Motion passed by NI council to support digging up remains of Irish National Invincibles branded a ‘glorification of terrorism’

Brought by two Independent councillors, it called for the remains of the Irish National Invincibles to be moved from the yard of Kilmainham Gaol to Glasnevin Cemetery.

‘The Invincibles’ were a splinter group of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, who were active in Dublin between 1881 and 1883.

Ulster Unionist Councillor Howard Thornton questioned the relevance, to which Chair Chris Smyth replied: “It’s certainly borderline but on balance I felt there was just enough to push it over the line.”

Proposed by Councillor Eamon Keenan and seconded by Councillor Bernice Swift the motion sought the Office of Public Works to respond to justice being afforded by recovering the remains of Joe Brady, Daniel Curley, Michael Fagan, Thomas Caffrey and Tim Kelly.

This was in: “Collective recognition for a Decade of Centenaries of which council’s Commemoration Committee work towards acknowledging and appropriately celebrating our shared history.”

The motion called for council to acknowledge the families represented by the National Graves Association, and their wishes to have their relatives exhumed and reburied in consecrated ground: “Where they can be formally and suitably commemorated”.

Councillor Keenan told members: “This is long overdue.”

Councillor Swift fully supported the National Graves quest to re-inter The Invincibles: “To properly mark their memory, and recognise the role they played to break the connection with imperialism and fight for Irish Independence and freedom.”

Councillor Thornton felt the connection to council was “somewhat frivolous” and questioned how the Decade of Commemorations Working Group was relevant as it focuses 1912 to 1922.

““The hangings were in 1883. They were convicted as assassins and I understand were involved in the Phoenix Park Murders … In modern times the right of citizens to bury their loved ones is unquestionable, particularly The Disappeared, allegedly assassinated and secretly buried by Republican Terrorists. Also Lisa Dorrian, allegedly assassinated and secretly buried by Loyalist Terrorists.”

Welcoming the motion, Sinn Fein’s Councillor Tommy Maguire said: “We are all aware there are two ways of looking at history … We can be enlightened on the history of our fallen heroes, and it’s unfortunately some still lie in Kilmainham Gaol. I had great satisfaction in being in Dublin on the day Kevin Barry and his comrades were re-interred and given the proper ceremonial burial they were entitled to.”

On The Invincibles, he said: “Whatever the connection to this council, they certainly rank high in the history of this country.”

Democratic Unionist Councillor Deborah Erskine however branded the motion a “glorification of terrorism. These are not people we should be celebrating or upholding as role models.”

Councillor Swift cut in stating: “I object to that language,” but was preventing from speaking further.

Agreeing with Councillor Erskine, Councillor Bert Wilson, Ulster Unionist said: “This is glorification of terrorism. If the decision was taken in another country where to bury, that doesn’t apply here.”

He spoke of visiting the  graves on Remembrance Sunday: “Of what I would call fallen heroes. I’m 110 per cent against our council supporting this motion or going down this line. It is not even inside our own territory.”

Councillor Siobhan Currie, Sinn Fein paraphrased historian Shane Kenna said: “Whether you like them or not, after nearly 140 years, they’ve done their time. Their sentence was to remain in Kilmainham while it was a prison. It’s now a tourist attraction. This is about a respectful resting place and giving their families peace.”

The motion went to a vote which came in 20-12 in favour.