MEMORIAL MASS
On Saturday, June 8, 2019, at 1000 hours, the annual Memorial Mass will be celebrated in the quarters of E-60/L-17, located at 341 East 143 Street, Bronx, NY. The mass will honor the memory of the following members who died in the line of duty: Capt. Phillip Hublitz, Lt. Packey Redican, Firefighters John Hamilton, Johnnie Williams, Russell Linneball, Neville Martin, Michael Curtin, Harold Hoey and Peter McLaughlin. All off-duty members and their families are invited to attend. Members are requested to attend in dress uniform.
LT. MICHAEL J VECSI MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISER
The Lt. Michael J Vecsi Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser will be held Saturday, June 8, 2019, rain or shine, from 12:00 – 5:00 PM on the grounds of Moore Catholic High School, 100 Merrill Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314. There will be attractions for all throughout the day, including food, beverage, music, animal show, face painter and bounce houses. Cost is $20. There are 300 raffles being sold for $100 – contact Katie Heyde at 917-440-0153. There will also be 50/50s, raffles and baskets. Come one, come all, celebrate Lt. Vecsi’s life. All proceeds go to scholarships for Moore Catholic High School.
FIRE BELL CLUB DINNER
On Wednesday, June 12, 2019, at 7:00 PM, the Fire Bell Club will hold their 80th Anniversary Dinner at Marina Del Rey, 1 Marina Drive, Bronx, NY. In addition, the recipients of this year’s James Gordon Bennett Medal and Shelly Rothman Medal will be honored. Tickets are $100 and will not be sold at the door. Additional information and reservation forms are available online at www.firebellclub.org.
COLUMBIA ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP DINNER DANCE
The Columbia Association FDNY will hold its 84th Annual Scholarship Dinner Dance on Thursday, June 20, 2019, at Russo’s on the Bay, 162-45 Cross Bay Boulevard, Queens, NY. This year the Columbia Association will honor its scholarship winners along with 2019 Man of the Year, Lt. Joseph LaPointe, Commanding Officer of the FDNY Ceremonial Unit. The President’s Award will be presented to Captain Frank Vignali, Executive Officer D-7. The Humanitarian Award will be presented to Legacy Advisors. Everyone is welcome to attend. Donation is $125 per person. Please RSVP beforeJune 10, 2019. For reservations contact FF Enrico Boletti, Sq-1, (917) 207-4773 or Division Chief Grace Cacciola, (917) 375-3702. For additional information visit www.fdnycolumbia.com.
The Haka, there is something truly special, unique and inspirational about that display. It turns faces to the colour of paper or toilet roll, and it lets everybody know that this is a nation that intend to do battle. Gladiator’s intent on giving their all for their tradition, bodies, souls and no uncertainty as to the inevitable war that will ensue. Their ritualistic dance of passion is followed by Irelands call. It’s very easy for me to say how ridiculous I think that song is, to pontificate about all its misgivings but time has made me think. I watched the game with one eye on Saturday evening, my ambivalence clearly on display as the pub in Tallaght erupted without me. Celebrations, high 5’s and utter euphoria as Ireland beat those Haka calling madmen. It made me think, again and again, in fact that night in my mind was occupied with thoughts. I went to a friends 40th afterwards, a man that I had visited and was released from Port Laoise Gaol but a few short months ago. I wished him well and went home early. I couldn’t stop thinking of that dance and Irelands answer to it. I thought of the football game on the Thursday that preceded it, the division, the tribes, and the hostility. Why was rugby so different I thought as I struggled to sleep. Again I can tell you how ridiculous I think Phil Coulters song is but I wont, you probably know that already. Can I bring you back to the football game for a moment, our anthem that we put so much into was sang by one or two. The rest, either couldn’t be bothered, didn’t know the words or were not Irish at all. Rugby seems to unify our people but football divides. I slept poorly that night, I just couldn’t fathom why. Sell outs singing shoulder to shoulder or something else. Perhaps we missed something, after all if and when we achieve a United Ireland should it be to throw 2 fingers at the polar politicians. You see the meaning is in the word, United. God knows how many patriots have dies for this land, small and fragile, young and old. The road that Sinn Fein went down was tantamount to treachery, I’m not trying to suggest it was anything else. To sell volunteers, that gave everything, down a muddied path will never be forgotten. I could go on and on about their failings. I won’t, not this time. To those that say Brits out can I say that yes I agree, the British should be ousted and leave with an apology, their tail between their imperialist legs and never return. But the reality is a different story entirely. The Brits out mentality doesn’t factor in the ones that wore Green and cheered on a national team on Saturday. Yes we are all keeping an eye on Brexit but why. So the British fall over themselves, buying and selling votes to the highest bidder. If we are relying on Downing street or the house of Commons to deliver us Irish unity we truly are slaves. Yes master, let me fetch you something master. Not on my watch, not for Ireland. To want something aspirational is commendable, to deliver, or strive to, is where it really is. So can we take rugby as an example of a nation coming together or will we stick to the mantra, the dogma. I remember somebody once said to me, what would Bobby Sands make of all this. I truly have no idea was the answer, then I paused and replied again, what about Pearse, McIlwee, and McSwinney. Did they not fight and die too. Apologies, I got distracted, so patriotic I almost typed Amhrain Na Bhfiann. I saw the rugby, a nation, a terrible song and some Irish warriors too. I saw the football, the superstars that couldn’t point out Ireland on a map. Before you answer the improbable think of the impossible. It kept me up all night and in a perverse way I hope it does you. ⏩ Conor Lynam is a campaigner with the IRPWA
