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27 May 2004 Edition

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Honouring our comrades in struggle - The Inaugural Le Chéile Testimonial Function

BY MARTIN SPAIN

Phil McFadden, Gay Clery, Gerry Savage, Owen McCaughey and Marion Reynolds

Phil McFadden, Gay Clery, Gerry Savage, Owen McCaughey and Marion Reynolds will be honoured at the 19 June function in Dublin

Next month, appropriately enough the night before Bodenstown Sunday, republicans will gather at the CityWest Hotel in Dublin to honour five individuals who have given tremendous service to the republican cause over many years.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams will give the keynote address at the Le Chéile event, which will include dinner, music and dancing.

Le Chéile national organising committee chair Dodie McGuinness explains that this is the first function of its kind but it will be an annual event. "This republican gathering is an opportunity for us to acknowledge the contribution these people have made to the continuing struggle," she said. "As a group, as well as representing the four provinces and the international arena, they also represent many organisations, generations and areas of struggle."

The idea for this sort of night, Dodie explains, was born out of the tremendous success of the Tírghrá function honouring the families of fallen IRA Volunteers and memories of the annual An Cumann Cabhrach Testimonial functions, which ended in the early 1990s.

"We decided to revisit the tradition of honouring republicans for their contribution because all too often as a movement we do not seek or offer acknowledgement, no matter how much it may be deserved," says Dodie.

This year's five honorees are profiled below.

Phil McFadden (Connacht Honoree)

No republican from any of the 32 Counties or our friends and supporters overseas can visit Mayo without dropping in to The Minaun View Bar in Keel, Achill Island. This shrine to republicanism and revolutionary politics, adorned with Long Kesh mirrors and Portlaoise bodhrán would not be out of place in the Falls Road or the Bogside.

Phil McFadden runs the Minaun. She has been a supporter of the republican struggle throughout this current phase. She was at the funeral of Michael Gaughan, the Mayo hunger striker who lost his life 30 years ago in 1974. She also witnessed the shameful spectacle that was the Fine Gael/Labour hijacking of the funeral of that other Mayo hunger striker, Frank Stagg. She was a vocal supporter of the 1981 Hunger Strikers.

A longtime supporter and friend of imprisoned republicans here and overseas, Phil, like so many republicans throughout the land, does not look for recognition or praise for her actions. She is part of the backbone of our support structures.

Born and reared in Keel, Phil spent some time in Cleveland in the United States before returning home to run the family pub. She is a founding member of the Father Manus Sweeney Memorial Committee and organises the local annual Easter Commemoration at the monument of the 1798 patriot priest.

She helped form the Eanus McNulty Sinn Féin Cumann in Achill -- one of the longest established cumainn in Mayo — and has always played an active part in Mayo Comhairle Ceantair. Phil has most recently been working alongside the Sinn Féin local election candidate in Erris, Rose Conway-Walsh.

Gay Clery (Leinster Honoree)

Gabriel 'Gay' Clery was born in Dublin in 1943, and grew up in the suburb of Crumlin. In 1962, he married Sinéad from Terenure, and together they have six children and five grandchildren.

Gay was trained as a fitter, and put his skills at the disposal of the republican cause in the developing campaign against British rule. He was first arrested in 1976, and recaptured after a period on the run. He was convicted of IRA membership in 1977, and served his sentence in Portlaoise.

Once released, Gabriel returned to the ranks of the movement and was arrested again in 1987 on board the Eksund with arms destined for Ireland. He served five years in a French prison and returned to Ireland in 1992.

In 1996, he was arrested at a workshop in Clonaslee, County Laois, and was sentenced to 20 years. Fortunately, he served only two years of this sentence, and was released in October 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

Since 2000, Gay has worked with the Dublin ex-prisoner group, Tar Isteach. He is involved in the production of videos archiving republican history and has captured on film the stories of activists like Joe Cahill. His work with the ex-prisoner group included co-founding the hill-walking club, the Tar Isteach Bog Trotters.

Besides hillwalking, he has a keen interest in angling and sailing. In 2003, Gay sailed on the historic famine ship, The Jeanie Johnson, from Belfast to Waterford.

Gerry Savage (Munster Honoree)

Gerry Savage was born in 1927 in Mallymacelligott, County Kerry. He joined the IRA in 1944 at the age of 17. In 1949, he found himself on a boat to England in search of work. When his brother fell ill in 1954, Gerry had to return home to look after the family farm. A year later he married Maureen. They have five children, three boys and two girls.

On his return from England, Gerry became more involved with the republican struggle and when the Official/Provisional split came in 1969/1970, he was to the fore in reorganising in Kerry.

Since then, he has worked tirelessly in building the party in Kerry and he played a vital role in the 1997/'99 elections, as well as in the 2002 General Election, when Sinn Féin returned a TD for North Kerry for the first time since Austin Stack in the late 1920s.

Gerry, a fluent Irish speaker, was an excellent footballer both in England and with his home club, Ballymac. He is a founder member of the Kerry supporters' club and he was chairperson of that club until last year. Gerry is a renowned local historian and has provided people from all over the country with tours of republican sights and monuments throughout Kerry.

Owen McCaughey (Ulster Honoree)

Born in August 1917, Owen McCaughey is a native of Cappagh, County Tyrone. One of six children, four boys and two girls, his earliest memory is of his father telling stories of the 1916 Rising, of Pearse and Tone, and of the campaign of killing and rampage carried out by the Black and Tans.

Owen married Brigid in 1957 and they had three children, two boys and a girl. He brought them up in the same tradition. As well as being a loving husband and father and a friend to many, he has been a loyal and dedicated republican activist since the 1930s.

A proud moment was when his son Martin was elected as Sinn Féin councillor for the Torrent area in 1986 to represent the people of Cappagh/Galbally.

But Owen and his family also endured hardship and sorrow during the conflict, most notably with the loss of Martin, shot dead with his comrade Dessie Grew in Armagh by the SAS in October 1990. Both Óglaigh were on active service at the time. Owen McCaughey showed quiet and dignified strength in the way he endured his personal loss.

The McCaughey family were subjected to constant harassment, beatings, arrests and death threats at the hands of the crown forces over the years. The family home was raided on dozens of occasions and both sons were arrested. On such occasions, Owen would always stand at the door and say 'See youse in a few days'. He never showed any emotion to the enemy, just dignity and pride.

A true ambassador for the republican cause, Owen has shown many fine qualities; sincerity, loyalty, courage and honour, during his long years of service to the struggle and his commitment to his republican ideals has remained solid.

Marion Reynolds (International Honoree)

Marion Reynolds was born and raised in Headford, County Galway. She arrived in New York in 1957, where she made her home.

Marion was very active in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States during the tumultuous 1960s and became involved in the Irish Civil Rights Movement after the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry.

A member of Irish Northern Aid for over 30 years, Marion has held many positions in that organisation and with the Irish People newspaper. She is currently Noraid's National Treasurer and manages its national headquarters in New York.

A well respected member of the republican family, Marion has hosted numerous visitors to New York over the years and has gotten to know many of the ex-prisoners and their families.

Former Sinn Féin National Treasurer Joe Cahill, who worked closely with Marion over many years, paid tribute to her hard work and commitment, particularly in relation to fundraising. "It was an honour and a privilege to work with Marion," he said. "Her contribution to the struggle over the years has been invaluable."

Marion currently resides in New Jersey, close to her children and grandchildren, and continues her activist work in full confidence of seeing her life's work, a United Ireland, come to fruition.


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