Episode Details

Ballina Commemoration will remember the Hunger Strikers

This Sunday the national hunger strike commemoration will commence at 2.30pm in Ballina, County Mayo. The starting point is at Bunree Road Industrial Estate F26V243.

The event will mark 45 years since the 1981 hunger strike in which ten men died. It will also remember all of those Irish republicans who died on hunger strike and especially the resolve and courage of three Mayo hunger strikers Michael Gaughan (1974), Frank Stagg (1976), and Jack McNeela (1940).

Looking back five decades after the commencement of the blanket protest in September 1976 and the two hunger strikes that took place in 1980 and 1981, I remain awed by the tenacity and determination of those who endured five years of brutality, violence, deprivation and abuse in the H-Blocks and Armagh Women’s prison before embarking on that most challenging of all personal undertakings – the hunger strike.

Irish Traveller Heritage Strategy 

The Traveller Community has contributed hugely to the preservation of Ireland’s native culture particularly our music and song tradition. Christy Moore, among others has always acknowledged and recognised this. In particular, the songs of John Reilly. The late Tom Munnelly did mighty work collecting and recording this aspect of our heritage. Now the Heritage Council has published Ireland’s first Traveller Heritage Strategy 2026-2030, setting out a national framework to support Traveller cultural heritage.

It is available here: https://www.paveepoint.ie/first-traveller-heritage-strategy/

Death of Eithne Vallely

A few weeks ago I wrote a piece for this column - The Little Lost Bird and the Blue Butterfly – about an art exhibition in Féile an Phobail by John B Vallely, a renowned artist from Armagh City. His exhibition focussed on the children killed at Wounded Knee by the US army in 1890 and the Israeli genocide in Gaza in which over 20,000 Palestinian children have been murdered. 

Sadly, Brian’s wife Eithne was killed last Friday morning in a road accident. Eithne was a well-known and popular traditional musician and teacher. Along with her husband she founded the Armagh Pipers Club in 1966. She was an outstanding Irish woman. 

I want to extend my deepest condolences to Brian, to their children, grandchildren and the wider Vallely clan. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.

The Chieftain’s Walk

On Sunday 13 September The Chieftain’s Walk in Derry in memory of Martin McGuinness will take place. All money raised goes to charitable causes. Sign up and take part. I will return to this in next week’s column with more details.