Doco’s story is part of Ireland’s proud history of resistance

Republicans from Finglas and around Dublin gathered last weekend to pay tribute to Volunteer Martin ‘Doco’ Doherty, who was shot dead 31 years ago today. Doherty was killed at the Widow Scallan’s pub in Dublin on May 21^st 1994, when alone and unarmed, he tackled an armed UVF gang who planned to plant a bomb at the venue where friends and relatives of republican prisoners were attending a fundraiser.

On Friday 16^th May the annual Martin Doherty Memorial lecture was given by historian and author, Dr Ruan O Donnell to an audience that included four of Martin Doherty’s siblings as well as other family members.

The annual Volunteer Martin Doherty Commemoration was held on May 17^th with a parade from Finglas Village to Martin’s grave in Glasnevin cemetery. Led by a piper, flag bearers and banners, family, friends, neighbours and comrades proudly paraded to honour the memory of a true Irish patriot.

The ceremony at the Doherty family grave was chaired by Máire Devine TD. The Dublin Roll of Honour was read by Rab Timpson of Cairde na hÉireann in Scotland, and wreaths were laid by Dessie Ellis TD, Martha Ellis, and by Volunteer Martin Doherty’s sister Rita. 

Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy gave the main address at the commemoration. Below, we carry his full speech.

A chairde, tá áthas orm a bheith anseo libh inniu chun Martin Doherty a chomóradh.

I want to thank the organisers of today’s commemoration for inviting me to speak here today. 

It is a huge honour and a real privilege to join with you here today - especially with the family, friends, and former comrades of Óglach Martin Doherty

Martin Doherty, known as Doco, grew up in Finglas, was a volunteer with the Dublin Brigade of Oglaigh na h-Eireann. Doco, is part of the story of the Irish nation. Of ordinary people who stood up against injustice, who fought for our independence and for our freedom.

A young man from Dublin, from a close republican family, bravely standing up for his fellow countrymen and women in the North who had been abandoned by those in power in the South.

A former POW, he served six years in Portlaoise Prison. He was arrested in England in 1990 but later released due to lack of evidence. 

• Matt Carthy addresses the commemoration at the graveside of Vol Martin Doherty 

Doco’s story is part of Ireland’s proud history of radicalism, resistance and solidarity. 

When I moved to Dublin and was active in Ogra Sinn Féin in 1996, I heard about Doco as a republican hero. 

Someone who had saved many lives when he courageously gave his life to prevent an attempt by the UVF to bomb a POW function at the Widow Scallan’s Pub in May 1994.

Someone who was the victim of British collusion with loyalists. Someone who has never got the justice that he deserved.

I also heard about how John Bruton had the audacity to make disgraceful comments about the funeral of a man who had saved so many lives.  

To talk of the funeral of Doco as ‘appalling, dangerous and provocative’ when he had lost his life in saving the lives of so many others was nothing short of shameful and a measure of the man who would do little as Taoiseach to achieve peace in Ireland.

Without Doco’s sacrifice, the attempted bombing of the Widow Scallan’s pub could have been an atrocity on the scale of the Dublin Monaghan bombings. Today on the 51^st anniversary of that atrocity we remember too all those killed in the Dublin Monaghan bombings and salute those who have, over all those years, continued to campaign for truth and justice.

For the family of Doco, for the families of those killed in the Dublin Monaghan bombings, for the family of John Francis Green and so many others killed in the South as a result of British collusion with loyalists there must be truth and justice. People have waited too long. 

Governments led by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have completely failed to pursue justice or to ensure that the British Government is held to account in relation to these killings.

As Sinn Féin justice spokesperson I will be working for the establishment of a Historical Inquiries Unit to investigate these crimes and also to investigate the actions of the Heavy Gang including in the Sallins case.

Doco, who was only 35 years of age when he was killed, grew up in the proud, working-class community of Finglas. 

The working-class people of Dublin have always been at the heart of the struggle for Irish freedom. 

Rising from the dire poverty of the Dublin tenements to take on the might of the British empire in 1916, having taken on exploitative bosses three years earlier during the 1913 lockout.

They found that they were not be much better off under the Free State.

Poverty, inequality, poor housing all continued.

• Sinn Féin TD for Dublin North West, Dessie Ellis lays a wreath at the grave of Vol. Martin Doherty

The Irish state had levels of emigration on a scale almost unique in the 20^th century.

It also had unprecedented incarcerations of working-class people in industrial schools, Magdalene laundries and psychiatric institutions. The trauma of which is still being felt in many families to this day.

The working-class people of Dublin never saw the promises of the Proclamation that was put up in their city on Easter week fulfilled, but instead saw privilege and poverty continue side by side.

It was a state marked by inequality, run by a class of people who - unlike working class young people like Doco - turned their back on the North, pretending not to see the discrimination, the brutality, the sectarianism of the state they had allowed to be created,

Today, ordinary people are struggling with the cost of living. The housing crisis is never ending.  People cannot get a home in their own community. Young people can’t afford to rent or move out from their parent’s home.  Council housing is not being built. Affordable housing is not being built.  

Too many people are in low-paid jobs, the rights of workers to organise for better pay are too weak. 

Communities are not safe and are not policed properly by community gardaí working to prevent crime and to prevent young people becoming dragged into crime.

There hasn’t been properinvestment in communities, in facilities, in amenities, in sports, in youth services, particularly in communities that faced unfair cuts a decade and a half ago following the crash. 

The health system stumbles from crisis to crisis with those who can pay getting quicker access.

There is far too much inequality, particularly economic inequality, in this state as vested interests, the powerful and the wealthy protect their own interests at every turn. At the same time a new generation of gombeens are facilitated in becoming millionaires on the back of a dysfunctional international protection system.

• A Republican colour party led the commemorative parade to Glasnevin Cemetery

How is it that a state as wealthy as this cannot deliver basic services and investment?

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have never delivered for the ordinary people of this state and there is no reason to think that they ever will. There will never be any change while we have governments led by Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael.

And we in Sinn Féin absolutely believe we have to better set out our vision for an Ireland that is that is fairer and that delivers for ordinary people – that actually puts the needs of ordinary working people at the core of what government does. 

We have to convince people that Sinn Féin will be different and that we will actually deliver. 

It won’t be easy to change a state and the interests it has served for a century. But I can tell you this: we are absolutely going to do it.

When I moved to Dublin it was just two years after the first IRA ceasefire.  It was the beginning of the Peace Process. 

For so many comrades I met in Dublin Sinn Féin, the memory of the killing of Doco was still raw.  

In particular, I am thinking today of Ann O’Sullivan who is here with us today, who organised the Prisoners Dependents fundraiser that was taking place in the Widow Scallan’s and who was Doco’s partner. And also of Doco’s family and his comrades, many of whom are also here with us today.

Today we remember not only Doco, his courage and his sacrifice which saved so many lives - we also remember what we stand for, what we struggle for and what he fought for:

For Ireland to be a nation once again – strong, free, independent, united.  

For an Ireland that is governed by the people for the people. 

For an Ireland with strong public services, a fair distribution of wealth, supporting workers, families, communities.  

And as we build that United Ireland, we will always come together to commemorate those who had the courage to step forward, to stand up for what was right and to fight for Irish freedom and independence.   

Ar Aghaidh linn le cheile! Go raibh maith agaibh go léir.