CNR

I’ll Wear No Convicts Uniform

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M00184+

M00185+

Republican prisoners, one with a raised fist: “I’ll wear no convicts uniform, nor meekly serve my time, that Britain might make Ireland’s fight 800 years of crime.” It appears from the fist in the top of the gable that a larger version was initially attempted but then scaled back. The figures are based on a 1981 poster urging the restoration of political status for republican prisoners.

According to Bill Rolston, this is the first mural painted in Belfast, in the spring of 1981. For a history of (republican) proto-murals and murals, see Visual History 02.

Whiterock Road, west Belfast

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Copyright © 1981 LC
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Resistance

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M00164+

M00162 Rossville St 1981+

More panels from Rossville Street, Derry, this time showing volunteers firing over a phoenix, a lark in barbed wire, a volunteer kneeling by a fire and a tricolour on a flagpole, and an Armalite rifle with the words “A weapon of the provisionals”.

For the rest of this wall (out of shot on the right), see Murdered By Paratroopers and Éıre Nua.

Rossville Street, Derry

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Copyright © 1981 Peter Moloney
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In Honour

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M00158+

M00160+

M00159+

In the first two of these three images from (somewhere on) the Andersonstown Road, nine hunger-strikers are named — Bobby Sands M.P., Joe McDonnell, Francis Hughes, Kevin Lynch, Kieran Doherty T.D., Ray McCreesh, Martin Hurson, Patsy O’Hara, and Tom McElwee — while in the third, Michael Devine’s name has been added and the bottom of the wall painted black. “Smash H-Block” is on the right; “Victory to the prisoners” is on the building on the other side of the road.

Andersonstown, west Belfast

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Copyright © 1981 LC
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Sasanach Amach

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M00156+

“English Out”: Britain in the form of a riot policeman batoning a bloodied Ireland was (and remains) the symbol of the Troops Out Movement, an British pro-(Irish-)Nationalist organisation founded in 1973. The image of Britain in riot gear beating Ireland with a truncheon first appeared in the Irish Citizen newspaper and was designed by Jack Clafferty (Red Mole).

“Sasanach” is one English person, whereas the sentiment is presumably that they [Sasanaigh] should all leave. But that doesn’t rhyme so well.

Andersonstown Road (where exactly?), Belfast

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Copyright © 1981 LC
M00156 [M00157]
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