Weekend Events To Commemorate West Tyrone Republican Dead

Chair of Strabane National Graves Association, Sinn Fein Cllr Jay Mc Cauley has called upon local people to show their solidarity with the families of Republican dead from the area by attending commemorative events in tribute to their memory this weekend.

He said,

“The first event will be a commemorative lecture entitled ‘Remembering the Past, Forging the future’, which is being held in Fountain Street Community Centre this Saturday (29th September) between 6-8pm.  The event be chaired by Sinn Féin Údarás na Gaeltachta member Gráinne Mhic Géidigh and will hear contributions  from local MLA Barry Mc Elduff and Sinn Fein National Chairperson Declan Kearney.  Refreshments will also be served at this unique event.

"Sunday's Annual Commemoration Parade will leave from "Ballycolman Shops" at 2:30pm and make its way to the Republican Plot at Strabane Cemetery. En route, a wreath will also be laid at the Hunger Strike Memorial at Townsend Street. The Main Speaker at the Republican Plot will be Eibhlín Glenholmes:

“A native of the Short Strand, her father was interned without charge or trial in Long Kesh Concentration Camp in the 1970’s and her grandfather in the 1920’s. When she was 16 she was shot by loyalists and was very fortunate to survive. First arrested on the word of ‘Supergrass Evidence’ in 1983 she was held in Armagh jail before subsequently beating two British Extradition warrant attempts in high profile cases in the Dublin courts in the mid 1980’s.  In more recent years she has acted as National Coordinator for Gender Equality for Sinn Féin and has sat on the Ard Chomhairle of the party. Eibhlin currently works with Coiste- an umbrella organisation for Republican Ex-Pow groups and also sits on the recently established North’s Victims and Survivors Forum.

"Following Sunday's Commemoration participants will be invited back to Fountain Street Community Centre for tea and sandwiches.

“The people of this area have continually shown their support and respect for republicans who have sacrificed everything in the cause of Irish Freedom and, on behalf of the organisers, I would like to extend an open invite for people to attend this weekend’s commemorative events in Strabane.”