physical force

Purity In Our Hearts

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2014-04-29 ArdEoinFianna+

“Purity in our hearts, strength in our arms, truth in our lips.” Easter Saturday (April 19th) saw the launch of a new RNU tribute to four teenaged members of Na Fıanna Éıreann who died in 1972: Davy McAuley, Josh Campbell, Josie McComiskey and Bernard Fox – all four from Ardoyne/Ard Eoın.

Dates of death are given on the plaque, below. McAuley died of a gunshot wound, perhaps at a Louth training camp (Nelson McCausland). Campbell was shot in Eksdale Street in a gun battle with the British Army; McComiskey was shot in Flax Street in a gun battle with the British Army; Fox was shot by British Army in Brompton Street.

The third image is a wide shot showing the piece and a new memorial garden.

The work is unveiled at the beginning of this video of the event.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01807 X01808 X01809 X02083 1909-2009 100 year of resistance you may kill the revolutionary but never the revolution network unity honour ardoyne’s fallen fıanna all of whom lived in ardoyne and died tragically on active service in 1972 Truth on our lips

Mothering Sunday In Beechmount

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Mothering Sunday 2014 was yesterday, Sunday March 30th. On Saturday, when this image was taken, menfolk were out and about tracking down flowers and chocolates. This week also happens to be the one-hundredth anniversary (“céad blıaın”) of the founding of Cumann Na mBan on April 2nd, 1914, and it is being commemorated in various ways, including a new mural on Ascaıll Ard na bhFeá/Beechmount Avenue.

Cumann Na mBan was the women’s division of the Irish Volunteers and is best remembered for its role in the Easter Rising of 1916. Its members were involved in the occupation of many locations. Some, including (non-combatant) Winifred Carney, were in the GPO, while Countess Markievicz, the main figure of the mural, was in St. Stephen’s Green. (Here is an RTÉ gallery of vintage photographs, including one of Markievicz surrendering.)

The letters “Cnamb” on a rifle formed the badge of Cumann Na mBan. The Irish “Ní saoırse go saoırse na mban” means “No freedom until the freedom of women”. Below are an ‘in-progress’ shot from last week; and a close-up of the finished mural. Below these is a plain shot of the full mural.

Replaces the Fıanna Éıreann centenary, 1909-2009, in which Countess Markievicz was also featured.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Wear An Easter Lily

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April 24th, 1916 is the date of the commencement of the Easter Rising. The left-hand side of the building on the eastern corner of the Falls Road and Ascaıll Ard Na bhFeá (Beechmount Avenue) is a memorial to Republicans from County Antrim from 1798 to 1966 – when the ‘County Antrim Memorial’ was raised in Milltown on the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising – and beyond; it is pictured in the lower right, a large cross-shaped monument. Tom Williams (WP), an IRA volunteer who was executed during the Northern Campaign (during the second world war) and is buried in the plot, is mentioned specifically on the headstone in the lower left.

The right-hand side – the Cumman Na mBan centenary – was recorded previously.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Uncovering The Past

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Three generations of boards at the junction of the Falls and Glen roads: from most recent to least: Pearse Jordan (“Murdered by RUC! Covered up by PSNI”), Gibraltar Three (“I nDıl Chuımhne”; this was later realized on the Divis Street International Wall, see 25 Years), and a (presumably) IRSP board (“If there is to be a revolution, there must be a revolutionary party.” [Mao Zedong]). The oldest of the three appears to be the one in the best shape. The site itself used to be the Andersonstown RUC/Army barracks.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01733 unarmed ira volunteer a victim of britain’s shoot-to-kill policy irish republican socialist party british government policies of collusion justice delayed denied truth and justice now

Easter Parade

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2014-03-15 GlenFallsIRSP+

A board in the Glen Rd/Falls Road triangle: “Belfast I.R.S.P. Commemoration parade, Easter Sunday, Dunville Pk 11am”. The board is a permanent fixture but this year the commemoration in question is of the 40th anniversary of the IRSP itself, as well as the 1916 Rising.

Featured previously from the same location: Slash Stormont | Finucane 25 | Revolutionary Party

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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A Philosophy Of Liberation

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A burnt-out car in the shadow of St. Peter’s cathedral and at the back of the Maureen Sheehan Health Centre, just off Albert Street, which is infamous for “DHLA” (Divis Hoods Liberation Army) joyriding. The new murals in the area (such as Our Youth, Our Future) are part of an intervention project to improve it.

2014-12 update: there has been an upsurge in carjackings in late 2014 (BelTel).

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Davitt’s

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CLG Mac Daıbhéıd/Davitt’s GAA club is named for Mícheál Mac Daıbhéad/Michael Davitt, famous for leading the Irish Republican Brotherhood and the Land League. Mac Daıbhéad himself had his right arm amputated at age eleven after it got caught in the cogs of a spinning machine. The murals shown here are in the grounds of the social club on Clonard Street and celebrate the centenary of the club, 1912-2012.

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