Four deaths have been added to the memorial plaque in St James’s Road, west Belfast, which commemorates locals from the area who died at the hands of the police and army.
The plaque dates back to (at least) 1986, and originally named Rooney (civilian), Liggett (IRA), Waterson, McDonald (civilian), McGrady (civilian), Larmour (civilian), Burns (IRA), and Brady (SF).
To these have been added McAllister (civilian), Devine (civilian), O’Dwyer (civilian), and Burns (IRA).
See also: The area’s main memorial garden also includes O’Callaghan (d. 1977 IRA) and Lenaghan (d. 1991 civilian). Next to it is a mural to Liggett And Brady.
This large electrical sub-station, painted on all four sides, is in Ballyduff, Newtownabbey.
First: David Lee was a founder, in 1985, of Pride Of The Hill Flute Band in Carnmoney/Ballyduff. Kris Muckle – now deceased – was a long-time member. (Fb)
Second: Translations of Psalm 60.4 vary, but it is something like “You (the Lord) have given those who fear you a banner so that they will not flee before your arrows”, which might work quite well alongside a Union jack. But in fact, the lines on the side of the sub-station come do not come from Psalm 60.4; they are rather the first stanza of a 1902 poem (earliest found mention), The UnionJack, by Edward Shirley, in Little Poems For Little People:
‘Tis thy flag and my flag, the best of flags on earth; Oh, cherish it my children, for ’tis yours by right of birth. Your fathers fought, your fathers died, to rear it to the skies; And we like them will never yield, but keep it flying high.
Third and fourth: “They paid the ultimate sacrifice”. WWI soldiers from the 36th (Ulster) Division in relief against an orange sky (perhaps “at the going down of the sun”), picking their way across the battlefields of Flanders. The Ulster Memorial at Thiepval, which commemorates the 5,000 lost lives and more specifically the role of Orange Order members, is shown in the top left corner of the smaller wall. The plaque commemorates members of the modern UVF “1st East Antrim Battalion, Ballyduff & Glengormley”.
“Purity in our hearts, strength in our arms, truth in our lips.” Here are images from the launch of the new Fıanna tarp at the top of Berwick Road (Paráıd An Ardghleanna) on Easter Saturday (April 19th). The tarp is an RNU tribute to four teenaged members of Na Fıanna Éıreann who died in 1972: Davy McAuley, Josh Campbell, Josie McComiskey and Bernard Fox – all four from Ardoyne/Ard Eoın. McAuley died of a gunshot wound, perhaps at a Louth training camp (Nelson McCausland). Campbell was shot in Eksdale Street in a gun battle with the British Army; McComiskey was shot in Flax Street in a gun battle with the British Army; Fox was shot by the British Army in Brompton Street. (Close-up of the plaque.)
“Young Newton – in memory of our fallen comrades [centre:] Volunteer R. Warnock, W. Warnock, A. Petherbridge, K. Watters, G. Reid” [left:] “R. McCreery, V. Dougherty, J. Moore”, [right:] “R. Algie snr, T. W. Black snr, P. McCreery”. The “P. McCreery” name, “Always remembered”, and the border of poppies are new compared to the 2009 image of this memorial garden.
“This memorial is dedicated to the memory of the fallen Officers, NCOs and Volunteers of Number 4 Platoon, A Company, 1st Belfast Battalion, Ulster Volunteer Force. It serves as a tribute to those who fell while actively engaging the enemy from service having fulfilled their duties to the end. Their names and deeds are eternally venerated by their comrades in arms who continue to serve humbly in their honour. ‘They went with songs to battle, they were young,/Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow,/They remained staunch to the end against odds uncounted,/They fell with their faces to the foe.’ [Binyon’s ‘For The Fallen’]”
The Ballybeen memorial garden contains stones/plaques to 36th (Ulster) Division (WWI), Ballybeen Red Hand Commando, Dundonald UVF, East Belfast UVF, East Belfast Red Hand Commando.
UVF: “This memorial is dedicated to all the brave men who lost their lives fighting militant republicanism. Their courage and sacrifice will be remembered for evermore. ‘At the going down of the sun/And in the morning/We will remember them’ For God and Ulster.”
RHC: “This memorial is dedicated to the memory of the brave men who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. We will remember them. ‘Glorious on the graves of heroes/Kindly upon all those who have suffered for the cause/Thus will shine the dawn.’ [Winston Churchill, radio broadcast on October 21, 1940, entitled Dieu Protège La France.] ‘They gave their tomorrow for our today.’ [John Maxwell Edmonds’s memorial epitaph] Lahm [sic] derg [sic] abu [sic]. Lest we forget. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.” (Wilfred Owen)
“In proud memory of our fallen comrades from the Nelson Drive flute band. Glorious on the graves of heroes, kindly upon all those who have suffered for the cause. Thus will shine the dawn. They gave their tomorrow for our today.” The words in italics are from a Winston Churchill radio broadcast on October 21, 1940, entitled Dieu Protège La France. The final, more familiar, phrase is John Maxwell Edmonds’s memorial epitaph. The 10th battalion of the Inniskilling Fusiliers, in the 109th brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division, was called “The Derrys” (web).
Reaction to the death (on Monday, April 8th) of Margaret Thatcher, U.K. Prime Minister 1979-1990 (WP), in an alley below Divis tower, between Divis Street and Clonfaddan Crescent.
Also in Clonfadden Crescent can be seen a plaque commemorating the opening of “Divis Development Phase 1” by “Gerry Adams M.P” on May 16th, 1991. “Bua an phobıal” [“Bua an phobaıl”, “The community’s victory”] It took thirteen years of campaigning before the Executive agreed to knock down the old flats in 1986 (Alfaro & Roulston 2021).
“Mol an óıge agus tıocfaıdh sí” – “youth responds to praise”, such as when playing in the annual Easter Gaelic games tournament, now in its eighth year. Joe Cahill (WP) holds the cup aloft.
The group in the bottom left corner are Pat O’Hare, Frank Cahill, Tom Cahill, (the three Cahills were featured in the previous mural) Ned Maguire, Jr., Ned Maguire, Sr., Alec Crowe, Paddy Meenan, Tommy Crowe, Dal Delaney, and Hugh Elliot.
In the crook of Cahill’s arm are Rita McParland, Sean Wallace, Paddy Corrigan, John Pettigrew, and John Stone. None of these adults is still alive; all were from the local area.
The chalet bungalows in the background on the left are gone, but you can see images of them on the Belfast Forum.
The plaque on the left names others in addition “who assisted, resourced and gave selflessly to the republican cause”: Billy Kelly, Alice Cush, Kate Campbell, John Mulligan, Mary Mulligan, David Mulhern, Margaret Mulhern, John Clarke, Margaret Farrelly, Marie Williams, Kevin Sullivan, Michael Rock, John McColgan, Bridget Maguire, Martin Maguire, Sally Corrigan, Sonny O’Reilly, Maggie McArdle, Jimmy McArdle, Kathleen Wallace, Maragret McGuinness, John Flanagan, Maisie McGuckian, Charlie McGuckian, Anthony Muldoon, Jim Logue, Ellen Weir, Liam Mackie, Oliver McParland, Sadie McMahon, Tommy Crowe, Maddie Holden, Sarah Doyle, Jimmy Doyle, Kathleen Pettigrew, Mary Cushnihan, Bell Cosgrove, Gerry Campbell.
