West Belfast Sinn Féin Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Councillor Brownlee speaks at opening of Saint James's Memorial Garden

Published: 3 May, 2009

I would like to add my welcome to everyone gathered here today.

I thank you all for allowing me the honour of speaking at this ceremony.

I am humbled by that honour.

The journey to make this memorial garden a reality has been long and hard but standing here now seeing it completed makes everything worthwhile and makes me feel proud for everyone who helped, in whatever way, to build the garden.

From those who raised the money to those who have spent so much of their time recently in building the garden.

I think that everyone should give them a round of applause to show our appreciation of their work.

Today is a sad occasion, but it is also a day of celebration and of hope, because everyone here today, through their memories, is bringing to life all of those whose names who are on this memorial and this garden is a beautiful tribute to them all.

The memory of the great Irishmen and Irishwomen on our Roll of Honour is a guide and an inspiration to us.

We give eternal thanks to their families, who have endured so much, for allowing us to share in the remembrance of their loved ones.

The spirit of resistance represented by people like Harry Burns, Francie Liggett, Paddy Brady, Brendan O'Callaghan and Skipper Burns lives on within this area and within every stone in this garden.

This garden also represents the strength and courage of the people of the greater Saint James's area; strength and courage that shone through when armed struggle was a necessity.

This garden represents a community that could not be ground down - a community that is unbeatable.

The Roll of Honour has pride of place. On it are the names of soldiers of Oglaigh na hEireann and of activists of Sinn Fein.

Each and every one of them were decent, selfless, honourable republicans who loved this community.

They were loving fathers and sons, brothers and husbands, friends and comrades.

They are our heroes.

Also in the garden, there is a tree dedicated to all those who were victims of British state murder and the British government policy of collusion.

We will continue to battle, no matter how long it takes, for the truth to come out about British state murder.

There is a tree dedicated to the memory of the shopkeepers who were murdered in this area by unionist death squads.

They died while serving this community and we will never forget that.

A rose bush has been planted in memory of all the ex-prisoners who have died.

Many of those who went to jail for the struggle have died young and the Commemoration Committee wanted to remember their sacrifice also.

The 12 pillars inside the garden are dedicated to our Hunger Strikers - Frank Stagg and Michael Gaughan and the 10 Hunger Strikers of 1981.

The water fountain inside is also dedicated to the Hunger Strikers.

This morning, I learnt that the Bobby Sands mural in Twinbrook was vandalised overnight.

Luminous yellow paint had been painted over the image of Bobby's face.

This is the latest in a series of attacks on Sinn Fein offices and Republican memorials.

Sinn Fein offices at Connolly House, Sevastopol Street and Turf Lodge have been paint bombed.

In the Connolly House attack a Roll of Honour plaque was smashed to pieces.

In the Turf Lodge attack the sign with the face of Countess Markievicz was destroyed.

Paint was also smeared all over the ground and the flagpole in the Turf Lodge Republican memorial garden.

The mural in memory of the Gibraltar and Milltown Martyrs at the top of Monagh Road had the initials RIRA sprayed on it.

We have spoken with many of the families of those on the Andersonstown Roll of Honour, the Turf Lodge Roll of Honour and some of the families of those on the Gibraltar and Milltown Martyrs mural.

They are saddened and disgusted at these attacks but they are absolutely determined, like we are, that they will not deflect us from working to achieve the United Ireland that our martyrs died for.

In 2 days time, this Tuesday, 5th May, we will commemorate the 28th anniversary of Bobby Sands death on Hunger Strike.

The Hunger Strike of 1981 is already regarded as a watershed in our history and I have no doubt that in the fullness of time, it will come to be seen as a pivotal point on our long march to freedom.

The struggle and the sacrifice of Bobby Sands and of his comrades continue to sustain republicans the length and breadth of Ireland today.

On Tuesday at 5pm we will gather at the bottom of the Whiterock Road for a black flag vigil.

I invite you to join us to remember Bobby on his anniversary and to show your disgust at the attack on Bobby's mural.

When I look at the names on the plaques in this garden, the memories come flooding back.

This year marks Sadie Larmour's 30th anniversary and I find that so hard to believe, as I can still remember her as she was when we used to go in and out of Cassie's house.

Paddy Brady was truly a man of the people, away ahead of his time in capturing the lives of locals as his films testify.

Renowned for his community events, Josephine Larmour said recently she felt Paddy Brady was the founder of Feile an Phobail and given what the Feile has acheived I thought what a brilliant tribute, and it's true, for if Paddy wasn't organising a fun day or a bonny baby competition then no one was!

Anthony McGrady was my neighbour and I was horrified when I learnt of his death, a death his mother never got over and why should she have.

Why should any of us get over these deaths?

They were cruel, they were vicious and they left gaping holes in our community.

We have a responsibility to ensure that no-one dies the way they did and families do not have to cry the tears their families cried.

While the tactics have changed the struggle for freedom continues.

I am a great believer in the Republican family.

As in any family there are different facets, different personalities.

Like the names behind me, different people from different walks of life, from the Volunteer to the shopkeeper.

We are all a family and we should stay together to keep this area proud and strong.

I salute the memory of all the people named in this garden and I salute the courage of their families.

As Wolfe Tone said "many suffer so that some day all Irish people may know justice and peace".

The last point I want to make is one made by Bobby Sands when reflecting on his life as an IRA Volunteer.

''…the people stood by us," he wrote. "The people not only opened the doors of their homes to lend us a hand but they opened their hearts to us. I learned that without the people we could not survive and I knew that I owed them everything.''

That quote sums up for me what the Republican community of Saint James's is about.

If we are ever to pay a truly fitting tribute to all those whose names adorn this garden, then we have to complete the task at hand.

The popular will is to move forward.

So let us all become involved in working for Irish unity and freedom and finish the job that the heroes we honour here today died for.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh.