WOMEN & THE FIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS -- Stormont Watch

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Date Posted: Sat, May 17 2008, 12:46:05 PDT
Author: CR VETS
Subject: WOMEN & THE FIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS

2008/5/17 Civil Rights :

PRESS RELEASE TO STRABANE CHRONICLE et al.

Women's fight for civil rights

The 1968 civil rights commemoration committee, established last year in Cookstown by several prominent activists of the era, including the Nobel Peace Prize laureate John Hume, continues to implement a programme of events across the Six Counties, and beyond. The next major event, entitled, "Those Were The Days My Friend", will be held in Dungannon on Saturday, May 31.

The event will take the form of an inclusive discussion to commemorate the courageous role of women during the civil rights movement and since then. The audience will be invited to give their personal stories and testimonials during a four hour period, commencing at 11 am in East Tyrone College, Circular Road, Dungannon.

Archives at 'Knockavoe', the civil rights veterans' office at Crawford Square in Derry include press cuttings and film on the role of local women. A primary example focuses on those who spearheaded a prolonged campaign to be moved from supposedly 'temporary' huts used by the U.S. military during W.W.II, at Springtown Camp, into proper homes. Also recorded are the militant actions of thousands of shirt factory 'girls' who moved unto the streets, hours in advance of mainly male-occupied workplaces. The reason for such public protests arose as a result of a banning order on city centre marches imposed by Home Affairs minister, William Craig. Such was not only dramatically defied but literally over-turned, bringing into global disrepute, not only Craig personally, but also the powerhouse of one-party rule, Stormont itself.

The event, chaired by Susan McKay, to which men are cordially invited, will be addressed by guest speakers such as Bernadette McAliskey (nee Devin), Inez McCormack and Anne Devlin. A special invitation has been extended to Derry-born, Sadie Campbell, who is believed to be the last surviving leader of the Springtown Camp campaign and the family of the late Mary Ellen O'Doherty, who died last June in her 100th year. In recent years both women's roles were publicly acknowledged. Mrs. O'Doherty (nee Hegarty), born at Balee, near Strabane in 1908, in her latter years was often referred to by local veterans and the media as the "Mother of the Civil Rights". Her youngest sister, Celine, and many other relatives still reside in Strabane and other parts of Co. Tyrone. One of Mary's nine surviving children, Mrs. Mary Kathleen King, has been a well-known and respected senator in the Trinidad and Tobago parliament for several years. One of her sons, Fionnbarra, was a co-founder of the civil rights association in 1967.

Those interested in attending are invited to contact the local civil rights office on 028 71 286359 or by e-mail via rights.civil@googlemail.com

View our website-www.civilrights1968.com

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