Reply to "Journal" Critic -- Stormont Watch

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, [7], 8, 9, 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: Tue, Oct 21 2008, 17:04:01 PDT
Author: Fionnbarra � Dochartaigh
Subject: Reply to "Journal" Critic

LETTER TO THE EDITOR - Phone: 028-71-286359

A Chara,

With a degree of incredulity, surprise and sadness I read a letter in your Friday, October 17th edition, from an old friend and fellow activist from the mid-1960s, Tony O�Doherty of Lone Moor Road. The letter carried the header �Credit to grassroots activists� , many of whom, both living and deceased, were referred to during the cross-community International Civil Rights Conference held on October 4th and 5th at Derry Guildhall.

In addition, several obituaries were researched, compiled and inserted by the undersigned into the 40th anniversary website which can be located at www.nicivilrights.org or www.civilrights1968.com Others are in the pipeline.
The photographic exhibition also included several of the activists of that era, both living and dead. In fact, a few people mentioned in Tony�s letter to the �Journal�, actually turned up to spend several hours on a voluntary basis in the Guildhall on October 3rd to select and erect a photographic exhibition which occupied the corridor outside the main assembly hall. They included one man who, in retrospect, bravely carried the civil rights banner at the front of the Duke Street march in �68. The other standard-bearer is recently deceased.

The Derry Housing Action Committee�s newsletter, REALITY, was central to that exhibition, as was the Coalisland to Dungannon march, and the Burntollet Ambush. Photographs purchased from Guildhall Press, courtesy of two local photographers, one the late Willie Carson, were acknowledged underneath the captions of each batch of pictures. I can only assume that Tony decided not to attend the two-day cross-community event which was addressed by many prominent figures including Mrs. Mary McAleese, our national President. Some people travelled from as far away as Nigeria to make their voices heard and promote their cause. Also, some of those, whom he refers to, unfairly in my opinion, as �egotistical generals�, for one political or personal reason or another, who contributed to the special Derry Journal supplement, did not attend. As they say, that was their civil right, although some had the courtesy to send apologies because of advanced years or being recently hospitalised.

Every Thursday evening, over several months, former activists and supporters met to promote the programme of events, which encompassed Derry, Armagh, Dungannon. , Dublin, London and other locations. Appeals for additional support were frequently made via local radio stations and the print media. Telephone numbers and e-mail addresses where given on every occasion. Several people generously gave of their time to promote this 40th anniversary commemorative programme, which over this past year would collectively amount to thousands of hours of preparatory endeavour. Besides the creation of the website, considerable cost was incurred by inserting adverts both locally and beyond, the erection of an illustrated mural at Free Derry Corner, contacting people by phone, letter and e-mails, not to mention the printing of over a thousand invitations, although the Guildhall events were open to all who wished to attend. As the Derry programme coordinator I sincerely believe that our local and central committees did everything possible to contact, not just veterans of that era, but as many people as possible including schools and colleges, churches, trade-unionists, human rights and civil liberties groups, journalists and community groups etc. One of the highlights was a session which I opened and chaired which provided a platform for grass-root activists to contribute from the floor. Like all other programme sessions this was audio-visually recorded for our central archives, which will be available for many years to come. The fact that the two-day conference was genuinely cross-community and an outstanding success proves that all the effort over several months was well worthwhile.

Let me conclude by extending a special thanks to former residents of Springtown Camp, members of the unemployed and housing action committees of that era, and many more besides for their solidarity and active support. Our thanks also to those who advertised in the special 1968-2008 Derry Journal supplement, and others, too numerous to mention who contributed their time, donations and energy in commemorating what was indeed a truly historic date in Irish history, October 5th 1968. As the �Journal� special collectors� issue stated, �The day in Derry�s history that shook the world�.

Is Mise,

Fionnbarra O�Dochartaigh,
Co-founder, Nicra, 1967
2008 Commemorative Programme coordinator.
Crawford Square, Derry City.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]