painted board

It Is Better For Men To Fight And Die

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03723 2016-08-06 Casement1+

Shown above is the first of three new boards at Casement Park in west Belfast, named for Roger Casement. Working for the British Colonial Services, Roger Casement wrote extensive reports on the abuse of indigenous people in Congo Free State (1904) and in Peru (1910).

In Congo Free State, King Leopold II of Belgium was using a private force to suppress the locals while extracting rubber; Casement’s report (archive.org) led to the Belgian government taking over Leopold’s operation and creating the Belgian Congo.

In Peru, Casement investigated abuses against the Putumayo indians at the hands of the Peruvian Amazon Company. As a result of his report, the PAC gradually lost business and folded. (WP) Casement was knighted in 1911 for his human-rights work, though this title would be stripped shortly before his execution.

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03723 Andersonstown Rd

The Children Of Lear

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03630-2016-07-05-children-of-lir

Step-mother Aoıfe resents the bonds between her husband Lear and his children and their love for their lost mother and turns them into singing swans for 900 years, by the end of which time Christianity had come to Ireland. A monk heard their song and recognised them. At his touch, they are restored to human form. Being 900 years old, they die immediately but not before being baptised.

For another ‘baptised before death’ story, see the story of the mermaid Lí Ban in Sea-Born.

This is the third of three Celtic mythology boards in Creggan/An Creagán, Derry. See previously: Tír Na nÓg and Cú Chulaınn.

03629-2016-07-05-stony-place

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03630 X03629 central dr stony place

Culann’s Hound

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03632 2016-07-05 Cu Chulainn+

“Cú Chulaınn” is Irish for “Culann’s Hound” after the boy Setanta killed the smith’s hound and promised to take its place until another one was raised. In one version of the legend, Setanta kills the original hound by driving a slıotar (hurley ball) down its throat – hence the hero is shown here holding a camán (hurley stick) rather than a sword. In the original picture on which this mural is based, the hero is not Cú Chulaınn but Jim Fitzpatrick’s vision of Nuada Silverarm and he carries a sword.

On the right hand side, Tuan the hawk/eagle/sea-raven bears witness to all of Irish history.

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03632 central drive

Tír Na nÓg

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03631 2016-07-05 Tir na nOg+

In the myths of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the Fıan Oısín falls in love with Nıamh from the Land Of Youth, but after three years — which is 300 human years — he yearns to return to Ireland. She gives him a magic horse that will preserve his youth while he remains on it. But he falls from it and dies of old age.

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03631 central drive, Derry/Doıre

Unfinished Business

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03616 2016-07-03 Unfinished Revolution+

The centenary of the Easter Rising, 1916 – 2016, serves as a touchstone for the painters of this mural in Derry who hold that the work of the rebellion is incomplete: “Unfinished revolution, unfinished business”. The same slogan and image of a hoodied volunteer appears in two murals both entitled Resistance, one in Belfast, one in Derry.

Update: In the last 24 hours, the papers are reporting that “Join the IRA” has been added to the board, which has been condemned as a hate crime by local DUP politician Gary Middleton. For more, and a pic, see Derry Journal.

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03616 westland street

Grant’s

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03579 2016-06-30 Grant's 1+

We travel through time with these three images of Grant’s shop on Bishop Street, Derry. The first above, is labelled “circa 1972” and shows Henry Grant; the second shows children playing marbles in the street in front of Patrick Grant’s shop “circa 1918”, while the third, with a horse and cart, is dated to 1932.

03580 2016-06-30 Grant's 2+

03581 2016-06-30 Grant's 3+

03582 2016-06-30 Grant's w+

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Copyright © 2016 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X03579 X03580 X03581 X03582

c. 1918 possibly Annie Doherty on the right