Big Blues Club

03212 2015-12-04 Political Policing Bands+

Here are two images related (perhaps indirectly) to the prosecution of members of the Young Conway flute band for playing The Famine Song/The John B. Sails (WP) outside St. Patrick’s church in Donegall Street during the parade season in the summer of 2012. On Tuesday (December 1st), the thirteen band members had their April convictions quashed. (Telegraph) Above is graffiti on Lanark Way — Stop political policing on band’s men — and below a flyer for a fundraiser in support of the legal appeal.

03215 2015-12-04 Fundraiser+

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03212 X03215 Our members suffered last year at the hands of the corrupt judicial system that’s now being played out in our courts, the entire membership of our band seen themselves being convicted for doing NOTHING only playing a tune! We had SF/IRA scum giving evidence at our trial that wouldn’t stand up in any normal society. After being convicted all of our members instantly lodged an appeal to fight what we see as a very just cause, we would be most grateful of your support in attending our fundraiser to help pay for this appeal, we hope you can appreciate that the outcome will have very BIG implications for the whole band scene and it’s a fight we ALL need to win, as stated above its a fundraising event therefore a 5 pound entry fee must be applied to all, there will be ballots on the night and a DJ of 80s, 90s, 00s to present day & some of the finest marching bands on show! Many thanks for taking the time to read this and we look forward to your support on the 13th November.  legal challenge friday DJ Rab Proctor beach boys

Vol. Eamonn Lafferty

02863 2015-08-26 Lafferty+

19 year-old Provisional IRA volunteer Eamonn Lafferty was killed on August 18th, 1971, in a gun-battle with British Army forces who were attempting to dismantle barricades in republican “Free Derry”. The mural and plaque shown (and a headstone) are situated—as the mural states—in the location where he was killed, in Creggan’s Kildrum area. (His body is buried in City Cemetery.)

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02863 killed on active service at this spot on by crown forces whilst defending his community was just 19 years old fuaır sé bás ar son na héıreann derry brigade óglaıgh na héıreann beırıgí bua song in Lafferty’s honourimages from Lafferty’s funeral commanding officer 1st battalion

Maghaberry Torture Camp

02822 2015-08-24 MaghaberryTortureCamp+

Here are three boards in Derry focused on HMP Maghaberry. The high security prison holds 1,000 prisoners and segregates loyalists and republicans, a situation described as “a festering sore” in a recent inspection. (Tele) Republicans say that the current crisis overlooks existing issues such as controlled movement and strip searches. (Irish News)

02821 2015-08-24 MaghaberryDurrow+

02819 2015-08-24 JFPoliticalPrisonersLecky+

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02822 X02821 X02819 justice for political prisoners end forced strip search  in defence of the nation 32 county sovereignty movement IRPWA irish republican prisoner welfare association barbed wire

Socialist Volunteers

02757 2015-08-08 IRSPBoard+

The board above, on Derry’s Racecourse Road, commemorates two hunger-strikers from Derry, Patsy O’Hara and Michael Devine, both members of the INLA; the third INLA hunger-striker was Kevin Lynch, from nearby Dungiven. The seven others who died were members of the IRA, whose political wing was Sınn Féın, while the Irish Republican Socialist Party, who sponsored this board, serves as the political face of the INLA.

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02757 irish republican army IRSP páırtí poblachtach sóısıalach na héıreann plough stars red star raised Armalite vol bobby sands francis hughes ray mccreesh joe mcdonnell martin hurson kieran doherty tom mcelwee belfast armagh tyrone

The F-Bomb

03158 2015-11-06 FTPSNIRA+

Three F-bombs today in a concentrated package. Above we have the PSNI and the IRA combined into one (and next to a swastika, not shown) in Maladon Street, south Belfast. Below, we have “Fuck the TV man, part 3” in Roulston Street in Londonderry’s Waterside. And finally, there is is “Fuck DAAD fags” on the New Lodge Road in north Belfast. “DAAD” stands for “direct action against drugs”, a group which counted Kevin McGuigan and Jock Davison as members (both of whom were killed in a feud this summer) and now goes by “AAD”. (For AAD and the murders of Davison and McGuigan see Irish News | Belfast Telegraph | Guardian.)

