physical force

Hark! To The Tramp Of The Young Guards Of Éıreann

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A pair of boards have been added to either side of one of the Bone memorials in Clós Ard An Lao, one for Na Fıanna Éıreann – the boys – and one for Cumann Na gCaılíní – the girls. The words are those of the Marching Song Of Na Fıanna Éıreann, except that in the second verse (the third stanza shown, first in the image below) the words “Cumann Na gCaılınní [sic]” have been inserted instead of “Fıanna Éıreann”.

The third image, below, shows the whole wall; for a close-up of the central boards, commemorating locals who lost their lives in the troubles, see Bone Memorial.

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X02202 X02203 X02204 cumann na mban firm each footstep erect each head soldiers of freedom unfearing and eager to follow the teaching of our hero dead on for freedom set we our faces to the dawning day in our own land when strength and daring shall end for evermore the saxon sway truth on our lips purity in our hearts strength in our arms blessed be our and like the who won for her glory in the days that are gone clean be our thinking and fruitful our teaching that we may deserve here when the fight is won soldiers and champions of eire our mother fear we no sassanach his schemes or steel foes of no foeman by comrades sisters all who are striving for weal

Unbowed, Unbroken

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2014-09-12 NLodgeUnbowedFull+

Above is a recent mural by Damian Walker in the New Lodge, in support of republican prisoners in Maghaberry, showing a single shirtless prisoner with a flower (? – see the close-up below) surrounded by three baton-wielding officers. Sponsored the 32-County Sovereignty Movement (web).

Replaces: Damn Your Concessions, England

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C. Coy Street

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UVF volunteers (l-r) Thomas Chapman, James McGregor, Robert McIntyre, William Hannah, and Robert Wadsworth, who were killed between 1973 and 1978, are commemorated in a new mural in Carnan (or “C. Coy”) Street. The mural is unusual in that it shows bare-faced full figures; loyalist murals sometimes include head-shots (at the top of the mural, in the apex of a gable wall, e.g. Standing Guard) but only masked men appear as full figures. There is a similarity in composition and style (and perhaps even palette) to existing Republican murals such as this one of five B. Coy IRA volunteers in Ballymurphy.

The wide shot (below) is taken from the main road: the fish-and-chip shop on the Shankill is called “A Salt And Battered”. For a straight-on image of the red-and-black mural to the left, see We Were Young. Still shots of the mural in progress are included in this video of the bands parading at the launch.

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X02175 X02353 c.coy 1st Belfast battalion Ulster Volunteers for god and ulster

We Were Young

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A. E. Housman’s 1919 short poem “Here dead we lie” is featured, together with the poppies that grew on the Western Front in WWI, in this UVF commemorative mural. The 36th (Ulster) Division is not mentioned specifically; the plaque on the right-hand side (which pre-dates the mural) lists the names of five UVF members killed in the 70s who are depicted in the mural just out of picture but seen below in a wide shot of both murals (and by itself in C Coy Street). For a similar connecting of the two Ulster Volunteer Forces, see 100 Years Apart, Armed & Ready, Years Of Sacrifice, and others. Another wide shot is given in C Coy Street, taken from the main road and shows that the fish-and-chip shop on the Shankill is called “A Salt And Battered”.

“Here dead we lie, because we did not choose,
to live and shame the land, from which we sprung.
Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose,
but young men think it is, and we were young.”

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X02177 X02178 recognition appreciation remembrance  for god and ulster 1st battalion belfast brigade “c” company ulster volunteer force killed in action mcintyre 19-5-73 wadsworth 11-4-75 chapman 12-6-75 mcgregor 12-6-75 hannah 21-6-78 they shall not grow old as we that are left grow old age shall not weary them nor the years condemn at the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them in our hearts forever

Loyalist Prisoners & Widow’s Welfare

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2014-09-10 PeoplesArmyNew+

A second plaque has been added to “The People’s Army” wall on the Shankill Road (at Moscow Street) by the LPWWA Scotland: “In everlasting memory of Volunteer Alastair Von (Ziff) 19th October 2009”. It joins a plaque to “A true soldier – Big Bill Campbell”, leader of the UVF’s 1st Scottich battalion. Campbell and Von were imprisoned for bombing Glasgow pubs in 1979 and Campbell is suspected of involvement of the McGurk’s Bar bombing in 1971. (See also: The Economist gives a brief history of Glasgow sectarianism.) 

