UVF 3rd Battalion [East Antrim? North Belfast?] board in Ballyclare to Vol. Robert Heaney and Vol. Brian Heaney. There doesn’t seem to be any information about these two in the usual places – please get in touch if you know anything about them.
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The figure in the centre of the mural above is Peggy O’Hara, mother of INLA hunger striker Patsy O’Hara, who remained active in socialist and republican circles and stood in the assembly elections in 2007 as an independent. She died in 2015 and was given a paramilitary funeral, including a volley of shots fired over the coffin. (For a description, and video, see this Derry Journal article.) The female above Mickey Devine (in the bottom right) is his sister Margaret, from whose house his coffin processed after his death in 1981. (See the plaque in Waked & Buried.) The girl on the left is pointing towards another mural, a dove of peace. (See Network.)
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Copyright © 2016 Extramural Activity
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John O’Mahony was an Irish-born but American-based republican who founded the Fenian Brotherhood, whose goal was to send arms and financial support to the Irish Republican Brotherhood in Ireland (Brittanica).
His words from the IRB newspaper The Irish People are used in this RNU [“www.republicanunity.org“] board in Derry: “Every individual born on Irish soil constitutes, according to Fenian doctrine, a unit of that nation, without reference to race or religious belief; and as such he is entitled to a heritage on Irish soil, subject to such economic, political and equitable regulations as shall seem fit to the future legislators of liberated Ireland. From this heritage none shall be excluded.”
The date given is 1868, but the paper closed in 1865 when its offices were raided and its executives, including manager O’Donovan Rossa, were arrested.
Rossville St, Bogside, Derry
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03637 dedicated to republican socialism in ireland free from british imperialist occupation network for unity cogús pows
Step-mother Aoıfe resents the bonds between her husband Lear and his children and their love for their lost mother and turns them into singing swans for 900 years, by the end of which time Christianity had come to Ireland. A monk heard their song and recognised them. At his touch, they are restored to human form. Being 900 years old, they die immediately but not before being baptised.
For another ‘baptised before death’ story, see the story of the mermaid Lí Ban in Sea-Born.
This is the third of three Celtic mythology boards in Creggan/An Creagán, Derry. See previously: Tír Na nÓg and Cú Chulaınn.
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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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.
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Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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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.
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03631 central drive, Derry/Doıre
“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.
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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This new full-size mural to INLA hunger striker Mickey Devine replaces a smaller black-and-white board (for which see Waked & Buried).
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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.
Two pieces relating to abortion rights. The first is a piece of Irish-language graffiti in North Street, below Andy Council’s CNB14 Phoenix, signed by “Mısneach” (“courage”). The second is a stencil in Garfield Street below Leo Boyd’s Bowie tribute Oh You Pretty Thing: “Need an abortion? Womenhelp.org.”
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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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).
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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Seosamh Mac Coille Collection 