28 June 2001 Edition

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Galway's striking hunger strike crosses

Driving along the main route between Galway and the villages of An Cheathrú Rua, Carna, Leitir Móir, Rosmuc etc, the road takes a sharp bend to the right just beyond Baile na hAbhann, home of TG4. This is the heart of Gaeltacht Chonamara Theas, and every day the road is travelled by thousands of people. In the summer there is a constant flow of traffic, with visitors from all over Ireland, indeed the world.

Traffic slows sharply for the bend, and then, before picking up full speed again, the cars and buses brake again, many stopping completely, many pausing long enough to take a picture, most curious about the gradual arrival this summer of one, then two, then three and on eventually until there are ten large white crosses alongside one of the west of Ireland's busiest stretches of road.

The crosses were set in place on the anniversaries of the commencement of hunger strike by each of the ten H Block hunger strikers, and the final cross was raised last week, marking the beginning of Mickey Devine's fast. By now, four of the crosses have been draped in black, marking the deaths of Bobby, Frank, Raymond and Patsy.

Conamara Theas Sinn Féin representative Seán Ó Coistealbha, who has taken a prominent role in the Hunger Strike commemorations in Galway, says that the erection of the crosses has provoked a very sympathetic reaction among locals and visitors alike. ``Ó thóg muid an chéad chros, beagnach ceithre mhí ó shin is beag lá nach raibh duine nó daoine ag stopadh agus ag tógadh grianghraf díobh,'' arsa sé, explaining that the sight of people taking pictures of the crosses is a daily event.

``Chomh maith leis na crosanna anseo, tá deich gcinn eile tógtha ag poblachtánaithe áitiúla gár don Chlochán. Bhí imeachtaí cuimhneachána chomh maith i mbliana ar Inis Oírr, i mBearna, in Indreabhán, i Leitir Fraic agus i mBaile Conaola agus léiríodh Dialann Ocrais i Leitir Móir gan trácht ar imeachtaí eagsúla i gCathair na Gaillimhe agus in Oirthear na Gaillimhe.

Republicans in the West of Ireland say that support for the anniversary events have benn well supported and that before their calender of commemorations is completed later in the year they will have brought the legacy of the H Block/Armagh struggle into every area of Galway.


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