Victims campaigner slams return of notorious ‘terrorist mural' in Belfast
PACEMAKER BELFAST 27/12/2024: The Loyalist terror mural in north Belfast that was badly damaged buring Storm Darragh. The top of the infamous 'Prepared For Peace, Ready For War' mural at the entrance to Mount Vernon estate in north Belfast was blown off by the high winds. Today the rest of the mural has been demolished. Picture By: /Pacemaker Press
Pacemaker Press 20-06-2025: The well known 'Prepared For Peace Ready For War' mural at Mount Vernon in North Belfast damaged by Storm Darragh and is now being rebuilt . Picture By: Pacemaker Press
The mural with the test, "Prepared for peace, ready for war." Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images
Victims campaigner Raymond McCord has slammed the reappearance of a notorious UVF mural in north Belfast.
The infamous 'Ready For Peace Prepared For War' mural is once more set to dominate the entrance to the Mount Vernon estate.
A newly constructed wall and freshly painted mural is nearing completion seven months after Storm Darragh brought the original crashing to the ground.
It had been hoped that would be the end of the giant image featuring two masked gunmen.
Victims campaigner Raymond McCord
But now it is back and set to be unveiled in time for the Twelfth celebrations.
Mount Vernon UVF carried out the 1997 murder of Mr McCord's son. Everyone of those involved were exposed as RUC Special Branch at they time they lured their victim to a quarry where he was murdered.
No one has ever been charged with the murder despite being repeatedly identified as the culprits.
Last night Mr McCord said politicians and the Housing Executive on whose property the wall has been built have questions to answer.
'Questions must be asked by those local elected politicians why the drug dealing Special Branch controlled Mount Vernon UVF have been allowed to build a wall with a mural of a terrorist organisation on it,' he said.
The mural with the test, "Prepared for peace, ready for war." Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images
News in 90 Seconds - June 28th
'The only 'war' Mount Vernon were in was the one they waged against their own people and on innocent Catholics.
'The NIHE has questions to answer regarding permission to build the wall. We all know Mount Vernon UVF are not loyalists but criminals and cowards.'
The reappearance of the mural comes as the UVF have given indications they are preparing to disband, but there is little sign of them going away in Mount Vernon.
'The local decent people of Mount Vernon fear them even though there's not a real man among them.
'You cannot support your community and support the UVF. Mount Vernon not only killed my son, they killed their own community with drugs, beatings, extortion and murders.
'The terrorist mural is a reminder to all that we still have the cowards in our unionist community who hide behind a flag of convenience.'
Storm Darragh, which struck in December last year, partially destroyed the wall and mural, which also included the logos of the UVF and the Young Citizen Volunteers.
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'The only 'war' Mount Vernon were in was the one they waged against their own people and on innocent Catholics.' PACEMAKER BELFAST 27/12/2024: The Loyalist terror mural in north Belfast that was badly damaged buring Storm Darragh. The top of the infamous 'Prepared For Peace, Ready For War' mural at the entrance to Mount Vernon estate in north Belfast was blown off by the high winds. Today the rest of the mural has been demolished. Picture By: /Pacemaker Press Pacemaker Press 20-06-2025: The well known 'Prepared For Peace Ready For War' mural at Mount Vernon in North Belfast damaged by Storm Darragh and is now being rebuilt . Picture By: Pacemaker Press The mural with the test, "Prepared for peace, ready for war." Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images Victims campaigner Raymond McCord has slammed the reappearance of a notorious UVF mural in north Belfast. The infamous 'Ready For Peace Prepared For War' mural is once more set to dominate the entrance to the Mount Vernon estate. A newly constructed wall and freshly painted mural is nearing completion seven months after Storm Darragh brought the original crashing to the ground. It had been hoped that would be the end of the giant image featuring two masked gunmen. Victims campaigner Raymond McCord But now it is back and set to be unveiled in time for the Twelfth celebrations. Mount Vernon UVF carried out the 1997 murder of Mr McCord's son. Everyone of those involved were exposed as RUC Special Branch at they time they lured their victim to a quarry where he was murdered. No one has ever been charged with the murder despite being repeatedly identified as the culprits. Last night Mr McCord said politicians and the Housing Executive on whose property the wall has been built have questions to answer. 'Questions must be asked by those local elected politicians why the drug dealing Special Branch controlled Mount Vernon UVF have been allowed to build a wall with a mural of a terrorist organisation on it,' he said. The mural with the test, "Prepared for peace, ready for war." Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images News in 90 Seconds - June 28th 'The only 'war' Mount Vernon were in was the one they waged against their own people and on innocent Catholics. 'The NIHE has questions to answer regarding permission to build the wall. We all know Mount Vernon UVF are not loyalists but criminals and cowards.' The reappearance of the mural comes as the UVF have given indications they are preparing to disband, but there is little sign of them going away in Mount Vernon. 'The local decent people of Mount Vernon fear them even though there's not a real man among them. 'You cannot support your community and support the UVF. Mount Vernon not only killed my son, they killed their own community with drugs, beatings, extortion and murders. 'The terrorist mural is a reminder to all that we still have the cowards in our unionist community who hide behind a flag of convenience.' Storm Darragh, which struck in December last year, partially destroyed the wall and mural, which also included the logos of the UVF and the Young Citizen Volunteers.
