assault rifle

To Retain Our Britishness

Extramural Activity2 Comments

Here is a new mural of the “Rathcoole Elite” unit (1st Batt., B. Coy) of the Red Hand Commando, complete with four masked men each bearing weapons. Founded in 1970, “To this day our principles remain the same: to protect the loyalist community, to retain our Britishness. It is not for glory or riches we fight but for our people. Lamh Dearg Abu.”

The small plaque reads, “This mural is dedicated to the memory of Volunteer Norman Williamson, born 7-7-1955, died 2-7-1991. Gone but not forgotten.”

Donardview Close, Rathcoole, Newtownabbey

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Copyright © 2016 Peter Moloney
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Murdered Close To This Spot

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A poppy cross has been added to the UVF memorial mural and plaque at Spier’s Place. The accompanying plaque reads “This poppy cross is in memory of three men who were murdered by republican murder gangs close to this spot. William Marchant died 28th April 1987, David Hamilton died 16th June 1994, Trevor King died 9th July 1994.” For some background, see Ordinary People, Extraordinary Roles.

The mural was painted in 2008; the central plaques was first recorded in 2005. For the tarp above, see Families Against Supergrass Trials.

Spier’s Place, Shankill, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2016 Peter Moloney
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The Evolution Of Our Revolution

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A history of nationalism/republicanism from left to right: a pair of Easter lilies, four generations of rifles, and then a switch to a ballot paper with a check in favour of “unity” and a road named “Unity Way”: “From bullet to ballot: the evolution of our revolution. 1916 – 2016”

The mural was painted by Con on the north side of Hugo Street – the south side remains exclusively éırígí.

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Copyright © 2016 Peter Moloney
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Always Remembered

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UFF/UDA/UYM (North Down, 2nd battalion, D company) memorial mural in Bloomfield estate, Bangor, to Andrew McIlvenny and Roy Officer, with hooded gunmen on a bed of poppies flanking the UFF clenched fist.

The estate is also home to UVF murals, e.g. We Band Of Brothers.

Ballyree Drive, Bangor

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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We Band Of Brothers

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“For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.” This is a new (July 2014) Red Hand Commando mural in Bangor with RHC Youth and Red Hand Comrades Association insignia against a backdrop of Thiepval Tower and the Somme, with masked gunmen in the foreground and a border of poppies.

The quote is from Shakespeare’s Henry V, act 4, though the lines are reversed (Folger).

Ballyminetragh Gardens, Bangor

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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John Gregg

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This is a new UDA mural in memory of John Gregg, “The Reaper”, who waged a campaign of terror against Catholics in south-east Antrim and was reputedly associated with British neo-Nazi groups. Gregg was gunned down in 2003, while returning from a Rangers match, as part of the power struggle with Johnny Adair. 

Nearby red-white-and-blue poles on Knockenagh Ave, Newtownabbey, are also shown.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Freedom Corner 2015

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The murals along east Belfast’s “Freedom Corner” (on the Newtownards Road) were repainted over the course of several months in 2015. These images are from a variety of dates in July and August; the ‘red hand’ piece is incomplete – for the finished work, see The Strangest Victory In All History.

The new pieces reproduce the previous ones in terms of theme: UFF/Young Newton at the ends, with the Past (Specials and UDR) and Present Defenders (UDA) in the middle – compare with the 2009 entries Freedom Corner | Ulster’s Present Day Defenders | Young Newton.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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UFF EB: [M11907] [M11908] [M11908a] [M11909] [M11909a] [M11910]
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Loyalist EB: M11911 [M11911a] [M11912]
Red Hand: M11913 [M11913a] [M11914] [M11915] [M11916]
Past Defenders: [M11917] [M11918]
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Nationality: [M11919]
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Present Defenders: [M12104] [M12130] [M12131] [M12132] [M12133] [M12134] [M12135] [M12136] [M12137]
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UDA: [M12138] M12151
Tomorrow: M12105 [M12152] M12153 [M12154] [M12155] M12156
Wide: [M11920] M12067 M12157

He Sowed That We Might Reap

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These two boards are on either side of the Fıanna Éıreann roll of honour in Racecourse Road, Shantallow, Derry.

First (left): the Derry branch of the 1916 Societies (Fb) is named after Sean Dolan, an IRA volunteer interned at the outbreak of WWII on the prison ship Al Rawdah (WP | saoırse32) before being moved to Crumlin Road gaol. He was released on grounds of ill health shortly before dying in 1941 at age 28 in Derry. The title of today’s post comes from Dolan’s gravestone, which is in Ardmore (findagrave).

It was the 1916 Societies that hoisted an Irish tricolour from the roof of Stormont in June 2015 (BBC).

Second (right): two hunger-strikers from Derry, Patsy O’Hara and Michael Devine, were both members of the INLA; the third INLA hunger-striker was Kevin Lynch, from nearby Dungiven. The seven others who died were members of the IRA, whose political wing was Sınn Féın, while the IRSP (web), who sponsored this board, serve as the political face of the INLA.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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