In Táın Bó Cúaılnge, the “sweet-mouth harpers of Caın Bıle” are also “druids, men of great cunning and great power of augury and magic.” They come to Medb and Aılıll to entertain them, carrying mistletoe by which they sing, but are mistaken as Ulster spies; the harpers turn themselves into deer to escape their pursuers, near the Lıa Mór (Great Stone) (Death Of Lethan).
The source for the image is unknown.
Springhill Avenue, west Belfast
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Copyright © 1997 Paddy Duffy
T00297
This image of an RUC officer aiming a plastic-bullet gun is the central panel of a mural at the top of Springhill Avenue that would otherwise go unfinished.
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Copyright © 1997 Paddy Duffy
T00296
IRA volunteers are superimposed upon the flags of the four provinces. In the top left (Ulster) and bottom right (Connacht) they are aiming weapons (one with a sniper’s scope), while in the top right (Leinster) they are firing a funeral volley, and in the bottom left (Munster) are reading a statement at a microphone; in the middle are a lark and a Tricolour.
South Link, Andersonstown, west Belfast, replacing the even-more-heavily armed volunteers in Beıdh Ár Lá Lınn.
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Copyright © 1997 Paddy Duffy
T00294
These two murals are side-by-side in Blythe Street.
On the left, a particularly violent rejection of the peace-process: “they arose in the dark days to defend our native land for God and Ulster”, “And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee, though shalt smite them and utterly destroy them, thou shalt make no covenant with them nor show mercy unto them – Deuteronomy 7 verse 2”.
On the right, a UVF roll of honour: “In memory of fallen comrades. Lest we forget. John Hanna, Billy Millar, Noel Little, Bunter Davidson, Billy Stewart, Davy McNaught, Sammy Mehaffy, Dicky Richardson [later removed], Geordie Norris [later added]. Their duty demanding, their courage outstanding. Here lies a soldier, murdered by the enemies of Ulster.”
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Copyright © 1997 Paddy Duffy
T00254 T0255
“In proud memory of comrades A. Petherbridge, G. Reid, K. Watters, W. Warnock, R. Warnock. [In memory of our fallen comrades. We forget them not. Terrae filius. East Belfast brigade UDA-UFF.] At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them. Young Newton.” “UDA East Belfast. Ulster Freedom Fighters. Quis separabit.”
The fine condition of the murals suggests that the missing wording (on the plinth) has yet to be added. A very low wall to the right of frame reads “Formed to fight for the right to remain in the United Kingdom.”
All five of the named volunteers died in the early 1970s: Petherbridge 1973-02-07, Reid 1974-02-26, Watters 1974-02-17, W Warnock 1972-10-16, and R Warnock 1972-09-13. Young Newton was an east Belfast “tartan” gang (History Ireland) and then part of the UYM (WP).
Fraser Pass (later Pitt Place), east Belfast
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Copyright © 1997 Paddy Duffy
T00246 [T00253]
According to the “SS RUC” officer on the left, the “approved Orange route” is over the bodies of Catholic residents. The 1996 parade on the Ormeau Road went ahead over the public protests and legal action of local residents (Irish Times). The 1997 parade was called off (youtube).
“June 20” (on the right of the mural) is the date that Mo Mowlam is reported to have decided to force the Drumcree march down Garvaghy Road – see Beware! Mowlam became (Labour) Secretary for Northern Ireland in May, 1997. She is represented here in the guise of Lady Justice, washing her hands of the parades issue in a bowl held by the newly-formed Parades Commission.
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Copyright © 1997 Paddy Duffy
T00302
This is a long mural expressing solidarity between Ireland and the Basque Country on the wall of JB Kennedy’s bakery in Beechmount Grove. The bakery would close in 1998 (Belfast Live).
There are various slogans in Basque and in Irish. From top to bottom (left to right):
“Dhá chıne, aon choımhlint – Bi herri, borroka bat. Askatasuna – Saoırse”
“Emakumeen askatasunik gabe, ez daga herri askatasunik – Gan saoırse de mná, níl aon saoırse den tír.”
“[unknown Basque poem/song about overthrowing the capitalists]”
“Hemen euskaraz ez dakienak berak jakingo du zergatik ez dakien. Baina hemen euskaraz ez dakienak ez digu uzten euskaraz egiten. Baina eta hemen euskaraz jakin arren euskaraz mintzatzen ez denak ere ez digu uzten euskaraz egiten”
“Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam”
“Sabotaia, errebeldia, desobeintzia, matxinada”
“Mol an óıge agus tıocfaıdh sí”
“Oure lurra defenda dezagun”
“Ní mhaırfidh an duıne, ach maırfıdh an domhaın má bhe[ı]r an duıne aıre dó”
“Bietan jarrai” – the slogan of ETA
and, out of shot to the right, in English, “No repression”.
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Copyright © 1997 Paddy Duffy
T00277 T00278 T00279 T00280 T00281
There are two unusual features of this UVF mural in Monkstown: the six volunteers are unmasked – so, this is not a “hooded gunman” mural – and two of the volunteers – the pair in the centre carrying, though not aiming, Uzis – are female. As far as we know, this is the only PUL mural showing armed females. (See the Visual History page on women in murals and muraling.)
The records of this mural are contradictory – this image in the Paddy Duffy Collection is dated April, 1997; other, less reliable, sources give 1999 as the date of its creation and say it was plastered over in 1996 (Xitter). All of this confusion, and its limited appearance in the various collections, suggests that this was a short-lived mural, perhaps because the Uzis, assault rifles, and RPG were being brandished next to Hollybank primary school.
Hollybank Park, Monkstown, Newtownabbey
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Copyright © 1997 Paddy Duffy
T00230
This is a very long mural on Beechmount Avenue reproducing various pieces from Jim Fitzpatrick’s Book Of Conquests, including the central figure from the cover. The final panel shows Fitzpatrick’s Lough Derravaragh/Children Of Lear.
See the Visual History page on Jim Fitzpatrick.
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Copyright © 1997 Paddy Duffy
T00270 T00271 T00272 T00273 T00274 T00275 T00276
There is no text to accompany these images of sun/moon, day/night, and religious-icon-style figures in the branches and trunk of the central tree, but this is probably a mural from New Life church (web), between the security gates on Northumberland Street, west Belfast. The church is associated with Elim Pentecostal (web) and was founded in 1993 (old site).
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Copyright © 1997 Paddy Duffy
T00213 T00295
Paddy Duffy Collection 