Lurgan

The Lurgan Ambush

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

On the evening of November 21, 1982, the car in which IRA volunteers Eugene Toman, Sean Burns, and Gervaise [here spelled “Gervase” and elsewhere “Gervais”] McKerr were travelling was hit by 109 bullets and all three were killed. They were perhaps the first victims of the “shoot to kill” policy. (An Phoblacht)

“Lurgan town was rocked with sorrow/On that bleak November day/Hushed tones and tears were mingled/When great numbers stopped to pray” – these are the opening lines of Ida Green’s poem ‘The Lurgan Ambush’, a poem by Ita Green [set to music at Irish Folk Songs | sung by Bo Loughran on youtube].

Levin Road, Kilwilkie, Lurgan

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12787 M12788 M12789 M12790 M12791

Republican Kilwilkie

Extramural Activity1 Comment

Here is a gallery of images from Levin Road in Kilwilkie, Lurgan, including “One Ireland, one vote – 1916 Societies [web]”, “People Should Not Inform”, “RUC – PSNI not welcome”, “Join RSF [web] – Éıre Nua”, “IRA”, “IRPWA” [web], “End internment now”, “End the isolation of republican POWs”, “RUC – PSNI different name, same aim”, and “Ka-boom” from an RPG slamming into the side of the post office.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12780 M12781 M12782 M12783 M12784 M12785 M12796
M12786
M12792 [M12793] M12794
M12796 M12795

End Internment Now

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Cumann Thomáıs Uí Chléırıgh, An Lorgaın. End internment now. North Armagh supports republican POWs”.

Clarke grew up in nearby Dungannon and there is a cumann of the 1916 Societies in Dungannon (Fb) and, according to this board, in Lurgan. (A statue to Clarke was later mounted in Dungannon – see Gaırdín Thomaıs Uí Chléırıgh.)

Lake Street, Lurgan. The board was perhaps previously in Levin Rd – see The Lurgan Ambush.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12778 M12777 [M12779]

Political Hostage

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Release Martin Corey, political prisoner. End internment now” with an unusual use of a dove rather than a lark. For background, see Release Martin Corey. With various other anti-Agreement graffiti and stencils in the area, including a “Join RSF [Republican Sınn Féın] – Éıre Nua” stencil, “SF” in a cross-hairs, and a “CIRA” “RIRA” cross-word.

Levin Road, Deeny Drive, Drumnahoe Avenue, Lurgan

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
M10353 [M10354] [M10355]
M10356 M10357 M10358 M010359 M10360

The Lurgan Ambush

Extramural Activity1 Comment

On the evening of November 21, 1982, the car in which IRA volunteers Eugene Toman, Sean Burns, and Gervaise [also spelled “Gervase” and “Gervais”] McKerr were travelling was hit by 109 bullets and all three were killed. They were perhaps the first victims of the “shoot to kill” policy. The first of the five panels in this Kilwilkie mural shows the bullet-holes in the driver’s side of the car, pointing out an inconsistency with the RUC’s statement that the car had run an RUC checkpoint and was fired at only from behind. (An Phoblacht)

“Lurgan town was rocked with sorrow/On that bleak November day/Hushed tones and tears were mingled/When great numbers stopped to pray” – these are the opening lines of Ida Green’s poem ‘The Lurgan Ambush’ (sung by Bo Loughran on youtube)

“Cumann Thomáıs Uí Chléırıgh, An Lorgaın” – Clarke was raised in Dungannon, where is a cumann and GAA club in his name.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
M10335
M10352
M10349 [M10350] [M10351]
M10346 [M10347] [M10348]
M10343 [M10344] [M10345]
M10340 [M10341] [M10342]
M10336 [M10339] [M10337] [M10338]

Free Kilwilkie

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The 1916 Societies board is on top of a long-standing “H” (going back to 2009, if not before).

Perpendicular to the road are small boards calling for the release of Martin Corey and political status, and a large board commemorating the hunger strikers: “H-Block martyrs – remember them always – the struggle for political status – Republican Sınn Féın”

The small framed board to the left of “Free Kilwilkie” gives a line from James Connolly’s Last Statement prior to his execution in 1916: “The British government has no right in Ireland, never had any right in Ireland, never can have any right in Ireland”.

Levin Road, Lurgan

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
M10323 [M10324]
M10327 [M10328] [M10329] [M10330] [M10331] [M10332] [M10333]
M10325 [M10326]
M10334

The Relief Of Ulster

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is the scene at the junction of Pollock Drive and Mourne Road in Mourneview, Lurgan. The images, in order, show the top level of boards (including some on the sides of the building) and then the four along the bottom.

Top: (on side) Inniskilling Dragoon Guards | South Belfast UDA, B battalion, 1 company | Ancre Somme Association | 9th battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers | Craigavon Protestant Boys flute band (Fb) | Carson signing the Covenant in 1912 | (on side, above Mourneview Youth) Upper Bann Fusiliers flute band (Fb) | Upper Bann Fusiliers

Bottom: No Home Rule including the unfurling of “The Largest Union Jack In The Empire” | The Covenant | The Relief Of Ulster including the Ulster Volunteers and the Larne gun-running | The Great War including the VC won by William MacFadzean – “To them, bravery was without limit; to us, memory is without end”.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
M10321
M10322
M10316 [M10317] [M10318] [M10319] [M10320]
M10306
M10311 [M10314] [M10315] [M10313] [M10312]
M10305 M10304c
M10310 M10309 M10308 M10307

lamentations the pioneers brownlow house somme bonar law crawford our only crime is loyalty


Ulster’s Brave Young Men

Extramural Activity1 Comment

Three panels from left to right: “Avenue Road Somme Association – in memory of the fallen 36th Ulster [sic] Division”; “Ulster Volunteer Force – Ulster’s Brave Young Men”; “They whom this scroll commemorates, who at the call of King and Country, left all that was dear to them, endured hardship, faced danger and finally passed out of the sight of men in the path of duty and self sacrifice giving up their own lives that others might live in freedom. Those that came after see to it that their names are not forgotten.”

Avenue Road, Lurgan

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M07138 [M07139] [M07140] [M07141] [M07142] [M07143] [M07144]

Lurgan Workhouse

Extramural Activity1 Comment

“Lurgan Workhouse 1841-1929. The workhouse was opened to serve the poor of Lurgan in 1841. In the mid-1840’s, during the famine, there were 403 inmates. This mural is dedicated to all the men, women and children who lived worked and died here during very harsh times. In 1929 it became Lurgan And Portadown District Hospital. Since 1972  it has been known as Lurgan Hospital.” The mural is across the street from the hospital.

Russell Drive/Tandragee Road, Lurgan

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2009 Peter Moloney
M05413 [M05412]

The Lurgan Ambush

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Fuaır sıad bás ar son saoırse na hÉıreann. Óglach Sean Burns, Óglach Gervase McKerr, Óglach Eugene Toman. “But they dared to hold their heads up high and never once did fail to declare their wish for freedom like true sons of the Gael” – The Lurgan Ambush (A poem by Ita Green)”. The IRA volunteers were three of the six people shot in Lurgan in three incidents in November and December of 1982: Seamus Grew, Roddy Carroll, Michael Tighe. The deaths of the six would be investigated by the Stalker Inquiry into the shoot-to-kill policy.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2009 Peter Moloney
M05411