Paddy Duffy Collection

Inár gCroí Go Deo

2025-02-092025-03-10Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“West Tyrone Brigade, Óglaıgh Na hÉıreann. Vol. Charles Breslin, Vol, David Devine, Vol. Michael Devine”. The three were killed on February 23rd, 1985, in a hail of 100-200 SAS bullets, as they returned arms for an aborted mission to a dump near the Fountain area of Strabane; their families were later (2002) awarded compensation. (An Phoblacht | WP | UTv)

The board shown above is in the Fountain Street memorial garden, which centrally features a stone-wall enclosure to the trio. Individual stones have also been added to the garden, to Danny McCauley (TPQ | An Phoblacht), Tobias Molloy (An Phoblacht), and Eugene Devlin (An Phoblacht) (shown below). The local SF cumann is named after Molloy/Devlin/McCauley (Fb).

For the gravestones of many of the volunteers, see Strabane’s Republican Graves.

Fountain Street, Strabane

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Anocht a théam sa Bhearna Bhaoıl

End The Siege Of Gaza

2025-02-092025-03-21Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is a 2014 mural in Strabane that is still is decent shape and still/again relevant, as there are now more than 62,000 deaths in Gaza (Al Jazeera) and aid into the territory has once again been blocked and electricity cut off by Israel (AP | Standard). The mural reproduces a Carlos Latuff (ig) image of an Israeli Apache helicopter firing a “hellfire” missile at a Palestinian child. It was painted by John Carlin and friends (Highland Radio). (It was also reproduced in Springhill, west Belfast, by Mo Chara Kelly.)

See the Peter Moloney Collection for the mural shortly after its launch.

Springhill Park, Strabane

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District Of Hope

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This sunflower was painted by Peaball (web) outside the Old Library Trust’s Healthy Living Centre (web) in Creggan, Derry, as part of Derry & Strabane’s ‘District Of Hope’ initiative (NWMF | Derry Now).

The wall was previously used for a COVID-era mural: Someone To Watch Over Me.

Another sunflower in Derry: We Carry On.

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A Stitch In Time

2025-02-092025-03-15Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

In the 1920s, there were 44 shirt-making factories in Derry employing almost 20% of the city’s population (IAR). (Derry Of The Past has a Fb gallery of historical images of factories.) One of those factories was – and the building still stands – in the Rosemount area, a stone’s throw away from this 2021 artwork by Peaball (web), alongside boards with vintage photographs. Supported by iPrint (ig), Glen Development Initiative (Fb), and CRAFT (Cultural Renewal [and] Arts For Tomorrow).

The Five “R”s

2025-02-092025-03-14Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Spread kindness like butter” with the five “R”s: responsibility, respect, reintegration, relationships, repair. Work by Peaball (web) in a similar vein to FGB’s Spread The Love in east Belfast.

Grafton Street, Derry

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Stop The Slaughter

2025-02-092025-03-08Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Free Gaza” in the Ballycolman estate, Strabane. This piece is not from the current conflict (that started with the Hamas attack in October 2023) but from the 2014 war, in which roughly 2,300 Palestinians and 73 Israelis were killed (WP) – numbers that now seem small in comparison.

In Belfast: Stad An Slad/Stop The Slaughter

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Revolutionaries

2025-02-092025-03-01Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Bobby Sands and Ernesto “Che” Guevara, together in Fountain Street, Strabane. The image of Che is Jim Fitzpatrick’s iconic interpretation of Alberto Korda’s “Guerrillero Heroico” photograph of Che – see the Visual History page on The Influence Of Jim Fitzpatrick.

This mural has been in place since (at least) 2008 – see Bobby & Che in the Peter Moloney Collection.

Republican Solidarity With Palestine

2025-02-092025-02-25Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Since the October 7th attack by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza, the number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel has gone up from about 5,000 to about 9,000, including about 3,500 prisoners held under what is called “administrative detention” or what would be known here as “internment without trial”. (Figures for the last fifteen years are available at HaMoked and at B’Tselem.) Prisoners recently released from Israeli detention have described the beatings and degrading treatment they received (Amnesty | Reuters | Haaretz).

During the peace process of the mid-1990s, a green ribbon was used as a symbol of republican political prisoners, whose release was one of the major goals in a peace settlement – see this large example from Shantallow, Derry, from 1998. It is still used post-Agreement by physical-force republicans, e.g. End Brit Brutality and Maghaberry Concentration Camp.

The board is on the Meenan Square construction site in the Bogside, Derry. For the INLA board in the background of the wide shot, see Serious Trouble.

The Spirit Of Freedom

2025-02-082025-03-14Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“The Spirit Of Freedom RFB remember with great pride our late comrade and friend drum sergeant Michael (Micky) Friel on his 20th anniversary. Always remembered and sorely missed by your family and your comrades in the Spirit Of Freedom RFB.” The band does not appear to have an on-line presence but there are references to the band going back to 1997 (An Phoblacht). Friel died in 2004 at age 24 (FindAGrave).

Central Drive, Creggan, Derry