“Ballymurphy Massacre – August 1971 – We demand the truth.” The portraits of the 11 dead (Quinn, Mullan, Connolly, Teggart, Philips, Murphy, McCarthy, Doherty, Laverty, Corr, McKerr) are on the left; the bulk of the board shows the killing (from the direction of Springmartin) of Father Hugh Mullan in waste ground near Springfield Park.
Springfield Road, west Belfast. For the Ballymurphy Massacre panels, see this 2010 entry.
“The Mass Graves Of Ireland – with over 1,500,000 deaths sorry is not enough. It is time for the British government and its war machine to leave Ireland and its people in peace.” “This mural is dedicated to the men, women and children who died of starvation during the Great Hunger [An Gorta Mór]. To call this period in Irish history [1845-1852] a famine dishonors the pain and untold suffering our ancestors endured. British warships took the food of our land for profit while our people starved. It was genocide. With this truth told, may they rest in peace.” “Escorting food shipments thru Royal Canal and Grand Canals to Dublin for export to England 17th, 32nd, 45th, 66th, 13th dragoons (whence the term goons).” “During the genocide of 1845 to 1852 the British government seized from Ireland’s producers tens of million of head of livestock, tens of millions of tons of flour, grain meat, poultry and dairy products enough food to sustain 18 million people. 200,000 British troops (100,000 at any given time) and 12,000 RIC removed Ireland’s food at gunpoint.”
This 2009 memorial garden in Owenroe Drive, Bangor caused controversy when built using Housing Executive funds as it was intended to commemorate only the dead of WWI. In addition, it contains headstones to members of the UDA (on which Cuchulainn is invoked as a “defender of Ulster”), RHC, and UVF (BelTel).
Whitehill, Bangor, mural commemorating Jim Johnston, Stephen Pollock, Thomas (“Kaneo”?) Kane of the Red Hand Commando. Johnston was shot in 2003 (Guardian); all three are presumably post-peace deaths associated with the Pride Of Whitehill flute band (Fb).
“Justice for Gerry. No to Diplock courts. Stop the show-trial. Your support is needed.” Gerry McGeough was arrested in 2007 for the attempted murder of off-duty UDR soldier Sammy Brush. His trial took place in February, 2011 and republicans rallied to support him (Fb); he would be convicted and sentenced to 20 years, of which he would serve 2 (WP).
“Dr. William Drennan 1754-1820 patriot & radical, born in the Manse on this site [the grounds of First Presbyterian in Rosemary Street]”. For an account of the unveiling, including a profile of Drennan, see Ulster History Circle.
Peter Moloney Collection 