Area Affiliation

Éıre

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This Short Strand mural packs a lot in, beginning with both ancient Éıre and a celtic cross. Its main panels commemorate 25 years of resistance in east Belfast (probably dating to the Battle Of St Matthew’s in 1970) with portraits of 16 deceased locals (“I measc laochra na nGael go raıbh a naınmeacha”) and two verses from Bobby Sands’s poem Weeping Winds (see below). On the right (in the second image) is a quote from Bobby Sands: “Our revenge will be the laughter of our children”.

Oh, whistling winds why do you weep/When roaming free you are,
Oh! Is it that your poor heart’s broke/And scattered off afar?
Or is it that you bear the cries/Of people born unfree,
Who like your way have no control/Or sovereign destiny?

Oh! Lonely winds that walk the night/To haunt the sinner’s soul/
Pray pity me a wretched lad/Who never will grow old.
Pray pity those who lie in pain/The bondsman and the slave
And whisper sweet the breath of God/Upon my humble grave.

These verses are also used on a board in St James’s.

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Copyright © 2002 Peter Moloney
M01683 M01684

David And Goliath

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“End the siege of Short Strand. Denied access to essential services including: doctors, chemist, dentist, health centre, post office, supermarket, Department of Social Services …… sectarianism is a cancer! The people of this area are not sectarian. We want to live in peace with our neighbours. People have nothing to fear from this community. People of all religions and none live, work and travel thru daily and will continue to do so!”

On the other side of the main panel is a list of events from May 2002, describing attacks on nationalist residents and homes in the small nationalist enclave, with “ball bearings, golf balls, bricks and bottles” and “blast bombs, pipe bombs, petrol bombs”. The Andersonstown News gives an account of the initial disturbances and beating of Patrick ‘Pod’ Devenny. The Guardian called the area “Riot City“.

Mountpottinger Road, east Belfast

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Copyright © 2002 Peter Moloney
M01680 M01681 M01679 M01690

McLarnon – McCabe – Doherty

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“Dedicated to the memory of INLA volunteer Matt McLarnon, Nora McCabe and Peter Doherty who were murdered in this area by British state forces during the 1981 H-Block hunger strike. A Mhuıre banríon na nGael guí ar a son”. The area in question is Clonard/Falls. Doherty and McCabe were hit by plastic bullets; McLarnon was shot by a sniper on Divis tower. Erected by a Sınn Féın group (Lower Falls/Clonard Committee) rather than INLA.

old Linden Street, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2002 Peter Moloney
M01678

Na Cımí Poblachtánacha

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2002 image of the republican prisoners board in Beechmount Avenue, Belfast. In addition to the 1981 hunger strikers and Stagg and Gaughan, the mural mentions Paddy Joe Crawford, Francis Dodds, Patrick Teer, Teddy Campbell, Hugh Coney, Jim Moyne, Henry Henry, Sean Bateson, Pol Kinsella (all from Long Kesh), Tom Smyth, Brendan Seery, Paddy Kelly (Portlaoise), Noel Jenkinson and Sean O’Conaill (who died in English prisons).

“I ndıl chuımhne na gcımí poblachtánacha a fuaır bás ı ngéıbheann ı rıth na coımhlınte reatha seo.” [In memory of the republican prisoners who died in captivity in the course of this ongoing (lit. running) contest.]

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Copyright © 2002 Peter Moloney
M01670