Unveiling of New Monument

The following is the oration at the unveiling ceremony by south Armagh Republican Sean Hughes;

"I would like to thank Newry Sinn Féin for the invite to speak here tonight at the unveiling of this monument. I would like to commend the Hughes Grant Watters cumann for their work and the effort in building this tribute to five brave IRA Volunteers from this area. I want to give a special mention to cumann members Paddy Doherty and Jim Rowntree who were also involved in the erection of the previous monument that the late Martin Meehan unveiled here 16 years ago. I also want to acknowledge the contribution that the people of Derrybeg made towards this project. Indeed there is no greater tribute to any fallen volunteer than a monument as fitting as this to be erected in the area from which they came by their friends, neighbours and comrades.

"I know this makes their families very proud.

"I take this opportunity to welcome former comrades of Patsy, Eddie, Michael, Brendan and Collie, many of whom are here tonight. I especially want to welcome the Hughes, Grant Watters and Marks families here. I want to extend our solidarity to them and acknowledge the grief and pain that they have suffered. Families of our fallen volunteers hold a special place in the Republican Movement. We cherish this relationship and value their support which has been unwavering over all these years and we appreciate and respect them for that.

"This monument is dedicated to 5 especially brave and dedicated IRA Volunteers from Derrybeg. Ordinary young men who rose to meet the extraordinary challenges facing them. They faced these challenges at different times and in different phases of the struggle. They were all of different age and different type. They were unique individuals in their own right. However, all 5 possed the qualities that motivated them that when they seen the injustice and oppression being imposed upon their communities, they stepped up to the plate and put themselves forward to defend the people of their area. They joined the ranks of Óglaigh Na hÉireann in order to build a new country based on the ideals contained within the proclamation of 1916.

"Tonight we remember Patsy Hughes who was a 35 year old married man with 7 childen when he was killed on active service at Newry Customs Post on August 22nd 1972.

"We also remember his son Michael (Sticky) Hughes who at only 16 years of age was shot dead here in Derrybeg by the British Army whilst on active service just over 2 years after his father's death. We can only imagine the devastation felt by the Hughes' family at that time and since. The previous year Eddie (Starchy) Grant who was a friend of Sticky, was killed on active service down the town on Christmas Eve 1973 at the age of 17.

"On this year on the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of Na Fianna Eireann by Bulmer Hobson and Countess Markvievz, we reflect on the contribution that our young people have made to the struggle over the years and we remember volunteers like Michael and Eddie who gave their all and lost their lives at such a tender age.

"Ten years later in August 1984, Volunteer Brendan (Cindy) Watters was killed on active service, he was 24 years old, he too had come up through the ranks of Na Fianna and joined Óglaigh Na hÉireann. Brendan was respected by all his comrades as a fearless and resourceful Volunteer.

And finally in April 1991 Collie Marks was shot dead in a shoot to kill operation by the RUC in Downpatrick. He was an experienced operator who had suffered years of harrassment. He too was a dedicated and committed Volunteer, assassinated whilst prosecuting the war outside of his own area. We all remember the disgraceful comments of Eddie McGrady at that time.

"We are extrememly proud of these 5 Volunteers. They were ours, they came from this area. They were decent, selfless and honourable people who gave their all for a just cause and this monument is indeed a fitting tribute to them. Collectively, they represent a generation of resistance by the people of Derrybeg. From the early 1970's when Patsy, Eddie and Michael stood with the people here to defend their areas during the Civil Unrest of that time, when Nationalists were being beaten off the streets for demanding basic Civil Rights. Up until the 1980's and 90's when Collie, Brendan and their comrades brought the Armed Struggle to a new height and brought the British Government to the negotiating table in the realisation that the IRA would not be defeated.

"This area has indeed a proud history and has every right to have a sense of itself. Derrybeg's name has become synonymous with struggle and resistance. This community has seen it all, suffered all the injustices, and came through it unbowed and unbroken. Derrybeg was built in the early 1960's by the Stormont Regime which ran the Orange State at that time. It amounted to a few hundred homes. Many of the original families are still resident in the area and are with us here tonight. There was one road in and one road out in an attempt to ghettoise the population. They witnessed the raids and brutality of the B specials in the 1960's, and, when the Nationalist people of the 6 counties came onto the streets demanding their Rights, Derrybeg was to the fore. Indeed, 40 years ago, when the 6 counties erupted and the Orange State began to crumble Newry was centre stage. In the week after Bloody Sunday thousands of people marched from here into the town in defiance. Hundreds of homes were raided here during Internment when there WAS internment without trial.

"Twelve year old Kevin Heatley was shot dead from this spot by the British Army in February 1973. We remember him tonight. This area has remained a Republican stronghold and continues to play its part in the ongoing development of our struggle. The IRA were defenders of the people and the community opened their doors to them. I want to make a special mention of the women of the area. Six women from this estate served prison sentences and countless others played crucial roles during the war and since.

"This area has seen great change since the early 1970's, the Six County State has been reformed. This is 2009 not 1969, Natioanlists have come off their knees and are now confident about the future. Some Unionists want to go back to the old regime but there is no going back, the ORANGE STATE HAS GONE. COLLIE, BRENDAN, MICHAEL, EDDIE, PATSY AND THEIR COMRADES HAVE SEEN TO THAT.

"Their efforts have lifted the struggle to a new phase and presented us with new challenges and new opportunities. The potential exists to deliver our Republican objectives by another means.

"Ógaligh Na hÉireann has by their iniatives, created the space to allow us to achieve this. We have outlined a strategy that we believe can deliver this.

"Some may seek to undermine it and say that they have another one. They need to outline it to us, tell us what what it is and more importantly put it to the people and seek their support just as we did. If we remain focussed and apply the same level of committment and determination to what we have to do, as the Volunteers that we remember here tonight did, then, i am confident that we can deliver the new Ireland in line with the vision to which these 5 men aspired. We are now in the business of closing the deal, completing the journey that we set out on many years ago. We need to be strategic and patient in our approach while implementing our strategy, we have to continually develop and build our political strenght. we need to remain rooted and relevant to our communities. Just as we did during times of crisis and challenges in the past. We must continue to champion peoples rights in the light of the economic difficulties that our communities now face. We need to do this on all of the island especially in the 26 counties in order to make ourselves more relevant and build our political and electoral strength to drive our strategy forward. Locally we must consolidate the electoral gains made in Newry/Armagh over the last decade and prepare for the defense of Sinn Féin's Westminster seat next year. we must constantly keep moving Unionism in the direction that we want them to go, continue to develop and build upon the All Ireland aspects of the Good Friday Agreement and simultaneously convince Unionism that they would be more secure within a United Ireland. We need to continue with the job of bringing about the necessary changes to policing in this state and i want to commend those who work within Sinn Féin and the District Policing Partnerships in order to bring this about. We have seen enough bad policing, our communities deserve better and we intend to deliver on this issue.

"These are considerable challenges, we must rise to meet them just as the volunteers we remember here tonight did in their time. We are confident that our stategy will succeed and deliver our primary objective of a free, democratic and socialist Republic.

"Only that would serve as a final tribute to Patsy, Eddie, Michael, Brendan and Collie. We are determined to see that to its fruition. We owe it to them and to those who have died before and since.

"Go raibh maith agat, Beir bua agus tiocfaidh ar lá."