Clonard Martyrs
Address: Bombay Street, Clonard.
Commemorating: Fallen Volunteers of "C" Company, 2nd Battalion, Belfast Brigade, Oglaigh na hEireann. Civilian casualties from the Greater Clonard area. Deceased Republican prisoners from the Greater Clonard area 1916-1970.
Commissioned by: Greater Clonard Ex-Prisoners' Association.
Date unveiled: 20 August 2000
Notes: Plaques in memory of all Republican prisoners from the area who have died since 1916 were unveiled on 11 March 2001. Annual commemorative march held around 11th March.The first of the peace walls were built in 1969 after a series of sectarian riots rocked Belfast, whole streets in Nationalist areas where burnt out by Loyalists, Bombay street in particular suffered the most. You will visit the Clonard Martyrs Memorial Garden Black iron gates with black and red rising iron phoenix, "Out the Ashes Arose The Provisionals". This is around the time of the inception of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Signs at the main entrance, one on each side of the gate, reading: “Clonard Martyrs Memorial Garden” and “Gairdin Cuimneacain Mairtiris Cluain Ard”. Garden divided into three separate yards. Central yard – black and white Celtic cross in the middle, with the inscription “Clonard Martyrs i gcuimhme na mairbh dilis”. On the wall behind it – granite plaque featuring a male and a female Volunteer with bowed heads on each side; on top runs the inscription: “i measc laocra na ngaedeal go rab siad go ndeana dia trocaire ar a n-anamaca”; two panels are enframed within a Celtic design with the shields of the four provinces of Ireland, one at each corner; left panel – “Clonard Martyrs C Coy 2nd Battalion Belfast Brigade Oglaigh na hEireann Roll of Honour (list stating name and date of death follows). We also remember all the civilians from the Clonard area who were killed by Crown forces and loyalist murder gangs”. Right panel – “Civilians murdered by loyalists and British forces during the course of the conflict (list stating name, date and age of death follows)”. Right yard – on the boundary walls there are a series of plaques running from left to right as follows: 1)”1921-1922 (list of names follows)”. 2)”In loving memory of the deceased Republican prisoners from the Greater Clonard area 1916 (list of names follows) 1920′s (list of names follows)”. 3)” 1930′s/40′s (list of names follows)”. 4)”1956-62 (list of names follows) 1970 (list of names follows)”. Along the walls there are a series of benches, each one accompanied by a small golden plaque “Dedicated to the memory of” – clockwise – Seamus (Shay) Sullivan, Frank Moyna, Lily, Sam and Tony Lewis; next to the gate small golden plaque reads: “This gate was donated by the Roddy McCorley Club”. Stone pavement depicting a Celtic cross. Left yard – plaque on the wall reads: “This plaque is dedicated to the people of the Greater Clonard who have resisted and still resist the occupation of our country by Britain. We acknowledge with pride the sacrifices they made throughout every decade. Their names would be too numerous to mention, and their deeds of bravery and resistance are un-equalled in the history of our struggle. We, the Republican ex-prisoners of the Greater Clonard, salute you, and your reward will only be a united Ireland.”; shields of the four provinces of Ireland, one at each corner. Along the walls there are a series of benches, each one accompanied by a small golden plaque “Dedicated to the memory of” – counter-clockwise – Renee & Marie Rosbotham, Alex Comerford, Helena Kelly. Next to the gate – small golden plaque “This gate was donated by the Michael Dwyers G.A.C. (1798)” and small golden plaque “Dedicated to the memory of Maura Meehan”. Stone pavement depicting a Celtic cross.
The walls, established as a temporary measure, were a very simple solution to the problem of keeping Republicans and Loyalists apart. However, due to their effectiveness, they never came down. Indeed, as time went on, the walls got longer and more numerous. While most of the walls were constructed during the early years of the Troubles, around one-third have popped up since 1994 when the IRA declared an effective ceasefire.
One of the most famous peace walls sits between the Loyalist Shankill Road and the Irish Republican Falls Road. Tensions between the two streets have existed since the 1800s, and the Troubles saw a rise in violence in this already violent area. As a solution, the peace wall separating the two popped up. This wall stretches for 800 metres (2,624.6 feet), an imposing multi-level concrete structure.
