The SDLP says it has been inundated with
calls from nationalists concerned at the
“insensitive” siting of an IRA memorial in
Belleek, close to where two Protestant
workmen were murdered by the terrorist
organisation.Julie Dervan of the SDLP’s North West Fermanagh Branch says nationalists
throughout Fermanagh, and particularly in the Belleek area, find the location
of the monument “insensitive.” She says that in criticising the erection of the
memorial on the site the SDLP MLA for the area, Tommy Gallagher, was
simply reflecting the feeling of the local community.
“We in the SDLP North West Fermanagh Branch, Councillor John O’Kane and
MLA Tommy Gallagher, reconfirm our disapproval of the siting of the
monument, whilst acknowledging the rights of all the families who have lost
loved ones as a result of the 30 years-plus conflict on our island to pay tribute
to their deceased in a sensitive and appropriate manner,” says Miss Dervan.
“As we move towards an agreed Ireland for all, it is essential that the pain and
suffering that has been experienced by families on all sides by the death of a
loved one should not be politicised and hostile feelings evoked. Surely all
right thinking people of every persuasion are moving on and striving to heal
the wounds of the past. It is crucial that this happens within local communities
and that good cross-community relations be built upon, not fractured or
indeed severed.
“The SDLP Party will continue to work collectively, as they have done so for
the past decades, to ensure open and honest dialogue and debate on all
issues. This is a necessary part of the Peace Process,” she concludes.
