West Tyrone Sinn Féin Dinner Dance | Four lifelong republican activists honoured

The four honourees: James McElduff, Patsy McGarvey, Emmet McNamee on behalf of Tommy McNamee and Seán Harte with Martin Ferris TD and local elected representatives

REPUBLICANS from throughout west Tyrone and Donegal gathered in the Mellon Country Hotel in November for the annual West Tyrone Sinn Féin Dinner Dance.
During the evening presentations were made to four lifelong republican activists: James Mc Elduff (Loughmacrory), Tommy McNamee (Glenelly/Omagh), Patsy McGarvey (Aghyaran/Derg) and Seán Harte (Canada and formerly Loughmacrory).
The main address for the evening was given by Kerry North TD Martin Ferris.
The tribute to veteran republican and former Sinn Féin Councillor James McElduff was compiled and read by his niece, the vice-chair of Omagh District Council, Ann Marie Fitzgerald.

James McElduff

“James and his family, particularly his late wife Cissie, have suffered and sacrificed a lot as a result of their commitment to the struggle for Irish freedom.
“On two occasions, James was interned and was subjected to relentless harassment and intimidation by the British Army and RUC down through the years. Despite this, he remained true to his republican beliefs and, when Sinn Féin decided to contest local government elections in 1985, James stood as a candidate and was part of the first Sinn Féin team on Omagh District Council. James showed courage and leadership and his actions paved the way for the republicans of this generation to follow.”

Tommy McNamee
The second honouree was lifelong republican and former Councillor Tommy McNamee. Unfortunately, Tommy was in hospital and unable to attend the event but a presentation was accepted on his behalf by his son, Emmett. The tribute to Tommy was read by his good friend and party colleague, Claire McGill MLA.
Claire spoke of Tommy’s “commitment and dedication to representing people during very difficult times”. On at least two occasions Tommy narrowly escaped death at the hands of loyalist gunmen. However, this never deterred him and, along with close colleagues like Councillors Ivan Barr and Charlie McHugh, Tommy continued to give exemplary leadership and constituency service to the people of the Glenelly valley.

Patsy McGarvey
The third honouree was veteran republican Patsy McGarvey. The tribute to Patsy was penned and read by Councillor Ruairí McHugh, whose family are close friends and neighbours of Patsy’s. During the tribute, Ruairí noted that Patsy has been a lifelong republican and member of Sinn Féin.
“During the conflict, he lost many great friends but, despite the hardship, Patsy always remained focused on the path towards peace and justice. Patsy was not only an influential figure in West Tyrone but also in Donegal and Dublin, where he lived and worked for many years on building sites with his close friend and former Sinn Féin Councillor Cathal Quinn, who died suddenly in 2007.
“Patsy has also worked tirelessly for charities such as Cuan Mhuire, which supports people with alcohol dependency. He is a man with a deep social conscious, always willing to help those in need.”

Seán Harte
The final honouree was Seán Harte, originally from Loughmacrory but resident in Toronto, Canada.
The tribute to Seán was compiled and read by the Chair of Omagh District Council, Councillor Declan McAleer, who said:
“This is an emotive night for the Harte family as it coincides with the first anniversary of the death of their mother, Winnie. Seán emigrated to Canada on October 8th 1974 on the eighth birthday of his younger brother, Martin. Tragically, Martin, along with another brother, Gerard, was shot dead by the SAS at Drumnakilly on August 30th 1988, while his sister, Kathleen, passed away last year.
“Despite being away from these shores, Seán never forgot his roots and has always played a leading role in political and cultural circles among the Irish community in Canada. He has engaged in extensive political lobbying with Friends of Sinn Féin and down through the years of conflict assisted countless Irish people fleeing persecution from the British Government.
“Seán continues to play a leading role with the GAA in Canada and at one stage was the President of the Canadian GAA Board. His commitment to Irish political and cultural affairs, combined with the huge sacrifice made by the wider Harte family, makes Seán a worthy recipient of this presentation”.
The formal part of the evening concluded with a rousing speech given by Kerry North TD Martin Ferris.
Martin Ferris paid tribute to the huge contribution and sacrifice that Tyrone has made during the long years of conflict. He also paid tribute to the organisation and huge growth in support for Sinn Féin in the county.
“This includes 30 councillors, seven MLAs, three MPs and the chair of each of the four councils in Tyrone this year. This is huge political strength and Tyrone is leading the way in terms of advancing the struggle towards Irish reunification.”