In August, 1969, families, mostly Catholic, were driven out and their homes burned in Bombay Street (and surrounding streets), between the Falls and Shankill (RTÉ news report). The defenselessness of the community then is reflected in the urging for “No decommission” in the present. Fıan Gerard McAuley (aged 15) was shot in nearby Waterville Street.
Bombay Street, Clonard, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy
T00342
The Woodvale Defence Association (WDA) was the largest of the local associations which merged together in 1971 to form the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and the WDA became B company of 2nd battalion (WP).
Both pieces are in Heather Street, Woodvale, west Belfast. Between the two are the words “Ulster Freedom Fighters” in large letters – see D00967.
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Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy
T00451 T00450
A Visual History page details the various appearances of Eddie The Head in his guise as a Red Coat soldier-cum-UDA volunteers. In this Shankill Eddie, he carries an assault rifle and an Ulster Banner as he marches over the graves of “E[ddie] Copeland”, “S[ean] Kelly”, and “S[tephen] Larkin”. The three are IRA volunteers: Kelly, along with Thomas Begley, bombed Frizzell’s fish shop on the Shankill Road in 1993 – Kelly survived; Copeland was injured during an attack on Begley’s wake; Larkin made an attempt on the life of Johnny Adair in 1993.
There is also a Visual History page for the murals painted in the era of Johnny Adair’s C company, of which this is one.
Hopewell Crescent, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T01178
“Loyalist martyr King Rat 1960-1997”. Billy Wright broke with the UVF over the ceasefire in 1994 and after being expelled (and the Mid-Ulster brigade disbanded) in the summer of 1996, formed the LVF (WP). Wright was killed in the Maze in December 1987 by members of the INLA (neither the INLA or LVF were on ceasefire). Johnny Adair of the UDA’s west Belfast C company was an admirer and supported of Wright and this is one of the murals he had painted in the lower Shankill estate.
Hopewell Crescent, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T01179
Spike (the dog from Tom & Jerry) wears a Union Flag t-shirt and brandishes an assault rifle as he chases Sınn Féın’s Gerry Adams, wearing a Celtic top, out of Belfast and towards Dublin, in front of the UDA murals at (D00971) and behind (D00969) the KFC.
This is one of the murals painted in the era of Johnny Adair’s C company.
Hopewell Crescent, lower Shankill, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T01190
King Billy crossing the Boyne, with Schomberg dying in the foreground, making this a crude reproduction of Benjamin West’s 1780 painting ‘Battle Of The Boyne’. Second-in-command Schomberg had crossed the Boyne first and met his fate at the hands of Jacobite cavalry. Schomberg’s helper is perhaps George Walker, governor of Derry during the siege, who was shot and killed (reportedly) while attending to Schomberg – see George Walker.
Shankill Parade, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T01183
“We demand the right to march”, “Portadown District LOL No 1 [Fb]”, “Here we stand – we can do no other”.
This mural in the lower Shankill estate is about the disputed Orange Order parade (WP entry, including a map of the route) to Drumcree Church (in Portadown, shown in the mural) part of which goes along the Catholic Garvaghy Road. After many contentious years (beginning in 1995), the re-routing of the marches in 2000 led to some rioting, but was the last year of notable conflict over the parade (CAIN).
N Boundary Street, lower Shankill, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy
T00452
Diana Spencer (“1961-1997”) became Princess Of Wales upon marrying Prince Charles in 1981 but they divorced in 1996, a year before she died in a Paris car-crash. She is presented has an English rose in front of a large Union Flag in the shape of a heart.
This is one of the murals painted in the lower Shankill estate under Johnny Adair.
Hopewell Crescent, lower Shankill, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T01182
The Siege Of Derry began in December 1688 when 13 apprentice boys shut the gates against the approaching army of Jacobite soldiers.
Hopewell Crescent, lower Shankill, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy
T00266
Ulster’s defenders, past and present, from Cuchulainn “Ancient defender of Ulster from Gael attacks”, via the 1893 UDU and WWI soldiers memorialised in the towers at Messines and Thiepval, to the modern UDA/UFF: “In memory of the officers and volunteers of A. Coy. [“Glencairn, Highfield, Springmartin”] UDA/UFF West Belfast Brigade who unselfishly dedicated their lives in defence of their country.”
High Green, Highfield, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy
T00267
Paddy Duffy Collection 