Respect Equality

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The People Before Profit Alliance is an all-Ireland political party closely related to the Socialist Workers Party. In the north, candidate Gerry Carroll was elected to Belfast City Council in 2014, representing Black Mountain. Gay rights does not seem to form an explicit part of the platform, but the mural above, featuring a heart with the rainbow colours, appeared on Divis St in time for the Pride parade on August 1st.

See also: Cherish from Sınn Féın.

Divis Street, west Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12714

Ballymurphy March

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The QR code in the second image takes one to an interactive walking tour (“Walk Of Truth”) of sites associated with the Ballymurphy Massacre; the walk was launched on August 8th, one of a number of Féile 2015 events (web) which included a photographic exhibition in St Mary’s and the march announced in the first image, from Springfield Park to O’Donnell’s GAA club.

Bombay Street, Northumberland Street

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12678 M12711

RIP Vol Tommy Crossan

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Rest easy, big man”, “Justice will be done”.

Tommy Crossan, a former leader of the CIRA, was shot and killed, perhaps by former comrades, on Friday (April 18th, 2014 – Good Friday) (Guardian | BBC).

He was also active in elections in 2001 and in 2004.

Springfield Rd, west Belfast, close to where he was shot

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12700

Free Stephen Kaczynski

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Stephen (or Stephan) “Steve” Kaczynski will go before a Turkish court on September 18th on charges of membership of the Marxist-Leninist ‘Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front’ (DHKP-C). (WP) In April, members of the group took over a courtroom and held a state prosecutor hostage; when special forces stormed the building, the hostage and two of his captors died. (Independent) Kaczynski, a freelance journalist from Scotland, is alleged to be instrumental in financing the group. Alternatively, (according to various newspaper reports) he is an undercover agent of the Germans (Daily Sabah) or the British (Brian Haw). He has been on hunger-strike in protest at the conditions in Maltepe #3 since June 25th.

Replaces the announcement of a talk about torture in prisons. For the wider frame, see The Only Secure Community Is An Organised One.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12710

The Priest And The Cobbler

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This new mural pays tribute to two long-time residents of Clonard. On a good day, Noel Fitzpatrick, a cobbler with a little shop on the corner of Odessa and Clonard streets, would take his chair out into the street and play the uıleann pipes. Looking down from above is Alec Reid, the Redemptorist priest who spent 40 years at Clonard monastery and played an important role in the peace process. He died in 2013 at age 82. (WP)

Painted by Marty Lyons & Mickey Doc in Springfield Drive. For the large ‘flower’ mural to the left of this mural (which imitates the stained glass in the cathedral), see C01044.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12697 M12698 M12699

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

Fountain Relief Of Derry Bonfire

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The ‘Relief Of Derry‘ bonfire stands ready for burning, flying Irish Tricolour and Starry Plough flags, and decked with an IRSP hunger strike board – perhaps stolen from Rossville Street.

See also: the 2015 Eleventh Night bonfire | the 2013 Relief Of Derry bonfire

The Fountain, Londonderry

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
[M12020] [M12021] [M12022] M12023 [M12024] [M12025] [M12026]

From The Graves Of Patriot Men And Women Spring Living Nations

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is a new info board at the bottom of the steps leading up to the IRA memorial dolmen first seen in 1999. It features portraits of 16 volunteers from Derry’s 1st battalion and a quotation from Pearse at the funeral of O’Donovan Rossa in 1915: “Life springs from death, and from the graves of patriot men and women spring living nations. The Defenders of this Realm have worked well in secret and in the open. They think that they have pacified Ireland. They think that they have foreseen everything, think that they have provided against everything; but the fools, the fools, the fools! They have left us our Fenian dead, and while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace.”

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12689 [M12690] [M12691]

Clonard Martyrs

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is a replacement version of the gallery of “Clonard Martyrs” above the memorial garden, seen previously in 2011. The central phoenix is now in red (rather than green) and the background imagery has been removed but the roll of honour remains the same:

Left: Dan Duffin, Seán McCartney, Tom Williams, Gerard McAuley, Peter Blake, Seamus Simpson, Seán Johnston, Seán Gaynor, Pat Duffin, Gerard Ó Callaghan, Seamus Burns, Danny Ó Neill, Tom McCann.

Right: Gerard Crossan, Seán Ó Riordan, Martin McKenna, Liam Hannaway, Jim McKernan, Dan McCann, “dedicated to the memory of local republican, Billy Davidson”, Tony Lewis, Joe McKenna, Brian Dempsey, Finbarr McKenna, Seán Savage, Prıonsaıs Mac Áırt.

For many of the stones and plaques, see Clonard Martyrs, Who Have Resisted And Still Resist, and Deceased Republican Prisoners.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
M12648
M12649 [M12650] [M12651] [M12652] [M12653] [M12654] [M12655] [M12656] [M12657] [M12658] [M12659] [M12660] [M12661] [M12662]
M12663
M12664 [M12665] [M12666] [M12667] [M12668] [M12669] [M12670] [M12671] [M12672] [M12673] [M12674] [M12675] [M12676] [M12677]
M12647