Republican News · Thursday 6 March 2003

Moley and Burns honoured

McGuinness points up some progress

On Sunday 2 March the 15th annual commemoration of Volunteers Brendan Moley and Brendan Burns took place in south Armagh. Almost 1,500 people marched to the monument at Creggan near Crossmaglen, led by a lone piper and the South Armagh Women's Colour Party. Sinn Féin Councillor Elena Martin chaired the proceedings and told the assembled crowd:

"It is an honour for me to chair today's proceedings to commemorate the dedication, courage and willingness of the two Brendans who gave up their lives in the struggle for Irish freedom. Their objective was to see this country and its people united and free from British rule. Today, we in Sinn Féin carry on that struggle in a political capacity. The greatest tribute to the memory of the two Brendans that everyone here today can make would be to help Sinn Féin achieve the ideal for which they died."

The main speaker was Martin McGuinness MP. Indicating that some progress had been made in behind-the-scenes talks with the British government McGuinness said:

"It has not been an easy negotiation, it has only moved into a higher gear in recent weeks.

"Nonetheless, some movement has emerged, particularly around a British government commitment to new legislation on policing and criminal justice. Our goal is to achieve progress across all of the issues, like policing, criminal justice, demilitarisation, equality, human rights and the Irish language, as well as tackling the future sustainability and stability of the political institutions and what that means for Ulster unionists.

"That means acts of completion by the British government which convince republicans and nationalists that there is a process, a plan in place that will see the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

"Any move to introduce sanctions would be entirely outside the terms of the Good Friday Agreement and will be resisted by us. Under no circumstances will Sinn Fein accept the rights of our electorate being diluted or denied. We will not be held accountable except for the Sinn Fein party and our mandate."

Following the commemoration, Martin McGuinness, on behalf of the local Sinn Féin Cumann, presented a framed photograph of the "Burns & Moley Banner" to Donal Duffy, who has walked the length and breadth of Ireland whenever or whereever a piper was needed at a republican function.