The UVF mural dedicated to Colin Caldwell on Derry Hill in Rathcoole was repainted in 2016 and a mention added of “Marky” Mark Quail — who has a separate mural a short distance away — added on a (painted) ribbon. The mural shows two hooded volunteers — from the 3rd [north] Belfast battalion and 1st east Antrim battalion – aiming rifles; the previous mural (X00512) showed volunteers mourning beside a memorial stone. “We salute all volunteers at home and on the mainland who served with dignity and pride.”
The backdrop to the Red Hand Commando memorial garden in Rathcoole has been repainted (compare with the final image, below) with the emblem of the “Red Hand Comrades Association” (for background see We Await In The Shadows). “The highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s faith, community and country. [George S. Patton, Jr.] Honour, service, sacrifice.” With the names “N[orman]. Williamson, L. Orr, S. Wasson, N. Anderson, A. Moore.” (Anderson and Moore are new additions, compared to M16237 and M16236, below;
It is in the same colour-scheme as the main wall, which is now fading somewhat: Founded in 1970, “To this day our principles remain the same: to protect the loyalist community, to retain our Britishness. It is not for glory or riches we fight but for our people. Lamh Dearg Abu.” The mural shows the “Rathcoole Elite” unit (1st Batt., B. Coy) of the Red Hand Commando, complete with four masked men each bearing weapons.
These two boards in Owenreagh Drive, Rathcoole, were mounted to celebrate the seventieth (platinum) jubilee of Queen Elizabeth in June 2022. Similar paintings were produced by schoolchildren in west Belfast – see The People’s Monarch.
“This artwork was designed and created by pupils from Abbots Cross Primary School in partnership with the local children from Rathcoole Community Hub to commemorate the platinum jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”
“From Rathcoole to the house of Windsor – happy platinum jubilee 1952-2022. God save the Queen.”
“HM Queen Elizabeth II 1952-2012”. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor acceded to the throne of the United Kingdom in 1952 (she was crowned in 1953). 2002 was her golden jubilee year. (See also Long To Reign Over Us.) The ‘sponsorship’ box read “This mural was commissioned by 1st batt A coy South East Antrim UDA UFF UYM.” but has been whited out and would later be painted over in black. It is undamaged in J1444.
“The charge of the 36th (Ulster) Division at Thiepval, 1st July 1916. By the end of the battle, five thousand five hundred Ulstermen lay dead. ‘At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.’”
A mixture of modern and latter-day Ulster Volunteers: the names of WWI dead are listed on both sides, while six modern volunteers are portrayed above the central panel of soldiers in a trench. J1835 lists the men (in the previous version of the mural) as J. Shaw, T. Mawhinney, J. Cordner, C. Logan, S. McCrea, W. Millar.
This UFF/UDA/UYM mural on Iniscairn Drive in the Rathcoole estate features a red fist (centre) and a red hand wrapped in barbed wire (apex), as well two masked figures aiming rifles.
“In memory of a fallen comrade Vol. Mark Quail ‘Murdered by the enemies of Ulster’ 1st November 2000 3rd Belfast Battalion Ulster Volunteer Force. Lest we forget.” Quail was shot by the UDA in the feud (Sutton).
There are two unusual features of this UVF mural in Monkstown: the six volunteers are unmasked – so, this is not a “hooded gunman” mural – and two of the volunteers – the pair in the centre carrying, though not aiming, Uzis – are female. As far as we know, this is the only PUL mural showing armed females. (See the Visual History page on women in murals and muraling.)
The records of this mural are contradictory – this image in the Paddy Duffy Collection is dated April, 1997; other, less reliable, sources give 1999 as the date of its creation and say it was plastered over in 1996 (Xitter). All of this confusion, and its limited appearance in the various collections, suggests that this was a short-lived mural, perhaps because the Uzis, assault rifles, and RPG were being brandished next to Hollybank primary school.
