Above and below are summertime images of the Main Road in Glynn, just south of Larne, County Antrim, marked with the union jack and flags of Scotland, Northern Ireland and England and Orange symbols such as the crown, a key (for the Siege of Derry, rather than the crossed keys?), Jacob’s ladder, along with the six-pointed star.
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02884 X02883 No surrender God save our queen Aughrim + Boyne + Enniskillen + Derry ulster
In black and white are scenes from yesteryear of children swinging on a lamp-post, riding a go-cart, playing hop-scotch, and walking down the alley between houses. In colour are more recent scenes: Rossville flats, the Dove Of Peace mural, children on bikes, and graffiti. Outside the Eden Place Arts centre (Fb) in Rossville Street.
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Single flowers (and the reflection of an Irish Tricolour) on republican gravestones in Milltown cemetery.
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The images above and below show 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. Watta-Chip (from the previous mural) has been replaced by Turkish Kebabs (Fb).
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02724 X02725 south east antrim brigade in proud memory of brigadier john gregg 1st batt rathfern b coy grugg Carrickfergus Larne Rathcoole cloughfern young conquerors
Here is an update to a mural featured previously in Londonderry’s Waterside: The Trooper. British WWI Field-Marshall Douglas Haig’s “backs to the wall” quote originally stood above the image of Iron Maiden’s “Eddie” but this was replaced (when the mural was repainted in 2013 – see M10234) by the red fist and six-pointed star of the UFF on a black border.
See also the Visual History page for Eddie.
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02857 ebrington tce ulster freedom fighters
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).
The wide shot below shows the 1916 board next to a Fıanna roll of honour and an IRSP O’Hara-McCreesh hunger-strikers memorial (see Socialist Volunteers).
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02871 X02869 racecourse rd derry
This painted board (shown above) to INLA volunteer Neil McMonagle is in Leafair Park, Derry, close to the spot where McMonagle, aged 23, along with friend Liam Duffy, were shot by undercover British soldiers (specifically Sergeant Paul Oram of 14 Intelligence Company (WP)) on February 2, 1983. McMonagle died instantly while Duffy was wounded but survived. The official account alleged that both McMonagle and Duffy were armed; locals deny this. For an account of the killing and a tribute, see these obituaries from republican publications in 1983.
The board shows an armed McMonagle behind a stone wall with a Plough In The Stars flag with a blue background, with the view towards Buncrana (perhaps).
“Vol Neil McMonagle, Derry Brigade INLA. Killed in action 2nd February 1983. “They may kill the revolutionary but never the revolution.””
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“In proud and loving memory of Óglach Mickey Devine. Died 20th August 1981 in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh after 60 days on hunger-strike. Mickey was waked and buried from this house [in Rathkeele Way, Derry], the family home of his sister Margaret. Also died 30th March 2005.” For an image of the open coffin within the house, see this An Phoblacht article. Here is a Guardian interview with Margaret (Devine) McCauley.
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02855 INLA final last tenth hunger striker
Above is a piece from the Release The Pressure (Fb) streetart festival in London-/Derry in July, one side full of technicolour eyes by Vyal One (web | Instagram) and the other with swirls by ArtByEoin (web | Fb). If you know who the artist was, please comment or e-mail; there doesn’t seem to be much info on-line about this piece.
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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More vintage graffiti, this time in Derry, dating back at least to 2001. It might come from 2001: after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and its implementation, the IRA moved toward decommissioning its weapons, beginning to do so in October 2001.
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02868 racecourse rd
Seosamh Mac Coille Collection 