“No Irish Sea border” – graffiti at either end of Stroud Street, perhaps in different hands. The one above is over a very faint “PSNIRA out”, along with a “Smash Sinn Fein IRA”.
Previously: Arlene Must Go
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07846 X07848 X07890
Mairéad Farrell (on the right of the image above) was arrested for planting a bomb at a hotel in Dunmurry in April 1976, one month after Special Category Status for republican prisoners had been revoked. Kieran Nugent (on the left) began the “blanket” protest in September that year and Farrell was the first person to join the protest, when she arrived in Armagh women’s prison to begin her fourteen year sentence. She later took up a dirty protest and joined the 1980 hunger strike. She stood for election in 1981 (in Cork), but, unlike “Óglach Bobby Sands, MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone”, was not successful. (WP)
“I am oppressed as a woman and I am oppressed as an Irish person. Everyone in this country is oppressed and yet we can only end our oppression as women if we end the oppression of our nation as a whole.” Máiread [sic] Farrell
For the other pieces shown in the wide shot, below, see The Proclamation | All Our Dead | Easter Week 1916 (and then England, The Never Failing Source Of All Our Political Evils and The Old IRA).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07823 X07821 Ardilea “They may hold our bodies in the most inhumane condition – But while our minds remain free our victory is assured.” Óglach Bobby Sands, MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, died on the 5th of May 1981 after 66 days on Hunger Strike.
Brexit has happened and people, particularly hauliers and smaller retailers, are having trouble adjusting to the fact that Northern Ireland remains within the EU customs union and single market for goods, which means additional paperwork for goods moving between NI and Britain (BBC | Belfast Live). The current disruptions will likely be overcome in due course but the presence of a border is symbolically powerful. This east Belfast graffitist is unhappy with the outcome: “No Irish sea border – [DUP leader] Arlene [Foster] must go.” George Osborne, former UK chancellor and now editor at the London Evening Standard, called the DUP’s decision to reject Theresa May’s deal “stupid” (BelTel) and the FT called the DUP nationalism’s “secret weapon” (ft.com). The Tele wonders if Gavin Robinson is angling for a crack at the leadership (BelTel).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
X07836 Belmont Rd
When it was launched in September 2018 (Irish Times), the Irish Freedom Party (web | tw) found some support in at least one north Belfast stencilist. But murals and graffiti that don’t meet with universal approval draw public replies: “Irexit … is a shite ideology perpetuated by fascists. My 32 counties doesn’t do racism. No pasaran!”
Some previous debates: Multiculturalism Is Genocide | We Won’t Have Carson | A Dialogue On The Nature Of Art
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07827 X05995 Limestone Road, Belfast.
The fourth review of evidence in the case of Noah Donohoe, in preparation for a later coroner’s inquest, is scheduled to take place on January 18th (Belfast Live). Friends, family, and concerned members of the public are continuing their campaign for answers, using the hashtag #NoahsArmy on Twitter. The sign shown above is on the top floor of Teach Mhéabh (Maeve House) in the New Lodge.
Previous posts about Noah’s death.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07801 [X07800] X07799
“Referendum now”. On this day 100 years ago (1920-12-23) the ‘Government Of Ireland Act‘ – the fourth Home Rule bill – was passed in the UK parliament, partitioning Ireland into Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland, both within the UK. The rest, as they say, is history, history we are still living out. Sınn Féın’s Mary Lou McDonald claimed (in an interview with Owen Jones of the Guardian) that Irish unity would be achieved this decade. Martin McGuinness said in 2003 that unity would be achieved by the centenary of the Rising (Indo) but that year has come and gone. (Feb poll | Oct poll)
Previously: #TimeForUnity | Time For Irish Unity
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07795
Brexit chaos has done much to provoke thoughts of the breakup of the UK in both Scotland and Northern Ireland (e.g. Slugger). Sliabh Dubh was last week calling for “unity”, the first step towards which would be a “border poll” both north and south. The UK government, however, has not spelled out the conditions under which a poll might take place (the GFA says only ‘when the motion seems likely to pass’) (The Detail), and Taoiseach Michael Martin said recently that a border poll was not on the agenda for the current five-year parliamentary term (Irish Central).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07793
The 39th Bundoran (RSF) hunger strike commemoration took place at the end of August, scaled-back due to the coronavirus pandemic (RSF). The poster above, on the electrical box on Northumberland Street, includes Pat Ward alongside the twelve “traditional” hunger strike deaths (for the first inclusion of Gaughan and Stagg, see Remember The Hunger Strikers from 1985) Ward, a Donegal fisherman and IRA volunteer, took part in four hunger strikes, lasting 148 days in total, including 45 in Portlaoise in 1975. He died in 1988. (RSF | Pensive Quill)
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07448
The Cupar Way “peace” line, home to graffiti-art/wild-style writing and patronising slogans from around the world, is also home to a single Troubles-related memorial plaque, to Plum Smith (one | two) of the UVF/RHC and subsequently the PUP, which thus far has resisted the artists’ can and the tourists’ Sharpie. It is not known whether the “Plum” graffiti (and previously “RIP Plum Smith”) is by locals or by a visiting writer.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07750
Still in the window of Harland House (Templemore Avenue, east Belfast) two years after the World Cup, Union Flag and IFA bunting and a ‘Deutschland’ scarf. NI did not qualify, Germany did not make it to the knock-out stage, and England lost to Croatia in the semis.
It’s not known what the connection to Edward Harland (of Harland & Wolff) – please get in touch.
Click image again to enlarge
Copyright © 2020 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X07210
Extramural Activity 