The Final Volley

2014-11-08 GlenwoodVolley+

This republican mural in Glenwood shows a funeral party firing a volley of shots over a tricolour-draped coffin containing one of the ten hunger-strikers of 1981: Bobby Sands, Francis Hughes, Raymond McCreesh, Patsy O’Hara, Joe McDonnell, Martin Hurson, Kevin Lynch, Kieran Doherty, Tom McElwee, Mickey Devine. The H-blocks of Long Kesh are in the background.

2015 repainting of a 2001 mural.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02336 lark fuiseog barbed wire thomas

Yes Yes Catalonia

2014-11-07 YesCatalonia3+

Yesterday’s symbolic vote on Catalonian independence (for more background see Votes About Votes) showed 81% in favour of separation from Spain. Here are three shots of the encouragement on Slıabh Dubh (Black Mountain), the second with the Ballymurphy Easter Rising mural in the foreground, the third with the wall of superheroes in Slıabh Dubh estate (see Wallbusters | The Walls, Unbroken | Red-Eye | Cartoon World).

Previous messages on the mountain can be seen on its Visual History page.

2014-11-07 YesCatalonia2+

2014-11-07 YesCatalonia1+

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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I’ll Wear No Convict’s Uniform

2014-10-29 NugentFarrellHStrike+

As reported at the time, after the Nugent/Hughes mural at the corner of Divis and Northumberland Streets (see Belfast’s Infamous Prison) was painted out to make way for a pro-Catalonia vote mural (see Votes About Votes), Kieran Nugent was added to the hunger-strikers mural further down the international wall, along with Mairéad Farrell, who was the second person, after Nugent, to refuse to wear a prison uniform. A blanketed Brendan Hughes has also been added, above the declaration of independence.

Below is a progress shot (previously posted in Votes About Votes); the original version of the hunger-strikers mural is in Peace With Justice.

2014-10-27 NugentAddedCrop+

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02321 X02319 12 doves frank stagg michael gaughan no greater love smash h-block poblacht na heireann irish republic long kesh maze celtic cross shield

Votes About Votes

2014-10-27 CatalanVote+

The 7.5 million people of the Spanish region of Catalonia will go to the polls on November 9th for a vote on independence, though it will no longer be a referendum but a non-binding ‘consultation of the citizens’. Indeed, the Spanish government in the last 24 hours has begun taking steps to block even that vote (Reuters). The “Catalan Countries” are Catalonia, Valenicia, and the Balearic Islands, along with Andorra and the French region of Rousillon – see the WP page on Països Catalans for greater detail.

The Catalan mural was painted on top of the mural to blanketman Kieran Nugent (and Brendan Hughes) (seen here in Belfast’s Infamous Prison) which caused some consternation. As can be seen below, Nugent is now being painted into the hunger-strikers mural (Peace With Justice) along with Maıréad Farrell, who led the protest in Armagh Women’s Prison.

2014-10-27 NugentAddedCrop+

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02310 X02319 yes to the referendum for independence for catalan countries catalans want to vote

The Great War

2014-10-20 ShankillGraveSomme+

This new work in the Somme memorial Garden Of Reflection (between the Shankill graveyard and the Mountainview Tavern), places two headstones (both reading “A soldier of the great war”) in a flower-bed, in front of a mural. The mural shows a soldier, presumably from the Ulster division, on the fields of Flanders: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 1914-2014”

Previously from the Garden: Somme Memorial; and from the graveyard: Queen Of Ireland, Empress Of India | Interment

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02301 that he lay down

We Shall Not Sleep

2014-10-20 ShankillGraveWWI+

Three wraiths of dead WWI soldiers – one with its head wrapped in a bandage – rise from the grave to issue a final edict: Take up our quarrel with the foe; to you from failing hands we throw the torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep though poppies grow in Flanders’ fields.

For another WWI memorial in Shankill Graveyard see The Great War.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02303 ghost spectre

Let Them Home

2014-10-03 LetThemHomeWoodvale+

This graffiti on the hoardings around the building-site at the top of Woodvale Road is in reference to the on-going dispute at Twaddell Avenue, which is just to the right of the PSNI land-rover in the right of frame – each night Orange bands march up to the police line, attempting to march past the Ardoyne shops and finish a parade from the Twelfth (of July) 2013.

See previously: Civil Rights Camp | Twaddell Protest Camp | Supporters Club

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Better Days

2014-10-03 FallswaterIRA+

Here are three “nail-ups” from west Belfast, all showing their age.

The first is “IRA – Brits out, not sell out. Join RSF” in Fallswater Street.

The second is a “Lower Shankill UFF C Coy” board high above the “Shankill Protestant Boys UVF” mural at the junction of Northemberland Street and the Shankill.

The third is the phoenix in the apex above the mural in AMCOMRI Street.

The images were taken in late 2014; the phoenix goes back at least to 2003 and the others are at least six years old.

2014-10-03 ShankillUFFNorthumb2

2014-10-03 AMCOMRIPhoenix+

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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