Visca Catalunya Lliure – Ireland stands with Catalonia” – tarp above the newsagents at the junction of Springfield Drive and Springfield Road, west Belfast.
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Copyright © 2022 Paddy Duffy
T00834
Ireland Stands With Catalonia
Belfast
The People’s Queen Is Dead
Upon news of Queen Elizabeth’s death, the platinum jubilee mural at the bottom of Crimea Street became a memorial, with hundreds of bouquets being laid before it and a “wall of condolences” set up. (For the mural itself, see The People’s Monarch.) In addition, to the right-hand side has been added a small commemoration of her passing, with a quote from her son, the newly acceded King Charles:
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world”; “Long live the king!”
The fifteen commonwealth “realms” (previously called “dominions”) share a monarch – formerly Elizabeth II and now Charles III – while the commonwealth comprises 41 additional nations, including some which are now republics: Barbados, for example, became a republic on November 30th last year (2021) but is still in the Commonwealth (WP). Additional countries might take the passing of Elizabeth as a suitable juncture at which to sever ties (Edinburgh News has a round-up | for the Bahamas see Caribbean National Weekly | for Canada see Toronto Star).
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Copyright © 2022 Paddy Duffy
T00791 [T00792] [T00793] T00794 [T00795] T00796
Stevie McCrea
Red Hand Commando volunteer Stevie McCrea was sentenced to 16 years for the murder of James Kerr in 1972 (Behind The Mask) and was subsequently “murdered by the enemies of Ulster” on February 18th, 1989 in an IPLO attack on the Orange Cross (see M00560 | WP). “For he shall not grow old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary him nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember him.”
This is a repaint of the mural seen in 2007, which is itself a repainting of the original mural to McCrea – see T00152.
McCrea is included on murals in south Belfast’s Frenchpark Street and Broadway (dating back to at least 1993).
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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
T00472
Persecution
The mural shows people being hanged, speared, and drawn behind a horse, and houses in flames.” The persecution of the Protestant people by the church of Rome, 1600 [probably the Irish Rebellion of 1641 (WP)] – the ethnic cleansing still goes on today.”
Hopewell Crescent, lower Shankill, Belfast
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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
T00474
The Siege Of Derry
This is a 2008 image of a mural seen previously in 2000.
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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
T00477
Freedom 2000
This lower Shankill mural commemorates prisoners kept in the Long Kesh cages and the H-Blocks during the Troubles (and prior to the Agreement).
Previously, the left flank bore the letters “UDA” and the right flank “UFF”, with “LPOW” at the bottom of each.
Hopewell Crescent, lower Shankill, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
T00469
William Bucky McCullough
“In loving memory of all our fallen comrades from A Coy, B Coy, C Coy, 2nd Batt UFF West Belfast Brigade. Murdered by the enemies of Ulster.” UDA Lieutenant-Colonel McCullough was killed by the INLA on October 16th, 1981, outside his home in Denmark Street (out of frame to the right), on information supplied by fellow UDA member James Craig, who feared that McCullough would expose his embezzling of UDA funds.
Hopewell Crescent, lower Shankill, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
T00470 [T00471]
The Red Hand Of Ulster
“There are many legends telling the origins of the Red Hand Of Ulster. This mural depicts only one of those.” In this case, the myth is that Ulster was offered as a prize to whoever could reach it first and was won by throwing a severed hand onto the shore. The flag of Northern Ireland (the Ulster Banner) is in the apex.
Replaces the Lower Shankill UFF mural (M02478).
Shankill Parade, lower Shankill, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
T00669 [T00668]
Cuchulainn, Defender Of Northern Ireland
The mythological hero Cuchulainn, defender of Ulster against the forces of Queen Medb of Connacht, is placed below the flag of Northern Ireland. “Here we stand, here we remain. We simply want to take our God ordained place as indigenous Ulster people, understanding and living out our calling. We assume our identity without shame, retaliation or indignation against those who have caused harm to our past and tried to castrate our culture, our identity and our place on this island.”
Cú Chulaınn has his own Visual History page. This is the most active depiction of the hero; he is usually depicted in his death throes.
Hopewell Crescent, lower Shankill, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
T00437 T00467
UDU-UFF-UDA
This is a 2007? repainting of a lower Shankill mural placing Ulster Freedom Fighters/Ulster Defence Association (UFF/UDA) within the historical context of “a new organization entitled the Ulster Defence Association, the objects of which are to elect an assembly of 600 delegates, having authority to declare the policy and direct the action of the Ulster Unionists and to raise funds for the purposes of the organization from loyalists of all classes.” The motto of the organisation was “Quis separabit” (which is the same as the UDA’s).
The Union faded away in the 1910s, but the name was revived by the UDA in 2007.
The manifesto was launched on St Patrick’s day 1893, in response to the 2nd Home Rule bill. Membership was closed on June 1st, by which time 170,000 people had signed up. The newspaper source of the text is unknown; a similar newspaper article from the Tasmanian Daily Telegraph can be found here. The words “Ulster Defence Association” do not occur in the manifesto.
For more on Saunderson, see Union Is Strength.
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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
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Paddy Duffy Collection 