Republican News · Thursday 28 November 2002

Ógra backs besieged communities

One of the lads who was showing us around had been up until 4am the previous morning. We were up from Dublin to take a look around the Short Strand and to meet up with our Ógra colleagues from that area, but it was only when we were actually there that we realised just how difficult life is for young people living in isolated nationalist areas.

He'd been awake until 3am the morning before that and 3am on Thursday and >3am on Wednesday. Why? Because he was on lookout for loyalists attacking his and his neighbours' homes; in case the RUC in their new uniforms came around using these attacks as a pretext to intimidate further families who where already under attack; and in case he might have to hose down flaming roofs or steer inquisitive youngsters away from firework-encased pipe bombs.

His experiences arent unique. In Antrim Town, members of Ógra and other young republicans have been doing the same things for the last six months. In Ardoyne the situation is the same.

It has been the 16, 17, 18 and 19 year olds of these and other areas across the north who have been to the forefront of defending their families' homes and communities. It is a story that hasn't been told. For our part, as Ógra Shinn Féin activists in Dublin, it was a bit difficult to comprehend. Here we were campaigning on the price of car insurance while our comrades in county Antrim were defending their very existence. So we decided to do something about it.

We have organised a public speaking tour of eight towns and cities across the 26 Counties featuring Ógra representatives from the above mentioned areas to let the people of Roscommon, Dublin, Drogheda, Castlebar, Limerick, Waterford, Cork and Letterkenny hear this story.