The ‘Revolution 1916’ exhibition commemorating the Easter Rising opened on February 27th at the Ambassador theatre in Dublin, “the city that fought an empire”. Images of some of the pieces on display can be seen in this An Phoblacht article.
In addition to the artefacts and recreated locations, two murals were painted by three Belfast artists depicting Irish culture and the republican struggle throughout the ages, from Nuada to the blanket protest. (Here is video of DD talking about the murals – youtube.)
The PD/Cumann Sóısıalta Bhaıle Andarsan/Andersonstown Social Club was one of the early stops for the travelling version of the ‘Revolution 1916’ exhibition that was hosted by the Ambassador theatre – see Revolution 1916.
The mural immediately above was painted to accompany the exhibition, reproducing the left-hand grouping from Walter Paget’s Birth Of The Irish Republic and putting the Proclamation in the background. For Paget’s original drawing and other versions of it, see the drawing’s Visual History page.
The new plaque (added to the memorial garden) reads, “1916 – 2026. We serve neither king nor kaiser, but Ireland. This plaque was erected to the memory of the men and women who give their lives in the fight for Irish freedom. “Apostles of freedom are ever idolised when dead but crucified when alive.” – James Connolly.” [from 1898’s The Men We Honour]
Also featured are Roger Casement and Winifred Carney, and a long-standing plaque to Danny Burke and Jack McCartan, former managers of the club who were “murdered by the British Army on these premises” (An Phoblacht).
The walls at South Link, Andersonstown, have been painted with three new murals for the centenary of the Easter Rising.
The large piece shows a succession of Irish rebels. It begins (top left) with the rebellion of 1798 and then to the Easter Rising of 1916 at the GPO in Dublin. In the lower left, a pious Padraıg Pearse awaits his execution with rosary beads in hand. There are then shown female figures from Cumann Na mBán and the IRA (see previously: United Irishwomen and Cumann Na mBan Centenary), and then Maıréad Farrell in Armagh Women’s Prison. In the bottom right corner there is a blanketman. The busts of Bobby Sands and Joe McDonnell float above the GPO and the last verse of Sands’s The Rhythm Of Time form the epigraph: “It lights the dark of this prison cell, it thunders forth its might, it is the undauntable thought, my friend, the thought that says, “I’m right”.
In the corner, “realising the Republic” celebrates the centenary (“Céad Blıaın 1916 – 2016”) of the Easter Rising and shows a copy of the proclamation of the republic and an Easter lily.
The third wall shows the seven signatories of the 1916 Proclamation of the provisional government of the Irish Republic. From left to right: Joseph Plunkett, Sean MacDiarmada, Thomas Clarke, James Connolly, Padraıg Pearse, Éamonn Ceannt, Thomas MacDonagh.
Shepard Fairey used Mannie Garcia’s AP photo of Barack Obama for his ‘Hope’ poster of the 2008 US Presidential election (WP). The three-quarter profile, faraway look and four-tone shading have been repurposed for the board, shown above, in east Belfast: a boy gazes beyond Samson and Goliath, the Harland & Wolff cranes, backgrounded by a sunburst: “Dream, Seek, Educate, Achieve!”
Painted by Dee Craig in Susan Street, east Belfast
The saying “You’re never too old to set another goal or dream another dream” is attributed to east-Belfast-bred C.S. Lewis — shown here on the right — though we are unable to find any record of him saying or writing these words; instead it might be be a motivational speaker called Les Brown. In the rest of the piece, young people play in the grounds of Queen’s University and Belfast City Hall.
16 towns and town-lands of south-east County Antrim are named in this recent UFF mural: Rathcoole, Rathfern, Monkstown, Shore Road, Whitewell, Glengormley, Greenisland, Carrickfergus, Whitehead, Ballycarry, Ballyclare, Larne, Newtownards, Antrim, Antrim, Ballymena, Braidside.
This mural was painted in late summer, 2015, on a wall that had been blank since at least 2008. In 2006, it bore a UDA mural, for which see M03060.
Here is a new mural of the “Rathcoole Elite” unit (1st Batt., B. Coy) of the Red Hand Commando, complete with four masked men each bearing weapons. Founded in 1970, “To this day our principles remain the same: to protect the loyalist community, to retain our Britishness. It is not for glory or riches we fight but for our people. Lamh Dearg Abu.”
The small plaque reads, “This mural is dedicated to the memory of Volunteer Norman Williamson, born 7-7-1955, died 2-7-1991. Gone but not forgotten.”
“We salute all volunteers at home and on the mainland who served with dignity and pride.”
The mural shows two hooded volunteers — from the UVF’s 3rd [north] Belfast battalion and 1st east Antrim battalion – aiming rifles.
The central plaque to Colin Caldwell has been retained from the previous mural and both Caldwell and Marky Quail are named on the ribbons painted around the building’s columns.
A poppy cross has been added to the UVF memorial mural and plaque at Spier’s Place. The accompanying plaque reads “This poppy cross is in memory of three men who were murdered by republican murder gangs close to this spot. William Marchant died 28th April 1987, David Hamilton died 16th June 1994, Trevor King died 9th July 1994.” For some background, see Ordinary People, Extraordinary Roles.
