physical force

The Maze Ablaze

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2014-03-04 Kesh1974-2+

A new mural, above, on the International Wall commemorates the fortieth anniversary this year of the ‘Burning Of Long Kesh’ or the ‘Battle Of Long Kesh’, which took place on the night of October 15, 1974 and day of the 16th (when British Army units retook the camp).

The most comprehensive account available on-line of the conditions at the camp prior to the riot, the burning, and the battle on the morning of the 16th appears to be this 2004 piece in An Phoblacht by Joe Doherty and Christy Keenan. (For a virtual tour of the camp, see this video. Seamus Keenan’s Over The Wire (on again this month at the Derry Playhouse) attempts to recreate the scene.) Other accounts include those by Ronan Bennett, another inmate, in The Guardian, and by ‘Peter’, a British Army soldier, at Shared Troubles. Here is a brief BBC News report from the 16th.

All accounts mention the use of gas and republican accounts state that CR was used on the morning of the 16th in addition to CS, dropped from helicopters as at the top of the mural. The Guardian, in 2005, confirmed that CR had been authorized for use in controlling riots and was available at the prison. CR is a carcinogen (WP) and in a post on his blog Mairtin Óg Meehan suspects that exposure to CR is a cause of recent cancers among former prisoners. For some statistics based on interviews with prisoners, see this page at Clones Fáılte.

In the lower left corner is a quoted telegram from Fr. Denis Faul, Fr. Raymond Murray: “To international Red Cross … Visited Long Kesh today with others … Request immediate investigation into use of CR gas … sub-human conditions … SOS … come immediately …” 20 Oct. 1974. These two wrote an 80-page report on the conditions at the camp following the event, entitled The Flames Of Long Kesh. See this 1999 An Phoblacht page for an image of the shelters constructed after the battle.

The photograph which the central part of the mural reproduces is HU 70205 from the Imperial War Museum’s collection, though this is dated as October 1972.

The artists can be seen at work on the mural in an image from the Leonard Peltier post ‘Obama Holds The Key‘.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01721 CR gas used against POWs

The Battle Of Antrim

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2014-03-04 BattleAntrimClose+

The Battle of Antrim took place on June 7th, 1798, as part of the Irish Rebellion of that summer. Led in the North by the Protestant Henry Joy McCracken, the rebellion met with initial successes in smaller towns, before failing in Antrim. In the full shot, below, the British soldiers can be seen in the distance.

The board above is in the grounds of The Roddy’s, a social club named after Roddy McCorley, another Protestant member of the United Irishmen, most famous for the song written about his hanging at the bridge of Toome in 1800. (Here’s a version by Tommy Makem.)

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Long Kesh At Night

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The image above of Long Kesh/HMP Maze is by Michael Mullen. The piece is paint on board; the autographs of all of Mullen’s fellow inmates in Cage 18 are on the reverse. The work is in the Eileen Hickey Republican Museum on Conway Street.

Previously: The Maze Ablaze | Eileen Hickey | You Know Where

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The Burning Of Long Kesh

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2014-02-27 LongKeshBurning1+

The Maze/Long Kesh was set ablaze by Republican inmates 40 years ago, on the night of October 15th, 1974. Above is a picture by Matt Kelly, who was held in Cage 18. The picture is in the Eileen Hickey Republican Museum on Conway Street.

Previously: The Maze Ablaze (includes background information)| Long Kesh At Night | Eileen Hickey | You Know Where

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Cry “Havoc”

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2014-02-27 FallsMap+

Above is a new board (on painted background) at the Falls Road Garden of Remembrance for IRA volunteers in D company (the ‘Dogs’) of the 2nd battalion Belfast Brigade and local civilians from the lower Falls who died in the 20s, 70s and 90s. The main board shows a map of the area from Dunville Park to the Divis flats with lilies marking the spots of various deaths. Surrounding it are the portraits of fourteen of the volunteers listed on the marble – Maguire, O’Rawe, McKelney, Donaghy, Quigley, McAreavey, Hughes, Loughran, MacBride, Kelly, Carson, Campbell, Skillen, Marley.

Below is a wide shot showing the garden and mural.

CAIN have video of the garden

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X01709 X01708 falls cultural society quest for irish freedom ar son saoirse na heireann oglaigh roll of honour monument

Child’s Play

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2014-02-26 HopewellPlayWide+

“Play is the highest form of research – Albert Einstein.” The quote appears to be a common (mis-)attribution.

This is a new board celebrating the play of children, with a UDA/UFF mural in the background. The artist is Ed Reynolds (steadyhanded.com).

Previously by Ed in the lower Shankill: a full-sized Play mural.

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X01707 X01706 X02453 lt. col. william bucky mccullough

2nd Class Citizens

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Recent work around Conway and Canmore Streets on Cupar Way has revealed this old piece of graffiti: “We will never be 2nd class citizens to you scum[m]y bastards – L/S C/Coy” [Lower Shankill C Company]. C Company (2nd battalion) was Johnny Adair’s UDA unit and the location is just inside UVF territory (west of Agnes/Northumberland Street); this graffiti might thus date to the feud with the UVF in 2000. Alternatively, the intended audience might be residents in Bombay Street and St. Galls Avenue. If you have more definite information, please leave a comment or send an e-mail.

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Obama Holds The Key

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There are two new pieces on the International Wall on Divis Street. The first is the “Free Leonard Peltier” bookmark-sized piece shown in progress, above, and completed, below. (The second is a 40th anniversary piece concerning the burning of Long Kesh. We will have the finished version of that tomorrow. The two together take the place of the 2007 Guernica mural, which was in bad shape after six and a half years.) The text reads, “An honourable man who has spent 10yrs longer in jail than Nelson Mandela”. Peltier has been in jail since 1977, convicted of killing two FBI agents (WP).

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Force Research

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2014-02-12 Finucane25Detail+

A new board has gone up at the junction of the Falls and Glen roads (on the site of the former Andersonstown RUC station) commemorating the death of Pat Finucane (on February 12th, 1989), alleging collusion between the MI5, the UDA, the UDR, and the RUC, and asking for an inquiry.

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X01675 X01674 why no public inquiry time for justice truth MI5 force research unit ulster defence regiment UDA 25 years on collusion cover-up state murder 21st march 1949