H & A

2015-01-19 NugentBoardArmagh+

Here are two details from the new Kieran Nugent board along with the “Slí Na Gaeltachta‘ (The Gaeltacht Trail) plaque at its side. The image above shows prisoners “on the blanket” (that is, refusing to wear prison uniforms) in front of a giant brick “H” (for the H-Blocks) which perspective also shapes into an “A” (for Armagh Women’s Prison). They hold placards from the time: Wanted for murder [Margaret Thatcher] and torture of Irish prisoners”; “The spirit of freedom; support the POWs”; “Support the hunger-strikers”. The image below reads “Support the five demands”. These were (1) the right not to wear a prison uniform; (2) the right not to do prison work; (3) the right of free association with other prisoners, and to organise educational and recreational pursuits; (4) the right to one visit, one letter and one parcel per week; (5) restoration of remission lost through the protest.

The text of the Slí Na Gaeltachta plaque can be found at the bottom of this page.

The full board was featured in Reinstated.

2015-01-19 NugentBoardDemands+

2015-01-19 NugentBoardPlaque+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02477 X02478 X02479

“Slí na Gaeltachta – Abhaınn na Feırste.
Cé go bhfuıl sí cludaıthe faoı choıncréıt anoıs agus gan a bheıth le feıceáıl, ıs ag an láthaır seo ar Shráıd Northumberland a chéadtrasnaıonn Abhaınn na Feırste Bóthar na bhFál. Aınmníodh an abhaınn as an fhearsaıd a bhí ag béal na habhann san áıt a dtéann sí ısteach sa Lagán. Baısteadh Béal Feırste ar an lonnaíocht a d’fhás thart ar áth cosanta ag cumar an dá abhaınn. Ba as an lonnaíocht ársa sın a d’eascaır cathaır an lae ınnıu.
Here at Northumberland Street the now culverted Farset River first crosses the Falls Road. The river is named from the sandbank (fearsaıd) which was at the mouth (béal) of the river where it joins the Lagan. The settlement that grew up around a defended river ford at this confluence of the two rivers was named Béal Feırste, ‘mouth of the sandbank ford’. It was from this ancient settlement that the present-day city grew.”

Reinstated

2015-01-19 NugentBoard+

Keiran Nugent (and Brendan Hughes) has been returned to the left-most spot on the International Wall.

This new board is closely based on the mural (shown in Belfast’s Infamous Prison) which was painted over in October in advance of the November 9th non-binding referendum in Catalonia (see Votes About Votes; the yellow background and some of the lettering from the Catalonia mural can still be seen in the image above). Nugent and Maıréad Farrell were then included in the hunger-strikers mural further down the wall: see I’ll Wear No Convict’s Uniform and Peace With Justice.

New in this version is the inclusion of a reference to the women’s protest in Armagh prison; one of the figures standing in front of the H/A holds the ‘Thatcher – Wanted for murder and torture of Irish prisoners’ poster that previously filled the top-left corner.

For close-ups, see H & A.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02476 beır bua do na cımí cogaıdh victory smash h-block armagh support five demands spirit of freedom support hunger-strikers

I’ll Wear No Convict’s Uniform

2014-10-29 NugentFarrellHStrike+

As reported at the time, after the Nugent/Hughes mural at the corner of Divis and Northumberland Streets (see Belfast’s Infamous Prison) was painted out to make way for a pro-Catalonia vote mural (see Votes About Votes), Kieran Nugent was added to the hunger-strikers mural further down the international wall, along with Mairéad Farrell, who was the second person, after Nugent, to refuse to wear a prison uniform. A blanketed Brendan Hughes has also been added, above the declaration of independence.

Below is a progress shot (previously posted in Votes About Votes); the original version of the hunger-strikers mural is in Peace With Justice.

