“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
“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’ – Padraig Pearse” (from the oration at the funeral of Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa, 1915).
Ponsonby Avenue, Belfast
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Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
This is a board above the advertising hoarding commemorating the 200th anniversary of the 1798 Rebellion. “Erin go bragh” on the bottom scroll; it’s not clear that anything at all was written in the top scroll.
Garvagh Road, Dungiven
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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
“I ndilchuimhne orthu siúd ó pharóiste N. Muire a thug a riabh [raibh] acu ar son saoirse na hÉireann. Erected in proud and loving memory of all those from St Mary’s parish, Newry who have fought for Irish freeedom. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha. Pobal pharóiste N. Muire a thóg an leacht cuimhneacháin 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
“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
O’Connor’s pub at the corner of Falls Road and Cupar Street Lower became The Rebel’s Rest, with pikes above the front door.
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Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
Na Fianna Éireann are the youth wing of the IRA. After Sinn Féin split into Republican into Provisional elements (in 1986), the Fianna disassociated itself from the Provisionals. Ógra Shinn Féin was founded in 1997 as the youth wing of Sinn Féin. This board is perhaps meant to reclaim the name and history of the Fianna for Sinn Féin. Please comment or get in touch if you can explain further.
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Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
Images from the grounds of The Roddys club, Glen Road, Belfast, with memorials to McCorley (“In memory of Rody McCorley who was hanged here for his part in the rising of 1798 ‘The dead who died for Ireland, let not their memory die””), the deceased 1981 hunger strikers, the earlire 20th century hunger strikers (Thomas Ashe, Michael Fitzgerald, Terence MacSwiney, Joseph Murphy, Joseph Whitty, Denis Bary, Andrew Sullivan, Tony D’Arcy, Jack McNeela, Sean McCaughey, Michael Gaughan, Frank Stagg), Lenadoon deaths (Tony Henderson, Tony Jordan, John Finucane, Laura Crawford, Brendan O’Callaghan, Joe McDonnell, Mairead Farrell, Bridie Quinn, Patricia Black), Billy ‘Red’ Higgins founder member/president of the club, IRA volunteers from Lenadoon, “to the Irish men and Irish women who gave their lives in the rebellion of 1798”. Roddy McCorley, a Protestant member of the United Irishmen, is best known by the song written about his hanging at the bridge of Toome in 1800. (Here’s a version by Tommy Makem.)
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Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
The Battle of Antrim took place on June 7th, 1798, as part of the Irish Rebellion of that summer. Led in the North by the Protestant Henry Joy McCracken, the rebellion met with initial successes in smaller towns, before failing in Antrim. British soldiers can be seen in the distance.
The Roddys club, Glen Road, Belfast.
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Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
peter moloney collection 