A Letter From Ireland
a Chara,
It’s that time of the year again. The sun is out, for now, and this weekend is the start of Féile an Phobail. The Féile, as it is known, is a celebration of the culture, history, and hopes of the community of West Belfast.
It all started back in 1988. Over ten days in March of that year, three unarmed IRA volunteers from West Belfast were shot dead by the British Army in Gibraltar. Their subsequent funeral was attacked by a pro-British Unionist paramilitary killing three in Milltown cemetery.
Unarmed mourners heroically gave chase, preventing more deaths, and caught the attacker, before the police intervened.
Several days later two undercover British soldiers drove directly into the funeral of one of those shot in Miltown and were shortly afterwards killed by the IRA.
It was one of the bloodiest and darkest times of the conflict. The attack on the funerals was televised and the images spread throughout the world. The response of many outside of the area was to decry the community of West Belfast as savage.
Their description was not the community that I knew. A community bound together in the face of repression by a shared sense of identity, resistance, and hope.
It was against this backdrop that Gerry Adams drew community leaders together with the idea of hosting a festival to showcase our community. It would be open and inviting to all.
The first week of August was picked as the date. That week was the anniversary of internment and had every year been marked by rioting, bonfires, and confrontations with the police and British army. Young people and the community would bear the cost of injury and destruction. The idea was to take that energy and anger and transform it into something positive.
The first year was small in scale but successful. I attended events.
The second year I volunteered to help out and I continued doing so for fifteen years acting as chair of the organization for ten years.
The Féile has now become a fixture in the life of the community and the city of Belfast for 36 years. The program has expanded, the gigs bigger, the discussion groups more diverse, but the craic and community pride remain at its heart.
The changes in the Féile have mirrored the changes in Belfast. Once a city in conflict and exclusion, it is now a shared and celebrated place.
Among the many hundreds of events taking place over the next ten days will be the launch of a memoir by Rita O’Hare. This will be a very special day. Rita’s was a life well lived. She was the Sinn Féin representative to the USA for over twenty years and I was proud to call her a friend.
Rita had started writing the book when she took ill. When unable to continue, she dictated chapters. Her good friend Danny Morrison has done an excellent job in editing the book for publication and it will be launched on August 3rd.
Friends of Sinn Féin USA will also host launch events in New York and Washington. So check out future newsletters for details.
Meanwhile, have a great weekend and remember that even in the darkest days there is hope.
Have a great weekend.
Is mise,
Ciarán
Ciarán Quinn is the Sinn Féin Representative to North America. Each week he writes a letter from Ireland with news and analysis. It is featured in the weekly Friends of Sinn Féin USA Newsletter. Be sure you are subscribed to stay up to date.
