dan Murphy took 2.5% of the first-preference votes in the 2022 Assembly elections (WP) on a platform focusing on housing: “Demand better! Housing – Equality – Community. Someone who stands up to landlords in Beechmount (e.g.), fighting for affordable rents, fighting for our community.”
The IRSP first painted on this Oakman Street gable in 1996, with the original Daly mural. Before that, in 1986, there was an IRA anti-touting message (see M00413).
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“Britain out of Ireland, Ireland out of the E.U.” Strict Irish independence is the policy of the IRSP (web). Back in 1972, Sinn Féin campaigned against Irish membership in the EEC (DFA), but (in the north) supported the ‘remain’ position on Brexit (UNU).
The poster is on Lecky Road, in the Brandywell, on top of what used to be ‘Derry Women Make Communities’ – see Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History.
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Here is the scene at Kells Walk/Rossville St in the Bogside.
From left to right:
No Amnesty For British State Forces: “Democide is the murder of any person or people by a government, including genocide, politicide and mass murder. Democide is not necessarily the elimination of entire cultural groups but rather groups within the country that the government feels needs to be eradicated for political reasons and due to claimed future threats. – No amnesty for British state forces”
End British Political Policing (Saoradh (web))
Bobby Sands/IRPWA: “I’ll wear no convict’s uniform/Nor meekly serve my time/That Britain might brand Ireland’s fight/800 years of crime” [Francie Brolly song] (IRPWA (web))
Free All Political Prisoners! (IRPWA)
1981: 1981: “I am a political prisoner. I am a political prisoner because I am a casualty of a perennial war that is being fought between the oppressed Irish people and an alien, oppressive, unwanted regime that refuses to withdraw from our land.” [Bobby Sands’s diary, day 1] (IRPWA)
Unity Referendum Now!: “British occupation has been a disaster for the people of Ireland. A united Ireland is the way forward for all the people of Ireland.” (IRSP.ie)
40th anniversary of the 1981 hunger strike: described previously in For A Socialist Republic (IRSM/IRSP)
“Peace” mural (with cross) from the Bogside Artists
In the shot above, our photographer has intervened and stood up the last panel of the “1981” board.
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Extramural Activity 