Everyone that has been in any way
involved with revolutionary politics in Ireland will have
seen the famous wall murals that have become part of the
lore of the last 30 years of struggle for Irish freedom.
While the long prison struggle was featured in many murals
and street- art that appeared throughout the six British
occupied Irish counties, one of the first that made a
permanent impact appeared in Derry. It was stark and simple.
It said Free Derry. It was painted on a high
gable wall that is still in place in that famous city on the
Foyle. Another legendary mural that comes to mind also
belongs to Derry and states that one is Now Entering
Free Derry.
John McDonagh of Radio Free Eireann (RFE) recently visited
Derry, and has contributed the featured photo collection
consisting of murals and random political slogans that
capture the present mood in Derry which is unsurprisingly,
bitingly political.
John said that the present time is a particularly opportune
moment to visit Derry and the six counties because Peggy O’
Hara, along with seven other well known Republicans, are
running as abstentionist candidates. He said that means that
if elected, they will not take their seats in Stormont, the
six county the British assembly. Peggy is the proud mother
of Patsy O’ Hara, a martyr who died in the 1981 hunger
strike, fighting for political status. The others are all
veteran Republicans, who promote Eire Nua, the federal
solution as an alternative to British rule in Ireland. They
are:
East Derry: Michael McGonigle
West Belfast: Geraldine Taylor
Fermanagh/South Tyrone: Michael McManus
West Tyrone: Joe O'Neill
Mid-Ulster: Brendan McLaughlin
Upper Bann: Barry Toman
John said that slogan-writing is like CNN to many of the
youth in the famous Bogside and other areas that look upon
this of their alternative media and something that has been
long established. He said that it takes a lot of courage and
guile to get a slogan in place because the Provo Party have
employed a stand- by Slogan and Poster Removal
Squad that paint over or remove anything that may be
construed to be offensive to their Top down leader
Napoleon and his leading Suits where
discussion is only permitted when the conclusion has already
been agreed.
The recent article on this subject by
Tom Luby in The Blanket is worth revisiting, because
it explains that upon a time Napoleon and his sidekick
Squealer, a Derry native used to talk about
everyone being equal but they never said that they
were not equal.
The photos show that many people in Derry and indeed the
entire six occupied counties have not swallowed the Provie
double speak and it is plain to be seen because The
writing is on the wall