The following is a piece by Saoradh National Executive member Dee Fennell following an interview with BBC Spotlight. British Crown Forces have been proven complicit in the mass murder at Loughinisland after they attempted to silence two investigative journalists who exposed collusion between the RUC/PSNI and a Loyalist Death Squad, however there are those in the media who hang on their every press release as gospel and base their journalism on this basis without interrogating or investigating the Crown Force propaganda, Crown Forces are Britain’s hard power in Ireland but there are many manifestations of soft power and a complicit unquestioning media is one of those, in a way they are complicit in the RUC/PSNI attacks on the “freedom of the press” Last week I was interviewed by BBC’s Spotlight for a programme to be broadcast next week. In the course of that interview several serious allegations were made against myself, other Saoradh members and the party in general. This is water off a duck’s back of course, and we are thankful that we made our own full recording of the interview that is at our disposal, and can put any edited comments in their full context should that be required. However the rationale for much of these allegations was “the police believe”, “the police allege”, “the police have told us”, “the police have made a number of arrests”. The implication being that “the police” are trustworthy and to be believed. So ahead of that programme and the nonsense it will no doubt churn out, I would like to share this quote from Belfast High Court yesterday where, ironically, two journalistic colleagues of those working on Spotlight took a case against the PSNI/RUC. This was regarding their arrests and PSNI raids on their homes. This was after they exposed those responsible for the Loughinisland Massacre in a critically-acclaimed documentary. The militiaman responsible for their arrests explained that he did so because those named in the documentary had their lives “put in danger for merely having the misfortune of being involved in terrorist atrocities at whatever level”. It is worth noting that none of those named has been charged, or even arrested as the two journalists have been. That isn’t “legacy”. That isn’t “the bad old days”. That is yesterday. 2019. And it perfectly demonstrates the bias and attitude of an organisation that still seeks to protect loyalists responsible for sectarian slaughter, rather than assist families seeking the truth. After this, and recent revelations regarding their Ormeau Road Bookmakers “investigation” and refusal to disclose all information, how can anyone trust anything they say? Remember that when watching next week’s Spotlight. And have a big pinch of salt handy.
Several thousand people attended the west Belfast funeral of leading
republican socialist ‘Marty Mac’ Martin McElkerney on Wednesday. A
former PoW, Mr McElkerney was closely involved in the IRSP’s peace
strategy after being released from Long Kesh prison in 2000 under the
terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
On Monday evening a masked man fired two single shots, followed by a
volley, into the air from an automatic rifle as the remains of Mr
McElkerney were returned to his home in the Divis area of Belfast.
A guard of honour of up to 100 was also formed in the street outside his
home in an impressive display of solidarity by the Republican Socialist
Movement. The mark of respect for a fallen Volunteer was greeted by
cheers and applause by crowds in Ross Street in the Divis area of west
Belfast.
At the funeral a colour party flanked the cortège of the former leading
figure in the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) as he was laid to
rest, some of whom were masked. After Requiem Mass the coffin, draped in
a starry plough flag with a beret and gloves on top and flanked by
former INLA comrades, it made its way the three miles from Albert Street
to Milltown cemetery.
The cortege stopped several times, including outside Costello House, the
Falls Road headquarters of the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP)
with whom McElkerney played a senior role right up until his death.
Among the mourners were representatives of most republican political
groups. Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly, who is a brother-in-law of the
deceased, attended the funeral and was joined by party colleague Carál
Ní Chuilín.
The PSNI provocatively filmed the procession while a British military
spotter plane circled overhead throughout the funeral. As the cortege
reached Milltown a piper played music before members of the IRSP
gathered for a short oration at the INLA plot.
Among those to address the crowd was Strabane republican Willie
Gallagher. He criticised media coverage of his friend’s death, saying
that he was surrounded by family and friends. He also called for more
support for those struggling with post-traumatic disorder in a society
transitioning out of conflict.
He said McElkerney had been willing to take on any task and “despite
medical difficulties at that time, stepped forward and helped bring
closure to the Ruddy family – ending a sad chapter for us all”. He was
referring to the task of locating the remains of Seamus Ruddy, from
Newry, which were found in northern France in May 2017.
In a brief statement, the IRSM paid tribute to those who attended the
“final farewell” to Martin McElkerney. “‘You were the calm in the storm,
a person held in high esteem by all, a person of wisdom and reason, you
were a leader’. You will be forever missed. Farewell friend and
comrade.”
