4 December 1997 Edition
Fógraí bháis: Mary McVeigh
The ink of partition was hardly dry when Mary Walsh was born in November 1922 in the Republican ghetto of Ballymacarrett in Belfast.
As a child she would often hear her mother recall stories of the1916 Rising and the pogroms ofthe 20s and the part that local Republicans played in those campaigns.
She left St Matthew's school at the age of 14 and, like many of the young girls, worked in the mills, enduring the harsh working conditions of the time. Mary became interested in Irish history and culture and around 1939 she joined Cuman na Mbán E company, Belfast Battalion. As a dedicated volunteer no task was too great for her and her strength was in her secrecy.
With a lot of her comrades in Oglaigh Na Heireann interned, the prisoners became Mary's passion. Through the internment days of the 40s Mary carried army despatches in and out of Belfast prison and at the time of Tom Williams' execution Mary and her comrades sat up for two nights making black flags.
After the last of the internees were released from Belfast prison around 1945 Mary met her husband Jimmy Mc Veigh, who had been interned for five years. Funny enough, during Mary's many visits to the jail she had never met him.They married on the 2 September 1952 and the made their home in the Short Strand area.
Mary had six children. Her eldest son James was mentally handicapped and Mary dedicated herself to him and his needs.
In 1968-69 at the collapse of the state the McVeigh home became one of the focal points for the movement to organise itself, including the battle of St Matthews.In 1971 Mary took to the streets in support of the prisoners. Her husband suffered from a stroke which was to restrict her campagining.
Mary's family took her lead and 3 of her children were imprisioned. Her son Sean served 11 years in the H-Blocks, participating in the Blanket Protest. Another son and daughter spent shorter terms in prison.
1996 saw Mary honoured for a lifetime's service to the movement at the annual Short Strand republican commemoration.
Mary passed away on the 13 August 1997 and among a small number she will be remembered for her last act of defiance when she rose from her sick bed to help the escape of a Volunteer on active service from the British Army.
The size of Mary's funeral spoke volumes as the Short Strand buried one of the last of the 40s women.
As a child she would often hear her mother recall stories of the1916 Rising and the pogroms ofthe 20s and the part that local Republicans played in those campaigns.
She left St Matthew's school at the age of 14 and, like many of the young girls, worked in the mills, enduring the harsh working conditions of the time. Mary became interested in Irish history and culture and around 1939 she joined Cuman na Mbán E company, Belfast Battalion. As a dedicated volunteer no task was too great for her and her strength was in her secrecy.
With a lot of her comrades in Oglaigh Na Heireann interned, the prisoners became Mary's passion. Through the internment days of the 40s Mary carried army despatches in and out of Belfast prison and at the time of Tom Williams' execution Mary and her comrades sat up for two nights making black flags.
After the last of the internees were released from Belfast prison around 1945 Mary met her husband Jimmy Mc Veigh, who had been interned for five years. Funny enough, during Mary's many visits to the jail she had never met him.They married on the 2 September 1952 and the made their home in the Short Strand area.
Mary had six children. Her eldest son James was mentally handicapped and Mary dedicated herself to him and his needs.
In 1968-69 at the collapse of the state the McVeigh home became one of the focal points for the movement to organise itself, including the battle of St Matthews.In 1971 Mary took to the streets in support of the prisoners. Her husband suffered from a stroke which was to restrict her campagining.
Mary's family took her lead and 3 of her children were imprisioned. Her son Sean served 11 years in the H-Blocks, participating in the Blanket Protest. Another son and daughter spent shorter terms in prison.
1996 saw Mary honoured for a lifetime's service to the movement at the annual Short Strand republican commemoration.
Mary passed away on the 13 August 1997 and among a small number she will be remembered for her last act of defiance when she rose from her sick bed to help the escape of a Volunteer on active service from the British Army.
The size of Mary's funeral spoke volumes as the Short Strand buried one of the last of the 40s women.