painted wall

James Buchanan

Extramural Activity3 Comments

James Buchanan was “15th US president 1857-1861.” Buchanan’s father, also called James, was born in Ramelton, Co Donegal, and was living in Co Tyrone when he emigrated to the United States from Derry in 1783, (one of the “250,000 Ulster-Scots [who] emigrated to America in the 1700s”). James junior was born in 1791, the second of eleven children.

The confusion over the wording of the quote – “My Ulster blood is my most priceless [or simply: a priceless] heritage … [and I can never be too grateful to my grandparents from whom I derived it.]” – is matched by confusion over who said it (Buchanan junior or senior?); the source of the quote is unknown. Likewise we do not know where in Scotland the grandparents might have come from and perhaps the move to Ireland happened much earlier.

There is a similar mural to Buchanan in west Belfast. See also the Visual History page on Ulster-Scots murals.

Ebrington Street, Londonderry

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Copyright © 2003 Peter Moloney
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Cearta Teanga, Cearta Daonna

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Pobal is a non-profit community development organisation. The mural above is in support of Irish-language rights. “Cearta teanga, cearta daonna – Language rights are human rights”, “An Ghaeılge thart tımpeall oraınn – Irish is all arond us”, “Ní mór an Bılle Ceart tosca saınıúla na Gaeılge a chur san áıreamh – The Bill of Human Rights must reflect the unique circumstances of the Irish language.” Brighton Street, Belfast

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Copyright © 2003 Peter Moloney
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Basque And Irish Youth Independence And Socialism

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In Basque: “Euskai eta irlandur gazteria etorkizunagatik borrokan” (“Basque and Irish youth are fighting for the future”). “Éılíonn óıge na mBascach agaus na hÉıreann saoırse agus sóısıalachas”(“Basque and Irish youth demand freedom and socialism”).

Segi (“follow”) is a proscribed organisation in the EU on account of its ties with ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna). It maintains fraternal ties with the youth wing of Sınn Féın.

Andersonstown Road, Belfast

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Copyright © 2003 Peter Moloney
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The Felons

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The [Irish republican] Felons’ Club or Cumann Na Méırleach Poblachtach Éıreannach (Fb | tw) in 2003. The club was described by Danny Morrison for The Guardian in 1999; despite his pessimism, the club survives to this day (2017).

Falls Road, west Belfast.

Featured previously: an Easter Rising mural inside the club.

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Copyright © 2003 Peter Moloney
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Collusion Is State Murder

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Here are four boards/murals (from Glen Road, Andersonstown Road, Andersonstown Road, and Shaws Road) calling people to a march and rally against collusion on August 10th, 2003. Two include a vintage poster of Margaret “Thatcher – wanted for state murder.”

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Copyright © 2003 Peter Moloney
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Denver Smith

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“In memory of a dear friend.” UVF volunteer Denver Smith was killed in the early morning of January 1st, 2000 by a gang of six men with machetes and pikes; the incident was perhaps drugs-related (Guardian | BBC-NI. For the wider picture An Phoblacht | Irish Times).

Parkhall Road, Antrim with kerbstones in the colours of the UVF.

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Copyright © 2003 Peter Moloney
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