1798/1803/pikes

We Want The Freedom Of Our Country

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repainted knot-work on the right in front, form July 8th, 2016:

detail shots, from August 9th, 2025, December 15th, 2025, and March 26th, 2016:

December 15th, 2025, portraits on small boards being added to either side of the (temporarily removed) proclamation:

July 31st, 2025:

July 14th, 2025:

May 5th, 2025:

Arrayed against the forces of the British Army (which are shown laying siege to the Dublin GPO during the Easter Rising in armoured cars and in sniping positions in the foreground of the mural, along the whole length of the wall) are various symbols of Irish nationalism: 

Oliver Sheppard‘s 1911 statue of Cú Chulaınn dying (see the Visual History page);
the pikemen of the 1798 Rebellion;
the four provinces of Ireland;
Érıu the mythological queen of Ireland/Éıre as designed by Richard J King/Rísteard Ó Cíonga;
Easter lilies;
the emblems of Na Fıanna Éıreann and Cumann Na mBan on either side of a quote from (The Mainspring) Seán Mac Dıarmada, “We bleed that the nation may live; I die that the nation may live. Damn your concessions, England: we want our country”; 
a phoenix rising from the flames of the burning Dublin GPO (inspired by Norman Teeling’s 1998 painting The GPO Burns In Dublin);
the GPO flying an ‘Irish Republic’ flag;
portraits of signatories and other rebels — (left) Padraig H. Pearse, Thomas J Clarke, Eamonn Ceannt, Thomas MacDonagh, (right) Countess Markievicz, James Connolly, Sean MacDiarmada, Thomas Plunkett; 
the declaration of independence, placed over the advertising box of AA Accountants – see the in-progress shot below.

At the very bottom is a quote from the mother of painted Gerard ‘Mo Chara’ Kelly, Harriet Kelly: “We want the freedom of our country and your soldiers out.”

McQuillan Street, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2015/2016 Peter Moloney
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details
Sig M13842
Cú M12906 [M12627] [M12587]
1798 M12907 [M12707]
Ireland M12709 [M12628]
Érıu M12708 [M12586]
Fianna M12905 [M12706]
Phoenix M12908 [M12705] [M12704] [M12703] [M12589] [M12588]
Proclamation M13007
Dec 15th: Portraits M12904 [M12702] [M12701] wide M12903
July 31th: M12629 M12626
July 14th: M12580 [M12581] [M12582] [M12583] M12584 [M12585]
May 5th: M12551

Suaımhneas Síorraí Dóıbh

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Here are a number of republican pieces from Roslea/Rosslea, Co Fermanagh:

“In proud memory of Vol. Bobby Sands MP Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann. Elected by the people of this constituency 9th April 1981. Died after 66 days on hungerstrike 5th May 1981. ‘I’ll wear no convict’s uniform/Nor meekly serve my time/That Britain might brand Ireland’s fight/Eight hundred years of crime’. Fuaır sé bás ar son saoırse muıntır na hÉıreann.”

Sands’s poem The Rhythm Of Time is at the centre of portraits of the twelve dead hunger strikers in the Troubles era; the board was mounted in 2011 for the thirtieth anniversary of the 1981 strike. The text at the bottom includes this line: “The use of the hunger-strike by Irish republicans began when James Connolly, while imprisoned during the 1913 ‘lock-out’, went on hunger strike.”

“This monument was erected on the bicentenary of the 1798 rebellion in memory of John Treanor 24-4-1797, Bernard McMahon 12-10-1797, Patrick Smyth 12-19-1797, John Connolly 12-10-1797, Connie Green 26-11-1955, Tony Ahern 10-5-1973, Seamus McElwain 26-4-1986. Suaımhneas síorraí dóıbh. [eternal rest [be] upon them] ‘To break the connection with England the never failing source of all our political evils, and to assert the independence of my country’ – Wolfe Tone, August 1796 [‘An Argument on Behalf of the Catholics of Ireland by a Northern Whig’, September, 1791]”

Church Street and Finn Park, Roslea/Rosslea

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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M12474 [M12475] [M12476] [M12478]
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William Steel Dickson

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“William Steel Dickson 1744-1824 United Irishman. Minister of a church on this site.” Dickson was adjutant-general of the County Down Irishmen and was arrested a few days before the insurrection (WP). Like Henry Joy and Mary Ann McCracken and William Drennan, Dickson is buried in Clifton Street Cemetery and was commemorated by a mural on the New Lodge Road in Belfast.

The plaque is on the Portico in Steel Dickson Ave, Portaferry

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Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
M08948

People Of The Greater Newington Area

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“In loving memory of all the innocent people and volunteers in the greater Newington area who have lost their lives in the ongoing struggle for Irish freedom. Rest in peace our dear family, friends & comrades. ‘From death springs life and from graves of great patriots springs a great nation’ – Padraıg Pearse” (from the oration at the funeral of Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa, 1915).

Ponsonby Avenue, Belfast

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Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
M08601 [M08602] [M08603] [M08604]

From The Greater Bone, Ballybone, Rosapenna

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A mural of hands releasing doves is added to the memorial garden in Clós Ard An Lao, in Ardoyne (and a lower plaque is removed). In the middle is a plaque in remembrance of 38 local people (“from the greater Bone, Ballybone, Rosapenna area”) who died during the troubles, on the left, next to the pikemen, is a celtic cross with an Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann roll of honour; on the right is a statue of Jesus with a sacred heart.

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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
M06743 [M06744] [M06745] [M06746] [M06747] [M06747a] [M06748] [M06749]

Those From St Mary’s Parish

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“I ndılchuımhne orthu sıúd ó pharóıste N. Muıre a thug a rıabh [raıbh] acu ar son saoırse na hÉıreann. Erected in proud and loving memory of all those from St Mary’s parish, Newry who have fought for Irish freeedom. Ar dheıs Dé go raıbh a n-anamacha. Pobal pharóıste N. Muire a thóg an leacht cuımhneacháın seo.” Pike-men are used on the base as a generic symbol of Irish nationalism, rather than mention of any particular group. In later years, stones to the Signatories and the hunger strikers will be added, along with graveside volunteers in modern garb.

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Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
M06022 [M06023] [M06024]

Thomas Russell

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“Thomas Russell, 1767-1803, United Irishman, “the man from God knows where“, librarian 1794-1796”. Russell was the second librarian of the Linen Hall Library and was arrested there in 1796 on a charge of inciting rebellion. For his part in the rebellion of 1803 he was executed by beheading at Downpatrick gaol, on October 21st.

Donegall Square North, Belfast

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Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
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