painted wall

March, 1988

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March 2013 is the 25th anniversary of the Michael Stone’s attack on mourners attending the burials of the Gibraltar 3 in Milltown cemetery. Stone killed three people. The mural (in-progress images) combines images of mourners taking shelter from Stone’s attack with the civil war memorial in Ballyseedy, Co. Kerry (WP) which was famously connected to the Gibraltar 3 in a mural prepared for the return of the coffins to Belfast – see A Legitimate Right To Take Up Arms. (Here is a copy of Tragedies In Kerry.) The Gibraltar 3 are portrayed on the left; Stone’s victims are on the right. In the top right is an IRA volunteer who had been shot two days earlier, on the night that the coffins of the Gibraltar 3 arrived in Belfast.

1988 puts us firmly in the era of video, and so you can see footage on youtube relating to each of these events. In chronological order:

Death On The Rock, a famous Thames Television production about the SAS killings of IRA members Maıréad Farrell, Danny McCann and Seán Savage on March 6th in Gibraltar.

Michael Stone’s attack on mourners at their funerals in Milltown cemetery, March 16th, which killed Thomas McErlean, John Murray, and IRA member Caoımhín Mac Brádaıgh (Kevin Brady).

The funeral of IRA member Kevin McCracken on March 17th (he had been killed on March 14th) at which British Army corporals Wood and Howes were killed.

For the small Marian Price piece to the left, see Another Victim Of British Injustice. These pieces together replace the Relatives Action Committee mural, later with Marian Price poster. 

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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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Another Victim Of British Injustice

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“Free Marian Price – another victim of British injustice.” For background, see the initial post of Marian Price slogans, from June 2011.

For the painted “Free Marian Price” posters added to most of the Divis Street murals in 2012, see Scaoıl Saor Marian Price.

On the International Wall, Divis St.

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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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The Generations Shall Remember Them

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For the fortieth anniversary of their deaths (during 1972), five young volunteers from the lower Falls are remembered: Daniel McAreavey, Joseph McKinney, Jimmy Quigley, John Donaghy, Patrick Maguire (real name Patrick Pendleton). Maguire, McKinney and Donaghy died together in an explosion (Oct 10); Quigley (Sept 29) and McAreavey (Oct 6) were shot. For further details of the how these five met their deaths, see among others Lost Lives by McKittrick et al. (Archive.org | Amazon UK | US). Biographies of the five begin at 7m46s in this history of D Company.

Quigley holds a copy of James Connolly’s 1910 pamphlet Labour in Irish History.

Video of the parade and unveiling on Sunday (Oct 7th, 2012) on youtube. The in-progress shot is from October 3rd, 2012.

“‘They shall be spoken of among their people and the generations shall remember them and call them blessed’ – P H Pearse”, from ‘The Mother‘.

Divis Street, Belfast

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Brian Stewart

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“In loving memory of Brian Stewart aged 13, murdered by a British Army plastic bullet. Born 13th October 1963, died 10th October 1976. Erected by Brian’s family and friends.” Brian Stewart died six days after being hit by a plastic bullet fired by the King’s Own Scottish Borders near his Turf Lodge Home. He was buried three days later, on October 13th – what would have been his fourteenth birthday. (For the long search for justice, see sister Marie Stewart | sceptic peg | saoirse32).

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Implement The Aug 2010 Agreement

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“H-Block 1981, Maghaberry 2012”, “End forced strip searches”, “End controlled movement”, “Stop the torture of Irish political prisoners.”

The “August 2010 Agreement” is an agreement reached between prisoners and authorities about treatment in Roe House, an exclusively republican wing in Maghaberry. The tower beyond is the Springfield Rd police station. 

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Our Demands Most Moderate Are

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The sixteen-year old Sınn Féın Trade Union Dept mural has been replaced (though the plaque remains in the top right-hand corner) with another mural featuring James Connolly but with a new quote, from his 1907 poem: “Our demands most moderate are/We only want the earth.” The Irish Worker headline reads “Belfast ITGWU organiser Connolly gets 905 votes municipal elections”, referring to the municipal elections of 1913 – Connolly stood in the Dock Ward (SIPTU).

Rockmount Street, Belfast

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Never Actually Existed

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Marty Lyons is shown adding the WARN emblems to an otherwise-completed mural on the International Wall, Divis Street.

On the left, an Irish family in front of a window reading “No Irish need apply” is stereotyped as jagged-toothed, shillelagh-wielding hunch-backs in the style of Punch and other magazines’ portrayal of the Irish. The Punch portrayal is described, and Punch named explicitly, in the song ‘Do Me Justice’ a.k.a. ‘Here I Am From Donegal’. (Lyrics | audio: Frank Harte (full song) | Len Graham (clip).) They also carry a copy of “The Big Begorra” – a play on The Big Issue, a newspaper published on behalf of, and sold by, homeless people. “We’re projections of 19th century anti-Irish prejudice—we’ve never actually existed.” 

The treatment of the Irish is used as an anology for the the Roma (WP): “Whereas I, ethnoid steriotypus their creator, have existed since time immemorial. My latest target—the Roma! I hope you’ll swallow all the lies I concoct.”

“Hey—what was the outcome of the harassment of the Roma newspaper sellers?” “The evening edition collapsed!” – this is a reference to the Belfast Telegraph‘s decision to cease printing an evening edition.

In the lower right is the signature of political cartoonist Ian Knox, a.k.a. Blotski (WP) – Marty Lyons and a Short Strand artist were also involved – and date (9 August, 2012 – for Féile 2012 (pictures of the launch).

Divis Street and Falls Road, Belfast

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Local History From Local People

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“Get the real story – local history from local people – take a black taxi tour – West Belfast Taxi Association – 40 years unbroken service”. The tours of “local” history are of course aimed at non-locals as part of the ‘dark tourism’ or ‘Troubles tourism’ boom.

Here is the Getty Images photo of British Army soldiers on the Falls Road in 1969, on which the mural is based.

Divis Street, Belfast

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Solidarity POWs

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This mural expresses solidarity between Irish republican and Palestinian prisoners of war. It was painted by Carlos Latuff, a Brazilian political cartoonist, in collaboration with a local artist. There’s a picture of them in front of the mural, as well as Latuff’s cartoon version, here. He also drew a cartoon on the wall of a café in Belfast and visited Derry.

Northumberland Street, west Belfast

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