Ar An Bhóthaır Fada Chun Na Saoırse

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)

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Oftenest From Their Ashes

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

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Set The Truth Free

“Set The Truth Free” was the name of a campaign for justice and transparency concerning Bloody Sunday (see An Phoblacht | Pierce Youtube | Bell (2010)) but the numbers cited on this banner – “3,600 dead, 40,000 injured” – refer to the Troubles as a whole.

?Waterloo Place?, Derry

See previously: Set The Truth Free.

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Cogús

“Cogús” (Fb) or “conscience” is the prisoners’ welfare arm of the Republican Network For Unity (RNU).

The RNU web address along the bottom of both pieces no longer appears to function (Wayback); the organisation does have a Facebook page.

Rossville Street, Derry

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Guilford, Birmingham, Craigavon

“The Guilford 4, the Birmingham 6, now the Craigavon 2”. “There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”

The Birmingham 6 were sentenced to life sentences in August, 1975, but their convictions were deemed unsafe in 1991. The Guilford 4 were sentenced in October, 1975, but their convictions were deemed unsafe in 1989. The Craigavon 2 – John-Paul Wootton and Brendan McConville – were sentenced in 2012 to terms of 18 and 25 years, respectively, for the murder of PSNI Constable Steven Carroll; their appeals so far have been thrown out (Hearty 2015 pdf).

Free Derry Corner, Derry (Visual History). The simple graffiti is in Bishop Street; the other pieces are in the Brandywell.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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