IRA volunteer Mickey McVerry was killed by the British Army during a bomb attack on Keady RUC station in 1973. Peadar McElvanna was killed by the British Army on June 9, 1979, outside Keady, south Armagh. The 40th anniversary commemoration this year drew criticism from the DUP as it was on the same weekend as a ‘time for truth’ rally in Belfast (BelTel). The memorial shown here is in Victoria Street.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 squire93@hotmail.com
X06895 X06894
The D Company board that was placed over the Brendan Hughes painting earlier in the year (see: Nailed To The Mast) was prelude to this new mural. Brendan Hughes has been included since the 2008 version (compare 2005 with 2008) but Crumlin Road hunger-striker Billy McKee is included for the first time. McKee was the first OC of the PIRA’s Belfast Brigade and arrested for possession of a handgun. The hunger strike was to secure political status for prisoners who had been convicted of crimes (WP).
“This mural is dedicated to the lives of: Billy McKee, Hunger-striker, Crumlin Road Gaol, achieved political status, 1972; Kieran Nugent, Blanketman, H-Blocks Long Kesh, fought the loss of political status, 1976; Brendan Hughes, Blanketman, Hunger-striker, H-Blocks Long Kesh, 1980.”
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06887 X06886
Although originally from Clonard in west Belfast, at the time he was shot by the SAS in Gibraltar (along with Maıréad Farrell and Sean Savage) IRA volunteer Dan McCann was living in the New Lodge, site of this recently-added plaque in his memory. (He was previously included in a 3rd battalion Belfast Brigade mural on New Lodge Road.)
There are also new plaques to TC Campbell and Seamus McCusker.
“Óglach Dan McCann: On March 6th 1988 Dan was gunned down in Gibraltar along with two IRA comrades Óglach Mairead Farrell and Óglach Sean Savage.”
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06772
“Óglach Tony ‘TC’ Campbell was shot dead by the British Army as he walked along Edlingham Street on February 4th 1973 as he returned home from celebrating his 19th birthday. TC was one [of] six New Lodge residents murdered which was later referred to as the “New Lodge Six Massacre. … Tony lived in 13D Artillery House [now Teach Ghráınne].” Campbell was hit 17 times (BBC).
“Óglach Seamus McCusker was murdered by members of the Workers Party [as part of the PIRA-OIRA feud] on this spot [New Lodge Road outside Artillery House] on the 31st October [1975]. At the time of Seamus’s killing he was on his way to deal with a local resident’s complaint.” McCusker was killed two days after the PIRA shot Robert Elliman in the Markets; a few hours after McCusker’s death, Tom Berry of the OIRA was killed in Short Strand.
See also: a map and list of all of the old and new names for the New Lodge Flats.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06774
“In memory of IRA volunteers Gerard Crossan, Tom McCann, Tony Lewis, John [Sean] Johnston, who died while on active service on the 9th March 1972 at 32 Clonard St. Erected by the Greater Clonard Ex-Prisoners Association.” The four died in a premature explosion (“active service”) presumably at the home of Lewis, who lived in Clonard Street. Crossan and Johnston were 19, McCann and Lewis were 20 (The Troubles 11).
Clonard Street, Belfast.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06765
“For what died the sons of Roısín?” The Dogs of IRA D Company [second battalion, Belfast brigade] move around the corner from Northumberland Street (see Our Struggle Continues) onto the International Wall and encroaches onto the mural of native son and first blanket man, Kieran Nugent: Nugent is reported to have said to his mother, “If they want me to wear a uniform they’ll have to nail it to my back.”
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06561
Polls close tonight at 10 pm in voting for the 11 local councils. According to this poster, Sinn Féin are “led by murderers” and are attempting to ‘rewrite history’, a case in point being North Belfast councillor JJ Magee’s (tw) refusal to call PIRA murders “criminal” – in the background is an image of the bombing of Frizzell’s fish shop on the Shankill Road, in which nine people died, plus one of the bombers. Register now to “take back city hall”!
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06493
“In proud and loving memory of Tommy Roberts, former IRA volunteer, former POW blanketman, died 8th June 2017 aged 78. His courage and dedication will never be forgotten. “As long as Ireland is unfree the only honourable attitude for Irishmen and Irishwomen is an attitude of revolt.””
Roberts was with Junior McDaid when he was shot in 1972 and was OC in Crumlin Road jail later in the 70s (Derry Journal). Video of the launch in June | memories from Anthony McIntyre | Videos of the funeral one | two.
The quote is from Pearse; it was used in Ardoyne in the 1980s.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06378 [X06379]
“Friends and comrades” – IRA volunteers Brendan Hughes (“The Dark”) and Bobby Sands were leaders of the 1980 and 1981 hunger strikes, respectively. Hughes survived when the first strike was called off after 53 days; Sands died in the ’81 strike after 66 days of fasting. “IRPWA” is the Irish Republican Prisoners’ Welfare Association (Fb | tw); Saoradh (web | tw) is a hard-line left-wing republican party.
The mural to the left shows Palestinian double-amputee Saber Al-Ashkar, protesting as part of the Great March Of Return.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06304 [X06317] [X06223] X06322
The Marrowbone (or simply “the Bone”, perhaps from the Irish “Machaıre Bothán”) is an area of north Belfast between Ardoyne and Cliftonville. Ardilea Close is home to four memorials to local republicans: on this wall, the plaque on the left is to “men and women from this and past generations who died from natural causes having dedicated their lives to the cause of Irish freedom” while the one on the right is to “those who showed courage in the face of adversity by giving aid, shelter and support in defence of the area.” Only one of the original walls mentioned the IRA (see Bone Memorial), as well as the 2014 addition of a Fıanna memorial – Hark To The Tramp Of The Young Guards of Éıreann. The new mural commemorating F company of the 3rd battalion – as well as the associated Cumann Na mBan, Cumann Na gCaılíní and Fıanna – can be added to these.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X06109
Extramural Activity 