New Lodge native Joe Doherty was part of the “M60” IRA unit (referenced in Beware Of The M.60 and Notes) that was arrested after a shoot-out on the Antrim Road in 1980. He then escaped from Crumlin Road jail in 1981 and fled to the United States, where he was arrested in 1983. There then followed a protracted and very public campaign to avoid extradition and deportation to either the Republic or Northern Ireland.
At the time this mural was painted, the Attorney General Edwin Meese had decided to deport Doherty but the decision was under review by his successor. (Eventually, the US Supreme Court would rule that Doherty could be deported in February, 1992.) The writing out of shot to the right reads, “Would the US Att. General Edwin Meese have deported George Washington? Don’t hand over Joe Doherty to British warlords! – New Lodge Republican Youth”
A smiling Bobby Sands on the side of the Sınn Féın offices on the Falls Road, (also the west Belfast office of An Phoblacht/Republican News), with his famous statement that “Everyone, republican or otherwise, has his [here: “his/her”] own [particular] part to play” (and the lark with its “spirit of freedom“). This version was painted by Mo Chara Kelly in 1989, and an image of Sands has been on the wall continuously since then.
Manacles “Made in Britain” constrain the republican desire for a united Ireland, contrary to the burning GPO and rising phoenix.
“Numerous foreign groups and delegations visited Ballymurphy and west Belfast during the troubles. I remember one meeting I was at in Conway Mill, I picked up a pamphlet with a drawing of a manacled fist. The caption read “Made in the USA.” So I just took the image and changed the slogan to “Made in Britain”.” (Painting My Community/An Pobal A Phéınteáıl – English-language version available for free)
The plaque – which pre-dates this mural – is to local (A Company 2nd Battalion) IRA volunteers Stan Carberry, Frankie Dodds, Paul Fox, Sean Bailey, Paul Marlowe, and Tony Campbell. “Fuaır sıad bás ar son na hÉıreann”, “Ireland unfree will never be at peace”. (See the Peter Moloney Collection.)
Painted by Mo Chara Kelly in Beechmount Avenue/RPG Avenue.
Chief sitting Bull with his back to the flag of the United States, with a lark (for the Irish struggle) and an eagle (for the Native American) and a border of the colours of humankind.
Painted by Mo Chara Kelly with Jan Attridge on the wall of the (then) Ballymurphy Community Centre just off the Whiterock Road, west Belfast.
A cartoon by ‘Cormac‘ (Brian Moore) is turned into a mural on Belfast’s Whiterock Road by Mo Chara Kelly. The mural satirizes the ad included below, which urges people to call the confidential telephone to report terrorist activity. Instead, the protagonist can no longer ignore the violence of the British Army (and RUC) and calls the Sınn Féın office.
1 When the Brits were having a go … “Who cares?” I thought. 2 And when something really rough happened I just trained harder to forget it … [Speech-bubble:] Anything for a quiet life, see. 3 But where’s it got me? What have these brave lads in khaki done for me? [British Army soldier:] We’re not here to do things for you; we’re here to do things to you. 4 [RUC commander:] Hey, don’t forget us. We’ve done our share of wrecking homes, harassing people. We’ve murdered and tortured and … 5 And when I saw their kind of justice I thought “There’s got to be something better than this.” [Judge:] You may think I’m a corrupt Orange bigot. But I know that I’m a very well-paid corrupt Orange bigot! And the only justice you’re going to get is British justice. 6 So I made up my mind. I wanted these thugs off our backs. [Thought-bubble:] Is it any wonder that the British tourist is the most despised person on earth? 7 You see I want a decent future, and it’s not going to happen while these “hero[e]s” are doing the dirty work of British imperialism. And it’s not going to happen if you’re waiting for someone else to do something. 8 622112. Hallo? Is that the Sınn Féın office?
An electoral portrait of Sınn Féın candidate Gerry Adams, against a background of green, white, and orange.
