Irish people climb on-board ship in order to escape the Great Hunger. The mural is based on The Embarkation, Waterloo Docks Liverpool in the Illustrated London News. This is one of about nine murals painted in 1995 on the Great Hunger (Visual History).
Oakman Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1995 Paddy Duffy
T00180
“When the potato crop failed causing the great hunger, people watched in despair as shiploads of food were escorted away by British troops …”. This mural combines an image from Illustrated London News (Bridget O’Donnel And Children) with five bodies faces drowning in the sea.
This is one of about nine murals painted in 1995 on the Great Hunger (Visual History).
Shaw’s Road/Rossnareen, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1995 Paddy Duffy (no date given)
T00159
A tearful eye beholds both the Great Hunger, which claimed one million lives, and, within the eye itself, the wave of emigration which took more than a million others away from Ireland.
This is one of about nine murals painted in 1995 on the Great Hunger (Visual History). The number “150” appears on the chimney and would last until 2008 and beyond.
There are two side-walls out of frame to the right, going around a corner. The first gives a list of the artists in Irish (“[Dón]al Ó Dalaıḋ, [Cıa]rán [Mac] Taírnan [sic], Brían Ó Lúaın, […]rán Ó hÉır, […]áın Mac Pháıl, [perhaps one more]” (Donal Daly, Ciaran McKernan, Brian O’Loan, […] O’Hare, […] McFall. Daly, McKernan, and O’Loan would paint the History Is Written By The Winners mural in 1996) and the second reads “Dedicated to those who died in the Great Hunger” with a Celtic cross and some knotwork.
There is also a plaque to local man Kieran Doherty, reading “Vol. Kieran Doherty T.D. Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann. Age 25. Commenced his hunger strike on May 22 and tragically died on Sunday afternoon 2 Aug 1981. Kieran was elected T.D. by the people of Cavan And Monaghan in their support of the prisoners’ campaign for political status.” This plaque would be retained when this wall became a memorial mural to Doherty in 2001.
Slemish Way, Andersonstown, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1995 Paddy Duffy
T00156 [T00208]
King William III is flanked by foot soldiers from 1690 and 1990. A small painted sign to the right reads, “We the people of Sandy Row remember with pride the 300th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne. No surrender. Signed, UFF.”
The modern-day gunman on the right would later be replaced by another period soldier – see the Peter Moloney Collection.
Blythe Street, Sandy Row, south Belfast
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Copyright © 1990 Paddy Duffy
T00131 T00121
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”
(WP | Bowe 1990 pdf | Kelly 1992 pdf)
By Mo Chara Kelly on the New Lodge Road, north Belfast
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Copyright © 1990 Paddy Duffy
T00100
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.
Sevastopol Street, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1990 Paddy Duffy
T00089
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.
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Copyright © 1990 Paddy Duffy
T00097 T00098
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.
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Copyright © 1990 Paddy Duffy
T00092
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?
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Copyright © 1990 Paddy Duffy
T00091
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.
Westrock Drive, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1988 Paddy Duffy
T00078
Paddy Duffy Collection 