social

Respect Equality

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The People Before Profit Alliance is an all-Ireland political party closely related to the Socialist Workers Party. In the north, candidate Gerry Carroll was elected to Belfast City Council in 2014, representing Black Mountain. Gay rights does not seem to form an explicit part of the platform, but the mural above, featuring a heart with the rainbow colours, appeared on Divis St in time for the Pride parade on August 1st.

See also: Cherish from Sınn Féın.

Divis Street, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12714

Cherish All The Children Of The Nation Equally

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The 1916 Proclamation Of Irish Republic includes the sentence “The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all of the children of the nation equally, and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien Government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past.”

At the time, it had a political meaning, but it has since been pressed into service by advocates of children’s right and now, in the board above, by supporters of gay rights. James Connolly (leader of the Irish Citizen Army) and the text of the declaration are shown against a backdrop of the gay pride rainbow flag.

Launched 2015-07-31 at the site of the former Andersonstown RUC barracks (Visual History)

For the trio of boards to the right, see Ceartas Anoıs/Time For Justice.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Sarcoma Awareness

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For a second year, Free Derry Corner is painted yellow as part of “Paul’s Campaign” for “Sarcoma awareness” – named after Paul Coyle who died of the disease at age 26 in 2011.

In the bottom left is a short poem: “Wear the colour yellow/Wear it proudly on your breast/Brightly show the bystanders/Our campaign it will not rest//Our fight is to highlight a disease/So harmful and so vile/To ignore it is to encourage it/To rid our face of smiles//So brightly wear that yellow/Don’t turn your face away/Raise awareness of sarcoma/Consign it to yesterday!”

Free Derry Corner has its own Visual History page.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Ask Gerry

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“Sınn Féın protects paedophiles – ask Gerry”. The reference is perhaps to Brendan Curran’s allegations about the party covering up abuse by a Catholic priest (Indo) and the “ask Gerry” part a reference to Liam Adams’s 2013 conviction and the investigation into whether his brother, Gerry Adams, had withheld information about it (Guardian).

Stanley’s Walk, Derry

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12520

Cross Of Crosses

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“The Cross Of Crosses – marking 45 years of conflict in Northern Ireland 1969-2014. Let this be the year the conflict ends. Sponsored by: George McIlroy, IGNITE 2014”

The sculpture, which contains 45 small crosses, was designed by Ross Wilson.

Between the security gates on Northumberland Street, west Belfast.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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One Big Union

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A “historical wall feature” was unveiled in January (BBC) by the Shared History Interpretive Project (SHIP) (web | Fb) on the outside of the Dockers’ Club in Pilot Street in Sailortown. The new piece is a montage of about 60 images of vintage photographs, a census form, and posters of industrial life. In the top-middle there can be seen an image of the board this one replaces, which featured two carters pulling away a heavy load.

Another addition in the work is the inclusion of Billy McMullen (1888-1982) and John Quinn (1876-1935) alongside Winifred Carney (1887-1943), James Connolly (1868-1916), and Jim Larkin (1876-1947). Both McMullen and Quinn are Belfast trades-unionists. Quinn’s headstone in Milltown Cemetery can be seen in Forgotten In Life, Remembered In Death.

Pilot Street, Sailortown, north Belfast

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Equality For Travellers

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This is a mural in support of travellers’ right, featuring horseshoes, musical notation, and a child looking out of a vintage caravan. Sponsored by West Against Racism Network (WARN) and Springfield Charitable Association (SCA – web)

The image that the artists were working from for central portion of the mural – a 2009 photograph by Mark Stedman – can be seen still taped to the wall.

International Wall, Divis Street (Visual History)

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Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
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