Republican Sınn Féın and Provisional Sınn Féın were formed in 1986, when Sınn Féın split over the issue of taking Dáil seats. They reject the Belfast Agreement and support the use of force; the poster above calls for political status for prisoners, the same issue that led to the blanket protest and hunger strikes. (Their web site is in fact republicansinnfein.org.)
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Discounts on hand-held and full-size Tricolours “in memory of all of those who have given their lives in the cause of Irish freedom” from the Milltown engravers – next to the Kurdish barbers – on the Falls Road.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The Department For Communities (web) is “re-imaging” the brick wall at the back of St Mary’s University College (along Ascaıll Ard Na bhFeá/Beechmount Avenue) into a fence. It’s not clear what, if anything, was wrong with the wall in physical terms. One possible “community” reason for the wall’s removal is to thereby remove the roughly 20 murals and 18 panels of CNR victims (original 15 + 3 more) on the wall. Whatever the reason, these will no longer have a home and some are being moved to other locations, including the Springhill-Westrock Massacre mural. For more information about the massacre, see the post about the board when it was in Ascaıll Ard Na bhFeá – The Truth Costs Nothing.
See also: the WBTA mural was moved from Beechmount Ave (Alternative Transport) to Clowney Street (Alternative Transport, Alternative Location).
Update: the conversion (from wall to fence) was completed in September (St Mary’s).
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The wall at the top of Springhill Avenue was knocked down to great acclaim in 2017 (Guardian) but the impact was merely cosmetic as a wire fence and substantial shrubbery continued to block the way. The removal of the wall also meant the removal of the pro-Palestinian murals painted on it: Palestine Abú | Man Against Machine | Hellfire. In its place has now been put a large board celebrating the history of the area and especially the contribution made by Des Wilson and Noelle Ryan who worked in Springhill House for over forty years. Both Des and Noelle were interviewed by NVTv in 2012. Des turned 93 in July (encomium by Gerry Adams); Noelle died in 2014 (An Phoblacht | BBC-NI).
The left hand side of the mural shows Mother Teresa, who lived and worked in the area with four nuns from 1971 to 1973 before being put out (allegedly) by the Catholic church (TripleVision documentary).
On the right, the old and new Springhills are contrasted, with images taken from the same spot approximately 30 years apart.
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Sınn Féın won 73 of 105 seats in the Westminster election of 1918. Instead of taking their seats, they formed an independent Dáıl Éıreann, meeting for the first time on January 21st, 1919, in Dublin. On the same date, Irish Volunteers in Soloheadbeg, Tipperary, ambushed a convoy of gelignite, escorted by two RIC police, both of whom were killed – this attack would mark the opening of the War Of Independence. This new stencil by Lasaır Dhearg (web) aims to promote the Democratic programme of the first Dáıl Éıreann. This is our mandate. This is our Republic.” beginning with the Proclamation of the Easter Rising.
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The Lower Ormeau Cafe & Guesthouse (Fb | web), which opened in October 2017, has added a mural of the nearby Belfast Gasworks in Victorian times – the building still stands today, although it ceased to function as a gasworks in 1988.
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Copyright © 2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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… and “FUCK Sinn Fein [sic]” in Herbert St, Derry.
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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The “N”orth Belfast Manny’s now matches the city centre location, with a mural featuring local faces and places, even down to the inclusion of a vintage mural, in this case the old Joe Doherty mural from the New Lodge Road in the late 80s. Among those included are a trio of boxers – Carl Frampton, Ryan Burnett, and Paddy Barnes (the latter two went to school together at Bearnageeha) — and media personalities Eamonn Holmes and May McFettridge (John Linehan). Locations include the New Lodge towers and Manny’s itself, including the plaque to Dana and Kevin Fitzpatrick who were hit by death-drivers.
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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Michael Conlan (tw | ig) won his first title and tenth professional bout on Saturday night (December 22nd), in Manchester, by defeating Englishman Jason Cunningham (BBC). He features here in one of the new murals on the Fáılte Feırste Thıar offices alongside the traditional Gaelic games of hurling, camogie, football, and handball.
Previously: Conlan’s 2012 Olympics mural. Also: Soccer, boxing, and football in Glen Bawn.
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The IRPWA/Saoradh/éıstıgí office on the Antrim Road is courting controversy (Irish News | BelTel) with its the holiday images in its front windows. On the right, a Grinch in PSNI uniform (in front of a bleeding poppy with swastika) harasses the child of a Soaradh member. (“Hey, peelers! Leave our kids alone” is a play on the Pink Floyd song ‘Another Brick In The Wall‘). On the left, Santa takes aim with a home-made RPG (modelled on the image included in Resistance).
The Derry IRPWA office also received a Grinch cartoon in which he is battering down a door.
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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Seosamh Mac Coille Collection 