plaque – Page 3 – Paddy Duffy Collection

The Present Conflict

2024-11-202024-12-11Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is a new UDA board in Monkstown, Newtownabbey. At the top we see the emblems of “Loyalist Prisoners’ Aid” and “Ulster Defence Union” alongside the familiar UYM and UFF emblems. For the UDU, see the entry on one its earliest appearances, in a 2009 mural in the lower Shankill. Loyalist Prisoners’ Aid is a fundraising album of UDA songs (now freely available at SoNIC). (Also seen: an LPA flag flying in Newtownards in 2018.)

The photograph at the bottom (close-up below) shows the UDA marching in 1972 in North Street, Belfast city centre. (Of the buildings on the left, only the brick building housing “Castle jewellers” remains standing – Street View.) The original photograph can be seen at Alamy.

“This memorial is dedicated to the memory of the officers and members of our organisation who were murdered by the enemies of Ulster and to those who paid the supreme sacrifice whilst on active service during the present conflict. Quis separabit.” Four of the 1st battalion dead are named in the mural across Devenish Drive – see Monkstown UDA.

Ards Park, Monkstown, Newtownabbey. For the previous mural in this spot, see Murals Irlande Du Nord.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
T05885 T05886 T05887

Donegall Road Memorial Garden

2024-10-022025-06-09Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This entry covers two steps in the development of the WWI memorial garden on Donegall Road at Barrington Gardens.

Previously, there were two boards on the gable wall (see The Road To The Somme), of the Covenant signing and soldiers in the trenches of WWI (a copy of a Carol Graham painting).

The images below (from November, 2023) show the latter board absent as the brick walls are being built and a roll of honour to locals who lost their lives being installed.

The images in the top half of the entry (from October 2024) show the gable and side-wall painted blue, with a large board showing the Ulster Memorial Tower in Thiepval, below a red hand, and (on the side-wall) the crests of the YCV, Inniskilling Fusiliers, Royal Irish Fusiliers, and the Royal Irish Rifles.

November, 2023:

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
T05693 T05694 T05695 T05696
Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
[T03752] T03753 T03754 [T03755] T03756

Brigadier Billy Wright

2024-09-132024-09-17Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“In memory of Brigadier Billy Wright (King Rat). ‘Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ – John Ch15v13. Gone but not forgotten.” Wright became alienated from the UVF due to his opposition to the ceasefire and peace process (in 1994) and was finally kicked out in 1996 during the Drumcree dispute. The Portadown UVF under Wright formed the LVF [Loyalist Volunteer Force]; another LVF unit was formed in Ballycraigy, where this memorial can be found. (BBC | WP) Silhouetted graveside mourners have been added, compared to the 2009 image in the Peter Moloney collection.

Craighill, Ballycraigy, Antrim.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
T05617

My Brother Is Not A Criminal

2024-08-132024-09-08Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

IRA volunteer Raymond McCreesh, originally from Camlough, died on May 21st, 1981, after 61 days on hunger strike. “In proud and loving memory of ten brave Irish soldiers who died on hunger strike in 1981 for their five just demands. I gcuımhne ar ıobaırt [íobaırt] cróga na staılceoırí ocraıs 1981 ní dheánfar [dhéanfar] dearmad orthu.”

This is a new version of a long-standing board to McCreesh in Taghnevan Drive, Lurgan. For the previous (painted) version (from 2009) see M05408.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
T05389

Portadown True Blues

2024-08-132024-09-18Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Two plaques have been added to the Portadown True Blues mural in Edgarstown, Portadown (as compared with the images from 2021). They read “In loving memory of Richard “Dickie” Craven. Fondly remembered by the Portadown True Blues F.B.” and “In loving memory of Mark “E.T.” Elliott. Fondly remembered by the Portadown True Blues F.B.” Craven died in at the end of July, 2021, (Fb) and Elliott also in 2021 (Fb).

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
T05417 T05416

Their Amazing Attack

2024-08-132025-06-22Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

On July 1st, 1916, the Battle of Albert began, the first of many battles in what is known collectively as the Battle of the Somme. Soldiers from the 36th (Ulster) Brigade went “over the top” at 7:28 a.m. By the end of the day, more than nineteen thousand British soldiers were dead, five thousand from the 36th.

Below the main panel, which shows combat at close quarters, are the words of Wilfrid Spender: “I am not an Ulsterman but yesterday, the 1st. July, as I followed their amazing attack, I felt that I would rather be an Ulsterman than anything else in the world … the Ulster Volunteer Force, from which the Division was made, has won a name that equals any in history.”

