Republican Sinn Féin honours Raymond McCreesh

ON Sunday, May 20 Republican Sinn Féin honoured the memory of Raymond McCreesh on the 20th anniversary of his death while on hunger strike.

Attending the commemoration at his grave in Carrickcruppen Cemetery was Republican Sinn Féin President, Ruairí Ó Brádaigh.

Approximately 100 people assembled, with Councillor Willie Cunning from Carnlough also present.

The procession to the graveside was led by a piper from the Glens of Antrim, followed by a Colour Party of members from Na Fianna Éireann. Following a decade of the Rosary, recited in Irish by Frank Hanratty, wreaths were laid by local Republican Sinn Féin Cumainn.

A lament was then played by a piper in memory of Raymond and his comrades who are interred in the Republican Plot, Volunteers Seán Doran, Art McAlinden and Brendan Quinn.

Sarah Murphy, Ard Chomhairle, Republican Sinn Féin, who presided over the ceremony, introduced Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, describing him as “a life-long Republican who had weathered the storm in the split from the Officials and lived up to his Republican principles again in 1986 when the Provos surrendered to their British paymasters.

“We are proud and happy today to welcome to South Armagh our President, Ruairí Ó Brádaigh.

“Ruairí,” she said, “had given the oration at the funeral of Vol Raymond McCreesh and his presence here today was clear evidence that the cause for which Raymond gave his life had not been betrayed by Republican Sinn Féin and the Movement.”

In his speech, Ruairí Ó Brádaigh declared that “Stormont and Leinster House were not stepping-stones to the All-Ireland Republic as the history of the past 80 years has shown conclusively.”

He believed that “a reformed and updated British rule in Ireland” was not something for which Raymond McCreesh and his comrades had fought and died.

He said that the people of South Armagh should be eternally proud of Raymond’s contribution to the Cause. He went on to say that the “English Establishment is merely repeating the mistakes of the past in seeking yet again to criminalise the entire Irish freedom struggle.

“Former comrades remain silent and turn their backs on the plight of these prisoners, thereby colluding with the British oppressors of the men in jail.”

Closing the commemoration, Sarah Murphy, who was Secretary of the South Armagh Hunger Strike Committee in 1981, said that 20 years on, the annual attendance at Raymond McCreesh’s grave proved that the Republican Movement in South Armagh was alive and well.

The commemoration ended with the playing of Amhráin na bhFiann.
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Political status picket outside British Home Office in London

ON Saturday, May 5 members of Republican Sinn Féin, England, Scotland and Wales held a political status picket outside the Home Office in London. The picket, held on the 20th anniversary of the death on hunger strike of Bobby Sands, highlighted the renewed campaign by the British to deny those Republican prisoners who still resist British rule in Ireland political status.

During the picket over 300 leaflets were distributed to passers-by, highlighting the present struggle for political status by Tommy Crossan and his comrades in Maghaberry jail, Co Antrim and outlined the strategy adopted by Republican Sinn Féin to intensify the campaign for political status by standing Tommy Crossan as a candidate in West Belfast in the forthcoming Westminster elections.

Speaking at the picket a member of the Comhairle Ceantair, Republican Sinn Féin, England, Scotland and Wales recalled back in 1972 when the British set out to criminalise Irish Republican prisoners, Billy McKee and his comrades through hunger strike forced the British to concede political status.

In 1976, once again the British tried to introduce their policy in a bid to criminalise the Irish freedom struggle, and once again Republican prisoners vigorously resisted it.

The speaker continued, “We here today particularly remember those comrades Terence McSwiney, back in 1920, Michael Gaughan, back in 1974 and Frank Stagg in 1976, who over here in English hell-holes endured prolonged torture and repeated force-feeding, and eventually died a slow and agonising death on hunger strike.”

“In 1981, 20 years ago this year, Bobby Sands and his nine comrades made the ultimate sacrifice and died on hunger strike in the H-Blocks as they again fought attempts by the British government to criminalise the Irish freedom struggle. It was clear then as it is today, as Tommy Crossan and his comrades once again take up the torch and resist attempts to criminalise the Irish freedom struggle, that the British policy of criminalisation will again fail.”

The picket ended with a call for a one minute’s silence in remembrance for our fallen comrades.
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Ballylongford hunger strike commemoration

THE Ballylongford, Co Kerry hunger strike commemoration on Sunday, May 27 was chaired by Michael Mitchell, Castleisland.

The parade formed up outside the GAA hall and led by a colour party bearing the National and provincial flags and the Starry Plough, marched to the O’Rahilly plaque in the town centre.

A party of Fianna Éireann in uniform carrying the Fianna flag marched behind the colour party. A member of an accordion band provided music. The Chief Marshal was Bill O’Shea, Ballylongford.Wreaths in memory of the hunger strikers were laid at the plaque to the 1916 leader killed in action who was born in Ballylongford: Dan Keating, Castlemaine laid a wreath on behalf of the Republican Movement; John O’Shea on behalf of Republican prisoners and Liam Cotter on behalf of Kerry Comhairle Ceantair, Republican Sinn Fein.

Sean O Muireann, Beal Átha Longfort recited a decade of the Rosary in Irish. Patrick Shortt, Killarney sounded the Last Post and Reveille.

The Chairman then read the Roll of Honour of the 6th Battalion (Listowel) and the 8th Battalion (Ballylongford), Kerry No 1 Brigade, IRA.

Stephen Brosnan, Tralee read the 1916 Proclamation and Matt Leen, Tralee read Bobby Sands’ moving poem The Rhythm of Time. Matt Leen was a Republican prisoner in Portlaoise at the time of Bobby Sands death.

Ruairí Ó Brádaigh gave the oration, after which the bugler played Amhrán na bhFiann.

On the same day at 3pm the National Graves Association held a H-Block commemoration at the hunger strikers’ memorial, Mile Height, Tralee.
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Hunger strikers remembered in Limerick

A DAY-long historical display was held in O’Connell Street, Limerick on Saturday, May 5 to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the H-Block hunger strike.

The event was a great success with an unprecedented amount of interest being shown by the general public in the display of posters and other Hunger Strike material .

All the membership of Republican Sinn Féin in Limerick spent most of the day at the display. The event was covered by the local newspaper, the Limerick Leader and Des Long, Vice-President, Republican Sinn Féin, was interviewed on local radio. SAOIRSE was sold as well as a large number of a pamphlet giving a short history of the H-Block protest.
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Tipperary H-Block events

ON May 4, the Seán Treacy Cumann, Republican Sinn Féin, Tipperary town held a vigil to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the death of Bobby Sands and also to honour all those who died on hunger strike.

There was a large display of posters and documents, all original, relating to the 1981 hunger strikes.

Amongst those present at the vigil was Bobby McNamara who was on hunger strike in Portlaoise in 1976 for 47 days. Also present were Matt Kissane and Geraldine McNamara of the original H-Block Committee.

NENAGH

Members of Republican Sinn Féin from north Tipperary laid a wreath in memory of the H-Block hunger strikers on May 26 at the Hunger Strike Monument in Banba Square, Nenagh.
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