“‘They cannot or never will break our spirit …’ – Bobby Sands. [A paraphrasing of a line from day 6 of Sands’s hunger strike diary.] ‘Tiocfaidh ár lá’.”
The back of the Springhill memorial garden is decorated for the 30th anniversary of the 1981 hunger strike in which ten republican prisoners died in the H-Blocks.
Springhill Avenue, Belfast
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Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
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Three Cullyhanna memorials:
Top: “During the hunger-strike of 1981, in which ten men died, the Holy Rosary was recited here [on Freeduff Road], daily, by the community of Cullyhanna, to highlight the suffering of all the women and men in Armagh Gaol and Long Kesh, described by the late Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiach, a native of Cullyhanna, as being “worse than the sewers of Calcutta”. Go ndéana Dıa trócaıre ar a n-anam. Unveiled on the 8th July, 2001 by former hunger-striker, Paddy Quinn.”
Middle: The central panel is to Brendan Moley, Kevin Caherty, Michael McVerry, Brendan Burns, Fergal Caraher. Flanking this is a a longer list of volunteers, in English (left) and Irish (right). McVerry, Boyle, Jordan, McKiernan, Lochrie, Campbell, Cleary, Harvey, McElvanna, Caherty, McCreesh, Moley, Burns, Caraher, Duffy, Martin, Daly, Watters, Toner, Rogers. With smaller plaques to Tom Rooney & John Caraher, and to Brian Keenan.
Bottom: An individual memorial to “Vol Francis Caraher, Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann, murdered by British soldiers at this spot [on Tullyvallen Road] on 30th December 1990, aged 20 years.”
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These are images from 2012 of the ‘My brother is not a criminal’ memorial in Ford’s Cross/Silverbridge, seen previously in 2006.
As the second image shows, earlier hunger strikers are also remembered: Thomas Ashe 1917, Michael Fitzgerald, Joseph Murphy, Terence McSwiney 1920, Joseph Whitty, Denis Barry, Andy Sullivan 1923, Tony Darcy, Sean McNeela 1940, Sean McCaughey 1946, Michael Gaughan 1974, Frank Stagg 1976.
The gallery of twelve hunger strikers in ‘Remember the hunger strikers’ is further up the road, towards Cullyhanna.
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“Erected by the local people to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the hunger strikers. I ndıl chuımhne ar na staılceoırí ocraıs a fuaır bás ar son na h-Éıreann 1981. In loving memory of the hunger strikers who died for Ireland in 1981.” With a small blanketman illustration.
Kilmorey Street, Newry
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“Go luath ına shaol thuıg Réamonn nach mbaınfeadh muıntır na hÉıreann an tsaoırse ná an cothrom amach go dtí gur cuıreadh ar na Sasanaıgh déıleáıl go hoscaılte gan claonadh lenár n-ıonadaıthe. Chuaıgh Réamonn ı gcomhar leıs na Fıanna Éıreann in 1973 …”
A pair of boards describing the life of IRA volunteer and 1981 hunger striker Raymond McCreesh in both English and Irish are mounted on the railings at Raymond McCreesh Park, in Patrick Street, Newry.
For the controversy over naming the playground after McCreesh, see Páırc Réamoınn Mac Raoıs.
The same pair of boards were also mounted at the McCreesh memorial in Camlough.
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“Vol. Kevin Lynch, born Park 25rg May 1956, died – Long Kesh 1st August 1981 after 71 days on hunger strike “I’ll wear no convicts uniform” Go ndéana Dıa trócaıre ar a anam uasal.”
“Erected by Counties Derry & Antrim Commemorative Committee. Unveiled by Raymond McCartney MLA on 24th May 2009.”
A painting of the monument is included in the Kevin Lynch mural in Dungiven.
Learmount Road, Park
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Here is a board announcing, and a gallery of images from, the hunger strike commemoration in 2012, Dungiven.
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Kevin Lynch is shown raising the Under-16 County Derry hurling trophy (photo below). He was arrested in December 1976 and went on the blanket and then the second hunger strike. Lynch died after 71 days on hunger strike – the longest-surviving striker – in Long Kesh/the Maze prison. The H-Block Song (with lyric “I’ll wear no convict’s uniform/nor meekly serve my time/that Britain might brand Ireland’s fight/800 years of crime” was played by a piper at his funeral. (An Phoblacht)
The four black-and-white squares show (top left) Mary Nelis, Kathleen Deeny and Theresa Deery, protesting the arrests of their sons; (bottom left) the memorial to Lynch in Park, where has was born; (top right) blanketmen Hugh Rooney and Freddie Toal; (bottom right) Lynch’s gravestone in Dungiven.
Along the bottom are the emblems of Kevin Lynch Memorial flute band (Fb), Kevin Lynch’s hurling club (“mısneach ‘s dílseacht”), and St Dympna’s football club, Luton (Fb).
The mural is shown on the day of its launch, August 4th, 2012 – the plaque on the left is covered by a small curtain in the first image above but shown in the second.
The street was also named in Lynch’s honor, with a plaque at the other end.
The placard is in Chapel Road – it seems to be the same one as in 2011, but with a frame added.
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“Dungiven remembers INLA Vol Kevin Lynch. Help build the socialist republic for which he died.” Lynch died after 71 days on hunger strike in 1981. The IRSP was the political wing of the INLA and continues to operate.
This is a new or repainted version of the board seen in 2010.
For the nearby memorial stone and plaque, see Vol Kevin Lynch.
Main Street, Dungiven
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“Praise youth and it will respond – the laughter of our children – the joy of our hearts.” A young Bobby Sands is shown in the front right, part of the Stella Maris soccer squad for 1967; he would later “respond” by becoming an IRA volunteer and hunger striker.
The hunger strikers plaque was previously to the left of the (previous) mural; out of picture is another plaque, to the deceased from the “greater Newington area” – see Out Of The Ashes Of 1798.
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Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
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Peter Moloney Collection 