CNR

Give Way

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An Orange Order marcher (with skeletal face, glowing eyes, and a ‘Give way’ sign) is about to step on a protestor from the lower Ormeau who holds a sign reading “Peace – Justice” and has just released a dove that is sitting on top of the road-sign on the corner.

The scene is the Ormeau Road at Farnham Street, and the mural is in Farnham Street at the Ormeau Road; the mural thus includes a depiction of itself: the edge of the mural (with blue sky and grey pavement) appears on the wall to the left of the pizza shop with painted shutters reading “What part of NO don’t you understand?” (An image of the actual shutters, from the squire93 collection, is included below.)

In the top left is a smaller piece painted on a board: the words “Will there ever be peace? No.” are super-imposed on a grave.

Both the murals and the graffiti on the shutters were perhaps done by Troy Garity (ig), who did the Trade Off! Stand Off! mural in Artana Street.

Farnham Street, south Belfast

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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00319

(D00775)

Stand Off! Trade Off!

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In the summer of 1998, an Orange Order march was allowed to parade along Ormeau Road. Parades Commission chairman Alistair Graham (pictured in the mural beneath the evil-eyed OO member) “insisted that the Ormeau Road decision “was not a simple trade-off for our earlier decision on Drumcree”” (Irish Times).

Painted by Troy Garity, recreating an Ian Knox cartoon (Belfast Media). See also Give Way and A Postcard From The Edge.

Artana Street, south Belfast

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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00317

Let’s Make It Work

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The Belfast or Good Friday Agreement promises “the right to freedom from sectarian harassment” and this mural beseeches the authorities to “let’s make it work” by rerouting “sectarian marches” such as the Orange Order parade on the Ormeau Road.

Dromara Street, south Belfast, replacing Approved Orange Route.

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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy (no month given)
T00316

A Postcard From The Edge

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“A postcard from the edge – Having a wonderful time! How was your summer?” Postcards From The Edge was a 1990 film starring Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Carrie Fisher (WP). In this mural, the nationalist community is locked in the dark while the Orange Order parades loudly on the Ormeau Road in south Belfast.

Possibly by Troy Garity (ig), who did the Trade Off! Stand Off! mural in Artana Street and perhaps the pieces seen in Give Way.

Essex Street (later Essex Grove), south Belfast

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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00315

Mıse Éıre

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“Mıse Éıre” [I Am Ireland]. These two murals were both in the courtyard of Millview Court, off Mountainhill Road in Ligoniel and together present the fighting spirit and the loss entailed by the Irish struggle for freedom.

The plaque at the centre of the Celtic Cross reads “I ndıl chuımhne [in fond memory]. This plaque is dedicated to the memory of all those from Ligoniel who lost their lives as a result of the conflict in our country. A Mhuıre banríon na nGael guıgh orthu [Mary, queen of the Gael, pray for them]”

The second shows a Maid Of Erin harp – symbol of the United Irishmen – on top of a Tricolour attached to a pike, and a banner reading “Bás nó bua” [death or victory].

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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00312 T00314

The Gibraltar Three

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The plaque to the left reads “I ndıl chuımhne – In proud and loving memory of Volunteers Dan McCann, Maıréad Farrell, Sean Savage, Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann who were executed by British Crown forces in Gibraltar 6th March, 1988.” (For a close-up of the plaque, see M04470.) The trio are shown here floating over the rock of Gibraltar, while being honoured by a gunman giving a “final salute” and an ancient Celtic warrior who stand among a circle of standing stones.

Hawthorn Street, west Belfast

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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00309

Markets Volunteers

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A funeral volley is fired in honour three IRA volunteers, Joseph Downey, Brendan Davison, and Tony Nolan. All three were from the Markets area.

Downey’s death is variously attributed to either side in a gun-battle between the British Army and IRA, but the most detailed account (by PaperTrail) says Downey was shot by a loyalist (UVF) gang on the night of Bloody Friday.

Davison was shot by the UVF at his Friendly Way home in 1988 (RTÉ video).

Nolan was accidentally shot in 1971 when a gun being loaded by a colleague went off (Lost Lives 208).

Friendly Way, Markets, south Belfast

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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00291

An Gorta Mór

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“Britain’s genocide by starvation”, “Ireland’s holocaust 1845-1849”, “Over 1,500,000 deaths”. The great hunger is depicted using images from Illustrated London Newses of the time (see the Visual History page on an gorta mór).

The mural was begun in 1995 and was still in development in 1997. Whiterock Road, west Belfast

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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00290

Remember The Ten

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“Remember the ten H-Block martyrs. 1981-1998. Unbowed – unbroken.” With a pair of fists in barbed wire, a funeral volley fired over a coffin covered with Tricolour and beret, and a line-drawing of Bobby Sands. Signed “Republican Youth”

Berwick Road/Paráıd An Ardghleanna, Ardoyne,Ard Eoın, north Belfast/tuaısceart Bhéal Feırste

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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00289