O’Neill-Allsopp Memorial Flute Band

Jim O’Neill was killed in February 1976 during an IRA arson attack on a furniture warehouse on the Antrim Road near the New Lodge – Gerry Fitt’s house next door might have been the ultimate target (Belfast Child); Robert Allsopp appears to have accidentally shot himself in March 1975 (Irish Peace Process). Both were members of Na Fıanna. The flute band (Fb) is named in their memory.

Below the portraits of Jim O’Neill and Robert Allsopp is written “Glaıne ınár cgroí, neart ınár ngéaga, beart de reír [réır] ar [ár] mbrıathar.” [Purity in our hearts, strength in our limbs, action consistent with our words]

Donore Court, Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
M08532 [M08533] [M08534] [M08535] [M08536] [M08537] [M08538] [M08539] M08540 [M08541] [M08542] [M08543]

Our Families, Friends And Neighbours

Above: “In proud and loving memory of the brave volunteers of Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann who unselfishly gave their lives for the cause of Irish freedom! Thug sıad gach rud, ní dhéanfar dearmad orthu go deo. [They gave everything; they will never be forgotten]” Billy Carson, Brian Smyth, Stevie Scullion, Sean Bateson, Nan Saunders, James Saunders, Denis Brown, Jim Mulvenna, Jackie Mailey, Seamus Cassidy Patrick Markey.

Below: “Dedicated to all the people from the Bone, Ballybone and Greater Cliftonville area who lost their lives to the armed forces of Britain and loyalism. They tried but failed to break their spirits and deny them their rights as equals. Ar dheıs Dé go raıbh a n-anam.” Cornelius Neeson, Brian Canavan, Michael Adamson, James Brown, Joseph Lynch, James Howell, Edward Brady, Liam Conway, John Maguire, Francis Burns, Sean Rafferty, Daniel Mackin, John Patch, Billy Smyth, Joseph Morrissey, Rosaleen Gavin, Seamus Duffy, Pauline Doherty, David McClenaghan, Ann-Marie Magee, Stephen Murphy, Leo McGuigan, Michael Scott, Sean Campbell, John Lovett, Thomas Madden, Thomas McLaughlin, Mary Smyth, Tony Molloy, Dermot McGuinness, Sadie McComb, Theresa Murray, Sean Madden, Charles Watson, Peter Orderly, Trevor Close, Thomas Burns, Martin Duffy

Clós Ard An Lao, Béal Feırste

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
M08265 [M08266] [M08267] [M08268] [M08268a] [M08269] [M08269a] [M08270] [M08270a]
[M10895]

Staır Na Gaeılge

Staır na Gaeılge in Ard Eoın ‘s Machaıre Bhotháın. [The history of Irish in Ardoyne and Marrowbone]

The three figures at the top are from left to right – Seán Mac Dıarmada (who was from Leitrim but was a boarder for a time in Butler Street), Pól De Léıgh, Seán McCaughey; the mini-bus driver is Brendan Bradley. The green-and-yellow uniforms are from Coláıste Feırste. Signed “M Doc 2011” (Michael Dochartaıgh). 

The plough was an ancillary to The Great Hunger.

With support from Glór [An Tuascırt] and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Ardoyne Avenue, north Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
M08263 [M08263a] [M09395]

Ideals

A tarp is added to the Ardoyne memorial garden putting the 12 deceased hunger strikers from the modern Troubles alongside those who were executed for their part in the Easter Rising. “The ideals behind the Proclamation, the Easter Rising and the hunger strikes are the ideals which drive Sınn Féın today, social equality, economic and political freedom and the believe [sic] that all the people of the island should benefit from the labour of the island. It is for this reason that this signatories, the hunger strikers and the thousands of others gave their lives.”

For the cross, see 2002.

Berwick Road, north Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
M08258 M08259 M08257

The Self Same Sky

A heart full of swallows below the slogan “Over us all is the self same sky”.

“A hand across the divide production 2011” “Robyn • Jonny • Caoimhín • Chelsea • Lauren • Maddison • Éireann • Johnny • Rachael • Kirsty • Tammy-Leigh • Sparkey • Fionntan • Shannan • Dorothy”

Crumlin Road, north Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
M08256

Justice For Tommy McAuley

Proprietor of the Mill Diner on the Crumlin Road Tommy McAuley was shot by the UVF in 1987 in retaliation for the Enniskillen bombing. His case was examined by the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) who reported (in 2011) that the police did not question suspects identified by witnesses and the family lobbied the ombudsman to reopen the case (U.tv). The flowers and poster are on the front of the closed diner.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
M08255

Forget The Past

“HET” is the “Historical Enquiries Team”, and has been investigating unsolved killings from the Troubles since 2005 (WP). The graffiti in these images from Mount Vernon (Shore Road), are perhaps specifically in connection with the investigation into the UVF unit in the area (BelTel) and the murder of Jim Harbinson (BelTel). “HET go home”.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
M07781 M07780

The Boy Soldiers

Here are images from the four panels that comprise the WWI memorial in Mount Vernon, showing men attacking (Thiepval?) wood, the battlefields around Messines, a soldier approaching a church with a spire, and back-to-back memorials to John Condon, the Waterford [city] “boy soldier”, who died aged 14 in a gas attack – “his memory is kept alive as a symbol of the futility of war” – and William McFadzean, who won a VC for throwing himself on a dislodged box of hand grenades.

At this time (2012) the boards on the outside wall had been taken down. They would later be restored – see X06017, which also has the reverse of one the panels.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
M07770 [M07771] [M07772] [M07773] M07774 M07775 [M07776] M07777 M07778 [M07779]

Murdered In The Service Of Ulster

The mural in the Mount Vernon/Tigers Bay memorial garden remains the same as before (seen previously in 2006) but there is a brick surrounding wall with a plaque on the gatepost to five members – Shaw, Frame, Irvine, Caldwell, Rice, Quail – of the 3rd Belfast Battalion, Ulster Volunteer Force. “We salute also, all volunteers at home and on the mainland who served with dignity and pride.”

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
M07766 [M07767] [M07768] M07769

New Lodge Hunger Strikers

Here is a complete set of all 12 murals to the Troubles-era hunger strikers, two each on six of the New Lodge “houses” (tower blocks) from June and July of 2011. Some were shown in this 2002 post.

A map of the murals and houses is available at Extramural Activity.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
Hughes: M06932A [M06932b] [M06932c] [M06932d]
Sands: M06933a [M06933b]
Devine: M06934a [M06934b] [M06934c]
Lynch: [M06935] M06935a [M06935b]
McElwee: M06936a [M06936b]
O’Hara: M06937 [M06937b] [M06937d] [M06937p]
McCreesh: M06938 [M06938b]
Gaughan: [M06939] M06939a [M06939b]
Stagg: M06940a [M06940b]
Hurson: M06941a [M06941b]
Doherty: M06942 [M06942b]
McDonnell: [M06943] [M06943b] M06944 [M06944b]