The Lurgan Ambush

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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

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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

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“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!!

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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

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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

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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

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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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Mothers & Sisters

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May 8th:

March 28th:

The figure in the centre of the mural above is Peggy O’Hara, mother of INLA hunger striker Patsy O’Hara, who remained active in socialist and republican circles and stood in the assembly elections in 2007 as an independent. She died in 2015 and was given a paramilitary funeral, including a volley of shots fired over the coffin (BBC | Irish Times | An Phoblacht). 

The female figure above Mickey Devine (in the bottom right) is his sister Margaret, from whose house his coffin processed after his death in 1981. (See the plaque in Breaking The Chains.) The girl on the left is pointing towards another mural, a dove of peace.

The standing figure, and the plaque, are retained from the previous mural.

Part of The People’s Gallery by the Bogside Artists.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Lest We Forget

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“At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we shall remember them.” The fence at the back of the Belvoir Somme Association’s Victoria Cross memorial garden on along the Newtownards (at the old Newcastle Street) has been replaced with a wall and the poppy wreath on the left (above) has been joined by a mural in memory of the Somme dead and the Victoria Crosses awarded to the 36th Division “For Valour”.

For the board detailing the VCs, see Victoria Crosses Of The 36th (Ulster) Division.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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John Gregg

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This is a new UDA mural in memory of John Gregg, “The Reaper”, who waged a campaign of terror against Catholics in south-east Antrim and was reputedly associated with British neo-Nazi groups. Gregg was gunned down in 2003, while returning from a Rangers match, as part of the power struggle with Johnny Adair. 

Nearby red-white-and-blue poles on Knockenagh Ave, Newtownabbey, are also shown.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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