“No plastic bullets” in the form of a road sign: an RUC man in riot gear is overlaid by a circle and struck through.
Painted by Mo Chara Kelly on the Whiterock Road, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1995 Paddy Duffy
T00067
This New Lodge mural shows people on the coast, near abandoned buildings, trying to grow crops during the period of the Great Hunger (1845-1852).
“An tOcras Mór” (a literal translation of “the great hunger/famine”) is usually (in Irish) “An Gorta Mór” or “An Drochshaol”.
The left-most and right-most figures are from Searching For Potatoes In A Stubble Field in the Illustrated London News. ILN images are a staple of Belfast muraling on the Great Hunger: see the Visual History page on the Great Hunger. (Here is a list, with links, of all of the illustrations of Ireland in ILN from the period 1845-1852.)
The two central figures, and the composition of the three women together, come from Millet’s The Gleaners. (Thanks to Jeryn Mayer for this pointer.)
Painted by “Farset Artists” – Jonny McKerr (later the street–artist JMK), Paul McCullough, Eamon Monaghan, and Dee Fitzsimons.
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Copyright © 1995 Paddy Duffy
T00181
Irish people climb on-board ship in order to escape the Great Hunger. The mural is based on The Embarkation, Waterloo Docks Liverpool in the Illustrated London News. This is one of about nine murals painted in 1995 on the Great Hunger (Visual History).
Oakman Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1995 Paddy Duffy
T00180
“Ardoyne Fleadh Cheoıl – meon an phobaıl a thógáıl tríd an chultúr” = “building community spirit through culture”.
“Eıre [Éire] (Éıru [Érıu]), a queen of the Tuatha Dé Danann, slain at the battle of Taıltean [Taılteann] (Telltown [Teltown], Co. Meath) 1698 BC.” Érıu is placed in a neolithic setting and is releasing a dove which flies off in a trail of stars. (In the repainted version, the date given is 698.)
Brompton Park, Ardoyne, Belfast
Here is the previous Ard Eoın Fleadh Cheoıl mural in this location.
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Copyright © 1995 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T00157 [T00162]
“When the potato crop failed causing the great hunger, people watched in despair as shiploads of food were escorted away by British troops …”. This mural combines an image from Illustrated London News (Bridget O’Donnel And Children) with five bodies faces drowning in the sea.
This is one of about nine murals painted in 1995 on the Great Hunger (Visual History).
Shaw’s Road/Rossnareen, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1995 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T00159
A tearful eye beholds both the Great Hunger, which claimed one million lives, and, within the eye itself, the wave of emigration which took more than a million others away from Ireland.
This is one of about nine murals painted in 1995 on the Great Hunger (Visual History). The number “150” appears on the chimney and would last until 2008 and beyond.
There are two side-walls out of frame to the right, going around a corner. The first gives a list of the artists in Irish (“[Dón]al Ó Dalaıḋ, [Cıa]rán [Mac] Taírnan [sic], Brían Ó Lúaın, […]rán Ó hÉır, […]áın Mac Pháıl, [perhaps one more]” (Donal Daly, Ciaran McKernan, Brian O’Loan, […] O’Hare, […] McFall. Daly, McKernan, and O’Loan would paint the History Is Written By The Winners mural in 1996) and the second reads “Dedicated to those who died in the Great Hunger” with a Celtic cross and some knotwork.
There is also a plaque to local man Kieran Doherty, reading “Vol. Kieran Doherty T.D. Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann. Age 25. Commenced his hunger strike on May 22 and tragically died on Sunday afternoon 2 Aug 1981. Kieran was elected T.D. by the people of Cavan And Monaghan in their support of the prisoners’ campaign for political status.” This plaque would be retained when this wall became a memorial mural to Doherty in 2001.
Slemish Way, Andersonstown, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1995 Paddy Duffy
T00156 [T00208]
“Weary people, what reap ye? Golden corn for the stranger.
What sow ye? human corpses that wait for the avenger.
Fainting forms, hunger–stricken, what see you in the offing?
Stately ships to bear our food away, [amid the stranger’s scoffing].
There’s a proud array of soldiers — what do they round your door?
They guard our masters’ granaries from the thin hands of the poor. – Speranza”
The poetry is the first few lines of The Famine Year by “Speranza”, i.e. Lady Jane Wilde, mother of Oscar.
In the centre an aboriginal figure holds the flags of Ireland and of the Native Australians.
This is one of about nine murals painted in 1995 on the Great Hunger (Visual History).
“Painted by Síle Na Gıg & St James Youth Aug 95” in St James’s Crescent/Donegall Road, west Belfast.
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Copyright © 1995 Paddy Duffy
T00155 [T00206]
In Irish mythology, the children of Lear were turned into singing swans for 900 years by their step-mother Aoıfe. They are then restored to human form but, being 900 years old, die immediately.
“Lır” (in Irish) is the genitive of (the Irish) “Lear” and the story is often referred to in Irish as “Clann Lır“; neither “Lear” nor “Lır” is pronounced like the English “(King) Lear”.
Painted at “Cáısc [Easter] 1995” by “Síle-Na-Gıg”.
Rockville Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1995 Paddy Duffy
T00154 [T00166]
“Gaelic games – part of our heritage.” Athletes play hurling, football, and camogie and the local GAA club Ardoyne Kickhams (Fb) is celebrated. “Is treıse dúchas ná oılıuınt” means “heritage is stronger than upbringing”. “Fáılte go dtí Ard Eoın” [“Welcome to Ardoyne”] appears in the apex.
Havana way, Ardoyne, north Belfast
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Copyright © 1994 Paddy Duffy (undated image)
T00165 [T00176]
Long Kesh viewed through a keyhole, with green ribbons from the campaign to free republican prisoners. “The mural was donated by New Lodge RAC [Relatives Action Committee]”.
Donore Court, New Lodge, north Belfast
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Copyright © 1995 Paddy Duffy
T00081
Paddy Duffy Collection 