This Ligoniel stencil by Damian Walker of GaelForce has proving controversial: Walker’s previous attempts have been painted over three times, according to an image in this 32 County Sovereignty post, which also alleges that Sınn Féın has been behind the removals. According to the Tele, a housing executive van was burnt out in response to one of the white-washings.
The “Craigavon Two” are John-Paul Wooton and Brendan McConville. For background, see JFTC2.
The Bobby Sands mural in Sevastopol Street has been given a facelift, including the blocking-up of a vent on Sands’s left cheek. Kieran Doherty and Joe McDonnell have been added in place of the 1798 medallions on each side. On the side-wall are Sean McCaughey, ten doves representing the 1981 hunger-strikers, and Long Kesh. Aerosol‘s accordion-player stencil has been also been retained, on the right.
The ‘Slí Na Gaeltachta’ plaque off to the left reads:
Ag sráıd Sevastopol cuımhnıtear ar Bobby Sands ı múrmhaısıú a aithnıtear ar fud an domhaın. Ba scrıbhneoır, file, réabhlóıdí agus díograıseoır Gaeılge é Sands. Fuaır sé bas 5 Bealtaıne 1981 tar éıs 66 lá ar stailc ocraıs. As ucht na dıograıse a thaıspeáın Sands agus a chomhchımí ı leıth fhoglaım na teanga faoı choınníollacha uafásacha Bhlocanna H na Ceıse Fada, spreagadh glúın úr chun dul ı mbun athghabháıl na Gaeılge.
Here at Sevastopol Street Bobby Sands is remembered in a mural which has become world-renowned. Sands, a writer, poet, revolutionary and Gaelic enthusiast, died on May 5th 1981 after 66 days on hunger strike. Sands and his fellow prisoners inspired a new generation to reclaim the Irish language enthusing them by the huge efforts they put into learning Irish in the horrendous conditions on the H Blocks of Long Kesh.
“On March 10th 1971 at this place three young Scottish Soldiers of the Royal Highland Fusiliers were murdered by republican terrorists. Fusilier John McCaig aged 17, Fusilier Joseph McCaig aged 18, Fusilier Dougald McCaughey aged 22. Always in our hearts. Never forgotten.” The trio were were lured by the IRA from a city-centre pub to their deaths in Ligoniel in 1971 (WP). The stone is frequently vandalised (BelTel | BBC | STV | BBC).
“He had the courage to climb out of the traditional trenches, meet the enemy in no man’s land and play ball with him.” David Ervine was a UVF member, arrested in 1974 and served six years in the Maze before turning to politics: he first ran for office in 1985 and represented East Belfast in the NI Assembly from 1998 until his death in 2007. The board shows Ervine’s silhouette in a wreath of poppies along with pictures of and information about his life, including a photograph of Ervine with Gusty Spence, who is shown holding a pipe.
Ervine’s own pipe is included among the items on the “Memory Chair” sculpture by Ross Wilson, along with a ticket for the Titanic and a little (prayer?) book with a poppy on the cover. The prayer book would be for Protestantism, the poppy for loyalism and service in WWI, and the ticket for the shipyard. The boots like the pipe are personal effects of Ervine’s.
“David Ervine 21st July 1953 – 8th January 2007 David Ervine was born in nearby Chamberlain Street, the youngest of five children. A lifelong supporter of Glentoran Football Club he was a true son of East Belfast. David attended Avoniel Primary School and Orangefield Boys High School. Leaving school before his fifteenth birthday he began his working life in an atmosphere of tension and violent confrontation. At nineteen he joined the UF. He was arrested in 1974 and served five years in Long Kesh, a wasteland that he and other prisoners transformed into a place of personal and political growth and development. A founding member of the Progressive Unionist Party and its most articulate spokesperson, he was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum, Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Assembly. David Ervine was a truly inspirational leader. With vision and courage he led his community from violence to peace, winning the respect of friend and foe alike. He gave voice to the common man and woman acting always in the interest of peace and his beloved Ulster.”
In the “Belfast Blitz” of April and May 1941, during WWII, 900 people died and half the homes in Belfast were destroyed or damaged (WP). In the apex of this mural, a Nazi bomber sets buildings alight; in the main panel, people, including a milkman, walk among the bombed-out buildings, while others (bottom right) test out a piano that has been moved.
On the side-wall to the right is a painted frame surrounding a manufactured plaque with the names of locals who died in the blitz.
By JMK (Jonny McKerr – Fb) in Hogarth Street, Tiger’s Bay, north Belfast. Both the lamp-post and the electrical box have been painted into the mural.
McKerr also did a piece in the area of images from WWI – see The Home Front.
The central image of soldiers at the battle of the Somme is surrounded by images of various occupations: shipyard workers and miners (perhaps), along with images of women welding, carrying coke, and nursing. It’s not clear what the “fair wartime wage” refers to: there was a general strike at the shipyards in 1919 (The Great Unrest | Workers’ Liberty).
“John Bunting MI5 tout”. This Tiger’s Bay placard is an indicator of the continued tensions within the North Belfast UDA that first came to public attention in December 2013. John Bunting was arrested in September (2014) and charged with the attempted murder of John Borland and Andre Shoukri, from the opposing faction.
“Viva Palestine”. This pro-Palestine mural features sky-jacker Leila Khaled (also seen in in Hugo Street) and the emblem of the Popular Front For The Liberation Of Palestine (WP). The Arabic on the right is an equivalent of “Tıocfaıdh ár lá” on the left.
“End internment by remand – End forced strip searches – End controlled movement”.
Fists are raised in defiance of the police state (both PSNI/NIPS and Gardaí/IPS). Cogús (meaning “conscience”) is the division of the Republican Network for Unity (Fb) concerned with political prisoners.
Peter Moloney Collection 