Michael Conlan won bronze in boxing at the 2012 Olympics. Boxing is organized on an all-island basis (WP), though at the Olympics boxers can choose to fight for either Ireland or GBNI. At London 2012, Ireland won four medals in boxing. The other winners were Paddy Barnes (bronze), Katie Taylor (gold) and John Joe Nevin (silver).
(P.S. The Nevins are travellers (WP) and Mr and Mrs Nevin could not find an establishment in Mullingar where they could watch the fight – they had to go out of town to a pub where they weren’t known. )
Here’s a picture of the mural in progress. (Replaces the Celtic mural.)
Violet Street, painted by Marty Lyons. Sponsored by the Beehive and McPeakes.
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Copyright © 2022 Paddy Duffy
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A Penal law of 1695 forbade the practice of Catholicism and “dissenter” forms of Protestantism –anything other than Anglicism, forcing people and priests to worship in secret. Although the precise date of the founding of the Ancient Order Of Hibernians is shrouded by the existence of various other Catholic fraternal and defensive organisations such as St Patrick’s Fraternal Society and the Ribbonmen – the AOH history page gives 1838 in Pennsylvania – the order traces its roots back to Penal times and in particular to the Defenders in 1784, which arose to protect Catholics from the (Protestant) Peep-O-Day Boys and in defiance of Penal laws forbidding Catholics to bear arms (WP). The Belfast division (58) of the AOH is in Clonard Street.
For Penal laws, see also An Raıbh Tú Ag An gCarraıg? in Glen Bawn | The Mass Rock in Ard Eoın | Penal Days/Laethanta Na Péındlíthe in Andersonstown.
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Copyright © 2022 Paddy Duffy
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“Welcome to West Belfast.” The sights of nationalist west Belfast are depicted in (part of) a new mural by Mickey Doherty and Marty Lyons on the side wall of the tourist office. From left to right: The (2015) Bobby Sands mural in Sevastopol Street, tourists being introduced to the IRA D Company memorial garden on the lower Falls by Peadar Whelan, Conway Mill, Divis tower, RISE at the bottom of Broadway (better known as the “Balls on the Falls”), the Falls library, the “international wall” in 2012 (with marchers in support of a nondescript international cause, crocodiles for the Irish language, and gay rights), St Peter’s pro-cathedral, a black taxi, the Connolly statue outside Comhaırle Phobaıl an bhFál, and the model for the new Casement Park stadium.
Below: Michael Conlan (tw | ig) won his first title and tenth professional bout on Saturday night (December 22nd), in Manchester, by defeating Englishman Jason Cunningham (BBC). He is featured here alongside the traditional Gaelic games of hurling, camogie, football, and handball.
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Copyright © 2022 Paddy Duffy
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A dead WWI soldier in the scorched Belgian countryside is comforted by an ethereal figure who will convey him to heaven: A soldier standing at heaven’s gate/To St. Peter he did tell/I’m here to enter heaven now/I’ve served my time in hell – a variation on James Donahue’s WWII Soldier’s Poem (WP). The poem was previously used of Republicans in a 1981 mural in Derry (see I Refuse To Change/M00151).
The Larches, Carrickfergus
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Copyright © 2012 Paddy Duffy
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The bravery of two Carrickfergus natives, which won each of them the VC, is recounted on the side-wall to a larger 14th Royal Irish Rifles (YCV) mural. Pte. James Crichton served with New Zealand infantry in France (in WWI) and Sgt. Daniel Cambridge served in Crimea.
The Larches, Carrickfergus
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Copyright © 2012 Paddy Duffy
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“The charge of the 36th (Ulster) Division at Thiepval, 1st July 1916. By the end of the battle, five thousand five hundred Ulstermen lay dead. ‘At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.’”
Inniscarn Drive, Rathcoole, Newtownabbey
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Copyright © 2011/2012 Paddy Duffy
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A mixture of modern and latter-day Ulster Volunteers: the names of WWI dead are listed on both sides, while six modern volunteers are portrayed above the central panel of soldiers in a trench. J1835 lists the men (in the previous version of the mural) as J. Shaw, T. Mawhinney, J. Cordner, C. Logan, S. McCrea, W. Millar.
Inniscarn Drive, Rathcoole, Newtownabbey
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Copyright © 2011/2012 Paddy Duffy
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Paintings of two WWI memorials are side-by-side across from the Bayardo bombing memorial.
Above: “Menin Gate, Ypres, Belgium.” “To the armies of the British empire who stood here from 1914 to 1918 and to those of the dead who have no grave.” “Pro patria, pro rege.” Almost 55,000 names are inscribed on the memorial.
Below: “Thiepval Memorial – to the missing of the Somme”. The names of over 72,000 dead are inscribed on the memorial (WP | travelfranceonline).
Aberdeen Street, Shankill, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2009/2010/2011/2012 Paddy Duffy
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