Circus

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
M00056 Rossville St 1981+

“Provos” and “victory to the hunger strikers” next to a circus mural at the rear of Rossville flats, with clowns, a monkey riding a bike, a strong man, people riding horses, a lion-tamer, and a juggler. It was painted by Joe Coyle, Noel Millar, Margo Harkin, and Tim Webster, with financial support from the Department Of Manpower Services (Watson in Circa 8.3, 1983). An anonymous painter is quoted of p.8 of Woods’s Seeing Is Believing? as saying: “The people felt absolutely no connection with it – it has to involve you or it just doesn’t mean anything.”

Chamberlain Street, Derry

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 1981 Peter Moloney
M00056

Don’t Let Them Die!

Extramural Activity1 Comment
M00120+

M00055+

M00119+

The names of seven of the 1981 hunger-strikers – “POWs” Kieran Doherty, Joe McDonnell, Kevin Lynch, Martin Hurson, Tom McIlwee [McElwee], Paddy Quinn, Michael Devine – are placed next to outstretched arms wrapped in barbed wire.

The hands-in-barbed-wire design is by Jack Clafferty of Troops Out.

Beechmount Street, Belfast.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 1981 LC
M00120 M00055 M00119

The Lark And The Freedom Fighter

Extramural Activity1 Comment
M00140+

M00133+

M00054+

“The right honourable Bobby Sands Esq MP – Murdered by his fellow members of H.M. Govt”, “I have the spirit of freedom that cannot be quenched by even the most horrendous treatment. Of course I can be murdered, but while I remain alive, I remain what I am, a political prisoner of war, and no one can change that.” Barbed wire stretches over an Irish tricolour next to an image of Sands.

Shaws Road, west Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 1981 LC
M00140 M00133 M00054

They Die, You Die

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
M00049+

“They die, you die – Brit Govt”. Above are posters of hunger strikers, some marked with dates of death. From right to left, smaller posters show Sands, Hughes, McCreesh, and O’Hara. From left to right, the larger posters show [McDonnell out of frame?], Doherty, Lynch (both marked as deceased), McElwee, Quinn, Devine, McKeown, McGeown, Devlin.

If the posters are an accurate guide, the date is somewhere between August 2nd and 8th, the dates on which Doherty and McElwee died. Liam McCloskey would join the strike on August 3rd.

The dentist’s office round the corner from Ballymurphy shops, Belfast.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 1981 LC
M00049