“No 5 platoon, A company, 1st battalion, Shankill, west Belfast”. Hooded gunmen crouch in front of a St Andrew’s Saltire and an Ulster Banner, with a UVF flag on top.
A plaque “in memory of a true soldier, Big Bill Campbell” was later added (see the Peter Moloney Collection).
Northland Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1996 Paddy Duffy
T00214
The Catalan Countries include (in Spain) Catalonia, parts of Valencia, and the Balearic islands, plus Andorra, and (in France) the Roussillon region. In the separatist flag – the “Estelada” – the white star stands for freedom and the blue triangle stands for the sky of humanity (Vexillology), on top of the four red bars of the Senyera (WP).
Rossnareen, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1996 Paddy Duffy
T00199
Some of the programme from the 1996 festival is available in the ‘Extraordinary Women’ collection at the Linenhall Library. 1996 was also the first year of Féıle FM (“Triple FM”) (The Can).
Painted by Margaret McCann in Hawthorn Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1996 Paddy Duffy
T00194
Text would later be added along the bottom reading, “This mural is dedicated to the Women of Cumann Na mBan, Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann & Sınn Féın.” Image “from R[uth] Taillon’s book The Women Of 1916.” Taillon is a Canadian who moved to Belfast in 1980 and has been doing work with the women’s movement in the north and on women’s history – see NVTv.
Hawthorn Street, west Belfast. There was also a mural on the low wall to the left – see The Soldiers Of Cumann Na mBan.
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Copyright © 1996 Paddy Duffy
T00193
This is an in-progress image of a mural sponsored by and for the Upper Springfield Development Trust (web | until 1993 the Upper Springfield Development Forum) focusing on young people: “Mol an óıge agus tıocfaıdh sí.” (Praise youth/the young and it will flourish.”/”Youth responds to praise.”)
For a finished version, see the Peter Moloney Collection.
Signed by “Mo Chara” (Gerard “Mo Chara” Kelly) and “Spud” in the bottom right corner.
Whiterock Road, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1996 Paddy Duffy
T00188
“Nuadha, rí Tuatha Dé Danann, buaıteor chath Magh Tuıreadh Conga, Éıre/King Nuadha of the Tuatha De Dannan, victorious at the battle of Moy Tura [at Cong, the first battle], Ireland.”
“Mo Chara” Kelly’s mural reproduces the cover of Jim Fitzpatrick’s The Book Of Conquests in the middle and adds various other elements (Visual History).
Upper Whiterock Road, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1996 Paddy Duffy
T00187
A million, and perhaps as many as 2 million – one in four Irish people – left Ireland between 1845 and 1855, many sailing on so-called “coffin ships” which had mortality rates of 30%. Another million died in the Great Hunger itself (Visual History), in most cases the proximate causes were fever and dysentery (WP | Irish Central).
Crocus Street, west Belfast. Perhaps by the same hand(s) that painted the Gorta Mór mural in Rossnareen.
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Copyright © 1996 Paddy Duffy
T00113
A pair of manacled red fists break free of their chains and the Maze/Long Kesh is depicted in the outline of Northern Ireland. “Free the prisoners”, “All gave some, some gave all.”
No particular paramilitary group is mentioned, though this is UDA territory.
Bellevue Street, Shankill, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1996 Paddy Duffy
T00236
Trevor “Kingso” King served time for his part in the Battle At Springmartin in 1972, in which seven people, including a British soldier, died. In 1994, having been shot by the INLA and paralysed from the neck down, King took the decision to remove his own life-support (WP).
The emblem of the PAF is out of shot to the left; the UVF emblem in the centre is flanked by the Ulster Banner and UVF flag. “1st Belfast battalion, ‘B’ company.”
Disraeli Street, Woodvale, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1996 Paddy Duffy
T00235
Brian Robinson was shot by the British Army in September, 1989, immediately after he had shot and killed a Catholic (Paddy McKenna) walking along Crumlin Road (WP). The mural features Robinson’s portrait in a wreath (“For God and Ulster – 1st Batt. B. Coy”) and the emblems of the UVF and PAF.
Disraeli Street, Woodvale, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1996 Paddy Duffy
T00234
