four provinces

The Republican People Of Greater Ballymurphy

Extramural Activity1 Comment

m08868

“This monument was erected by the republican people of greater Ballymurphy in proud and loving memory of all those volunteers from the area who gave their lives in the fight for Irish freedom.” Volunteers McParland, Kane, Maguire, Meehan, Sloan, McCormick, Campbell, Magee, Dougal, McCrudden, Clarke, Parker, Quigleey, Mulholland, O’Rawe, McGartland, Mulvenna, Pettigrew, Bryson, Teer, Stone, McGrillen, Tolan, McWilliams, Delaney, O’Neill, Jordan, Doyle, McCracken, McGeown. “Unveiled by Gerry Adams 12th May 1985. I ndıl cuımhne [chuımhne] i gcónaí ag na poblachtánaıgh ón cheantar Barr Cluanaí. Also in memory of the civilians who died at the hands of the British Army, RUC, UDR, and loyalist extremists.” The launch date of 1985 refers to the plaque’s former location in Glenalina Road (seen in 2001 and 2002).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
M05578 [M05581] [M05582] [M05579] M05580
2012 [M08866] [M08867] M08868

Tá Ár gCultúr Beo

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Tá Ár gCultúr Beo (“Notre culture est vivante/La nostra cultura e viva/Our culture is alive”) was painted by Mo Chara Kelly with help from the local youth. The red parts of the mural use a translucent medium that Kelly had become acquainted with while painting in the United States (An Pobal A Phéınteáıl 10) that allow additional figures from modern Ireland (left) and Celtic Ireland (right) to be seen. The winged figure (repeated four times) is a heron that he found in a book of Celtic designs while serving time in Long Kesh.

The mural was the first of four projects in Springhill facilitated by the Upper Springfield Development Trust as part of a “West Belfast Arts & Heritage Trail” (as per the plaque just out of view to the right) or “Public Arts Trail”.

Springhill Avenue, Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
M05566 [M05567] [M05568] [M05569] [M05570] [M05571] [M05572] [M05573] [M05574]

The Roddy McCorley Society

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Images from the grounds of The Roddys club, Glen Road, Belfast, with memorials to McCorley (“In memory of Rody McCorley who was hanged here for his part in the rising of 1798 ‘The dead who died for Ireland, let not their memory die””), the deceased 1981 hunger strikers, the earlier 20th century hunger strikers (Thomas Ashe, Michael Fitzgerald, Terence MacSwiney, Joseph Murphy, Joseph Whitty, Denis Bary, Andrew Sullivan, Tony D’Arcy, Jack McNeela, Sean McCaughey, Michael Gaughan, Frank Stagg), Lenadoon deaths (Tony Henderson, Tony Jordan, John Finucane, Laura Crawford, Brendan O’Callaghan, Joe McDonnell, Mairead Farrell, Bridie Quinn, Patricia Black), Billy ‘Red’ Higgins founder member/president of the club, IRA volunteers from Lenadoon, “to the Irish men and Irish women who gave their lives in the rebellion of 1798”. Roddy McCorley, a Protestant member of the United Irishmen, is best known by the song written about his hanging at the bridge of Toome in 1800. (Here’s a version by Tommy Makem.)

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2010 Peter Moloney
[M05532] M05533 [M05540] M05541 M05542
[M05536] [M05537] [M05538] M05539 [M05534] M05535
[M05543] M05544 M05548 M05547 M05545 M05546
M05550 [M05551] M05552 M05553

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]

Óglach Raymond McCreesh

Extramural Activity1 Comment

IRA volunteer Raymond McCreesh, originally from Camlough, died on May 21st, 1981, after 61 days on hunger strike. “In proud and loving memory of ten brave Irish soldiers who died on hunger strike in 1981 for their five just demands. I gcuımhne ar ıobaırt [íobaırt] cróga na staılceoırí ocraıs 1981 ní dheánfar [dhéanfar] dearmad orthu.”

Taghnevan Drive, Lurgan

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2009 Peter Moloney
[M05406] [M05407] M05408

They Were Faithful And They Fought

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The main plaque (shown first above) is new; like its predecessor (see M02186)  list of the local dead of the IRA 1st battalion, Belfast brigade and related members of the republican movement. (A shorter list is on the plaque to the left, shown second.) There is also a 200th anniversary plaque for the 1798 rebellion: “1798-1998 Who Fears To Speak Of 98. This plaque was erected to the memory of the United Irishmen who gave their lives for Irish freedom also those who died as a result of the Great Hunger. ‘These are the times that try mens’ souls.’ [- Thomas Paine] The rich always betray the poor.’ – Henry Joy McCracken.” The memorial garden is next to the Andersonstown Social Club (a.k.a. the PD or “People’s Democracy”).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2009 Peter Moloney
M05152 [M05153] [M05156] M05157 M05154 [M05155]
2010 [M05793] [M05792] [M05791]

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

Léana An Dúın – Unbowed, Unbroken

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Cú Chulaınn stands dying, an inspiration to republicans fighting against the British (rather than Queen Medb), including those Lenadoon locals whose portraits adorn the apex: Tony Henderson, John Finucane, Tony Jordan, Brendan O’Callaghan, Joe McDonnell, Laura Crawford, Maıréad Farrell, Patricia Black, Bridie Quinn (Bridie O’Neill in the previous version of this mural).

Repainted, with a plaque on the right that reads, “This mural, dedicated to the patriot dead of Lenadoon, was unveiled by Gerard O’Neill, Easter 2009.”

See also the Cú Chulaınn Visual History page.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2009 Peter Moloney
M05134 [M05132] [M05133]