27 November 2008 Edition
Manchester Martyrs remembered in Cork
Wreaths were laid at the Republican Monument, Connolly Street and at the Maid of Erin on behalf of Bandon Sinn Féin and Gort Na Mona Historical Society.
The ceremony in the graveyard began by the piper playing a lament while the Tricolour was raised. This was followed by a wreath-laying ceremony.
Lou McCarthy read the Proclamation of the Republic.
The guest speaker for the day was Kerry County Councillor and EU candidate for Ireland South in the up-coming European elections, Toireasa Ferris.
HARDSHIP
In a powerful oration Toireasa outlined the hardship facing the young, old and vulnerable people after the recent budget cuts. She told the crowd how, after how meeting with an unnamed Fianna Fáil TD the previous day as she prepared to travel to cork for the INTO march where 25,000 people turned up, she was told to ‘go back to Kerry and mind her own business and leave him to look after his constituents and she hers’.
Before finishing Toireasa addressed the attendance of Garda Special Branch detectives that accompanied the march. She urged all attendance to contact the Garda Ombudsman in protest over this interference in their right to gather to commemorate the lives of Allen, Larkin & O’Brien without being intimidated and harrased.
Before the commemoration finished presentations were made to Toireasa and the South Derry Martyrs as a token of appreciation for attending the day’s event.
The South Derry Martyrs played out the ceremony with Amhrán na bhFiann.