painted wall

Many Have Eyes/Who Next

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M00284 Blucher St 1985+

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These two murals — one about censorship (“Many have eyes but cannot see?”) and one about the death by platic bullet of Sean Downes (“Sean Downes RIP — Who Next” see this NYTimes article for a description) — are adjacent to one another in Blucher Street, Derry. “Many Have Eyes” is based on a poster from the May 1968 Paris Uprising, “Information Libre” (below).

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Copyright © 1985 Peter Moloney
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Mıse Éıre

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A dolmen, standing stones, designs from Newgrange, an illustration from a celtic manuscript, and the warrior Cú Chulaınn (Visual History) surround some lines from Padraig Pearse’s poem Mıse Éıre
“Mıse Éıre, sıne mé na [sic – ná] an ċaılleaċ béara [sic – ḃéara],
Mór mo ġlóıre, mé a rug ċúċulann cróga.
Mór mo náıre, mo ċlann féın do díol [sic – a ḋíol] a máṫaır.
[Mór mo ṗıan, bıthnaıṁde do mo ṡíorchıapaḋ.
Mór mo ḃrón, d’éag an dream ınar ċuıreas dóċas.]
Mıse Éıre, uaıgní mé na [sic – ná] an ċaılleaċ béara [sic – ḃéara].”

Or, in English:
“I am Ireland: I am older than the Hag of Beara.
Great my glory, I who bore brave Cú Chulaınn.
Great my shame, my own children that sold their mother.
[Great my pain, my irreconcilable enemy who harasses me continually.
Great my sorrow, that crowd, in whom I placed my trust, decayed.]
I am Ireland, I am lonelier than the Hag of Beara.”

The wide shots show both Chamberlain Street murals, Mıse Éıre and the Firing Party mural featured previously.

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Copyright © 1985 Peter Moloney
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The Destructive Talents Of The RUC

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The plaque in the rop corner (shown in the final image) reads: “This mural was designed & painted by the creative talents of Derry republicans. … It was vandalised by the destructive talents of the RUC & British Army”. The mural showed six raised arms, carrying (from left to right) a paintbrush, a spanner, coloured pencils, an armalite, a book, and a placard reading “Tıocfaıd[h] ár lá” and a full version of Bobby Sands’s quote is on the side wall: “Everyone, republican or otherwise, has his or her own particular part to play. No part is too great or too small. No one is too old or too young to do something.” A number of paint bombs have been thrown at the mural and graffiti added, describing Sands as “slimmer of the year, ha ha” and saying “Fuck the IRA”.

Westland Street, Derry.

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Copyright © 1985 Peter Moloney
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Three Volunteers

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M00254 Strabane Old Rd 1985+

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Portraits of IRA Derry Brigade members Danny Doherty, Willie Fleming, and Ciaran Fleming (all three from the Top Of The Hill in Derry’s Waterside) above a painted tricolour. Doherty and W. Fleming died in an SAS ambush on the grounds of Gransha hospital (WP). Ciaran was drowned attempting to escape the SAS after a bombing attack gone wrong (WP). 

Strabane Old Road, Gobnascale, Derry.

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Copyright © 1985 Peter Moloney
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Derry Not Londonderry

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The busts of the ten dead hunger strikers are shown on a background of Starry Plough and Irish Tricolout flags, alongside a piece of graffiti reading “Derry not Londonderry.” The Fianna Eireann board was previously featured separately in 1983. Rossville Street, Derry.

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Copyright © 1984 Peter Moloney
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