City/Town

Free The POWs

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This 1997 mural is a collage of images from the previous 30 years, including banging binlids on the ground, Maıréad Farrell in Armagh prison, men on the blanket, the cages of Long Kesh, marches in support of the hunger strikers, and reproductions of various posters, against Margaret Thatcher, plastic bullets, internment, and censorship. There’s a quote from Bob Dylan in the middle, “How many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn’t see – the answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind.”

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Copyright © 2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Let There Be No Bitterness

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Michael Gaughan’s final message included the line “Let there be no bitterness on my behalf, but a determination to achieve the new Ireland for which I gladly die” which is loosely quoted in this hunger strikers Ardilea Close (in the Bone) mural. He is buried with Frank Stagg in Leigue Cemetery, Ballina (WP). The mural has been added behind the plaque to the hunger strikers in the middle-right: “Erected by the Olpark 1981 Committee. In proud and loving memories fo ten young Republicans who gave their lives during the 1981 hunger-strike in the H.Blocks of Long Kesh. No greater love than a man lay down his life for his friends.”

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Copyright © 2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Forget The Past

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“HET” was the “Historical Enquiries Team”, investigating unsolved killings from the Troubles. It lasted from 2005 to 2014 (WP). The graffiti in these images from Mount Vernon and the Shore Road, are perhaps specifically in connection with the investigation into the UVF unit in the area (BelTel) and the murder of Jim Harbinson (BelTel). “Forget the past – peace was delivered”, “HET go home”, “Gerry Adams ya peado [sic] – root da kids”.

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Copyright © 2010 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Summer Of ’69

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The summer of 1969 is generally taken to be the beginning of the Troubles in Belfast and the most famous symbol of the August riots is the burning of Bombay Street. The street was (and is) just below the old Cupar Street, where many streets drop down from the Shankill (you can see the distribution of PUL and CNR houses in the Visual History page on the west Belfast “peace” line). This event is commemorated in nationalist murals (see e.g. No Mission) but for a statement from the PUL perspective, see Can It Change?

The mural is based on a Frankie Quinn photograph “Belfast 1984”.

Hopewell Avenue, lower Shankill, west Belfast.

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Copyright © 2009/2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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