The LPOW mural in Harvey Court dates back to 1997, to the release of political prisoners as part of the Good Friday Agreement. A recent (2015) version can be seen at Consolidate The Peace. The new mural features performers Jonny Jones, John Calvert, Tony Jones, and Sylvia Pavis. It was painted by Blaze FX with sponsorship from Charter NI and the Housing Executive.
Gary “Magoo” McCann is honoured as “a dedicated Vol of 2nd Battalion C Coy Village who on the 17-11-2016 was called to join his friends and comrades in the Battalion of The Dead” in a new Red Hand Commando board on Frenchpark Street below the memorial to Sammy Mehaffy, John Hanna, and Steve McCrea. Tributes were paid by South Belfast Protestant Boys and Linfield Supporters Club who called him “a Village legend”. The mural in the second image (below) is on Donegall Avenue, under the Tates Avenue bridge, on the way to the Railway stand at Windsor Park.
October 31st, 1517 is the date given by Philip Melanchthon (there is disagreement – WP) for Martin Luther posting his 95 theses to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, thus launching what would later be called the “protestant” reformation of the Catholic church. The word “protestant” comes from two Latin roots, meaning to publicly (pro-) assert or bear witness (testari).
Below the red hands on either side have been added “Genesis 38:28”, which reads “While she was giving birth, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” But it came about as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out.” The hand thrust forward to claim the birthright (and the reference to a scarlet thread) suggests the myth of the red hand of Ulster. However, it is the younger child (though the first to be completely born) that carries on the house of Judah.
Dublin Councillor Mannix Flynn’s installation Somebody’s Child lists the names of 796 children deemed illegitimate and buried without funeral rites by “a cruel Catholic state” in St Mary’s Mother And Baby Centre in Tuam, Galway (Dublin Live | Mannix Flynn).
The work was launched in November 2015. It was set ablaze in January of this year and restored in July with the addition of a call for the disbandment of the Artane Boys Band, the public face of what was the Artane Industrial School which closed in 1969 in advance of the Kennedy Report into abuses carried out by the Christian Brothers. For more on this dispute, see Dublin Inquirer.
Gerard Gibson, aged 16, was shot dead by members of the Royal Green Jackets (“murdered by British crown forces”) in Lenadoon on 11 July 1972. His case was examined by the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) but the family rejected the findings (BBC). This board show today is in a similar style, and close to, that of Fıan Sean Ó Rıordan, but Gibson is not identified as a youth member of the OIRA (as Sutton identifies him).
The 1917 board in the Poppy Trail series (1914 | 1915 | 1916) celebrates female munitions workers as well as making local connections to the battles of 1917: George Cairns of Roden Street and Thomas Fitzpatrick of Cullingtree Road.
“Hungerstrike & North West Volunteers Commemoration. 1:30 pm Sunday 21st May, Rosemount Factory, Derry.” The march will go from Rosemount to City Cemetery (Derry Journal).
Cast-iron post-boxes were made by W. T. Allen of London from 1886 onwards (Victoria died in 1901). This one, which is still in use by An Post, is at Collins Barracks in Dublin. The Royal Barracks (as they were then called) were built in 1702 and handed over to the Free State in 1922 and renamed; they are now a museum (WP).