My historical trips through Dublin and Belfast
Recently, I visited Dublin and Belfast for the first time- it was awesome. I especially took pictures of Republican historical sites, so I could share them with you all. Here they are: Dublin: G.P.O.- site of 1916 Easter Rising Kilmanhaim Jail (the tour was awesome) My roommate, Kevin, his grandfather was jailed in Kilmanhaim either during the Anglo-Irish war, or the Civil War. He was part of one of the Mayo brigades- I'll get better details soon... Execution site of many 1916 leaders Connolly's execution site: Restored chapel where many Irish rebels (1798, 1803, Fenians 1840s, 1916, 1918-1922) heard Mass Falls Road to come soon!

After Dublin, I visited Belfast, in particular, the famed Falls Road in West Belfast. It was my first trip to the North, a place I have read about for so many years now. Many of you have probably seen pictures like this, or been on the Falls Rd., but we took some cool pictures you might like anyway. I noticed our entrance into nationalist West Belfast when I saw the Irish on St. Mary’s Primary school off the Divis Road. I knew I was nearing the Falls Road, when I saw the first graffiti. The next historical thing I noticed was the Divis Flats tower. I had read much about the Divis Flats and the I.R.A. in the early 1970s, and later the I.N.L.A. We stopped in and listened to a political tour guide who talked about how on August 14th, 1969, loyalist mobs rampaged through these Catholic areas, burning down nearby Bombay Street, while the B-Specials police force watched on. He also talked about how the R.U.C. raked Divis Flats with machine gun fire, either in summer of 69’ or 70’, and two young people were killed. The next year, the I.R.A., having departed from the Officials, was militarily in a position to defend the nationalist community along the Falls, and successfully defended St. Peter’s Cathedral from being burned down, by picking off on-coming loyalists from Divis Tower. But that summer 1969 was a real turning point in the modern-day Troubles, and for the I.R.A. They were turned to by the nationalist community as defenders. The “peace wall” that divides the Falls Road and the loyalist Shankill Road, erected I believe around 1969-1970. We then saw more and more flags and murals reminding passerbys of the Republican-laded history of the Falls Road. Seeing the Maghaberry POWs mural reminded us of the on-going nature of the freedom struggle. Belfast Brigade memorial: Republican Sinn Fein “RPG” avenue- I figured it was a reminder of the rocket attack on a armored car during the 81’ hunger-strikes can anyone translate for me? Bobby Sands’ mural on the side wall of Provisional Sinn Fein HQ I started seeing the Kasmir Road, Clonard Street, Springfield Road, all places I have read about. I remember reading in Tim Pat Coogan’s book about how, if you were to walk around the Kasmir Road in 1968 or so, you would not see the I.R.A., but you would hear walkie-talkies saying stuff like, “Brit foot patrol, on Clonard Street, open up front on Kasmir”- the I.R.A. trying to protect what small weapons arsenal they possessed at the time. The “front” would be like a bunch of youths throwing stones! Clonard Monastery has long been an important aspect of the Catholic/nationalist community in West Belfast

Milltown Cemetery was one place I had to see before I left Belfast, and the hike along the Falls was well worth it. It was an incredibly moving experience for myself, and the friends I journeyed with, who did not know a whole lot about the history of the Troubles. We read in one Belfast tour book how Milltown is the cemetery of the “dispossessed and rebellious” I felt awkward taking pictures in a cemetery, but it was more importantly a very prayerful experience. Maire Drumm, Vice President of Sinn Fein assassinated by loyalists in 1976 a beautiful inscription, I wish I knew the history of this. It took me a long time to find it, but I find the I.R.A. section- the National Graves Association. Hunger-strikers Sands and McDonnell, but not sure who O’Neill is here. Kieran Doherty of course died on 81’ hunger-strike, but not sure who McIlvenna and McKernan are I have seen the video of the 1988 Michel Stone attack at the funeral of Mairead Farrell, and so my friends were shocked when I described how it appeared to me in the video, with the M1 motorway in the background. Thomas Begley died in 1993, along with 8 or 9 (please forgive my inaccuracy) civilians on the Shankhill Rd trying, along with another Provisional I.R.A. volunteer to bomb the meeting of loyalist paramilitary leaders, which actually did not take place. Terribly tragic situation all around. Milltown, like I said, was very moving. The sheer number of Celtic headstones, many of them faded and over 100 years old, and the I.R.A. dead, reminded me that this was the frontier of the ancient Irish struggle. You could really feel the ghosts of the past, so to speak. More to come, Short Strand, and An Rinn in Waterford, Irish-speaking area. If anyone has more historical points to add on the pictures, please do!

My historical trips through Dublin and Belfast
Thanks for sharing your pictures. If you have anymore - would love to see them.

Thanks fenian I live about in that general area (Belfast) I love when I see the old streets on the internet :lol:

its been ages since i have been in divis, St Peters looks well after its renovation, i see you had a picture their of finn square, were i spent many my days when i was young, my gran lived their , god rest her soul. I remember nights coming down and the loyalists would be throwing anything they could over the peace line. That picture just reminded me of my dear Grann. You caught the RSF shop well, its never open at least any time im up and down the road it always seems to be closed.

u made ur way over to the short strand then??? what did u think, most of the many many tours that go along the falls don't make their way over the bridge to a place that for an area so small has endured so so much. curious to see the photo's now.

