100 years after the Ulster Volunteers were formed in 1912 the modern UVF of 1965 is “armed and ready”.
Blenheim Drive, Newtownards.
M09373 [M09374] [M09375] [M09376] [M09377]
Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
Armed And Ready
UVF/YCV/RHC/PAF
Volunteer Denver Smith
“In memory of Vol. Denver Smith, murdered by cowards 1st January 2000. Here lies a soldier. He gave his life whilst serving his community. Lest we forget.” Smith was killed by a gang of six men with machetes and pikes; the incident was perhaps drugs-related (Guardian | BBC-NI. For the wider picture An Phoblacht | Irish Times).
The mural originally appeared with seven plaques, then with three plaques, and now with graveside mourners on either side of a single stone, and a bench and three flag-poles to the right.
The UVF flag is between the the Denver Smith and All Gave Some gables.
Parkhall Road, Antrim
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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
All Are Gone
A board to slain UVF/RHC members John Hanna (died 1991-09-10), Stevie McCrea (1989-02-18) and Sammy Mehaffy (1991-11-13), with poppies and image of WWI soldiers.
“Remembering our brother’s lost lives and the human cost of conflict, the legacy of lost hopes and dreams. We come not to mourn but to praise their memory. We keep the memory of the brave, the faithful and the few, some lie far off beyond the waves, some sleep in Ulster too. All are gone but still live on the names of those who died, and true men like you, remember them with pride.”
“36th ulster division, for they shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old, age shall not weary them nor the years condemn, at the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.”
Frenchpark Street in the Village, south Belfast.
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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
In Memory Of Our Forefathers
The Ulster Volunteers of 1912 joined the 36th Division of WWI. After the war, many of them joined the B Specials, which was disbanded in 1970 and the UDR created. The modern UVF was formed in 1965. There is a Willowfield UVF memorial garden in Cherryville St (M04070).
Ardenvohr Street, Belfast.
M08953
Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
Civil And Religious Liberty
Two PUL banners are added to the internment bonfire in Divis: the upper one says “East Belfast Ulster Volunteer Force”, while the latter reads “Shankill Protestant Boys [Fb] USSF Ulsters No 1 flute band.” On the top is a Drumcree Orange Order flag: “Civil and religious liberty”; “Here we stand, we can do no other”.
Divis Street, Belfast
M08775 [M08776] [M08777] M08778
Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
RHC A Company
A few words of Irish – “Lamh Dearg Abu” – in a loyalist mural in Glenwood Street, just off the Shankill Road, through strictly it should be “Lámh Dhearg Abú”. “Lámh dhearg” means “red hand”, and this is a Red Hand Commandos’ mural.
The same motto was on the mural that this one replaced, which can be seen at M02433.
The scrolls name ten RHC units, including “North Down” as distinct from “Co. Down”, “South East Antrim” as distinct from “Co Antrim”, and England and Scotland.
The panels of text are two verses from Robert Laurence Binyon’s For The Fallen and some lines from Rudyard Kipling’s Ulster (here given as “Ulster 1912”: “Believe we dare not boast/Believe we dare not fear/We stand to pay the cost/In all that men hold dear”
Glenwood Street, Belfast
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Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
Brian Robinson
Brian Robinson was shot by the British Army in 1989 immediately after he had shot and killed a Catholic (Paddy McKenna) walking along Crumlin Road. This is the fifth version of the Brian Robinson mural in Disraeli Street, Belfast.
The stone reads “UVF 1st Batt B Coy Vol Brian Robinson killed in action 2nd Sept 1989. For his country and his people he took up the gun, a volunteer to the end and a true Ulster son. Robbed of his life’s blood in Sept ’89 but the name Brian Robinson will live for all time.
The plaque includes “Also his loving mother Margaret Robinson died 3rd September 1989”
The image of the launch is from April 6th.
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Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
Vol. Sam Rockett
“In proud and loving memory of Vol. Samuel Rockett, ‘B’ Coy 1st Belfast battalion, Young Citizen Volunteers. Murdered by cowards 23rd August 2000. ‘At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.’ ‘Here lies a soldier'”
The “cowards” in this case are the members of the UDA who killed Rockett (born June 21st, 1979) in front of his girlfriend and 18 month old child in an attack on her house in the lower Oldpark, during the feud between the UVF and UDA, sparked by Johnny Adair’s “loyalist day of culture” and removal of the UVF from the lower Shankill. In response to the purge (and attacks on the Rex bar), the UVF killed Bobby Mahood and Mr Jackie Coulter. Rockett was killed by the UDA in retaliation for their deaths; 1,000 people attended Rockett’s funeral (Irish Times). After Rockett died, the UVF killed David Greer, and the UDA then killed PUP member Bertie Rice in Tiger’s Bay on October 31st.
Disraeli Street, Belfast
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Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
Martin “Rook” O’Prey
Martin “Rook” O’Prey was the Belfast brigade commander of the IPLO [Irish People’s Liberation Organisation], a breakaway INLA group responsible for killing George Seawright and attacking the Orange Cross social club (WP).
All sources say that he was shot by the UVF in his Ardmoulin Terrace home; the plaque is above a doorway in Lesson Street (where his coffin was given a (momentary) honour guard – youtube).
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Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
S Company
A tribute to the 4th and 9th battalions of the Royal Irish Rifles “1912-2002 – 90th anniversary” (with the 36th Division emblem in the middle) and (on the right) “S company 1969-1974”. 1974 is the year C company, 1st battalion (west Belfast) UVF was formed.
See also C Company 1st Battalion in Carnan St.
Ballygomartin Drive, Belfast
M08105 [M08099] [M08100] [M08101] [M08102] [M08103] [M08104]
Copyright © 2012 Peter Moloney
peter moloney collection 