Raymond McCreesh

Raymond McCreesh play park: Council and Equality Commission’s decision goes to judicial review

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The ongoing saga of the Raymond McCreesh play park took another turn yesterday. Bea Wotton the now 88 year old mother of one of the IRA victims at Kingsmills was granted leave for a Judicial Review of the decision to name a play park in Newry after McCreesh. The park was named after the IRA Hunger Striker (who was arrested in possession of one of the weapons used in the Kingsmills murders) in 2001. In 2014 the Equality Commission ruled …

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Newry Play Park Farce: “In my view one word sums it up, a waste. A waste of life.”

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If you missed it, this is well worth listening to the whole of this Audio Boom from Nolan this morning. listen to ‘Another unionist bid to change name fails – what next in Newry playpark row? #BBCNolan’ on audioBoom There’s a number of points worth picking up, not least Conor Murphy’s defence of Ray McCreesh’s Attempted Murder charge as being part of a war. But this segment from a caller called Alex in Lisburn is also illuminating. I used to …

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Maybe SDLP leadership “got in wrong” Alban?

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The SDLP is in a bit of a pickle at the moment with its council members in Newry and Mourne appearing to have refused the party whip over the naming of a park after local man and IRA Hunger Striker Raymond McCreesh. The history of the park, the SDLP’s original support for its naming and the reaction to it has been well-documented elsewhere and I do not intend to revisit those issues in this column. What is interesting in this …

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Raymond McCreesh play park, democracy and judicial activism

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The Newry play park named after IRA hunger striker (and leading suspect in the Kingsmills murders) Raymond McCreesh has kept its name. Unionists on Newry council called a vote on changing the name. One SDLP councillor abstained on the vote whilst the others were not present: something denounced by victims’ campaigner Kenny Donaldson. This despite the SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell opposing the local SDLP’s previous failure to back a name change. Unionists have vowed to continue the fight when the …

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Terrorist play park breached equality guidelines

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The Equality Commission has produced its draft report on Newry and Mourne Council’s decision to name a children’s play park after IRA terrorist and hunger striker Raymond McCreesh. The play park had initially been called the Patrick Street Play Park but in 2001 its name was changed to honour McCreesh who was captured in 1977 in possession of one of the guns used in the Kingsmills massacre the preceding year. In 2012 the Sinn Fein and SDLP majority on the …

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ECNI: “where it believes that a public authority may have failed to comply with its approved Equality Scheme…”

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As UTV note, the Equality Commission For Northern Ireland have announced that they are “to conduct an investigation into a decision made by Newry and Mourne District council to retain the name “The Raymond McCreesh Park” for a Council-owned play park in Newry.”  Here’s Mick’s post on that decision in December last year. From the Equality Commission press release The investigation will consider whether, in making its decision, the Council has failed to comply with commitments made in its Equality …

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One rule for the City of Belfast and another for the City of Newry?

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So, another ten year battle comes to an end. Raymond McCreesh was an IRA volunteer who was convicted of attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, possession of firearms with intent to endanger life and PIRA membership. He died on Hunger Strike in the Maze Prison after 61 days in 1981. As Henry Reilly of UKIP also notes: “Raymond McCreesh created so much fear in the unionist community. When he was caught he was setting up an ambush for police and Army …

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