physical force

Tragedy At Ballykissane

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One of the first casualties of the Easter Rising, on the evening of Good Friday, was Belfast-born Charles Monahan (Charlie Monahan, Cathal Ó Monacháın/Ó Muıneacháın), who died along with Con Keating and Daniel Sheehan in a motor accident in Kerry, when their car – which only had one headlamp (see image #3) – was driven off a pier. His body was not found until October 30th. The driver, Tommy McInerney – shown here studying a map – survived. This mural is in the Markets; Monahan is also claimed by east Belfast and a 2006 mural to him survives to this day on Mountpottinger Road (Visual History).

“Born in Riley[‘s] Place in the Market area of Belfast, Charles was one of many people who left Belfast to take part in the events leading up to the Easter Rising. Charles[‘s] role was to meet up with 3 other vols and help guide Roger Casement land a ship full of weapons. On the 21st April, 1916, the driver took the wrong road and drove off the pier into the Laune at Ballykissane. Charles, 37, drowned along with two of his comrades.”

For more Roger Casement murals, click here.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04178 X04180 X04179 X04181 Stanfield St Banna Strand Irish Volunteers 2nd battalion Dublin Brigade Irish Republican Brotherhood IRB

Remembering Our Fallen

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Here’s the left-hand side of the UDA mural in Disraeli Street being launched today (June 3rd, 2017). As can be seen most clearly in the final, sideways-on, image, both pieces are a combination of printed poster and attached boards. Lines from Laurence Binyon’s poem For The Fallen of WWI are used: “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old/Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun/And in the morning we shall remember them.”

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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PSNI Scum

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Two pieces of Village graffiti with the same message: “Stay out PSNI scum” and “Out to fuck PSNI scum”.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Invictus

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Here is the main part of a new printed mural in the Woodvale area of west Belfast (to be officially launched on Saturday, June 3rd). It celebrates the creation of the Woodvale Defence Association as “Defenders of our community since 1969” which in 1971 merged with other associations to form the UDA, whose youth wing is the UYM (lower middle, “terrae filius” = “sons of the soil”) and which uses “UFF” (upper left, “feriens ego” = “attack to defend”) as a cover for military operation. The final emblem is of the LPA (Loyalist Prisoners’ Association, “quis separabit” = “none shall separate us”). The mural replaced by this one is in the bottom left, while the bottom right contains an image of Long Kesh in 1979. The main photograph is of a 1972 march on the Shankill.

For the side-wall, see Remembering Our Fallen.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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They Gave A Lifetime

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Here is another pair of combined UVF memorial stones – from both WWI and the modern conflict. Above, the fallen comrades of 2nd battalion South Belfast are remembered by their fellow officers and volunteers in the Village’s B Company; below, the garden is dedicated to the “glory of God” in memory of the “sons of Ulster” by “all of their comrades in arms who, by divine grace, were spared to testify to their glorious deeds.” (BelTel and Irish News articles on the unplanned inclusion of modern-day UVF.)

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04162 X04160 frenchpark st how nobly they fight and die in their final moments

New Life

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“CRF” graffiti on the Northumberland Street security gates outside New Life City church. The Catholic Reaction Force — a “reaction” to the Protestant “Action” Force — declared a ceasefire in 1994.

Previous CRF sightings: Speaking In Code in Beechmount | Badly Drawn, Boy in Glengormley.

Previous images from the New Life courtyard.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Child Soldiers

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Seán Ó Rıordan was aged 13 when “killed in action by British crown forces” on Cawnpore Street on 23rd March 1972 (Sutton) and he is buried in Milltown cemetery. The 1977 Protocol I of the Geneva Convention would later prohibit conscription of children younger than 15 but allow for their voluntary participation. It is thus notable that this new board to “Fıann [sic] Seán Ó Rıordan” was “erected by the family”.

Ascaıll Ard Na bhFeá/Beechmount Avenue, west Belfast.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Your A Scumbag, Martin McGuinness

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Graffiti against both the IRA (“Your [You’re] a scumbag Martin McGuinness” and “Provo bastards”) and the police (“PSNI scum”) in the Village, south Belfast.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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A Message From The Board

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Notice to muralists: this stretch of the Northumberland Street wall is “reserved for official republican movement”.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Oppression Breeds Resistance

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Saoradh (Fb) tarp in Ardoyne with scenes of protest, including a placard reading “Sinn Fein, SDLP, Catholic church silence”. The tarp is next to the plaque for IRA volunteer Larry Marley (shown below), whose protracted funeral meant scenes from Ardoyne being broadcast worldwide.

Previously with the same slogan: Falls Curfew (“oppression breeds resistance, resistance brings freedom”) and Gaza-Ireland solidarity.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04121 X04122 assassinated in his home at havana gardens by loyalists in collusion with british crown forces on the 2nd april 1987