funeral volley/graveside mourner

In Memory Of A Fallen Comrade

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“In memory of a fallen comrade, Colin Ralph Caldwell, murdered, Crumlin Road jail, 28th November 1991. 3rd Belfast battalion, Ulster Volunteer Force. Lest we forget.” The bomb had been planted by the IRA, killing the UDA’s Robert Skey immediately (November 24th) and Caldwell, from his wounds, a few days later on the 28th. A flute band was named in Caldwell’s memory and had a board across the street: Colin Caldwell Memorial FB.

Derry Hill, Rathcoole

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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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Ulster Volunteer Force 1912-2005

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The 36th (Ulster) Division, formed from the Ulster Volunteers, went “over the top” at the Battle of the Somme on July 1st, 1916, losing about 5,500 men. They are mourned in this Mount Vernon arch by a soldier from the period. The “2005” date on the right, and the graveside mourner in modern UVF fatigues are intended to link the Ulster Volunteers with the UVF.

See similarly 1912-2002 in Carrickfergus.

In the background is (the second) “Prepared for peace, ready for war” mural.

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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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Twinbrook & Poleglass IRA

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“This monument has been re-dedicated by the people of Twinbrook and Poleglass in honour of those volunteers of Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann who gave their lives for Irish freedom.” Gerard Fennell, John Rooney, Bobby Sands, Frankie Ryan. “Fuaır sıad bás ar son saoırse na hÉıreann”. “[Like the lark,] I too have fought for my freedom not only in captivity [where I now languish] but also [while on the] outside where my country is held captive … I have the spirit of freedom that cannot be quenched.” (Bobby Sands, The Lark And The Freedom Fighter, 1979)

The final image is of the adjacent hunger strikers stone. It will later be moved and repositioned inside the (extended) fencing.

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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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Dedicated To All The Unsung Heroes

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The scale of the Ballymurphy memorial garden can be seen in the final image. The central panels (images 1 and 2) are to IRA volunteers. Jimmy Steele was OC of the IRA’s Belfast battalion and founding editor of Republican News. “The seed which on Cave Hill was sown/O’er Belfast town its fruit has grown/And they who served, suffered and died/Their blood, our cause has sanctified//Be proud of them our martyred dead/And in their footsteps let us tread/They died for us that we might see/Ireland, united, Gaelic, and free.” To the left and right are lists of civilian dead and on the far right is a brief list of activists who survived the Troubles but have died since.

For the mural, see this 2005 image.

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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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BRY 1969

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The Roll Of Honour (to the hunger strikers) we have seen before, in 2003 and 2004. New is the BRY (Bogside Republican Youth) mural to the right, claiming to date back to 1969, with the shield of Ulster on a Tricolour and fadas randomly distributed over “tıocfaıdh ár lá”.

Lecky Road, Bogside, Derry

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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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