stone

The Great War

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The memorial garden in Mount Vernon, which previously had and Ulster Volunteers mural and UVF stone, has undergone a major redevelopment this year (2015) with a new “cut-out” mural to the 36th (Ulster) Division and stand-alone memorial plaques to six UVF (3rd Belfast Battalion) members who were listed the plaque on the outside wall of the garden. “Murdered in the service of Ulster: Joe Shaw 18-5-1974, Samuel Frame 13-3-1976, Jackie Irvine 16-3-1989. Colin Caldwell 28-11-1991, Bertie Rice 31-10-2000, Mark Quail 1-11-2000.”

“We salute also all volunteers at home and on the mainland who served with dignity and pride.”

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12161 [M12162] [M12163] [M12164] [M12165] [M12166]
M12167 M12168
M12169 M12170 M12171 M12172 M12173 M12174
M12159 M12160 [M12175]

Topper Thompson

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“In memory of Topper Thompson, murdered by British death squads, 27th April 1994 aged 25. Deeply missed by never forgotten. Erected by his friends.” Paul Thompson was shot by a UDA gunman through a hole that had been cut in the security fence and about which the RUC had been notified earlier in the day (Relatives For Justice).

This is the second memorial to Thompson in Springfield Park, west Belfast. See the illustrations to chapter seven of Painting My Community for photos of the original memorial and of a march alleging collusion in Thompson’s killing.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12696 M12695

Join The Revolution

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

These images are from the front yard of Costello House, the Falls Road home of the IRSP. Top, “Belfast RSYM [Republican Socialist Youth Movement] – join the movement”. Immediately above, “In memory of the Irishmen who fought against fascism with the XV International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939. No pasaran. ‘Through the mists of time they will never be forgotten.’ Erected by the Irish Republish Socialist Movement.”

See also the plaque to Seamus Costello.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12682 [M12683] [M12684] M12685

Loyal Stoneyford

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is a gallery of images from the village of Stoneyford, ten miles north of Lisburn. The view in the final image is from the cross-roads at north end of the village, with the brazier next to the WWI memorial visible on the right, and the nameplate on the fence on the left. The Orange Hall is in the middle of the village. The village was a centre for the small anti-Agreement organisation the “Orange Volunteers” (WP).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M11859
M11853 M11855 [M11856] M11857 M11858 M11860 M11861 M11862 [M11863] M11864 M11865 M11866 M11867 M11868 M11869
M11854

Highland Fusiliers

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“On March 10th 1971 at this place three young Scottish Soldiers of the Royal Highland Fusiliers were murdered by republican terrorists. Fusilier John McCaig aged 17, Fusilier Joseph McCaig aged 18, Fusilier Dougald McCaughey aged 22. Always in our hearts. Never forgotten.” The trio were were lured by the IRA from a city-centre pub to their deaths in Ligoniel in 1971 (WP). The stone is frequently vandalised (BelTel | BBC | STV | BBC). 

White Brae/Squire’s Hill, Ligoniel, north Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M11803 [M11804] M11805

Suaımhneas Síorraí Dóıbh

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here are a number of republican pieces from Roslea/Rosslea, Co Fermanagh:

“In proud memory of Vol. Bobby Sands MP Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann. Elected by the people of this constituency 9th April 1981. Died after 66 days on hungerstrike 5th May 1981. ‘I’ll wear no convict’s uniform/Nor meekly serve my time/That Britain might brand Ireland’s fight/Eight hundred years of crime’. Fuaır sé bás ar son saoırse muıntır na hÉıreann.”

Sands’s poem The Rhythm Of Time is at the centre of portraits of the twelve dead hunger strikers in the Troubles era; the board was mounted in 2011 for the thirtieth anniversary of the 1981 strike. The text at the bottom includes this line: “The use of the hunger-strike by Irish republicans began when James Connolly, while imprisoned during the 1913 ‘lock-out’, went on hunger strike.”

