Peace for Me. No Peace for You

louth | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis Friday September 22, 2006 17:58 by Sean Crudden - impero sean.crudden at iol dot ie Jenkinstown, Dundalk, Co Louth. 087 9739945

Set the Captives Free

In an atmosphere of hustle, hassle, harass, hurry it is difficult to think straight. Even those who can think under pressure would surely think more clearly if there were peace. We need to settle down and get our heads together because we are approaching a decisive political cross-roads in Ireland. There may be tiredness and frustration on one hand and powerful, discordant and divisive voices on the other. Now is not the time to allow ourselves to be manipulated any further. Every individual must assert his and her rights and think clearly for themselves.

Damien Hulme

"Saturday 5 June 2004

We met, by chance, Aisling in Castlebellingham as Rosanna, Dessie & I canvassed with Hatrick. Later we met ‘McKevitt’s’ wife & family (Bobby Sands’ sister, Bernadette) as we wound up our efforts in Bellingham."

Beyond what is in my diary (quoted above) I remember the poignant sympathy I felt for the McKevitt children on that sunny, sultry day. And I was impressed by Bernadette who was big, able and congenial. My impression, not knowing anything about it, had been that the Sands family were small and thin.

After the AGM of Greenore-Cooley Fisherman’s Association in The Blue Anchor, Bellurgan, on 18 September 2006, Damien Hulme approached me and said,

"Well. Will Michael McDowell do anything?"

I explained that I had dropped out of the Progressive Democrats tendering my resignation from the party on Ash Wednesday, 1 March 2006.

Anyway I waxed miserably eloquent about McDowell and the PD’s along the lines of "I reject Satan and all his works and pomps."

"I was in the Progressive Democrats for 19 years and I never scored a point,"

I bellyached.

"Sinn Féin are as bad,"

Damien asserted.

"I believe you,"

I concluded.

It seems to me that Damien’s sons who are political prisoners in England and Michael McKevitt are being held as hostages to guarantee the peace process. It seems to me to be a hurtful anomaly that these men are still imprisoned. I think their imprisonment will erode peace as time goes on just as a piece of grit in her shoe might weaken the resolve of a pilgrim.