30 Years Of Slaughter

“30 years of indiscriminate slaughter by so-called non-sectarian Irish freedom fighters. No military targets! No economic targets! No legitimate targets! Where are our inquiries? Where is our truth? Where is our justice?”

The bombings listed are: “Fourstep Inn, bombed 29th Sept. 1971, 2 innocents killed”; “Bayardo Bar, bombed 13th August 1975, 5 innocents killed”; “Balmoral Showroom, bombed 11th December 1971, 2 adults and 2 babies killed”; “Mountainview Tavern, bombed 5th April 1975, 5 innocents killed”; “Frizzell’s Fish Shop, bombed 23rd October 1993, 9 innocents killed”.

There was previously a painted version of this mural in Bellevue Street.

Dundee Street, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
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1914-2004

“A UVF roadblock at Donaghadee, April 24/25th 1914, during gunrunning.”  The main landing was at Larne, but two small boats transported arms from the Clyde Valley in Larne to Donaghadee. Motor cars were used (for the first time in history) to distribute the rifles and ammunition across the north.

“Preparing to bear arms 1914 – Prepared to bear arms 2004.” The Ulster Volunteers/36th Division and the modern UVF are put in parallel.

The wide shot includes a UVF memorial plaque seen in the Peter Moloney Collection.

Spier’s Place, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
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Red Hand Commando

On the left: “It is not for glory or riches we fight but for our people” (from the Declaration Of Arbroath). On the right: “Lamh dearg abu” [= “Lámh dhearg abú”] [= “Red Hand to victory”], “Ulster to victory”.

With the insignia of the Red Hand Commando and a pair of bald-headed eagles.

This is a repaint of the mural seen in 1999.

Glenwood Street, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
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The Untold Story

“In August 1971 many Protestants fled their homes as the IRA launched a bitter sectarian attack on Protestant communities throughout Belfast. The loyal people of Liverpool held out the hand of friendship in our hour of need up to 2000 terrified women and children escaped from burning homes to live in the safety of Liverpool. That act of friendship by the people of Liverpool will never be forgotten. Liverpool – Belfast a bond never broken. No surrender ” With newspaper reports by the Belfast Telegraph and Liverpool Echo. Sponsored by the East Belfast Historical And Cultural Society.

Canada Street, east Belfast

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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
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The People’s Army

“The arming, the training, and the sacrifice of The People’s Army.” The arming of the Ulster Volunteers (top left) comes from the guns smuggled into Larne on the Clyde Valley. The training of the Ulster Volunteers shown (top right) is probably at Ballywalter. The sacrifice (bottom) is the 36th (Ulster) Division going over the top in James Beadle’s painting ‘Charge of the 36th (Ulster) Division, Somme, 1st July 1916’.

Inverary Drive, east Belfast

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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
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The New Lodge Six

“Time for the truth”. Two of the New Lodge Six (James Sloan, James McCann) were killed by the UDA outside a bar and four (Tony Campbell, Ambrose Hardy, Brendan Maguire, John Loughran) among the crowd that gathered by British Army snipers from their positions on top of the flats, using night-vision sights, February 3rd-4th, 1973.

Donore Court, New Lodge, north Belfast

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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
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RIC Murder Gang

One RIC member was killed and another wounded outside the Beehive Bar in a shoot-out with IRA men in September 1920. In reprisal, County Inspector Harrison and his men killed Vol. Ned Trodden, Vol. Sean Gaynor, and Sean McFadden (Rısteard Ó Murchú). The gang, under Detective Inspector Nixon, would go on to kill more Catholics in 1921 and in 1922 commit the McMahon killings and the Arnon Street killings, in each of which 6 people died.

Northumberland Street, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
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Belfast Dockers And Carters Strike 1907

“Not as Catholics or Protestants, not as nationalists or unionists, but as Belfast workers standing together.” For the 100th anniversary of the strike by dockers and carters in Belfast, this large board was painted by Fra Maher and Rısteard Ó Murchú. It was launched on August 11th without the title across the top (youtube).

Leaders Boyd and Larkin are portrayed in the middle. The second panel shows speakers (including Larkin) on a platform (O’Hare); the third shows an RIC guard of blackleg workers – about 70% of the force mutinied and the fifth panel shows dismissed RIC constable William Barrett being carried through Belfast; the sixth shows the Cameron Highlanders being stoned by picketers (History Ireland). Margaret Lennon and Charles McMullan, two Catholic victims of British soldiers, shot during protests, are portrayed in the bottom right.

Northumberland Street, Belfast

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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
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Gibraltar 3

The IRA’s Sean Savage, Maıréad Farrell, and Dan McCann were “Executed by the British SAS 6th March 1988.”

“Oh! Cold March winds that pierce the dark/You cry in aged tones/For souls of folk you’ve brought to God/But still you bear the moans//Oh! Weeping winds, this lonely night/My mother’s heart is sore/Oh! Lord of all, breathe freedom’s breath/That she may weep no more! – Bobby Sands Weeping Winds

For a close-up of the plaque, see the Peter Moloney Collection.

Hawthorn Street, west Belfast, replacing the painted board seen in 2001.

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Copyright © 2008 Paddy Duffy
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