Michael McVerry Commemoration

CULLYHANNA: Councillor Colman Burns and Tomás Sharkey during the events to honour IRA Volunteer Michael McVerry

The 35th annual commemoration of the death of IRA Volunteer Michael McVerry took place on Sunday, 16 November 2008, in south Armagh.
Michael McVerry died on active service on 15 November 1973 when he and his comrades in Óglaigh na hÉireann attacked the military barracks in Keady.  He was 23. Widely known and respected in the south Armagh community, his efforts have been a source of inspiration to young and old in this area and indeed further afield.
A huge crowd assembled at The Square in Cullyhanna on a fine Sunday morning and paraded through the village, past the monument which overlooks the little village of Cullyhanna and on to the chapel for the anniversary Mass at 11.30am.
Councillor Colman Burns chaired the proceedings in the graveyard and introduced the main speaker, Tomás Sharkey, MEP candidate for Ireland East, who gave the graveside oration.
“After the British forces murdered Harry Thornton, Michael realised that he had to take his place in the struggle for Irish freedom. He joined Óglaigh na hÉireann and was a model Volunteer.
“Interned in the Curragh, he was daring enough to escape. Michael lost his hand but never ceased in his efforts for Óglaigh na hÉireann.
“On 15 November 1973, during an attack on Keady Barracks, Michael was wounded. His comrades managed to take him to hospital in Monaghan Town but Michael was pronounced dead there. We think today of the heartbreak of the McVerry family and the wider community. We also think of the courage of the comrades who tried so hard to save his life. But Michael McVerry’s story did not end there.
“He had spoken of the need to build a party in our local communities. He had told his friends that a 32-county Free State was not an acceptable outcome for the struggle. Michael knew that the struggle would bring us to the negotiating table and said that the talking could be harder than the fighting.”

STRUGGLE GOES ON
And, Tomás said, the spirit of freedom is still alive today even though “the form of struggle changes”.
“We go through many phases of struggle and adapt our strategy and tactics to suit new circumstances. We also must create new circumstances and opportunities.
“I am standing for Ireland East in the next European Election. We will need 80,000 votes to take a seat. In June, 199,000 people in the constituency voted with Sinn Féin on the Lisbon Treaty. So the support is there.
“It is a challenge of course, but I want to ask this question; If Michael McVerry were alive today he would not yet be 60 years old. What would a man with his cunning and loyalty say? I believe he would say, ‘Let’s Do It.’”
Afterwards, there was an inspiring exhibition in the Band Hall of Michael McVerry’s life and of republicanism in Cullyhanna.  The exhibition traces right back to the time of Neal Quinn and Cal Mór or Big Charley Carragher, to the time of the Hunger Strikes, to the murder of Fergal Caraher, right up to the present day with photographs of the funerals of the late Tom Rooney and Brian Keenan.