physical force – Page 14 – Extramural Activity

Gaırdín Na hÉıreann

2022-09-212025-01-07Extramural Activity1 Comment

Plants provide symbols of, and metaphors for, rebellion. In America, 1775, Paine wrote of the Liberty Tree which Americans must rise to defend against “Kings, Commons and Lords” and Jefferson would later write (in a 1787 letter) that “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” In Ireland, the tree of liberty was borrowed for the 1798 rebellion (see Where Did The Seeds Fall?“) and although t more familiar symbol of the 1798 Rebellion is the pike, the shamrock is thought to be included as one of the objects in the Wearing Of The Green: Boucicault’s version begins “Oh, Paddy, dear, an’ did you hear the news that’s goin’ round?/The shamrock is forbid by law to grow on Irish ground.” The lily, of course, is a symbol of the 1916 Rising, though it is shown here growing between sunflowers and a rose.

These painted electrical boxes are in Westrock and Ballymurphy (“Fáılte chuıg Baıle Uí Mhurchú”).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11514 X11516 X11517 X11518 X11519 X11520 X11521 X11522 X11524 X11515

At The Heart Of Bloomfield

2022-09-182025-01-07Extramural Activity1 Comment

The hooded UDA gunmen stare down at you in the green in the middle of Bloomfield (Bangor) estate. The new printed board replaces the similar North Down battalion mural seen in Always Remembered. (The plaque to Andrew McIlvenny and Roy Officer has been moved to the right-hand side.) There are smaller UDA boards – one on top of some old “UVF” graffiti (third image) – and one RHC board on the other gables around the green; not included here is the somewhat odd history of Bloomfield that only shows images from the Shankill in Belfast – see A Journey Through Time And Space.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11200 X11199 X11203 X11204 [X11205] X11206 X11207

Welcome To Antiville

2022-09-162025-06-26Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Antiville” is perhaps derived from the Irish “an tıgh bhıle, “the house of/by the sacred tree” (rather than just “the house of the old tree”, as on the board below). The two boards shown here are at the Linn Road entrance to the estate: above is the UDA’s welcome, below is the welcome from the Bonfire committee and Antiville Partnership (Fb), showing a tree. The 2022 Antiville bonfire was torn down after the death of one of its builders, John Steele – see With Heart And Hand.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10509 X10511 Antiville Partnership

On The Way To The Shops

2022-09-152025-01-07Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

There are nine gable walls along Clanmorris Avenue, Whitehill (Bangor) which – more importantly – can be seen from the South Circular Road approaching the Bloomfield shopping centre. On many of these walls “UVF reserved” has now appeared, even on the one that recently acquired a UDA board (see third image, below). Above: a small “UVF pilgrims” board; bottom: “RIP GFA“; in between: “The media is the virus”.

Previously: Booked | Reserved | A Message From The Board

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11186 X11185 [X11187] X11190 X11184 [X11183] X11188 X11189

Republican Prisoners Still Exist!

2022-09-132025-01-07Extramural Activity1 Comment

“Foremost in my tortured mind is the thought that there can never be peace in Ireland until the foreign, oppressive British presence is removed, leaving all the Irish people as a unit to control their own affairs and determine their own destinies as a sovereign people, free in mind and body, separate and distinct physically, culturally and economically.” The quote is from day one of Bobby Sands’s hunger strike diary (March 1st, 1981) and the photograph is a 2007 image of a cell in the H-4 (Irish Times).

“Maghaberry – Portlaoise – Hydebank. Republican prisoners still exist!” IRPWA (web) board on Divis St, Belfast, replacing the Sands & Hughes mural – see Caırde Agus Comrádaıthe.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11337 [X11336]

Armed And Ready

2022-09-122025-01-07Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is an example of a paramilitary mural replacing a cultural one – for eight years there was a giant Union Flag on this Westwinds gable, but it has been turned into a giant hooded UVF gunman instead.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X11471 X11472 X11470 Blenheim Drive

Andrew Cairns

2022-09-102025-01-07Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Andrew Cairns of the UVF was chased and beaten by about a dozen people before being killed by a single shot to the head (BBC). The killing took place next to the burning Boyne Square bonfire and the memorial (shown below) is on the other side of the bonfire site. Sutton attributes the killing to the UDA (Sutton); the Sunday Mirror reported that the killer was rejected by the UDA and was a member of the LVF (Free Library); see also BelTel | Guardian. One of the accused (Irish Times) was later UDA South East Antrim chief (BelTel).

Cairns was included in an old UVF mural, also in Wellington Green.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2022 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X10587 X10586 X10588 X10584 X10585
T02378 T02379 courtesy of Paddy Duffy 2023

Defund The Police

2022-09-092025-06-10Extramural Activity1 Comment

These are new IRSP (web) boards along the Falls Road, opposite the leisure centre and below the IRA memorial garden, highlighting two of the organisation’s most pressing concerns: the PSNI and housing.

“The deadly web of corruption: Funding Scams, Sectarianism, MI5 Special Branch, Internment by Remand, Diplock Non-Jury Courts, Political Policing, Public Interest Immunity Certificates, Collusion/Coverups”,” “Defund – disarm – disband”

“Drop the rents – west Belfast demands affordable housing and an end to landlord exploitation.”

“96% of Divis residents do no support the PSNI” was seen previously and “Divis ’81” replaces the 40th anniversary hunger strike board, also seen previously – see For A Socialist Republic.

August 2021 graffiti reserving the spots:

Kieran Abram

2022-09-092025-01-07Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here are two new boards in the fast-growing gallery on the Falls Road below the IRA memorial garden – with three more spots ‘reserved’ for Cogús and the IRSP.

The first is to Kieran Abram. In the early hours of July 5th, 1992, Kieran Abram was knocked to the ground and kicked to death by loyalists in running battles with nationalists on North Howard Street, near the old British Army sangar. Four people were convicted of manslaughter in the case (Judiciary NI).

The second is to PIRA volunteer Charlie Hughes, who was killed in 1971 in the feud with the OIRA. (For more, see The Struggle Continues.)

Saoırse Go Deo

2022-09-082025-01-07Extramural Activity1 Comment

The 1918 ‘Representation Of The People’ act gave 8.4 million women in the United Kingdom the right to vote (WP). (For the two women on the left holding the ‘Votes For Women’ sign, see Women’s Hall And Cost-Price Restaurant.) In that same year, Countess Constance Markievicz was the first woman elected to Westminster and became Sınn Féın Minister For Labour in the first Dáıl Éıreann that was established as an alternative. Ten years earlier, she had co-founded Na Fıanna Éıreann with Bulmer Hobson. The names of Derry fianna are listed on the right. “Fuaır sıad bás ar son saoırse na hÉıreann.” (This board replaces the former Fianna mural that celebrated the centenary in 2009.)

To the left is a “Join RSYM” stencil with the names of the ten deceased 1981 hunger strikers; to the right is a picture of the memorial across the street to the dead of the 3rd battalion of the Doıre Brigade Óglaıgh na hÉıreann.

“But while Ireland is not free I remain a rebel, unconverted and unconvertible. There is no word strong enough for it. I am pledged as a rebel to the one thing – a free and independent republic.”

“Ach a fhad is nach bhfuıl Éıre saor, seasfaıdh mé an fód mar cheannaırceach, gan géılleadh, gan athrú. Níl focal dá bhfuıl atá chumhachtach go leor. Tá gealltanas tugtha agam mar cheannaırceach, cuspóır amháın a chur ı gcrích – poblacht shaor agus neamhspleach.”