Belfast

Big Willie

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is the new plaque to “William Morgan (Big Willie). Will always be remembered and sadly missed by all his mates in Tiger’s Bay. Murdered by cowards 11th July 2002. You will never be forgotten ‘big man’.”

Morgan was struck by a hit-and-run car on July 6th, 2002 and died in hospital five days later. The car is reported to have deliberately mounted the kerb where he was walking on North Queen Street and the attack was thought to have been sectarian, as the alleged driver and passenger were republicans and the car was found burned out in the New Lodge (NewsLetter | IndyMedia).

For the old plaque, see William Morgan.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M11770

Let Them Home

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This graffiti on the hoardings around the building-site at the top of Woodvale Road, at the junction with Twaddell Avenue, where each night Orange bands march up to the police line, attempting to march past the Ardoyne shops and finish a parade from the Twelfth (of July) 2013.

A camp was established on the site on Twaddell Avenue with signs using the language of “civil rights” and “equality”: “Established to campaign for Equality. Civil Rights. Welcome to all who support the campaign. The two main objectives are to see the Ligoniel lodges, bands and supporters complete their 12th july parade; to have the current parades commission removed. Please note the camp and the surrounding area is an alcohol free zone. All music must finish by 9 p.m. and the wishes of the local residents fully respected. Thank you for your support. United we stand – divided we fall.”

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M11720 M11928

Ar An Bhóthaır Fada Chun Na Saoırse

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Two IRA memorial plaques have been mounted on a wall in Herbert Street, Ardoyne, close to the Sammy McLarnon plaque:

“Óglach James McDade 24 July 1946 – 14 Nov 1974 died on active service, England; Óglach Gerard McDade 22 Nov 1950 – 21 Dec 1971 murdered by British Crown Forces. A Mháthaır na hÉıreann, fáısc [strain, draw tight] do bhéırt mhac, Séamus agus Geraóıd, le do chroí. Throıd sıad agus fuaır sıad bás. Mother Ireland, hold your sons, James and Gerard, close to your heart. They fought and they died.”

The McDade family lived in Ardoyne. James died while planting a bomb in Birmingham, England; Gerard was shot by a British Army soldier – there is a plaque to his memory in Beechmount. (Sutton)

“Óglach Frankie Donnelly 26 Aug 1954 – 5 Jan 1979 died on active service; Óglach Laurence Montgomery 12 June 1954 – 5 Jan 1979 died on active service. Níl sa saol seo ach tréımhse gaırıd ar an bhóthaır fada chun na saoırse [in this life there is only a short period on the long road to freedom] – life is but a short part on the long journey to freedom”

Donnelly and Montgomery were killed in Northwick Drive, Ardoyne, by the premature detonation of a car-bomb. (Sutton)

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12450 M12451

Resistance

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The three images employed here are: a scene from Grafton Street in the Battle Of Dublin in the civil war (1922) (irishhistory.blogspot.com), PIRA volunteers on patrol in 1987 (top right), and (bottom left) a home-made rocket-launcher used in a 2014 attack on police (see, e.g. irishmirror.ie).

“There can never be peace in Ireland until the foreign, oppressive British presence is removed leaving all of the Irish people as a unit to control their own affairs and determine their destinies as a sovereign people, free in mind and body, separate and distinct physically, culturally and economically.” Bobby Sands (Prison Diary May 1st)

Ardoyne Avenue, north Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12447 [M12448] [M12449]

A Word Of Conjure With

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“‘The Irish republic must be made a word of conjure with – a rallying point for the disaffected, a haven for the oppressed.’ – James Connolly 5th June 1868 – 12th May 1916.”

James Connolly was concerned not just with the political independence of Ireland but its economic independence: both political and economic liberty were required in order for the human being to live freely. The quote in the image above comes from Connolly’s 1897 essay “Socialism & Nationalism”. The economic context is clear when we read a little more broadly:

“To the tenant farmer, ground between landlordism on the one hand and American competition on the other, as between the upper and the nether millstone; to the wage-workers in the towns, suffering from the exactions of the slave-driving capitalist to the agricultural labourer, toiling away his life for a wage barely sufficient to keep body and soul together; in fact to every one of the toiling millions upon whose misery the outwardly-splendid fabric of our modern civilisation is reared, the Irish Republic might be made a word to conjure with – a rallying point for the disaffected, a haven for the oppressed, a point of departure for the Socialist, enthusiastic in the cause of human freedom.” (marxists.org)

Takes the place of Padraig Pearse’s “The fools, the fools …” (after some IRPWA stencils) in Brompton Park, Ardoyne, north Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12444 [M12445] [M12446]

Oftenest From Their Ashes

Extramural Activity1 Comment

The forty portraits of local volunteers and activists have been moved over from the mural on Ardoyne Avenue after the plaster fell off (see Ardoyne, Bone, Ligoniel). For the (pre-existing) plaque and cross, see 2002 and 2015.

The portraits are of … above: James Saunders, Gerard McDade, David McAuley, James Reid, Joseph McComiskey, Pat McCabe, Sid McKee, John Copeland, Terry Toolan, Stephen Scullion, Terry Clarke, Declan McCluskey, Patrick Markey, Peter Hamilton, Seamus McCusker, Jim Mulvenna, Lawrence Montgomery, Larry Marley, Alan Lundy

below: Paddy McAdorey, Charles McCann, Joseph Campbell, Seamus Cassidy, Bernard Fox, Brian Smith, James McDade, James O’Hanlon, John Mooney, Barney McKenna, Raymond Wilkinson, Mary McGuigan, Martin Meehan, Maggie McClenaghan, Trevor McKibbin, Frankie Donnelly, Billy Carson, Sean Bateson, Thomas Begley

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12432 [M12433]
M12434 M12435 M12436 M12437 M12438 M12439 M12440 M12441 M12442 M12443

Unbowed, Unbroken

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Above is a recent (2014-09) mural by Damian Walker in the New Lodge, in support of republican prisoners in Maghaberry, showing a single bloodied republican prisoner surrounded by three baton-wielding officers. Sponsored the 32-County Sovereignty Movement (web).

Replaces: Damn Your Concessions, England

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12405 [M12406] [M12407] [M12408] [M12409] [M12410]
M12415 [M12416]

Comrades In Resistance

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

A Che Guevara quote – “I don’t care if I fall as long as someone else picks up my gun and keeps on shooting” – unifies two panels bearing masked men firing funeral volleys, Irish and Palestinian shields, and “Our day will come” and “freedom” in both Irish and Arabic.

Carlisle Road/Queen’s Parade, below Teach Chú Chulaınn in the New Lodge flats

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12423 [M12424] [M12425] [M12426] [M12427] [M12428] [M12429]