Father Des Wilson and Frank Cahill sit together in a Springhill flat overlooking Tara Stores and the Craft Centre, two of the enterprises they helped to establish (along with the Whiterock Industrial Estate) in an attempt to bring employment to the area. Around 1982, they were part of a group that bought Conway Mill for use as a community and business centre; the image above was taken in the contemporary Conway Mill.
On the right, the accomplishments and accolades of Seán MacBride are listed (shown below). During the course of his life, MacBride was an IRA member and imprisoned by the Free State, founder of Clann Na Poblachta and TD, and international politician including a spell as chair of Amnesty International. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974 (WP). The MacBride Principles of 1984 set out nine conditions of fair employment.
Hope for salvation from the coronavirus epidemic appears in Iveagh Street: “‘There is no problem I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.’ – Sister Lucia [Lúcia], Fatima visionary. Rediscover the power of the Rosary at www.therosary.net“
“Active service” on paramilitary plaques means death by a premature bomb explosion rather than at the hands of enemy forces. All three of the IRA volunteers named here died in this way: Paul Fox in King Street in 1975, Sean Bailey in nearby Nansen Street in 1976, and Paul Marlowe on the Ormeau Road later that same year (Sutton). The central plaque (shown below) has been in place since at least 2006 but was augmented last year with portraits. The fourth is Tony Campbell, also from the 2nd battalion, dead by natural causes in 1985.
“I ndíl [ndıl] chuımhne ar Óglach Paul Fox A-Coy 2 Batt Belfast Brigade, died on active service 1-12-1975, Óglach Sean Bailey A-Coy 2 Batt Belfast Brigade, died at this location on active service 13-2-1976, Óglach Paul Marlowe A-Coy 2 Batt Belfast Brigade, died on active service 16-10-1976, Óglach Tony Campbell died of natural causes 4-8-1985. I measc laochra na hÉıreann atá sıad. In every generation we have renewed the struggle and so it will be to the end. When England thinks she has trampled out our blood in battle, some brave men and women rise and rally us again.”
“Community warning. This area is being monitored for antisocial behaviour. Your behaviour has consquences. Think of your community. Don’t do anything you might later regret. This sign was amended by Lasaır Dhearg [web] as part of our campaign against imperialism and PSNI normalisation.” The substitute version is from the Fall Road, the original (below) is from Ballysillan Road.
“#ICantBreathe – George Floyd RIP”. Spurred by the killings of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, and others, marches against police brutality and racism are now well into their second month, with (it seems) greater coordination but diminished frequency and intensity. The graffiti shown here on the wall below the old Sean MacDiarmada club replaces the “IRA here to stay” graffiti, which was on top of the “Dıchoılınıgh D’ıntinn/Decolonize Your Mind” graffiti, which was on top of “Heroin dealers will be shot dead” graffiti.
“Only fascists stand with ‘Soldier F’.” Lasaır Dhearg (web) sticker on the Falls Road about the trial of an anonymous British Army soldier charged with the deaths of James Wray and William McKinney on Bloody Sunday.
At the end of September (2020) the Public Prosecution Service ruled that none of the other paratroopers would be charged in connection with the 14 deaths (BBC).
In the sticker, the Nazi swastika has been added to the emblem of the paratroopers, making it look very much like the emblem of the Nazi army.
It’s impossible to travel for any distance in Belfast without using or crossing a street employing as a name “king” or “queen”, “Victoria” or “Albert”, “Cromwell” or “Donegall”, or a host of other colonial lords and ladies. Lasaır Dhearg (web) last week undertook a campaign to rename 14 streets and Queen’s University after republican rather than colonial notables. As these images show, the campaign did not meet with the same level of support that has lately seen figures related to slavery removed from public spaces in the US and England. Carlisle Circus was briefly McCracken Circus, Donegall Square North was briefly Kieran Doherty Street, May Street Joe McDonnell Street, and Donegall Square South Bobby Sands Street. (Here is a complete list of street names changed.)
“Ar an 9ú Iúıl 1972 maraíodh Margaret Gargan 13 blıana d’aoıs, David McCafferty 15 d’aoıs, John Dougal 16 d’aoıs, Paddy Butler fear pósta le 6 claınne aıge agus sagaırt áıtiúıl an tAthaır Noel Fitzpatrick, scaoılt ag Arm na Breataıne. B’as Clós Adhmaıd Corry’s sa cheantar Springhill/Westrock a bhí na saıghdıúrí ag feıdhmıú.” “‘And I’ll keep on praying for Ireland/The way I pray for you’ – from the poem “The Springhill Massacre” by Martin Dudley”. The new plaque was launched on July 9th, 2019 by Dudley and Brian Pettigrew, both of whom were wounded in the attack. Here is a gallery of images from the launch from Relatives For Justice.
The heroes of the past are the soldiers of WWI and WWII (commemorated by the poppies growing in ACT Initiative‘s Shankill Road Community Garden, above, and in the 75th anniversary VE Day posters in Madrid Street, east Belfast, below); the present-day heroes are the doctors, nurses, and staff of the NHS, symbolised by the rainbow in both images.
“Please, I can’t breathe. My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts. They’re going to kill me.” These were among the last words of George Floyd, killed on May 25th after Minneapolis PD officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. The killing has drawn universal condemnation. All four officer were fired immediately and Chauvin was soon charged with third-degree murder, (to which second-degree murder was later added.) The other three officers, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
“Black lives matter.” “Fight racism.” Every day since the killing protests have taken place in cities all across the United States and the world demonstrating against police brutality and racism (here is a collection of images from Saturday June 6th, 2020) Murals painted around the world, including the one above on the so-called “International Wall” on Divis Street (here is a Guardian gallery of George Floyd murals which describes the incomplete Belfast mural in rapturous terms).
As the in-progress shots show (below), Chauvin was originally painted with sunglasses on his head but these have been replaced by a MAGA cap. Two members of the Ku Klux Klan appear in the top right. Three officers with shaved heads and Minneapolis PD (“City of lakes”) badges are shown on the left in the poses of the three monkeys Mizaru, Kikazaru, and Iwazaru who hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.
The title of today’s post is derived from a line in Seán O’Casey’s The Story Of Thomas Ashe (1917, under the name “Seán Ó Cathasaigh”; also later published as The Sacrifice Of Thomas Ashe): “You cannot put a rope around the neck of an idea; you cannot put an idea up against a barrack-square wall and riddle it with bullets; you cannot confine it in the strongest prison cell that your slaves could ever build.” Sometimes erroneously attributed to Bobby Sands, as in this 1981 mural.
Seosamh Mac Coille Collection 