CNR – Page 69 – Paddy Duffy Collection

Oppose Censorship

1990-07-012025-08-30Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

A Cormac cartoon protesting British censorship of Sınn Féın is rendered as a mural by Mo Chara Kelly. The broadcasting Ban was put in place in 1988, disallowing Sınn Féın representatives from speaking in their own voice on television and radio. But if the gag of British censorship were removed, the talk is of peace (in the form of a dove) – suggesting that there is some for negotiation on the violent removal of British forces and administration.

Out of frame to the left are written “Oppose censorship” and (in red) “Vote Richard May”. Richard May ran (unsuccessfully) for election to Belfast City Council in 1989.

Springhill Avenue, west Belfast

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Copyright © 1990 Paddy Duffy
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Éırí Na Gealaí

1990-07-012025-08-30Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Bobby Sands’s prison diary (web) ends, on March 17th, 1981, with the words “Tıocfaıdh lá éıgın nuaır a bheıdh an fonn saoırse seo le taıspeáınt ag daoıne go léır na hÉıreann – ansın tchífıdh muıd éırí na gealaí.” [A day will come when this desire for freedom will be exhibited by all the people of Ireland – then we will see the rising of the moon].

The phrase “the rising of the moon” comes from the poem/song of the same name composed by fifteen-year-old John Casey in 1865 about the 1798 Rebellion. “Full bitter was their fate” but the desire for freedom was not extinguished with them: “… e’en still are beating/Hearts in manhood’s burning noon/Who would follow in their footsteps/At the rising of the moon.”

In this mural, just off Lenadoon Avenue, a larger-than-life prisoner stands in silhouette, with first defiantly raised, over the watch-towers of Long Kesh.

“Chífıdh muıd éırí na gealaí” – “chífıdh” and “tchífıdh” are variant spellings.

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Copyright © 1990 Paddy Duffy
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Behind The Mask

1990-07-012025-07-18Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is an instance of the ‘masked skull’ design produced by prisoners in Long Kesh (according to Mo Chara Kelly), seen also in Britains Death Squads. This version is simpler: it does not have any writing and there is no UDR emblem on the UDA-style hat.

The small boards above the mural declaring west Belfast an “apartheid-free zone”/”ceantar saor ó apartheıd” were mounted in 1986 along with the ANC mural.

Beechmount Avenue, west Belfast – this wall has its own Visual History page as it is the most-often painted wall in Belfast.

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Copyright © 1990 Paddy Duffy
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Madonna And Child

1988-08-012025-09-02Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The mural of the Madonna and child on the side of the Morning Star hostel greeted travellers going up Divis Street from 1988 to (at least) 2002. It was, according to minutes of Belfast City Council’s Development Committee (2002-03-06 pdf), one of four religious murals painted in west Belfast in 1988. The other three are unknown – please get in touch if you can identify them.

The second mural, below, with similar figures and palette, was also extant in 1988, though might have been painted earlier. It was in Hillman Street in the New Lodge. It is entitled “Our Lady Of Medjugorje” despite the fact that the Medjugorje apparition (in 1981) was of Mary alone, without child.

There were two other vintage religious murals in the New Lodge, one of a paschal lamb in Lepper Street (C00111 | X05493) that was extant in 1988, and one of the 1879 apparition in Knock in Oceanic Street whose date of creation is unknown – it was visible in Street View in 2008. Of the same (1988) vintage seem to be murals of a shamrock (C04981), Gaelic games (C04977), a harpist (M01248), and doves (M01249).

Other visions of Our Lady Of Medjugorje occurred at the top of Springhill in 1990 (see the Gerard Kelly site) and in Ardoyne, painted c. 1993 (M01017) and repainted on various occasions since (possibly 2004, 2012, 2014, 2020).

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Copyright © 1988 Paddy Duffy
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Saoırse

1988-07-012025-08-23Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Freedom.” On the left, a Starry Plough (of the INLA) is attached a spear of ancient Ireland, next to two pikes (of the 1798 Rebellion), behind an ancient shield filled in with the Gal Gréıne of the Fıanna; on the right, a volunteer from the modern “Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann” aims an assault rifle, all against a large Irish Tricolour.

Kashmir Road, west Belfast

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Copyright © 1988 Paddy Duffy
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Beıdh Ár Lá Lınn

1988-06-012025-08-29Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This mural shows nine hooded republican volunteers employing an assortment of weapons – rifles, RPG launcher, drogue bomb, machine gun – against a rising sun. “We will have our day.” The trio in the bottom right corner are familiar from other murals, such as this one in Strabane.

South Link, Andersonstown, west Belfast

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Copyright © 1988 Paddy Duffy
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Final Salute

1988-06-012025-08-29Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Volunteers in simplified clothing fire a funeral volley over an unseen coffin. The mural was later made more complex – see Slán Go Fóıll in the Peter Moloney Collection.

For the side wall, see Long Kesh in the Peter Moloney Collection.

South Link, Andersonstown, west Belfast

Mé A Rug Cú Chulaınn Cróga

1988-06-012025-08-29Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Words from Padraıg Mac Pıaraıs’s poem Mıse Éıre are included alongside the portraits of the seven signatories to the 1916 Proclamation. It includes the line “Great is my glory, I who bore brave Cú Chulaınn” and Cú Chulaınn is pictured on the right, in the death pose made famous by Oliver Sheppard in a statue installed in the GPO in 1935 – see Cú Chulaınn’s Visual History page.

Mıse Éıre: Sıne mé ná an Chaılleach Bhéarra.
Mór mo ghlóır: Mé a rug Cú Chulaınn cróga.
Mór mo náır: Mo chlann féın a dhíol a máthaır.
[Mór mo phıan: Bıthnaımhde do mo shíorchıapadh.]
[Mór mo bhrón: D’éag an dream ınar chuıreas dóchas.]
Mıse Éıre: Uaıgní mé ná an Chaılleach Bhéarra.

Painted by Mo Chara Kelly in Norglen Gardens, west Belfast

Turf Lodge Martyrs

1988-06-012025-08-29Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“In proud memory of those who gave their lives for Ireland’s freedom” (and out of sight to the left) “Also to all civilians murdered by the British crown forces” (and out of sight to the right) “Also to all civilians murdered by pro-British elements”. The Celtic cross bears three republican flags: Tricolour, Sunburst, and Starry Plough.

The volunteers (and one Sınn Féın member) listed are (on the left) “Martin Forsythe, Martin Skillen, Gerard Fennell, Terence O’Neill, John Dempsey” and (on the right) “Sean McDermott, Tom Magill, Sean Savage, Kevin McCracken, Paul Best”.

For a complete shot, see the Peter Moloney Collection.

Norglen Gardens, west Belfast, next to the 1916 Cú Chulaınn.

Mandela, Father Of Freedom

1988-06-012025-08-29Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Happy birthday, comrade”. ANC leader Nelson Mandela turned 70 on July 18, 1988. He spent the day, like every birthday since 1963, in prison; he would not be released until 1990, after which apartheid would be dismantled and Mandela become the first President of South Africa. “The future belongs to you.” The colours of the ANC join the colours of the Irish Tricolour as a background to Mandela’s portrait. Painted by Mo Chara Kelly, with the help of “Sınn Féın Youth”.

Leeson Street, west Belfast