A commemorative weekend in South Tipperary

The well attended Volunteer Eamonn O’Doherty Commemoration in Carrick-on-Suir

A COMMEMORATION was held last Saturday in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, to mark the tenth anniversary of the death of  local Volunteer and former Chief of Staff of the IRA Eamonn O’Doherty.
A crowd of 200 people marched through the town behind the Carrick-on-Suir Republican Flute Band and the Ed O’Brien Band. The atmosphere was very upbeat and on a number of occasions there was spontaneous applause from onlookers as the parade marched through the town, crossing the bridge overlooking the Suir river and on to the graveyard where wreaths were laid in honour of a local hero.
Veteran republican Marcus Fogarty, from Cashel, gave the oration, saying it was an honour to do so.
“It’s a great privilege to say a few words about a friend and comrade Eamonn O’Doherty. Eamonn was steeped in republicanism going right back to the Border campaign and was an unassuming man with a charming smile.
“Eamonn was a man who never raised his voice. He had wanted to open a bookshop in Carrick-on-Suir but was too busy working with the Movement from the 1950s until his death to get around to it, but he read a lot.
“In 1973, he was promoted to the IRA General Headquarters Staff (GHQ) and, after the arrest of Séamus Twomey later that year, he was appointed Chief of Staff. As far as I know, he was the only person from Tipperary to have become Chief of Staff so that’s a great tribute to Carrick-on-Suir.
“Eamonn was everything a republican should be and his premature death at the age of 60 was a big loss to the Movement. Tomorrow we’ll have the Seán Treacy commemoration. Eamonn O’Doherty was the Seán Treacy of the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.”
Later that evening, a dinner-dance was held at the local Carraig Hotel. The evening peaked with a pageant honouring The Four Martyrs – Rory O’Connor, Liam Mellows Richard Barrett and Joseph McKelvey – who were executed by firing squad in December 1922 in reprisal for the anti-Treaty IRA’s killing of Seán Hales TD.
Five Tipperary republicans – Mícheál De Faoite, Michael Browne, Marcus Fogarty, Liam Walsh and Ella O’Dwyer – were given presentations on the night.


SEÁN TREACY COMMEMORATION
The annual Seán Treacy Commemoration was held in Kilfeacle Cemetery on Sunday afternoon. The colour party was led by the Carrick-on-Suir Republican Flute Band and the oration was delivered by Belfast Sinn Féin representative Daniel Jack.
South Tipperary Sinn Féin wishes to especially thank Jim Clarke and Michael Morrisey of the Andersonstown Commemoration Committee who introduced the Carrick republicans to the Four Martyrs Pageant and who travelled all the way from Belfast to be with them at the weekend’s commemorations.

Belfast republican Daniel Jack who delivered the oration at the Seán Treacy Commemoration