Derry Volunteers' Memorial unveiled

Raymond McCartney speaks at the unveiling ceremony

The memorial unveiled at Rossville Street in Derry, against the backdrop of Free Derry Corner and in the shadow of Derry's Hunger Strike monument, is a fitting tribute to the 18 IRA Volunteers from the Derry Brigade who are named on it.

Rossville Street is arguably the most famous street in Derry, in the heart of the Bogside, so the memorial is situated in the cradle of Derry's history over the past 35 years.

Hundreds of people attended the unveiling on Sunday 12 October and heard leading Derry republican Raymond McCartney - a former POW and Hunger Striker - call on the crowd to "reflect on the contribution the Volunteers made in defence of their people and in pursuit of an Irish Republic.

"They were of a generation who saw the challenges and met them with great fortitude and courage," said McCartney. "The men and woman we honour here are our friends and comrades, they were your kith and kin. We will reflect on all the little memories that come together to make them the people they were and who we sorely miss".

McCartney told An Phoblacht that the memorial is part of a project started by the Derry Republican Graves Committee in May 2001 to place memorial stones at spots close to where Volunteers lost their lives.

The first plaque was placed at Southway, where Volunteers Charles 'Pop' Maguire and George McBrearty were killed by undercover British soldiers.

The Volunteers named on the memorial unveiled on Sunday could not, for various reasons, be honoured with a stone at the location of their deaths.

Jim Moyne and Pól Kinsella both died in Long Kesh, while Kieran Fleming drowned while on active service on the Fermanagh Border.

In total the names of 17 men and one woman are inscribed on the stone.

Jim O'Hagan, August 1971; James McDaid, December 1972; Michael Meenan, October 1974; John McDaid, December 1974; Ethel Lynch, December 1974; Jim Moyne, January 1975; Jim Gallagher, May 1976; Pat Harkin, October 1978; Phil O'Donnell, December 1982; Richard Quigley, April 1984; Kieran Fleming, December 1984; Danny Doherty, December 1984; William Fleming, December 1984; Tony Gough, February 1986; Philip McFadden, May 1986; Patrick O'Hagan, August 1986; Gerard Logue, March 1987; and Pól Kinsella, December 1994.