02858 2015-08-26 FuckTheTvMan+

03152 2015-10-19 Fuck DAAD Fags+

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03158 X02858 X03152

Red Mick

02856 2015-08-26 DevineShantallow+

Michael “Mickey” (though here “Micky”) Devine was red-headed and was a founder member of the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) in his native Derry (The Plough & The Stars) and also of the INLA (IRSP Derry). The mural on the gable shown above includes the socialist symbols of the red star and the plough, great bear (ursa major), or “big dipper” shining over the towers of Long Kesh, where Devine died on the 21st of August, 1981, after 60 days on hunger strike, the tenth and final striker to die.

The writing that can be seen faintly in the lower third (from a previous version of the mural) reads “They have served their British masters, the poor pathetic fools. They think that inhumanity and cruelty can break us. Haven’t they learnt anything? It strengthens us, it drives us on, for then more than ever we know that our cause is just. INLA Vol. Micky Devine, Long Kesh 1981”

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02856 shantallow derry

Roll Of Honour

02870 2015-08-26 RollOfHonour2009+

Mural in Derry commemorating members of Na Fıanna Éıreann, the youth wing of the IRA. The names are listed in the order of death, from earliest to latest, beginning with fifteen-year-old Gerald McAuley who was shot dead in Clonard (Belfast) in 1969, and ending with John Dempsey shot on the Falls Road (Belfast) in 1981.

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02870 michael sloan eamonn mccormick gerard donaghey david mcauley sean oriordan michael magee joseph campbell john dougal tobias molloy joseph comiskey bernard fox sean hughes michael marley neal mccrory robert allsop james templeton kevin mccauley james o’neill paul mcwilliams brıogaid dhoıre 1909-2009 oglaıgh na héıreann fuaır sıad bás ar son saoırse na héıreann sunburst ógra shınn féın

Orange Crossing

03120 2015-10-11 School+

In this modified ‘School’ safety sign in the lower Shankill estate, a mother and child with collarettes go to school, under the watchful eye of UFF, UYM, and UDA boards on the gable wall behind it. (In 2000, a board reading “Drumcree” was placed over “School”. See J0585)

03119 2015-10-11 UFF UDA UYM+

03118 2015-10-11 UYM School+

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03120 X03119 X03118 terrae filius quis separabit UFF 73 ulster defence force young militants freedom fighters

The Way We Were

02961 2015-08-24 TheWayWeWere+

“The way we were” written on the bog side of the walls of Derry provide a name for this mural behind Derry’s Bogside Inn. The old Rossville flats are in the top left hand corner. (Both Rossville flats and graffiti on the walls – “God made the Catholics, the armalite made us equal” – can be seen in this 1982 image (M00039) from Peter Moloney’s collection.)

In the lower right-hand corner is a “Free Gaza” board that was on the back of Free Derry Corner.

In the lower left-hand corner is a picture of the second version of the “You are now entering Free Derry” writing on the gable wall of 33 Lecky Road.

02828 2015-08-24 TheWayWeWereSide+

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02961 X02828 fuck all hoods INLA IRA BRY irish national liberation army bogside republican youth

The Grens

02787 2015-08-20 BangorTheGrens+

A tarpaulin celebrating the North Down Grenadiers (Fb) flute band has been added above the Red Hand Commando panels on the front of this house in Bangor’s Whitehill neighbourhood. (Compare the image above to M06398.) The emblems of both groups are very similar, featuring a red hand with wings. As well as the RHC emblem on the front gate, there is also a stone on the left dedicated to D. Company volunteers.

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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02787 Audentes fortuna iuvat – fortune favors the brave at the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them in memory of our fallen volunteers north down brigade D. Company lest we forget red hand wings star