Barney McFadden

Barney McFadden - veteran republican - and if anyone deserved that description it was this most outstanding of Derry republicans, died suddenly on Christmas Eve.

His death will deeply sadden Irish republicans and GAA members both in Derry and further afield.

Barney was widely known and respected in many different walks of life. He was a well know Gael, republican, community and trade union activist and was respected for his openness, integrity and approachability.

The esteem with which he was held was demonstrated in the action of the Church authorities, when after many years of banning the display of the national flag within the precincts of the church, it relaxed this rule and allowed Barney's flag-draped coffin to rest in front of the altar throughout requiem Mass.

Barney's contributions to the struggle for justice, freedom and peace were too many to recite in this short tribute to the man who became a father figure to the many republican activists that Derry City and beyond has produced over the last 30 odd years. He was an extraordinary man, a hero and an inspiration to all that were privileged to know him.

He epitomised the republican people of Derry's resistance to the injustice of British rule in Ireland. The sadness of his passing is tempered only by a sense of pride that he will be remembered fondly as a dedicated and honest advocate of the republican cause.

Barney, a lifelong Gael, had three great passions in life, his family, the GAA and his strongly held political beliefs. He was pre-deceased by his wife Róisin and son John, both of whom shared Barney's love of country and GAA.

Barney served on both the Derry City and County GAA Boards as well as holding many committee positions. But what many people throughout the county will remember Barney for was his no nonsense style of refereeing.

He also held many influential positions within Sinn Féin, including Chairperson of Derry Chomhairle Ceanntair and as a member of the Ard Chomhairle. At the height of and during the most difficult periods of the last 30 years of struggle, Barney's home - known as the 'Cottage' - on Stanley's Walk was constantly a hotbed of activity and a focal point for republicans young and old, when in need of food and shelter or the benefit of Barney's experience and advice.

His defence of and campaigning on behalf of republican prisoners in Long Kesh, Armagh, England and overseas is legendary. In the early years of the prison struggle Barney was seen often standing as a lonely figure in Derry City centre campaigning for prisoners' rights.

As if he did not have enough to occupy his time with his involvement in the GAA and politics, not to mention his family commitments, Barney also found time to involve himself in the fight for workers' rights and conditions as a trade union activist during his many years of employment in Derry Gasyard.

Respected by friend and foe alike, he served the Sinn Féin electorate in particular and the people of Derry in general as councillor for 12 years on Derry City Council with the same dedication. Barney stood down as a councillor due to ill health in 1997 but was active in the party, the Church and the community right up to his sudden death.

With the passing of this great republican, a void has been created in the ranks of Derry republicanism that will be difficult to fill. The condolences of the entire Republican Movement is with Barney's family - Breige, Thomas, Brian, Damien, Eamon and Ciaran.

Lisa Bell

The tragic death of Lisa Bell in St Teresa's Gardens, Dublin, just before Christmas shocked everyone, including her many friends in Sinn Féin in the area.

Lisa had moved into the area from Finglas with her young son, Aaron, over a year ago. A happy girl, she made the best of her short life. She doted over Aaron and her daily life revolved around him.

Another love in her life was the Volunteer Hugh Hehir republican flute band, set up two years ago. Previously, Lisa was in the Vols Smith/Harford/Doherty band but she transferred to the Hugh Hehir RFB when she moved into the area. She built up a great friendship with the other band members and travelled with them whenever they attended commemorations.

Lisa had begun work in the weeks before Christmas, as a casual in An Post's Dublin Mail Centre, and was beginning to enjoy the experience of being working again and making plans for the future when her life was tragically taken.

On the Friday and Saturday before Christmas, Lisa's funeral saw republicans and friends from all over Ireland gather in Finglas to pay their respects and bid Lisa farewell in a moving ceremony in the church and at Glasnevin Cemetery. A guard of honour from the two Dublin republican flute bands flanked the hearse as it entered the cemetery.

A eulogy to Lisa from her friends was read in the church:

"Lisa, you were amazing. We know we can't even begin to do you justice, even if we wrote about you for days and days...

