“In memory of a fallen comrade Vol. Mark Quail ‘Murdered by the enemies of Ulster’ 1st November 2000 3rd Belfast Battalion Ulster Volunteer Force. Lest we forget.” Quail was shot by the UDA in the feud (Sutton).
“The Changing Faces artwork is a project that has been undertaken by a group of young people from Impact Training. They looked to their surrounding area where they explored and documented how it appears in 2010. What is the Shankill? What does it look like and what does it mean to youth culture now? Murals have been something that has been prevalent in the community for many years. Times change, opinions soften and people can begin to build a changing face.” On the left is a selection of details from murals with familiar subjects: King Billy, hooded gunmen, the red hand of Ulster, Carson, the Queen Mother; on the right are four panels on the theme of the red hand of Ulster in youth culture (clockwise from left): with wild-style writing from the Cupar Way “peace” line and soccer, with pop music, with It’s All Good by Dublin artist Maser, and with a (two-handed) warrior. “Don’t push away our culture … learn it and embrace it.”
For more on the attempt to put community art on the Cupar Way “peace” line, see Visual History 10.
The new mural to UDA assassin Stevie ‘Top Gun’ McKeag is at last completed. It was seen in progress in January (from D collection), July and August of 2010 and it replaces a version that itself might never have been completed, from 2009. The mural has been repainted many times, in quick succession, perhaps an indication of dissatisfaction with it or with the plaster. See also 2008 and 2007.
This 2009 memorial garden in Owenroe Drive, Bangor caused controversy when built using Housing Executive funds as it was intended to commemorate only the dead of WWI. In addition, it contains headstones to members of the UDA (on which Cuchulainn is invoked as a “defender of Ulster”), RHC, and UVF (BelTel).
“Arm Saoırse Náısıúnta na h-Éıreann. [INLA] Vol. James McPhilemy, killed in action 10 August 1988; [INLA] Vol. Alex Patterson killed in action 12 November 1990. ‘Your spirit will live on in the hearts of all who cherish freedom, justice and equality. Fuaır sıad bás ar son saoırse na h-Éıreann.”
“In proud memory of our fallen comrade Joseph Craven, Irish National Liberation Army, murdered by Loyalists 5th December 1983. He died as he lived – a true revolutionary. Erected by the Irish Republican Socialist Ex-Prisoners Memorial Committee.” Craven was shot by the UVF from a motorcycle.
Updates are made to the Westrock memorial garden: Sean Doyle’s plaque is moved to the garden from Britton’s Drive, a new plaque to the IRA’s 2 battalion F company is added, and the painted brick background wall is dashed over.