Bogside Artists receive US Ancient Order of Hibernian funding

Derry’s Bogside Artists have received funding from the US Ancient order of the Hibernians, which will enable them to restore some of their iconic murals.

Martin Galvin, the Freedom for all Ireland Chairperson of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, presented Kevin Hasson, one of the Bogside Artists, with a cheque in the Garden of Tribute in Creggan’s Rinmore Drive.

The Garden, adjacent to the family home of Volunteer George McBrearty who was shot dead by the British army in May 1981, along with his friend Charles ‘Pop’ Maguire, was opened last summer in memory of the 1981 Hunger Strikers and local republicans. 

It features a mural of George McBrearty painted by the Bogside Artists. 

Martin Galvin (Freedom for All Ireland Chair of the Ancient Order of Hibernians ) presenting a cheque to Kevin Hasson (Bogside Artist) on behalf of the AOH at the Tribute Garden in Rinemore Drive. Also in the photograph is Catherine McBrearty, sister of Volunteer George McBrearty.

Speaking to Derry Now, Danny McBrearty, George’s brother said the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) was in Derry to acknowledge the Bogside Artists by way of a donation.

He added: “I am honoured to have Martin here at the Tribute Garden. It is an honour on behalf of the McBrearty family and those whose photographs are included on the montage in the Garden, people who were comrades of George and people who volunteered and people who were never acknowledged. 

“We have tried to include everybody who has not been previously acknowledged. Since the montage went up, it has been received very warmly within the whole community. The Tribute Garden is open 24/7 and there has been no damage.

“People have been coming and going, as my sister, Catherine, can verify in great numbers. Families have been coming here every day of the week. We don’t know what the occasions are. It could be an anniversary or a birthday. At Christmas time we were inundated. 

“It is a lovely wee tribute amongst the community and I am proud that Martin and I are today able to thank Kevin, whose sterling work is one of the main attractions. I am also very glad and honoured that Martin has come here, on behalf of the AOH in America to give a wee donation to the Bogside Artists which is well deserved,” said Danny.

Kevin explained the Bogside Artists had applied to AOH America for support in the restoration of some of the murals in the People’s Gallery. 

He added: “There are 12 murals altogether in the Bogside and it is not called the People’s Gallery for nothing.

“In 1994, through their donations, 50p here, a pound coin there, the taxi firms, the pubs, anyone we could hit up, all contributed to the creation of the People’s Gallery. That was long before the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, the aftermath of which saw tourists flock to Derry and the North of Ireland like never before. That is when things changed.

“Over those years, and it will be 30 years in 2024, we have maintained the murals. However, some of them at the moment, maybe two or three, are in a bad state of repair and we are struggling as regards financial support.

“So we were encouraged to apply to the AOH America for a contribution towards the People’s Gallery and we are deeply grateful for that. I am here today to meet Martin from AOH America and to thank him and the AOH on behalf of the Bogside Artists. The money will now be used towards the restoration of maybe two or three murals.”

Poignantly, Kevin acknowledged the contribution of the late William Kelly to the Bogside Artists.

He said: “There were three of us, Tom Kelly, his older brother, William, and myself. William passed away about four years ago quite suddenly. We were a trio for a long time as an art group. We have known each other all of our lives and, to be quite honest, when William suddenly died it rocked our world. 

“William was, for want of a better way to put it, the brain of the group. Tom and myself often joked that William was the intellectual wing of the Bogside Artists. We were sent reeling for a while. And it was Tom’s brother and the grief sent us swirling in orbit.

“It is now a few years since William’s death that we are just trying to pull the whole thing together as a group again and to continue doing what we do and again, I need to say, the contribution from AOH America is a great contribution to get us kick started and up and running again,” smiled Kevin.

Martin Galvin who was presenting the cheque to the Bogside Artists is currently the Freedom for All Ireland Chairperson of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. 

He said: “The Ancient Order of Hibernians is one of the oldest, largest, Irish American Catholic groups in the United States and one of our purposes for which we were created was to support freedom for all of Ireland and we do that in a number of ways.

“One of the key things we do is a Christmas Appeal. Each  year we raise money that we will donate to groups working for freedom for all Ireland, based on the applications submitted and the vote of our committee. 

“This year there are 19 applicants and we are awarding a total of 150,000 dollars. There are three applicants from Derry who have been awarded grants: the Bogside Artists, the Bloody Sunday Trust and the Martin McGuinness Foundation.

“I met Kevin through Danny a number of years ago and I am pleased the first grant that I am going to present here in Derry is to the Bogside Artists, particularly in front of the mural to George McBrearty,” said Martin.

Explaining his affinity to the Tribute Garden, Martin said: “I knew Danny during the years when I had an exclusion order. I have known him and his family for a long period of time and I was impressed with the mural that Kevin had worked on for George McBrearty.

“I had attended some of the commemorations and when they suggested presenting the cheque in front of the mural, which is so impressive, in the Tribute Garden, dedicated to Irish patriots, a lot of whom I knew, I jumped at the chance.

“Irish America and the AOH are pleased to support Kevin. Delegations have visited Derry over the years and we know what the murals mean to people, what they symbolise and we are grateful for the opportunity to be able to support their work this year with a grant.”