Newry – Paddy Duffy Collection

John Mitchel

2026-03-282026-04-14Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“John Mitchel 1815 – 1875 After twenty years in exile for the sake of Ireland he returned with honour to die among his own people and he rests with his parents in the 1st Presbyterian old meeting house green at Newry.”

Mitchel graduated from Trinity at 19 and became an attorney in Newry and Banbridge before becoming a writer and editor for The Nation (the phrase “England’s difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity” comes from an 1845 article) and then The United Irishman. After 16 editions, he was arrested and convicted of treason and sent to penal colonies in Bermuda and Tasmania. He escaped to the USA, where he was an ardent supporter of slavery. When slavery was abolished, he again took up the cause of Ireland, returned to Ireland, won the Westminster seat for Tipperary but was barred, as a felon, from taking it, and died unexpectedly at age 59 (WP).

John Mitchel Place, Newry, in front of St Colman’s Park.

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Ocean Separates Land, Not Souls

2026-03-282026-04-12Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The middle of the three upper plaques in the image above, as well as the blue plaque above them (in the third image), is dedicated to Thomas Raymond Kelly, a merchant seaman who died as he attempted to rescue a third person from heavy seas in the Bay Of Biscay. He was awarded the George Cross for his efforts (Newry Maritime Association).

The other plaques commemorate the SS Upas (Irish Wrecks); the Quo Vadis fishing boats (Mourne Maritime); SS Orior (Wrecksite); the “merchant seamen from Newry And Mourne who served with courage and valour through both World Wars”; SS Clew Bay, which took part in Operation Dynamo in Dunkirk; SS Dingle; the “Carlingford Lough Disaster” in 1916 – the collision of the SS Connemara and SS Retriever with the loss of 94 lives (BBC).

River Street/Kilmorey Street, Newry

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Thomas ‘Kidso’ Reilly

2026-03-282026-08-11Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“You’ll never walk alone.” Thomas “Kidso” Reilly was brother of Jim Reilly of Stiff Little Fingers and working as road manager for Bananarama when killed on the Springfield Road on August 9, 1983. (RTÉ footage of the funeral.) Ian Thain, of the Light Infantry regiment, was convicted of his murder. He served less than three years before being released and rejoining the army (like Lee Clegg) (Guardian).

This banner (from the Celtic Supporters’ Club) is hanging on the front of Bellini’s in Merchants Quay, Newry

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Ard Mhacha Abú

2026-02-102026-03-08Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is another (see previously: Armagh For Sam) mural supporting Armagh’s senior football team, presumably in connection with its successful 2024 campaign, this time in Newry.

Irelantis

2026-02-102026-03-08Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Seán Hillen’s (web) collage “The Great Pyramids of Carlingford Lough“, from his 1994-1997 series “Irelantis”, is reproduced in Newry by DMC (ig). Hillen explains the sources for the image in an instagram post.

Upper Water Street, Newry. Also included below are two electrical boxes, the first, “Hope”, presumably by Zippy (web), in Kildare Street; the squirrel is in Merchants’ Quay.

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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The Men And Women Of Violence

2026-02-102026-08-28Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

These two Saoradh (web) boards are at the roundabout on Camlough Road, Newry. The one above shows a vintage mural from nearby Carnagat Road that goes back to (at least) 1994 – the version painted in 2000 can be seen in the Peter Moloney Collection.

The other board reads “Salute the men and women of violence”, among whom are the seven signatories to the 1916 Proclamation, the IRA of the Troubles era – illustrated by Colman Doyle’s famous ?1973? (staged) photograph of a female IRA volunteer with AR-18 – and the post-Agreement groups (such as the New IRA) – illustrated by a home-made RPG (shown in Resistance).

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Don’t Forget The Palestinian Children

2026-02-102026-03-08Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“This Christmas, don’t forget the Palestinian children! Nollaıg shona daoıbh agus athbhlıan faoı mhaıse daoıbh! Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!” As the final image shows, this board is next to the Egyptian Arch in Newry, and is on public land. The DUP called for the board’s removal in January; Liz Kimmins, minister for Infrastructure, said that at the time that there were no plans to remove it (BBC), and a few weeks later (February 10th, the day of these photographs) it was still in situ, though an investigation by Newry, Mourne, and Down council is on-going.

Don’t Buy Into Genocide

2025-10-052025-10-21Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Don’t buy into genocide – boycott these companies funding the genocide in Palestine: McDonald’s, Starbucks Coffee, Barclays, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Teva. Saoırse don Phalaıstín.”

There was a march in Belfast (in early September) which went to the offices or stores of some of these businesses (Independent) because they fund or support the Israeli military – the links above outline the connections. There are also campaigns from various groups (here is IPSC’s) to boycott consumer goods from Israeli producers.

This board is in Sugar Island, Newry.

Newry Supports Palestine

2025-09-052025-10-22Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here are two IRSP (web) boards and one IRPWA (web) board at Camlough Road on the edge of Derrybeg, Newry. Above, “Stop the genocide – Newry supports Palestine” (Teach Na Fáilte is the IRSP’s ex-prisoners division – Newry Fb); immediately below, “For a socialist republic – ‘He was the only one who truly understood what James Connolly meant when he spoke of his vision of the freedom of the Irish people’ – Nora O’Connolly O’Brien on Seamus Costello”; last below, “End internment – Portlaoise, Maghaberry, Hydebank”.

October: