Speech by John Connolly:
I am happy to be here today. I want to thank especially the North Kerry Cumann of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement for inviting me to say a few words at todays commemoration in Gortaglanna. Today we remember 3 brave soldiers of Ireland and IRA volunteers Paddy Walsh, Paddy Dalton and Jerry Lyons who were brutally murdered at the hands of 3 lorry loads of drunken Black and Tans on the 12th of May 1921. I am sure those of you who are here today know the story of what happened to these brave republican soldiers. This is merely one example of a grave injustice suffered by the local inhabitants here in the Co. of Kerry.
Today however we are facing injustice of a different kind. Both the British and Freestate governments have shamefully adopted a criminalisation policy against all Anti Agreement Republicans, starting with our POWs. As I speak our comrades in Maghaberry gaol are suffering at the hands of an old enemy. I believe it is incumbent for all republican groups irrespective of political differences to come together in unity for our POWs.
Recently Republican prisoner Harry Fitzsimmons from Belfast was stripped and beaten, and dragged to the punishment block where he was handcuffed naked to a bed. It is up to us comrades to tell the people of the inhumane conditions and degrading treatment these men have to withstand on a daily basis.
The media have been absolutely deafening in their silence about this torturous campaign waged against our incarcerated republican comrades by another arm of the British occupation. It is up to us as republicans to take to the streets to protest for our imprisioned comrades. We owe them that much.
Over the coming weeks and months we will be stepping up our campaign in support of the POWs.
It is heartening to see here today comrades that the republican flame is still burning strong in the hearts of Kerry men and women, and that they are holding strong the ideals and objectives of the three men we are commemorating today.
Beir Bua
