Republican News · Thursday 31 January 2002

Tyrone tragedy

A Chairde,

I just finished reading the editorial "An Avoidable Tragedy" and was surprised to see just how prevelant the attitude of "everything is someone else's fault" has become. I'm very sorry for the family's loss but I hardly think blaming the police is appropriate.

If the town in question is large enough, the Gardaí likely encounter a lot of juveniles, drunk or otherwise, roaming the streets at 4am. The possibility that the officers exercised their judgement and instucted the boy to go home is not an unreasonable response to a commonplace situation. Why not blame the bartender that provided the alcohol? The friends that were with the lad earlier for not seeing him home? Whomever built the docks?

I think that oft times today we forget that ultimately, we are responsible for our decisions and actions. Pointing the finger is just a means of insulating ourselves from the negative consequences that sometimes follow bad choices.

Joe Matthews,
Pennsylvania,
USA

Eamonn Ceannt commemoration

A Chairde,

I am writing to all Dublin republicans in relation to the Eamonn Ceannt Commemoration Committee's Easter Saturday march, which takes place on 30 March. For the past several years we have enjoyed a growing number of republicans and supporters attending and taking part. This is the only commemoration taking place in the capital on Easter Saturday and we would urge all Dublin republicans to try and attend to make this year's march as big a success as previous years. Cumainn attending and bringing their banners will be remembering Eamon Ceannt and his 1916 comrades, after whom the park we are marching to is named, but they will also be honouring all our fallen comrades and the sacrifices they have made for the republican struggle throughout this century.

The commemoration will assemble at the back of Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin at Errigal Green, Drimnagh at 3pm and at Crumlin Shopping Centre at approximately 3.30pm. The march will then proceed to the Eamonn Ceannt/Sundrive Road park where the main speaker will be Dublin South Central Sinn Féin candidate Aengus Ó Snodaigh.

Niall Binéad,
Eamonn Ceannt Commemoration Committee

Irish in Britain Website

A Chairde,

The Irish in Britain Representation Group marked St Patrick's Day by launching its website which can be found at www.mossleybrow.demon.co.uk.

The website has pages on the organisation's activities and campaigns and also has a page which conducts a brief historical overview of the past history of Irish organisations in Britain since the 1790s and then has a detailed year by year account of the history of IBRG since 1981.

The organisation hopes that this site will act a resource for all those interested in the Irish in Britain. They ask that people add links from their websites to the IBRG website. More information from Bernadette Hyland, bernadette@mossleybrow.demon.co.uk

Bernadette Hyland
IBRG

Gay hussars

A Chairde,

The article "Barrack Room Voyeurs" in the 5th Column of 7 March used the word "gay" in a very derogatory manner when it referred to "gay hussars". This use of the word in this manner appeared to make a judgement about a gay lifestyle which is contrary to Sinn Féin's publicly stated policy of inclusiveness.

I hope that An Phoblacht is not going to allow the writer of the article to use the paper as a forum to express his/her personal opinions. A more careful screening of articles submitted for print should be undertaken.

Máire Murphy
North Belfast

I feel I must reply in defence of our satirical 5th Columnist. I can assure our readers that there was no homophobic intent in the piece in question and no negative judgement about a gay lifestyle was intended.

Editor