Edentubber Martyrs' hard but noble road

"These brave Irishmen from North and South, like so many before them, opposed the injustice of British occupation of our country and chose the hard but noble road of freedom struggle."

Sinn Féin Vice President Pat Doherty MP was speaking at the annual Edentubber Commemoration on Sunday last to commemorate five republicans who lost their lives in a premature explosion in Edentubber 47 years ago. The event attracted many thousands of republicans from all over Ireland. Doherty recalled the graveside oration of the then Sinn Féin TD for Sligo and Leitrim, John Joe McGirl, for Paul Smith from Bessbrook, Oliver Craven from Newry, George Keegan from Enniscorthy, Paddy Parle from Wexford Town and Michael Watters, who owned the cottage where the fatal explosion occurred. "The tragedy which brought to a sudden end the lives of five great Irishmen is a tragedy of the Irish nation, the tragedy of an Ireland that is unfree and divided. These men came from the North and South to join together to end the tragedy of our nation and her people."

Doherty said that the IRA Volunteers who had died and the hundreds of men and women Volunteers who had since given their lives for Irish freedom have paved the way for the achievement of the dream of Irish unity and the end of that tragedy. "This generation has the greatest opportunity since partition to finally achieve national self-determination" stated the Sinn Féin Vice President. But he also warned: "Nobody is pretending that it will be easy. Nobody is pretending that difficulties will not pave the road ahead. But as Irish republicans we have a responsibility to finish off the job."