Letter: On Bloody Friday anniversary, it is upsetting to think of IRA killer Joe Cahill being celebrated at West Belfast Festival GAA youth event
A letter from Ron McDowell:
Today marks the 53rd anniversary of Bloody Friday - when at least 22 bombs ripped through Belfast in just over 80 minutes, killing nine people and injuring over 130, many for life.
These bombs targeted busy city centre streets, the bus station, shops and offices.
The deadliest blast was at Oxford Street bus station, where six innocent people were murdered.
We honour the victims’ memory, but we must also reflect that in less than two weeks, the West Belfast Festival will host the Joe Cahill Gaelic Competition - for children under 12-and-a-half.
Joe Cahill was the Provisional IRA’s officer commanding on Bloody Friday. He never once apologised for that massacre.
Is this the role model we want for our children? Should we lionise a man who orchestrated such slaughter?
Some media outlets rushed to attack an Orange lodge in Comber for criticising the GAA, even smearing the lodge with baseless accusations that crumble under basic fact-checking.
We will be watching closely to see if those same outlets call out the GAA for promoting this youth event in Cahill’s name.
Belfast ratepayers fund the West Belfast Festival with hundreds of thousands of pounds.
They have every right to expect that a terrorist responsible for mass murder is not celebrated - especially not in an event for children.
This reveals just how far the GAA still has to go. This must be challenged, and it must change.
Court councillor Ron McDowell, TUV deputy leader