"Lisa was such a good friend - she really would do anything any of us asked of her, without a question. Like wriggle under a fence three times at the Belfast festival cos the rest of us fatsos couldn't do it and we needed her to keep getting us the re-entry passes at the exits. And if you needed someone to cheer you up or to get up to dance or to go a bit mad with - she was the woman. Her version of buying a round was to go the bar and come back with no drink but with a fella for each of the girls...

"She loved the band so much. When she first joined the Hugh Hehir, she managed to give the impression that she knew all the songs by coughing at just the right time...

"Lisa lived for her family. She really was close to them - she was in constant contact with them - so much so that we were thinking of putting her ma's number into her phone under the name Stalker!

"For all the craic and all the good times and all the nights out, we all knew what the centre of Lisa's life was. Aaron meant everything to her and he means nearly as much to us because he's Lisa in the making. That means he's going to be loving, generous, funny and happy. If there's one thing that Lisa taught us, it's that life is there to be lived and that there's never any need to make big problems out of little troubles."

Deepest sympathy to her parents Pat and Caroline, young Aaron and the rest of her family. I measc laochra na nGael go raibh sí.

Paddy Coyne

It was with deep sadness that republicans in Galway and beyond learned of the death of Paddy 'Mark' Coyne on 9 October last. Paddy was a great Gael and a very dear friend to the Republican Movement over the last 30 years - always there to help, always a bed for weary limbs and food for the hungry. Paddy was a fisherman who loved the sea. He was also a great lover of traditional music.

Paddy's remains were given a republican guard of honour to the church and to Toorena Cemetery where his Tricolour-draped coffin was laid to rest. Seán Ó Coistealbha, Galway West Sinn Féin candidate, gave the oration. Referring to the large crowd, he said "there are three families here today - first Paddy's blood family, next his neighbours and thirdly his republican family. Pat Treanor, on behalf of the Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle, offered deepest sympathy to Paddy's wife Nora, sons Phil, Paddy, John, Maurice, Tommy, Aiden, Noel and daughters Pam, Barbara and Noreen.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

FROM ALL OF PADDY'S MANY FRIENDS AND COMRADES

Frank McGowan

The death has taken place in Glasgow of veteran republican Frank McGowan. Born in Glasgow on 25 November 1920, Frank was a dedicated republican with decades of active involvement in the cause of Irish independence.

Brought up within Glasgow's Irish community, Frank developed a keen and active interest in all things Irish, whether historical, cultural or political. Well read in Irish history, Frank was also a talented singer and Irish dancer, winning medals and certificates in consecutive years at the Glasgow Feis between 1946 and 1950. In 1958, he became the first person in Britain to sing Sean South at a public concert at a St. Patrick's night concert in Glasgow in from of 3,000 people. The compere that night was former Celtic and Irish football star, and Frank's friend, Charlie Tully.

By this time, Frank had also become politically active in Irish affairs. In 1938, he joined the James Connolly Sinn Féin Cumann in Glasgow and a short time later was involved in the Anti-Partition League in the city. More significantly, and less well known, was the fact that he had joined the Glasgow Battalion of the IRA in 1939 at the age of 19 years.

At this period, the English Campaign was under way and Frank and his comrades were active in supplying material and other support to the IRA units then operating in England. Following the capture and imprisonment of several of Frank's comrades, a new 21-man unit was formed for security reasons, with Belfast-born Joe Kerr (deceased) as OC and Frank as Quartermaster.

During the campaign of 1946-62, Frank was again active, being involved in several raids for arms and explosives in various locations in the West of Scotland. In the 1960s, Frank began working as a ship's steward on various routes from Scotland to Ireland. He took advantage of this to assist the beleaguered nationalist people in any way he could as the pogroms developed in the late 1960s. At this period, he used his time off work to visit Holy Cross Church and the Ardoyne area rather than return to Glasgow.

During the 1970s he worked on the Townsend-Thornsend ships which crossed between Cairnryan and Larne. On one occasion, Frank took rifle-sights and detonators on the ship in his kit-bag while discussing the weather with a member of the Special Branch responsible for port security.

