painted wall

Wani Waci Yelo

Extramural Activity1 Comment
M01753+

“Wani waci yelo ate omakiyayo” is the opening line of a Lakota healing song (here is a version from Robbie Robertson‘s album Contact From The Underworld Of Redboy) meaning “I am praying because I want to live”. The supplicant in this case is Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of killing two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1975 and sentenced to two life-sentences (WP). “Saoırse do Peltier” = “Freedom for Peltier”. “Sign up on line http://www.LeonardPeltierDefenseCommittee”.

Divis Street, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2002 Peter Moloney
M01753 [M01754]

Segregation For Irish POWs

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This is the first full mural from the IRPWA in the Collection (after a 2001 flag in Derry and some 2002 writing in Belfast). It calls for segregation in Portlaoise, Maghaberry, and English jails.

Divis Street, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2002 Peter Moloney
M01758 [M01760]

Bietan Jarrai

Extramural Activity3 Comments
M01752+

“Bietan jarrai” is the slogan of ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna [Basque Country and Freedom]) and means “Keep on with both”, referring to the snake (politics) and the axe (armed struggle). “Borrokarako dei eginaz irrintzi bat dabil” means “the call to battle is a piercing one” from the song Batasuna. “Tıocfaıdh ár lá” is Irish for “Our day will come”.

Divis Street, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2002 Peter Moloney
M01752

Murdered By SAS Cowards

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“David Devine, Michael Devine, Charles Breslin – murdered by SAS cowards.” The three IRA members, aged 16, 22, and 20, were shot by SAS soldiers while returning arms to a dump in a field outside Strabane on February 23rd, 1985. The incident prompted accusations of a ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy, as there was no attempt at arrest.

Springhill Park, Strabane

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Copyright © 2002 Peter Moloney
M01722

No More Human Shields

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The names of portraits of the ten deceased 1981 hunger strikers, plus Frank Stagg and Michael Gaughan, are on six of the seven New Lodge “houses” (high-rise buildings), two per house. Other slogans have appeared just below them, such as the “No more human shields – Brits out” shown in the first image, below the portrait of Bobby Sands on Teach Eıthne (perhaps a reference to the Army positions on top of Teach Mhéabha (Maeve House) and Teach Gráınne?). There are some more images in the Seosamh Mac Coılle collection.

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Copyright © 2002 Peter Moloney
M01697 M01692 M01698 M01699

New Lodge Then And Now

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This pair of murals, on the New Lodge Road, Belfast, contrasts life for young people in the “1900s” to life in “2000”. Instead of working (and dying – in the headlines from the Irish News) in mills, they work in fast-food restaurants and drive black taxis (and suffer unemployment, suicide, and anorexia – again, in the newspaper), and instead of playing in the streets and wrapping themselves in blankets, they sit on walls and drink.

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Copyright © 2002 Peter Moloney
M01693 M01694