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

Stand Off! Trade Off!

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

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

“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

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

Markets Volunteers

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

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