London-/Derry

The Ten Foot Pikers

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The first few pages of Commandant Michael Sheer’s testimony to the Bureau of Military History describe the activities of the elite squad called the “Ten Foot Pikers”, including how postal officer Dan McGandy stole election ballots sent by mail during the general election of 1918. As described in the plaque above, McGandy went missing in January 1919 and was found in the Foyle six weeks later. This article suggests that he fell in after a struggle with British soldiers who had intercepted him while stealing grenades; this Derry Now article suggests he was thrown in by the soldiers, who then arranged his things to make it appear a suicide.

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03801 strabane old road óglach oglagh IRA IRB to die locally on active service war of independence

The Brave Thirteen

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The repainting of the Mountjoy ‘Breaking The Boom‘ in the Siege Of Derry is the second of three recent works in the Waterside. (See also City Of Temperance.) The work has been retitled ‘The Brave Thirteen’ and extended to include the closing of the gates by 13 Apprentice Boys, whose surnames are given here as Sherrard, Morrison, Steward, Campsie, Cunninghman, Sherrard, Conningham, Cairns, Hunt, Crookshannks, Irwin, Harvy, Spire (for first names and alternate spellings, see Apprentice Boys).

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03796 X03795 X03794 Roulston Ave BSCA bond street community association

City Of Temperance

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03793 2016-08-22 Cricket+

The mural above in Londonderry’s Ebrington Street celebrates three local organisations: in the upper portion, Orange Lodge #1007 “City Of Temperance” lodge (web) and Women’s Lodge #29 “Mountjoy”; in the lower portion, Glendermott Cricket Club (Tw), whose home pitch is Rectory Field (shown on the shield in the middle).

Here’s a Derry Now article on the launch back in April.

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03793 Bond Street Community Association BSCA

There Must Never Be A Time When We Fail To Protest

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Here are four republican boards from Derry/Doıre and Dungiven/Dún Geımhın, from Cogús (republican prisoners’ welfare), 1916 Societies, IRSP, and the campaign for Justice For The Craigavon Two (Brendan McConville and John-Paul Wootton). The title comes from the last image: “There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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No Excuse

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As a comparison of the first and third images – taken six weeks apart – show, a count of the days in prison has been added to the Tony Taylor board on the green in front of the H-Block memorial in Derry, reminiscent of the counts that were kept of the hunger strikers in 1981 (see, for example, Day 55 | Day 61 in the Peter Moloney Collection collection).

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X03776 X03810 Rossville St

But Never The Revolution

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03781 2016-08-20 Neil McMonagle+

Derry INLA man Neil McMonagle – who died in February 1983 – is placed among the seven signatories of the proclamation of the provisional government of the Irish Republic.

For more information about his life, see previously McMonagle.

The board was launched on January 31st, 2016, just before the anniversary of McMonagle’s death (Derry Now).

Leafair Park, Shantallow, Derry

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03781 killed in action 2nd february 1983

Among The Heroes Of Labour

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“¡No pasarán! In memory of the International Brigades and the men from Derry, Donegal & Tyrone who served in the struggle against fascism in defence of the Spanish Republic 1936-38. … I measc laochra lucht oıbre go raıbh a n-aınm – May their names [name] be among the heroes of labour. Erected by the North-West Spanish Civil War Project, July 2013.”

For brief biographies of those named, see Ireland Spanish Civil War. For some background see DonegalDiaspora. The plaque is above the Unite offices in Carlisle Road, Derry.

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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