“In proud and loving memory of Vol. Robert McCrudden, Belfast Brigade, murdered by British Crown Forces, 3rd August 1972, aged 19 years. Ní dhéanfaıdh muıd dearmad [gur] fuaır sé bás ar son saoırse na hÉıreann. Remember Our Volunteers Committee 19th August 2012”
649 Springfield Road, west Belfast. McCrudden is also included in a mural in the nearby Divismore Way.
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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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Memorials in Ardoyne Martin Meehan, Sammy McLarnon, Thomas ‘Bootsey’ Begley, Seamus Morris and Peter Dolan.
Martin Meehan joined the IRA in 1966 and was one of a few IRA volunteers defending Catholics in Ardoyne (Ard Eoın) in August 1969. Rioting did not cease there until the 16th, when British troops were finally deployed to the Crumlin Road to block mobs coming from the Woodvale and Shankill. Meehan resigned after the failure of the IRA to defend Ardoyne, Clonard, and Divis. This Magill article from the time summarises the IRA’s actions as “late, amateur and uncertain”. (Meehan would later rejoin the IRA and PIRA.)
“This memorable [sic] plague [sic] is dedicated to the 1st victim of the present troubles, Sammy McLarnon, RIP, who was brutally murdered in his own home at 37 Herbert St by the RUC on 15th Aug., 1969.” For more, see this Irish Times article about a 1999 community inquest.
Thomas “Bootsey” Begley died when a bomb he was carrying into a fish shop on the Shankill Road exploded. The bomb killed Begley and nine others [plaque]. The plaque above was unveiled in Ardoyne on October 20th, 2013 – twenty years after the event – to protests from relatives of the deceased (BBC-NI).
“Justice for the Craigavon 2” – this is the first piece in the Peter Moloney Collection about the campaign to release the pair convicted for their part in the murder of Stephen Carroll (BBC).
Finally, the Morris-Dolan plaque is brand new, unveiled August 11, 2013, in Etna Drive/Corán An Ardghleanna (in Ard Eoın). Seamus Morris and Peter Nolan were shot by the Protestant Action Force (UVF) twenty-five years ago, in August 1988. It reads “Brutally murdered for their faith … by loyalist death squad aided by British crown forces. Never forgotten by family and friends.”
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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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“They may have stole our banner but they will never steal our culture.” The banner in question was on the fencing in the street (see Welcome To Loyalist Linfield Road) but wound up on a CNR bonfire in Divis; the wider context is the on-going disputes over the routes established by the Parades Commission for Orange Order marches.
Linfield Gardens, south Belfast.
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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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“Anti-Racism World Cup. In memory of Dick O’Neill, Springfield Road, who fell [in the Spanish Civil War] at Jarama 14th February 1937, and, William Beattie, Wilton Street, Shankill Road, who fell at Brunete 23rd July 1937. No Pasarán!” Both towns are near Madrid. The flags are those of the International Brigade and the Irish Citizen Army.
See also the other tribute to the cross-community draw of International Brigade: Break The Connection With Capitalism.
The Anti-Racism World Cup is a soccer tournament held at the grounds of Donegal Celtic. See East Meets West.
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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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The South Belfast UDA/UFF commander John McMichael (1948-1987) was killed by an IRA car bomb. In addition to organising a team of assassins in the 70s and 80s, he founded a Political Research Group and wrote two documents proposing an independent Northern Ireland, 1979’s Beyond the Religious Divide and 1987’s Common Sense (available at CAIN), promoting the philosophy of ‘Ulster nationalism’. The quote on the board comes from the end of the Introduction to Common Sense:
“There is no section of this divided Ulster community which is totally innocent or indeed totally guilty, totally right or totally wrong. We all share the responsibility for creating the situation, either by deed or by acquiescence. Therefore we must share the responsibility for finding a settlement and then share the responsibility of maintaining good government.”
“One man, one love, one country. Commonsense. In loving memory. Quis separabit.” “A Coy” “Old Warren”
The Smallwoods plaque is the same but the trio of boards is new, as compared to 2010.
Drumbeg Drive, Lisburn.
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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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“In proud and loving memory of Vol. Gerard [Gerald] McDade, Belfast Brigade, Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann. Murdered by British Crown Forces 21st December 1971, aged 23 years. NÍ dhéanfaıdh muıd dearmad [gur] fuaır sé bás ar son saoırse na hÉıreann. Remember Our Volunteers Committee, 17th December 2011.”
McDade was staff captain of 3rd battalion. He was stopped on foot in Ardoyne (where he is also remembered) and was shot while trying to run off (Belfast Child). This plaque, in Beechmount Road, was mounted for the fortieth anniversary of his death.
The plaque is on the whitewashed gable that was previously the site of a mural to volunteers Liam “Bulmer” McParland, Billy Carson, Liam Mulholland, and Sean Doyle – see Ballymurphy Resistance.
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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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A small engraved plaque showing the shop-front of Frizzell’s fish shop has been added to the memorial on the Shankill Road. The upper tablet was seen previously in Frizzell’s.
Another such engraving can be found on the Mountainview Bar/Tavern, commemorating the 1975 bombing and gun attack there in which five people were killed and 60 injured (WP).
Three more Shankill bombings are commemorated in Shankill Atrocities.
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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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These plaques are on the front of Cumann Pobaıl Mhachaıre Botháın/Marrowbone Community Association, in memory of two long-time community-workers.
“Teach Christine. Erected in memory of Christine (Bap) Beattie, a dedicated friend and community worker to all in this area.”
“Máırtın Ó Dochartaıgh 1968-2011. Is cuma mura mbím beo ach lá agus oíche amháın fad agus go mbíonn lomrá [ıomrá] ar mo chuıd eachtraí ı mo dhıadh. [It is of no matter whether I live only a single day and night so long as my endeavours gain repute after I am gone.] Máırtín will be greatly missed by his family, friends and colleagues in the youth and community organisations in the Marrowbone and across Belfast.”
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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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“In memory of Jim Sloan and James McCann, killed near this spot by British forces on the night of 3rd/4th February 1973. Always remembered by the people of the New Lodge Road.”
“In memory of Tony (T.C.) Campbell, Brendan Maguire, John Loughran and Ambrose Hardy, killed near this spot by British forces on the night of 3rd/4th February 1973. Always remembered by the people of the New Lodge Road.”
Two of the New Lodge Six (James Sloan, James McCann) were killed by the UDA outside a bar and four (Tony ‘TC’ Campbell, Ambrose Hardy, Brendan Maguire, John Loughran) were among the crowd that gathered, killed by British Army snipers from their positions on top of the flats, using night-vision sights, February 3rd-4th, 1973.
New Lodge Road, Belfast
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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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“Tıonaladh [tıonóladh] óglaıgh na hÉıreann ıns an halla seo seachtaın na Casca 1916 ullmhaıthe chun troda ar son saoırse tíre nó chun báıs a fháıl dá mba gá é. [Irish volunteers were assembled in this hall in Easter week 1916, and were readied for a fight for the country’s freedom, or to die, should it be necessary.] This plaque is erected to commemorate the assembly of Irish volunteers in this hall Easter 1916 prepared to give their lives for Irish freedom.”
For the story of the aborted role of the northern volunteers, see Treason Felony.
Barrack Street, Coalisland.
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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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