SDLP man says: Time for Sinn Fein to choose – they can be democrats or IRA apologists but not both

Sinn Fein has stated the event was about remembering “ALL local people from the area killed in the conflict”, although the mural the councillor spoke in front of honours a specific IRA battalion and features figures with assault rifles.

Mr Maginness is a former mayor of the city who represented its north side, including the Ardoyne, for 18 years in the Assembly.

Sinn Fein has been attending such events almost unremarked-upon for decades.

But when it emerged that solicitor and Sinn Fein MP John Finucane was going to speak at an IRA commemoration in south Armagh on June 11, it prompted renewed discussion about the practice in the media.

That south Armagh event was followed a week later by a similar IRA commemoration in Dromore, Co Tyrone, addressed by English-born Donegal Sinn Fein TD Padraig Mac Lochlainn.

• ‘THEY DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO IRISH FREEDOM’ •

The Ardoyne event last Sunday was addressed by Sinn Fein councillor Nichola Bradley.

She tweeted out: "It was a huge honour and privilege to speak at the Marrowbone Commemoration today as we gathered to remember all those who dedicated their lives to Irish freedom.

"The dignity & grace of the people from this proud community speaks loudly. Now is the time to build a new Ireland."

Meanwhile another Twitter user said: "Large crowd gathered this afternoon to remember the Volunteers of F/Company, 3rd Battalion, Marrowbone, Belfast Brigade who died for Irish freedom. We make no apology for remembering our patriot dead."

The shrine – arguably the biggest paramilitary memorial in the city – is in Ardilea Close, and consists of several wall panels, special Irish-themed wrought iron fencing, religious icons, flags, flowers, and two large freshly-painted gable murals.

Most (perhaps most) of those named on the walls were involved in "the struggle", but there is also a large panel remembering local civilians who have been killed, a plaque to those who gave “aid, shelter, and support in defence of the area”, as well as pre-Troubles panels.

The IRA killed well over 1,700 people, far more than any other group, though it is hard to gauge what the full death toll is due to people succumbing to injuries later and unclaimed killings.

The Ulster University CAIN database says 337 of its confirmed killings were of Catholics, 795 were of Protestants, and 573 were of people from outside Northern Ireland (largely regular army, but also including civilians in England and Europe).

• ‘ALL OF THIS IS ACTUALLY HINDERING A NEW IRELAND’ •

Alban Maginness, who remains an SDLP member despite leaving front-line politics a few years back, told the News Letter: "I think it's time for Sinn Fein and their members to make up their minds, whether they're truly democrats or whether they're latter-day apologists for the armed struggle and the IRA.

"Things happened in the past which were carried out by the IRA that many, many people outside Sinn Fein would regard as being totally unacceptable and very damaging to the community at large.

"To continue on to commemorate – and indeed sometimes celebrate – the activities of the Provisional IRA is really something that's quite offensive to democratic standards in the post-Good Friday Agreement era.

"The IRA didn't discriminate in its use of violence. It inflicted violence on Catholics and Protestants, on the security forces and on society at large.

"Many Catholics were injured or killed by the IRA, and many Catholics still remember those things happening to them.

"The continuous commemoration or celebration of the Provisional IRA adds nothing to building peace within the community, and nothing positive to overall reconciliation in our society. It's as simple as that.

"I welcome anybody who wants to build a 'new Ireland', who wants to share this island. But it has to be done without equivocation as to the violence of the past.

"The violence of the past was wrong, and the violence of the past should not be celebrated today, because it adds another obstacle to the creation of a new Ireland.

"They've got to make their minds up. Are they democrats, or are they apologists for the Provisional IRA. You can't have it both ways."

Mr Maginness’ remarks were put to Sinn Fein.

Sinn Fein responded by saying: “For the record and accuracy, the commemoration in the Bone last week was for ALL local people from the area killed in the conflict, including men, women and children killed by British state forces and those killed a result of collusion between the same state agencies and loyalist death squads, and those killed in unionist pogroms carried out there a century ago.”

It was put to Sinn Fein that the mural councillor Bradley was speaking in front of commemorates a specific IRA unit (F Coy, 3rd Battalion, Belfast Brigade) and features people armed with Armalites, that facing it is another huge mural to the hunger strikers, and that she tweeted out that the event is about "remembering those who dedicated their lives to Irish freedom".

The News Letter also asked for a copy of her remarks, but no response had been received at time of writing.

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