The Queen’s golden jubilee (50th anniversary 1952 – 2002) is celebrated in this long-lasting UFF/UDA mural in Rathcoole. It originally included a (painted) “plaque” at the bottom, which has been painted out. On September 10th, 2015, Elizabeth II will surpass Victoria as the longest reigning British monarch.
This mural celebrates the 14th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles and the Victoria Cross-winning exploits of two soldiers born in Carrickfergus: James Crichton, who served in the New Zealand forces (WP) and Daniel Cambridge, who served in the Royal Artillery in the Crimean War (WP). Their bravery is described as follows on the side-wall (in the image below):
Rank: Pte. James Crichton. Reg: 2nd Btn Auckland Infantry Reg. Born: Carrickfergus 15th July 1879. Deed: Creveloeur, France 30th Sept. 1918
For most conspicuous bravery & devotion to duty, wounded in the foot, he continued with the advancing troops. After being forced back by a counter attack, he carried a message, which involved swimming a river and crossing an area swept by machine gun fire. He later saved a bridge which had been mined and although under close fire from snipers and machine guns, was able to remove the charges and return with the fuses and detonators.
Rank: Sgt. Daniel Cambridge. Reg: Royal Regiment Of Artillery. Born: Carrickfergus Co. Antrim 1820. Deed: Crimea, 8th Sept. 1855
Having been severely wounded at the assault of Redan, on the same day he went out in front of the advanced trench under heavy fire to bring in a wounded man. In performing this he was severely wounded a second time [having been shot through the jaw]. He was decorated by Queen Victoria at the first V.C. investiture at Hyde Park on 26th June 1857.
“Sgt. Thomas George Wortley , “D Coy” 14th Btn. Royal Irish Rifles, Service No. 14/17063, Died Messines 07-06-1917, Spanbroekmolen British Cemetary Grave C10″. Wortley was born in Carrickfergus, lived in Belfast, died on the first day of the battle at Messines (findagrave), buried in a small cemetery of British soldiers, many from the 36th (Ulster) Division, in Spanbroekmolen on the Ypres Salient in Flanders (WP) – shown in the mural – and is remembered in Carrickfergus with a parade each year on the date of his death (carrickfergusrollofhonour).
The town of Eden, on the outskirts of Carrickfergus, is defended by the walls of Carrickfergus castle and the arms of the UDA. For the previous version of this board, see Loyalist Eden.
A dead WWI soldier in the scorched Belgian countryside is comforted by an ethereal figure who will convey him to heaven: A soldier standing at heaven’s gate/To St. Peter he did tell/I’m here to enter heaven now/I’ve served my time in hell – a variation on James Donahue’s WWII Soldier’s Poem (WP). The poem was previously used of Republicans in a 1981 mural in Derry (see I Refuse To Change/M00151).
“Audemus jura nostra defendere – We dare to defend our rights”. The UDA/UFF/UYM/LPA mural above shows hooded gunmen standing either side of a view of Carrickfergus castle. The phrase “The price of peace is eternal vigilance” is associated with British politician Leonard Courtney (who also said “Lies – damned lies – and statistics”) though it probably goes further back. As can be seen from the second image, the mural watches over Woodlawn primary school. The third image shows the memorial garden off to the right-hand side; the plaque is shown fourth: “This memorial is dedicated to the memory of the officers and members of our organisation who were murdered by the enemies of Ulster and to those who paid the supreme sacrifice whilst on active service during the present conflict. Quis separabit.”
Here are two details from the new Kieran Nugent board along with the “Slí Na Gaeltachta‘ (The Gaeltacht Trail) plaque at its side. The image above shows prisoners “on the blanket” (that is, refusing to wear prison uniforms) in front of a giant brick “H” (for the H-Blocks) which perspective also shapes into an “A” (for Armagh Women’s Prison). They hold placards from the time: Wanted for murder [Margaret Thatcher] and torture of Irish prisoners”; “The spirit of freedom; support the POWs”; “Support the hunger-strikers”. The image below reads “Support the five demands”. These were (1) the right not to wear a prison uniform; (2) the right not to do prison work; (3) the right of free association with other prisoners, and to organise educational and recreational pursuits; (4) the right to one visit, one letter and one parcel per week; (5) restoration of remission lost through the protest.
The text of the Slí Na Gaeltachta plaque can be found at the bottom of this page.
“Slí na Gaeltachta – Abhaınn na Feırste. Cé go bhfuıl sí cludaıthe faoı choıncréıt anoıs agus gan a bheıth le feıceáıl, ıs ag an láthaır seo ar Shráıd Northumberland a chéadtrasnaıonn Abhaınn na Feırste Bóthar na bhFál. Aınmníodh an abhaınn as an fhearsaıd a bhí ag béal na habhann san áıt a dtéann sí ısteach sa Lagán. Baısteadh Béal Feırste ar an lonnaíocht a d’fhás thart ar áth cosanta ag cumar an dá abhaınn. Ba as an lonnaíocht ársa sın a d’eascaır cathaır an lae ınnıu. Here at Northumberland Street the now culverted Farset River first crosses the Falls Road. The river is named from the sandbank (fearsaıd) which was at the mouth (béal) of the river where it joins the Lagan. The settlement that grew up around a defended river ford at this confluence of the two rivers was named Béal Feırste, ‘mouth of the sandbank ford’. It was from this ancient settlement that the present-day city grew.”
Keiran Nugent (and Brendan Hughes) has been returned to the left-most spot on the International Wall.
This new board is closely based on the mural (shown in Belfast’s Infamous Prison) which was painted over in October in advance of the November 9th non-binding referendum in Catalonia (see Votes About Votes; the yellow background and some of the lettering from the Catalonia mural can still be seen in the image above). Nugent and Maıréad Farrell were then included in the hunger-strikers mural further down the wall: see I’ll Wear No Convict’s Uniform and Peace With Justice.
New in this version is the inclusion of a reference to the women’s protest in Armagh prison; one of the figures standing in front of the H/A holds the ‘Thatcher – Wanted for murder and torture of Irish prisoners’ poster that previously filled the top-left corner.
The Anti-Racism World Cup is a seven-a-side soccer tournament held annually at the grounds of Donegal Celtic in west Belfast. East Belfast artist John Stewart painted a mural of east Belfast imagery in 2012, complete with Titanic museum, H & W cranes, Titanic, firemen, and shipyard workers. Being on the side of Ryan’s Newsagents, the mural also features confectionery, vintage brands in old money: Cadbury’s peppermint creme for 2d, 1.4 lb of Fry’s milk chocolate for 4d, Terry’s milk chocolate 5d, Rolos “delicious toffee” for 2d and KitKat chocolate crisp.
A string of melted cheese from a pizza and the curve of the stem of a pipe together form an arc in this new work by Kev Largey (tw | Fb) on the rear fence of the Sunflower.
