Sásta A Bheıth Anseo

The mural on the wall of Madden’s bar in the city centre has been updated. Fiddler Art Lundy and the “decommissioned” ashtray are retained, but much else has changed. (For the previous version, see Madden’s.)

Traditional Irish and Irish-language music features in multiple places:
— a poster for new group Biird (ig) is in the mirror behind Art’s head (and next to an Acht Na Gaeılge fáınne (see #AchtAnois) and a Pride flag);
— by his fingering hand is a poster for Féıle Na Gealaí (web);
— the “Fine Art” in front of the pints is the cover of Kneecap’s (web) forthcoming album – DJ Próvaí’s familiar tricoloured balaclava can be seen on the side-door in the third image, below (see also their two murals in Beechmount, Incendiary Device and England Get Out Of Ireland);
— the album cover to its right is the EP “Sásta A Bheıth Anseo” [Happy To Be Here] by Múlú (Mıaḋaċluġaın Ní Doṁnaıll | ig) which you can hear on youtube.

The other main change is the addition of two newspapers. In the Andersonstown News in Art’s pocket trumpets Cliftonville’s 3-1 victory over Linfield in the Irish Cup on May 4th (youtube highlights), while on the table a copy of The Irish News reports on DUP (now-former) leader Jeffrey Donaldson being prosecuted on charges of rape and sexual assault (BBC).

Update: The newspaper was soon changed to DUP Backs United Ireland.

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Gáıre Ár bPáıstí

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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New Lodge Volunteers

Twenty portraits in circular frames have replaced the twenty-one square portraits seen on the ‘Out Of The Ashes Of 1969’ mural in the New Lodge. From left to right, those portrayed are Michael P Neill, Seamus McCusker, Gerard Crossan, Colm Mulgrew, Francis Liggett, Brian Fox, John Kelly, Robert Allsopp, Louis Scullion, Billy Reid, Danny O’Hagan, Michael Kane, Sean McIlvenna, Jim O’Neill, Rosemary Bleakley, Martin McDonagh, James McCann, James Sloan, Dan McCann. Paddy McManus is no longer included, as compared with the earlier portraits.

For the mural without any portraits, at the time of its launch in 2012, see X00857.

See also the New Lodge IRA memorial garden.

New Lodge Road, north Belfast.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Cuıdıgh Lınn!

“Help us!” Two Carlos Latuff cartoons are combined in this pro-Palestinian board in Donegal, with Errigal/An Earagaıl providing the backdrop.

On the left, an Israeli soldier with a smoking rifle and swastika armband walks away from a mother holding a bloodied child (Xitter), while on the right, bombs from an Israeli fighter jet (Xitter) rain down on “An Phalaıstín”.

“Díbrıgh ambasadóır Iosrael láıthreach!” [Expel the ambassador of Israel immediately!] The current ambassador is Dana Erlich; a motion to expel Erlich was defeated in the Dáıl in November (Indo).

(As with the recent board in Belfast for the ‘Joe Cahill memorial tournament‘, the pseudo-Gaelic font chosen here includes both fadas and (incorrectly) dotted “i”.)

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Joe Cahill Annual Tournament

Easter Saturday is traditional day for the Joe Cahill tournament, hosted by Cardinal O’Donnell’s (Fb) and involving about 250 children (Belfast Media). Shown above is the new board in Beechview Park, updating the one from last year.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Dorn San Aer

“Dorn san aer do na Gaeıl [a fist in the air for the Irish] Rónán Mac Aodha Bhuí 1970-2023”. Mac Aodha Bhuí joined Ráıdió Na Gaeltachta in the 1990s but was best known for his Rónán Beo@3 programme (which is inscribed on the ring on the first), which began in 2006. He was a passionate advocate for the Irish language. He died this past September after a four-year battle with cancer. (RTÉ | Irish Times | Donegal Daily)

The official launch of the mural will be at 2 p.m. on Friday (December 1st). Update: by the time of the launch a photograph of Mac Aodha Bhuí was added.

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Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
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Beırıgí Bua

“I measc laochra na nGael go raıbh sıad.” Profiles of Patricia Black, Frankie Ryan, Michael Ferguson, and Sean Keenan were added in late 2021 (video of launch) to the pair of existing monuments that memorialise them in Colin/Poleglass (for which see The Undauntable Thought on Peter’s site).

Black and Ryan were IRA volunteers killed by in a premature bomb explosion near London (An Phoblacht).

Michael Ferguson and Seán Keenan were activists and Sınn Féın councillors. Both died in 2006 of cancer (Irish Times | Bel Tel).

On Pantridge Road, which runs down to Michael Ferguson roundabout (An Phoblacht).

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McGerrigan – Hughes 50th

Jake McGerrigan and Tony Hughes of the OIRA were both shot and killed by British forces in the Windmill Hill area of Armagh in a 48-hour period spanning April 7th and 9th, 1973. (Lost Lives #791 incorrectly gives March 7th for McGerrigan.) The board shown above was mounted in Navan Street for the 40th anniversary of their deaths, in 2013, and the lower date has now been updated for the 50th anniversary.

The larger portraits on either side are of McGerrigan and Hughes; between them are (left) Peadar McElvanna, Roddy Carroll, Gerard Mallon, Martin Corrigan, (middle) Peter Corrigan, (right) Tony McClelland, Seamus Grew, Sean McIlvanna [McIlvenna], Dessie Grew.

There is an individual plaque to Hughes (shown immediately below) at the spot where he was shot and a stone (shown below; for text see McGerrigan – Hughes) to both of them in the same alley; there is also a stone (not shown) to McGerrigan in Windmill Avenue. (Video of Jake McGerrigan’s funeral.)

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Ní Amháın Saor Ach Gaelach Chomh Maıth

Quotations from Pádraıg Mac Pıaraıs [Patrick Pearse] and Séamus Ó Conghaıle [James Connolly] are super-imposed upon an Irish-language version of the 1916 Proclamation. From Mac Pıaraıs: Ní [h]amháın saor ach Gaelach chomh maıth; ní [h]amháın Gaelach ach saor chomh maıth [not merely free but Gaelic too; not merely Gaelic but free too]; from Ó Conghaıle: “The cause of labour is the cause of Ireland, the cause of Ireland is the cause of labour’ (from ‘The Irish Flag’ 1916).

The portraits might well be by, or based on, prints by Jim Fitzpatrick (Revolutionaries).

Dalton Park/Irish Street, Armagh

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Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
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Feıs Na nGleann

Feıs Na nGleann is an annual festival of Irish language, arts, and crafts, begun in Glenariffe in 1904. The website has not been updated since 2019, presumably due to COVID putting a stop to activity.

The “F” makes reference to the local “Irish (Peasant) Home Industries“, while the “E” shows the harebell (bluebell) in flower. The “I” might be St Brigid as an oak or a reference to Princess Taisie/Taobhgheal of Rathlin.

Laura Nelson of Szu Szu Signs (ig).

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