printed board/placard – Page 22 – Paddy Duffy Collection

The “Crisis” Is Capitalism

2024-08-042024-11-09Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here is a gallery of boards and flyers from on and around the green-spaces adjacent to Free Derry Corner.

“The “crisis” is capitalism – this is a war on the working class. Don’t fall for their lies. Fight back, join RSYM [Fb]”

“Evict greedy landlords, not struggling families. Rates of housing benefit for private renters in Derry and Strabane … landlords should not be charging working class families more than these rates. Don’t let them rob you! Drop The Rents North West [Fb]” (on top of Cosaın Ár Neodracht)

“Remember our hunger strike martyrs – IRSP [web]”, “Stand up! Fight back! Join Éıstıgí [web]”, “Sovereignty, not Stormont www.32csm.org“, “Remember the ten” [hunger strikers]

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Our Fenian Dead

2024-08-042024-11-15Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

In this extension to the Shantallow memorial garden for the IRA’s Derry Brigade the seven signatories of the 1916 Proclamation, all of whom were executed following the Rising, are placed alongside nine Derry Brigade volunteers who died between 1972 and 1986.

Numbering the panels from left to right from 1 to 16, the seven are: (1) Pádraıg Pearse, (5) Thomas McDonagh, (7) Thomas Clarke, (9) Joseph Plunkett, (11) Éamonn Ceannt, (13) James Connolly, (15) Sean Mac Dıarmada. And the nine are (2) Junior McDaid d. 1972, (3) Gerard Craig d. 1974, (4) David Russell d. 1974, (6) Michael Meenan d. 1974, (8) Jim Gallagher d. 1976, (10) Dennis Heaney d. 1978, (12) Bronco Bradley d. 1982, (14) Neil McMonagle d. 1983, (16) Tony Gough d. 1986.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Operation Motorman

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

Operation Motorman, the British Army’s retaking of ‘Free Derry’, took place on July 31st, 1972. This is a repainting; for the previous version, see T02079, and for the 2001 original, see M01426.

(Part of The People’s Gallery by the Bogside Artists.)

The plaque is to Patrick Shiels (see M03583).

For the ICA-INLA board, see T04237.

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Saoırse Go Deo

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

The 1918 ‘Representation Of The People’ act gave 8.4 million women in the United Kingdom the right to vote (WP). (For the two women on the left holding the ‘Votes For Women’ sign, see Women’s Hall And Cost-Price Restaurant.) In that same year, Countess Constance Markievicz was the first woman elected to Westminster and became Sınn Féın Minister For Labour in the first Dáıl Éıreann that was established as an alternative. Ten years earlier, she had co-founded Na Fıanna Éıreann with Bulmer Hobson. The names of Derry fianna are listed on the right. “Fuaır sıad bás ar son saoırse na hÉıreann.” (This board replaces the former Fianna mural that celebrated the centenary in 2009.)

To the left (above) is a “Join RSYM” stencil with the names of the ten deceased 1981 hunger strikers; to the right is a picture of the memorial across the street to the dead of the 3rd battalion of the Doıre Brigade Óglaıgh na hÉıreann.

“But while Ireland is not free I remain a rebel, unconverted and unconvertible. There is no word strong enough for it. I am pledged as a rebel to the one thing – a free and independent republic.”

“Ach a fhad is nach bhfuıl Éıre saor, seasfaıdh mé an fód mar cheannaırceach, gan géılleadh, gan athrú. Níl focal dá bhfuıl atá chumhachtach go leor. Tá gealltanas tugtha agam mar cheannaırceach, cuspóır amháın a chur ı gcrích – poblacht shaor agus neamhspleach.”

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Quoth The Raven, “Evermore”

2024-07-252024-08-01Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

A new board was unveiled on July 1st 2024, by the 1st Raven Somme Society and The Loyal (Fb) at the Raven social club (Fb), putting together the Ulster Tower (see e.g. A Thought Is Not A Lot), JP Beadle’s painting of the 36th going ‘over the top’ (see The Trenches Have Vanished Under The Ploughs) and Wilfrid Spender’s famous quote about the first day of the Battle Of The Somme (see I Would Rather Be An Ulsterman).

This board takes the place of the King Charles board (seen previously in Long Live The King), which has been moved to the other side of Castlereagh Street and joined by the board that it replaced, to Queen Elizabeth (both on top of some old (2012) panels depicting east Belfast of yesteryear – see Shipyard Workers).

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Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
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Row On Row

2024-07-182026-05-30Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This images in this entry depict, above and below the information board about the park, the World Wars installation inside the park and the banners on the fence along Derrycoole Way.

There is an annual commemoration of the fallen in the World Wars in Rathcoole each year. The monument consisting of mourning soldiers and sandbags) was created in 2020 (Fb group | News Letter) and the bench was perhaps added in 2022. Images from the 2023 ‘row on row’ commemoration can be seen at NI World. The Row On Row group (web) hope to create a permanent memorial on the spot.

Rathcoole People’s Park was renamed the Sir James Craig Play Park by Antrim & Newtownabbey council in September, 2021, as part of the council’s celebrations of the centenary of Northern Ireland (NI World).

The banners on the side are from the Rathcoole Protestant Boys flute band (Fb) whose annual parade was at the end of June, and the Whitehouse Williamite Historical Society (Fb) whose fun-day on June 15th included a historical re-enactment of William’s army landing at Whitehouse. (For more on William’s connection to Whitehouse, see June 14th, 1690.)

Never Forget, Always Remember

2024-07-032024-08-27Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The grenade at the heart of the ‘Grenadier’ emblem is an old spherical grenade, with a spout of fire; the classic “pin-and-pineapple” design dates to 1915 (WP Mills Bomb). Various regiments then put a symbol on the surface of the grenade (see e.g. East Belfast Volunteers); here, the Ulster Grenadiers flute band (Fb) have added Carrickfergus castle flying a Union Flag to the grenade at the centre of a new board erected on June 7th, 2024 (youtube video of the launch).

The battles listed on either side of the central emblem are battles in which the 36th Division took part, though by that time, grenadiers were not a specialised unit and each infantry platoon (of about 60 men – Schilling) would have both hand-grenade and rifle-grenade sections (Reddit) equipped with 100+ grenades (The World War).

For the 3rd battalion of the Ulster Volunteers, see The Central Antrim Regiment.

St Bride’s Street, Carrickfergus, next to and dwarfing the community mural seen in Meditate – Don’t Medicate.