Honouring the Volunteers of Crossbarry

Derek Warfield gave the oration at Crossbarry. Also pictured are Seán Kelleher and Con O'Callaghan

Several hundred people attended the recent annual Crossbarry commemoration in Cork in memory of the historic victory by Tom Barry's flying column over a vastly superior force of British troops.

Con Ó Callaghan, Cathaoirleach, in his introduction criticised the politicians in Leinster House led by Minister Michael McDowell who have been attacking Sinn Féin and republicans for the past few months.

"McDowell claims to be a republican but I believe that if he stood in a court of law accused of being a republican there would not be enough evidence to convict him," he said. He also made the point that "the British general election campaign must bring home to the unionists how unimportant they are, with no British politician setting foot in, or making mention of, the Six Counties in the past six months". The British should now state that they will withdraw from Ireland, he said.

Derek Warfield, ballad singer and historian, in a wide ranging address praised the courage of Tom Barry and the Volunteers, and the people who supported them. They did so at a high price, he said; homes were burned, lives were disrupted and members of families were jailed and murdered. Nobody could or should forget the high price that those courageous people made to win freedom for this part of Ireland.

"Tom Barry and his men humiliated British forces at Crossbarry and Kilmichael and it's a pity we didn't have more like him over the past 200 years," he said.