“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.
(Rísteard Ó Cíonga/Richard J King design)(on the tree in Hedge Row School)(below Irish dancers)
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).
“The Mass Graves Of Ireland – with over 1,500,000 deaths sorry is not enough. It is time for the British government and its war machine to leave Ireland and its people in peace.” “This mural is dedicated to the men, women and children who died of starvation during the Great Hunger [An Gorta Mór]. To call this period in Irish history [1845-1852] a famine dishonors the pain and untold suffering our ancestors endured. British warships took the food of our land for profit while our people starved. It was genocide. With this truth told, may they rest in peace.” “Escorting food shipments thru Royal Canal and Grand Canals to Dublin for export to England 17th, 32nd, 45th, 66th, 13th dragoons (whence the term goons).” “During the genocide of 1845 to 1852 the British government seized from Ireland’s producers tens of million of head of livestock, tens of millions of tons of flour, grain meat, poultry and dairy products enough food to sustain 18 million people. 200,000 British troops (100,000 at any given time) and 12,000 RIC removed Ireland’s food at gunpoint.”
“Whiterock Orange Hall LOL 974”. Whiterock Temperance dates back to at least 1926 but presumably had a different lodge before 1958, which is the date on the Springfield Road building.
“Dr. William Drennan 1754-1820 patriot & radical, born in the Manse on this site [the grounds of First Presbyterian in Rosemary Street]”. For an account of the unveiling, including a profile of Drennan, see Ulster History Circle.
“The Ulster Tower is a memorial to the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division. It was officially opened on 19th November 1921 by Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson. The tower is located close to the Schweben Redoubt, a German stronghold at the edge of Thiepval Wood, France, which the Ulster Division attacked at 7.30 am on the 1st July 1916.” “This mural was dedicated to the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division on 31st July 2010 by the West Belfast Athletic And Cultural Society. ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’ – John 15:13”.
The scaffolding is still up in front of the new Stevie McKeag mural in Hopewell Crescent, Belfast. In-progess shot from July: M05746.
“In proud and loving memory [of] Stevie ‘Top Gun’ McKeag, military commander 2nd batt. C coy, West Belfast Brigade [UDA]. Born 01-04-1970, died 24-09-2000.”
Cuchulainn, defender of Northern Ireland: “Here we stand, here we remain: we simply want to take our God-ordained place as indigenous Ulster people, understanding and living out our identity without shame, retaliation, or indignation against those who have caused harm to our past and tried to castrate our culture, our identity and our place on this island.”
A “freedom flotilla” of six ships attempted to end the blockade of Gaza but were stopped by Israeli forces, with activists dying in the resulting struggle (WP). New Barnsley Parade, Belfast.
Updates are made to the Westrock memorial garden: Sean Doyle’s plaque is moved to the garden from Britton’s Drive, a new plaque to the IRA’s 2 battalion F company is added, and the painted brick background wall is dashed over.
Peter Moloney Collection 