“This monument was erected on the bicentenary of the 1798 rebellion in memory of John Treanor 24-4-1797, Bernard McMahon 12-10-1797, Patrick Smyth 12-19-1797, John Connolly 12-10-1797, Connie Green 26-11-1955, Tony Ahern 10-5-1973, Seamus McElwain 26-4-1986. Suaımhneas síorraí dóıbh. [eternal rest [be] upon them] ‘To break the connection with England the never failing source of all our political evils, and to assert the independence of my country’ – Wolfe Tone, August 1796 [‘An Argument on Behalf of the Catholics of Ireland by a Northern Whig’, September, 1791]”

Church Street and Finn Park, Roslea/Rosslea

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12473
M12474 [M12475] [M12476] [M12478]
M12479 [M12480] M12481 [M12482]
M12485

Our Unforgotten Comrades

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“In memory of the unforgotten comrades who died on hungerstrike in the H-Blocks for the cause of Irish freedom. Síochá[ı]n Dé orthu. [Our] revenge will be the laughter of our children – Bobby Sands”.

Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg, who died in English prisons in the 1970s, are included below the ten deceased 1981 hunger-strikers.

Main Street/Galloon Gardens, Newtownbutler

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12467 [M12466] M12465 [M12468] [M12469] [M12470] [M12471] [M12472]

Rhythm Of Time

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Dedicated to all republican prisoners past and present.” Bobby Sands’s poem The Rhythm Of Time, published in 1981 as part of Prison Poems, is printed in full along with images of Long Kesh and other prisons in which republican prisoners were held.

The tarp was launched 2014-08-10, to coincide with the anniversary of the introduction of interment in 1971 (see e.g. this BBC news report).

Ardoyne Avenue, north Belfast

Click an image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
M11571 M11570
[M11572] [M11573] [M11574] [M11575] [M11576] [M11577] [M11578] M11579 [M11580]

Vol. Kieran Doherty TD

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Kieran Doherty died on August 2nd, 1981, after 73 days on hunger-strike. The (repainted – compare to 2001 | 2004 | 2011) mural in his memory depicts scenes from his funeral on 1981-08-04.

The photograph on which the central panel is based is by Derek Spiers; see also this set at hungerstrikes.org. The volley took place outside the Doherty family home in nearby Commedagh Drive (Belfast Media).

The portrait of Doherty in the top left replaces a similar one in the same location; the plaque at the portrait’s top-right corner remains from before. The angled panel shows Doherty’s parents, Alfie and Margaret.

The (actual) memorial stone, which is here reproduced on the perpendicuar joining wall, was also seen in 2007.

Click an image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014/2015 Peter Moloney
M11406 M11407 M11408 M11409 M11410 M11411 M11412 M11413 [M12359] M11414 M11416
[M11488] [M11487] M12358 [M12360]

1ú Caṫlán Oırṫear Tıreoın Óglaıġ Na hÉıreann

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

1ú Caṫlán Oırṫear Tıreoın Óglaıġ Na hÉıreann [more typically “Tír Eoghaın”; 1st battalion east Tyrone IRA]

“Beannaımıs spıorad do-ċlaoıte na laoċra atá ına luı ıns na huıgheanna seo.” [We bless the indomitable spirit of the heroes who are buried in these graves.] “do-ċlaoıte” appears to be a Connacht form of “do-ċloíte”, meaning “indomitable”, “indefatigable” (Focaıl Fholaıthe).

The volunteers named on the various stones are Patrick Kelly, Patrick Vincent, Kevin Murray, Patrick Quinn, Patrick Carty, Seán Loughan, Patrick McDonald.

Kelly was killed in the Loughgall ambush – see the Loch gCál/Loughgall tribute mural in west Belfast (also a smaller mural in north Belfast).

Vincent was the driver of the lorry in the Clonoe Ambush.

Murray and McDonald were “killed in action” in 1974 (Fb).

Quinn was “killed in action” in 1973, along with Daniel McAnallen (Fb).

Loughan and Carty were “killed in action”, along with Dermot Crowley, in June 1973 (An Phoblacht).

The flat stone with the phoenix reads: “Romantic Ireland never dies!/O’Leary lies in fertile ground./And songs and spears throughout the years/Rise up where patriot graves are found.”

St Malachy’s churchyard, Coalisland Road, Edendork.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2014 Peter Moloney
M10874 [M10875] [M10876] [M10877] [M10878] M10879 M10880 [M10881] [M10882] [M10883] [M10884] [M10885] [M10886] [M10887]