IRA

The Lurgan Ambush

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On the evening of November 21, 1982, the car in which IRA volunteers Eugene Toman, Sean Burns, and Gervaise [here spelled “Gervase” and elsewhere “Gervais”] McKerr were travelling was hit by 109 bullets and all three were killed. They were perhaps the first victims of the “shoot to kill” policy. (An Phoblacht)

“Lurgan town was rocked with sorrow/On that bleak November day/Hushed tones and tears were mingled/When great numbers stopped to pray” – these are the opening lines of Ida Green’s poem ‘The Lurgan Ambush’, a poem by Ita Green [set to music at Irish Folk Songs | sung by Bo Loughran on youtube].

Levin Road, Kilwilkie, Lurgan

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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McGerrigan – Hughes

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“1973-2013” Jake McGerrigan and Tony Hughes of the OIRA were both shot and killed by British forces in the Windmill Hill area of Armagh in a 48-hour period spanning April 7th and 9th, 1973. (Lost Lives #791 incorrectly gives March 7th for McGerrigan.) The board shown above was mounted in Navan Street for the 40th anniversary of their deaths, in 2013. The larger portraits on either side are of McGerrigan and Hughes; between them are (left) Peadar McElvanna, Roddy Carroll, Gerard Mallon, Martin Corrigan, (middle) Peter Corrigan, (right) Tony McClelland, Seamus Grew, Sean McIlvanna [McIlvenna], Dessie Grew.

There is an individual plaque to Hughes at the spot where he was shot, at the bottom of the second image below a board listing the same names (seen previously in 2012). “Thug sıad a raıbh acú [sic] ar son saoırse na hEırınn [sic].” “From death springs life and from the graves of patriots springs a great nation. [from Pearse’s oration at O’Donovan Rossa’s funeral].” There is stone to both McGerrigan and Hughes in the same alley (see McGerrigan – Hughes); there is also a stone to McGerrigan in Windmill Avenue.

Navan Street/Ogle Street, and Emania Terrace, Armagh

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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From The Graves Of Patriot Men And Women Spring Living Nations

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This is a new info board at the bottom of the steps leading up to the IRA memorial dolmen first seen in 1999. It features portraits of 16 volunteers from Derry’s 1st battalion and a quotation from Pearse at the funeral of O’Donovan Rossa in 1915: “Life springs from death, and from the graves of patriot men and women spring living nations. The Defenders of this Realm have worked well in secret and in the open. They think that they have pacified Ireland. They think that they have foreseen everything, think that they have provided against everything; but the fools, the fools, the fools! They have left us our Fenian dead, and while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace.”

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Clonard Martyrs

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This is a replacement version of the gallery of “Clonard Martyrs” above the memorial garden, seen previously in 2011. The central phoenix is now in red (rather than green) and the background imagery has been removed but the roll of honour remains the same:

Left: Dan Duffin, Seán McCartney, Tom Williams, Gerard McAuley, Peter Blake, Seamus Simpson, Seán Johnston, Seán Gaynor, Pat Duffin, Gerard Ó Callaghan, Seamus Burns, Danny Ó Neill, Tom McCann.

Right: Gerard Crossan, Seán Ó Riordan, Martin McKenna, Liam Hannaway, Jim McKernan, Dan McCann, “dedicated to the memory of local republican, Billy Davidson”, Tony Lewis, Joe McKenna, Brian Dempsey, Finbarr McKenna, Seán Savage, Prıonsaıs Mac Áırt.

For many of the stones and plaques, see Clonard Martyrs, Who Have Resisted And Still Resist, and Deceased Republican Prisoners.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Pat And Dan Duffin

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“In memory of volunteers Pat and Dan Duffin, murdered by the RIC in their home at 64 Clonard Gardens 23rd April 1921. Erected the by the Greater Clonard Ex-Prisoners Association.”

The IRA shot dead two members of the British Auxiliaries, Ernest Bolan and John Bales, in Donegall Street in Belfast city centre on April 23rd, 1921. Just before midnight, Pat and Dan Duffin were shot to death by men who entered their Clonard home.

Another brother, John, was upstairs and not harmed and when he approached the scene he found not only his dead brothers but the station dog of the Springfield Road RIC barracks (“GB Kenna“, real name Fr John Hassan).

DeValera led the funeral cortège along the Falls. Joe Devlin would include the Duffin murders in a Westminster speech in June, following the killings in a single night of Alexander McBride, Malachy Halfpenny, and William Kerr (Hansard). The RIC in west Belfast under CI Harrison, DI Nixon, and in this case DI Ferris (Aiken et al.), would continue their killings into 1922 – see The RIC Murder Gang.

Clonard Gardens, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Balmoral Furniture Showrooms 1971

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“This Poppy Cross is in memory of the two men and two babies murdered at this spot by a no-warning sectarian IRA bomb attack on the Balmoral Furniture shop on 11th December 1971”

The previous (circular) plaque reads, “Balmoral Furniture Showrooms, bombed 12.25 pm Saturday 11th December 1971, 2 adults & 2 babies killed”

Also augmented with poppy crosses: Frizzell’s Fish Shop 1993 | Mountainview Tavern 1975

Shankill Road, west Belfast – the plaque and cross are on the corner of the Shankill Leisure Centre

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Frizzell’s Fish Shop 1993

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The memorial marker for what was Frizzell’s fish shop has been expanded with a (metal) cross of poppies. For the tablet alone (in 2011) see Frizzell’s; for the tablet and engraved medallion (in 2013) see Shankill Bombings.

“This Poppy Cross is in memory of the nine victims murdered at this spot by a no warning sectarian IRA bomb attack on Frizzell’s Fish Shop on 23rd October 1993. The 9 victims included men, women and children.”

“This tablet marks the site of Frizzel[l]’s Fish shop where at 1.05 p.m. on Saturday 23rd October 1993 a terrorist bomb exploded. 9 innocent souls lost their lives and many more were injured.”

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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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I Have The Spirit Of Freedom

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Four deaths have been added to the memorial plaque in St James’s Road, west Belfast, which commemorates locals from the area who died at the hands of the police and army.

The plaque dates back to (at least) 1986, and originally named Rooney (civilian), Liggett (IRA), Waterson, McDonald (civilian), McGrady (civilian), Larmour (civilian), Burns (IRA), and Brady (SF).

To these have been added McAllister (civilian), Devine (civilian), O’Dwyer (civilian), and Burns (IRA).

See also: The area’s main memorial garden also includes O’Callaghan (d. 1977 IRA) and Lenaghan (d. 1991 civilian). Next to it is a mural to Liggett And Brady.

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Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
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Léana An Dúın Unbowed Unbroken

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“Cuımhnímıs [we remember].” The mural to the “patriot dead” of Lenadoon who died for the freedom (“saoırse”) of Ireland has been repainted.

The design and central figure remain as before, but the tricoloured border is new, as are the photographic portraits of nine local IRA volunteers in the apex. On the scrolls to each side, their names are given as (left) Tony Henderson, John Finucane, Tony Jordan, Brendan O’Callaghan, Joe McDonnell, (right) Laura Crawford, Maıréad Farrell, Patricia Black, Bridie Quinn.

The dedication plaque is from the launch of the 2009 version of the mural; it was originally painted in 1996 (seen here in 2002 with all of the (painted) portraits missing and c. 1999 with three of the nine portraits).

See also the Cú Chulaınn Visual History page.

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Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
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