Civil Rights & Derry P.I.G. -- Stormont Watch

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Date Posted: Tue, Feb 12 2008, 21:08:21 PST
Author: CR Vets
Subject: Civil Rights & Derry P.I.G.

PRESS RELEASE

Civil Rights and Derry P.I.G

In recent months a 40th anniversary commemoration committee was established by prominent civil rights veterans from across the Six Counties and beyond. In the near future a press conference will be held in Belfast to publicly launch a programme of events. and Programme Implementation Groups (PIGs) are currently being established, in Derry and other major centres associated with the campaign in 1968.

Derry is well represented on the commemoration committee. Its regular meetings are attended by prominent figures such as John Hume, Ivan Cooper, Austin Currie, Paddy �Bogside� Doherty, James Doherty, Brid Rodgers, and former Labour MP, Kevin McNamara, to name but a few. Among its patrons are Dr. Conn McCloskey and his wife Patricia, of Dungannon, founders of the Campaign for Social Justice in N. Ireland, Michael Canavan, former treasurer of the Derry Citizens� Action Committee, Dr. Anthony Coughlan, former MPs Paul Rose, Frank Mc Manus, and Bernadette McAliskey (nee Devlin), well known local solicitor Claude Wilton, and Jane Coyle, wife of the late Vincent �Vinny� Coyle, who was the Chief Marshall of the local 700-strong civil rights stewards� organisation.

At the last meeting of the committee a proposal to adopt the Derry civil rights badge as its logo was tabled by former Mid-Derry MP Ivan Cooper.. It was passed unanimously. The committee plans to obtain written permission to do so from Mrs. Sheila McClean, the wife of civil rights activist and local GP Dr. Raymond McClean. Her original art-work, best described as a black and white oak-leaf within two circles, was recently donated to the Museum of Free Derry, which hosts an extensive civil rights� archive. The badge has for many years become a much sought-after collectors� item. If permission is granted to use this as a logo, then, as part of the fund-raising effort, it is intended to mass produce the original badge, worn by thousands of marchers in those days. These days, only a very few are believed to exist.

Details of the events planned for Derry will be made known at the first meeting of the local Programme Implementation Group (P.I.G.) which will be held in the next few weeks. An executive member of the anniversary committee, Fionnbarra O�Dochartaigh, a co-founder of NICRA in 1967, is currently working with documentary-makers and other interested sections of the mass media. He points out that it is hoped that people interested in the anniversary project will make contact with the committee, which is chaired by Denis Haughey, with vice-chair position occupied by author and human rights lawyer, Michael Farrell, a leader in the university student-movement, People�s Democracy.

Mr. O�Dochartaigh said, �We are conscious that we have not been able to reach all those who were involved in the leadership of the Civil Rights movement in 1968 at a central or local level and who may be interested in supporting this project. We would appeal to anyone whom we have not been able to contact and who is interested in getting involved to contact us.�

He stressed, �The voices of ordinary people, such as the dockers who downed tools, the shirt factory �girls� who left their respective workplaces to defy the ban imposed on marches inside Derry Walls, former residents of Springtown Camp and the homeless families who occupied Derry Guildhall, and many more besides, should be heard, if for no other reason than history may be lost forever, if their experiences are not recorded during this 40th anniversary of 1968. Not least is the need to contact others who took part in the October 5th march, or professionals and others who cared for the injured and hospitalised, or those who made up the mass demonstration in mid-November, the various sit-downs and other protests which took the civil rights struggle into the living rooms of countless millions across the globe�, he concluded.

Those wishing to participate in the 40th anniversary programme of events, or wish to have details on Derry�s first P.I.G. meeting, are cordially invited to contact the local organisers, after 6 pm any evening, on Derry 71-286359 or by e-mailing rights.civil@googlemail.com

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