SDLP in disarray over tribute to hunger striker

Posted by Jim on April 14, 2018

The nationalist SDLP has been condemned after it threatened to
discipline its councillors in Newry who failed to support moves to
rename a park in the town named for local hunger strike hero Raymond
McCreesh.

Raymond McCreesh died on hunger strike against the policy of
criminalising republicans in 1981. On Monday, a motion calling for
Newry, Mourne and Down council to remove McCreesh’s name from the park,
failed.

Unionists had put the motion forward, but an amendment by Sinn Fein
councillors was accepted instead. It argued that the council should
continue with a review into play facilities in the district, as agreed
at a meeting in December.

Unionists stormed out of the council chamber after the vote, furious
that the SDLP had not backed their motion to remove Raymond McCreesh
from the park’s name.

Independent unionist councillor Henry Reilly bellowed as he led
unionists out: “This is a republican council for republicans.” The Sinn
Fein-SDLP amendment passed by 24 votes to 10, with three abstentions.

Senior SDLP figure Claire Hanna has hit out at her colleagues. Hanna
said: “Particularly in week reflecting on the [Good Friday] Agreement
and celebrating the values in it, saddened by the vote in Newry. This
wasn’t a time for whataboutery and rushing to repeat mistakes of the
past. It was and is wrong to name a kids playground for anyone linked to
Kingsmill.”

His family have always denied, and no proof has ever emerged, to back
unionist claims that he is linked to the 1976 Kingsmill ambush, in which
ten Protestant workmen were killed.

Saoradh’s National Spokesperson Dee Fennell condemned suggestions that
the SDLP councillors involved would be disciplined by the party, but
said he was not surprise.

“Activists in the area are well accustomed to the Castle Catholic
attitude of this party, with the anniversary of local IRA Volunteer
Colum Marks this week immediately bringing to mind Eddie McGrady of the
SDLP saying that his shoot-to-kill murder was “a job well done”.

“With this revelation the SDLP, while claiming to be a non-sectarian
party that has inherited the civil rights movement’s ethos, has again
showed itself up to be the pro-establishment party it really is. While
their leadership refuses to wear Easter Lilies, they wear poppies.

“While they refuse to attend Republican commemorations, they attend
those organised by the Royal British Legion. While supporting the
censorship of Republicans, they encourage British Army recruitment in
schools.

“While saying armed groups should be consigned to the past, they have
supported both the RUC and PSNI for decades – the largest armed group of
all.

“Now their duplicity has extended to the naming of public places. While
the SDLP leadership failed to back one of it’s own councillors who
opposed the naming of a leisure centre in Newtownards after SAS
mercenary Blair Mayne, they have now decided to embark on a
criminalisation agenda against the H-Block Martyr and IRA Volunteer
Raymond McCreesh.

“Why are the SDLP leadership not campaigning for the renaming of a
multitude of landmarks across the Six Counties that are named after
imperial and colonial figures?”

Mr Fennell said the people of Newry were overwhelmingly in support of
the name.

“They recognise the reality that Raymond McCreesh was a hero. A
revolutionary. A blanketman. An IRA Volunteer. A man who gave up his
life for his friends, opposing criminalisation by giving up his life –
and now the SDLP seek to felon set him in death.

“The SDLP is dying. Losing support rapidly, even in their traditional
heartlands where they were bolstered by the anti-Republican rants of
prominent clergy. Their elected membership is abandoning them. Their
party is rudderless, counting down the days to either amalgamation with
a Free State establishment party against the wishes of many senior
members, or simply shutting up shop. Their search for relevance sees
them take contrary positions based on location rather than ideological
consistency.

“In a few short years, if not sooner, the SDLP will be a thing of the
past while the legacy of Raymond McCreesh will live on through those of
us who share his revolutionary ethos.”