A Poisonous Legacy

“British Army/RUC impunity – a poisonous legacy. 40+ years of British Army/RUC impunity, 351 dead, 4 prosecutions of soldiers. A police force that didn’t investigate, a prosescution service that didn’t prosescute, a judiciary that didn’t convict, an army that re-admitted convicted murderers, and successive governments that denied the murder of hundreds of [?interned?] civilians.”

The Poisonous Legacies conference was held in Derry’s Guildhall on June 14th and 15th 2013, organised by the Pat Finucane Centre and the Bloody Sunday Trust (pdf report).

This board is on the rear of Free Derry Corner.

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Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
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No 4 Platoon

“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’]”

In the top left Carson is shown reviewing the Ulster Volunteers (and on top of the weapons beneath it, a cloth cap and WWI helmet) and in the top right are an old show of strength photograph and the former mural in this spot (with paramilitary cap and balaclava beneath).

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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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Fight To A Finish

“Éamonn Ceannt quote, Kilmainham Jail 1916. “I leave for the guidance of other revolutionaries, who may tread the path which I have trod, this advice: never treat with the enemy, never to surrender to his mercy but to fight to a finish.” East Tyrone remembers.”

This is a 1916 Societies (.ie) placard on the disused barracks in Plater’s Hill/Lineside Coalisland Plater’s Hill, Coalisland. See previously: Never Treat With The Enemy.

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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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Gach Vóta Luachmhar

“Important/Tábhachtach – Faıgh do vóta/Get your vote. Is everyone in your house on the electoral register? Gach vóta luachmhar…/Every single vote counts …” This is a generic electoral board encouraging voter registration (for Sınn Féın voters, at least) as there are elections scheduled until the local and European votes in May, 2014.

For the mural above, see The Final Salute.

Whiterock Road, west Belfast.

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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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For Me There Will Be No More War

Here are three of twenty new panels on the Donegall Road bridge over the railway.

The post on the mural to James Magennis in Tullycarnet provides background information on him.

A letter home from the Somme: “How I love you all. I wonder what you are doing at home. I must not do that. It is hard enough sitting waiting. We may move at any minute. When this reaches you for me there will be no more war, only eternal peace and waiting for you.” July 1st, 1916 saw the start of the Battle Of The Somme. The 36th (Ulster) division lost over 5,000 men in an initial successful attack near Thiepval Wood, but were driven back that evening.

Ulster suffragettes: “Women have been trained to speak softly and carry a lipstick. Those days are over.” (Bella Abzug). The board shows a picture of women drumming up an audience for a suffragette meeting in the Ulster Hall in November 1912. The image in the bottom right is of Emmeline Pankhurst being arrested in London in 1914; the top image is of Pankhurst on tour in the US in 1913 (LoC; see Pieces Of History for a description of the tour; she gave a speech entitled ‘Freedom Or Death’). Pankhurst spoke in Belfast at the 1912 meeting, though the speakers advertised on the placards are “Mrs Charlotte Despard, Miss Irene Miller, Mrs Edith How-Martyn, Miss Alison Neilans“. The first suffrage group in Ireland was the North Of Ireland Women’s Suffrage Society, founded in Belfast in 1872 by Isabella Tod. See also Belfast’s Infamous Prison for information about suffragettes held in Crumlin Road Gaol.

For a complete set of panels, see north side and south side.

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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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100th Anniversary Of The Formation Of The Ulster Volunteer Force

“100th Anniversary Of The Formation Of The Ulster Volunteer Force 1913-2013”, flanked by two large emblems, reading “Last Post Great War Society – 36th (Ulster) Division” and “Ulster Volunteer Force, west Belfast”.

Above the courtyard of the Rex Bar, Moscow Street, west Belfast.

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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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A Sword Bathed In Heaven

South Belfast MP Robert Bradford was assassinated by the Provisional IRA in Finaghy at a meeting with constituents; the caretaker of the community centre, Ken Campbell, was also killed by the fleeing attackers. Taking place in late 1981, with the hunger strikes having ended only a month before, the killing was noted around the world and raised fears of broad civil unrest (BBC | NYTimes). The board immediately above replaces an earlier mural to Bradford on the gable wall that now hosts the large board shown above, commemorating the Siege Of Derry and specifically the “Apprentice Boys Of Derry No Surrender Club” of south Belfast.

Oak Street.

Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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1688 – 1689, April 18 to July 28 played a key role in the victory of the Williamite forces in Britain and other parts of Europe. The success of William III and the Glorious Revolution effectively stopped the rise of a tyrannical Empire under Louis XIV of France and his ally the deposed king of England, James II. The theory of the divine right of Kings was replaced by reforms created by King William III and Queen Mary, establishing the supremacy of parliamentary democracy and its freedoms which continue to this day. during the war of the three kings showing the jacobite fortifications and position of the boom across the foyle gold mask of the sun king vita veritas victoria protestant nobles stewart dynasty prince of orange convention parliament abdicated battle of the boyne kingdom of england scotland ireland londonderry toleration of roman catholics dissenters cousin dutch citizens walls of derry but the cry was siege of 105 days duly initiated in apprentice boys’ memorial hall shutting of the gates rules and ritual roaring meg siege key
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my role is to say harsh things oft-times, but to bathe the sharp sword of my word in heaven, to temper what I say with love and lead people from their folly to a life of fuller service with their king for seven violent year from 1974 to 1981 unionist mp for south belfast an outspoken champion for liberty in ulster unafraid to speak his mind despite the danger he faced daily from terrorist death threats finally they murdered him while he was on constituency duty doing the special work god had called him to do one of the worst political assassinations in recent british history sent shockwave around the world

Release The Duffy 3

This board on Rossville Street, Derry, originally named only “Colin Duffy”. It was then modified for Marian Price and again for Martin Corey. It now reads “End internment by remand and release the Duffy 3 now!” The “Duffy 3” are Colin’s brothers Paul and Damien and cousin Shane, who are charged with collecting information of use to terrorists (BelTel).

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Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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One Man, One Love, One Country

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.

Copyright © 2013 Peter Moloney
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