Comrades commemorate 20th anniversary of Tommy Casey

Tommy Casey

THE 20th anniversary of the death of Tyrone Sinn Féin activist and father of 11 children, Tommy Casey, has been marked by republican comrades.
Tommy was shot dead by loyalist gunmen after arriving at a neighbour’s house on October 26th1990.
The Owen McNamee Sinn Féin Cumann, Kildress, organised a series of events, including a graveside candlelit vigil and a display of the Remembering Quilt to mark the anniversary of his death.
Local Sinn Féin Councillor Seán Clarke said:
“Tommy was a dedicated republican activist and family man who deeply loved the community he hailed from. Despite the best efforts of the state, in collusion with loyalist gunmen and repeated attacks on him and his family, he refused to be silenced.
“It is fitting that the local cumann has taken the initiative to remember Tommy.  He was one of our members and we are privileged to commemorate his bravery, dignity and courage.
Sinn Féin Councillor Seán Begley, who was a close personal friend of Tommy and the Casey family, said:
“Tommy was quite literally my ‘right hand man’ when I represented the people of that area in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
“At that time it was a very different political climate than now. Our party was under constant attack from the state in the form of repression, censorship and collusion with loyalist groups. Fourteen of our members were murdered around that time and many more were targeted for assassination and constant intimidation.
“Only five weeks before Tommy’s untimely murder, the UVF riddled the Casey home with over 30 bullets. Despite these relentless attacks, Tommy was undeterred and remained a dedicated republican activist.
“It is people like Tommy and his wife, Kathleen, who died in 1996, that kept our party and the struggle for freedom alive during the darkest days of the conflict. The political platform they helped to build has enabled us to grow and develop into the largest party in the North.  In Tyrone, this includes three MPs, seven MLAs, 30 councillors and this year Sinn Féin occupies the chairs of the four councils in Tyrone.”
An Phoblacht and republicans everywhere join with our Tyrone comrades in remembering the sacrifice of republicans like Tommy Casey and their families. We do not forget.