The frame of this mural in St James’s was originally painted in 1994 for a mural showing local pensioners remonstrating with a British Army soldier, under the title “The Spirit Of Freedom”. The central circle was repainted (again by Andrea Redmond) for the 1995 “green ribbon” campaign: the dove holds the keys that will set free the republican prisoners (symbolised by the barbed wire and a lark in the apex that cannot be seen).
At the centre of the hunger strikers iron-work on the site of the (former) Andersonstown RUC barracks is a lark in barbed wire; the barbed wire, however, contains the five demands: no prison uniform, no prison work, free association, visits and parcels, and full remission.
The Andersonstown RUC barracks at the junction of the Glen and Falls roads was demolished in early 2005. Plans to develop the site with residential housing involving private company Carvill were opposed by locals, who launched the ‘Stop The Sell-Off’ campaign, aimed in particular at then-minister for Social Development (DSD) Margaret Ritchie of the SDLP. By October, Carvill had withdrawn their plans.
“Belfast IRSP. Brendan McNamee and Miriam Daly – murdered by British agents”; “DSD – Stop the spin”; “Public land for public use”; “Dear Santa, please get Minister [Margeret] Ritchie to give us back our land. Signed, West Belfast Residents”; “Justice for Harry [Holland] – No bail for his killers”; “Stop the sell-off campaign”; “Cuır deıreadh leis an díoladh”.
Greengrocer Harry Holland was stabbed in the head with a screwdriver by teens in Norfolk Drive (just above the Milltown roundabout where this board is positioned) on September 12th, 2007. Stephen McKee, Patrick Crossan, and Niamh McKee (who was granted bail) would later be sentenced for murder, affray, and assault charges relating the crime. The Glen Road shop would remain open until 2018.
“Suicide is no solution – reach out” to any of the four agencies whose numbers are given: Contact Youth, Samaritans, Corpus Christi, and Holy Trinity Counselling. “In memory of Michael, Stephen, Fiona.”
“Labhaır cıbé Gaeılge atá agat” (“speak whatever Irish you have”; “Is fearr Gaeılge bhrıste ná Béarla clıste” (“Broken Irish is better than clever English”; “Rally for Irish Language Act this Saturday June 9th @ Cultúrlann 1 pm”.
The mural in the background is No Plastic Bullets – see 1995 and 2004.
In the Ballymurphy memorial garden, Denis McCauley’s name has been added to the list of deceased ‘Civilians’ and Robert Murphy’s name to the ‘Roll Of Remembrance’. For images of the other panels, see the 2006 post on the garden.
The New Barnsley memorial garden is greatly expanded over the single plaque from 2005, to include a larger main plaque, a smaller one commemorating early resistance “Sheas sıad le chéıle” [They stood together], and wrought-iron gates with a phoenix and “Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann”.
Mural (perhaps repainted) “Dedicated to Vols Bobby McCrudden, Mundo O’Rawe, Pearse Jordan. In passing this mural pause a little while, pray for us and erin, then smile.” Previously seen in 2004 and 2005.