Red Hand Commando volunteer Stevie McCrea was sentenced to 16 years for the murder of James Kerr in 1972 (Behind The Mask) and was subsequently “murdered by the enemies of Ulster” on February 18th, 1989 in an IPLO attack on the Orange Cross (see M00560 | WP).
“For he shall not grow old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary him nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember him.”
McCrea is included on murals in south Belfast’s Frenchpark Street and Broadway (dating back to at least 1993).
A house in Shankill Parade sports an “Ibrox Stadium G51 – Rangers Football Club” plate over the door. (G51 is the postcode for Glasgow and the surrounding area.)
Mural in Disraeli Street to Trevor King, to the left of the old Brian Robinson mural and two gables to the right of the new Brian Robinson mural. Having been shot by the INLA and paralysed from the neck down, King took the decision to remove his own life-support (WP).
Here are two commercial murals from the northwest.
First (above) is a mural outside The Don bar in London-/Derry, which reads “Guinness: Good stout, no strings attached.” (The previous version had a pint being held out to the Don, with the words “Guinness: An offer you can’t refuse”.)
Second (below) is a fish and chip shop called Skippers in Dún Geımhın/Dungiven.
Following on from the crannóg excavations, we might say that we walk around on top of the past, layer upon layer. Here, however, the living people walk around below those that are frozen in time.
This might not look like much, but these crannóg remains in Drumclay outside Enniskillen/Inis Ceithleann (according to the BBC) “may be the largest house structure of the period ever to be discovered” and archaeologists have said that “their discoveries will re-write the history books of ancient Irish life.” The crannog (a compound – in this case of 30+ houses – on stilts, forming an artificial island) was brought to the public eye last (2012) summer and archaeologists have until the end of this month (March, 2013) to complete their investigations – the find is holding up construction of a road needed for the G8 summit in June. (Previously on Extramural Activity: Putting On The Ritz.)
For more details of the find and efforts to gain more time for excavation, see Robert Chapple’s blog.
Below are images of (first) what is believed to be a game piece and (second) an archaeologist (Cathy Moore) holding up part of a vat/barrel, with an incised rim, and a disc. U.tv has a gallery of some of the more than 4,000 finds from the crannog, including combs, a shoe and shears.
Detail of the top picture, blown up in size … in the centre the red circle of tape indicates the location of a house, the square lighter area is a hearth.
This is the second mural to Brian Robinson in Disraeli Street. This is a much older one than the one featured on Extramural Activity a few days ago; versions of this mural on this gable go back to at least 1993. Note that the artist has included a transmitter or surveillance tower on the skyline
See the previous post for more details of his death.
A close-up of the plaque is below. As the plaque notes, his mother died at the same time –she reportedly had a heart-attack when she heard of his death.
“Londonderry West Bank Loyalists Still Under Siege. No Surrender.”
Two images of a mural/lettering in the Fountain area on London-/Derry/Doire’s west bank of the Foyle – the larger Unionist population is in the Waterside on the east side of the river – taken through a hole in the walls of old city of Derry.
Extramural Activity 