Youth for Truth on Collusion

Collusion is highlighted in a theatrical manner

A conference exploring the effects of collusion on young people will be held in St Mary's College, West Belfast on Thursday 4 August, as part of this year's Féile an Phobáil.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams will give an historic overview of collusion in the Six Counties and how the links between the State and unionist death squads are part of the political fabric.

Speaking to An Phoblacht, Sharon Pickering of An Fhirinne who will chair the event, explained that his group, "were totally behind the idea of Youth for Truth as it gave young people who lost a loved one the opportunity to speak about their loss".

Among the young people sharing the platform will be Setanta Marley who was only an infant when his father, IRA Volunteer Larry Marley was shot dead by loylaists in their Ardoyne home in 1987.

In the aftermath of the Marley killing a two-day stand off ensued as the RUC refused to allow the funeral to go ahead as part of their policy of attacking republican funerals.

Daithi Ryan from Dublin, representing the families of the Dublin/Monaghan bombings and Deirdre McAliskey, whose mother Bernadette, a leading member of the Anti-H Block/Armagh Committee was shot and badly injured by the UDA in 1981 will also speak.

Paul Brennan from the Short Strand will talk of his experiences of living under siege in the area during 2003. Loylaist attacked the Short strand on a constant basis using blast bombs, petrol bombs and other missiles often under the gaze of th British forces.

The youth wings of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the 26-County Labour party and the SDLP have been invited while a delegation from Ogra Shinn Féin and representatives from Palestine and the Basque Country wil attend.