Another Brick In The Wall

The IRPWA/Saoradh/éıstıgí office on the Antrim Road is courting controversy (Irish News | BelTel) with its the holiday images in its front windows. On the right, a Grinch in PSNI uniform (in front of a bleeding poppy with swastika) harasses the child of a Soaradh member. (“Hey, peelers! Leave our kids alone” is a play on the Pink Floyd song ‘Another Brick In The Wall‘). On the left, Santa takes aim with a home-made RPG (modelled on the image included in Resistance).

The Derry IRPWA office also received a Grinch cartoon in which he is battering down a door.

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Join Saoradh

This space on Ardoyne Avenue was used for “cultural” murals from 1997 to 2015, when Staır Na Gaeılge was replaced by Resistance. In its latest incarnation, Saoradh (web – the organisation’s Facebook page is currently blocked) have made a small addition to the side-wall in the centre of the image above.

For the larger pieces, see Homes!!! and Lidl On Equality.

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Eddie’s Remains

As recorded earlier (in Digital Eddie), the 2016 Eddie The Trooper laminate in Ebrington Terrace, Londonderry, began disintegrating as soon as it went up. Today’s images (from late 2018) show that he has completely gone, exposing scraps of the former Eddie. A few Eddies still stalk the land, most notably in Carrickfergus – see the Visual History page for Eddie.

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Óglach Tommy Roberts

“In proud and loving memory of Tommy Roberts, former IRA volunteer, former POW blanketman, died 8th June 2017 aged 78. His courage and dedication will never be forgotten. “As long as Ireland is unfree the only honourable attitude for Irishmen and Irishwomen is an attitude of revolt.””

Roberts was with Junior McDaid when he was shot in 1972 and was OC in Crumlin Road jail later in the 70s (Derry Journal). Video of the launch in Junememories from Anthony McIntyre | Videos of the funeral one | two.

The quote is from Pearse; it was used in Ardoyne in the 1980s.

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His Young Life

“In memory of Vol Colm McNutt Derry Brigade INLA. On 12th December 1977 18 years old Colm McNutt was killed by an undercover British Army unit in William Street. In lived in Balbane Pass and was a popular young lad around the Creggan estate. He witnessed occupation and injustice and as a result joined the resistance movement, paying ultimately with his young life.” This large board was launched in December 2017 on the fortieth anniversary of McNutt’s death.

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The Rising Of The Moon

“End British internment: Strip searching, controlled movement, isolation.” This Saoradh/éıstıgí/IRPWA board in Central Drive, Creggan, Derry, uses the words of Bobby Sands to put current political prisoners in parallel with the blanket protest and hunger strikes. The quote is an English translation from the final day of Sands’s hunger strike diary, March 17th: Mura bhfuıl sıad ın ınmhe an fonn saoırse a scrıosadh, ní bheadh sıad ın ınmhe tú féın a bhrıseadh. Ní bhrısfıdh sıad mé mar tá an fonn saoırse, agus saoırse mhuıntır na hÉıreann, ı mo chroí. Tıocfaıdh lá éıgın nuaır a bheıdh an fonn saoırse seo le taıspeáınt ag daoıne go léır na hÉıreann. Ansın tchífıdh [chífıdh] muıd éırí na gealaí.” = “If they aren’t able to destroy to the desire for freedom, they won’t break you. They won’t break me because the desire for freedom, and the freedom of the Irish people, is is my heart. The day will dawn when all the people of Ireland will have the desire for freedom to show. It is then we’ll see the rising of the moon.” 

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Disband The Rebranded RUC

A vintage image – of the 3-in-1 policeman, Orange Order member, and loyalist paramilitary – is used in the centre of a new Soaradh (web) board at the corner of Central and Fanad drives in Creggan, Derry. For some earlier uses, see Disband The RUC (Derry, dating back to 1995) Keep The Orange Order Out (Markets, south Belfast) | No Entry PSNI (New Lodge, north Belfast) |  Disband The RUC (Newry). “Corrupt, sectarian – disband the rebranded RUC” (and also, “Smash Stormont”).

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Stand By The Republic

“Stand by the republic – Stormount [sic] has not delivered; no new jobs; wages & benefit cut; massive housing crisis; fight for jobs; resist all cuts; join the IRSP.” The board is from the Irish Republican Socialist Party (Fb); in the background is the repainted version of The Runner, including portraits of Manus Deery and Charles Love and a plaque to Love.

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Victory To The Republican Prisoners

Junior McDaid house – the offices of the IRPWA (web | Fb) and Saoradh (web) in Derry – was opened two years ago (video) in Chamberlain Street. The offices are “proudly named after” IRA volunteer James McDaid, who was killed by the British Army in 1972 (Derry Journal), apparently without consulting with or inviting his wife (Derry Journal). A plaque to McDaid is to the left of the door, with two murals on the Harvey Street gable. (A third mural – recorded separately – is just out of shot to the right.)

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Unfinished Revolution

When this mural was first painted in October, 2016 there were calls for its removal on account of the re-appearance of a hooded gunman with RPG (Irish News | BelTel), in the style of IRA murals from before the peace (e.g. most similar to this 1989 mural but see also these other examples). It was still present in November of 2018. The “unfinished revolution” is that of the 1916 Easter Rising, represented by the Easter lily.

The mural is next to Junior McDaid House – the offices of the IRPWA (web | Fb) and Saoradh (web) – in Chamberlain Street, Derry – see previously Victory To The Republican Prisoners.

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