In the myths of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the Fıan Oısín falls in love with Nıamh from the Land Of Youth, but after three years — which is 300 human years — he yearns to return to Ireland. She gives him a magic horse that will preserve his youth while he remains on it. But he falls from it and dies of old age.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03631 central drive, Derry/Doıre
Hugh Rooney on the blanket in 1981 is one side of this RNU/Cogús board in the Bogside, Derry. The other shows a helmeted guard beating a prisoner. Here is BBC video of Rooney and Freddie Toal in their cell.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03635 X03636 X02798 rossville st
“Cú Chulaınn” is Irish for “Culann’s Hound” after the boy Setanta killed the smith’s hound and promised to take its place until another one was raised. In one version of the legend, Setanta kills the original hound by driving a slıotar (hurley ball) down its throat – hence the hero is shown here holding a camán (hurley stick) rather than a sword. In the original picture on which this mural is based, the hero is not Cú Chulaınn but Jim Fitzpatrick’s vision of Nuada Silverarm and he carries a sword.
On the right hand side, Tuan the hawk/eagle/sea-raven bears witness to all of Irish history.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03632 central drive
This new full-size mural to INLA hunger striker Mickey Devine replaces a smaller black-and-white board (for which see Waked & Buried).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03624 X03625 X03621 Rathkeele Way In proud and loving memory of Óglach Mickey Devine. Died 20th August 1981 in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh after 60 days on hunger-strike. Mickey was waked and buried from this house, the family home of his sister Margaret. Also died 30th March 2005.
Instead of three monkeys, this IRPWA board in London-/Derry/Doire shows three skeletons in denial of the ‘strip searching’, ‘controlled movement’ and ‘internment’ happening at HM Prison Maghaberry (with an enlarged “H” to make an association with Long Kesh/Maze).
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03620 rossville st
The centenary of the Easter Rising, 1916 – 2016, serves as a touchstone for the painters of this mural in Derry who hold that the work of the rebellion is incomplete: “Unfinished revolution, unfinished business”. The same slogan and image of a hoodied volunteer appears in two murals both entitled Resistance, one in Belfast, one in Derry.
Update: In the last 24 hours, the papers are reporting that “Join the IRA” has been added to the board, which has been condemned as a hate crime by local DUP politician Gary Middleton. For more, and a pic, see Derry Journal.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03616 westland street
Here are two images of the remnants of a poster left over from January’s Bloody Sunday March, one from Creggan with a “Boycott Israeli goods” stencil, the second from the Bogside.
The artist is given as “CH”.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03608 X03549 X03609
RNU board in Westland Street, Derry showing a prisoner behind bars, a victim of internment. The wide shot includes a nail-up with “Brits out now – IRA”.
The board was previously on the rear of Free Derry Corner.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03611 X03661
IRPWA mural showing prisoners being beaten and lying in a pool of blood, next to the “#DerryHappy” mural in Lecky Road: “End the torture in Maghaberry now!!”
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03614 X03659
Republican graffiti in Meenan Square, Derry hearkening back to a 1970s poster (revived earlier in 2016 in this Belfast poster on the International Wall) cautioning people against undercover British agent and touts.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03615
Seosamh Mac Coille Collection 