The side-wall and the Mid-Ulster Brigade roll-of-honour plaque concern the modern UVF: “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty“. (Compare to the side-wall in 2016 / 2021.)

Union Street, Edgarstown, Portadown

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
T05419 T05418 T05420

Brıogáıd Dhoıre

2024-08-042024-11-08Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The IRA Derry Brigade/Brıogáıd Dhoıre Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann memorial at the shops on Racecourse Road, Shantollow, Derry, includes quotes from Robert Emmet (not: Emmett) – “When my country takes her place among the nations of the Earth, then and not until then let my epitaph be written” – and the 1916 Proclamation – “We declare the right of the people of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies to be sovereign and indefeasible” – in both English and Irish.

Seven members of the Derry Brigade are listed on the central stone: Junior McDaid, Gerard Craig, David Russell, Michael Meenan, Jim Gallagher, Dennis Heaney, Bronco Bradley, Tony Gough, and (a new addition compared to 2003) Damien Doherty. “Fuaır sıad bás ar son muıntır na hÉıreann”.

“Nuaır a ghlacfaıdh mo thír dhúchaıs a háıt cheart ı measc náısıún uıle an domhaın, ansın, agus chan go dtí sın, déanaıgí feartlaoı s’agamsa a scríobh amach. – Roıbéard Eıméıd 1803” – “When my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then and not until then let my epitaph be written – Robert Emmett 1778-1803”

“Dearbhaıonn muıd gur cheart go mbeadh seılbh ag muıntır na hÉıreann ar thalamh na hÉıreann. Ba chóır ıad a bheıth ı gceannas ar thodhchaí na hÉıreann agus ar a dtarlóıdh dı amach anseo – Forógra na hÉıreann, An Cháısc 1916” – “We declare the right of the people of Ireland, to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies to be sovereign and indefeasible – The Proclamation, Easter 1916”

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
T05183 T05184 T05185 T05186 T05187 T05188

Conspicuous Gallantry

2024-08-032024-11-10Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Dedicated to the memory of the men and women who served with the UDR C.G.C (Conspicuous Gallantry Cross) under OPERATION BANNER during the Troubles. Lest we forget. Also in memory of local veteran Geoffrey Lindsay who passed away on the 12th November 2022.”

The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross is shown (in the close-up below) at the top of the board; it was awarded to the UDR retroactively in 2006 for its role in ‘Operation Banner’, i.e. the deployment of British Army troops to Northern Ireland – the regiment had been folded into the Royal Irish Regiment in 1992. The mural is specifically to the 5th (Co. Londonderry) battalion – here is a list of the 11 battalions (and bases).

There is also a UDR information board (and an Ulster Volunteers board) in the green-space in front of this mural – see Leckagh Remembers The Fallen.

The memorial mural to the 36th (Ulster) Division on the end wall has also been completed since last (2023) year – in-progress images for both murals from last August are included below. For the previous murals on these walls, see C07766.

Two other pieces are included, below: the UVF mural was seen last year in Pause, Reflect, Remember; the ‘Ignite the fire’ board appears to be new.

Leckagh Drive, Magherafelt

August 27th green-washing of previous mural:

August 27th in-progress image of mural immediately above:

Camlough Memorial Garden

2024-06-212024-11-24Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The memorial garden in Quarter Road, Camlough, commemorates deaths and events from 1916 to 1921:

“In memory of the Irish men and women who died in 1916 in conflicts both at home and abroad.”

“1917 marks the formation of the Camlough company of Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann (Irish Volunteers).”

“1917-2017 centenary of the Sınn Féın cumann, Camlough.”

“1918-2018 commemorating 100 years of women’s suffrage ‘For men and women equally the rights of citizenship; from men and women equally the duties of citizenship’. In memory of Hannah Sheehy-Skeffington – suffragist, nationalist, socialist.”

“December 1920, during the Tan War, the RIC barracks in Camlough was attacked by local volunteers of the Irish Republican Army.”

“In December 1920, in the aftermath of the attack on the RIC barracks in Camlough and the ambush at the Egyptian Arch, 10 family homes were burned to the ground by the Black And Tans.”

“In memory of Vol. Sean Doran and his sister Mary Ann Kearney, shot dead by the Black And Tans, 1921.”

Brigadier Billy Wright

2024-03-302024-11-11Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends – John Ch. 15 v13”

This memorial plaque is “in memory of [LVF] Brigadier Billy Wright (King Rat)”. Wright was killed in the Maze in December 1987 by members of the INLA (neither the INLA or LVF were on ceasefire).

Kilcoole Drive, Dungannon.