physical force

Do You Care?

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2015-08-14 MnáNahÉireannInsideLeft+

Here are two details from the Mná Na hÉıreann mural. This one shows three Derry women protesting the conditions in Armagh Women’s Prison and in the H-Blocks. This article on Mary Nelis (the protester on the right, with Kathleen Deeny and Theresa Deery) describes the photograph on which this part of the mural is based. The women in Armagh prison were allowed to wear their own clothes and so were not ‘on the blanket’ as their male counterparts in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh were. However, they did engage in a “no wash” protest, which lasted from February 1980 until March 1981, and three of them – Maıréad Farrell, Mary Doyle, and Margaret Nugent – joined the 1980 hunger strike.

In the second image, below, grieving mothers, wives, and sisters stand over a coffin draped in the Irish tricolour with paramilitary gloves and beret on top.

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Mná Na hÉıreann/Women Of Ireland

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2015-08-14 MnáNahÉireannMid+

Countess Markievicz, carrying a flag of Cumann Na mBan, and Ethel Lynch, carrying a flag of the Derry IRA, take centre stage in the Mná Na hÉıreann mural in London-/Derry/Doıre’s bogside. Markievicz is famous for her role in the Easter Rising of 1916 (WP); Lynch died in December 1974 of injuries sustained when a bomb exploded prematurely. (Derry Journal – also contains the photo on which the painting above is based.) Between them, “Liberty leads the people” waving an Irish tricolour.

This is the one of three posts detailing the 2014-09 piece. See also: Do You Care? and United Irishwomen.

Launched 2014-09-30. In-progress shot in Derry Journal.

2015-08-14 MnáNahÉireannFull+

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X02738 X02733 brıogáıd dhoıre maire drumm mary-ann mccracken betsy gray anne devlin h-block armagh do you care

Socialist Volunteers

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02757 2015-08-08 IRSPBoard+

The board above, on Derry’s Racecourse Road, commemorates two hunger-strikers from Derry, Patsy O’Hara and Michael Devine, both members of the INLA; the third INLA hunger-striker was Kevin Lynch, from nearby Dungiven. The seven others who died were members of the IRA, whose political wing was Sınn Féın, while the Irish Republican Socialist Party, who sponsored this board, serves as the political face of the INLA.

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X02757 irish republican army IRSP páırtí poblachtach sóısıalach na héıreann plough stars red star raised Armalite vol bobby sands francis hughes ray mccreesh joe mcdonnell martin hurson kieran doherty tom mcelwee belfast armagh tyrone

The Thirtieth Of January 1972

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2015-08-07 GoyaDerry+

Above is a local interpretation of Robert Ballagh’s 1970 rendering of Goya’s The Third Of May 1808 in Glenfada Park, Derry/Doıre, site of four deaths on Bloody Sunday, 1972.

The original commemorates Spanish resistance to the forces of Napoleon (WP). For this Derry version, features from the city’s skyline – the Guildhall, St. Columb’s Cathedral, and an intact Governor Walker column – have replaced the original’s outline of Madrid, as well as an insignia of the Paras on the arm of a soldier. 

For Ballagh’s original (“1970”) version and a description and video of the launch see bloodysundaymarch.org. Here is an Eamonn McCann lecture on the political history of the Goya painting. Until recently, the piece above was adjacent to a version of Picasso’s Guernica.

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X02720 Jim Wray, William McKinney, Gerard McKinney, Gerard Donaghy paratroop regiment

Apprentice Boys

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2015-08-05 Conningham+

On December 7th, 1688, thirteen apprentice boys grabbed the keys to Derry city and locked the gates against the on-coming Jacobite Redshanks. Their names were William Cairnes, Henry Campsie, John Conningham (also given as Coningham), Alexander Cunningham, William Crookshanks, Samuel Harvy, Samuel Hunt, Alexander Irwin, Robert Morison, Robert Sherrard, Daniel Sherrard, James Spike, James Steward and they each have a small plaque in the Fountain area.

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Rest Easy Big Man

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2015-07-28 RIPTommyCrossan+

Former CIRA commander Tommy Crossan’s 2014 murder by former colleagues was unusual in that is was carried out during the daytime (and also because he was abducted just off the Springfield Rd). (BBC-NI news video) The graffiti above declares that vengeance will be won.

Previously: Tommy Crossan

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X02708 RIP Vol Tommy Crossan 18/4/2014 justice will be done

WIII

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2015-07-22 CosgraveHeightsBilly+

This fine example of King William III at the Battle of the Boyne completes the Tiger’s Bay trio of murals from the past two days (see You Will Become A Great Nation, Even Many Nations & North Of Ireland Armies). Shots of the three together and of the general scene are included below.

For the UDA mural previously in this location, see M04396.

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2015-07-22 CosgraveHeightsFull+

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X02688 X02691 X02690 rem 1690 king billy william of orange bible

Consolidate The Peace

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2015-07-22 LPAHarveyCourt+

As talks were held at Stormont throughout 1997, (leading to the Good Friday (or: Belfast) Agreement in April 1998) paramilitaries on both sides in the conflict began pressing their case for concessions, including the release of political prisoners. The image above is of a 1997 UDA mural that is still in decent condition in loyalist east Belfast: Consolidate The Peace – Release East Belfast’s Loyalist Prisoners. It shows a Long Kesh tower and barbed wire with red hands breaking the chains between handcuffs. For a similar image (which was painted out this week) in nearby Lord Street, see All Gave Some.

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X02694 we forget them not LPA harvey court

None Shall Separate Us

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“None shall separate us from those we have loved and lost. Quis separabit. Honour – loyalty – liberty – sacrifice.” A standing stone has been added to the UDA memorial garden in Cosgrave Heights, next to the plaque to the “Scottish Brigade North Ayrshire roll of honour” that was added (circa 2012) to the pair to the North Belfast Brigade that were present in 2008 (see M04397).

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