painted wall

James Magennis

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VC (Victoria Cross) recipient James Magennis was the only person from Northern Ireland awarded the VC for action during WWII (WP). Although the mural is in loyalist Tullycarnet, Magennis was a Catholic, born in west Belfast, though he lived for a time in Castlereagh. Produced with help from the Tullycarnet Action Group Initiative Trust (TAGIT). The mural takes the place of an Eddie The Trooper mural (see Eddie’s Visual History page). There is a large memorial to Magennis in the grounds of Belfast City Hall.

Kings Road, Dundonald.

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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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2011 [M06481]

Release The Political Hostages

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“We have achieved peace, we have maintained peace – now stop the injustice: release our political hostages.” “Dedicated to Mark Rice”, a Tullycarnet resident who was jailed for 20 years for possession of an assault rifle used in the attack on Sean Graham bookmakers on the Ormeau Road in February 1992 (Relatives For Justice). To the left of centre, a red fist smashes through an Irish tricolour; a tricolour is also worn by the volunteer in the crosshairs.

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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
M02935

RMS Titanic

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“Her name is publicly announced in April 1908. Designation begins in March 1909. On May 31. 1911, the Titanic was launched here in Belfast, April 10, 1912. She left Southampton for New York. April 14, 1912 disaster struck in the North Atlantic ocean, 1523 people lost their lives in the disaster, 705 passengers and crew survived.” “This mural is respectfully dedicated to the men, women and children who lost their lives in the waters of the North Atlantic on the night of April 14, 1912: to those who survived – whose lives from that night on were forever altered; and to those who built the Titanic [at Harland and Wolff]. We forget them not.”

Pictured in the centre of the mural is Captain Edward John “Ted” Smith.

Dee Street, Belfast. Replaces an earlier Titanic mural.

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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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Mickey Devine

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“It’s hard to know what way to behave when a friend and a comrade is slowly dying on Hunger Strike just a few cells away, everyone of course tries to put on a brave face and act normal but both he and we know that it is only make believe. We’ve organized story telling and sing songs to keep up his moral[e], ours too, but it’s hard, very hard. It won’t be long now until he’s taken away to join the other Hunger Strikers in the prison hospital and then?

Well it seems that only slow terrible death awaits them all. We try to shout words of encouragement but what can you say to a dying man[?] The screws for their part keep him as isolated from us as possible and go out of their way to taunt and belittle him, yet in their midst he, like his comrades is a giant. If they even had one ounce of their courage if even they had a spark of decency, decency from these who have tormented us all these years? Compassion from these who have made all this suffering necessary?

No, not even a friendly word, not even a word of sympathy during the long days and nights of agony but then neither he nor we expect it. We know only too well that these people have been put here to torment and persecute us and they have done their job well but not well enough. They have served their British masters, the poor pathetic fools, they think that inhumanity and cruelty can break us, haven’t they learnt anything? It strengthens us, it drives us on for then more than ever we know that our cause is just.

Bobby Sands, Frank Hughes, Patsy O’Hara and Raymond McCreesh hunger for justice, they have suffered all the indignities that a tyrant can inflict yet still they fight back with their dying breath. Only a few yards from here, four human skeletons lay wasting away and still the fools the poor pathetic fools cannot break them. Even death will not extinguish the flames of resistance and this flame will without doubt engulf these who in their callousness and in greed have made all this necessary. Britain you will pay!”

“He died as he lived – a republican socialist. Remember his sacrifice with honour and pride.”

Chemical Street, east Belfast

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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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Neamhcromtha, Neamhbhrıste

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“Unbowed, unbroken.” This is a version of the earlier Éıre/Ireland mural (depicted as a female in the centre of the mural) seen in 2005.  Portraits of 18 local republicans are included, beginning with Charlie Monahan and Murtagh McAstocker. This mural is similar to the earlier one on the shop gable (which had 16 portraits).

The plaque to the left reads “Dedicated to the memory of the volunteers of B company 3rd battalion Belfast brigade Óglaıgh na hÉıreann who died fighting for an Irish socialist republic. Fuaır sıad bás ar son saoırse na hÉıreann.”

Mountpottinger Road, Short Strand, east Belfast

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Copyright © 2006 Peter Moloney
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