Jack McGuinness
The death occurred on 28 July of veteran Dublin republican Jack McGuinness. His loss breaks another living link with the struggle of past republican generations. Jack's involvement stretched back to 1917, when he was a very young member of Fianna Éireann in the ranks of the guard of honour at the funeral of Thomas Ashe, who died from force-feeding in Mountjoy Jail.
In every decade since then, Jack was a republican stalwart in Dublin, a familiar figure at marches, rallies, vigils, public meetings and demonstrations. Republicans of later years will remember him as a small, elderly, neatly dressed man in a soft hat. His age and stature did not prevent him from making his views known in no uncertain terms, and he often lifted the spirits of younger comrades on anti-extradition demonstrations as he hurled defiance at political opponents and embarrassed members of the Garda Special Branch.
Jack was a friend to Constance Markievicz, one of the founders of Fianna Éireann, and often recalled travelling to Bodenstown in her Model T Ford with his Dublin Fianna comrades. By the 1930s, Jack was in the IRA and remembered the Dublin scene of those eventful years with running battles between the IRA and the Blueshirts. Like so many republicans of his generation he never forgot the sense of betrayal at the career of de Valera, who harried the republicans who had helped him to power. Executions, death on hunger-strike and shootings by the Special Branch took many republican lives in the late 1930s and 1940s.
Through it all, Jack remained constant and true to his republican beliefs to the end. He had a keen sense of history and enjoyed nothing more than recalling past events to younger family members, friends and comrades, with the aid of his comprehensive collection of republican newspapers, books and other material.
Jack hailed from Capel Street in the city centre but lived for most of his life in Cabra, a large working-class housing estate on Dublin's Northside, into which he and his late wife Mary moved soon after it was built. They reared six children and were popular members of their local community.
Jack was laid to rest on 30 July. His coffin draped in the Tricolour, on which was placed his familiar soft hat, was taken from the Church of the Precious Blood, Cabra, accompanied by a republican guard of honour and led by a lone piper. The piper and guard of honour led the procession on Jack's last journey to his final resting place in GlasnevinCemetery.
Recently elected Cabra Sinn Féin Councillor Nicky Kehoe spoke at the graveside. He said:
``All down through the years Jack remained part of the struggle for full national freedom for all our people. He was always to be seen on the campaign trail during Sinn Féin elections and during the campaign against extradition, and on other republican issues. As it is with all republicans he was also a very committed community worker and was a member of the committee of the first Cabra drop-in centre providing recreation and a positive drug-free environment for young people in Cabra. He was also a member of the Concerned Parents Against Drugs since its beginning in 1981 and right into his 1980s Jack was still marching against drug-dealing.''
Nicky said that Jack had three families - his own which was gathered at the graveside, the republican family the length and breadth of Ireland of which he was a member, and the community in Cabra, to which he contributed so much.
Deepest sympathy is extended to Jack's daughters Margaret and Frances and sons Seán, Tony and Joe. I measc laochra na hÉireann go raibh a anam dílis.
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