Remember the victims of the brutal Bloody Sunday attack
WHAT a significant and emotive weekend we have just had, where s port and politi cs became entwined on the 100th anniversary of a murderous attack by British soldiers on a sporting event in Páirc an Chrócaigh on Sunday, November 21, 1920.
This commemorative weekend was a strange one for a number of reasons. RTÉ presenter Miriam O’Callaghan, who was being coaxed i nto running f or the presidency at one point, was caught blatantly breaking the Covid-19 distancing rules that she consistently spoke about on her Prime Time programme.
Then we had the unbelievable scenario of Irish soccer manager Stephen Kenny running for the hills because he dared to inspire the players with some historical facts, along with showing a collage of goals being scored against England, or something to that effect, which offended a cohort of West Brits who were calling for his head on a plate.
The GAA, on this occasion, have put their heads above the parapet (just about) by honouring those men, women and children brutally gunned down by the forces of British imperialism.
Revisionist historians would have you believe that because a young man i n his teens was dressed in a makeshift uniform of black tunic and tan breeches, and given a rifle and sent to Ireland to quell the native Irish on the orders of his superiors, he should be pitied and pardoned for participating in the killing of 14 people and wounding of dozens of others, for he knew not what savagery he was partaking in. But this is really stretching the truth to its limits.
No excuses should be contemplated for their actions.
Meanwhile, it is beyond belief that those four county teams of Tipperary, Dublin, Cavan and Mayo will be facing one another, in an exact enactment of the 1920 semi- finals. Even the bookies could never have predicted such an outcome.
JAMES WOODS, Gort an Choirce, Dún na nGall. ... ON November 21, 100 years ago, 14 innocent people went to a game in Croke Park a nd never came home.
They were murdered by British crown forces after the assassinations that morning of British agents who had been sent over to this country to wipe out the IRA .
The match between Dublin and Tipperary, where crown forces fired into the huge attendance, killing men, women and children, is known as Bloody Sunday, the same name given to the later atrocity in Derry. It is important for the families of those who died that the victims are at the forefront of people’s minds in this time of the centenary.
For the GAA too, the commemorations marked an i mportant moment in our history after work in the past five years to erect proper gravestones for victims who had been buried in unmarked plots. They will never be forgotten if everyone lights a candle for all t he people who have been murdered in this country by the forces of occupation.
NOEL HARRINGTON, Kinsale. Co. Cork.
Paws for thought
WALKING my dog Percy Pug, I noticed a l ady sitting i n her window. I waved and she waved back. Then she made a stroking motion so I told Percy to sit and give a paw, which made her laugh. When I had to go, I blew a kiss and mouthed ‘God bless!’ I think I will include a window visit to this lonely stranger on my dog walks.
MARY GOUGH, by email.
Make the best of it
MOST people have accepted that Christmas this year will be different to usual.
We are al l managing our expectations, so anything more than we have planned for will be a welcome bonus. We will make the most of whatever is allowed.
JOHN VARLEY, by email.