Portadown Defenders flute band (Fb) – their annual parade through the centre of Portadown took place on August 16th (Fb).
Union St/Margaret St, Edgarstown, Portadown
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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Month: August 2024
There’s Always Help
“Drugs destroy lives/families & communities – Stand together against drugs – There’s always hope. There’s always help.” According to the Education Authority, one in eight young people and one in five adults have a mental health need (EA). Services are available from PIPS (web), Lifeline (web), Samaritans (web), Extern (web), Addiction NI (Inspire), Debt Helpline (Advice NI), GP William St (web), Frank (web).
Painted by JMK (ig) in Levin Road, Kilwilkie, Lurgan, replacing some anti-internment writing (D02265).
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My Brother Is Not A Criminal
IRA volunteer Raymond McCreesh, originally from Camlough, died on May 21st, 1981, after 61 days on hunger strike. “In proud and loving memory of ten brave Irish soldiers who died on hunger strike in 1981 for their five just demands. I gcuımhne ar ıobaırt [íobaırt] cróga na staılceoırí ocraıs 1981 ní dheánfar [dhéanfar] dearmad orthu.”
This is a new version of a long-standing board to McCreesh in Taghnevan Drive, Lurgan. For the previous (painted) version (from 2009) see M05408.
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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Portadown True Blues
Two plaques have been added to the Portadown True Blues mural in Edgarstown, Portadown (as compared with the images from 2021). They read “In loving memory of Richard “Dickie” Craven. Fondly remembered by the Portadown True Blues F.B.” and “In loving memory of Mark “E.T.” Elliott. Fondly remembered by the Portadown True Blues F.B.” Craven died in at the end of July, 2021, (Fb) and Elliott also in 2021 (Fb).
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The Lurgan Ambush
“Fuaır sıad bás ar son saoırse na hÉıreann. Óglach Sean Burns, Óglach Gervase McKerr, Óglach Eugene Toman. “But they dared to hold their heads up high and never once did fail to declare their wish for freedom like true sons of the Gael” – The Lurgan Ambush (A poem by Ita Green [set to music at Irish Folk Songs])”.
The IRA volunteers were three of the six people shot in Lurgan in three incidents in November and December of 1982; the others were Seamus Grew, Roddy Carroll, and Michael Tighe. The deaths of the three would be investigated by the RUC and then by the Stalker Inquiry into the shoot-to-kill policy (RN); an inquest was begun by the Coroner in 2007 (BelTel | Madden-Finucane). Under the Legacy Act, which came into effect on May 1st (2024), the inquest has been suspended and the case transferred to the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (Irish News).
Taghnevan Drive, Lurgan
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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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In Deo Speramus
“In Deo speramus”. “Edgarstown Remembers” “our forty-two fallen sons who made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their tomorrow for our today in the Great War 1914-1918.” “Dear Lord, I am just a soldier, a protector of our land/A servant called to battle when my country takes a stand./I pray for strength and courage and a heart that will forgive/For peace and understanding in a world for all to live./My family’s prayers are with me, no matter where I roam./Please listen when I’m lonely and return me safely home – Unknown”
Union Street, Edgarstown, Portadown
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Their Amazing Attack
On July 1st, 1916, the Battle of Albert began, the first of many battles in what is known collectively as the Battle of the Somme. Soldiers from the 36th (Ulster) Brigade went “over the top” at 7:28 a.m. By the end of the day, more than nineteen thousand British soldiers were dead, five thousand from the 36th.
Below the main panel, which shows combat at close quarters, are the words of Wilfrid Spender: “I am not an Ulsterman but yesterday, the 1st. July, as I followed their amazing attack, I felt that I would rather be an Ulsterman than anything else in the world … the Ulster Volunteer Force, from which the Division was made, has won a name that equals any in history.”
The side-wall and the Mid-Ulster Brigade roll-of-honour plaque concern the modern UVF: “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty“. (Compare to the side-wall in 2016 / 2021.)
Union Street, Edgarstown, Portadown
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Lurgan Town Was Rocked By Sorrow
“Lurgan town was rocked with sorrow/On that bleak November day/Hushed tones and tears were mingled/When great numbers stopped to pray.” These lines come from ‘The Lurgan Ambush’, a poem by Ita Green [set to music at Irish Folk Songs], paying tribute to IRA volunteers Sean Burns, Eugene Toman, and Gervaise McKerr, who died together on the night of November 11th, 1982, when the car in which the three were travelling was hit by 109 bullets from officers at an RUC check-point.
The ECHR ‘asmissibility’ report gives a full account of the incident and the subsequent investigations into it, including the Stalker enquiry into ‘shoot-to-kill’.
See also The Lurgan Ambush.
Replaces a similar but painted mural – see the Peter Moloney collection – and opposite There’s Always Help in Levin Road, Lurgan.
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Red Hand, Red Lion
The ‘Lion Rampant’ in the crest of (Glasgow) Rangers FC comes from the Royal Banner Of Scotland (where it has a blue tongue and blue claws) (WP); the national flag of Scotland is the St Andrew’s Saltire, which appears in the centre of the trio at the top of this mural, between the red hand of Northern Ireland and the red lion. The “RFC” crest, including the word “Ready”, appeared on players’ shirts between 1990 and 1995 (WP).
There has been a version of this mural in Edgarstown, Portadown, since (at least) 2002, though previously it gave 1873 as the date of formation – see M04154 from 2008 and X00508 from 2011.
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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Elizabeth, Queen Of Orange
William III is the only member of the (Dutch) House Of Orange to rule the UK, as his marriage to Mary did not produce any offspring, and the crown passed to Mary’s sister Anne after both Mary (1694) and William (1702) had died (WP). Queen Elizabeth II was from the Saxe-Coburg And Gotha ‘house’ (changed during the Great War to “Windsor”) via her great-great-grandfather Prince Albert (of Victoria & Albert) but she symbolises Orangism to Northern Irish Protestants and in the portrait shown here she wears an orange jacket and an orange hat which has a band of orange lilies; the portrait is framed by a Union Flag and two clusters of orange lilies.
The plaque on the right reads “This mural is a tribute to her majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Funded by the loyal people of Portadown. To God be the glory.”
Youtube video of the launch on June 8th.
Brownstown Road, Portadown, replacing the George Best mural that re-imaged the Billy Wright mural c. 2007.
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Paddy Duffy Collection 