Ulster Freedom Fighters

The orange lily makes a rare appearance in a paramilitary mural. The hooded gunmen are from the UFF/UDA. Volunteer Stephen “Benson” Kingsberry is remembered in the panel towards the back of the house. He died from consuming tainted ecstasy (perhaps distributed by the UVF). He was included in the roll of honour in Lemberg Street.

Kilburn Street, south Belfast

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Copyright © 2005 Peter Moloney
M02485

Collusion! Collusion!

Added to the drawing of collusion between security forces and loyalist paramilitaries are portraits and news reports of its victims: John Slane, John Devine, Peter Watterson, Anthony McGrady, Sadie Larmour, Paddy McAllister, Jim ‘Skipper’ Burns, Paddy BRady, Philomena Hanna, Patrick Hamill, and shopkeepers Jim Carson and Sean Hughes.

Beechmount Avenue, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2003 Peter Moloney
M01981 M01982

St James’s Supports The Hunger Strikers

St James’s supports the hunger strikes – in Long Kesh and Armagh and (on the right) in Turkey.

Various images and posters from 1980 and 1981 are reproduced. Along the top, we see (l-r) a soldier is confronted at the top of Springhill (image at Irish Times), “Wanted for murder [and torture of Irish prisoners]” (image at MSU), “Mothers hunger”, “Blessed are those who hunger for justice“, “Where there is oppression there is resistance”, Armagh hunger-striker Mary Doyle.

Along the bottom: “Stop strip searches“, “Save our children from plastic death”, “Support the hunger strike demands”, and portraits of 1981 hunger-strikers Bernard Fox and Pat Sheehan, both from the Falls Road.

For Turkish hunger-strikers, see F-Block Martyrs | Zehra Kulaksiz | Support The Turkish Hunger Strikers.

On the side-wall to the left, son Joseph McDonnell weeps at the foot of the coffin of his father, Joe.

For in-progress images, see the 2001 post.

Hugo Street, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2002/2003 Peter Moloney
M01664 M01665 M01973

RIRA – BCRF

Two armed and masked volunteers hold aloft an RPG, claiming “victory”, even though “our day” is still coming (tıocfaıdh ár lá). This is a crude version of the 1982 PLO -IRA mural in Belfast, but the direct ancestor of this board is the similar one – Victory – on Eastway, Derry, from 2000.

Please get in touch if you know what “BCRF” stands for. “CRF” (by itself) stands for “Catholic Reaction Force”. So, perhaps “Bogside Catholic reaction Force”? Or Bogside-Creggan Reaction Force”?

Fahan Street, Derry

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Copyright © 2002 Peter Moloney
M01598 [C00813]