Thanks for the interests, comrades! Yes, we made our way over to the Short Strand, because we weren't on a tour. Unfortunately, we arrived on a cold, dark night, so the pictures won't be great. It was amazing to see though. There was really nothing visually distinctive about the Short Strand, other than the Irish street names. I asked a couple of young girls as we were walking along, "is this the Short Strand?", and they said "yeah" and then just laughed in disbelief. They must not be used to tourists coming through! The Short Strand was so interesting, because there we were looking at old St. Matthew's Church, where the I.R.A., led by Billy McKee, successfully held off hords of armed loyalists in 1970 I believe, and literally only a stone's throw away, we saw a Union Jack and a loyalist plaque remembering how the "Provisionals introduced guns onto the streets of East Belfast in 1969". I thought that was a ridiculious statement, (to say that the nationalists provoked the violence during that year is laughable) but it drove home to me how two peoples, so near to each other, can disagree even how history played out. Also, just the sheer closeness of the two communities shocked me. It was interesting seeing the nationalist teenagers of Short Strand just going about life as any other kids around the world, seemingly oblivious to the enemy gates in the distance. To think how much violence and activity has been played out in the little narrow streets of Belfast is unreal...and sad. We thought it was also poignant that night that the teenagers on the Short Stand were setting off bottle rockets and firecrackers. It made us think, "what would this have been like in the 70s, or 80s, with real sounds of war in the background". Unreal. Short Strand mural Entrance to Loyalist East Belfast

just thought id add some info in on one of the volunteers on the headstones you took a pic off Volunteer Sean Mcilvenna was born in 1951 in north belfast, he moved to armagh and joined the second batt of the north armagh brigade oglaigh na heireann he was killed 8 days before christmas after a landmine attack on a UDR convoy in armagh. sean has had two bands named after him the volunteer sean mcilvenna RFB in glasgow, and the vol. sean mcilvenna rfb in dundalk (disbanded?) what follows is an article from a british rag newspaper discussing the stress soldiers face after battles and wars etc. The 46-year-old served with the Ulster Defence Regiment for seven years but was forced to leave after a harrowing incident in Armagh in 1984. He described in minute detail an IRA attack on his two-vehicle convoy, which happened exactly 23 years ago. Peter explained: "I was driving the second vehicle when there was an almighty flash and the Land Rover a few feet in front of me disappeared. "It had seven mates in it and it drove over a 900lb fertiliser bomb which lifted it into the air, spun it around and dumped it down 50 metres away. "I'll never forget the sight and smell of that moment and the horrible debris falling from the sky all around me." The terrorist who set the device off, 33-year-old Sean McIlvenna, ran towards the huge crater with a machine gun and two grenades to finish the men off. But he was greeted with a hail of bullets from Peter and his men and died instantly.

See that Loyalist monument, that boils my blood. Is that the one to those who died while trying to burn down St Matthew's Chapel? My God, just read that sh*t - in a "planned an unprovoked attack" my arse - are these people for real? :roll:

TA, they couldnt possible expect people to be stupid enough to belive that, could they? surely in order to be shot from ' the sanctuary of st mattews ' you would need to be in the general visinty and warrant a reason for it. " If you play with fire you get burned "

I have also been to Belfast relatively recently after years of only reading about the place - been back and forth a few times in fact. I was surprised to see the Short Strand look very neutral. I didnt see any flags or Republican murals - looking from the outside (although it looks like a daunting fortress) although the peace line between Cluan Place and the Short Strand looked very intimidating. I was also surprised by its proximity to the city centre. I have heard stories from both sides of the "divide". Although my friends from the North tend to be moderate Protestants - people who have friends in the Short Strand, people who can call the Loyalist paramilitaries terrorist scum, people who can yell at Orangemen parading in Belfast city centre. They're still Unionists (or at least the ones I've bothered asking are) - but they're not the enemy - they are normal guys and girls - with Catholic friends (Ive probably met these friends but wasnt introduced to them as "Hi, meet Ian the Taig"). I have positive experiences of Belfast - although I was intimidated living my life, doing my shopping and getting my hair cut in the shadow of UVF murals. I couldnt reconcile this with the friendliness of the people. I noticed in the rural and urban areas the symbols of Republicanism were a lot more subtle and under-stated than Loyalism. In Loyalist areas or towns the flags and bunting were everywhere - but in Republican areas particularly the countryside I felt things were a bit classier. One flag in the town square, perfectly maintained, told a lot more than a million rotting away in the rain. I haven't been to Derry yet (planning to go soon) - but been throughout the East of Northern Ireland - and even through South Armagh! I havent had one negative experience with my English accent yet in around 7 months living over here - and its to the credit of the Irish people.

I think loyalists are insecure, hence why they need to paint the place red, white and blue, whereas we are much more secure in the knowledge that this (the 6 counties) is Ireland. I'm glad you've settled in well. You'll find English people well received in Dublin. I think we're mature enough to know it's not your fault for your past governments bad deeds.