Republican News · Thursday 11 July 2002

Jack Moran

It was with great regret that the republicans in Kerry learned of the death of Jack Moran of Ballybunion. Jack, who was in his 90s, passed away at his daughter's residence in Ballylongford.

Jack was a stalwart republican to the very end and his heart was gladdened by the recent election of Martin Ferris to Leinster House.

The large attendance at his removal and funeral was testimony to the esteem in which Jack Moran was held. At the removal, a guard of honour was provided by members of the local Carmody/O'Rahilly Sinn Féin Cumann, along with republicans from other Kerry cumainn. At his removal, Deputy Martin Ferris referred to Jack as an inspiration to himself and to many other Kerry republicans. The guard of honour accompanied the hearse along the main street of Ballylongford to the outskirts of the village. The cortege then made its way to Jack's home village of Ballybunion, where he was laid to rest after Mass on Saturday.

Jack is survived by his daughter, Eilish, by his sons, Mike, Tom and Seán and by a wide circle of friends and comrades. He will be sorely missed by all in Sinn Féin Chiarraí.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Death of Sile Hogan

Sile Hogan, sister of Jim Monaghan, who is one of the three men detained in Colombia over the past eleven months, sadly died last Sunday, 7 July. Sile, a republican all her life, is pictured here at a social that she and her husband, Des, and their two children, Caroline and Noel, organised in support of the Colombia 3 - Bring Them Home Campaign last November in Boora, Co. Offaly. She spoke movingly in Irish about her brother and about Martin McCauley and Niall Connolly and their appalling situation in detention in Colombia, and her love and respect for these three people.

Sile was a brave, courageous, sparkling, and beautiful woman, full of enjoyment, marvellous company, who laughed and cried and was a pleasure to be with. Her death is a loss to us all, but especially to all her family who enjoyed the sunshine of her life.