2014-10-27 NugentAddedCrop+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02321 X02319 12 doves frank stagg michael gaughan no greater love smash h-block poblacht na heireann irish republic long kesh maze celtic cross shield

Training Ground

2014-08-24 Carson+

Carson (above) and Craig (below), founders of the Ulster Volunteers and the first two leaders of the Ulster Unionist Party, stand watch at the edge of an outdoor pitch and children’s playground in New Mossley, beneath a flag of the 36th (Ulster) division (see wide shot below). Carson’s profile is shown next to the emblem of the 36th division; Craig is shown next to the flag of Northern Ireland.

2014-08-24 Craig+

2014-08-24 CarsonCraigWide+

Click image to enlarge (to full size)
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02103 X02105 X02104  edward carson james craig somme thiepval messines fricourt passchendaele st. quentin ypres flanders

You Dare To Call Me A Terrorist

2014-07-28 JoeMcDonnell+

Joe McDonnell was a Provisional IRA volunteer (óglach) imprisoned in the Maze H-blocks. He was the fifth hunger-striker to die, on July 8th, 1981 after 61 days. The Wolfe Tones wrote a ballad in his memory (for their 1983 LP A Sense Of Freedom), which FAI chief John Delaney was recorded singing in a Dublin pub a few weeks ago (November, 2014) after a 4-1 win by the Republic over the US in a friendly. He at first denied it was him, then apologized, and has kept his job (Guardian).

As of this morning (December 10th, 2014), the song, re-released by the Wolfe Tones as a charity Christmas single in aid of the Simon Community, is the #7 single at itunes.ie.

The mural above was painted in July by Gerard “Mo Chara” Kelly, on the Suffolk Road, Andersonstown, west Belfast.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02033 long kesh while you look down your gun h5

Peelers

2014-10-15 StrandPeeling+

Here are two details from the ‘Understand The Past’ mural in Mountpottinger Road which is gradually peeling away. For the mural in better days, see Understand The Past.

2014-10-17 StrandPeeling+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02295 X02297 children faces dove pencil oglaigh na heireann

Three Studies Of Ian Paisley

2014-11-18 PaisleyTriptych1+

Triptych of Ian Paisley posters in Corporation Street, a composite of pieces from TLO’s “Doctored Paisley” series. For the middle panel, and more information about Paisley, see Demonizing Paisley. For more images, see this gallery on Slugger.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02369

Up On The Roof

2014-09-17 TowerMcCreesh+

Six of the seven New Lodge tower blocks each feature two hunger strikers, on the narrow sides of the building. Those featured are the ten who died in 1981 along with Frank Stagg and Michael Gaughan. Here are images of five of them. Above is Raymond McCreesh, below is Kieran Doherty with a tricolour and ‘Justice for the Craigavon 2’, third is Martin Hurson and a Palestinian flag, fourth is Francis Hughes, and fifth is Frank Stagg.

An annotated Google map and a table give the Irish, English and former names of the flats (“houses”) as well as their locations and the hunger strikers on each.

2014-09-17 TowerDoherty+

2014-09-17 TowerHurson+

2014-09-17 TowerHughes+

2014-09-17 TowerStagg+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02200 X02197 X02199 X02198 X02201

Partition

2014-11-19 EndPartitionWide+

“End partition” was the message on the mountain (Black Mountain/Slıabh Dubh) last week, shown here between Clonard Monastery on the left (where the Hume-Adams talks took place in 1988 and 1993) and  the Cupar Way “peace” line on the right.

2014-11-19 BallsPeaceLine+

X06756 2019-08-18 Bombay St Wall+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02373 X02371 X06756

Art In The Eastside

2014-11-05 ErvineWide+

At the same time that the new David Ervine board was put in place, the existing board next to it, which dates to 2008, was spruced up. The image above is a wide shot of both boards, while the image below shows the commemorative casting in front. For the original board, see David Ervine; for explanations of the sculpture, including its pipe, prayer-book, ticket, and boots, see Memory Chair.

2014-11-05 ErvineChair+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02324 X02323