In Táın Bó Cúaılnge, the “sweet-mouth harpers of Caın Bıle” are also “druids, men of great cunning and great power of augury and magic.” They come to Medb and Aılıll to entertain them, carrying mistletoe by which they sing, but are mistaken as Ulster spies; the harpers turn themselves into deer to escape their pursuers, near the Lıa Mór (Great Stone) (Death Of Lethan).
The source for the image is unknown.
Springhill Avenue, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1997 Paddy Duffy
T00297
“Saoırse” [freedom]. Both male and female prisoners of war are represented in this mural: by the male and female faces — the male above the silhouette of Long Kesh, the female behind bars (presumably of Armagh prison) – and by the (formerly astrological) symbols for male (Mars) and female (Venus). The mural is signed (top left): “G[erard Mo Chara] Kelly 95″.
Kinallen Court, Ormeau, south Belfast
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Copyright © 1996 Paddy Duffy
T00195
Some of the programme from the 1996 festival is available in the ‘Extraordinary Women’ collection at the Linenhall Library. 1996 was also the first year of Féıle FM (“Triple FM”) (The Can).
Painted by Margaret McCann in Hawthorn Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1996 Paddy Duffy
T00194
This is an in-progress image of a mural sponsored by and for the Upper Springfield Development Trust (web | until 1993 the Upper Springfield Development Forum) focusing on young people: “Mol an óıge agus tıocfaıdh sí.” (Praise youth/the young and it will flourish.”/”Youth responds to praise.”)
For a finished version, see the Peter Moloney Collection.
Signed by “Mo Chara” (Gerard “Mo Chara” Kelly) and “Spud” in the bottom right corner.
Whiterock Road, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1996 Paddy Duffy
T00188
Catholic (and Presbyterian) education was prohibited by the penal laws (WP) and particularly the Education Act of 1695 (WP) – this is probably what’s on the notice on the left-hand tree. Schooling by Catholics (in Irish) nonetheless took place, in covert houses and outhouses, as well as in fields and hedge-rows. The Act was repealed in 1782, provided the teacher took an oath of allegiance to the Crown.
See also: The Mass Rock.
Ardoyne Avenue, north Belfast
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Copyright © 1996 Paddy Duffy
T00185
The immediate reason for this mural depicting traveller life is unknown. In 2006 (ten years after this mural) there were about 24,000 travellers living on the island of Ireland (WP | 1995 Report on travellers in Ireland (archive.org) | a good summary of the 2011 and 2016 numbers (CSO pdf).) About 2,000 were living in Northern Ireland, some at a site on the Glen Road (RTÉ has video from the site in 1987) close to this mural in Rossnareen.
Replaces the Alosa/Fuıseog mural.
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Copyright © 1996 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T00183
This is one of about nine murals painted in 1995 for the 150th anniversary mural of An Gorta Mór/the Great Hunger (Visual History).
There is a wall to the right that reads, “There was no famine; it was genocide.” (See the Peter Moloney Collection.)
The dove on the chimney and the green ribbon below are a nod to the other main movement during this period, the release of political prisoners as a leading goal of the peace process.
Signed “Roısín Byrne & Kathy Rooney”.
Falls Road at Fallswater Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1995 Paddy Duffy
T00182
Irish people climb on-board ship in order to escape the Great Hunger. The mural is based on The Embarkation, Waterloo Docks Liverpool in the Illustrated London News. This is one of about nine murals painted in 1995 on the Great Hunger (Visual History).
Oakman Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1995 Paddy Duffy
T00180
“Ardoyne Fleadh Cheoıl – meon an phobaıl a thógáıl tríd an chultúr” = “building community spirit through culture”.
“Eıre [Éire] (Éıru [Érıu]), a queen of the Tuatha Dé Danann, slain at the battle of Taıltean [Taılteann] (Telltown [Teltown], Co. Meath) 1698 BC.” Érıu is placed in a neolithic setting and is releasing a dove which flies off in a trail of stars. (In the repainted version, the date given is 698.)
Brompton Park, Ardoyne, Belfast
Here is the previous Ard Eoın Fleadh Cheoıl mural in this location.
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Copyright © 1995 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T00157 [T00162]
In Irish mythology, the children of Lear were turned into singing swans for 900 years by their step-mother Aoıfe. They are then restored to human form but, being 900 years old, die immediately.
“Lır” (in Irish) is the genitive of (the Irish) “Lear” and the story is often referred to in Irish as “Clann Lır“; neither “Lear” nor “Lır” is pronounced like the English “(King) Lear”.
Painted at “Cáısc [Easter] 1995” by “Síle-Na-Gıg”.
Rockville Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1995 Paddy Duffy
T00154 [T00166]
Paddy Duffy Collection 