The Easter Rising of 1916

Back to around 60 years before of all what characterised the rebellion of West Belfast and that is represented in the previous murals, Ireland was still under the British government.

With the aim of proclaiming an Irish Republic, and taking advantage of the commitment of UK in the First World War, an armed insurrection was mounted by the Irish Republicans, beginning the Easter Monday, 24 April 1916, and lasting for six days, mainly in Dublin.

This was called the Easter Rising, in Irish Éirí Amach na Cásca, and was the most significant rebellion since the 1798.

However, the British were more and better equipped, and easily suppressed the rebellion which led to an unconditional surrender on Saturday 29 April.

The leaders were executed, but the rebellion helped to enhance the will of independence amongst the people.

In December 1918, republicans won 73 Irish seats out of 105 in the 1918 General Election to the British Parliament on a policy on Irish independence.

In 1919 the Irish members elected in the British Parliament refused to recognise the Parliament of the United Kingdom and established an independent legislature in Dublin, called "Dáil Éireann" (English: Assembly of Ireland). The first assembly (the First Dáil) convened on the 21st of January 1919 and declared the independence of the Irish Republic. In the same day, the Irish War of Independence began, an Anglo-Irish civil war which lasted until the 6 December 1921 when a treaty was signed.

A lot of history, just to show you the mural in Beechmount Avenue .....:)

Beechmount Avenue, Belfast 2015

The murals was painted in 2006, for the 90th anniversary of the Easter Rising.

In the mural, a Republican volunteer is standing outside the burning General Post Office of Dublin. The emblems of the four province of Ireland (Ulster, Munster, Leinster and Connacht) are also reported. The white lily between the emblems represents the sacrifice of the men and woman who have died for the establishment of an Irish Republic.

What I loved of the moment that I captured is the old man walking in front of the mural...the age-counting is wrong (the volunteer in the mural should have now more than 100 years), but the idea of the same volunteer walking nowadays in peace smoking a cigarette works quite well :) :)