CHRISTINE BEATTIE

Christine Beattie

CHRISTINE BEATTIE, former Armagh POW, who died on 20 December 2008, passed away just days before her 51st birthday.
Her family and friends will miss her, as will the people of the Bone area in north Belfast, whose rights and interests she championed over the years.
Christine was born on Christmas Day 1957 and was the fourth of seven children born to Nellie and Danny. She was reared in the Bone area and, despite living in an area that felt the brunt of unionist discrimination, she spent many happy days growing up among people imbued with a rich sense of community.
Like many young women from the Bone who witnessed the sectarian pogroms and the violence of the B-Specials and RUC, Christine decided to do something in defence her community.
She joined Cumann na gCailíní (then the republican young women’s movement) before she graduated to become an active member of the IRA’s 3rd Battalion, Belfast Brigade.
In 1977, Christine met her future husband, Mickey, but not long afterwards she was arrested and imprisoned. Christine was to spend the next nine and a half years of her young life in Armagh Jail where she was involved in the No-Work and No-Wash protests for political status. Despite the horrendous conditions, the efforts of the prison authorities and the British Government and the violence of the Screws, ‘Bap’ (as she was affectionately known to her friends) endured to see the end of the British Government’s attempts to criminalise Irish prisoners of war.

WOMEN’S CENTRE
She was eventually freed in 1986 and travelled to the United States with her good friend and comrade, Eilis O’Connor, but returned to the Bone a short time later.
Back in her old area, Christine devoted the next years of her life working in the Women’s Centre, helping women and their families through difficult times.
Mickey and Christine moved to Dundalk in 1988 where they lived for a short while before once again returning to north Belfast. It was at this time that their children, Michael and Caitriona, were born.
At this stage in her life, Christine realised that the poverty the people of the Bone were enduring was as much a part of their oppression as was the British military machine that they confronted day and daily in their lives.
She threw herself head-first into alleviating that poverty and immersed herself in community politics, especially work with young people in the area, and cultural activities. She had a great love or the Irish language which she passed on to her children, both of whom are fluent speakers.
Christine worked as a community development worker with the Marrowbone Community Association from 1997 and up until her untimely death was very active in establishing a number of local community initiatives, including the Bone Women’s Group, residents’ associations, Cumann na Gaeilge and the community library. She also ensured that the Seany Bateson Memorial Cup would be contested on an annual basis.

YOUTH POTENTIAL
Christine saw the enormous potential of local young people and devoted a lot of her time and energy in establishing the local youth club and Belfast’s only Irish-language youth club, Club Óige Mhachaire Botháin.
Despite her huge commitment to the local community, Christine was devoted to Mickey, Michael and Caitriona, whom she loved very much. The values that Mickey and Christine instilled in their children has seen them develop into two fine young people.
Christine’s leadership qualities were an inspiration to us all. The confidence and belief she instilled in others was second to none and her single-minded determination to overcome whatever life threw at her is a lasting testament to the woman she was.
Christine will not only be missed by her family and friends but by the whole community. The republican ideals that led her to join the Republican Movement were with her to the end as she remained committed to a 32-County Irish Republic.
Go ndéana Dia trocaire ar a hanam uasal. I measc laochra na nGael a bheidh sí.