painted wall

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger For Justice

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M00131+

A hunger-striker lies in bed praying with rosary beads and bathed in beams of light coming from the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

(Painted by Con, who describes the mural as an attempt to break through with nationalists (as distinct from republicans), though one source says “by a Ballymurphy man, named something like Tim Skillen/Skelly”.)

Rockmount Street, west Belfast

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Copyright © 1981 LC
M00131

Ireland’s Cross To Bear

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M00121+

M00122+

Here are four panels on Beechmount Avenue (Belfast) in 1981 depicting (from left to right) Ireland in the grip of a fist with a Union Flag cufflink, a prison guard whose mouth holds prison bars, a naked figure in a tricoloured scarf crucified on a Union Flag, and Ireland carrying a cross “Made in Britain”.

At least three of the original images are by Jack Clafferty, a founder member of the Troops Out Movement, and can be found on-line.

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Copyright © 1981 LC
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Incident At Narrow Water — In Progress

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M00103+

M00102+

M00101+

Here are three images of a Rockville Street (CNR west Belfast) mural being painted in 1981, depicting (one part of) the IRA’s 1979 ambush of the British Army at Narrow Water Castle, near Warrenpoint (WP), on the same day that Louis Mountbatten was killed (see previously: 13 Gone But Not Forgotten).

Images of the completed mural are in a separate entry.

For interpretation of the piece, see Visual History 4 – Paramilitary Murals (1981-1982).

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Copyright © 1981 LC
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The Final Salute

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M00116+

The first names of six hunger-strikers — Bobby, Francis, Patsy, Raymond, Joe, Martin — on a ribbon held by a tricoloured phoenix against a sunburst, flanked by Starry Plough and Tricolour and volunteers firing a final salute. The ribbon would be expanded to include the first names of all ten 1981 hunger strikers – see the Paddy Duffy Collection.

Painted by Con in Rockdale Street, west Belfast.

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Copyright © 1981 LC
M00116

Venceremos

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M00115+

“Venceremos” is a Spanish Civil War slogan meaning “we will win (or: overcome)”, here alongside Irish revolutionaries armed with rifles and machine guns against a background of tricolour and sunburst.

Slemish Way/Andersonstown Road, Belfast

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Copyright © 1981 LC
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