Republican News · Thursday 8 May 2003

The optimism of the will

The Bobby Sands Memorial lecture

The 21st Bobby Sands memorial lecture was delivered this year by Sinn Féin West Tyrone Assembly member Barry McElduff to an audience of hundreds in West Belfast.

Among those in attendance were senior republicans of the status of Joe Cahill. Danny Morrison, the former Sinn Féin Director of Publicity, was in the hall, as was Jim Gibney, who played a leading role in the National H Block-Armagh Committee and was a personal friend of Bobby Sands.

McElduff delivered a lecture that was both personal and political, as he reflected on how, as a 15-year-old, he first become aware of the situation in the H Blocks and joined Youth Against the H Blocks in Omagh.

He remembered the Rock against the Block discos and the Rosaries at roadsides as one after another of the Hunger Strikers died.

He recounted how he went from a student who received straight A's in his exams to one who failed four tests he had been certain to pass.

When the headmaster asked him what happened, McElduff replied "the Hunger Strike".

However, for McElduff, the one most important lesson of the Hunger Strike period was the way in which the sight of the IRA colour parties and firing parties at the funerals of the hunger strikers established firmly the legitimacy of the IRA.

Reflecting on the present political situation, McElduff pointed out that "Britain's occupation remains the problem, their interference in Irish affairs and the denial of democracy and national self-determination is the main problem here."

He pointed out that Tony Blair's decision to cancel the Assembly election was in keeping with Britain's attitude to democracy, given that after Bobby Sands was elected for the Fermanagh South Tyrone Constituency, the then government of Margaret Thatcher introduced legislation barring prisoners from standing in elections.

"The decision to cancel the elections has caused great anger. Tony Blair has reinforced the unionist veto and the British have brought us back to the days of the civil rights campaign," said McElduff.

He urged young people to become more active in the struggle and called on older people to make room for the enthusiasm of youth. "We need the optimism of the will to triumph over the pessimism of the intellect," he concluded.