physical force

Cromwell

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This is a lower Shankill mural of Oliver Cromwell, Lieutenant General, Lord Protector of the Protestant faith, born 1599, died 1658. “Catholicism is more than a religion, it is a political power. Therefore I’m led to believe there will be no peace in Ireland until the Catholic church is crushed.” “Our clergy persecuted and our Protestant churches desecrated. Also our Protestant people slaughtered in their thousands.”

Close-up of the middle portion behind the railing:

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
X00056 X00057 lieutenant general lord protector defender of the protestant faith, oliver cromwell, born 1599 died 1658

The Boyne

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King Billy crossing the Boyne, with Schomberg dying in the foreground, making this a crude reproduction of Benjamin West’s 1780 painting ‘Battle Of The Boyne’. Second-in-command Schomberg had crossed the Boyne first and met his fate at the hands of Jacobite cavalry. Schomberg’s helper is perhaps George Walker, governor of Derry during the siege, who was shot and killed (reportedly) while attending to Schomberg – see George Walker in the Paddy Duffy collection.

Shankill Parade, in the lower Shankill estate

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
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Deserted! Well I Can Stand Alone

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Here are two images of women defending Protestant territory in Ireland. On the left, the date is “1914”, that is, Ulster during the Home Rule Crisis and WWI. The words “Deserted! Well – I can stand alone” can refer both to Britain’s proposed desertion or the absence of menfolk who joined Kitchener’s army.

On the right, the date is the early days of Northern Ireland: “A Protestant farmer’s wife guards her husband against sectarian attack from across the border.”

This is the third of three murals in the courtyard of the Rex Bar at Moscow Street on the Shankill Rd. Betting Office | Ready For War. The first also has a wide shot of all three and surrounding area.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
X00066 ycv moscow street

1914-2004

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“Preparing to bear arms 1914 – Prepared to bear arms 2004.” The Ulster Volunteers and the modern UVF are put in parallel.

A wider shot, including the stone memorial to the right of this mural and a banner above, is shown in Fasting For Human Rights And Justice.

Spier’s Place/Shankill Rd.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
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Ready For War

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Carson inspects the Ulster Volunteers at Glencairn (the grounds are also mentioned in this mural). The date is June 14th, 1914: guns have been smuggled in, but Britain has not yet declared war (August 4th).

The is the middle of three murals concerning unionism at the time of the (third) Home Rule bill and First World War. The first depicts the signing of the Covenant; the third depicts women farmers protecting their lands.

The first also contains a wide shot of all three and the surrounding area.

The photograph on which the mural is based in the Mary Evans collection. See e.g. this copy at the Express.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
X00074 1st belfast battalion moscow street

90 Years Of Resistance

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“The Peoples Army 1912-2002” showing landmarks in the history of the Ulster Volunteers and UVF:

“1912 – newly formed Shankill Volunteers train at Fernhill Estate, Glencairn”;
“1916 – RIR (West Belfast UVF) go over the top at the Somme”;
“1969 – Volunteers defend Shankill community from republican attack”;
“2002 – At the crossroads?” with PUP leader David Ervine pictured holding a copy of the Good Friday Agreement.

Canmore St and Shankill Rd.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
eire united kingdom war peace X00045

Where Is Our Truth?

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“30 years of indiscriminate slaughter by so-called non-sectarian Irish freedom fighters. Where are our inquiries? Where is our truth? Where is our justice?”

?2003? mural off the main Shankill Road at Bellevue Street. The central panel reproduces a BelTel photograph of the Balmoral furniture showroom bombing, 11 December 1971. The others are the Mountainview Tavern, Frizzell’s fishmongers (shown in the detail, above), the Bayardo Bar, and the Four Step Inn.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
X00090 X00076 no military economic legitimate targets, fourstep inn bombed sept 29th 1971 2 innocents killed, balmoral showrooms bombed dec 11th 1971 2 adults and 2 babies killed, mountainview tavern bombed april 5th 1975 5 innocents killed, bayardo bar bombed aug 13th 1975 5 innocents killed, frizzells fish shop bombed oct 23rd 1993 9 innocents killed

No (Decom)Mission

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This Bombay Street board commemorates the 1969 riots which led to Bombay Street being being cut by the Cupar Way “peace” line.

Update: This board was removed, but a copy of it has been placed over the garden of commemoration, across the street. See Never Again in the Peter Moloney Collection.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
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Lady In Red

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This 2002 Ballymurphy mural commemorates females (including several Cumann Na mBan members) who died in the troubles: anti-clockwise, they are Maura Meehan, Anne Marie Pettigrew, Dorothy Maguire, Eileen Mackin, Catherine (Cathy) McGartland, Anne Parker.

The volunteer on the right dates back (at least) to the 1982 poster below; the parade is perhaps based on a picture of Mao’s China?

Information from CAIN on four of the women shown.

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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
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1982 IntWomensDay

Safe House

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00073 2004-07-27 TolanSafeHouse+

IRA volunteers Tommy ‘Toddler’ Tolan (in blue), James (Jim) McGrillen and John Stone (seated at table), and Michael Kane (foreground) are pictured in a safe house in Ballymurphy, with plates of sandwiches and a cache of weapons. The women are Annie Adams(?) and Kathleen Moore(?).

Tolan is also depicted at a larger scale on the right of the mural; in the original (2001) version, this figure was dressed in fatigues and carried a rifle (as can be seen in the Peter Moloney Collection), but this was changed within 18 months to a brown suit as shown here (July 2004).

The Springmartin “peace line” can be seen in the gap between the houses.

Update: The large Tolan figure is preserved in the 2014 mural Working Class Heroes and the other five are included anew.

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Copyright © 2004/2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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