IRA

A Panorama Of Republicanism

Extramural Activity1 Comment

Féıle An Phobaıl (web) is now headquartered in the renovated (BCC) St Comgall’s on Divis Street in Ionad Eileen Howell, and during this year’s (2025) festival is home to an exhibition called “Vibrant Colours, Violent Past”, the centrepiece of which is a 20-foot-long panoramic history of republicanism, with Wolfe Tone, James Connolly, and Martin McGuinness as pivotal figures.

A full legend of who’s who is given in the leaflet at the bottom of this entry. It also explains the genesis of the project, as follows:

“A few years ago I met a great friend of Ireland and art collector Darius Anderson from California who was here on a trip with his wife Wendy and hoping to see some new work by Irish artists, not only work destined for gallery walls but having been fortunate to be included on one of local guide Dee Morgan’s tours he developed a love for and focus on our world-recognised mural art tradition.

“Then last year on another trip here I was able to introduce Darius to my life-long friends and probably the most prolific contributors to our local landscape.

“From a casual meeting alongside Marty and Micky at work repainting the Vol. Kieran Doherty mural in Andersonstown came an inspired suggestion that we accept a challenge from him to tell our story graphically on a canvas rather than the usual brick wall, not just on canvas to hang on a wall in his gallery in L.A. but a canvas to cover the entire wall 20ft x 7ft!

“Excited by our positive response Darius wondered could we invite some loyalist artist/activist to contribute a similar large canvas celebrating the history of the British, Unionist, Loyalist community here.

“That was last July. This exhibition is a result of that meeting but also a chance for the public to remind themselves of our often colourful and unfortunately violent past. – Danny D, Muralist/Activist”

“History is like a rearview mirror! You must always check back but you must keep focused on the road ahead, otherwise you are going to crash!” (Similar wording was used in a piece – Painting From The Same Palette – painted by Danny D and Mark Ervine in 2008.)

The exhibition was launched on August 1st and also included four display boards featuring murals by Danny D (CNR) and Dee Craig (PUL) (Fb).

Display boards:

Images from the launch on August 1st, along with the two-sided leaflet:

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Seosamh Mac Coılle
Panorama: X15618 X15619 X15620 X15621 [X15622] X15623 [X15624] [X15625] X15626 [X15627] X15628 X15629 X15630 X15631 X15632
Displays: [X15633] X15634 X15635 X15636 X15637
Launch & Leaflet: X15638 [X15639] [X15640] X15641 X15642 [X15643] [X15644] [X15645] X15646 X15647

Bik McFarlane

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Brendan “Bik” McFarlane was imprisoned for life for the attack on the Bayardo Bar on the Shankill Road and took over as IRA OC in the Maze when Bobby Sands went on hunger-strike in 1981. He escaped the prison in 1983 and was extradited back to Northern Ireland from the Netherlands in 1986 and eventually paroled in 1997.

McFarlane died in February (2025) (BelTel). He was raised in Ardoyne, north Belfast, and this graffiti is on a hoarding on Ardoyne Avenue.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X15486

Kelly’s Bar

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Kelly’s Bar at the top of the Rock was packed with punters watching a World Cup match between England and West Germany when a car bomb went off outside shortly after 5 p.m.. The bombing was followed by two nights of gun-battles, with loyalists firing from Springmartin, republicans (both PIRA and OIRA) from Ballymurphy, and British Army soldiers (the King’s Own and 1 Para) from Henry Taggart and other mobile locations. Within three hours following the explosion, barman Tommy McIlroy was killed in the gunfire from Springmartin as he helped with clean-up from the bomb, Alan Buckley of the King’s Own was killed by IRA fire, Michael Magee of Na Fıanna was killed by friendly fire, and Robert McMullan was killed by British Army fire. The next night (May 14th), John Pedlow was killed by British Army fire and Martha Campbell was shot by UVF fire from Springmartin (see her memorial plaque). (Lost Lives 352, 353, 354, 355, 358, 359 | Battle At Springmartin (WP))

As with the bombing of McGurk’s bar in north Belfast (see most recently Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied), the bombing was initially spun by the UK forces and government as an IRA attempt to stir up loyalists (An Phoblacht | Lost Lives 352). An inquest into Moran’s death (and thus into how the bombing was carried out) has been opened (BeTel | Independent).

The plaque dates back to 2004 (see M02243); the tarp was added for the 50th anniversary in 2022; the small mural is more recent.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X12572 X12571 X12570
“This plaque marks the spot where Kellys Bar once stood and where on 13th May 1972 a no warning loyalist car bomb exploded. As a result 66 people were injured and three innocent members of staff of Kellys Bar lost their lives. They were Tommy McIlroy Died 13th May 1972; John Moran Died from his injuries 23rd May 1972; Gerard Clarke Died from his injuries 6th September 1989. Ar dheıs de go raıbh a namacha.”

Far Dearer The Grave Or The Prison

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Far dearer the grave or the prison,
Illumed by one patriot name,
Than the trophies of all who have risen
On Liberty’s ruins to fame.”

Thomas Moore’s lyrics were written for the air The Lamentation of Aughrim, in honour of the Jacobites who died on 12 July, 1691, but they are applied here to Joe Malone of the IRA’s “Expeditionary Force”.

In January 1939 the IRA declared war against Britain and carried out a bombing campaign called the “sabotage plan” (WP S-Plan). Malone was arrested in May when a tear-gas bomb intended for the New Victoria cinema in London exploded prematurely in the cloakroom, injuring his arm and wrist (Belfast Battalion p. 103 | West Australian).

