A LETTER from grassroots Fermanagh Gaels calling on Taoiseach Micheál Martin to “take the lead” in planning discussions around a Shared Ireland has been signed by nearly 1,000 people in the county.

Initially started in Antrim, where the letter had more than 3,000 signatures, Fermanagh is the second county where the letter has been circulated.

The letter states: “We are asking the Government to establish an All-Island Citizens Assembly reflecting the views of citizens North and South to achieve maximum consensus on a way forward.

“Gaels are uniquely well placed at the very heart of local communities to contribute constructively to the conversation on the future of this island.

“We want to encourage citizens from all traditions to be part of this discussion.”

All-stars

Out of the 900-plus signatures, well-known Fermanagh All-Stars Peter McGinnity, Barry Owens and Martin McGrath, Fermanagh Ladies Captain, Courteney Murphy; All-Ireland B winning Captain, Cormac McAdam; and former Fermanagh Hurling Manager, Sean Duffy, have put their names to it.

Kevin McKeogh, a former Fermanagh hurler who won an All-Ireland Junior Hurling medal in 1994, is part of the small group of Gaels behind the letter.

He has lived in Belfast for the past 30 years and is involved in GAA in the county with St. John’s in West Belfast.

Explaining how he decided to see if there was an appetite in Fermanagh for the letter to be circulated, he said: “I was one of 3,500 [people] who signed the letter in Antrim and the call went up in the letter for other Gaels from other counties to weigh in behind it, and I decided to see if there was an appetite in Fermanagh.

“I spoke to a few people I knew, and there seemed to be an appetite for it, and we began to build our first 15 [signatories], who were prominent Gaels from the county, and we contacted them and they were more than happy to support the initiative.

“From that, it has organically grown through the clubs and continues to grow.”

Grassroots movement

An article in The Impartial Reporter recently reported on Belcoo O’Rahilly’s calling on the Fermanagh county board to join the discussion on a Shared Ireland was one example of the appetite within the county, according to Kevin, and it is this grassroots movement to get the Taoiseach to start planning for the discussions coming down the road that formed part of the interest for many people to sign.

“The letter is from grassroots Gaels who first of all came together quite informally in Antrim, observing what’s happening across the island, observing what is happening with Brexit, observing and listening to conversations especially as matches opened up and people attended games, and they felt there was a need for grassroots Gaels to have their voice.

“There is a massive role and a massive responsibility on the Taoiseach’s office to begin the planning for what is happening, to begin the planning for constitutional change, and to ensure that the outworking of the Good Friday Agreement is implemented on their behalf.

“As part of that, [there is a shared interest] to call on the Taoiseach to instigate a Citizens Assembly so all these things can be discussed properly, and in a very mature manner across all sections of society in Ireland, and to allow citizens such as grassroots Gaels like ourselves to have an input.

“We are stakeholders in this, and we need to ensure that those voices are heard.

“We saw what happened over Brexit, and the lack of information, lack of understanding, lack of a proper and mature discussion, and what it caused, and this can’t happen during such an important period in this island’s present and also its future,” added Kevin.

He has been heartened by the number of signatures on the letter so far, and the “organic growth” in it gaining signatures, with clubs playing a key role in circulating it to Gaels across the county. And he is calling on those who have not seen the letter to speak to fellow Gaels and sign it if they wish to do so.

“It’s too important a time for us not to be involved and not to become stakeholders in this conversation.

“This is Gael beside Gael; we are grassroots, and that’s the strength of this,” Kevin added.

The letter can be viewed and signed at https://forms.gle/Z9PZ9jT3V7eNTvor5.