physical force

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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Arkansas ’57 – Ardoyne ’01 – South Belfast ’09

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“Everyone has the right to live free from sectarian/racist harassment!!! Arkansas ’57 — Ardoyne 2001 — South Belfast ’09”

This is a smaller and cruder version of the classic Ardoyne mural about the Holy Cross dispute, updated now to include the treatment of Romanians in south Belfast – see e.g. Guardian | BelTel.

To the right of the Manchester Martyrs, to the left of the WBTA mural, on the International Wall, Divis Street.

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Copyright © 2009 Cathal Woods
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Manchester Martyrs

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This mural on the International Wall commemorates the Manchester martyrs, Philip Allen, Michael O’Brien, Michael Larkin.

The three were publicly hanged on November ?23rd?, 1867, for the killing of a Manchester policeman, Charles Brett. Brett was inside a prison van carrying two IRB leaders when it was set upon by 30 or more people (depicted in the small insert at the top of the mural). The attendant escort fled, leaving Brett inside; he was killed by a bullet fired into the lock. Five people were convicted, one of whom, O’Meagher Condon, shouted “God save Ireland” during the trial; this was turned into an extremely popular song in memory of the three (Wolfe Tones version). Their graves were discovered in 2003 (Irish Times) and a campaign is being waged to repatriate their corpses (Sınn Féın).

“Bring them back to Irish soil. Three Irishmen, one an American citizen, were falsely accused, convicted and hung on the 24th November 1867 in Manchester where their bodies still lie. God save Ireland.”

To the left of the Arkansas – Ardoyne – South Belfast mural.

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Copyright © 2009 Cathal Woods
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Maghaberry Prisoners

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Mural on the International Wall to interned prisoners in Maghaberry, overlapped by the pro-Palestine mural to the left.

Previously Maghaberry (barbed wire) – M01758.

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Copyright © 2009 Cathal Woods
X00304 not forgotten end internment by remand, irpwa (irish republican prisoners welfare association), zionist new year message to the world happy war christmas is over

UDU-UFF-UDA

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This is a 2007? repainting of a lower Shankill mural placing Ulster Freedom Fighters/Ulster Defence Association (UFF/UDA) within the historical context of “a new organization entitled the Ulster Defence Association, the objects of which are to elect an assembly of 600 delegates, having authority to declare the policy and direct the action of the Ulster Unionists and to raise funds for the purposes of the organization from loyalists of all classes.” The motto of the organisation was “Quis separabit” (which is the same as the UDA’s).

The Union faded away in the 1910s, but the name was revived by the UDA in 2007.

The manifesto was launched on St Patrick’s day 1893, in response to the 2nd Home Rule bill. Membership was closed on June 1st, by which time 170,000 people had signed up. The newspaper source of the text is unknown; a similar newspaper article from the Tasmanian Daily Telegraph can be found here. The words “Ulster Defence Association” do not occur in the manifesto.

For more on Saunderson, see Union Is Strength.

The side wall is new, and other small changes were made during the repaint: “UFF member” was previously above the gunman and “Est.” was previously used instead of “Formed”.

The Orange Order mural in the background is here.

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member founded 1893 1972 ulster defence union

UVF 3rd Battalion North Belfast

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The UVF memorial garden in Mount Vernon gets a new wall, with poppy crosses on either side of the gate (see the previous wall). On the mural, the battles that the 36th (Ulster) Division took part in are listed on either side of the silhouetted soldier: Ypres, Fricourt, Cambrai, Thiepval, Messines, Beaucourt, Somme, Albert, Flanders, St Quentin, Bailleul, Courtrai. Although the mural is in Mount Vernon, the scroll at the top says “Tiger’s Bay”. The memorial stone is to the “3rd battalion, north Belfast”. A plaque would later replace the poppy cross to the left of the gate.

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Copyright © 2008 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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