The Sons Of Ulster

The Ulster Tower at Thiepval “is dedicated to the glory of God in grateful memory of the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the 36th (Ulster) Division and of the sons of Ulster in other forces who laid down their lives in the Great War, and of all their comrades-in-arms who, by divine grace, were spared to testify to their glorious deeds.” The boards are next to Warszawiacy Berlinowi.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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1 Pill Will Kill

Jamie Burns collapsed at the Queen’s Student Union last November after taking an ecstasy tablet. His parents, William and Lesley Burns, are at the forefront of a new drug awareness campaign, #1PillWillKill, which was launched on April 11th (UTv | Tele). The campaign includes this new board at the top of Twaddell Avenue, former site of the protest camp, where it is joined by two further boards urging people to send tips about drug dealing to the police.

“This artwork is dedicated in memory of Jamie Burns, 27 June 1993 – 20th November 2016. “We do not measure his life in years but by the endless love and joy he brought to us.” Officially unveiled on June 1st 2017 by Frank Mitchell and Vinny Hurrell. Commissioned by Unite The Union in recognition of the Burns family.”

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04184 X04185 X04183 X04182 returned home 4 days later in a coffin. today’s the day our only son leaves the only home he’s ever known such a waste of young life

Tragedy At Ballykissane

One of the first casualties of the Easter Rising, on the evening of Good Friday, was Belfast-born Charles Monahan (Charlie Monahan, Cathal Ó Monacháın/Ó Muıneacháın), who died along with Con Keating and Daniel Sheehan in a motor accident in Kerry, when their car – which only had one headlamp (see image #3) – was driven off a pier. His body was not found until October 30th. The driver, Tommy McInerney – shown here studying a map – survived. This mural is in the Markets; Monahan is also claimed by east Belfast and a 2006 mural to him survives to this day on Mountpottinger Road (Visual History).

“Born in Riley[‘s] Place in the Market area of Belfast, Charles was one of many people who left Belfast to take part in the events leading up to the Easter Rising. Charles[‘s] role was to meet up with 3 other vols and help guide Roger Casement land a ship full of weapons. On the 21st April, 1916, the driver took the wrong road and drove off the pier into the Laune at Ballykissane. Charles, 37, drowned along with two of his comrades.”

For more Roger Casement murals, click here.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X04178 X04180 X04179 X04181 Stanfield St Banna Strand Irish Volunteers 2nd battalion Dublin Brigade Irish Republican Brotherhood IRB

Invictus

Here is the main part of a new printed mural in the Woodvale area of west Belfast (to be officially launched on Saturday, June 3rd). It celebrates the creation of the Woodvale Defence Association as “Defenders of our community since 1969” which in 1971 merged with other associations to form the UDA, whose youth wing is the UYM (lower middle, “terrae filius” = “sons of the soil”) and which uses “UFF” (upper left, “feriens ego” = “attack to defend”) as a cover for military operation. The final emblem is of the LPA (Loyalist Prisoners’ Association, “quis separabit” = “none shall separate us”). The mural replaced by this one is in the bottom left, while the bottom right contains an image of Long Kesh in 1979. The main photograph is of a 1972 march on the Shankill.

For the side-wall, see Remembering Our Fallen.

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Copyright © 2017 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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