In August, 1969, families, mostly Catholic, were driven out and their homes burned in Bombay Street (and surrounding streets), between the Falls and Shankill (RTÉ news report). The defenselessness of the community then is reflected in the urging for “No decommission” in the present. Fıan Gerard McAuley (aged 15) was shot in nearby Waterville Street.
Bombay Street, Clonard, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy
T00342
“4,000 years of Ulster-Scots history and heritage. Ulster & Scotland – shared language, shared literature, shared culture.” 400 years takes us back to the plantation; 4,000 years suggests an even deeper connection.
Ulster-Scots was included in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (pdf) under the principle of support for “linguistic diversity”. This mural celebrating Ulster-Scots and ties between Northern Ireland and Scotland dates to 1999, with the crests of St Andrew and St Patrick on the left, and an Ulster Banner and Scottish lion rampant on the right.
“Dinnae houl yer wheest, houl yer ain!” [Don’t hold your tongue, hold your own!]
See also the Visual History page about Ulster-Scots murals.
Templemore Street, east Belfast
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Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy
T00448 [T00449]
This is a complete version of Bobby Sands’s poem The Rhythm Of Time, along with the names and portraits of the ten deceased 1981 hunger strikers, and Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg, who died on hunger strike in England.
Rockdale Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy
T00340 [T00360]
“I ndıl chuımhne na gcımí poblachtanacha a fuaır bas ı ngéıbheann ı rıth na coımhlınte reatha seo.” A lark bursts through prison bars of Long Kesh, Portlaoise, and prisons in England, in which republicans have died from the 70s to 90s.
Beechmount Avenue, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T00339
“The struggle for political status.” The twentieth anniversary of the hunger-strikes in Long Kesh and Armagh Women’s prison, 1980-2000, is commemorated. Seven men in Long Kesh and three women in Armagh went on strike, for fifty-three days and nineteen days, respectively.
The lilies are held over from the previous year – see The Final Salute.
Beechmount Avenue, west Belfast
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Copyright © 2000 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T00338
“The two face of British imperialism: In Belgrade we bomb because they would not sign the Peace Agreement … In Belfast we merely try to re-write the Peace Agreement”.
Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair gave a statement on Britain’s participation in the NATO bombing of Serb targets in Yugoslavia after Slobodan Milosevic rejected an agreement with the Kosovo Albanians – this, Blair said, was only the latest in a series of bad-faith actions on Milosevic’s part; the targets included Milosevic’s house, the Socialist party’s headquarters, and a TV station (BBC | Guardian).
In Northern Ireland, the implementation of the Belfast (“Good Friday”) Agreement is going slowly, and Unionist expressions of buyer’s remorse and insistence on decommissioning of arms as a precondition for talks (Guardian) suggested to republicans that they would like to re-write some of the Agreement’s provisions. Rather than ordering up bombs, Blair gave a speech in June that insisted that “Unionism must share power with the Nationalist and Republican community. … Many Republicans do not believe that Unionism will share power with them. Unionists must prove them wrong” (CAIN). The IRA were not impressed (July statement at CAIN | Guardian defense of Blair).
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Copyright © 1999 Paddy Duffy
T00346
“We demand the truth! International investigation into the death of Pat Finucane and Rosemary Nelson.” Finucane and Nelson were both solicitors with nationalist and republican clients. Finucane was shot by the UDA in front of his wife and three children in 1989; RUC collusion was immediately suspected (and the weapon came from a UDR armoury) (WP). Nelson was killed by an LVF (“Red Hand Defenders”) car-bomb in March, 1999 (WP); the report of the eventual inquiry into her death can be found at CAIN. The allegation in the illustration here is that when the mask of loyalist “murder gangs” is lowered, the Orange Order and RUC are found behind it. “Disband the RUC”
Ardoyne Avenue, north Belfast
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Copyright © 1999 Paddy Duffy
T00365
Londoner Stephen Lawrence was murdered by stabbing in 1993 and, although arrests were made, no charges were brought. A 1998 public inquiry found that the London Metropolitan Police Service was “institutionally racist”. (In 2012, two of the original suspects would be found guilty of the murder (WP).)
Catholic Robert Hamill was beaten to death by loyalists in Portadown in 1997 while police in an RUC land-rover looked on (WP).
Brompton Park, Ardoyne, north Belfast
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Copyright © 1999 Paddy Duffy
T00347c
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere …” “If colour, religion or political opinions do make us different, misery, oppression, unemployment and exploitation make us the same – Martin Luther King” The first quote comes from Martin Luther King’s Letter From A Birmingham Jail; the source of the quote is unknown.
Hillman Street, New Lodge, north Belfast
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Copyright © 1999 Paddy Duffy
[T00327] T00363cr
“I ndıl chuımhne – this plaque is dedicated to all those from the greater Newington area who lost their lives as a result of the conflict in this country.” Pikemen from the 1798 uprising stand on either side of a phoenix, with portraits above of Wolfe Tone, James Connolly, Henry Joy McCracken, and Mary Ann McCracken.
Newington Avenue, north Belfast
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Copyright © 1999 Paddy Duffy
T00354c
Paddy Duffy Collection 