The Loyal Shankill

Here are a few images from the Shankill in the days following the coronation of King Charles III. For the mural in the second image, see C Coy Street.

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Dieu Et Mon Droit

That is, king or queen “by the grace of God” or divine right. The first UK monarch to use the phrase was Henry V in the early 1400s and it has been used as a royal motto since then, up to and including the present-day monarchs shown on this board in the Caw, Londonderry.

On the left, the past – Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; in the centre, the present – His Majesty King Charles III; on the right, the future – William Prince Of Wales, Baron Of [sic] Carrickfergus.

The Welsh dragon is included alongside the three flags/crests that make up the Union Flag – St George’s Cross for England, St Andrew’s Saltire for Scotland, and St Patrick’s Saltire for Ireland.

For the same trio in Newtownabbey, see Past, Present, Future.

Replaces the William MacFadzean board.

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Copyright © 2023 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
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Sister Clare’s Prayer

This is the second mural in Derry to Sister Clare Crockett – the first was in her Brandywell home (see All Or Northing!) while this one is in Shantallow.

Crockett became a nun in 2001 and died in 2016 at the age of 33 in an earthquake in Ecuador – the mass for the seventh anniversary of her death was held last month (youtube).

A documentary film about Crockett’s life is available on youtube.

(Update, Jan 2025: Crockett is to be beatified – Irish Times)

Painted by Razer (ig) in Racecourse Road, Shantallow, Derry.

The info board reads:

“Sr Clare Crockett was born in Derry 14th November 1982. The daughter of Gerard and Margaret Crockett. During a Holy Week Retreat in Spain in the year 2000 she experienced the intensity of the Lord’s Death and Resurrection that led to a deep conversion of her life. Sr Clare entered the Servant Sisters of the House of the Mother 11th August 2001. She went to found a new community in Jacksonville, Florida in October 2006. Sr Clare took Perpetual vows 8th September 2010. In 2014, Sr Clare undertook the mission in Ecuador. She died in an Earthquake, protecting her pupils 16th April 2016. She was buried in Derry 2nd May 2016.”

“Sister Clare’s Prayer: Heavenly Father, for your Glory, that or [of] your beloved Son, that of the Holy Spirit and that of the Mother Of God, we ask that grant us the grace (mention your request in the silence of your heart) … as a sign that the life of our Sister Clare Theresa Crockett has been pleasing to you on this earth and that she is now rejoicing with you in Heaven. We ask this through your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”

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They Hungered For Justice And Freedom

Long-time Palestinian activist and former spokesperson for Islamic Jihad Khader Adnan died on May 2nd, at the age of 45, after 87 days on hunger strike in Ramla prison, in central Israel (Al Jazeera).

This was Adnan’s fifth time on hunger strike. In 2017, he spent 58 days on hunger strike and in 2015, 56 days. The strike in 2011-2012 lasted 66 days, during which time a mural was painted just to left of the mural shown here, featuring Adnan and Hanna Shalabi; they, along with many other prisoners, were on hunger strike to protest the “administrative detention” (imprisonment without trial) of more than 300 Palestinians – see Administrative Detention. Earlier, shorter, strikes took place in 2002 and in 2000, when he was imprisoned by the Palestinian National Authority for directing a protest against Lionel Jospin, then French Prime Minister (Gulf News).

According to Amnesty International, there are currently more than 1,000 Palestinians being held on ‘administrative detention’ (Amnesty).

As can be seen from the in-progress shots below, Rısteard Ó Murchú painted Latuff’s cartoon, with Latuff looking on.

Cartoons by Latuff himself, in Belfast: Pacifying The Six Counties and in Derry: Killing With Impunity.
Latuff-based murals: The Butcher’s Apron | Do Not Disturb | Hands Across The Yard. Poster: End Impunity

This mural takes the place of the No To PII mural on the “International Wall”, Divis Street – see the Visual History page for the wall.

Also included is a “March for Palestine – 75 Years Of Nakba” poster on the Saber Al-Ashkar mural.

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One Struggle!

“Ireland – Palestine – one struggle!” Carlos Latuff’s Belfast piece with Rısteard Ó Murchú about Palestinian hunger-striker Khader Adnan was featured in They Hungered For Justice And Freedom.

Here is the piece Latuff did on Free Derry Corner with local artist Razer (Fb), showing Irish and Palestinian hands together throwing a Molotov cocktail.

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Jimmy Ferris

“1891-1949” are the dates of the operation of Belfast Celtic, not the dates of forward Jimmy Ferris, who lived from 1894 to 1932. Ferris played for the club for nine years, and for various British clubs during the pogroms. He quit playing in 1930 because of a heart condition and died two years later, at the age of 37. The Ferris family grave, shown in today’s images, is in Milltown Cemetery. (Belfast Celtic | WP)

“Jimmy Ferris, known as Belfast Celtic’s ‘brilliant schemer’, he was on the team, which won four Irish League titles in the 1920s, for the loss of only one match. Also played for Chelsea and Preston North End.” With funding from the “European Regional Development Fund”.

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Neither King Nor Nato

“Est 1913 Irish Citizen Army / Irish National Liberation Army Est. 1974”. The Irish Citizen Army was founded in Dublin in 1913 to protect striking workers from police violence. After taking part in the Easter Rising of 1916, however, the ICA did not participate in the War Of Independence and the Civil War. In 1974, some founding members considered reviving the “ICA” name to reflect the organisation’s “allegiance to the working class” while Costello (pictured on the right) suggested “National Liberation Army”, which was then amended to include “Irish” (History Ireland | WP | WP). MNI includes an “ICA-INLA” Starry Plough on the stairs into the New Lodge from 1989 (C00105).

The banner raised over the Liberty Hall headquarters of the ICA read “We serve neither king nor kaiser but Ireland” – the famous photograph is included in the post of the same name – but this has been updated. The Belfast version of the board, above, reads “nor Nato”, while a Derry version, below, reads “nor quisling”.

The Derry mural in the background is The Runner, part of The People’s Gallery.

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The Spiritual And The Temporal

Work by emic (ig) in Castle Lane, Belfast, perhaps picking up a theme from Friz’s Under The Cherry Blossoms in Castle Arcade which focused on the castle and grounds in the era of Arthur Chichester. Chichester’s castle burned down in 1708 and by 1800 the castle and its grounds were vanishing under buildings akin to the nearby corn market and Belfast entries (WP).

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COVID-19 Memorial

“This memorial was unveiled by The Worshipful The Mayor, Councillor Jim Montgomery [tw], in memory of those from Antrim and Newtownabbey who list their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. May 2021. Always remembered.” According to the COVID dashboard for NI (NISRA), deaths did plateau in the spring and summer of 2021 – perhaps explaining the timing of the plaque above – before increasing again in the autumn. As of May 5th, 2023, 5,283 deaths in NI were attributable to COVID-19, including 463 in the Antrim & Newtownabbey borough area.

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