The seven signatories of the 1916 Proclamation of the provisional government of the Irish Republic. From left to right: Joseph Plunkett, Sean MacDiarmada, Thomas Clarke, James Connolly, Padraig Pearse, Éamonn Ceannt, Thomas MacDonagh.
The wide shot below shows all three new Andersonstown murals featured this week. For the main mural, see The Undauntable Thought; for the lily, see Ag Fíorú Na Poblachta.
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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A succession of Irish rebels is shown in this new mural in Andersonstown, west Belfast. It begins (top left) with the rebellion of 1798 and then to the Easter Rising of 1916 at the GPO in Dublin. In the lower left, a pious Padraıg Pearse awaits his execution with rosary beads in hand. There are then shown female figures from Cumann Na mBán and the IRA (see previously: United Irishwomen, Do You Care? and Mothering Sunday In Beechmount), and then Maıréad Farrell in Armagh Women’s Prison (for the original, see Prison Walls). In the bottom right corner there is a blanketman. The busts of Bobby Sands and Joe McDonnell float above the GPO and the last verse of Sands’s The Rhythm Of Time form the epigraph: “It lights the dark of this prison cell, it thunders forth its might, it is the undauntable thought, my friend, the thought that says, “I’m right”.
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“Realising the Republic”. This is the first of three new murals side-by-side in Andersonstown. It celebrates the centenary (“Céad Blıaın 1916 – 2016”) of the Easter Rising and shows a copy of the proclamation of the republic and an Easter lily.
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Three bandsmen – the first two of which, at least, are members of the UVF Regimental Flute Band, one in a vintage and another in a modern uniform – parade together in a new mural in Pitt Park. The UVF Regimental will be going to France for the centenary commemorations of the Battle of the Somme.
For images of the boards being painted see the Ballymac Friendship Centre Facebook page.
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Here’s a patronising slogan from the Cupar Way “peace” line, complete with peace/anti-nuclear symbol. Also visible: “Be kind; don’t hurt”, “United, all win”, “Praying for peace in Belfast”, “Love one another”, “Trust and compromise” and so on.
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“You are the future” is the message from Long Tower Youth & Community Centre (Fb) to young people in the Brandywell. Sporting heroes of the past, especially boxing and soccer (for a mural of local clubs, see I Don’t Like Mondays) are featured in black and white. (Derry Journal article on the mural and its sponsors.)
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X02842 lecky rd serving the community since 1943 2014 derry londonderry dove oak leaf spider kelly tommy mccann george mccann johnny campbell joe healy liam coyle eddie crossan frankie campbell Tony o’doherty jim mcloughlin jobby crossan fay coyle lisa toland anne lyttle jim leland jimmy lyttle st columba’s lumen cristi college
In parody of “culture night”, self-proclaimed “culture blight” on North Street by members of TMN crew – RASE, Reckone, Colleen, Rosebud.
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A line from James Connolly’s 1897 piece “Socialism And Nationalism” is adapted by the IRSP for the current post-partition situation: “England will still rule you, she would rule you through her bankers, landlords and Stormont”.
Connolly’s original thought is that – even in a self-governing republic – nationalism is not enough to establish an authentically Irish state: “If you remove the English army tomorrow and hoist the green flag over Dublin Castle, unless you set about the organization of the Socialist Republic your efforts would be in vain. England would still rule you. She would rule you through her capitalists, through her landlords, through her financiers, through the whole array of commercial and individualist institutions she has planted in this country and watered with the tears of our mothers and the blood of our martyrs.”
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Verz‘s doberman has its ears fully erect and paying attention to the passers-by in Union Street. This is one of his ‘Dogs On The Street’ series – see previously: Full-Bodied | Psychedelic Dog
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The long wall on Newtownards Road, “Freedom Corner”, has been repainted over the past nine months — apparently the protective coating that had been applied to the murals in fact caused the paint to peel; alternatively, police water cannon caused the peeling (Tele) — and the murals were launched with a parade on Easter Saturday (March 26th, 2016). Above is shown the Young Newton UYM mural at the extreme right-hand side of the wall.
From left to right: For Freedom Alone | As Long As 100 Of Us Remain Alive | Loyalist East Belfast | The Strangest Victory In All History | Ulster’s Past Defenders | Nationality is included in Loyalist East Belfast | Ulster’s Present Defenders | Freedom Corner
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Extramural Activity 