We Are Here To Stay

This mural celebrates the IRA (“Óglaigh Na hÉıreann” at the top) from 1919 (the army of the independent Dáıl Éıreann) to the “present” day of 1982. In the centre, a lark flies against a Tricolour, with the word “Saoırse” (“freedom”) beneath.

This is a repainted version of the original, which was one of several murals in Beechmount and the Rock streets that were paint-bombed by “marauding Coldstream Guards” (according to AP/RN of 1982-04-29) – for the damaged mural, see the Peter Moloney Collection. The “1919” date would be changed to “1916”.

Islandbawn Street, west Belfast, replacing The Right Hon. Bobby Sands.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 1982 Paddy Duffy
T00063 [T00009]

Victory To The IRA

“Victory [to the] IRA”. Volunteers with RPGs and armalites in Rossnareen, kneeling over an outline of Ireland in green, white, and gold. The central trio comes from an IRA publicity photograph, included below.

Rossnareen Avenue, west Belfast

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 1981 Paddy Duffy
T00049c [T00033]

(unattributed IRA photograph. Also appears in this 1974 poster at CAIN.)

Incident At Narrow Water

This mural depicts (one part of) the IRA’s 1979 ambush of the British Army at Narrow Water Castle, near Warrenpoint (WP), on the same day that Louis Mountbatten was killed (see 13 Gone But Not Forgotten).

For interpretation of the piece and its role in the history of CNR muraling, see Visual History 4 – Paramilitary Murals (1981-1982).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 1981 Paddy Duffy
[T00025] T00037