Courage needed in the North says Louth's Ó Murchú
Deputy Ó Murchú was speaking at Sinn Féin’s annual Easter commemoration in Dundalk
Courage, like that shown during the negotiations that led to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago this week, is needed now in the North in order to get Stormont delivering for the people, Louth TD Ruairí Ó Murchú has said during Sinn Féin’s annual Easter commemoration in Dundalk on Sunday.
Deputy Ó Murchú told a large crowd at the republican plot at St Patrick’s Cemetery in Dowdallshill that the Good Friday Agreement was “a point in time when republicans showed huge courage during a daunting time”.
He said: “It was a daunting time for republicans. We knew we could never trust the British government and we knew that Unionists were not exactly head over heels in relation to the necessary moves towards sharing power. But we, as republicans, saw the Good Friday Agreement as a means of a roadmap to delivering Irish unity.”
He continued: “We are now in a place because of that, because of the courage shown by leaders such as Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.
"And I have no doubt that the leadership of Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill, particularly with Michelle O’Neill as First Minister for all in the North, will continue that promise to deliver. We need the DUP to help form the government in the North to deliver for all the people there”.
Deputy Ó Murchú criticised the Fine Gael/Fianna Fáil/Green government, telling the crowd present: “Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael ensured they maintained control of this State, that they see as theirs and no-one else’s.
“They held back change then, they will not be able to hold it back for much longer. Sinn Féin promises we will be putting sufficient candidates up to deliver the government of change that people are looking for as there has been an abject failure to deliver for people by governments in Dublin.
“This is particularly evident in the current housing crisis and the decision to halt the ban on no fault evictions before there were proper policy safety nets for those facing homelessness.”
The Louth TD also sent solidarity to the people of Palestine who, he said, are “living under the oppressive, brutal, right wing government of Israel”.
Deputy Ó Murchú said: “We need a citizens’ assembly on unity, on what a new Ireland can look like. We need to see a date set for a unity referendum and we need to deliver victory on that.
“That is what the republican dead demand from their graves and that is the most fitting tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for Irish freedom”.