Tá Ár gCultúr Beo

Tá Ár gCultúr Beo (“Notre culture est vivante/La nostra cultura e viva/Our culture is alive”) was painted by Mo Chara Kelly with help from the local youth. The red parts of the mural use a translucent medium that Kelly had become acquainted with while painting in the United States (An Pobal A Phéınteáıl 10) that allow additional figures from modern Ireland (left) and Celtic Ireland (right) to be seen. The winged figure (repeated four times) is a heron that he found in a book of Celtic designs while serving time in Long Kesh.

The mural was the first of four projects in Springhill facilitated by the Upper Springfield Development Trust as part of a “West Belfast Arts & Heritage Trail” (as per the plaque just out of view to the right) or “Public Arts Trail”.

Springhill Avenue, Belfast

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Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
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Eastát Ghleann Collaınn

Mural in the Glen Colin estate, just off the Glen Road showing The Roddy’s club (in white) with the hunger striker memorial in the shape of a harp in front and the St. Oliver Plunkett church, which is in fact on the other (southern) side of the Glen Road, with the twin peaks of Divis and Black Mountain in the background. The Bobby Sands quote “Our revenge will be the laughter of our children” is at the bottom and three Gaelic games players on the right.

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Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
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Na Fıanna Éıreann Roll Of Honour

For the 100th anniversary of Na Fıanna Éıreann, a memorial mural on Racecourse Road, Derry, to Fıanna G. McAuley, Sloan, McCormick, Donaghy, D. McAuley, O’Riordan, Magee, Campbell, Dougal, Molloy, Comiskey, Fox, Hughes, Marley, McCrory, Alsop, Templeton, McCauley, O’Neill, McWilliams, Dempsey. The names are listed in the order of death, from earliest to latest, beginning with fifteen-year-old Gerald McAuley who was shot dead in Clonard (Belfast) in 1969, and ending with John Dempsey shot on the Falls Road (Belfast) in 1981. “Fuaır sıad bás ar son saoırse na hÉıreann.”

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Copyright © 2009 Peter Moloney
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The Lurgan Ambush

“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.

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Copyright © 2009 Peter Moloney
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West Belfast Taxi Association

“West Belfast Taxi Association. Dedicated to the memory of Michael Duggan, Harry Muldoon, Patsy McAllister, Caoımhín Mac Bradaıgh, Thomas Hughes, Hugh Magee, Padraıg Ó Cleırıgh, Jim Green. Murdered in the service of their community. A Dhıa dean trócaıre ar an n-anama. May God have mercy on their souls.”

Just inside the WBTA office at King St/Berry St/Francis St.

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Copyright © 2009 Peter Moloney
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Gabh Gaelach

“Gabh Gaelach” [Go Gaelic]. “Is fearr Gaeılge bhrıste ná Béarla clıste” [Broken Irish is preferable to clever English]. “Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam” [A land without a language is a land without a soul]. “Sí athghabháıl na Gaeilge athghabháıl na hÉıreann” [The repossession of Irish is the repossession of Ireland] – based on a quote by Máırtín Ó Cadhaın. Bunscoıl An tSléıbhe Dhuıbh [Black Mountain Primary School]. The mural on the gable celebrates 125 of the GAA, particularly local teams Cumman [sic] Spóırt An Phobaıl, Cardinal O’Donnell’s, Gort Na Móna, and Cumann Naomh Eoın.

Video of the Gabh Gaelach murals launch on August 3rd. Funding from the Re-Imaging Communities project with help from USDT and Glór Na Móna. Artists Lucas Quigley (gable), Fra Maher (left), Rıstead Ó Murchú (right).

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Copyright © 2009 Peter Moloney
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Kevin Lynch’s

Kevin Lynch captained the Derry Under-16 hurling team to an All-Ireland trophy (see X02866). The hurling half of the local Dungiven CLG was renamed in his honour after the INLA volunteer died after 71 days on hunger strike in 1981. “Mısneach ‘s dılseach” [Courageous and loyal]. Lynch is shown here in a setting of ancient Ireland, reminiscent of Setanta/Cú Chulaınn.

Main Street, Dungiven

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Copyright © 2009 Peter Moloney
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First Person To Die In The Troubles

2009 was the fortieth anniversary of the beginning of the Troubles and of the “first person to be killed in the Troubles – murdered by the RUC at this spot [Main Street, Dungiven] on 14th July 1969”: Francie (Pól Beag) McCloskey. McCloskey was a 67 year-old farmer standing in a shop doorway on the 12th (BelTel) or 13th (An Phoblacht) when the RUC charged nationalist rioters attacking the Orange lodge. He would die of a brain haemorrhage on the 14th. “Ar dheıs Dé go raıbh a anam.”

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Copyright © 2009 Peter Moloney
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