VOL FERGAL O' HANLON COMMEMORATION , SUNDAY 9th JANUARY 2011 : BRIEF REPORT AND PHOTOGRAPH.
A crowd of between 80 and 100 Republicans attended the commemoration for Fergal O'Hanlon organised by Republican Sinn Féin on Sunday January 9th 2011. The crowd assembled at the cathedral in Monaghan and paraded in good order to the graveside, led by a lone piper and a Republican Sinn Féin colour party. Na Fianna Éireann and Cumann na mBán were also on the parade, in uniform, flying their respective flags. Wreaths were laid on the grave by Dan Hoban from Mayo on behalf of the Republican Movement and by Seán Moore on behalf of the local Dáithí Ó Conaill cumann. The oration at the graveside was given by Steven Daly a former Republican prisoner from Tyrone.
During the course of his well received speech he commented on the similarities between the time of O'Hanlon and his comrades and the present. The Republicans of the 1950s were seen by nationalists and even some former republicans as being irrelevant and unrepresentative. Republcians of today find themselves in a similar situation but they must draw inspiration from the men of the '50s like Fergal O'Hanlon and persevere in the struggle. Steven finished with the words of Padraig Pearse at the graveside of O'Donovan Rossa "The fools, the fools, the fools, they have left us our Fenian dead and while Ireland holds these graves Ireland unfree shall never be at peace". The parade reformed and marched back to the cathedral where the National Anthem was played.
(From here.)
A full report, with pictures, will be published in the January 2011 issue of 'Saoirse' , which goes to print on Wednesday 12th January next.
The 'Monthly Raffle' was held in a hotel on the Dublin/Kildare border on Sunday 9th January 2011 and , as usual , it was a complete success , with all 650 tickets sold , most of them in advance : the organisers try and retain at least 50 tickets for sale on the day but, such is the success of this particular venture , that is not always possible!
For the record , the winning numbers are - 1st Prize 193 / 2nd 450 / 3rd 371 / 4th 533 / 5th 604 / 6th 659* / 7th 196 / 8th 452.
( * Replacement ticket , numbered as such in case the lost ticket it replaced turned up , which would have meant that two tickets with the same number would have been in the raffle.)
The next raffle will be held on Sunday 13th February 2011 , in the same hotel ; the organisers are in the 'happy' position that they have no need to 'plug' the venue in the hope that some of our readers will turn up and purchase a few tickets , as there is not usually enough to go around as it is!
See you Wednesday - we are working on a few interesting pictures re the Irish Republican attitude to the (then) EEC in 1972......
Thanks!
Sharon.
