‘In proud memory of our fallen West Tyrone volunteers, 1916-1989. Tıocfaıdh ár lá. Those who have made the supreme sacrifice – their memory will never fade.” Jim McNally, Sean Sharkey, Charles McCafferty, John J. Kelly, Tobias Molloy, Eugene Devlin, Seamus Harvey, Gerald McGlynn, Jim McGinn, Patrick Cannon, Peter McElcar, Charles Breslin, Michael Devine, David Devine, Josie Connolly. With an oddly-shaped arrangement of shamrocks between two rifles and the sunburst and tricolour flags.
The ten deceased hunger strikers are named alongside a celtic cross with “saoırse” on a scroll, a tricolour and Starry Plough. Ballycolman, Strabane. Bobby Sands OC MP, Francies Hughes, Ray McCreesh, Patsy O’Hara, Joe McDonnell, Martin Hurson, Kevin Lynch, Kieran Doherty TD, Tom McElwee, Mickey Devine.
James Connolly (186-1916) wears the initials “ICA” on his collar, standing for “Irish Citizen Army”, the force that he led during the Rising at Easter/Cáısc 1916.
This post begins a series of five in a row on a wall in Ballycolman estate in Strabane. First (on the left) we have the shields of the four provinces, and their names in Irish, with a Tricoloured shield and sunburst shield of Na Fıanna in the middle.
Here is an image of the completed Loch gCál/Loughgall mural (see also the in-progress image from 1987) in memory of the eight IRA volunteers from the East Tyrone brigade who were killed in an SAS ambush during an attack on an RUC base in May, 1987 (WP).
Their names are given here in Irish and (partially) in the old script:
“I ndıl cuimh[n]e de [= ar] Óglach Pádraıg Ó Ceallaıġ [Patrick Kelly], Óglach Séamus Ó Donn[ġ]aıle [Seamus Donnelly], Óglach Deaglán Mac Aırt [Declan Arthurs], Óglach Séamus Laıghneach [Jim Lynagh], Óglach Gearóıd Ó Ceallacháın [Gerry O’Callaghan], Óglach Pádraıg Mac Cearnaıgh [Pádraıg McKearney], Óglach Antóın Ó Garmaıle [Ó Gormghaıle | Tony Gormley], Óglach Eoghan Ó Ceallaıġ [Eugene Kelly]
an ochtar óglach de óglaigh na hÉireann a dúnmharú ag Loch gCál ar an ochtú lá Bealtaine 1987.” [the eight volunteers from the Irish Volunteers [IRA] who were murdered at Loughgall on the eighth day of May, 1987]
The town (Loughgall) and the four provinces are also named in Irish. An Easter lily is at the centre of the Celtic cross in the middle of the image, above a lark in barbed wire and a gal gréıne/sunburst.
Here are four images of a variety of slogans on the Falls Road. The first lists various resistance groups from around the world: IRA, PLO, ETA, ANC. The second has a phone number for “SAS strippers” and something about “One Brit and his dog”. In the third and fourth: “Óglaıgh na hÉıreann”, “Provisional IRA”, “Tıocfaıdh ár lá”, “RUC black bastards”.
Or, with h-lenition, Teach Sheosaımh Mhıc Gıollabhuí. The Sınn Féın press centre on the Falls Road, Belfast, is named for anti-Treaty IRA man Joe McKelvey, who was also the founder of the O’Donovan Rossa GAA club in Belfast. The mural features the shields of the four provinces and Sınn Féın in Celtic-style lettering.
Peter Moloney Collection 