Over the years, Frank was a regular visitor to the Donegal-Derry area, where he had many friends. Only last summer, he proudly showed his grandsons a birthday card he had received from Sinn Féin's Martin Mc Guinness on the occasion of his 80th birthday. Several years ago, despite failing health, he visited Donegal to attend Easter commemorations in Buncrana and Drumboe.

Frank McGowan's commitment to the cause of Irish freedom never wavered throughout his life. He was buried in Glasgow on 4 December with an oration delivered by former Derry republican prisoner Roddy Carlin. The Republican Movement extends its deepest sympathy to Frank's circle of family and friends, especially to his wife Norah and children Brian (Donegal) and Maureen, Kevin and Noreen (Glasgow).

BY JIM FERRY

Tommy Lennon

The sad news was heard recently that Tommy Lennon, Stephens Street, Kilkenny, had passed away. He was a quiet, well-read man, who remained a bachelor. Tommy was a mine of information where wildlife was concerned and was an authority on all aspects of field sports, i.e. shooting, rearing game birds etc. His dogs - always Pointers - were extremely well looked after - he believed in training dogs through kindness and it worked quite well.

As a young man he worked as an able barman and although he emigrated to England for a short time, he was always happiest walking the fields around Aughtanee or Dama, accompanied by his faithful Pointer. He was an employee of Byrne's Bar, James's Green, a member of the outdoor staff of Kilkenny Corporation and also worked on the Gas Pipeline. Tommy was a great conversationalist and it was always a joy to have a chat with him in Campion's Bar or the 'Black Cat' in Blackmill, Kilkenny.

It might come as a surprise to many that the late Tommy was a lifelong republican, as he seldom spoke about it. As a young man in the middle fifties he was a member of Kilkenny Sinn Féin and indeed was an active republican at that time. Although a peaceful man by nature Tommy was prepared to do whatever was necessary to bring about the withdrawal of British troops from Ireland.

Many of Tommy's comrades from that period have gone to their eternal reward and no doubt they will meet now again in a better land where the Union Jack never casts its shadow.

Slán leath a chara - Go ndeanfaidh Dia trócaire ar a anam uasal.

George Hogg

One of the few remaining IRA volunteers from the Tan War was laid to rest in Belfast's City Cemetery on 28 December.

George Hogg was born in 1902. Like so many young men of his generation, George joined the ranks of Belfast Brigade, Oglaigh na hEireann. Despite the difficult circumstances in which the volunteers of the Northern Command were forced to operate during this time, George did not hide away from his responsibilities. He was involved in the operation in Victoria Square, Belfast, when he and his comrades successfully attacked enemy forces. This operation resulted in two RIC men being fatally wounded. On another occasion George was captured by British forces while transporting arms.

Throughout his long life George, who was an uncle of Newtownabbey Sinn Féin councillor, Breige Meehan, longed to see the day when the country he fought for would see the principles of freedom, justice and peace enjoyed by all of the Irish people.

George was due to celebrate his 100th birthday in January. Leapa i measc naoimh agus laochra na hÉireann go raibh aige.

Michael 'Dykie' Smith

The death occurred last week of Dublin republican Michael Smith. 'Dykie', who in recent years lived in a senior citizens complex off the Jamestown Road, in Dublin's Inchicore, was 75 when he passed away.

Originally from Crowe Street in Dublin's North Inner City, Michael was an active republican over the years, being imprisoned in the 1940s and also being active while living in Birmingham in the 1950s and 1960s. Michael returned from Birmingham in the 1970s and maintained his links with the republican struggle. His door in Tallaght, in the North Inner City and more recently in Inchicore was always open to republicans, right up until recent months, when his health deteriorated. There was always a welcome and a desire to help in any way he could.

Ba ball do Chraobh Móibhí, Conradh na Gaeilge é Mícheál, ó nuair nach raibh sé ach 17 bliana d'aois, agus bhí alán cairde i measc Gaeilgeoirí na cathrach aige. Slán a chara, i measc laochra na nGael go raibh d'anam dílis.