Unfinished UVF mural on Broadway in the Village, south Belfast.
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Copyright © 1999 Paddy Duffy
T00428
We Will Never Be Defeated
PUL
The Village Team
“Ulster Young Militants – The Village Team – South Belfast Brigade” with flags of the UDA and UFF.
Broadway, the Village, south Belfast
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Copyright © 1999 Paddy Duffy
T00265
South Belfast Volunteers
Along the top are the emblems of the Royal Inniskilling (27th) Fusiliers (featuring Crom castle), Royal Irish Rifles (featuring the Maid Of Erin harp), Royal Irish Fusiliers (featuring the barossa eagle).
Wrapped around the left column are “Ballykinler, Finner, Clandeboye” – three of the training camps of the 36th. Wrapped around the right column is “Lest we forget”.
The central text reads: “Ravenhill – Village – Donegall Pass – Ormeau Rd – Sandy Row – Lisburn Rd. 10th infantry battalion Royal Irish Rifles, 36th (Ulster) Division, South Belfast Volunteers”
The Union Flag appears in the lower left, next to an unidentified medal, while the flag of Ulster (rather than Northern Ireland, which did not yet exist) appears in the lower right, next to a Victory medal. (In a previous version of this painting, the Union Flag was a VC and the medal was a Distinguished Conduct Medal.) Between them is the emblem of the 36th Division.
The main image shows three graveside mourners standing in a field of barbed wire and in front of ?mis-shapen tombstones?, all against a background of sunrise over a mountain on which have been superimposed (left) a map of the Somme and (right) a large UVF emblem.
Painted by Ron McMurry on boards. Donegall Pass, south Belfast
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Copyright © 1999 Paddy Duffy
T00251
Common Sense UDP
The Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) was the political wing of the UDA, and supported a policy of an independent Northern Ireland (as described in the policy document ‘Common Sense‘). It won a few council seats in the late 1980s and early 1990s (and dissolved in 2001) (BBC-NI).
The top-right panel is similar to this Victor Patterson photograph of the farmers’ protest at Stormont during the Ulster Workers’ Council strike that brought down the Sunningdale Agreement in 1974.
Bellevue Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00260 [T00263]
In The Love Of Our Country
“In the love of our country, some have give[n] something, some have give[n] everything, others have yet to give. Quis separabit. UDA/UFF.” UYM mural with a crudely drawn hooded-gunman. There is “RIRA” graffiti in three places.
Albion Street, Sandy Row, south Belfast
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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00264
Red Hand Commando A Company
“Red Hand Commando A Company Shankill”. The plaque unfortunately cannot be read.
There was previously a board above the flag-pole holder, showing the same emblem but with “Scottish Brigade” instead of “Red Hand Commando”, against a St Andrew’s Saltire (D00029).
Glenwood Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00261
The Ultimate Sacrifice
“This plaque is dedicated to the memory of Lt. Col. Trevor King, died 9th July 1994, Major Wm. (Frenchie) Marchant, died 28th April 1987, Davy Hamilton, Died 17th June 1994. These brave men died near this spot [the corner of Spier’s Place and Shankill Road, Belfast] by the enemies of Ulster. No sacrifice is too great for one’s country. They paid the ultimate sacrifice. ‘They shall grow not old/as we that are left grow old/Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn/At the going down of the sun and in the morning/We will remember them.’”
King and Hamilton (along with Colin Craig, an RUC informer and not included on the plaque) were shot by the INLA and died of their wounds three weeks and one day later. Frenchie Marchant was shot by the IRA outside The Eagle chip shop. The plaque is surrounded by a garland of three nation’s flowers: shamrock, rose, and thistle.
Spier’s Place, west Belfast. This is a new, larger, plaque, compared to previously.
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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00258 [T00257]
Ulster First Flute
“Ulster First Flute – south Belfast – Est. 1997.” According to its Fb page, however, the band formed in 1996.
Linfield Road, south Belfast
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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00248
Release Our Prisoners
The scroll on the left between the emblems of the UDA, UYM, UFF and the Ulster banner reads, “In memory of our freedom fighters who fought and died for Ulster. It was not for glory they fought nor honour or riches but freedom alone which no good man should lose but with his life.” There is a pair of manacled red fists above the central UFF emblem, which itself rests on a free-floating outline of Northern Ireland superimposed with the Ulster banner. On the right is a crouching volunteer from A battalion, from south Belfast’s Sandy Row.
Linfield Road, south Belfast
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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00247
Make No Covenant With Them Nor Show Mercy Unto Them
These two murals are side-by-side in Blythe Street.
On the left, a particularly violent rejection of the peace-process: “they arose in the dark days to defend our native land for God and Ulster”, “And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee, though shalt smite them and utterly destroy them, thou shalt make no covenant with them nor show mercy unto them – Deuteronomy 7 verse 2”.
On the right, a UVF roll of honour: “In memory of fallen comrades. Lest we forget. John Hanna, Billy Millar, Noel Little, Bunter Davidson, Billy Stewart, Davy McNaught, Sammy Mehaffy, Dicky Richardson [later removed], Geordie Norris [later added]. Their duty demanding, their courage outstanding. Here lies a soldier, murdered by the enemies of Ulster.”
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Copyright © 1997 Paddy Duffy
T00254 T0255
