Cecil McKnight

Cecil McKnight was a UDA/UFF volunteer, Orange Order member, and chairman of the UDP (Ulster Democratic Party) when he was shot dead at his home in Melrose Terrace by the IRA on June 29th, 1991. (Sentinel). McKnight is shown standing in front of a mural in the adjacent Ebrington Terrace circa 1990

Emerson Street, Waterside, Londonderry

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Copyright © 2003 Peter Moloney
M02024

George Washington

“If defeated everywhere else I will make my final stand for liberty with the Scotch-Irish (Ulster-Scots) of my native Virginia.” George Washington commanded the Continental Army during the revolution and served as the first president of the United States beginning in 1789. His ancestry was English and the quote is undocumented, the closest being this statement from McKinley. The note in the corner reads “History records that almost half of Washington’s army were Ulster-Scots”; the basis for this claim might be General (Charles?) Lee’s report that “half the rebel Continental Army were from Ireland.” (See Chapter 2 of Bagenal, The American Irish and their Influence on Irish Politics.)

Previously: Theodore Roosevelt | James Buchanan.

Ebrington Street Lower, Londonderry

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Copyright © 2003 Peter Moloney
M02023

James Buchanan

James Buchanan was “15th US president 1857-1861.” Buchanan’s father, also called James, was born in Ramelton, Co Donegal, and was living in Co Tyrone when he emigrated to the United States from Derry in 1783, (one of the “250,000 Ulster-Scots [who] emigrated to America in the 1700s”). James junior was born in 1791, the second of eleven children.

The confusion over the wording of the quote – “My Ulster blood is my most priceless [or simply: a priceless] heritage … [and I can never be too grateful to my grandparents from whom I derived it.]” – is matched by confusion over who said it (Buchanan junior or senior?); the source of the quote is unknown. Likewise we do not know where in Scotland the grandparents might have come from and perhaps the move to Ireland happened much earlier.

There is a similar mural to Buchanan in west Belfast. See also the Visual History page on Ulster-Scots murals.

Ebrington Street, Londonderry

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Copyright © 2003 Peter Moloney
M02022

Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense

For the fiftieth anniversary of her coronation in 1953, a portrait of Elizabeth the second, Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. She is surrounded by the flowers of Ireland (shamrock), England (rose), Wales (daffodil), Scotland (thistle). “Shame to he who thinks bad of it” is in Anglo-Norman French.

Bond’s Place, Waterside, Londonderry.

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Copyright © 2003 Peter Moloney
M02021

Brıogáıd Dhoıre

The IRA Derry Brigade memorial at the shops on Racecourse Road, Derry, includes quotes from Robert Emmet (not: Emmett) – When my country takes her place among the nations of the Earth, then and not until then let my epitaph be written – and the Easter Rising proclamation – We declare the right of the people of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies to be sovereign and indefeasible – in both English and Irish.

“Nuaır a ghlacfaıdh mo thír dhúchaıs a háıt cheart ı measc náısıún uıle an domhaın, ansın, agus chan go dtí sın, déanaıgí feartlaoı s’agamsa a scríobh amach. – Roıbéard Eıméıd 1803” – “When my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then and not until then let my epitaph be written – Robert Emmett 1778-1803”

“Dearbhaıonn muıd gur cheart go mbeadh seılbh ag muıntır na hÉıreann ar thalamh na hÉıreann. Ba chóır ıad a bheıth ı gceannas ar thodhchaí na hÉıreann agus ar a dtarlóıdh dı amach anseo – Forógra na hÉıreann, An Cháısc 1916” – “We declare the right of the people of Ireland, to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies to be sovereign and indefeasible – The Proclamation, Easter 1916”

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Copyright © 2003 Peter Moloney
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End Siege Of Short Strand

Short Strand is a Catholic enclave of about 1,000 people in Protestant east Belfast. Throughout 2001 and 2002, the interface saw gun battles and rioting between the two factions. Here is a Guardian account of events in 2002. Above is a rejection of the new PSNI “There are many reasons for not joining the PSNI – this is just one” with a series of wanted posters (seen Collusion! Collusion! and Collusion Is State Murder plus one of Patrick Mayhew). Both parts by Ógra Shınn Féın. Divis Street, Belfast.

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Copyright © 2003 Peter Moloney
M02011 M02010 [M02008 M02009]

Demilitarise Divis Tower

Following the unrest of 1969, the British Army took over the top two floors (18 and 19) of Divis Tower, for use as an observation post (notice all of the devices on poles in both the painting and reality) and was accessed by helicopter. The post would be dismantled in 2005 (BBC-NI has some images). Divis Street, Belfast.

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Copyright © 2003 Peter Moloney
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