Malone and other prisoners refused to co-operate with prison authorities and began a hunger strike in January 1941; on day five of the strike, force-feeding began and Malone was injured and ordered off the strike by OC Conor McNessa; despite stomach surgery, he died a year later. (Belfast Battalion p. 126, 136)

“In proud and loving memory of Volunteer Joseph Malone, No. 1 battalion, Irish Republican Expeditionary Force. Captured in London May 1939 and died in Parkhurst prison 21st January 1942. RIP.”

As the info board points out, the red hand is used to denote the graves in Milltown of volunteers from the 1920s to 1940s.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X12396 [X12395] X12670 X12672

Hunger Strikers, Volunteers, Comrades

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“At this place of reflection, we proudly honour our heroic volunteers, who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom & sovereignty of Ireland and the Irish people. We salute our many comrades, who spent numerous years in captivity, and who’s [sic] lives were often blighted by the experience. Never forgetting the WOMEN & MEN of Creggan and the Derry district, who stood steadfastly with the volunteers. BEIR BUA.” The 12 Troubles-era hunger strikers and 43 Derry brigade members are at the top of each panel with 115 named comrades/comrádaithe (and three unnamed) below (and on the side wall – first image below), with each name preceded by “Com.” as though establishing a new category of activist.

The memorial garden is next to the George McBrearty mural and Crann Na Poblachta in Linsfort Drive, Creggan.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
X12499 X12502 X12500 X12503 X12501

Óglach George McBrearty

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

A ceremony to mark the forty-second anniversary of the deaths of IRA volunteers George McBrearty and Charles “Pop” Maguire – shot by the SAS on May 28th, 1981 – was held last Sunday (May 28th) in the garden of remembrance in Linsfort Drive, Creggan (Derry Now). On patrol in Creggan with two other IRA men, McBrearty and Maguire pursued and a car whose driver they suspected of being an SAS soldier and eventually stopped it at the bottom of Couch Road/Southway at the edge of the Brandywell. The driver shot McBrearty as he approached the car and Maguire was shot by the driver and/or by other undercover soldiers from 14th Intelligence who emerged from two other cars. A third volunteer was injured. (Lost Lives 2330)

The “Crann Na Poblachta”/”Tree Of The Republic” – a silver birch – was originally planted in front of the previous mural to George McBrearty mural in Rathkeele Way (see Freedom Fighter For The Republic) (Derry Journal). Both that mural and this one were painted by ‘Bogside Artist‘ Kevin Hasson.

There is a plaque to McBrearty & Maguire near the spot where they were killed on Coach Road/Southway (see M01544).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
[X12504] X12506 X12508 X12507 X12505

Beırıgí Bua

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“I measc laochra na nGael go raıbh sıad.” Profiles of Patricia Black, Frankie Ryan, Michael Ferguson, and Sean Keenan were added in late 2021 (video of launch) to the pair of existing monuments that memorialise them in Colin/Poleglass (for which see The Undauntable Thought on Peter’s site).

Black and Ryan were IRA volunteers killed by in a premature bomb explosion near London (An Phoblacht).

Michael Ferguson and Seán Keenan were activists and Sınn Féın councillors. Both died in 2006 of cancer (Irish Times | Bel Tel).

On Pantridge Road, which runs down to Michael Ferguson roundabout (An Phoblacht).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X14120 X14121 X14122 X14123

Bap McGreevy

Extramural Activity1 Comment

IRA volunteer Frank “Bap” McGreevy spent 15 (Irish Times) or 17 (An Phoblacht) years in Long Kesh (for a crime of which he was innocent, says Anthony McIntyre; possibly the car bombing of the Klondyke Bar in Sandy Row). He was attacked by two assailants at his home in (the old) Ross Street, near this memorial board, in March 2008 and died of his wounds after three days in hospital.

As the wide shots below show, there are now a dozen pieces along this stretch of the Falls Road. The other pieces have all been seen in previous posts. For close-ups, see
Kieran Abram with Charlie Hughes
plaque and map of The Falls Road Massacre
Unrepentant Republicans Billy McKee, Alec Murphy, and Brendan Hughes; the Falls Curfew
Web Of Corruption: Drop The Rents; PSNI Not Supported; Divis 81 in Defund The Police
For A Socialist Republic

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11830 X11836 X11824

Believe In Your Dreams

Extramural Activity1 Comment

Here is a complete set of images from the Bogside end of the Brandywell. From left to right: “Nasc” by NOYS (ig) for Gasyard Féıle 2022, Long Tower Community Centre (see Brandywell Past And Present), a new “Brandywell” stencil by Peaball (ig), the Ryan McBride Foundation (tw), a new version of the Derry Brigade IRA mural (see previously Brıogáıd Dhoıre), Peaball and local youth at work, various pieces of wild-style writing and graffiti in support of Jason Ceulemans.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10953 [X10954] X10952 X10951 [X10950] [X10949] X10948 [X10947] X10943 X10944 [X10945] [X10946] X10942 X10941 X10940 X10939 X10938

Our Day Will Come

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Either ballot or gun, our day will come – PIRA.” This graffiti dates back to at least 1998 (see C01268) and probably to the breakdown of the ceasefire in 1996; the same slogan was present in Wall St (Carrick Hill) in 1996. It is still visible on the Falls Road in 2022.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11348 X11347