barbed wire – Page 3 – Paddy Duffy Collection

Remembering The Hunger Strikers

2022-11-062024-08-05Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The six weeks from July 8th to August 20th 1981 saw the death of six hunger strikers – McDonnell, Hurson, Lynch, Doherty, McElwee, and Devine – adding to the four who began in March and died in May. All ten, along with Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg from 1974 and 1976, are remembered in this recent board in Rockmore Road.

To the left is a 1916 centenary board “Ag fíorú na poblachta”/“Realising the republic” – also seen in South Link and in Rockmount Street.

On the far left is a board from Republican Network For Unity (RNU)’s Cogús committee in support of “Attempted criminalisation of republican prisoners is alive and well”, “Republican prisoner welfare and support”: “End controlled movement, forced strip searches. now.”

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Copyright © 2022 Paddy Duffy
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End The Maghaberry Strip Searches

2011-01-112026-07-31Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

RNU mural using the “H” for H-Blocks, along with the barbed wire symbol for POWs, to protest contemporary treatment of republican prisoners in Maghaberry.

Northumberland Street, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2011 Paddy Duffy
T00584

Andersonstown Barracks

2011-01-012026-07-30Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The RUC barracks at the junction of the Falls Road and Glen Road was demolished in 2005. Since then, it has become a small park and since 2008 the back wall has been full of republican messages and imagery. The metal-work commemorating the hunger strikers pre-dates the painted and printed works, dating back to 2006.

(There is a complete Visual History at Extramural Activity.)

Also included (last) is a mobile board, parked on the Glen Road side, commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of the second hunger strike (“Stailc Ocrais Tríocha Bliain”), in which ten IRA and INLA prisoners died.

Falls Road/Glen Rd, Andersonstown, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2011 Paddy Duffy
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The International Wall 2008

2008-01-012025-11-26Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is a complete set of images of the International Wall (Visual History) some time in the first half of 2008 (the Nugent mural and the WBTA mural had been changed by July). From left to right:

“The first blanketman” Kieran ‘Header’ Nugent
Solidarity with Palestine “the largest concentration camp in the world!!! 33 million innocent people tortured, denied their freedom!
Maghaberry POWs “Not forgotten – segregation for Irish POWs”
Frederick Douglass
Guernica
The Manchester Martyrs
American’s Greatest Failure, with a “British support hook”
Taxi Trax, with a central image of the GPO, and with an internet address for the first time
Martin Meehan “A leader is gone, the legend forever lives on” + Askatasuna “not Spain, not France – self-determination for the Basque country”
Stop Plan Bush “Stop the crazy son of a Bush”
Liam MacCarthy “Ireland’s forgotten son”

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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
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Hunger Strikers Memorial

2007-01-012026-10-22Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The hunger strikers memorial in Rossville Street, Derry, was launched in 2000. Compared to the entries from 2001 and 2004, this version has a new centre-piece – the metal lark has been replaced by a combination lark and hand cast in stone.

The central “H” carries the names of the ten deceased 1981 strikers, while the stones to either side carry the names of other republicans to have died on hunger strike: Thomas Ashe 1917, Michael Fitzgerald 1920, Joseph Murphy 1920, Terence MacSwiney 1920, Joseph Whitty 1923, Denis Barry 1923, Andrew Sullivan 1923, Tony D’Aroy 1940, Jack McNeela 1940, Sean McCaughey 1946, Michael Gaughan 1974, Frank Stagg 1976.

In the background of the image below are (left) Free Derry Corner and (centre-right) The Petrol Bomber.

Rossville Street, Derry

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Copyright © 2007 Paddy Duffy
T00378 T00411

Remember The Ten

1998-01-012026-10-28Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Remember the ten H-Block martyrs. 1981-1998. Unbowed – unbroken.” With a pair of fists in barbed wire, a funeral volley fired over a coffin covered with Tricolour and beret, and a line-drawing of Bobby Sands. Signed “Republican Youth”

Berwick Road/Paráıd An Ardghleanna, Ardoyne,Ard Eoın, north Belfast/tuaısceart Bhéal Feırste

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Copyright © 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00289

Free The POWs

1997-12-312025-10-20Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

A collage of image from the previous 30 years, including banging bin-lids on the ground, Maıréad Farrell in Armagh prison, men on the blanket, the cages of Long Kesh, marches in support of the hunger strikers, and reproductions of various posters, against Margaret Thatcher, plastic bullets, internment, and censorship. There’s a quote from Bob Dylan in the middle, “How many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn’t see – the answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind.”

Ludlow Square, New Lodge, north Belfast

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Copyright © 1997 or 1998 Paddy Duffy
T00292 [T00310]

“Dhá Chıne, Aon Choımhlint – Bi Herri, Borroka Bat

1997-04-012025-10-19Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is a long mural expressing solidarity between Ireland and the Basque Country on the wall of JB Kennedy’s bakery in Beechmount Grove. The bakery would close in 1998 (Belfast Live).

There are various slogans in Basque and in Irish. From top to bottom (left to right):

“Dhá chıne, aon choımhlint – Bi herri, borroka bat. Askatasuna – Saoırse”

“Emakumeen askatasunik gabe, ez daga herri askatasunik – Gan saoırse de mná, níl aon saoırse den tír.”

“[unknown Basque poem/song about overthrowing the capitalists]”

“Hemen euskaraz ez dakienak berak jakingo du zergatik ez dakien. Baina hemen euskaraz ez dakienak ez digu uzten euskaraz egiten. Baina eta hemen euskaraz jakin arren euskaraz mintzatzen ez denak ere ez digu uzten euskaraz egiten”

“Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam”

“Sabotaia, errebeldia, desobeintzia, matxinada”

“Mol an óıge agus tıocfaıdh sí”

“Oure lurra defenda dezagun”

“Ní mhaırfidh an duıne, ach maırfıdh an domhaın má bhe[ı]r an duıne aıre dó”

“Bietan jarrai” – the slogan of ETA

and, out of shot to the right, in English, “No repression”.

Tom Williams

1996-08-012025-09-24Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Volunteer Tom Williams, executed 2.9.42 age 19. A lad who still lied within a prison wall.” Williams was the leader of a unit from C company, 2nd battalion, Belfast IRA, that killed RUC Constable Patrick Murphy. Williams took sole responsibility, hoping that it would save the lives of the other seven (including two women) who had taken part in the ambush. The six men were jointly convicted of the killing but only Williams was ultimately hanged, after appeals from Ireland (not yet officially ‘The Republic Of’), the Vatican, and the US State Department (RN). He was buried on the grounds of Crumlin Road gaol (and his coffin would eventually be exhumed and reburied in Milltown in 2000).

This is the second Tom Williams mural at this spot; the first was painted in 1992; both were painted by Gerard “Mo Chara” Kelly. There is a plaque to Williams above his front door in Bombay Street.

Kashmir Road, west Belfast

Alosa/Fuıseog

1994-01-012025-09-17Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Lark” in Catalan is “alosa” and in Irish “fuıseog”. This appears to be the earliest Catalan mural in the extant collections and it appears from the sponsorship in the lower corner – “Catalan comite [committee] in support of Ireland” – to be an expression of Catalonian solidarity with Ireland, rather than the other way around.