A red-headed lass with a horn stands watch for others at a mass rock – a stone in a remote location for Catholic worship, made necessary by a Penal law of 1695 which forbade the religious practice of Catholicism and “dissenter” forms of Protestantism (that is, anything other than Anglicism) (source). The harp, with a “cap of liberty” rather than a crown (WP), together the slogan “Equality – It is new strung and it shall be heard” is the emblem of the Society of United Irishmen (WP). On the other side of the mural linen lies in the fields bleaching and a farmer and wife plough the land with a team of horses and distribute seed.
A boy — Dylan Wilson from east Belfast, grandson of loyalist community worker Jim Wilson —shakes hands with a girl – Dearbhla Ward, granddaughter of Short Strand Sinn Fein councillor Joe O’Donnell (sources: Al Jazeera | NewsLetter | The Scotsman). The centre was left for locals to make their mark on.
A gable-wall version of this image — without the word “síocháın” (peace), with the girl in green, and with Wilson’s poem ‘No More’ — can be found about half a mile away in Wolfe Close/Kenilworth Place, just across the Newtownards Road. See No More. This mural was part of the re-imaging effort of 2010.
No more bombing, no more murder No more killing of our sons No more standing at the grave side Having to bury our loved onesNo more waking up every hour Hoping our children, they come home No more maimed or wounded people Who have suffered all aloneNo more minutes to leave a building No more fear of just parked cars No more looking over our shoulders No more killing in our barsNo more hatred from our children No more. No more. No more!
By Dee Craig in Edgar Street, Short Strand, east Belfast
Facing each other in the Brompton Park entrance to Ard Eoın: “Support the prisoners – restore political status now!” from post-peace republicanism, and Cumann na n-Iarchımí Poblachtacha/Republican Ex-Prisoners Association (along with SNAP – Safer Neighbourhood Ardoyne Project – and Glór An Tuaıscırt/Voice Of The North) representing the pre-peace volunteers.
“This mural is dedicated to the memory of those killed and maimed by rubber & plastic bullets fired by the police & British Army. Not one member of the security forces ever served a day in jail for the deaths, many of them children, despite the courts ruling on the innocence of the victims. Plastic bullets are still being used on the streets of the north of Ireland today.”
There were initially nine panels (of 15 victims each) but as the wide shot above shows, six more have now been added, so that the memorial to seventeen people killed by rubber or plastic bullets since 1970 is at the centre of 15 panels of portraits, in a wall “dedicated to the families who have fought and are still fighting for truth and justice for their loved ones. It is also dedicated to all those who have died as a result of state-sponsored killings. This Project is a work in progress and is not conclusive. If you wish a loved one to be included please contact An Fhírınne … Tá an balla seo tıomnaıthe do na teaghlaıgh a throıd agus atá ag troıd go fóıll, thar ceann a muıntıre ıonúıne, ar son na fírınne agus na córa. Tá sé tıomnaıthe fosta dóıbh sıúd uılıg a fuaır bás de dheasca maruıthe státurraıthe. Obaır ıdır lamha atá sa tıonscnamh seo agus níl sé críochnaıthe go fóıll. Dá mba mhıan leat duıne de do mhuıntır ıonúın féın a bheıth curtha san áıreamh, ıarrtar ort teagmháıl a dhéanamh leıs An Fhírınne.”
“Fuaır sıad bás ar son na hÉıreann. To the memory of all members and friends of the Official IRA who gave their lives in pursuit of the establishment of a democratic socialist republic in Ireland, in common cause with men and women of all nations struggling for liberty, equality and fraternity between all the peoples of the world.” Joe McCann beneath the Plough In The Stars is shown in the bottom left.
“Our revenge will be the laughter of our children.” For the thirtieth anniversary (30ú comóradh) of his death on May 5th, 1981, a board in Twinbrook remembering IRA volunteer, hunger striker, and MP, Bobby Sands.
“Is Gaeıl sınne” [we are Irish-speakers]. Pobal mural on Northumberland Street promoting the work in abhcóıdeachy/advocacy, cearta/rights, forbaırt phobaıl/community development, straıtéıs/strategy, taıghde/research, faıreachán/monitoring, ealaíon/arts, carried out in Teach Uí Chorráın in Ionad an Dá Spuaic [Twin Spires], and the “Tá” campaign for “acht na Gaeılge” an Irish-language act.
“In memory of Staff Captain Jim McGinn Óglaıgh na hÉıreann who died on active service near this spot 15th December 1973. Fuaır sé bás ar son na saoırse.”
Urney Road, Clady, at the far end of the bridge, into the republic.
“In memory of Vol. James McPhilemy, Irish National Liberation Army, killed on active service 10th August 1988. Throıd sé agus fuaır sé bás ar son mhuıntır na hÉıreann. [He fought and he died for the people of Ireland].” (This is the rare case when “active service” does not mean a premature bomb explosion.) There is also a memorial to McPhilemy in Strabane.
Peter Moloney Collection 