Belfast west

Ballymurphy Massacre

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A call for “truth” and “justice” concerning the Ballymurphy Massacre. “11 people in west Belfast from the Greater Ballymurphy neighbourhood were murdered by the British Army as internment without trial was violently carried out on August 9th, 1971. Proper police investigations were never undertaken and no one has served a day in prison for causing these deaths. The familys [sic] of those murdered deserve and demand the truth be told by the state about its policies and actions of those who carried them out.” The 11 are (clockwise) Eddie Docherty, Joseph Corr, John McKerr, John Laverty, Joan Connolly, Fr Hugh Mullan, Danny Teggart, Joseph Murphy, Paddy McCarthy, Frank Quinn, Noel Philips.

Beechmount Avenue/Ascaıll Ard Na bhFeá, Belfast

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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06790 [M06789]

Honour Ireland’s Dead

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“Wear an Easter lily – ı gcuımhne ar an staılc ocraıs.” The title phrase and the lily are typically used in calls to remember the rebels of 1916 (see e.g. the mural this one replaces) but here it is (also) employed to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1981 hunger strike. The lark is a symbol of political prisoners, the green ribbon was used in the campaign to free them as part of the Agreement; the watchtowers of Long Kesh/Maze are shown.

Beechmount Ave/Ascaıll Ard Na bhFeá

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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06608 [M06607] [M06606] [M06605] [M06713]

Language Rights Are Human Rights

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“Is Gaeıl sınne” [we are Irish-speakers]. Pobal mural on Northumberland Street promoting the work in abhcóıdeachy/advocacy, cearta/rights, forbaırt phobaıl/community development, straıtéıs/strategy, taıghde/research, faıreachán/monitoring, ealaíon/arts, carried out in Teach Uí Chorráın in Ionad an Dá Spuaic [Twin Spires], and the “Tá” campaign for “acht na Gaeılge” an Irish-language act.

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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06602 [M06598] [M06599] [M06600] [M06601]

IRA Final Salute

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“30th anniversary of the hunger strike. 5th May 1981. IRA final salute. IRA Vol. Bobby Sands, MP Fermanagh South Tyrone.” Gerry Adams watches on as a funeral volley is fired over Sands’s coffin. Whiterock Road, Belfast by Lucas Quigley. Also new is the plaque naming the wall as “Dorothy Maguire Corner”, after the 19-y-o shot in 1971, a member of Cumann Na mBan.

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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06560 [M06559]

Changing Faces

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“The Changing Faces artwork is a project that has been undertaken by a group of young people from Impact Training. They looked to their surrounding area where they explored and documented how it appears in 2010. What is the Shankill? What does it look like and what does it mean to youth culture now? Murals have been something that has been prevalent in the community for many years. Times change, opinions soften and people can begin to build a changing face.” On the left is a selection of details from murals with familiar subjects: King Billy, hooded gunmen, the red hand of Ulster, Carson, the Queen Mother; on the right are four panels on the theme of the red hand of Ulster in youth culture (clockwise from left): with wild-style writing from the Cupar Way “peace” line and soccer, with pop music, with It’s All Good by Dublin artist Maser, and with a (two-handed) warrior. “Don’t push away our culture … learn it and embrace it.”

For more on the attempt to put community art on the Cupar Way “peace” line, see Visual History 10.

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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06493 M06494 M06495 [M06496] [M06497] [M06498] [M06499] [M06500] [M06501] [M06502] [M06503] [M06504]

Peace By Piece

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In 2010, south London writers Stylo, Mear, and SoloOne – members of the Vopstars krew – were among the artists invited to Belfast for the 2010 Meeting Of Styles, to paint – for the first time – pieces that were the full height of the concrete portion of the wall. Shown above is a somewhat vandalised image of the “Peace By Piece” work by Stylo and Mear – Stylo’s sig has been painted over by local artist NOTA of the TMN krew. Along the top it reads, “The real high score – 2010 – .. visions of peace .. – .. for the pieceful helpers: Ricky, Pickle, ?Curty?, Jonny, Brandon, Dylan, G???, Demi, Lee, Shayanne, Rosy, Katy”.

The wild-style writing on Cupar Way is next to several piece of state-sponsored ‘community’ art. In addition, both types of art must contend with the tours that encourage tourists to leave a (patronising) message on the wall in black marker, thus reducing everything on the wall to disposable and temporary art. For more on the art on Cupar Way, see the Visual History page about the fate of State-Sponsored Art On Cupar Way.

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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06492