Kieran Doherty

This large republican commemorative mural is dedicated principally to Kieran Doherty, one of the ten republican prisoners who died during the 1981 hunger strike.

The upper left contains a large colour portrait of Doherty. He is shown seated outdoors wearing a blue shirt and trousers, with a green hillside behind him and white lilies on either side. Above the portrait is the inscription “VOL KIERAN DOHERTY TD”, referring both to his status as a republican volunteer and to his election as a TD while imprisoned.

Beside the portrait are several smaller commemorative panels. One lists the first five hunger strikers to die: Bobby Sands, Francis Hughes, Raymond McCreesh, Patsy O’Hara and Joe McDonnell. Beneath it is a quotation beginning “It is not those who can inflict the most, but those who can endure the most...” followed by the names of the remaining five hunger strikers: Martin Hurson, Kevin Lynch, Kieran Doherty, Thomas McElwee and Michael Devine.

Across the upper centre and right are monochrome images associated with the prison protest and hunger strike. These include a portrait of Doherty, images of other prisoners, the slogans “Support the 5 Demands” and “We Support the Hunger-Strikers”, and a raised hand motif beneath the words “Hunger Strike”.

The lower and right-hand sections form a large black-and-white historical scene showing a funeral procession moving through a densely crowded residential street. A hearse occupies the centre of the composition, surrounded by mourners and accompanied by uniformed figures. Large crowds line both sides of the road and fill the surrounding streets, giving the scene the appearance of a major public funeral.

A circular memorial plaque is incorporated into the wall at the upper right, while the real metal staircase and railings cross directly in front of the painted imagery. The mural therefore combines portraiture, political slogans, names, documentary-style historical scenes and memorial symbolism.

Overall, the mural commemorates Kieran Doherty within the wider story of the 1981 hunger strike, connecting his individual portrait and political status with the ten hunger strikers, the prisoners’ “Five Demands”, and the large public commemorations that followed their deaths.