Gaelic Games

Ag Fíorú Na Ceathrún Gaeltachta

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Ag fıorú [sic] na ceathrún gaeltachta”/”Delivering on the Gaeltacht quarter”. Laochra Loch Lao [Belfast Lough Warriors] is a Gaelic-games club operating through Irish. The club’s emblem is the blackbird, from the ninth-century poem: “Int én bec/ro léıc feıt/do rınn guıp/glanbuıdı:/fo-ceırd faíd/ós Loch Laíg,/lon do chraíb/charnbuıdı.” “The little bird/that whistled shrill/from the nib of/its yellow bill/a note let go/o’er Belfast Lough/a blackbird from/a yellow whin” (Ciaran Carson’s translation). With support from Forbaırt Feırste.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
M05634

Eastát Ghleann Collaınn

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Mural in the Glen Colin estate, just off the Glen Road showing The Roddy’s club (in white) with the hunger striker memorial in the shape of a harp in front and the St. Oliver Plunkett church, which is in fact on the other (southern) side of the Glen Road, with the twin peaks of Divis and Black Mountain in the background. The Bobby Sands quote “Our revenge will be the laughter of our children” is at the bottom and three Gaelic games players on the right.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
M05531 [M05529] [M05530]

Gabh Gaelach

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Gabh Gaelach” [Go Gaelic]. “Is fearr Gaeılge bhrıste ná Béarla clıste” [Broken Irish is preferable to clever English]. “Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam” [A land without a language is a land without a soul]. “Sí athghabháıl na Gaeilge athghabháıl na hÉıreann” [The repossession of Irish is the repossession of Ireland] – based on a quote by Máırtín Ó Cadhaın. Bunscoıl An tSléıbhe Dhuıbh [Black Mountain Primary School]. The mural on the gable celebrates 125 of the GAA, particularly local teams Cumman [sic] Spóırt An Phobaıl, Cardinal O’Donnell’s, Gort Na Móna, and Cumann Naomh Eoın.

Video of the Gabh Gaelach murals launch on August 3rd. Funding from the Re-Imaging Communities project with help from USDT and Glór Na Móna. Artists Lucas Quigley (gable), Fra Maher (left), Rıstead Ó Murchú (right).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2009 Peter Moloney
M05281 [M05280] M05282

Kevin Lynch’s

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Kevin Lynch captained the Derry Under-16 hurling team to an All-Ireland trophy (see X02866). The hurling half of the local Dungiven CLG was renamed in his honour after the INLA volunteer died after 71 days on hunger strike in 1981. “Mısneach ‘s dılseach” [Courageous and loyal]. Lynch is shown here in a setting of ancient Ireland, reminiscent of Setanta/Cú Chulaınn.

Main Street, Dungiven

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2009 Peter Moloney
M05195 [M05193] [M05194]

Coıste Chontae Aontroma CLG

Extramural Activity1 Comment

“Coıste Chontae Aontroma CLG 125 Blıaın. Cluıchí, cultúr agus teanga.” [County Antrim GAA Committee, 125th anniversary]

Casement Park, named after Roger Casement (depicted in the lower right knotwork WP), was opened in 1953, blessed by Cardinal D’Alton, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland (shown in the medallion towards the bottom right). The central figure is from Jim Fitzpatrick’s ‘Hurling Match‘ and is presumably intended to show Setanta, who became Cú Chulaınn by (in one version) killing Culann’s hound with a slıotar.

(Victor Patterson has an image of a British Army post being constructed on the pitch.)

Andersonstown Road, west Belfast. (The same image would later be used on the bookies at bottom of Whiterock Road. See X00549)

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2009 Peter Moloney
M05144

Ard Eoın Kickhams

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Kickhams is the local Cumann Luthchleas Gael (GAA club) (Fb | tw), founded 1907, named for republican writer Charles Kickham. The mural shows football, hurling, and handball. At the bottom there are three generations of toddler hurlers, from barefoot and cloth-cap to boots and braces to baseball cap and tracksuit.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2008 Peter Moloney
M04317

Cumann Na Fuıseoıge

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Established in 2004, Cumann Na Fuıseoıge (The Lark) is “ag soláthar spórt Ghaelaıgh don phobal sa cheantar Coılın” [providing Gaelic games to the people in the Colin area]. The club is named after the image of the lark (and barbed wire) used by Bobby Sands in his 1979 article The Lark And The Freedom Fighter. The choice of emblem proved controversial – Slugger.

Previously: a fundraiser for the club.

Jasmine Corner, Belfast/Dunmurry

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
M03001