The shamrock and the poppy. The Young Citizen Volunteers formed a battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles and so part of the 36th (Ulster) Division during the first world war.
Benburb Street, Belfast
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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
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“Families Against Supergrass Trials demand human rights and justice!” The trials of fourteen (alleged) UVF members began in September, using supergrass witnesses (BBC | Guardian). A FAST banner is here seen in Spier’s Place. Extramural has images of the banners in Donegall Pass, Mount Vernon, and Newtownards Road. [The trial would largely collapse in February, 2012 (Guardian)]
For the mural on the left, see UVF Roadblock At Donaghadee; for the memorial on the right, see They Paid The Ultimate Sacrifice.
Spier’s Place, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
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“Welcome to west Belfast”. West Belfast is portrayed as a place of music, sport, and dancing, whose landmark buildings and streets are under the watchful eye (and sword) of the goddess Érıu.
The image of the little boy with the “I [heart] Belfast” stickers and a bag of sweets, standing in the waste ground of Divis flats, is a photograph from the early days of Féıle An Phobaıl/West Belfast Festival.
On the Divis Street side, characters in the style of cartoonist Cormac (see e.g. Notes) are “Promoting west Belfast tourism” for “Fáılte Feırste Thıar”, “www.visitwestbelfast.com“. The attractions touted are: “Bop at the August “fleadh”. “Craıc agus ceol” (for Robert Ballagh’s dove coming out of the concrete block, see Féile An Phobail 2008), “The only thing you have here is “choice”. Tar ısteach agus (lıg do scíth)”. “Baın sult as. Tá mé ag éısteacht le Raıdıó Fáilte 107.1 FM”, “For more ideas on things to do, visit Oıfıg Fáılte at An Chultúrlann. There’s really nice food there too! at Caıfe Feırste”, “If it’s history you want go on a cemetery tour “City or Milltown””, “Enjoy a walk on ‘Slıabh Dubh’ (The black … … mountain)”, “Make sure you visit the “Irish republican history museum” at Conway Mill” (with ‘Long Kesh University Of Freedom’ sweater; “Sinn Féin touts” is not a sweater but graffiti.)
Some in-progress shots from May and July can be seen in the Seosamh Mac Coılle collection.
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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
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The ten deceased 1981 hunger strikers were preceded in the 1970s by two prisoners who died in English prisons: Michael Gaughan (d. 1974 WP) and Frank Stagg (1976 WP). Posters depicting these two, along with the Proclamation and the Tricolour, lie on the grass. The larger of the two quotations here is from Stagg: I want my memorial to be peace with justice.
The protesters on the left date back to a 1981 poster which was used on the very first mural – for both, see I’ll Wear No Convict’s Uniform.
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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
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“End forced strip searches, end internment [at] Maghaberry concentration camp”. Republican prisoners are held in the Roe House at Maghaberry. Several republican prisoners (as many as five) are conducting a “dirty protest” in response to conditions and treatment, including integration with loyalist prisoners (Irish Echo | BBC). The green ribbon as an emblem goes back to the campaign after the ceasefire to release POWs – here is a mural from 1995.
Divis Street, on the “International” wall.
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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
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This is a late-life shot of the mural at the corner of Hugo Street. There are now two windows in the mural, graffiti has been blacked out across the lower third, and the mural on the side wall (to the left of image) has gone completely.
You can track its history to this point by comparing this image with those from 2006 | 2002 | 2001.
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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
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“Vol. Kieran Nugent – the first blanketman. ‘I’m not a criminal – the Brits will have to nail prison clothes to my back.'”
This mural was originally launched in February surrounded by a selection of posters from the era (see The First Blanketman and for close-ups see the post at Extramural). These have all now been stripped away and the red background (which was present for the previous mural – see Ciarán Nugent) has been repainted.
Rockville Street, Belfast
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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
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“Vol Eamonn Lafferty killed on active service at this spot on the 18th Aug 1971 by Crown forces whilst defending his community. Eamonn was just 19 years old. Fuaır sé bás ar son na hÉıreann. Erected by the Eamonn Lafferty [Sınn Féın] Cumann [Fb]” Lafferty was killed in a gun-battle between the Derry Brigade and British Army forces who were attempting to dismantle barricades in republican “Free Derry”. The mural and plaque shown (and a headstone) are situated — as the mural states — in the location where he was killed, in Creggan’s Kildrum Gardens. (His body is buried in City Cemetery.)
This mural replaces a simpler mural at the same location – see Eamonn Lafferty. The headstone remains as before.
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Copyright © 2011 Peter Moloney
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A second plaque has been added to the mural of Patrick Mulvenna and Jim Bryson and the mural itself has been refreshed: the lark in the apex has been replaced by funeral trappings and the knot-work frame has been painted over.
“In proud and loving memory of Óglach Patrick Mulvenna, shot dead by British crown forces near this spot while an active service, 31st August 1973, and of his comrade Óglach Jim Bryson, also shot and died of his wounds, 22nd September 1973. Belfast Brigade Óglaigh na hÉıreann. I measc laoachra na nGael go raıbh sıad.”
Ballymurphy Road, Belfast
For the other, original, plaque and the original mural, see Bryson-Mulvenna.
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Copyright © 2013/2011 Peter Moloney
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‘Nebula’ is Free Derry Corner as re-imagined by four street/graffiti artists from the US, including L.A.’s Man One (web), who described the thinking behind the piece.
FDC has its own Visual History page.
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Peter Moloney Collection 