The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Kerry pays tribute to peace architect Mallon
WHILE it’s a long way from Markethill in County Armagh to the rolling hills around Cahersiveen, the feeling of sadness at the death of Civil Rights activist and peacemaker Seamus Mallon brought him a little closer to everywhere this week.
Seamus visited Kerry in 2019 for the Daniel O’Connell Summer School, where he received the inaugural ‘Daniel O’Connell Award’.
It’s a visit fondly recalled by the school’s director, Prof Maurice Bric, who paid tribute to a ‘great man’ and a ‘great nationalist’.
“Seamus made a great impact on people here and interacted with them in a wonderful way,” Maurice said.
Maurice outlined three key qualities when looking to understand a man of Seamus’ stature.
“Firstly, he was a man of peace. Secondly, he was what I would call a convinced believer in the peace process. He built a space where people from different traditions could come and interact.
“Thirdly, he was a convinced nationalist. He didn’t see that by negotiating with people from other traditions that he was compromising his essential and convinced belief in Irish nationalism and unity. I don’t think I ever heard him use the words ‘Northern Ireland’; it was always the ‘northern part’ of our island.”
Prof Bric described Seamus as a ‘self-confident and self-assured’ nationalist, who was often in the middle because of a deep sectarian mistrust emanating from both sides.
“Seamus was equally a proud GAA man having played with his club Mullabrack and Armagh. He played Sigerson Cup with Queen’s University and was marked by Cahersiveen man Frank O’Leary many years ago. They met when Seamus visited. Seamus also visited the great Mick O’Connell,” he said.