Radiate Positivity

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Armagh won the All-Ireland Senior football championship in 2024, with a squad that included three players from Crossmaglen: Oısín O’Neill, Cıan McConville, and Rían O’Neill.

In the bottom-left corner, players from Crossmaglen Rangers turn to face the Irish tricolour, flanked by the club flag and the flag of Palestine – the flags fly below the watchtower of a British Army barracks (perhaps based on an image from the 2005 Armagh final – Irish Times).

On the right is an umbrella in pride colours, below which people can pose and take pictures: “Snap & tag us”.

This is a revised version of the mural, which originally bore the Ernesto Cardenal quote, “They tried to bury you/us but they didn’t know you/we were seeds” (ig).

On the side of KIS pizza- and coffee-shop, The Square, Crossmaglen. “The community wall” @kis_pizza_coffee @careforcaolan” [Caolan Finnegan, who died in August, 2024] @Nıamh_Ní_Dhalaıgh_Art July 2024″

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Our Time Ran Out

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“Vol. Brendan Burns, Vol. Brendan Moley, 29 February 1988.” Burns and Moley died “on active service”, meaning the premature explosion of a bomb they were loading into a van (RTÉ video | Sutton | RN). There is a plaque at the spot at which the pair was killed, on the nearby Donaldson’s Road – see M08795. Burns was wanted in connection with the Narrow Water ambush of 1979 (UPI).

“You were being oppressed by the political and military might of the foreign invader. We tried to protect you, we gave you the best that we could, but our time ran out, before the battle was won. Now it’s time for you to give the best you can. Stand together with your comrades we sadly left behind. Be proud to carry on the struggle for the freedom of our land.”

Newry Road, outside Creggan, Co Armagh

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Don’t Buy Into Genocide

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“Don’t buy into genocide – boycott these companies funding the genocide in Palestine: McDonald’s, Starbucks Coffee, Barclays, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Teva. Saoırse don Phalaıstín.”

There was a march in Belfast (in early September) which went to the offices or stores of some of these businesses (Independent) because they fund or support the Israeli military – the links above outline the connections. There are also campaigns from various groups (here is IPSC’s) to boycott consumer goods from Israeli producers.

This board is in Sugar Island, Newry.

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Ulster’s Brave Young Men

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The background to the Avenue Road “Memorial to the 36th (Ulster) Division and to other men of Ulster who served in the Great War 1914 – 1918” has been repainted in the purple and orange of the UVF and the wall simplified by the removal of two smaller boards to each side of the main board (above) which shows soldiers looking out over the edge of a WWI trench. (For the the previous boards, see the Peter Moloney Collection.)

The seat is dedicated to “Jack”, an 11-year-old member of the Avenue Road Memorial flute band who died in 2019 (News Letter), with boxing gloves and emblem of the NI soccer association. 2 Timothy 4:7 says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Avenue Road, Lurgan

The final image is of a board in nearby King’s Park Mews to a soldier who died on “the homefront” – Dublin during the 1916 Rising – Second Lieutenant James Howard Calvert of the 6th Royal Irish Rifles. Calvert lived at 41 Avenue Road, Lurgan.

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Mythical Andersonstown

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Here are five mythological figures placed against a backdrop of Celtic Ireland, including standing stones, a dolmen, a stone circle, and the Janus figure on Boa Island (WP), from the wall of the PD/Cumann Sóısıalta Bhaıle Andarsan.

At least four of the five are copies of Jim Fitzpatrick paintings. From top to bottom (right to left on the wall) we see the figures from Breas ⁊ Cú Brea (which was long ago a mural in Derry), Medb Of Connacht, Nuada Journeys To The Underworld (seen in Nuada, Nuada Reborn, and elsewhere), a warrior-woman with spear (get in touch if you know the source), and The Coming Of Lugh (previously a mural in Ardoyne).

See also the Visual History page on The Influence Of Jim Fitzpatrick.

South Link, Andersonstown, west Belfast

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At The Graveside Of Cú Chulaınn We’ll Kneel Around And Pray

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Oliver Sheppard’s statue of Cú Chulaınn dying – see the Cú Chulaınn Visual History page – memorialises nine IRA volunteers from the Lenadoon area, whose names are listed on the scrolls to each side and whose portraits appear in the apex: Tony Henderson, John Finucane, Brendan O’Callaghan, Joe McDonnell, Laura Crawford, Maıréad Farrell, Patricia Black, Bridie Quinn. Below the statue are the shields of the four provinces and the words “Léana An Dúın – unbowed, unbroken” and “saoırse” [freedom].

The mural dates back to 1996 (see T00160) and was repainted in 2009 (see M05134) and c. 2014 (see M11028, which includes a close-up of the plaque added in 2009.) In this version, nothing has changed in the composition of the mural and the photographic portraits and the Easter Rising centenary board have been retained.

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St James’s Community Farm

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St James’s Community Farm/Feırm Phobaıl Naomh Séamus (web | Fb) started in 2015 with a dozen hens; it is now home to 38 animals, produces vegetables and eggs, and collects cans for recycling.

Belfast Media recently profiled the farm (in print) and is producing a series of short videos about the farm: one | two | three (on youtube).

Rodney Parade, St James’s, west Belfast, replacing the Garden Of Hope mural, and next to St James’s Youth.

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