These hand-drawn BRY/RIRA murals are a montage of many traditional republican symbols, such as Celtic FC, the Easter lily, Bobby Sands, an assault rifle, the Tricolour and a crude island of Ireland. Plus support for Basque separatists ETA. “CRF” = “Catholic Reaction Force”?
Dove Gardens, Derry
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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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These two Provisional IRA boards – one memorial, one “active”, both with assault rifles – are almost facing each other in The Square, Coalisland.
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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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These three images are from the electricity pole at the edge of the graveyard on Newry Road, Crossmaglen. First is a south Armagh IRA roll of honour, listing 20 volunteers’ names: McVerry, Boyle, Jordan, Campbell, Lochrie, McKiernan, Cleary, Harvey, McElvenna, Caherty, McCreesh, Moley, Caraher (Fergal and Francie), Duffy, Martin, Daly, Watters, Toner, and Rogers.
Second, on the back of the poles, “Caution – radiation area” refers to anomalies in animal births, allegedly due to radiation from British Army towers (An Phoblacht | Daily Ireland). There’s also a flyer protesting “political policing – democracy under attack”.
Finally, a Calor gas is modified with republican graffiti: “Built by robots, flown by dummies, taken out by 2nd Batt. barrack-busters.” The incident celebrated is a 1994 IRA mortar attack on a British Army helicopter at the Crossmaglen barracks (CAIN | WP page on the incident). The mortar used a Calor Gas tube, though not the one shown here (WP page on the mortar).
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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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This vintage mural was in Kilcoo, Co Down. It seems that an Easter lily was paint-bombed and graffitied over with “IRA” and “saoırse” stencils.
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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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Here is a wide shot and some details of the two-part mural in Hugo Street, seen in progress in 2001 and completed in 2002. On the left is a depiction of the funeral of Joe McDonnell; on the right, posters and protesters from the time of the hunger strikes.
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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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Two small boards, to the “Official republican Movement” and “James Connolly 1868-1916” join the Liam McMillen board previously seen in 2001.
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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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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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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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“Honour Irelands dead – wear an Easter lily”. On the left, the volunteer’s rifle is muzzle down, as at a graveside.
Mountpottinger Road, Short Strand, east Belfast
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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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“Unbowed, unbroken.” This is a version of the earlier Éıre/Ireland mural (depicted as a female in the centre of the mural) seen in 2005. Portraits of 18 local republicans are included, beginning with Charlie Monahan and Murtagh McAstocker. This mural is similar to the earlier one on the shop gable (which had 16 portraits).
The plaque to the left reads “Dedicated to the memory of the volunteers of B company 3rd battalion Belfast brigade Óglaıgh na hÉıreann who died fighting for an Irish socialist republic. Fuaır sıad bás ar son saoırse na hÉıreann.”
Mountpottinger Road, Short Strand, east Belfast
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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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