The Highland

2014-08-30 FusiliersFaces+

Highland Fusiliers John McCaig (17), Joseph McCaig (18), and Dougald McCaughey (23) were lured by the IRA from a city-centre pub to their deaths in Ligoniel in 1971 (WP). The memorial above is at the top of Ballysillan – a wide shot and close-up of the plaque are shown below. 

A smaller stone is at the White Brae/Squire’s Hill site – shown below along with a wide shot of the area. The stone is frequently vandalised (BelTel | BBC | STV | BBC).

Update: 2018 video of a ceremony at the Ballysillan site.

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2014-08-30 FusiliersStone+

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Copyright © 2014/2023 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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this memorial has been placed here by public subscription to honour the memory of three young scottish soldiers of the royal highland fusiliers who were murdered by republican terrorists on march 10th 1971 at white brae Ligoniel less than a mile from this place proudly remembered and never forgotten the souls of the righteous are in the hands of god there shall no evil happen to them they are in peace
“On March 10th 1971 at this place three young Scottish Soldiers of the Royal Highland Fusiliers were murdered by republican terrorists. Fusilier John McCaig aged 17, Fusilier Joseph McCaig aged 18, Fusilier Dougald McCaughey aged 22. Always in our hearts. Never forgotten.“

Welcome To LVF-Land

2014-08-28 BallysillanLVFFairy+

The fairy-tale covering painted over an LVF “North Belfast Rat Pack” mural is fading away to reveal the previous work. For the original LVF mural, see D01199.

The graffiti on the wall (see the third image, below, of the whole wall) – Welcome to LVF Land – has itself been scored out. There is also anti-LVF graffiti in the street.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Monkstown UFF

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The background, at least, has been repainted on this UFF mural in Monkstown with three hooded gunmen in balaclavas, black jackets, and blue jeans posing with assault rifles on an outline of the north coast in the colours of the Northern Irish flag. For the original, see Monkstown UFF 1st Batt.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Taigs Out

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UDA mural in Monkstown “Simply The Best”, along with a faded UVF wall with “The Ulster People’s Army” on one half and “Taigs out” over “Ulster Volunteer Force” on the other. For the mural in the background, see M03088.

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Who Will Separate Us?

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This Monkstown mural commemorates four UDA volunteers: Malcolm Fisher, Colin Weir, Jim McClurg and William Hobbs. Hobbs and McClurg were killed when a bomb went off prematurely (CAIN’s Sutton Index 1977) ; there is no mention of the other two. Please leave a comment or send an e-mail if you have any information.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Open & Shut

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There are both UDA and UVF murals along Devenish Drive in Monkstown. Here we have a UDA hooded gunman, along with insignia and mottoes of the UFF/UDA/UYM. The UFF/UYM with a red hand closed into a fist, the open palm of the UDA; UFF – Feriens Tego; UYM – Terrae Filius; UDA – Quis Separabit.

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Bill & Ben, The Loyalist Men

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The original ‘Flower Pot Men’ was a radio show in 1951 and then a television series in December 1952; it featured the adventures/mishaps of two flower pot men, ending – because they were identical – with the question ‘Which of those two flower pot men – was it Bill or was it Ben?” The few (10? IMDb) episodes produced were repeated until 1970. “Bill” and “Ben” were the names of the younger brothers of creator Hilda Brabban and ‘Little Weed’ was based on her younger sister, Phyllis (Toonhound | Daze Of Our Lives). The characters were revived in 2001 and given a new look; the garden ornaments above from in a yard in Monkstown are based on the modern pair, though painted in red, white, and blue.

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Copyright © 2014 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Memorial To The Missing

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Canadian physician John McCrae’s poem In Flanders Fields and the triple arches of the Thiepval memorial to the missing are featured in this Monkstown mural. It is McCrae’s poem that is thought to have given rise to the use of the poppy as a symbol of military remembrance (WP). A close-up of the right-hand side, showing the memorial, is below. The names of over 72,000 dead are inscribed on the memorial (WP | travelfranceonline).

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow/Between the crosses, row on row/That mark our place; and in the sky/The larks, still bravely singing, fly/Scarce heard amid the guns below.//We are the Dead. Short days ago/We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,/Loved and were loved, and now we lie/In Flanders fields//Take up our quarrel with the foe:/To you from failing hands we throw/The torch; be yours to hold it high./If ye break faith with us who die/We shall not sleep/Though poppies grow/In Flanders fields.”

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