The CNR Murals Of 1981

Here is a gallery of the murals in Belfast and Derry believed to have been painted in 1981. There are about 70 from Belfast and 40 from Derry.

There might be many more: Rolston says that there were a few pieces of careful lettering (such as the first two items below) and two murals from early 1981 (M00184 and M00086 below), but that “After Sands’s death, an explosion of murals occurred in nationalist areas. Within a few months, at least one hundred were painted in Belfast, fifty in Derry, and others in nationalist areas of Armagh, Lurgan, Newry, and Strabane.” (Rolston 1991, p. 79)

For discussion see Visual History 03 – The Prison Protests (1981) and Visual History 04 – Paramilitary Murals (1981-1982).

Belfast – Twinbrook, Lenadoon, Shaws Rd

Their Hunger, Their Pain, Our Struggle (M00081)
Unite To Fight Hunger Torture Death
(M00082)
Victory [To The] IRA
(M00114)
Free! Belfast
(M00095)
Right Honourable Bobby Sands
(M00054)
Lark And The Freedom-Fighter (M00054)
Kieran Doherty TD
(M00096)
Think Again
(M00132)
Armagh Women/Provisional IRA
(M00201)
Provisional IRA Phoenix
(M00209)
Revolution INLA
(M00218)
When You Came To This Land
(C00162)
Tıocfaıdh An Lá Nuaır Beıdh Éıre Saor Arís (R1 047)
Sands Funeral Volley
(R91 083)
1916-1969
(M00510)
Wolfe Tone
(M00610)
Phoenix
(M00200)

Bobby Sands MP – Twinbrook
(Homer Sykes)

10 Names – Lenadoon
(R1 048)

Gunman And Phoenix
(McGowan)

In Honour IRA-INLA Volunteers
(McGowan)

Belfast – Andersonstown

Ireland Unfree
(M00020)
Venceremos
(M00115)
Sasanach Amach
(M00156)
In Honour
(M00159)
The Dehumanising Factor
(C00627)
Liberty
(R91 083 M00380)
Hunger Strikers TDs
(R91 083)
Out Of The Ashes That Was Belfast (R91 086)
A Nation Once Again
(M00233)

Belfast – Turf Lodge, Ballymurphy, Whiterock Rd

Political Power Stems From The Barrel Of A Gun (M00043)
The Lark
(C05217)
(Unattributed X14532)
No, Not A Dog
(M00058)
Victory To The Blanketmen POWs
(M00086)
The Five Demands
(M00059)
I’ll Wear No Convict’s Uniform
(M00184)
The First Six
(M00199)
Political Prisoners Of War
(M00097)
Three Flags
(M00208)
Blessed Are Those Who Hunger For Justice (M00129)

Belfast – Rock Streets

Smash H Block
(M00002)
Incident At Narrow Water
(M00105)
Long Kesh 1981
(M00111)
The Final Salute
(M00116)
Blessed Are Those Who Hunger For Justice (M00131)
O’Casey Quote + Break Thatcher’s Back
(M00211)
They May Kill The Revolutionary
(T00050 M00118)
Christ Of St John Of The Cross
(Noel McGuigan)

Belfast – Beechmount, Springfield Rd, Middle Falls

Resistance
(M00100)
(M00045)
The Right Hon Bobby Sands MP
(M00053)
H. Block
(M00041)
Smash H Block
(M00198)
Celtic Cross (M00220)
Flags On Pikes (M00222)
Let Us Rise
(M00135)
Notes
(M00134)
The Five Just Demands
(C00049)
The Training Ground
(M00123)
The Conveyor Belt
(M00126)
Ireland’s Cross To Bear
(M00122)
Sacred Heart Blanketman
(T00051)
Hunger Strikers Crucified
(T00048)
The Shape Of Things To Come (T00054) (Originally three gunmen)
The People Arose In ’69
(T00008 | M00217)
Auschwitz-Long Kesh
(M00414)
Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann
(M00219)
Don’t Let Them Die
(M00119)
The Last Post
(M00149)
Volunteers
(T00045)
Struggle For Freedom
(M00294)
Smash The British Devil’s Rule
(T00006)
Political Prisoners Of War
(R91 082 R1r 061)

Ocras Agus Tart Na Córa
(O’Reilly 1983)

I Am A Political Prisoner
(Homer Sykes)

H-Block/Bloody Sunday/Sniper
(Homer Sykes)

Belfast – Clonard, Lower Falls, Divis

Civil Order, Plastic Death
(peg-leg version)
(M00148)
The Spirit Of Freedom
(M00215)
Colonial Child
(T00043)
McLarnon & Loughran
(M00383)
Patsy O’Hara Youth Movement
(M00420 R91 084)
Blessed Are Those Who Hunger For Justice
(M03957)

Belfast – Ardoyne

In Loving Memory
(M00210)
The Final Salute
(C00148)
The Battle For Survival
(R91 082)
For Those Who Believe
(R91 081)

Neck Of An Idea
(R1 051)

Derry – Shantallow

Victory To The 1981 Hunger Strikers
(M00193)

Derry – Creggan

The Conveyor Belt
(M00087)
Bobby Sands – The Spirit Of Freedom (M00289)

Derry – Brandywell

Phoenix & Flags
(M00192)
Patsy O’Hara
(M00146)

Derry – Bogside

Roll Of Honour
(M00174)
They May Kill The Revolutionary
(C00689)
Phoenix-Volley
(M00113)
Lark
(M00175)
Resistance
(M00166)
A Weapon Of The Provisionals
(M00173)
Murdered By Paratroopers
(M00176)
Murdered By Paratroopers
(M00176)
Murdered By Paratroopers
(M00176)
Ireland
(M00168)
Éıre Nua Phoenix
(M00170)
Pearse & Connolly
(M00171)
Get The Brits Out
(M00165)
Weapon Of Resistance
(M00172)
Patsy O’Hara OC
(M00177)
Flags/Hands In Chains/H Block
(M00187)
Political Status Must Stay/RUC Keep Out (M00057c)
Ten Portraits
(M00231)
Murdered By The Crown
(M00182)
(Possibly 1981: St Peter/I Refuse To Change) (M00151)
Political Status Now (M00089)
Resistance
(M00244)

Derry – Gobnascale

Éıre
(M00197)
Political Status Now
(M00091)
Ten Portraits
(M00092)
Phoenix
(M00183)
Tom McElwee
(M00153)
A Political Prisoner Of War
(M00152)
Warning
(R91 086)

References in parentheses to mural collections:
A = Alain Miossec Collection
C = Tony Crowley Collection
J = Jonathan McCormick Collection
M = Peter Moloney Collection – Murals
T = Paddy Duffy Collection
X = Seosamh Mac Coılle Collection

Many of the images from 1981 in Peter Moloney’s collection are by “LC” who wishes to remain anonymous.
Thanks also to Noel McGuigan and Bill Rolston for several images (R91 = Politics And Painting, R1/R1r = Drawing Support/revised edition, R2 = Drawing Support 2, etc)

Written material copyright © 2022-2025 Extramural Activity. Images are copyright of their respective photographers.

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