Belfast west – Page 30 – Peter Moloney Collection

Charge From Thiepval Wood

2011-02-032025-03-09Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The mural replaces one to the UVF’s Platoon 5 , A Co., and the memorial stone is dedicated to it (and not to the WWI soldiers from the 36th (Ulster) Division who died in the charge from Thiepval Wood, July 1st, 1916): “This stone is dedicated to the memory of the fallen volunteers of No. 5 platoon A company 1st Belfast battalion Ulster Volunteer Force. ‘As poppy petals gently fall/Remember us who gave our all/Not in the mud of foreign lands/Nor buried in the desert sands//In Ulster field and farm and town/Fermanagh’s lanes and Drumlin’d Down/We died that violent death should cease/And Ulstermen might live in peace’ Lest we forget.” For the side walls, see Thiepval St.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06483 [M06484] M06485 [M06486] [M06487] [M06488] [M06489]
[M10871]

Nothing About Us Without Us Is For Us

2011-02-032025-03-09Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“The title of this artwork reflects a slogan used internationally, where social and political change has been paramount. It is understood that such change emerges only through true and thorough consultation with the community and that is the wish of residents of Lower Shankill – the affect [sic] social change move forward through collaboration with decision makers and government at every level. This digital installation has been created by artist Lesley Cherry who has worked intensively with the Lower Shankill Community Association and members of the community to produce hundreds of positive images which reflect the need for change and consultation within that process, the ensure a better future for all. As part of the Re-Imaging Communities Programme, led by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, this artwork replaces previous murals of The Malvern Street Arch, [and before that] The Queen Mother [probably intended is the QEII golden jubilee mural] and [before that] The Scottish Brigade [this mural was three walls to the right; prior to the QEII mural was a UFF mural].” Hopewell Crescent.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06479 M06477 [M06478]

Stevie ‘Top Gun’ McKeag

2011-02-032025-03-09Extramural Activity1 Comment

The new mural to UDA assassin Stevie ‘Top Gun’ McKeag is at last completed. It was seen in progress in January (from D collection), July and August of 2010 and it replaces a version that itself might never have been completed, from 2009. The mural has been repainted many times, in quick succession, perhaps an indication of dissatisfaction with it or with the plaster. See also 2008 and 2007.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06475 [M06474] [M06476]

Only A Fool Would Fight

2011-02-032025-03-09Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

On May 5th, 1914, Edward Carson declared in a speech that “Only a fool would fight if there is a hope of accommodation” referring to the tensions between Unionists and the British parliament’s Home Rule bill (and not to any of the divided territories mentioned along the top – Israel Palestine, Shankill Falls, Nicosia, Baghdad, Berlin – or the dichotomies along the bottom: Security separation, perception reality, fear trust, belief.

The work is by John Johnston and Dee Craig and is one of the three 2009 pieces added by the Greater Shankill Partnership and Reimaging Communities programme on the Cupar Way “peace” line.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06505

Big Bill Campbell

2011-02-032024-12-20Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“A true soldier – Big Bill Campbell”, leader of the UVF’s 1st Scottish battalion. Campbell (and Von, to whom a plaque would later be added below Campbell’s) were imprisoned for bombing Glasgow pubs in 1979 and Campbell is suspected of involvement of the McGurk’s Bar bombing in 1971.

The Campbell plaque was originally on the Northland St mural of the Shankill West Belfast 1st Batt A Coy 5th Plat before it was reimaged as a Thiepval memorial mural. The plaque is added to the ‘People’s Army’ mural on the Shankill at the Rex Bar.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06470

Arising From The Troubles

2011-02-032025-03-09Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Tommy Sands records under his own name, as “the Sands Family” (with his siblings | web | Fb) and, as shown here, “with Moya & Fionán” (his children). This Northumberland Street mural was up towards the security gates just below Sean Garland.

See also: Colum Sands Whatever You Say, Say Nothing

Northumberland Street, Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06469

The Woman’s Role Is In The Struggle

2011-02-032025-03-10Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Forced to endure years of brutality, humiliation, degradation and torture, the prisoners embarked on hunger-strike.” The 1980 hunger strike involved Brendan Hughes, Raymond McCartney, Tommy McKearney, Tommy McFeely, Leo Green, Sean McKenna, and John Nixon. On December first, three women in Armagh prison also went on strike (newspaper/posters from left to right): Mairéad Farrell on the dirty protest in her cell (for the original image, see Prison Walls), Mairéad Nugent, Mary Doyle.

The Relatives’ Action Committee was a women-led movement founded in 1976 in Turf Lodge (but with local groups in many places) in order to support the prisoners’ campaign for political status and the Five Demands. For background, see the NVTv documentary on Tar Anall | chapter 5 of Shattering Silence | the documents collected at hungerstrikes.org.
See also the previous posts The Conveyor Belt | Do You Care?
If you can identify the three speakers (perhaps Geraldine McKee. Rosemary Lawlor, Mary Ferris?), please comment or send an e-mail.

On the right, Farrell reads An Phoblacht/Republican News reporting on the assassination of politician and hunger-strike activist John Turnley by the UDA (WP). The headline on the cover reads “Don’t let Thatcher fill these [coffins]” and a graffitist has added “because Adams will” – a reference to the allegations of Richard O’Rawe (BelTel | The Blanket).

Initially without the quotation along the top. The mural was launched on the anniversary date: October 27th, 2010.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06467 [M07523]

We Demand The Truth

2011-02-032025-08-31Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Ballymurphy Massacre – August 1971 – We demand the truth.” The portraits of the 11 dead (Quinn, Mullan, Connolly, Teggart, Philips, Murphy, McCarthy, Doherty, Laverty, Corr, McKerr) are on the left; the bulk of the board shows the killing (from the direction of Springmartin) of Father Hugh Mullan in waste ground near Springfield Park.

Springfield Road, west Belfast. For the Ballymurphy Massacre panels, see this 2010 entry.

Cultúrlann Redevelopment

2011-02-032025-03-10Extramural Activity1 Comment

(Rísteard Ó Cíonga/Richard J King design)

Cultúrlann McAdam – Ó Fıaıch was renovated in 2010-2011 at a cost of 1.9 million pounds, with the addition of the Dillon Gallery. It would be reopened on September 19th by President Mary McAleese (WP). The images here show the construction hoardings from left (Nansen St) to front (Falls Road) to right (Fallswater St).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06461 M06462 M06459 M06460 [six instruments] M06458 [Hedge Row School] [Macadam] [Gearoıd Ó Caırealláın] M06457 M06456 [Caıfe Feırste] [Fáılte] [stack of books] M06455 [M06454] [M06453] M06452 [M06451] [M06450] M06449 M06448

[…] On the side wall, two new panels remember members of the IRA’s Derry brigade, replacing the single board seen…

[…] Both “don’t let them die” and “the five demands” are familiar from the 1980 and 1981 Irish republican hunger-strikes.…

[…] demands” are familiar from the 1980 and 1981 Irish republican hunger-strikes. Here is just one example of […]

[…] board with portraits of Marian Price and Martin Corey goes back to 2013 (and perhaps earlier than that). It…

[…] Dead We Lie – the plaque to Boyle and Somerville remains as before (it was originally mounted in 2005) but…