The mural was the first one (bar a children’s mural at a school) painted by Mo Chara Kelly (with Hector Heath). He recalls the moment as follows: “At that particular time [1987] the media were constantly, as is their role, demonising our community. The Catholic Church was in support of the SDLP because they wanted the voice of the so-called moderate nationalist to be heard and they too were constantly criticising and demonizing republicanism. … We were told constantly that republicanism had no support. That was rammed down your our throat constantly by the British and Irish media and press. One day I thought to myself — it just came to me out of the blue — “Get up, and start to paint. Be public about it!” So I painted a Gerry Adams mural for the election that was coming up.” (Painting My Community/An Pobal A Phéınteáıl – English-language version available for free.)
Adams successfully defended his Belfast West seat in the UK general election of 1987.
This pair of murals was painted by Mo Chara Kelly at the top of Springhill in 1987 after his release from prison. Both are inspired by the work of Jim Fitzpatrick. The central figure of the Rí Nuadha [King Nuada] mural above and immediately below comes from a painting of Fitzpatrick‘s called ‘Nuada Journeys To The Underworld’ while the background has a Fitzpatrick style and colour-scheme.
Of the myth of Nuada, Mo Chara said, “I had never heard the story of King Nuada before. Then I read the story. Wow! What a yarn! Nuada Of The Silver Arm is one of my favourite stories. As one of the Tuatha Dé Danann you had to be whole and physically perfect to hold the kingship. Nuada lost an arm in the first battle of Moy Tura and so he lost his kingship. He went into the other world, to middle earth, fought through trials and tribulations until Dıan Cécht made a silver arm for Nuada and he was restored to the kingship for another twenty years. But the moral of the story to me was that, no matter what happens, get up again and fight back. No matter how bad the situation you are in, you get back up and fight again. Do not let people isolate you. Get up and fight again. It was very inspiring!” (Painting My Community/An Pobal A Phéınteáıl – English-language version available for free.)
The Loch gCál/Loughgall mural likewise draws on Fitzpatrick for the landscape behind the Celtic cross and funeral guard in memory of the eight IRA volunteers from the East Tyrone brigade who were killed in an SAS ambush during an attack on an RUC base in May, 1987 (WP).
The names of the eight volunteers are given here in Irish and (partially) in the old script:
“I ndıl cuimh[n]e de [= ar] Óglach Pádraıg Ó Ceallaıġ [Patrick Kelly], Óglach Séamus Ó Donn[ġ]aıle [Seamus Donnelly], Óglach Deaglán Mac Aırt [Declan Arthurs], Óglach Séamus Laıghneach [Jim Lynagh], Óglach Gearóıd Ó Ceallacháın [Gerry O’Callaghan], Óglach Pádraıg Mac Cearnaıgh [Pádraıg McKearney], Óglach Antóın Ó Garmaıle [Ó Gormghaıle | Tony Gormley], Óglach Eoghan Ó Ceallaıġ [Eugene Kelly]
an ochtar óglach de óglaigh na hÉireann a dúnmharú ag Loch gCál ar an ochtú lá Bealtaine 1987.” [the eight volunteers from the Irish Volunteers [IRA] who were murdered at Loughgall on the eighth day of May, 1987]
The town (Loughgall) and the four provinces are also named in Irish. An Easter lily is at the centre of the Celtic cross in the middle of the image, above a lark in barbed wire and a gal gréıne/sunburst.
“UDA “A” batt. South Belfast. RSD [Roden Street Defenders (private Fb)] UFF”
This is the mural that greets travellers moving west along Donegall Road to the Village. The houses in Beit Street have been knocked down and their replacements, which face directly onto Roden Street, no longer reach all the way to Donegall Road, leaving this gable as a prime painting space.
The design for this mural comes from a poster sent by the Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini, which featured the head of Bobby Sands against a backdrop of skeletal bodies. The hunger-strike imagery is somewhat in contrast with the quote to the right, which advocates for armed resistance: “The Irish Republican Army is right: The British government does not listen to the ballot box in Ireland and the only thing they will listen to in Ireland is what they listened to in other colonies: agitation, rebellion, and armed forces”.
This Whiterock Road mural shows a blanketman/hunger-striker being watched over by a uniformed volunteer, on a large tricoloured bunting/drape at the feet of an angel holding a banner reading “blessed are those who hunger for justice“. Above are the words “Their hunger, their pain, our struggle“. The shields of the four provinces of Ireland and two shamrocks complete the mural.
Paddy Duffy Collection 