Bobby Sands grew up and went to school in Rathcoole but in 1972, when he was eighteen, the family home was attacked. They moved to Twinbrook, where Sands joined the IRA (Bobby Sands Trust | WP).
This mosaic is near the Twinbrook home, on the same wall that was the site of the Carol-Ann Kelly mural. Kelly was killed two weeks after Sands’s death.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X05295
“Remember the Hunger Strikers – 32nd Anniversary”. Twinbrook memorial to the hunger strikers of 1981, updated annually. Bobby Sands, featured on the right, and who lived a stones-throw away from this mural, was the first to die, on May 5th. Seen previously in 2008.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01021
“Welcome To The Shankill Road. We are Proud, Defiant, Welcoming” with images of Belfast in the blitz, the Orange Order and bonfires on July 12th, boxing and soccer, and contemporary murals in the local area. The mural is above the security gates on Northumberland Street.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01019
A UVF (and previously UFF – there’s an “F” under the middle “V”) mural in Carlow Street, a few blocks above the “peace” line.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01015
With God on our side … The BVM (Blessed Virgin Mary) standing shoulder to shoulder, or at least corner to corner, with republican POWs in the New Lodge.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
new lodge grotto ave maria support the pows immaculate conception
X01017
A board has quickly gone up, on top of the Guernica mural on the International Wall, to commemorate the death of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, who died on March 5th, at age 58 (WP).
“Adios! Amigo. The path to a new, better and possible world is not capitalism, the path is socialism.”
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01016
“Defenders of the Woodvale from 1969 B Coy”. The Woodvale Defence Association (WDA) was the largest of the local associations which merged together in 1971 to form the Ulster Defence Association (UDA).
Disraeli Street, Woodvale, west Belfast
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X05294
Mural in Disraeli Street to Trevor King, to the left of the old Brian Robinson mural and two gables to the right of the new Brian Robinson mural. Having been shot by the INLA and paralysed from the neck down, King took the decision to remove his own life-support (WP).
The words on the left are from Suicide In The Trenches by WWI poet Siegfried Sassoon:
You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
Who cheer when soldier lads pass by
Sneak home and pray you’ll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go
The poem refers to a soldier whose naturally cheerful disposition has been overwhelmed by the horrors of war.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01014 lt. col. Trevor king y.c.v. for gold and ulster u.v.f. 1912 1st Belfast battalion ‘b’ company; in proud and loving memory of james ulster volunteer force died 9th july 1994 at the going down of the sun and in the morning we shall remember 14th battalion royal irish rifles somme ypres arras thiepval young citizen volunteers st, quentin grandcourt messines fricourt
This is the second mural to Brian Robinson in Disraeli Street. This is a much older one than the one in Shankill Star; versions of this mural on this gable go back to at least 1993. Note that the artist has included a transmitter or surveillance tower on the skyline.
See the previous post for more details of his death.
A close-up of the plaque is below. As the plaque notes, his mother died at the same time –she reportedly had a heart-attack when she heard of his death.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01012 X01013 In proud and loving memory of Vol. brian robinson “b” coy. 1st belfast battalion ulster volunteer force killed in action 2nd september 1989 also his loving mother margaret robinson died 3rd september 1989, for god and ulster p.a.f. protestant action U.v.f. for his country and people he took up the gun a volunteer to the end and a true ulster son robbed of his life’s-blood sept. ’89 but his name will live for all time, y.c.v. royal irish rifles st. quentin grand court messines
A brand new piece (unveiled March 2, 2013) to Brian Robinson and/sponsored by the Shankill Star Flute Band, in Disraeli Street – where Robinson grew up – replete with images from the first World War such as soldiers (both British and German), trenches and poppies. Robinson was killed on 2 Sept., 1989 by an army undercover unit moments after he had shot and killed a Catholic named Patrick McKenna (WP). This is the second mural on the street to Robinson. The piece is not paint, but printed boards, and the image has been generated by computer.
Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2013 Seosamh Mac Coılle
X01011 for god and ulster in memory of u.v.f. ulster volunteer force 1912 est. 1968
Seosamh Mac Coille Collection 