hunger strike

To Whom Do We Owe Our Allegiance Today?

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The “hills” and “green fields” in which Kieran Doherty and Joe McDonnell grew up were the streets of the Falls and Andersonstown. By the age of 17 and 19, respectively, their tramping grounds were reduced by internment to cells in Long Kesh and HMS Maidstone; both of them were arrested in 1976 during (separate) IRA bombing missions and ultimately died in the 1981 hunger strike, McDonnell on July 8th, Doherty on August 2nd. (IRIS | Long Kesh)

This trio of RNU (Fb) boards commemorating the pair and the other 1981 hunger strikers is in Bingnian Drive, in Andersonstown – the ten deceased strikers are shown between the words to Luke Kelly’s poem For What Died The Sons Of Róısín (above | youtube) and Francie Brolly’s The H-Block Song (below | youtube).

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Keep On Marching

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“Beıdh bua agaınn go fóıll” [victory will be ours yet] – Keep on marching, don’t give up – Raymond McCreesh 1957-81, age 24. Died after 61 days hunger-strike, H-Block Long Kesh 1981.” The phrase was spoken at the end of a visit with Jim Gibney.

Outside Raymond McCreesh House – his birthplace – at Maryville, Camlough.

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Gáıre Ár bPáıstí

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Here are three pieces from the Drumcor Hill area of Enniskillen.

Above, “Enniskillen remembers the hunger strikers” – for the fortieth anniversary of the 1981 strike, against a background of sunburst and starry plough, in Loughview Drive.

Below, the emblem of Gaeıl Inıs Ceıthleann/Enniskillen Gaels (web) on the wall outside their home field of Brewster Park.

Finally, a memorial stone to Bobby Sands in Erne Drive. The inscription on the stone reads, “‘Is naofa ıad sıud sa fhulaıngíonn ocras ar son na córa.’ [= Holy are those who suffer hunger for the sake of justice/”Blessed are those who hunger for justice”] I ndíl [ndıl] chuımnhe ar Óglach Bobby Sands, feısıre [= M.P.] Fhearmanach-Thír Eoghaın Theas, a d’éag 5 Bealtaıne 1981 ın aoıs 27 ı ndıaıdh 66 lá ar staıle [staılc] ocraıs ar son stádas polaıtıúıl a chomhchımí agus saoırse na hÉıreann. I measc laochra na nGael go raıbh a anam uasal. ‘Is í gáıre ár bpáıstí an díoltas a bheas agaınn'”

For an alternative translation of Sands’s quote “Our revenge will be the laughter of our children”, see The Spirit Of Freedom in the Peter Moloney collection.

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Kevin Lynch

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This is the repainted version of the mural to Kevin Lynch in Dún Geımhın/Dungiven. Lynch died after 71 days on hunger strike – the longest-surviving striker – in Long Kesh/the Maze prison (WP).

The four black-and-white squares show (top left) Mary Nelis, Kathleen Deeny and Theresa Deery, protesting the arrests of their sons; (bottom left) the memorial to Lynch in nearby Park, where has was born; (top right) blanket-men Hugh Rooney and Freddie Toal; (bottom right) Lynch’s gravestone in Dungiven.

Along the bottom are the emblems of Kevin Lynch Memorial flute band (Fb), Kevin Lynch’s hurling club (“mısneach ‘s dílseacht”), and St Dympna’s football club, Luton (Fb).

“Mural unveiled on Saturday 4th August 2012 by Bridie Lynch & Jeannie McTaggart to commemorate Kevin Lynch and his comrades who died in the 1981 hunger strike.”

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800 Years Of Irish Resistance

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There is a memorial garden to the history of Irish resistance at the entrance to the Athletic Grounds in Armagh. From left to right, the images presented here show:

“More than 800 years of Irish resistence” – a sword for the Norman invasion under Strongbow, a pike for the 1798 and 1803 rebellions, a bolt-action rifle for the Easter Rising of 1916, and an assault rifle for the Troubles;

Cumann Na mBan, Mairéad Farrell and republican women who made “the supreme sacrifice”;

The Proclamation, Provisional IRA and Na Fianna;

The dying Cú Chulainn and a plaque “in proud and loving memory of all republican volunteers, ex-POWs and the unsung heroes from this area who fought, suffered and died in the cause of Ireland’s freedom, with a quote from James Connolly: ‘If you strike at, imprison or kill us, out of prisons or graves will still evoke a spirit that will thwart you and perhaps raise a force that will destroy you! We defy you England! Do your worst!”;

“Remember Ireland’s hunger strikers – 22 men” – the ten 1981 hunger strikers and Thomas Ashe, Terence MacSwiney, Michael Fitzgerald, Joe Murphy, Joseph Whitty, Andy O’Sullivan, Denny Barry, Tony D’Arcy, Jack McNeela, Seán McCaughey, Michael Gaughan, Frank Stagg;

A stone “in loving memory of men, women and children murdered by British forces in Ireland.”

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Clós Ard An Lao

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Here is a gallery of the murals and plaques in Clós Ard An Lao/Ardilea Close in the Machaıre Botháın/Marrowbone area of north Belfast. A full repertoire of republican events is commemorated – the United Irishmen, Great Hunger, the Rising, the Troubles, the (modern) hunger strikes. What is most striking is the significant presence of religious icons, such as the Sacred Heart in the glass cases in front of the two main murals (above and last below).

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Saoırse Go Deo

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“Saoırse go deo.” INLA volunteer Kevin Lynch went on hunger strike on May 23rd, 1981. He would die 71 days later, on August 1st. His funeral is depicted in the top part of this IRSP/IRSM board commemorating the 40th anniversary of the 1981 hunger-strikes. The Tricolour (for the IRA) and Starry Plough (for the INLA) are used as blankets on the prison beds. 

Shaws Road and Norglen Gardens, west Belfast

The same board appeared on the Falls Road and in Galliagh, Derry.

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Free All Political Prisoners

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There are six small boards along Rossville Street, Derry.

On the end wall (out of sight in the wide shots): “Democide is the murder of any person or people by a government, including genocide, politicide and mass murder. Democide is not necessarily the elimination of entire cultural groups but rather groups within the country that the government feels needs to be eradicated for political reasons and due to claimed future threats. No amnesty for British state forces.”

From left to right: “End British political policing” from Saoradh (web); two IRPWA (web) boards “Free all political prisoners” with the image of Bobby Sands and lines from Francie Brolly’s “H-Block Song” and the prison wall disintegrating into doves; IRPWA (web) board commemorating the 1981 hunger strike; IRSP “Yes for unity” board; IRSM 40th anniversary hunger-strike board.

On either side are the John Hume mural and the O’Hara-Devine mural and the “Peace” mural (with cross) from the The People’s Gallery (Visual History) by the Bogside Artists.

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On The Streets Of Derry

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The plaque to the left reads, “This mural is dedicated to all those who tragically died on the streets of Derry during the hunger strike era. Suaımhneas Dé da nanamacha. 3rd October 2006.” The mural referred to is in fact the ‘crumbling cell’ mural (see M03350); the ‘Spirit Of Freedom’ mural was first painted in 2011 for the 30th anniversary (see X00999) – the 30th anniversary plaque remains, on the right of the mural but for the 40th anniversary of the 1981 hunger strike “40” replaced the “30” in the bottom border.

The mural features both the lark and the dove (Visual History).

On the side wall, two new panels remember members of the IRA’s Derry brigade, replacing the single board seen in M07635.

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