London-/Derry

Frank Aiken

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“Frank Aiken born Camloch 1898-1983. Commandant of the 4th Northern Division (IRA) 1921-1923. Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army 1923-1925.” Aiken was also a TD for Louth from 1923 to 1973, initially for Sınn Féın but subsequently for Fıanna Fáıl, of which he was a founding member (WP).

Newry Road, Camlough

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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
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BRAG

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Mention of BRAG dates back to a 2009 threat made against traffic wardens and TV license inspectors (RN | BBC). The graffiti read “Bogside Republican Action Group”, “Beır bua”, “End sectarian marches now!” (with a petrol bomb “PB”). The last is perhaps a reference to the on-going contention over marches past the Ardoyne shops in Belfast (Guardian).

See previously: BRY-IRA

Bogside shops, Lecky Road/Meenan Square, Derry

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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
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Support The POWs

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This is the ‘Nebula’ version of Free Derry Corner taken over by a republican protest to “Support the POWs”.

“Thatcher 81 – Ford 2011” refers to Margaret Thatcher, UK Prime Minister at the time of the second hunger strike and David Ford, NI Justice Minister at the time of the campaigns to free Marian Price and Brendan Lillis (BBC).

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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
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The Spirit Of Freedom

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There are a couple of interesting elements in this 30th anniversary hunger strikers mural in the Bogside. The frame is formed by chains (as seen previously on the Bobby Sands mural in Belfast) rather than knot-work, the names of Frank Stagg and Michael Gaughan are mixed into the list (rather than appearing together at the beginning or end), both the lark and the dove are included, and – most unusual and possibly unique – is the Irish translation of Bobby Sands’s saying “Our revenge will be the laughter of our children”: Baınfear ár ndíoltas amach leıs an gháıre dár bpáıstí. (And, as a super-extra bonus, the Irish has been – correctly – painted without tittles.)

“Derry remembers 1980-1981 hunger strikes. Re-dedication of mural 20th August 2011 on the 30th anniversary of Óglach Mickey Devine.”

Westland Street, Bogside, Derry

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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
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Transgenerational Trauma

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Relatives for justice (web) youth project holds an annual vigil for victims of plastic bullets and their families. This display places cut-out figures on the railings of the City Cemetery at the distances at which they were hit by a rubber or plastic bullet, between 1972 and 1989. (Previously done in mural form on Divis Street: Ban Plastic Bullets.)

From left to right, the victims are Keith White, Norah McCabe, John Downes, Tobias Molloy, Peter McGuinness, Stephen McConomy, Paul Whitters, Francis Rowntree, Julie Livingstone, Carol Ann Kelly, Seamus Duffy, Brian Stewart, Henry Duffy, Michael Donnelly, Thomas Friel, Peter Doherty.

The board on the far right contains an acrostic for “Plastic Bullets”: “Panic – Lethal – Age – Sorrow – Terror – Innocence – Children. Ban them – Unnecessary – Loss – Life – Extreme use – Transgenerational trauma – Stop using them”.

With support from Pobal, An tAontas Eorpach, and the Community Relations Council.

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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
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