Dromore memorial may have to be demolished…
Despite Sinn Fein’s consistent public line that there is a pressing need for the most stringent equality legislation to protect minorities; it finds one of its own councils in a prolonged stand off with the Equality Commission over the siting of a hunger strike memorial outside the ruins of an old Church of Ireland church on the outskirts of Dromore, Co Tyrone. It only agreed to an equality impact assessement after the intervention of the Secretary of State. Now it looks as if the memorial never had planning permission in the first place and may have to be demolished. The Irish News reports:
Sinn Fein councillor Sean Begley said he felt that many Dromore residents would oppose the removal of the memorial. “Dromore has a very big nationalist and republican area,” he said. “Bobby Sands was an MP for the area and a lot of people would be very supportive of the memorial.”
Love the quote from Begley – what a numpity! So he wouldnt object if memorial to loyalists went up in ‘very big’ loyalist and unionist areas.
Blinded by facism!
A beautiful example of the type of vile hypocrisy at which the Shinners excel. How the hell can these clowns even attempt to stand over this memorial? Have they forgotten about their (entirely proper incidentally) opposition to the umpteen illegal orange arches erected across the North by assorted knucle-draggers over the twelfth? You either support an equality agenda or you don’t – sounds like these wankers want to have their rancid cake and eat it…….
There is little doubt that placing this thing in the grounds of this particular church was a calculated insult designed to rub salt into the wounds of the many victims of Bobby’s Boys in the area.
Hoever let us let it pass, for the sake of the Equality Agenda of course, and to advance that agenda I suggest Clonnard Monastery as an ideal new location for the statue of Roaring Hugh Hanna.
Who could possibly object?
Mick just a quick correction, the memorial is beside the ruins of the old Catholic Church in Dromore, St. Dympna’s church, and not an old Church of Ireland building as you have stated.
http://www.dromore.info/
If you go to the website above, the ruins of St. Dympna’s church, which is where this memorial lies beside, is incorporated into the logo on the top left. The current CoI building is fourth from left in the banner. I don’t recall any old CoI building in the village.
The Republicans who spend all day posting on Slugger have been very quiet about this issue. They don’t want equality for everyone – they just want to push their own agenda of hate and division.
Not a regular
The Equality Commission report – via original press release [2007] – begs to differ [Word Doc].
That report also adds
And, also from the report, some background to the complaint
No one will be taking down this monument. No one.
“No one will be taking down this monument. No one.”
Want to bet? Then perhaps we will see the Councillors hauled into court and disqualified from office for breaching anti-discrimination law? After all when you sign up to the sate and law you expect it to be enforced.
By the way is this a general memorial to the Hunger Strikers or just a memorial to some specific murders, bombers and child killers?
Ooooh well, the Northern Ireland (still part of the UK) authorities have ruled on this and the Council and the Equality Authority and…
GTF