Republican News · Thursday 7 March 2002

Burns and Moley honoured

Around 1,000 people turned out in South Armagh for the 14th annual comemoration honouring Volunteers Brendan Burns and Brendan Moley on Sunday 3 March. Councillor Elena Martin chaired proceedings at the monument to the IRA Volunteers and the main oration was delivered by Assembly member Conor Murphy.

He spoke of the honour it was to be asked to speak at an event honouring "two of the most highly regarded men to have emerged from the struggle in this area.

"I knew Brendan Burns briefly," he recalled. "More than 20 years ago, as a teenager, I once made him something to eat when he stopped at our house on his way through the area. He, rightly, wasn't overly impressed but he thanked me for it anyway. I also met Brendan Moley on one or two occasions but like most of us here, I knew both men by reputation.

"Both were men of integrity who believed that the freedom of this country, for this and future generations, was more important than their own personal ambition, their own freedom or their own lives."

He referred to recent events in the 26 Counties in the run up to the general election. "Thise of us who thought politics was dirty on this side of the border can now see, in the run up to the elections, the extent to which the establishment parties in the South will close ranks the the depths to which they will sink in order to protect their perceived right to rule.

"They will demonise Sinn Féin, challenge our right to stand in an open democratic election, manipulate opiniuon polls and even use the Guards to interfere in our election campaigns. They claim that we cannot be in government on one side of the border for security reasons but should join the policing board on this side of the border. They will tell the people all the reasons why they should not vote for Sinn Féin but very few reasons why they should vote for themselves.

"I believe that the opponents of this struggle, North and South, will get even more strident, negative and dirty in the coming weeks but I also believe that they will underestimate the intelligence of the electorate and that the people will give them their answer.

"The loss of the two Brendans," he concluded, "was the most serious single blow to be inflicted on the freedom struggle in this area. But typically of the people of South Armagh, we picked ourselves up, buried our comrades in a fitting manner, despite the huge intimidation at their funerals, and did not allow the spirit of freedom to be extinguished.

"That spirit is stronger than ever in this area today and growing in strength throughout this island and will, I am convinced, deliver the Ireland of freedom, justice and peace that they dedicated ther lives to. Their contribution to that has been immense."