Concerns that play about convicted IRA man Martin Hurson at Market Place Theatre & Arts Centre in Armagh will traumatise victims of terrorism
Concerns have been raised about the staging of a play about a convicted IRA man and hunger striker in a council venue in Armagh will traumatise victims of terrorism.
The Martin Hurson Story is being staged at the The Market Place Theatre & Arts Centre in Armagh which is run by Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, on 2 October.
According to Troubles reference work Lost Lives, Martin Hurson was a single, Catholic, 27-year-old from Galbally in Co Tyrone who died on Hunger Strike on 13 July 1981.
It says he was arrested in November 1976 and charged with the attempted murder of UDR soldiers in a bomb attack, but that charge was dropped and he was convicted in relation to several other charges.
According to An Phoblacht, he was charged with possession of explosives and received a 20-year sentence in November 1977, which he unsuccessfully appealed against on a number of occasions.
He died after 46 days on Hunger Strike.
TUV chairman and Cusher councillor Keith Ratcliffe said staging the play will be traumatic to IRA victims in the area.
"Martin Hurson was a convicted terrorist whose abiding legacy is one which created and exacerbated division and hurt in Northern Ireland," he said.
"Bringing a play of this nature to Armagh is something which will only serve to re-traumatised victims of the murderous IRA in which Hurson served. This is particularly an issue in ABC where so many suffered at the hands of the Provisional movement.
“In recent times we have seen an increasing mainstreaming of events, songs and chants which celebrate the IRA. At the same time, just last week we saw an Orange Hall attacked and an attempt to intimidate the minority community of the area by way of pro-IRA graffiti.
He added: "We as a society need to think long and hard about how we show respect for victims and frankly the law needs to reflect the needs of victims to be protected from constantly being exposed to events of such a nature.”
Kenny Donaldson, Director of victims group the South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF) questions how public facilities are being used to stage such events.
"Martin Hurson was one of 10 convicted republican terrorists who chose to die, 57 others outside the prison walls had no such choice and were murdered/killed over the period of the 1981 hunger strikes,” he said.
"Martin Hurson and others were used and abused by The Republican Movement who needed the propaganda of martyrdom to advance their own exclusivist ourselves alone agenda.
He added: "Sadly officialdom is increasingly giving them cover to do so - whether that's public or privately owned facilities. They have attached themselves to community-based events where mass numbers of the public can be influenced.”
He added: "There are significant questions to be answered in terms of the latitude being afforded Management within Council-based facilities. There is a need for an examination of checks and balances. Surely it is not in the interests of the Council for such facilities to become a cold house for sections of the community.”
Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, which runs the Market Place Theatre, was asked to respond to the TUV and SEFF but had not done at the time of going to press.
SInn Fein was also invited to respond.