Since taking office, newly-inaugurated US president Donald Trump has proposed buying Greenland, annexing Canada, and taking over the Panama canal.
His latest geo-political raving was made during a visit by Israeli premier Bibi Netanyahu on February 4th, when he suggested that the US occupy Gaza and turn it into the “riviera of the Middle East”(AP); officials including the new Secretary Of State Marco Rubio talked down the “plan”, which involves forcing Egypt and Jordan to take the two million Gazans (AP), but Trump reiterated the threat on February 12th during a visit from Jordan’s King Abdullah (AP).
World leaders – and residents of Derry’s Bogside – have condemned the proposal (AP). The words “am nuts” are written on the paper puppet of Trump; the poster to the right reads “They kill children like me. [with an image of a child] Stop the war. Free Palestine”.
“BAPS” is North West Breastfeeding and Perinatal Support (Fb), a support-group formed in response to the low breast-feeding rates in the region (ZeroWaste). In both 2024 and 2023 it participated in ‘world breast-feeding in public day’ with events at the Guildhall (2024 Derry Now | 2023 Derry Journal).
The art shown here was painted by Peaball (web) on an exterior wall of the Pram Centre (web) in Great James Street, Derry and launched on 2024-11-29. (The pixelation is part of the painting. See also the ‘period products’ mural in Belfast – About Bloody Time.)
The “two nations” are Palestine (flag on the left) and Ireland (flag on the right). Between the two is a balaclava’d face, suggesting violent struggle.
“There are special people in our lives who never leave us even after they are gone. In loving memory of all the men that have passed away since the burning of Long Kesh 15th & 16th October 1974. Rest in peace. Also remembering the blanket men and women, all republicans who have lost their lives in our fight for freedom. Rest in peace. Ní fhéadfaıdís sınn a bhrıseadh [They cannot (lit. would not be able to) break us].”
This Celtic cross memorial was erected to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the burning of Long Kesh. According to Derry Now (which has photos of the launch) the cross is one of four to be be raised in various areas. For the one in Newry, see Davey Morley.
In 2023 this memorial stone was added at the left-hand side of Free Derry Corner, reading “William (Willie) Hegarty 1929-2021, born and raised near this spot, life-long republican, left this wall standing to commemorate the Bogside spirit and people.”
Howard Hegarty has kindly provided the following information about his father William and the demolition of Lecky Road in 1975: “My father, William Hegarty, was born and raised less than 30 metres from the wall, to the front and right of it, and my mother was born and raised beside the pump in the Wells less than 40 metres away to the back and left of the wall. So, this tiny area had a special meaning to them and an emotional attachment which lasted their whole lives. … My father was the Building And Demolition contractor that left the wall standing. He had the contract to demolish all those houses in the Wells and old Bogside area and the contract stated that he owned every brick, door, slate, window, tile etc. … everything, and it was his responsibility to remove everything in preparation for the new development. He told his men to leave that wall standing.”
For more on the history of Free Derry Corner, including the precarious nature of the wall when the houses were first knocked down, see the Visual History page.
Derry IRA man Neil McMonagle is placed among the seven signatories of the proclamation of the provisional government of the Irish Republic.
The board is in Leafair Park, Derry, close to the spot where McMonagle, aged 23, along with friend Liam Duffy, were shot by undercover British soldiers (specifically Sergeant Paul Oram of 14 Intelligence Company (WP)) on February 2, 1983. McMonagle died instantly while Duffy was wounded but survived. The official account alleged that both McMonagle and Duffy were armed; locals deny this. For an account of the killing and a tribute, see these obituaries from republican publications in 1983.
“Vol Neil McMonagle, Derry Brigade INLA. Killed in action 2nd February 1983. “They may kill the revolutionary but never the revolution.””
The Maritime Festival (web) in various years held a ‘bubble challenge’ that involved people running inside a large inflated tube (youtube video from 2016). Aquatic animals on the other hand come up the river Foyle under their own power, such as Dopey Dick (shown above), an orca who swam up the Foyle in 1977 (Derry Journal) and the otters (in the final two images below) painted by HM Constance (web).
We also see two musical crows – one is playing DJ and the other is carrying a cassette tape – and five humans, who also didn’t come up the Foyle in a bubble – “I didn’t come up (or “float up”) the Foyle in a bubble” means “I’m no fool” or “I wasn’t born yesterday”.
This was the banner on the back of Free Derry Corner announcing the (53rd) annual march in remembrance of Bloody Sunday, which starts from the Creggan shops and makes its way down to the Bogside, retracing the route taken in 1972. The march goes up Westland Street and across to Creggan Street and William Street. The background image shows the crowd (in 1972) in William Street a minute before the paratroop regiment opened fire. For the original Gilles Peress photograph (and a flyer using it in Derry in 1996), see And The Next Moment …
Rapper Biggie Smalls/Notorious BIG shares his name with Derry’s Notorious Street Food (Fb | ig | BelfastLive profile). The art is by Peaball (web) in Northside Village, Glengalliagh Road, Derry, where the truck is parked (Fb).
Amelia Earhart was the first woman to complete a solo trans-Atlantic flight when she flew a Lockheed Vega from Canada to Ireland in 1932. This Galliagh bus shelter has been covered with “Artwork and design: [by] Joe Campbell”, who also did another Earhart piece But What Do Dreams Know Of Boundaries? (as well as The Factory Girls). There is also a large mosaic to Earhart by Tom Agnew in Leafair Park – see Flying Solo – and a piece of street art in the city centre – see Gaining Altitude.
The internal verbiage reads: “On May 21st, 1932, 34-year-old American flyer, Amelia Earhart, became the first woman to fly solo, 2000 miles, non-stop, across the Atlantic Ocean, finally landing in a field in Ballyarnett, less than one mile from this bus stop. She had taken off from Newfoundland, Canada, in her bright red Lockheed Vega plane [NR-7952] at 7 pm the previous evening. Four hours out she encountered a bad storm that damaged the place and blew her way off course. She had been aiming for Paris, but after a flight of nearly fifteen hors, she sighted land. She came inland over Donegal looking for a likely landing site since there was now smoke coming from her exhaust. Unable to find an airfield she followed railway lines that eventually brought her over Derry. After circling the city, watched by the citizens below, she sighted a likely emergency landing spot in a field on the outskirts of the city of Ballyarnett, at what is now Ballyarnett Country Park. She managed to land, clipping hedges, stampeding cattle and nearly taking the heads off two farm workers who were mending fences (Dan McCallion and Jim McGeady). After the landing the two men rushed to see if the pilot was okay. Expecting a man, they were amazed to see a tousle-haired, young woman emerge from the top of the aircraft. “Where am I?” she asked, expecting the answer ‘Ireland’. “Why, you’re in Gallagher’s Field!” came the reply. [Here is an audio recording (youtube) of Mrs Gallagher recounting Earhart’s arrival and stay.] And then Hugh McLaughlin, who had joined them, asked the now famous question, “Have ye come far?” To which Miss Earhart replied, “Only from America.” Over the next 24 hours, Derry became the focus of the world. Thousands came to Gallagher’s Field to catch a glimpse of the world famous aviator and to have their photo taken with her ‘Little Red Bus’ (the nickname she gave to her plane.) Amelia’s record-breaking flight is now considered one of the most daring and significant events of the 20th Century.”
There are also quotes from Jim McGeady and the Reverend Francis Coyle on the exterior.
Paddy Duffy Collection 