Below are a close-up of the plaques and a shot of the wall last year. There is a song in honour of Bill Campbell. The Campbell plaque was originally on the Northland St mural of the Shankill West Belfast 1st Batt A Coy 5th Plat before it was re-imaged as a Thiepval memorial mural.

See previously: Shankill Reflections

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X02180 X02182 X02181 west belfast regiment uvf 1st battalion belfast died 8th january 1997 lest we forget no. 5 platoon no. 1 ‘a’ company for god and ulster

Who’s Next?

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2014-09-03 WhosNext+

Flyer on an ‘alcohol free’ sign at the top of Berwick Road/Paráıd An Ardghleanna showing a darkened figure behind prison bars: “This could be your brother, sister, mother, father, son or daughter. Who’s next? Support our POW’s!”

The wide shot, below, shows the flyer’s position above the “PSNI not welcome in Ardoyne” signage, featured previously (Unwelcome To Ardoyne).

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X02158 X02159 wolftone/mccracken roger casement cummans maximum penalty

Frizzell’s

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2014-09-03 Frizzels+

October 23rd marks the anniversary of the bombing of Frizzell’s fishmongers on the Shankill Road, above which the Shankill UDA and LPA had their headquarters. The bomb exploded prematurely, killing nine people, including the owner and three members of his family, and one of the IRA bombers (also memorialized, by a plaque in Ardoyne), and injuring 57 others. The meeting whose attendees were the intended target had ended early. The memorial includes a cross of poppies and an engraving of the (old) exterior – the memorial is on the wall of the new building (shown below), the old one having collapsed as a result of the bomb. (WP)

See previously: Where Is Our Truth? which (in one of its panels) reproduces the scene after the bombing.

For the original (top) plaque by itself, see M07536.

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X02155 X02157 1.05 pm saturday 1993 terrorist John Sharon McBride Leanne Murray Michael Morrison Evelyn Michelle Baird George Gillian Williamson Wilma McKee Thomas Begley Seán Kelly

Martha Campbell

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The plaque above was unveiled on the 40th anniversary of the death of Martha Campbell, on May 14th, 2012. Campbell was the last person to die in the protracted gunfire that followed the bombing of Kelly’s Bar in Ballymurphy on the 13th. UVF gunmen are attributed the killing by McKittrick (186), but no one has officially taken responsibility for the death (WP). A tribute site exists on-line, which maintains that the bullet came from Henry Taggart rather than Springmartin.

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The Highland

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2014-08-30 FusiliersFaces+

Highland Fusiliers John McCaig (17), Joseph McCaig (18), and Dougald McCaughey (23) were lured by the IRA from a city-centre pub to their deaths in Ligoniel in 1971 (WP). The memorial above is at the top of Ballysillan – a wide shot and close-up of the plaque are shown below. 

A smaller stone is at the White Brae/Squire’s Hill site – shown below along with a wide shot of the area. The stone is frequently vandalised (BelTel | BBC | STV | BBC).

Update: 2018 video of a ceremony at the Ballysillan site.

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this memorial has been placed here by public subscription to honour the memory of three young scottish soldiers of the royal highland fusiliers who were murdered by republican terrorists on march 10th 1971 at white brae Ligoniel less than a mile from this place proudly remembered and never forgotten the souls of the righteous are in the hands of god there shall no evil happen to them they are in peace
“On March 10th 1971 at this place three young Scottish Soldiers of the Royal Highland Fusiliers were murdered by republican terrorists. Fusilier John McCaig aged 17, Fusilier Joseph McCaig aged 18, Fusilier Dougald McCaughey aged 22. Always in our hearts. Never forgotten.“