Gaeilge

Doıre Naofa

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The Christian missionary Colm Cılle (in Latin, Columba), born in Donegal, founded a monastic settlement on the banks of the Foyle (then still part of Donegal) around 540 AD. The “Doıre” part of the name means “oak grove” and perhaps refers (as the information panel suggests) to “a sacred grove of trees, which may have pre-dated the monastery.” The mural above shows a reconstruction of the Derry monastery c. 700 AD. The name “Londonderry” dates to 1662.

Columba moved on to Scotland circa 563 and founded an abbey on the island of Iona. Among his reputed miracles is the banishment of a great water beast from the River Ness in 565.

“This is a reconstruction of the early Christian monastery at Derry around 700 AD which was founded by St Colum Cille around 546 AD. Colum Cille left his community in Derry in 563 AD with twelve companions to found the great monastery of Iona. He only subsequently returned to Ireland once and died in 593 AD. Although St Colum Cille founded a number of Irish monasteries, it would appear that Derry was his principal residence until he left Ireland. The name itself, Doıre, (sometimes Doıre Colum Cılle) means ‘the oakgrove of Colum Cille’ a sacred grove of trees, which may have pre-dated the monastery.”

“Is athchuthú é seo ar an mhainistir luath-Chríostaí i nDoıre thart ar 700 AD a bhunaigh Naomh Cholm Cıille thart ar 546 AD. D’fhág Colm Cille a phobal ı nDoıre thart ar 563 AD le dáréag eıle le mómhaınıstır oıleán Í a chur ar bun. Níor fhill sé go hÉıreann ach uaır amháın agus fuaır sé bás in AD 593. Cé gur bhunaigh Naomh Cholm Cille roınnt maınıstreacha eıle ı nÉırınn, shocrıgh sé ı nDoıre de réır cosúlachta go dtí gut ımıgh sé. Déanann an t-aınm ‘Doıre Cholmcılle’ tagaırt do dhoıre naofa, a bhí ann roımh an mhaınıstir.”

U Bennett Street, Derry, on the side wall of Tıgh Seoırse.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Our Unforgotten Comrades

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“In memory of the unforgotten comrades who died on hungerstrike in the H-Blocks for the cause of Irish freedom. Síochá[ı]n Dé orthu. [Our] revenge will be the laughter of our children – Bobby Sands”.

Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg, who died in English prisons in the 1970s, are included below the ten deceased 1981 hunger-strikers.

Main Street/Galloon Gardens, Newtownbutler

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Stop Tory Cuts

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“Stad na cıorruıthe. Stand up, fight back.” The (UK) Conservative Party has proposed a series of cuts, including a freeze of child benefit, income support, tax credits, dole, and housing benefit. These are opposed by various parties and advocacy groups in both Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Protest rallies were held in both Belfast and Dublin in October last year (2014-10-11).

The mural above is on the Divis Street international wall (Visual History).

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Kieran Nugent

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Keiran Nugent (and Brendan Hughes) has been returned to the left-most spot on the International Wall.

This new board is closely based on the mural which was painted over in October in advance of the November 9th non-binding referendum in Catalonia (see Votes About Votes; the yellow background and some of the lettering from the Catalonia mural can still be seen in the image above).

Nugent and Maıréad Farrell were then included in the hunger-strikers mural further down the wall: see I’ll Wear No Convict’s Uniform.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Ar An Bhóthaır Fada Chun Na Saoırse

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Two IRA memorial plaques have been mounted on a wall in Herbert Street, Ardoyne, close to the Sammy McLarnon plaque:

“Óglach James McDade 24 July 1946 – 14 Nov 1974 died on active service, England; Óglach Gerard McDade 22 Nov 1950 – 21 Dec 1971 murdered by British Crown Forces. A Mháthaır na hÉıreann, fáısc [strain, draw tight] do bhéırt mhac, Séamus agus Geraóıd, le do chroí. Throıd sıad agus fuaır sıad bás. Mother Ireland, hold your sons, James and Gerard, close to your heart. They fought and they died.”

The McDade family lived in Ardoyne. James died while planting a bomb in Birmingham, England; Gerard was shot by a British Army soldier – there is a plaque to his memory in Beechmount. (Sutton)

“Óglach Frankie Donnelly 26 Aug 1954 – 5 Jan 1979 died on active service; Óglach Laurence Montgomery 12 June 1954 – 5 Jan 1979 died on active service. Níl sa saol seo ach tréımhse gaırıd ar an bhóthaır fada chun na saoırse [in this life there is only a short period on the long road to freedom] – life is but a short part on the long journey to freedom”

Donnelly and Montgomery were killed in Northwick Drive, Ardoyne, by the premature detonation of a car-bomb. (Sutton)

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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What Has Changed?

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These anti-Agreement graffiti are in Foylehill (mostly Kildrum Gardens and Southway): “Smash Maghaberry”, “IRPWA”, “RUC not welcome in Foylehill”, “Victory to the POWs”, “End British internment”, Tıocfaıdh ár lá”.

The phrase “We only have to be lucky once” is from the IRA statement on the 1984 Brighton hotel bombing (WP).

The final piece dates back to 2009: “Internment 71-09. What has changed? Brits out, not sell out.”

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Ceartas Anoıs/Time For Justice

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Three different campaigns for inquiries into deaths at the hands of British paratroopers are brought together into a single board on the site of the former Andersonstown RUC station (Visual History): the Ballymurphy Massacre of August, 1971, in which 11 were killed; the Springhill Massacre of July 1972, in which 5 were killed, and the killing of IRA volunteer Pearse Jordan, who, like the others, lived in the greater Ballymurphy area.

Pearse Jordan is commemorated by a plaque in Hugo Street and a mural in Ballymurphy. For recent (2014-12) news about the Ballymurphy inquest, see The Guardian.

See also Uncovering The Past | Our Truth | #TimeForTruth.

Here is a (youtube) video of the launch, 2014-09-24, produced by Sınn Féın.

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Fáılte Go Dtí Ard Eoın

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A British soldier patrols the streets while a girl walks home from school and a boy plays hurley. This is one of the panels in the long mural at the shops on Ardoyne Avenue.

The “Welcome” verbiage is just out of shot on the left-hand side; on the right is “Is fearr Gaeılge brıste ná Béarla clıste” [Broken Irish is better than clever English] and (out of shot) some Celtic knotwork. For close-ups of all of the panels, see Growing Up Too Fast.

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Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
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