stone

Is Ceıst Deacaır É Sın

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Edward Daly is most famous for waving a white handkerchief on Bloody Sunday, as a dying Jackie Duddy was carried away, but his devotion to the city of Derry spans decades: was a curate and then bishop in Derry from 1962 until 1993 (WP). ‘That’s a difficult question’ was his favourite saying (Derry Journal). The stone was erected after his death in 2016 (see The People’s Priest) and has now been incorporated into a garden of reflection.

“This garden of reflection has been dedicated in honour of the late Bishop of Derry (Emeritus) Dr Edward Daly in heartfelt gratitude and thanksgiving for the wonderful work for the people of Derry and beyond. Rest in peace. ‘To love means loving the unlovable; to forgive means forgiving the unforgivable; faith means believing the unbelievable; hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.’ Is ceıst deacaır é sın [that is a difficult question]” “Opened by the Most Reverend Jude Thaddeus Okolo, papal nuncio to Ireland, on 5th February 2018. Also John Hume, Ivan Cooper, Vinny Coyle, Chief Stewart [sic] of Civil Rights march and all those who campaigned for Civil Rights.”

For the mural, see Civil Rights.

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Our Lady Of Perpetual Peace

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A statue of Our Lady Of The Sacred Heart stands in front of the “peace” line on the Divis side of Boundary Street.

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Lisnabreeny American Military Cemetery

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The 148 US servicemen who were buried at Lisnabreeny, in the Castlereagh hills, died in Northern Ireland, and about 40 of them in air accidents, including the ten who died on June 1st, 1944, when a B-17 travelling from Newfoundland crashed into Cave Hill, killing all ten men on board (Wartime NI). The names of all 148 are listed on three sides of the memorial stone; their remains were repatriated or moved to the cemetery in Cambridge, England in 1948.

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Christmas In Prison

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A crude engraving about the size of your hand found on the wall of the B-wing yard in Crumlin Road Gaol (now a tourist attraction and conference centre): a Celtic cross with knot-work and “Jim Keenan – Xmas 1942”.

Below is a picture of the gaol from September 15th, 1942, thirteen days after Tom Williams was hanged (see the plaque to his memory in Bombay Street).

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Bullets Travel Also Through Time

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“South Belfast – time for truth – exposing collusion – Ormeau Road – ‘Bullets do not only travel distance but also through time'” [Based on a quote by James Kennedy’s father: “The bullets that killed James didn’t just travel in distance, they travelled in time. Some of those bullets never stop travelling.” (Irish Times)]

Police Ombudsman Marie Andersons’s report into various murders and attempted murders in south Belfast was released yesterday (February 7th, 2022) and presented a list of “collusive behaviours” between the RUC and loyalist paramilitaries. Among the incidents investigated was the killing of five people “murdered for their faith” at the Sean Graham bookies’ office on the Ormeau Road in February 5th, 1992; the report found that one of the two UDA gunmen was a Special Branch informant and that a Browning pistol used in the attack had been supplied by the RUC (as had previously been revealed in the 2010 HET Inquiry report) and that records relating to the weapon had been withheld from investigators (Irish Times | Belfast Live). For the 30th anniversary, relatives of the five men killed and of five more who were injured displayed their portraits next to the small memorial garden, which itself was updated to mark the third decade since their deaths: “1992-2022” (Belfast Live).

The plaque on the far left is to Charles Jospeh McGrillen, shot by the UDA/UFF in 1988 at his work in Dunne’s on the Annadale embankment (Sutton). Next to the bookies’ parlour is a plaque to Fian Jim Templeton.

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Those Who Endure The Most

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Kieran Doherty’s memorial stone (below) is recreated at the back of the mural of his funeral cortège. “I gcuımhne ar Vol. Kieran Doherty T.D. Brıogáıd Bhéal Feırste [Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann], of 54 Commedagh Drive. Rugadh 16ú Deıreadh Fómhaır 1955, elected T.D. for Cavan/Monaghan 11th June 1981, a fuaır bás 2ú Lúnasa 1981, after 73 days on hunger strike in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh. ‘It is not those who can inflict the most, but those who endure the most, who will conquer in the end’.” (The Terence MacSwiney quote is not included on the painted stone.)

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The Men From Whitehead

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“At the going down of the sun.” The smaller of the two World War memorials in Whitehead was updated last year for the 100th anniversary of the Royal British Legion. The stone (shown last, below) was originally dedicated in 1996, for the 75th anniversary. The plate on the bench reads: “In memory of Mr Royal British Legion, Hector (Sandy) McGregor, 1920-2014. ‘Service not self'”

The larger memorial (shown above) was dedicated in 2019 (Mid&East Antrim) and replaced a smaller memorial which also had the names of the locals who were killed in the world wars. “Greater love hath no man – We will remember them. In grateful memory of the men from Whitehead who gave their lives in World War I & II.” With a wreath from LOL 968.

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Honour, Loyalty, Liberty, Sacrifice

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A new backdrop – of a field of poppies beneath a blue sky– has been added to the UFF memorial garden in Tigers Bay. The four stones/plaques in the garden are shown below in the order that they were added to the garden, starting with two to the North Belfast Brigade that were present in 2008 (see M04397). The third was a roll of honour of the “Scottish Brigade North Ayrshire”. The fourth is generically to “those we have loved and lost” but contains a strand of barbed wire, symbol of POWs.

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Like The Eternal Flame

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“Like the eternal flame your memory will never die.” “Unbowed, unbroken – this garden is dedicated to all our fallen dead from Ardoyne, Bone, and Ligoniel who lost their lives as a direct result of the conflict. We also honour all those people who played an active part in our struggle for Irish freedom. ‘It is not those who inflict the most, but those that endure the most, that shall prevail’ [Terence McSwiney]”. The central plaque shows the pediment and statues on “ard-oıfıg an phoıst” (the GPO in Dublin, 1916) and the Maid Of Erin harp (of 1798). The celtic cross was previously in the memorial garden at the corner of Berwick Road – see Freedom Hath Arisen.

In the distance of the final image is the Sean Mac Dıarmada mural.

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For Noah

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Four files to be presented in the inquest into the death of teenager Noah Donohoe are being assessed for redaction under the principle of ‘Public-interest immunity’ (BelTel | RN), which has added fuel to the speculation that the PSNI is “hiding Noah’s killer”. Noah would have turned 16 today, November 25th. The campaign for answers in his case continues, with a “carcade” tonight down the Antrim Road from the zoo to Carlisle Circus (NBN), and continued graffiti and stencilling, as shown here. The stone (above) is near the Ballysillan end of the Hightown Road; the graffiti is in Turf Lodge; the stencil (bottom) is in the middle Falls.

Previously: This is now our 14th post on Noah.

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