18 September 2008 Edition
Fógraí bháis: Rita Fitzsimmons
THE recent death of our friend Rita Fitzsimmons occurred after a short illness on 21 July 2008.
Rita, or ‘Ma Fitz’ as she was affectionately known, was loved and admired by the many Volunteers of Óglaigh na hÉireann who found a welcome in her home in the course of the struggle over the last four decades.
Rita McLaughlin was born in November 1930 in the shadow of St Matthew’s Chapel in Ballymacarrett, in east Belfast. She married Paddy Fitzsimmons on Christmas Day 1948, the year that saw the end of Christmas Day weddings.
Rita and Paddy moved to Holywood to set up home and their eight children were born there.
However, the couple wanted to move back ‘home’ to Ballymacarrett and were allocated a house in Bryson Street. After settling back in the Short Strand, the Fitzsimmonses had three more children.
Tragedy was to befall the Fitzsimmons household with the death of young Mary, aged 4, who was knocked down and killed in 1962. Rita bore this loss with great dignity.
When the conflict erupted onto the streets of the North in the late 1960s, Bryson Street was to become the frontline as Orange mobs attacked the small nationalist Short Strand enclave.
The Fitzsimmons family were involved in the defence of their community and it was no surprise that some of Rita’s sons and daughters joined the ranks of a resurgent IRA and Cumann na mBan.
After the seminal Battle of St Matthew’s in 1970, which saw the IRA take to the streets in defence of the Short Strand area under attack by unionist mobs and the crown forces, and the launch of the internment raids against the nationalist community in 1971, the Fitzsimmons family moved to the Mountpottinger Road.
As the conflict intensified, the IRA carried the war to the British.
In 1972, Joey Fitzsimmons (Rita and Paddy’s fifth son) died on active service when a bomb he and three other Volunteers were handing exploded in Anderson Street. Four civilians who were assisting the Active Service Unit also died in the blast.
The Catholic Church refused to allow the remains of the Volunteers into the chapel draped in the national flag. This was a very testing time for Rita, as she was devoted to her faith.
Again tragedy would visit Rita when another son, Seamus, was shot dead by the RUC in 1984.
Sadly for Rita, her husband, Paddy, passed away in 1991.
As with many Irish mothers, Rita made frequent trips to Long Kesh where her son, Bobby, was serving 20 years. He was released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
But the promise of peace that came with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement was soon dashed as unionist gangs launched violent attacks on the small Clandeboye enclave on the edge of Short Strand, where the Fitzsimmonses had moved to.
The onslaught lasted from May 2002 until the following year and Rita’s house, along with those of her neighbours, was targeted in gun and bomb attacks launched by unionist paramilitary groups.
The crown forces who were sent to the area also targeted the nationalist residents, using plastic bullets and baton charges.
In the face of this violence, Rita and her neighbours stood firm and refused to be intimidated.
It was only fitting then that when Rita finally passed away this year the Republican Movement honoured her in death.
Her unwavering support for the struggle and for the individual Volunteers from Óglaigh na hÉireann who were welcomed into her home was acknowledged when she was given a republican funeral.
To her children – Paddy, Harry, Agnes, Rita, Ella, Theresa, John, Francis, Bobby, Betty, Joanie, Liam and Paul and their families, the Republican Movement in Short Strand offers its deepest sympathy.
Rita, or ‘Ma Fitz’ as she was affectionately known, was loved and admired by the many Volunteers of Óglaigh na hÉireann who found a welcome in her home in the course of the struggle over the last four decades.
Rita McLaughlin was born in November 1930 in the shadow of St Matthew’s Chapel in Ballymacarrett, in east Belfast. She married Paddy Fitzsimmons on Christmas Day 1948, the year that saw the end of Christmas Day weddings.
Rita and Paddy moved to Holywood to set up home and their eight children were born there.
However, the couple wanted to move back ‘home’ to Ballymacarrett and were allocated a house in Bryson Street. After settling back in the Short Strand, the Fitzsimmonses had three more children.
Tragedy was to befall the Fitzsimmons household with the death of young Mary, aged 4, who was knocked down and killed in 1962. Rita bore this loss with great dignity.
When the conflict erupted onto the streets of the North in the late 1960s, Bryson Street was to become the frontline as Orange mobs attacked the small nationalist Short Strand enclave.
The Fitzsimmons family were involved in the defence of their community and it was no surprise that some of Rita’s sons and daughters joined the ranks of a resurgent IRA and Cumann na mBan.
After the seminal Battle of St Matthew’s in 1970, which saw the IRA take to the streets in defence of the Short Strand area under attack by unionist mobs and the crown forces, and the launch of the internment raids against the nationalist community in 1971, the Fitzsimmons family moved to the Mountpottinger Road.
As the conflict intensified, the IRA carried the war to the British.
In 1972, Joey Fitzsimmons (Rita and Paddy’s fifth son) died on active service when a bomb he and three other Volunteers were handing exploded in Anderson Street. Four civilians who were assisting the Active Service Unit also died in the blast.
The Catholic Church refused to allow the remains of the Volunteers into the chapel draped in the national flag. This was a very testing time for Rita, as she was devoted to her faith.
Again tragedy would visit Rita when another son, Seamus, was shot dead by the RUC in 1984.
Sadly for Rita, her husband, Paddy, passed away in 1991.
As with many Irish mothers, Rita made frequent trips to Long Kesh where her son, Bobby, was serving 20 years. He was released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
But the promise of peace that came with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement was soon dashed as unionist gangs launched violent attacks on the small Clandeboye enclave on the edge of Short Strand, where the Fitzsimmonses had moved to.
The onslaught lasted from May 2002 until the following year and Rita’s house, along with those of her neighbours, was targeted in gun and bomb attacks launched by unionist paramilitary groups.
The crown forces who were sent to the area also targeted the nationalist residents, using plastic bullets and baton charges.
In the face of this violence, Rita and her neighbours stood firm and refused to be intimidated.
It was only fitting then that when Rita finally passed away this year the Republican Movement honoured her in death.
Her unwavering support for the struggle and for the individual Volunteers from Óglaigh na hÉireann who were welcomed into her home was acknowledged when she was given a republican funeral.
To her children – Paddy, Harry, Agnes, Rita, Ella, Theresa, John, Francis, Bobby, Betty, Joanie, Liam and Paul and their families, the Republican Movement in Short Strand offers its deepest sympathy.