2006 was the 25th anniversary of the second hunger strike, in 1981. This Ardoyne commemorative piece combines a painted border of Celtic knotwork with boards depicting scenes from 1981: a funeral volley, Derry women in blankets, women banging binlids, a masked protester throwing a Molotov cocktail at an armoured jeep, marchers outside a polling station.
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Copyright © 2008 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Londoner Stephen Lawrence was murdered by stabbing in 1993 and, although arrests were made, no charges were brought. A 1998 public inquiry found that the Metropolitan Police Service was “institutionally racist”. In 2012, two of the original suspects were found guilty of the murder (WP). Catholic Robert Hamill was beaten to death by loyalists in Portadown in 1997 while police in an RUC land-rover looked on (WP).
Brompton Park, Ardoyne, north Belfast. The same board (in slightly different colours) appeared in Artana Street, south Belfast.
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Copyright © 2008 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The mythological hero Cuchulainn, defender of Ulster against the forces of Queen Medb of Connacht, is placed below the flag of Northern Ireland. “Here we stand, here we remain. We simply want to take our God ordained place as indigenous Ulster people, understanding and living out our calling. We assume our identity without shame, retaliation or indignation against those who have caused harm to our past and tried to castrate our culture, our identity and our place on this island.”
Cú Chulaınn has his own Visual History page. This is the most active depiction of the hero; he is usually depicted in his death throes.
Shankill Parade, lower Shankill, west Belfast.
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Copyright © 2008 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Frank Stagg and Michael Gaughan are included alongside the deceased 1981 hunger strikers in a gallery of portraits that has been updated annually since (at least) 2006. The large panel shows blanket-men Hugh Rooney and Freddie Toal, and Bobby Sands, the first to die in 1981.
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Copyright © 2008 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Miriam Daly was chairwoman of the IRSP (Irish Republican Socialist Party) and shot dead in 1980 by the UDA/UFF in 1980. Originally painted in 1996 by Ciaran McKeirnan, Brian O’Loan, and son Donal Daly. Previously seen in 2001 | 2002 | 2003.
Oakman Street, west Belfast.
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Copyright © 2008 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Union flag and red, white, and blue bollards in Ritchie Street, north Belfast.
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Copyright © 2008 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Ulster typically says “no” (going back to 1985, at least) but this Ballysillan Road graffitist is not so sure.
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Copyright © 2006 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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This is the scene on the Shore Road (north Belfast) at Gray’s Lane. From left to right, “[Tony] Blair/Haine [Peter Hain, NI Secretary] – 2 S/F Toadies”; “And so the sham goes on”; “Johnny Adair – South East Antrim UFF – No Surrender”; and below, the remains of the Tudor Lodge (still present in 2017).
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Copyright © 2005 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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This Ardoyne mural connects the Holy Cross blockade (WP | Scannal RTÉ) to desegregation in the U.S.A. in the wake of Brown v. Board Of Education (WP).
The left panel is a rendition of an iconic image of Hazel Bryan hectoring Elizabeth Eckford, one of the Little Rock Nine (WP), in Little Rock, Arkansas.
In the central panel, red sweaters on b&w background might be a reference to Schindler’s List.
The right panel is a reproduction of a photograph of the terrified Eirinn Flood on her way to Holy Cross (Belfast Media).
This mural was later (2009) imitated on the International Wall, Divis Street.
Estoril Park, Ardoyne, north Belfast
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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
X00044 everyone has the right to live free of sectarian harassment, it’s black and white, arkansas ’57, ardoyne ’01
The large board on the left commemorates the 10 dead hunger strikers (WP) and two blanketmen. “No greater love” echoes John 15:13.
There are also two smaller boards on the right: first, “Same old mural, same old force” with the three-in-one figure of RUC, Orange Order, and loyalist paramilitary under a traffic “No” symbol; second, an interesting board alleging collusion between the RUC and the UDA and UVF in north and east Belfast.
Oldpark Road, north Belfast.
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Copyright © 2004 Cathal Woods
X00063 h-block martyrs 1981
Extramural Activity 