Pat And Dan Duffin

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“In memory of volunteers Pat and Dan Duffin, murdered by the RIC in their home at 64 Clonard Gardens 23rd April 1921. Erected the by the Greater Clonard Ex-Prisoners Association.”

The IRA shot dead two members of the British Auxiliaries, Ernest Bolan and John Bales, in Donegall Street in Belfast city centre on April 23rd, 1921. Just before midnight, Pat and Dan Duffin were shot to death by men who entered their Clonard home.

Another brother, John, was upstairs and not harmed and when he approached the scene he found not only his dead brothers but the station dog of the Springfield Road RIC barracks (“GB Kenna“, real name Fr John Hassan).

DeValera led the funeral cortège along the Falls. Joe Devlin would include the Duffin murders in a Westminster speech in June, following the killings in a single night of Alexander McBride, Malachy Halfpenny, and William Kerr (Hansard). The RIC in west Belfast under CI Harrison, DI Nixon, and in this case DI Ferris (Aiken et al.), would continue their killings into 1922 – see The RIC Murder Gang.

Clonard Gardens, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Cherish All The Children Of The Nation Equally

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The 1916 Proclamation Of Irish Republic includes the sentence “The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all of the children of the nation equally, and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien Government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past.”

At the time, it had a political meaning, but it has since been pressed into service by advocates of children’s right and now, in the board above, by supporters of gay rights. James Connolly (leader of the Irish Citizen Army) and the text of the declaration are shown against a backdrop of the gay pride rainbow flag.

Launched 2015-07-31 at the site of the former Andersonstown RUC barracks (Visual History)

For the trio of boards to the right, see Ceartas Anoıs/Time For Justice.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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In Defence Of The Nation

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This is a new mural from the 32 County Sovereignty Movement (web) on the international wall, Divis Street, (Visual History) with symbols of nationalism (the crests of the four provinces, the harp, the Tricolour), socialism (the plough in the stars) and support for republican POWs (the barbed wire).

For an earlier version see 100% British.

July 31st:

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Join The Revolution

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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.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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From Celtic Park To Barcelona

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Here is the new Patrick O’Connell, “Don Patricio”, mural at the bottom of the Whiterock. As a player, the Dublin-born O’Connell started with Belfast Celtic before moving on to various English and Scottish clubs, including a period at Manchester United at the time of WWI. He then went on to manage a string of Spanish clubs. As manager of Barcelona during the Spanish civil war, he accompanied the club on their tour of Mexico and the United States. The money from the tour saved the club from bankruptcy but 12 of the 16 players went into exile in Mexico and France. (WP) Barcelona returns to the US this month (2015-07) for games against the LA Galaxy, Manchester United, and Chelsea. (FCBarcelona)

The newspaper in the mural above crams all of this news onto one page: “Civil war erupts in Spain – Barcelona bombed”, “Football suspended – President [of FC Barcelona] Josep Sunyol assassinated” [by Franco’s troops] (WP); “Irishman O’Connell takes players on tour – FC Barcelona saved from extinction”; “Funds lodged in Switzerland”. In the bottom left-hand corner of the newspaper is Robert Capa’s famous photograph of ‘The Falling Soldier’, purporting to show a Republican soldier at the very moment he is struck by a bullet and dies. The image is now thought to have been staged (WP).

The image on which the portrait is (perhaps) based can be seen in this Irish Times article on O’Connell.

Next to O’Connell is Lionel Messi. The Argentinian forward is shown in front of the Spanish League cup, which Barcelona won this year (2014-2015) with a goal from “La Pulga” (“the flea”) – Messi is 5’7″ but four-time world player of the year.

The stands of three football stadiums are shown in the background of the mural: Belfast Celtic’s Celtic Park (“Paradise”), Manchester United’s Old Trafford, and Barcelona’s Camp Nou. The Old Trafford stands bear the emblems of the teams Patrick O’Connell played for and managed: Liffey Wanderers (whose shirt is also featured, on the left), Sheffield Wednesday, Hull City (The Tigers), Manchester United, Dumbarton, Real Racing Club de Santander, Real Oviedo, and Real Betis Balompié (also shirt on the right).

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Not A Bullet

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These graffiti are on the building below Kildrum Gardens. “Not a bullet, not an ounce” is a comment on (Provisional) IRA disarmament and continued physical-force resistance; “End British internment” is a comment on the fate of prisoners from anti-Agreement organisation; “Free Gaza!!” and “Israel scum” are comments on the 2014 Gaza War (WP).

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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He Sowed That We Might Reap

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These two boards are on either side of the Fıanna Éıreann roll of honour in Racecourse Road, Shantallow, Derry.

First (left): the Derry branch of the 1916 Societies (Fb) is named after Sean Dolan, an IRA volunteer interned at the outbreak of WWII on the prison ship Al Rawdah (WP | saoırse32) before being moved to Crumlin Road gaol. He was released on grounds of ill health shortly before dying in 1941 at age 28 in Derry. The title of today’s post comes from Dolan’s gravestone, which is in Ardmore (findagrave).

It was the 1916 Societies that hoisted an Irish tricolour from the roof of Stormont in June 2015 (BBC).

Second (right): two hunger-strikers from Derry, Patsy O’Hara and Michael Devine, were both members of the INLA; the third INLA hunger-striker was Kevin Lynch, from nearby Dungiven. The seven others who died were members of the IRA, whose political wing was Sınn Féın, while the IRSP (web), who sponsored this board, serve as the political face of the INLA.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Orange School Crossing

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In this modified ‘School’ safety sign in the Lower Shankill estate, a mother and child with Orange Order collarettes go to school (under the watchful eye of the trio of UFF, UYM, and UDA boards seen in Loyalist Lower Shankill.)

(In 2000, a board reading “Drumcree” was placed over “School”. See J0585)

Hopewell Crescent, next to Hope nursery.

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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Isolation

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The dilapidated Rebel’s Rest is being used as a notice-board, first by Sınn Féın and their campaign to extend voting in the Irish Presidential election to the north – “Vótaí do gach saoránach Éireannach”, “Paul Maskey supports #pres4all – Uachtarán do chách/President for all” – and secondly by the IRPWA (web) and their campaign to “End British internment! End Maghaberry torture”.

Falls Road, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2015 Peter Moloney
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