Covenants Without Swords Are Only Words

“Covenants without swords are only words” is a slight emendation of a line from Chapter 17 of Thomas Hobbes’s The Leviathan: “And covenants, without the sword, are but words and of no strength to secure a man at all.” 

It is applied here to the 1912 Ulster Covenant being backed up by the 1914 gun-running. Edward Carson is shown acknowledging the cheers of the Ulster Volunteers, who have been drilling at Glencairn (as seen in this Shankill mural).

Above the Unionist souvenir shop on the Newtownards Road, east Belfast. Seen previously in 2012: Where Ulstermen Shop.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Queer Icons

Free Derry Corner (Visual History) is transformed for Foyle Gay Pride 2015, (August 22nd-30th (programme at issuu)) with paste-ups of four “queer icons”. The four are (l-r) Stormé DeLarverie (WP), Mark Ashton (WP), Sylvia Rivera (WP), and Marsha P Johnson (WP). Ashton grew up in Portadown before moving to London; the other three are from the USA.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Supporting Republican POWs

Three flyers on Free Derry Corner (Visual History) in the Bogside: “End the brutality in Maghaberry”, “End the brutality of republican prisoners”, and “End forced isolation”.

“Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association [web]. No change from H-Block to MagHaberry. Supporting republican POWs.”

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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The Lurgan Ambush

On the evening of November 21, 1982, the car in which IRA volunteers Eugene Toman, Sean Burns, and Gervaise [here spelled “Gervase” and elsewhere “Gervais”] McKerr were travelling was hit by 109 bullets and all three were killed. They were perhaps the first victims of the “shoot to kill” policy. (An Phoblacht)

“Lurgan town was rocked with sorrow/On that bleak November day/Hushed tones and tears were mingled/When great numbers stopped to pray” – these are the opening lines of Ida Green’s poem ‘The Lurgan Ambush’, a poem by Ita Green [set to music at Irish Folk Songs | sung by Bo Loughran on youtube].

Levin Road, Kilwilkie, Lurgan

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Republican Kilwilkie

Here is a gallery of images from Levin Road in Kilwilkie, Lurgan, including “One Ireland, one vote – 1916 Societies [web]”, “People Should Not Inform”, “RUC – PSNI not welcome”, “Join RSF [web] – Éıre Nua”, “IRA”, “IRPWA” [web], “End internment now”, “End the isolation of republican POWs”, “RUC – PSNI different name, same aim”, and “Ka-boom” from an RPG slamming into the side of the post office.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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End Internment Now

“Cumann Thomáıs Uí Chléırıgh, An Lorgaın. End internment now. North Armagh supports republican POWs”.

Clarke grew up in nearby Dungannon and there is a cumann of the 1916 Societies in Dungannon (Fb) and, according to this board, in Lurgan. (A statue to Clarke was later mounted in Dungannon – see Gaırdín Thomaıs Uí Chléırıgh.)

Lake Street, Lurgan. The board was perhaps previously in Levin Rd – see The Lurgan Ambush.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Welcome To Hell!!

These graffiti are at the western edge of the Village, south Belfast, at the waste-ground over the Blackstaff and next to the Balls On The Falls, a.k.a Rise (on the Broadway roundabout).

“B Coy UFV Village”, Monarch UVF VTOT [Village team on tour]”, “Taigs enter at own risk”, “ATAT [All Taigs are target]”, “Welcome to loyalist Village”, “Taigs will be crucified”, “Welcome to hell!!”

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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36th (Ulster) Division

Samson and Goliath, the cranes of the Harland & Wolff shipyard in east Belfast, stand alongside crosses on the burial grounds of the 36th (Ulster) Division in Flanders (though Cave Hill might be in the background) in this Flora Street mural in east Belfast. UVF flags fly overhead.

On the headstone in the front-middle is written “Francis Lemon 1916”, perhaps this Francis Lemon, from Ballymacarrett, who died on July 2nd: FindAGrave | IWM.

This is a new (2015-05) mural in Flora Street, east Belfast.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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#JFTC2

The Craigavon Two – John-Paul Wootton and Brendan McConville – were convicted in 2012 of the 2009 murder of PSNI Constable Steven Carroll (BBC) and sentenced to 18- and 25-year minimums, respectively. The case is under review (Guardian) and a campaign for their release – using the hashtag “#JFTC2” – is under way (Fb).

Nailor’s Row, Derry

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Internment Bonfire – Bogside 2015

This is the internment (or “assumption”) bonfire (and mini-bonfire) in the Bogside decked with a range of flags — UVF/YCV, UDA, Orange Order, the Paras, Israel, Ulster Banner, Union Flag – and an “RUC” land-rover.

Last year (2014) it was in the Meenan Square waste-ground but this year it is at the city walls/Nailor’s Row.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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