Ordinary People, Extraordinary Roles

“This plaque is dedicated to the memory of Lieutenant Colonel Trevor King, died 9th July 1994, Major William (Frenchie) Marchant, died 28th April 1987, Volunteer David Hamilton, Died 17th June 1994. These brave men died near this spot [the corner of Spier’s Place and Shankill Road, west Belfast] by the enemies of Ulster. No sacrifice is too great for one’s country. They paid the ultimate sacrifice. ‘They shall grow not old/as we that are left grow old/Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn/At the going down of the sun and in the morning/We will remember them.’” King and Hamilton (along with Colin Craig, an RUC informer and not included on the plaque) were shot by the INLA and died of their wounds three weeks and one day later. Frenchie Marchant (in the middle of the image above) was shot by the IRA outside The Eagle chip shop.

For the individual plaques, see A Fisherman, An Entertainer, A Shankill Road Man.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04919 X04923

Join Yourself To This Chariot

“Which way is your life going? Easy street? Hard slog? No where? Dead End? Call us & see if we can help guide you.” “God said to Philip, “Go near, and join yourself to this chariot.” Acts 8:29” The chariot in Philip’s case contained an Ethiopian eunuch, reading the book of Isaiah, which Philip explained and so converted him. The chariot in our case contains the number for Glory Road Ministries.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04906 X04905 X04907

They Fought And Died Like Men

Here are five more images of the WWI memorial mural (featured separately) in Drumahoe Gardens, Larne, including a plaque to Walter Brownlee and his brothers Edward and Harry, all of whom survived the war.

“There are lonely homes in Ulster/Some “light of life” has shed/There are many names of loved ones/Among the list of dead.//They fell for God and honour;/Why are ye lonely when/They answered soon as they were asked/And fought and died like men!”

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04902 X04900 X04899 X04903 X04901

Larne Remembers Her Fallen

History Hub Ulster and Larne Urban District Council are conducting a search for additional names of residents from the Larne area who died in WWI, to add to the 147 included on the war memorial in Inver. The dead are also remembered in this wrap-around mural in Milbrook. We will have close-ups of the different panels and plaques tomorrow. For images of the launch, see the Friends of the 36th – Cairncastle facebook page.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04898 drumahoe gdns

Wings Appeal

The Royal Air Forces Association’s ‘Wings Appeal’ has been raising money to support Air Force members and their families since 1951 (RAFA). This bed of flowers in the pattern of the Air Force’s red, white, and blue roundel (the reverse of the French roundel) is at the start of the Antiville Road in Larne.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04897

Le Coq Sportif

Glentoran FC’s emblem features a cock (similar to the rooster on Le Coq Sportif, which made the team’s strip from 1996-1999) and its slogan is “le jeu avant tout” (“the game before/above all). The sources of the French influence is unknown. In the mural above, from outside the Oval, he gives “East Belfast” the boot.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04895 X04896

Over The Bridge

The large mural of H&W shipyard workers at the turn of the century has been restored by Dee Craig (Fb). The mural is on the footbridge linking Dee Street and Queen’s Island. Inspired by paintings of William Conor such as Shipyard Workers Crossing Queen’s Bridge and Over The Bridge. For images of the previous version, see Titanic Workers.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04884 X04883 harkness pde