northern ireland: bogside murals

Kevin Hasson

The Bogside Artists consist of three men:

Tom Kelly

William Kelly

They call their work with pride

THE PEOPLE’S GALLERY

Civil Rights

This mural stands for the first Civil Rights March in Derry on October 5th 1968

and all of the other marches after that prior to 1972 .

The Petrol Bomber Painted in the summer of 1994 for the

25TH Anniversary of

THE BATTLE OF THE BOGSIDE

The Battle of the Bogside was the event that sent a tidal wave of rioting across the

nation.

The Bernadette Mural

The mural is not only a homage to Bernadette Devlin who at the age of 22 was the youngest woman to take a seat in the House of Commons, but

to all women who played a role in the civil rights struggle.

Bloody SundayOn January 30th 1972, 26 unarmed civil rights

protesters were shot by members of the British Army.

“Bloody Sunday” effectively marked the end of the mass street demonstrations in Derry and

elsewhere to achieve civil rights and polarized the community, sending many

young towards Republicanism.

The Bloody SundayCommemorative Mural

This was painted to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Bloody Sunday. Like

everything else they did they wanted to keep it simple. Here are the people who died and

this is what they looked like. There are fourteen oak leaves surrounding the circle,

one for each victim.

Motorman

On July 31st 1972 a massive contingent of British troops, supported by tanks and armored cars,

stormed over the barricades of the Bogside and into the Creggan. ‘Operation Motorman’ involved thousands of soldiers. It’s purpose

was to restore state control in the Bogside and Creggan. The anticipated showdown with the

IRA never materialized.

The Death of Innocence

Fourteen year old Annette McGavigan was the 100th victim of the Troubles.

They wanted her innocence to radiate against the chaos of the world she was

born into.

The Saturday Matinee

Riots against the army and police were regular events. They became known as “The Saturday Matinee” for the simple reason being that the weekend was the

best time for having a go at army or police. People were off work and kids

out of school.

The Runner

Kids attacking with bricks and soldiers

with tear gas was a familiar site.Exposure to the gas burns the eyes and

throat and can induce breathing difficulties as well as nausea and

vomiting.

The Hunger Strikes As a tactic the hunger strike has had a long history in Ireland. It is a way of getting justice

by shaming your enemy.

When a phasing out of special category status for prisoners began, it was a devastating blow

for the inmates of the Maze prison. On September 15th 1980 the blanket protest began

leading to the hunger strikes of 1980/81. Ten men gave their lives during the hunger

strikes.

John Hume

This is a tribute to John Hume, born and raised in Derry, not as a politician or even a

popular leader but as a man of peace who has believed in it his entire life and fought for it.

John was awarded The Nobel Peace Prize. The other three people portrayed in the mural

have also been honored with The Nobel Peace Prize, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa and

Nelson Mandela.

The Peace Mural

The grid of squares in the background represents equality. A square being equal on each side. The bright colors produce a

sense of harmony and well-being. Superimposed on the squares in a white outline is a dove – the eternal symbol of

peace. It is also placed so that it is the last thing you see leaving the Bogside.

They did not seek to interpret history but to show it. They stuck carefully to photographic records

of the time, and with special permission from the people

depicted and their families, told the story of the Bogside.