Derry republican and RNU (web) spokesperson Tony Taylor was released under the conditions of the Good Friday agreement. He was jailed for three years in 2011 for possession of a rifle. His license was revoked in March (2016) and he was returned to prison on the grounds that he poses a danger to the public. Both RNU/Cogús and Sınn Féın have called for his release. (Irish News)
Berwick Road, Ardoyne, north Belfast
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Copyright © 2016 Peter Moloney
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Érıu/Éıre of the Tuatha Dé Danann, queen of Ireland, (as depicted by Richard J King) is at the centre of various representations of republican women.
Along the top are Ann Devlin, Betsy Gray, Mary Ann McCracken, Countess Markievicz, Nora Connolly?, and Winifred Carney. Suffragettes, the modern IRA, and Cumman Na mBan are depicted, as are Máıre Drumm at the Falls Curfew, Tom McElwee’s sisters carrying his coffin, and Molly Childers and Mary Spring Rice running guns on the Asgard. There is also an unusual ‘four provinces’ in the corners.
The wide shot (below) shows a 1916 centenary (“céad blıaın”) board: “Ag fíorú na poblachta”.
Rockmount Street, above the James Connolly trade-unions mural
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Copyright © 2016 Peter Moloney
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repainted knot-work on the right in front, form July 8th, 2016:
detail shots, from August 9th, 2025, December 15th, 2025, and March 26th, 2016:
December 15th, 2025, portraits on small boards being added to either side of the (temporarily removed) proclamation:
July 31st, 2025:
July 14th, 2025:
May 5th, 2025:
Arrayed against the forces of the British Army (which are shown laying siege to the Dublin GPO during the Easter Rising in armoured cars and in sniping positions in the foreground of the mural, along the whole length of the wall) are various symbols of Irish nationalism:
Oliver Sheppard‘s 1911 statue of Cú Chulaınn dying (see the Visual History page);
the pikemen of the 1798 Rebellion;
the four provinces of Ireland;
Érıu the mythological queen of Ireland/Éıre as designed by Richard J King/Rísteard Ó Cíonga;
Easter lilies;
the emblems of Na Fıanna Éıreann and Cumann Na mBan on either side of a quote from (The Mainspring) Seán Mac Dıarmada, “We bleed that the nation may live; I die that the nation may live. Damn your concessions, England: we want our country”;
a phoenix rising from the flames of the burning Dublin GPO (inspired by Norman Teeling’s 1998 painting The GPO Burns In Dublin);
the GPO flying an ‘Irish Republic’ flag;
portraits of signatories and other rebels — (left) Padraig H. Pearse, Thomas J Clarke, Eamonn Ceannt, Thomas MacDonagh, (right) Countess Markievicz, James Connolly, Sean MacDiarmada, Thomas Plunkett;
the declaration of independence, placed over the advertising box of AA Accountants – see the in-progress shot below.
At the very bottom is a quote from the mother of painted Gerard ‘Mo Chara’ Kelly, Harriet Kelly: “We want the freedom of our country and your soldiers out.”
McQuillan Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2015/2016 Peter Moloney
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details
Sig M13842
Cú M12906 [M12627] [M12587]
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Ireland M12709 [M12628]
Érıu M12708 [M12586]
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Dec 15th: Portraits M12904 [M12702] [M12701] wide M12903
July 31th: M12629 M12626
July 14th: M12580 [M12581] [M12582] [M12583] M12584 [M12585]
May 5th: M12551
The Bogside will rise again in 2016.
Meenan Square, Bogside, Derry
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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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This is a replacement version of the gallery of “Clonard Martyrs” above the memorial garden, seen previously in 2011. The central phoenix is now in red (rather than green) and the background imagery has been removed but the roll of honour remains the same:
Left: Dan Duffin, Seán McCartney, Tom Williams, Gerard McAuley, Peter Blake, Seamus Simpson, Seán Johnston, Seán Gaynor, Pat Duffin, Gerard Ó Callaghan, Seamus Burns, Danny Ó Neill, Tom McCann.
Right: Gerard Crossan, Seán Ó Riordan, Martin McKenna, Liam Hannaway, Jim McKernan, Dan McCann, “dedicated to the memory of local republican, Billy Davidson”, Tony Lewis, Joe McKenna, Brian Dempsey, Finbarr McKenna, Seán Savage, Prıonsaıs Mac Áırt.
For many of the stones and plaques, see Clonard Martyrs, Who Have Resisted And Still Resist, and Deceased Republican Prisoners.
