IRSP: Report on the Costello Commemoration
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news report
Monday November 04, 2002 21:40
by Danielle Ni Dhighe - Irish Republican Socialist Movement
danielle at irsm dot org
IRSP: Report on the Costello Commemoration
20 October 2002
Bray, Ireland
Report on the Costello Commemoration
The weather was atrocious and it never stopped pouring rain, but
Irish Republican Socialist Party and Irish National Liberation Army
founder Seamus Costello was commemorated by many whose lives he had
touched on the 25th anniversary of his murder by counter-
revolutionaries in the Official IRA.
A piper lead the march, followed by an INLA colour party, and the
marchers who came from throughout Ireland to commemorate the memory
of one of Ireland's greatest working class leaders. From the old Town
Hall, the march proceeded on a 20 minute walk to the cemetery in
Little Bray. Half way to the cemetery, the Kevin Lynch Memorial Band,
whose bus had been delayed from Dungiven, arrived and joined the
march.
Dublin IRSP comrade Daithi Hopkins chaired the proceedings. The first
speaker was IRSP Ard-Chomhairle member John Martin, followed by Sean
Doyle (former friend and comrade of Costello's). Sean Doyle was
followed by Donna Downey of the Bray IRSP Cumann, who read a
statement from the INLA prisoners of war. She was followed by Ben
Higgins, the Bray IRSP Cumann's chief marshal, who read out the
IRSP's International Department statement by IRSC North American
Coordinator Peter Urban. After this, Bernadette McAliskey delivered
the keynote speech of the commemoration.
The proceedings started with the piper leading the band, the INLA
colour party and wreath layers to the grave side of Seamus Costello.
Due to respect for the dead was shown and so that other graves were
not trampled upon, the IRSP asked the other participants to stay
behind in the car park beside the church, where the speeches were
delivered. The proceedings ended with a minute of silence.
Afterwards the estimated 150 people who participated in the
commemoration, which included both of Seamus Costello's two brothers,
made their way to a nearby pub for a social gathering.
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