assault rifle – Paddy Duffy Collection

Along With The Brave And The Bold

2026-10-212026-10-24Extramural Activity1 Comment

“In loving memory of Vol. Gary Holdsworth, Officer Commanding, East Tyrone Mid-Ulster Brigade, Ulster Volunteer Force.” Holdsworth died in 2021 and the sources for this information – RBL Football Fb | Mid-Ulster ACT Fb – suggest that the title of “UVF OC” is an honorary or aspirational one. Holdsworth has appeared in the papers in connection with rioting and distrurbing the peace, but nothing involving weapons or drugs. A parade is held in his honour each year (Monrush Social Fb).

Similarly, the lines “Lay him away on the hillside, along with the brave and the bold. Inscribe his name on the roll of fame, in letters of purest gold.” come from a song (‘Lay Him Away On The Hillside’) about James Daly of the Connaught Rangers. He was executed by a British Army firing squad in November, 1920, for leading a mutiny to protest the actions of the Tans and RIC (WP).

The memorial is in the street where Holdsworth lived: Milburn Close, Cookstown

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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An Uncompromised Republican

2026-08-312026-09-06Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This entry updates An Attitude Of Revolt from 2022, which showed the same four plaques as in the image below – to Tommy Roberts, Stevie Mellon, Veronica Taylor, Ruaırí (Roddy) Carlin – but a different board featuring Roberts and Mellon and an oak leaf with crossed rifles. In addition to the generic IRPWA board, the entire wall was been painted grey and a knotwork surround added, with the Saoradh (web) sunburst in the corners.

Westland Street, Derry

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Sydenham UVF

2026-06-222026-09-25Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

These UVF boards can be found in Inverary Street, Gardens, and Drive, in the Sydenham area of east Belfast. They mix a memorial with symbols of an active organisation: an emblem (of the YCV) and a hooded gunman above the slogan “armed and ready”.

The memorial presents photographic portraits of four UVF members – Robert “Squeak” Seymour (east Belfast commander, shot dead by the PIRA in 1988), Robert Bennett (killed by the British Army during a riot in 1973), and Joe Long and James Cordner (killed in a premature explosion in 1977). “At Ulster’s call, they gave their all, a different war, on a different day, a bloody sacrifice, was the price to pay.”

The same quartet are commemorated in a mural (and a plaque) in Ballymacarrett.

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Republican Clady

2026-03-082026-03-16Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“We salute all those who have fought, died and assisted in the fight for Irish freedom. Ar dheıs Dé go raıbh a n-anamacha. West Tyrone remembers.”

Above is a recent (2025-06) mural painted in Clady of IRA volunteers c. 1971 defending the bridge a stone’s throw outside the town, to prevent it from being blown up by the British Army. A history of the bridge, and the photograph which the mural reproduces, can be found at The Pensive Quill. The work of painting the mural and refreshing the window-boards of the building has been undertaken by the Joseph Plunkett 1916 Society Clady/Grebe (Fb).

The two monuments, to volunteers generally and Neal Lafferty (d. 1975) specifically (Fb), stand together at the junction with Cluney Gardens. There is also a memorial to James McPhelimy (d. 1988) on the other side of Urney Road, and one to Jim McGann (d. 1973) on the bridge.

Urney Road, Clady

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Cuımhníonn An Srath Bán Orthu

2026-03-082026-03-28Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Ceannasaíacht [sic Ceannasaíocht] Iarthar Thír Eoghaın – Cuımhníonn an Srath Bán ortha [sic orthu]. [West Tyrone leadership – Strabane remembers them]”. This large tarp replaces another one that used similar language – Cuımhníonn An Srath Bán Orthu Go Deo – but where that tarp remembered the dead of 1916, this one commemorates Sands and Guevara (who are also painted together just to the viewer’s right on a yard wall – see Revolutionaries) and the hooded gunmen of the Troubles-era armed struggle.

Fountain Street, Strabane

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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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The Erosion Of Our Identity

2026-01-252026-10-28Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“The prevention of the erosion of our identity is now our priority.” This entry updates the 2023 entry Westwinds UVF to show the defacement of the UVF board on the fencing opposite the entrance to the Westwinds estate. It is not clear with the lettering “G4” refers to – please get in touch if you can shed any light.

For the unmolested board, see Westwinds UVF.

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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Our Souls Cry Out

2026-01-092026-10-28Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This entry updates 2023’s 800 Years Of Irish Resistance, showing images of the republican memorial garden in Drumarg, Armagh. The main change is the removal of Cú Chulaınn (Visual History) and the elevation of the James Connolly board into its place: “If you strike at, imprison, or kill us, out of our prisons or graves we will still evoke a spirit that will thwart you, and, mayhap, [here “perhaps”] raise a force that will destroy you. We defy you[, England]! Do your worst!” – James Connolly, Courtsmartial And Revolution, 1914.

There is also a new board in the ‘Women In Struggle’ gallery, next to a portrait of Maıréad Farrell and a “Republican Women’s Roll Of Honour”. It shows Colman Doyle’s famous ?1974? image (NLI | Treason Felony) of a female volunteer with assault rifle accompanied by the words, “This is not a man’s war but a people’s war, and very, very much suffering has been borne by the women, be they mothers, wives, political activists, or volunteers, and the men ought to remember that without the sacrifice of women there would be no struggle at all.” The words seem to come from a 1982 poster (CAIN) part of which was turned into a mural in Ballymurphy.

There is also a small plaque below the Connolly board to local woman Dympna McCague, who died in 2019 (Fb).

Ulster’s Chosen Few

2025-12-292026-01-12Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This entry updates the images seen at the end of 2022 (in Loyalist Movilla). The UDA board with hooded gunmen (above) remains as before but the tarp below it is new (though perhaps relocated from the Glen estate). The other two tarps are also new: “Newtownards supports British Armed Forces – They served us all” with the emblems of the Paratroop Regiment, the SAS, the RIR and the UDR, and, “North Down First Flute [Fb], LOL 111 Newtownards – Ulster’s chosen few”.

George’s Street, Movilla, Newtownards

The British Were Met With Their Own Weapons

2025-12-142025-12-22Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“[They said I was ruthless, daring, savage, blood thirsty, even heartless. The clergy called me and my comrades murderers; but] The British were met with their own weapons. They had gone down into the mire to destroy us and our nation and down after them we had to go. – Tom Barry, IRA volunteer.”

Tom Barry served in the British Army as a teenager and saw action in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The military training served him well when he joined the IRA and soon became commander of the West Cork brigade’s flying column. The quotation above offer a justification for the guerrilla tactics which helped drive the British to the negotiating table. In the Civil War, Barry was on the anti-Treaty side. (WP)

“In proud and loving memory of all those who contributed to the struggle for Irish freedom. Léana An Dúın. Beıdh sıad ınár gcuımhne choíche.”

The red board below is an old (2019) IRSP board, reading, “Join the IRSP. No to state harassment, to drug dealing, to loan sharks, to benefit cuts, to bedroom tax, to work schemes, to British rule. Yes to safer communities, to proper housing, to quality jobs, to freedom in Ireland, to republican socialism!, to a fair economy, to community empowerment. Join with us in promoting a new and fair Ireland and in building the campaign for a border poll. www.irsp.ie“

Horn Drive, Lenadoon, west Belfast