Author: Extramural Activity

Por Vuestra Libertad Y La Nuestra

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“I ndíl [sic] chuımhne ar Eamon McGrotty 1911-1927, republican, socialist, anti-fascist. Killed fighting fascism in the Jarama Valley. Eamon attended the Brow Of The Hill school. ¡No Pasarán!” Derry man Eamon McGrotty was honoured with a plaque and a tree-planting during this year’s (2026) féıle (Derry Journal). McGrotty was one of about 320 Irishmen who fought with the International Brigades – specifically the Connolly Column of the XV brigade (DIB) – against Franco during the Spanish Civil War; there were also about 700 Irishmen fighting on Franco’s side during the war, in a brigade led by Eoin O’Duffy.

The new plaque is next to the memorials to “An Chéad Chathlán/1st Battalion Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann – Bogside, Brandywell, Bishop Street”.

Lecky Road, Brandywell, Derry

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An Uncompromised Republican

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This entry updates An Attitude Of Revolt from 2022, which showed the same four plaques as in the image below – to Tommy Roberts, Stevie Mellon, Veronica Taylor, Ruaırí (Roddy) Carlin – but a different board featuring Roberts and Mellon and an oak leaf with crossed rifles. In addition to the generic IRPWA board, the entire wall was been painted grey and a knotwork surround added, with the Saoradh (web) sunburst in the corners.

Westland Street, Derry

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You Have No Power To Make Me A Criminal

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“”You have the power to send me to gaol but you have no power to make me a criminal” – Seán Milroy, IRB” The words were reportedly (ig) spoken by Milroy in June, 1915, as he was being sentenced to three months hard labour for an inflammatory speech. He fought in the Easter Rising (see p. 27 ff of his testimony in the Military Archives) but voted in favour of the Treaty, believing that Northern Ireland could not survive politically or economically (DIB | RTÉ).

This is the latest work by Saoradh (web) and Éıstıgí Dhoıre on the wall of the Lecky Road flyover, adding on to the pieces seen in Our Present Fight.

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Things Can Only Get Better

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Peter Cunnah was the singer of D:Ream, who had a number-one hit in 1994 with “Things Can Only Get Better” (youtube). He was born in Belfast but adopted by parents in Derry (BBC). This new mural was painted (by Karl Porter of UV Arts (web)) at the junction of Northland and Clarendon streets (in the Clarendon Conservation Area (pdf)), next to Cunnah’s home at 46 Clarendon Street, where he formed his first band, Tie The Boy (Derry Journal).

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Apartheid-Free Zone

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“You are now entering Derry, an apartheid-free zone.”

Placards like this one have been mounted in Derry by the Pat Finucane Centre (web) and the Bloody Sunday Trust (web) – whose emblems are the top corners – in connection with their work with local businesses and organisations in conducting a “BDS audit” to ensure that they are not working with Israeli companies (Bloody Sunday Trust | Fb).

The words are in the triangular shape of Free Derry Corner (Visual History), though the word “free” is missing”.

Lone Moor Road, Derry

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Stop The Games

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A rally took place in Belfast on Saturday (September 5th) (reddit) to call for the cancellation of Ireland’s pair of Nations’ League soccer matches against Israel, which are due to be played on September 27th and October 4th. Rather than taking place in Dublin, the Ireland “home” game will in fact be in Serbia, and the other game will be played in Hungary, where Israel has played most of its “home” games since late 2023 (Irish Times), and both games will be mostly without any fans (RTÉ).

For a tarp in Belfast, see Stop The Game. For boards near Derry, see Stop The Genocide. The campaign has its own web-site.

This tarp, which features an image of Israeli prime minister Bibi Netanyahu, is in Marquis Street, Belfast city centre, next to Madden’s.

The car-door riddled with holes is a tribute to five-year old Gazan Hind Rajab (Guardian), who called emergency services for three hours after her family car with struck by 335 bullets with the loss of everyone inside, including, eventually, Hind herself; the ambulance had also been attacked and its two paramedics killed. She told the emergency operator, “I’m afraid of the dark” (Guardian) and the words appear on the door in Arabic. The piece is by Spicebag (ig) and Council Baby (ig) and was originally displayed as part of the Dlúthphaırtíocht (solidarity) exhibition.

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Traditional Drum & Pipe

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The local flute band in the Kilcooley estate is the North Down Defenders (Fb), which was formed in 2004. This new art, however, suggests that drumming and piping go back to the time of thatched cottages and stone bridges – perhaps, as the orange lilies and blankets might suggest, to the 1795 founding of the Orange Order.

In the lay-by at the top of Owenroe Drive, Kilcooley, Bangor

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Girls Just Wanna Walk Home

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This new wall-painting in Bangor encourages people to “end violence against women and girls”. It was painted by local artist Friz (web) in collaboration with young women from North Down YMCA’s “Flip The Script” programme (Belfast Live) and officially launched on August 25th (Ards & North Down).

For the Liam Neeson art on the right-hand side of the wide shot, see A Very Particular Set Of Skills.

See also: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun…damental Rights.

Hamilton Road, Bangor

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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