The Way We Were

02961 2015-08-24 TheWayWeWere+

“The way we were” written on the bog side of the walls of Derry provide a name for this mural behind Derry’s Bogside Inn. The old Rossville flats are in the top left hand corner. (Both Rossville flats and graffiti on the walls – “God made the Catholics, the armalite made us equal” – can be seen in this 1982 image (M00039) from Peter Moloney’s collection.)

In the lower right-hand corner is a “Free Gaza” board that was on the back of Free Derry Corner.

In the lower left-hand corner is a picture of the second version of the “You are now entering Free Derry” writing on the gable wall of 33 Lecky Road.

02828 2015-08-24 TheWayWeWereSide+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02961 X02828 fuck all hoods INLA IRA BRY irish national liberation army bogside republican youth

Mothers Of The Revolution

Here are two murals from the Youth First (Tw) group in and around their Bogside home in Meenan Square. In the image above, a young mother sporting both a nappy pin and an Easter lily tends to her infant child while casting a look back at Free Derry corner and the silhouettes of marchers and washing on a line. The image below also shows Free Derry corner and the skyline of the city.

02830 2015-08-24 YouthFirst+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02799 X02830 you are now entering celtic cross caolan tonisha P.m. amy-leigh BAP chloe liam E.s. cian conor chantelle KT tricolour

The Grens

02787 2015-08-20 BangorTheGrens+

A tarpaulin celebrating the North Down Grenadiers (Fb) flute band has been added above the Red Hand Commando panels on the front of this house in Bangor’s Whitehill neighbourhood. (Compare the image above to M06398.) The emblems of both groups are very similar, featuring a red hand with wings. As well as the RHC emblem on the front gate, there is also a stone on the left dedicated to D. Company volunteers.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02787 Audentes fortuna iuvat – fortune favors the brave at the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them in memory of our fallen volunteers north down brigade D. Company lest we forget red hand wings star

Three-In-One

02792 2015-08-20 HolywoodUDAUFFUYM+

This trio of Ulster Defence Association, Ulster Freedom Fighters, and Ulster Young Militants boards are in Holywood, County Down. The overtly paramilitary UFF acts as the link between the others, in that the UDA and UYM emblems appear in miniature alongside its own. The UFF slogan “Ferriens tego” is missing from its board. The local troop is the North Down 2nd Batt. D Coy.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02792 quis separabit terrae filius

On Wings Of Eagles

2015-08-18 BloomfieldRHCFlag+

Here are three images of Red Hand Commando boards and flags in the Bloomfield estate. They both feature a red hand with eagle’s wings over a six-pointed star and on the flag, the motto (in crude Gaelic) “Lamh Derg Abu” – “Onward, Red Hand” or “Red Hand To Victory”. The loyalist paramilitary group declared an official end to activities in 2007 (BBC-NI) and decommissioned its weapons by 2009.

2015-08-18 BloomfieldRHC+

2015-08-18 BloomfieldRHCWide+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02777 X02776 X02778 lámh dhearg abú

IRPWA Prisoners

The IRPWA (tw | Fb) placed the names of prisoners currently held in Maghaberry in the barbed wire above the so-called “international” wall. Barbed wire is the symbol of republican prisoners though this barbed wire is used to protect Andrews Flour. Above, you can see the boards for Harkin, Mellon and McGilloway.

The full list, from left to right: Seamus Kearney, Gerard McManus, Nathan Hastings, Mark McGuigan, Sean Kelly, Barry Concannon, Damien Harkin, Thomas Mellon, Martin McGilloway, Jason Ceulemans, Gavin Coney, Liam O’Donnell, Neil Hegarty, Jon Paul Wooton, Martin Kelly, Colin Duffy, Harry Fitzsimons, Christopher O’Kane, Tarlach MacDhomhnaill, Seamus McLaughlin, Gavin Coyle, Brendan McConville, Kevin Barry Nolan.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02770 [X02771]

New Life

2015-08-16 EagleIsaiah+

The eagle of Isaiah 40:31 flies outside the New Life church in the no-man’s land between the security gates on Northumberland Street: “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (BibleHub)

The signature and the giant “coins” in front of it are shown below, along with the Síocháın/Peace tower. The (brown) cross in the middle of the area is shown in Cross Of Crosses.

See also: O Ye Gates | Cross & Wire

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

2015-02-26 NewLife+

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2015 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X02739 X02946 X02947 [X02948] X02536 X02706 artists crawford & mccann