A commemoration was held on Easter Sunday at Mullan, Swanlinbar by Republican Sinn Féin to remember Patrick McManus, John Duffy and James Crossan.

Patrick McManus was a native of Kinawley, who died in an explosion in Swanlinbar July 15, 1958.

James Crossan, from Co. Cavan was shot by Crown forces who crossed into Cavan on August 4, 1958.

John Duffy was shot accidentally and is buried in Derry.

In the course of his oration, Hugh McGovern, Cavan Comhairle Ceantar Republican Sinn Fein, said: “... the Unionist community in the North were making slaves of their young people; slaves to the continuance and promotion of sectarian politics”.

He continued: “It is this sectarian politics which hinges our people to a foreign governance. In so doing, they are depriving their young people inclusion in the self-management of their own country.

“The days of religious dominance by Catholic, Protestant, Jew or dissenter, must be exposed as wrong.

“The fact that a member of the Church of Ireland – Theobald Wolfe Tone – recognised this over 220 years ago should have us all pondering how Republicanism failed here in Ireland, while it has been successful in many countries.

‘Hope’

“Spite, begrudgery or inhumanity should not be allowed to destroy the hope that still remains for all of us.”

He further said: “The Good Friday Agreement was in keeping with earlier historic settlements in Ireland’s history where by accepting that English rule would maintain, they, the Clan Lords of Ireland, were granted their lands and possessions, and would be allowed to rule the natives for and on behalf of the English Government. All the people of Ireland deserve better than this. We deserve the Ireland envisaged by Theobald Wolfe Tone.”