3 December 1998 Edition
Fógraí bháis: Bob Smith
The death in Dublin of Bob Smith has robbed the Republican Movement of one of its most tireless workers. For the last sixteen years of his life Bob was the General Secretary of An Cumann Cabhrach and his work for republican POWs and their families is legendary throughout the length and breadth of Ireland, Britain and the United States.
Bob, a bus driver from the Rathfarnham area of Dublin, first came to prominence when the loyalist pogroms in Belfast in 1969 drove thousands of nationalists from their homes. Hundreds found themselves in Dublin without food, shelter or money and Bob Smith was one of those who set up Northern Relief, an organisation which found homes and billets for the refugees and collected food, clothes and money for them.
With help from the forerunners of Noraid in the United States and from people all over Ireland Bob Smith and his comrades in Northern Relief earned the undying gratitude of many hundreds of refugees.
In the following years Bob became active in An Cumann Cabhrach and in Dublin's Republican Commemoration Committee. He was also an IRA Volunteer attached to the Intelligence Department. He was one of those whose constant, vital work behind the scenes contributed so much to the struggle.
During the loyalist UWC strike in 1974 Bob travelled extensively in the 26 Counties collecting gas cookers, medicines and food which were forwarded to the relief committees in the Six Counties to counter the threatened embargo of nationalist areas.
But it will be for his work for the prisoners in An Cumann Cabhrach that Bob will probably be best remembered. His friendly, approachable manner and his reputation as a dependable hard worker endeared him to the many families and prisoners he came in contact with. He also built up close links with Noraid and he went on two long speaking trips to the United States.
Bob's wife Bridie and their family were also dedicated republicans and two of their sons were imprisoned as POWs. Their house was always open to republicans - Bob would joke that when he went home he never knew if he would have a bed for the night.
When he retired from his job as a bus driver Bob went to work full time in Sinn Féin's Head Office. Typically, he found plenty of work to do. ``I used to do my work in a couple of hours at home - now there aren't enough hours in the day,'' he would say.
He fully supported the current republican strategy and gave all his energy to making it a success. He will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him.
A measure of his popularity was the huge turnout at his funeral. In his oration, his close friend and comrade, Joe Cahill said that Bob would like to be remembered for the work he did for the struggle. There is no doubt that his memory will live on.
The Republican Movement sends deepest sympathy to his wife, Bridie, sons Frank, Bob and Eoin and his daughters Mary, Deirdre, Brid and Nuala.
Bob, a bus driver from the Rathfarnham area of Dublin, first came to prominence when the loyalist pogroms in Belfast in 1969 drove thousands of nationalists from their homes. Hundreds found themselves in Dublin without food, shelter or money and Bob Smith was one of those who set up Northern Relief, an organisation which found homes and billets for the refugees and collected food, clothes and money for them.
With help from the forerunners of Noraid in the United States and from people all over Ireland Bob Smith and his comrades in Northern Relief earned the undying gratitude of many hundreds of refugees.
In the following years Bob became active in An Cumann Cabhrach and in Dublin's Republican Commemoration Committee. He was also an IRA Volunteer attached to the Intelligence Department. He was one of those whose constant, vital work behind the scenes contributed so much to the struggle.
During the loyalist UWC strike in 1974 Bob travelled extensively in the 26 Counties collecting gas cookers, medicines and food which were forwarded to the relief committees in the Six Counties to counter the threatened embargo of nationalist areas.
But it will be for his work for the prisoners in An Cumann Cabhrach that Bob will probably be best remembered. His friendly, approachable manner and his reputation as a dependable hard worker endeared him to the many families and prisoners he came in contact with. He also built up close links with Noraid and he went on two long speaking trips to the United States.
Bob's wife Bridie and their family were also dedicated republicans and two of their sons were imprisoned as POWs. Their house was always open to republicans - Bob would joke that when he went home he never knew if he would have a bed for the night.
When he retired from his job as a bus driver Bob went to work full time in Sinn Féin's Head Office. Typically, he found plenty of work to do. ``I used to do my work in a couple of hours at home - now there aren't enough hours in the day,'' he would say.
He fully supported the current republican strategy and gave all his energy to making it a success. He will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him.
A measure of his popularity was the huge turnout at his funeral. In his oration, his close friend and comrade, Joe Cahill said that Bob would like to be remembered for the work he did for the struggle. There is no doubt that his memory will live on.
The Republican Movement sends deepest sympathy to his wife, Bridie, sons Frank, Bob and Eoin and his daughters Mary, Deirdre, Brid and Nuala.