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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Here is a close-up of the the middle of the Hunger Strike board above the Clowney Street phoenix (which is the Oldest Mural in Belfast) seen previously in 2013.
For an image of the writing – “Bobby Sands murdered 1.17 am. 5th May 1981. ‘My position is in total contrast to that of an ordinary prisoner: I am a political prisoner.”” – see the Homer Sykes collection. The quotation is from Sands’s ‘The Lark And The Freedom Fighter’ (pdf).
For “Thirty thousand can’t be wrong” see this episode of Thames TV’s ‘TV Eye’ (youtube).
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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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April 1st:
The Bobby Sands mural in Sevastopol Street has been given a facelift, including the blocking-up of a vent on Sands’s left cheek. Kieran Doherty and Joe McDonnell have been added in place of the 1798 medallions on each side. On the side-wall are Sean McCaughey, ten doves representing the 1981 hunger-strikers, and Long Kesh. Aerosol‘s accordion-player stencil has been also been retained, on the right.
For a full history of the wall, see the Bobby Sands (Sevastopol Street) Visual History page.
The ‘Slí Na Gaeltachta’ plaque off to the left reads:
Ag sráıd Sevastopol cuımhnıtear ar Bobby Sands ı múrmhaısıú a aithnıtear ar fud an domhaın. Ba scrıbhneoır, file, réabhlóıdí agus díograıseoır Gaeılge é Sands. Fuaır sé bas 5 Bealtaıne 1981 tar éıs 66 lá ar stailc ocraıs. As ucht na dıograıse a thaıspeáın Sands agus a chomhchımí ı leıth fhoglaım na teanga faoı choınníollacha uafásacha Bhlocanna H na Ceıse Fada, spreagadh glúın úr chun dul ı mbun athghabháıl na Gaeılge.
Here at Sevastopol Street Bobby Sands is remembered in a mural which has become world-renowned. Sands, a writer, poet, revolutionary and Gaelic enthusiast, died on May 5th 1981 after 66 days on hunger strike. Sands and his fellow prisoners inspired a new generation to reclaim the Irish language enthusing them by the huge efforts they put into learning Irish in the horrendous conditions on the H Blocks of Long Kesh.
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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Slí: M11752 [M12516] [M12517]
in prog: M11749 [M11750] [M11751]
RNU (Republican Network For Unity) mural at the top of Berwick Road (Paráıd An Ardghleanna) featuring the words of Maıréad Farrell, one of the PIRA members shot on Gibraltar.
“Everyone tells me I’m a feminist. All I know is that I’m just as good as others … and that especially means men. I am definitely a socialist and I am definitely a Republican. I believe in a united socialist country, definitely socialist. Capitalism can offer our people nothing and yet that’s the main interest of the British in Ireland.”
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Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
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1ú Caṫlán Oırṫear Tıreoın Óglaıġ Na hÉıreann [more typically “Tír Eoghaın”; 1st battalion east Tyrone IRA]
“Beannaımıs spıorad do-ċlaoıte na laoċra atá ına luı ıns na huıgheanna seo.” [We bless the indomitable spirit of the heroes who are buried in these graves.] “do-ċlaoıte” appears to be a Connacht form of “do-ċloíte”, meaning “indomitable”, “indefatigable” (Focaıl Fholaıthe).
The volunteers named on the various stones are Patrick Kelly, Patrick Vincent, Kevin Murray, Patrick Quinn, Patrick Carty, Seán Loughan, Patrick McDonald.
Kelly was killed in the Loughgall ambush – see the Loch gCál/Loughgall tribute mural in west Belfast (also a smaller mural in north Belfast).
Vincent was the driver of the lorry in the Clonoe Ambush.
Murray and McDonald were “killed in action” in 1974 (Fb).
Quinn was “killed in action” in 1973, along with Daniel McAnallen (Fb).
Loughan and Carty were “killed in action”, along with Dermot Crowley, in June 1973 (An Phoblacht).
The flat stone with the phoenix reads: “Romantic Ireland never dies!/O’Leary lies in fertile ground./And songs and spears throughout the years/Rise up where patriot graves are found.”
St Malachy’s churchyard, Coalisland Road, Edendork.
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Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
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“RNU in west Belfast are today leading the way in combating anti-social behavior [sic], reclaiming republican values, fighting the benefits cuts, tackling the increased drug problem, exposing the slum landlords, rebuilding community pride.” RNU [Republican Network for Unity (Xitter)] stencil on Northumberland Street. Tommy Doherty (leaflet) is running in the local council elections taking place on May 22nd.
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Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
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