Belfast west

Forgotten In Life, Remembered In Death

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2013-12-14 QuinnStone+

Trade unionist John Quinn, who helped found the ITGWU, died in 1935 and was buried in an unmarked grave in Milltown. Last weekend (December 14th, 2013) a new headstone was unveiled. As can be seen in the image above, Quinn was fortunate to escape the sinking of the Titanic – he boarded as a fireman in the Belfast crew, but a team of firemen had already been hired in Southampton.

There is a detailed account of Quinn’s life and the process that brought about the new headstone  at the Belfast Telegraph.

Previously: ITGWU mural – Till Labour Knows No Master | Larkin – We Only Want The Earth | Winifred Carney & Nora Connolly | Lockout

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01480 1876-1935 beloved husband of margaret pollard native of sailortown seaman docker  a participant in the 1907 dockers and carters strike and one of the founder members friend and colleague of james larkin, winifred carney, james connolly, 4 april 1912 Forgotten in life, remembered in death daughter bridget son robert nephew gerard

On The Brink Of Sectarian Disaster

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2013-12-10 ClondaraUpper+

A selection of Republican iconography above the James and Nora Connolly mural in Clondara Street: a tarp to Joe McCann – ‘Soldier of the people, Joe McCann 1947-1972 Official IRA’ (WP) – a board with a Liam McMillen quote – ‘”We stand not on the brink of victory but on the brink of sectarian disaster”, Liam McMillen, Bodenstown June 28th 1973’ (see the entry on McMillen in the Peter Moloney Collection) – and two circular pieces, one showing the Starry Plough (created in 1914 as the flag of the Irish Citizen Army) and one to co-founder of the ICA ‘James Connolly 1868-1916’ (WP).

Clondara Street, west Belfast

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X01479 Official Republican Movement

The Very System That Drove Us To Our Deaths

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2013-12-09 ShawsPatsy+

“After we are gone what will you say you were doing? Will you say you were with us in our struggle, or were you with the very system that drove us to our deaths?”

The mural to hunger striker Patsy O’Hara on Shaws Road has been repainted and is now only one half of a long wall, due to impending renovations of the Spar shop whose side it is on. Launched November 17th, 2013 (source: irsp.ie)

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01478 IRSP INLA in proud memory of the ten h-block martyrs who died on hunger strike in long kesh during the struggle for political status

La Historia Es Nuestra

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2013-12-06 HistoriaEsNuestra+

“History is ours, and history is made by the people — La historia es nuestra y la hacon los pueblos”

Here is a super-wide image of the new (c. Dec. 10th, 2013) board on Northumberland Street celebrating the socialist movement in 1970’s Chile. The Unidad Popular, whose emblem can be seen centre-left and in the close-up below, was a coalition of left-wing parties who supported the Marxist Salvador Allende (seen in the middle) for president in the election of 1970. Allende served as president from 1970-1973 until committing suicide during the coup.

Previously: Brigada Romana Parra board in Ormeau Park.

X05302 2013-12-04 BRP+

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The Sagart

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2013-12-05 AlecReid+

A tribute to Father Alec Reid, who died on November 22nd and buried on the 27th, has been added to the international wall on Divis Street. Reid was a priest in the nearby Clonard monastery and helped negotiate between Sınn Féın and the SDLP and between nationalists and the government of the Republic. He is perhaps best known for attempting to save Corporals Wood and Howe and administering the last rites to them, in 1988 (WP).

This piece takes the place of a ‘Free Marian Price” mural; Price was freed on May 30th, 2013.

The pieces to the left and right have been recorded separately: End Internment | Milltown 25

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Michael McKevitt

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“12 years interned. End selective internment.” Michael McKevitt was found liable in civil court for the Omagh bombing and sentenced (in criminal court, in 2003) to twenty years in Portlaoise for “directing terrorism” (WP).

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Cartoon World

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2013-11-21 CartoonGarden+

When not starring in their respective cartoon shows, Dora the Explorer, Spongebob Squarepants, Tom & Jerry, and Mickey & Goofy hang out together in a secret garden, entered through a portal in the wall at the entrance to the Sliabh Dubh estate. This mural was finished after the superhero murals it is next to. See previously: Wallbusters | The Walls, Unbroken

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Just Can’t Get Enough

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2013-11-18 JustCantGetEnough+

The mural above is in St. Katharine’s Road (Bóthar Chaıtríona) and was painted for the Champions League match between Cliftonville and Celtic on July 17th (2013). “Just Can’t Get Enough” is a 1981 Depeche Mode song which Celtic fans made one of their chants in 2009, soon to be followed by other teams’ fans (WP).

The St. James area was once home to Celtic Park (home of Belfast Celtic), now the site of the Park Centre, and a mural to Belfast Celtic faces this one.

Previously: The Red Army

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X01457 football and athletic club 1888

Someone Else

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2013-11-18 CheSomeoneElse+

Mural and stencil in Bóthar Chaıtríona (St. Katherine’s Road) in the St. James’s area showing Che Guevara above the words “I don’t care if I fall as long as someone else picks up my gun and keeps on shooting.” The remnants of the former mural – a Celtic design – can be seen to the left of Che’s head.

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Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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