More than a hundred people gathered at St. Patrick’s church in Pittsburgh, PA where Friends of Sinn Féin joined the Pittsburgh branch of the Irish American Unity Conference and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Ancient Order of Hibernians to mark the 45th Anniversary of the Hunger Strikes.
The organizers said, “Hunger strike has been used by many to demonstrate against injustice. We acknowledge the legacy of those who have made this significant sacrifice in Ireland’s struggle for freedom from oppression.”
Sinn Féin’s Representative to North America Ciarán Quinn offered an address to the crowd, saying, “It is said that a person never dies if their name is spoken.
“Today we remember Bobby Sands, Francis Hughes, Raymond McCreesh, Patsy O’Hara, Joe McDonnell, Martin Hurson, Kevin Lynch, Kieran Doherty, Tom McElwee and Mickey Devine.
“They will never be forgotten; their legacy lives on.
“It is found in homes across Ireland. It is with us here in Pittsburgh.
“Bobby Sands said of the British, ‘They have nothing in their whole imperial arsenal that can break the spirit of one Irish Republican who does not want to be broken.’
“The Hunger Strikes of 1981 reenergised the Republican movement, opened up the potential for electoral politics, and showed the world the true face of British policy in Ireland.
“I truly believe that we are living in the last days of partition.
“The Good Friday Agreement provides a peaceful and democratic pathway to Irish Unity. It puts the future in the hands of the people in the North and South. It provides for Unity Referendums and obliges the governments to act on their outcome.
“An opportunity denied to the men and women of 1981 and all who came before us. We live in a time in which no one needs to go to jail, to die or to be injured.
“We, all of us in this room, have a role to play. Irish unity can and will be delivered peacefully. We can be the generation to end partition. Now is not the time to sit back and wait.”
In his remarks, Friends of Sinn Féin Director Greg O’Loughlin said, “The Good Friday Agreement changed everything – we have a well-defined path to a new and united Ireland that is based on international law, democratic principles, and self-determination.
“What has not changed, however, is the need for dedicated, engaged, and courageous Irish Americans to continue to serve the cause of an Ireland free of British rule.
“We can all see the remaining pieces on the board as the endgame is coming into sharper focus. There is no longer a need to meet in back rooms or speak in codes, thanks to the effort and sacrifices of so many before us.
“There is still a need as strong as ever for Irish America to speak out and speak up in favor of the people of Ireland creating their own path to freedom and their own means of self-governance.
“And that means that the voices, work, and activism of us in America are as vital and as needed as ever. We must continue to support the brave and dedicated work of the men and women in Ireland who are calling for their right to self determination. We must continue to let our elected leaders know that we value the fundamental democratic principles guaranteed by the Good Friday Agreement.”
