Some of the original members of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement in the South Derry area

A meeting in Brackaghreilly Hall in Maghera has heard how the peaceful and revolutionary demands of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement have shaped political life for more than half a century.

Workers Party member, and secretary to the South Derry Civil Rights Association in the late 1960s, Marian Donnelly told the  Party meeting of the significant role played by the Workers Party  predecessor the Republican Clubs and of the political gains the civil rights campaign secured.

NICRA’s demands

• electoral reform, one man one vote, and end to gerrymandering
• an end to discrimination
•  adequate and fair allocation of public housing,
• removal of the Special Powers Act
• disbandment of the B Specials

“These were real tangible changes that could be achieved within the constitutional framework but had real revolutionary effects”, Marian recalled. “That’s what NICRA was trying to achieve, – a peaceful revolution”, she said

“What we shouldn’t forget and shouldn’t allow to be forgotten is at that at the time it was quite clear the driving force behind NICRA was the Republican Clubs. There is no doubt about that. Records of the time confirm this to be the case,” she added

“Even though the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement advocated peaceful means, even though it’s aims were limited, in the context of the state of Northern Ireland at that time, NICRA was a movement trying to achieve revolutionary change”, Marian said

Legitimate demands                                                                                          “Had the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association and other progressive forces been allowed to pursue their legitimate demands, then those who engaged in the bloody and unnecessary carnage inflicted over three decades could never have purloined the issue of civil rights as a pretext to justify their despicable and unjustifiable campaign of terror.

“Thousands of lives were lost as was the opportunity for a united approach to tackling the social injustices of our society”, she said.

“Fifty years on, our community is still divided: segregated education and segregated housing are still with us. Thirty per cent of our children are living in poverty. Low income homes are the norm, and forty per cent of the population is blighted by fuel poverty. Life expectancy is a post code lottery”, Marian added

Real equality                                                                                                                “NICRA won many reforms but the fundamental change required to bring about real equality has yet to be realised”, Marian said.

“That can only come with the creation of a new future, based on a united working class, a bill of rights that rejects sectarianism and racism and that builds a democratic, secular and socialist society”, Marian concluded.

Marian Donnelly

The 50^th Anniversary of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association is to be marked with an event next Saturday September 22^nd, organised by the Party’s South Derry branch.

Fittingly, it will be held in Brackaghreilly Hall, the focal point of civil rights activity in South Derry during that period.

The evening is being organised by the South Derry branch of the Workers Party and will include contributions from local people involved in the civil rights campaign. Among them will be Marian Donnelly from Maghera who was secretary of the local branch of NICRA at the time.

Reflecting on events at the time and since Marian said

‘Bloody and unnecessary carnage’                           “Had the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association and other progressive forces been allowed to pursue their legitimate demands, then those who engaged in the bloody and unnecessary carnage inflicted over three decades could never have purloined the issue of civil rights as a pretext to justify their despicable and unjustifiable campaign of terror.

“Thousands of lives were lost as was the opportunity for a united approach to tackling the social injustices of our society”, she said.

“Fifty years on, our community is still divided: segregated education and segregated housing are still with us. Thirty per cent of our children are living in poverty. Low income homes are the norm, and forty per cent of the population is blighted by fuel poverty. Life expectancy is a post code lottery”, Marian added

Real equality                                                                                                                “NICRA won many reforms but the fundamental change required to bring about real equality has yet to be realised”, Marian said.

“That can only come with the creation of a new future, based on a united working class, a bill of rights that rejects sectarianism and racism and that builds a democratic, secular and socialist society”, she concluded.

Civil Rights video                                                                                                  The anniversary evening will include a short video on the formation and history of the Civil Rights movement which has been specially commissioned by the Workers Party in South Derry

 Everyone who was part of the civil rights campaign or who has an interest in it is welcome to come along. Founding members of the civil rights association will be on hand to answer questions about the period.

Meeting starts at 8pm

The Cavehill has become too dangerous for walkers, families and nature enthusiasts, according to Workers Party representative in the Castle area of north Belfast, Gemma Weir.

“This is not a new problem”, she said, “but it is getting worse”. “Mountain bikers have turned this local public amenity into an unofficial downhill race track”.

“Mountain biking down the Cavehill and through the Cavehill Country Park is putting people increasingly at risk and causing serious damage to the environment. Now it is also being widely advertised as a mountain bike downhill venue”, Gemma claims.

Refusal to endorse bylaws                                                                                     “This issue goes back to at least 2002 but still Belfast City Council refuses to fully enforce its own byelaw which prohibits riding a bike in a way which is unsafe or likely to cause damage to the park, cause annoyance or harm to people in the park.- a perfect description of high speed, downhill mountain biking”, she said

Despite the publication of a specialist report over ten years ago a number of councillors continue to argue against making the Cavehill safe for the quarter of a million visitors who use it every year. That report concluded that the Cavehill “… does not allow for sustainable multiple uses by pedestrians and mountain bikers at the same time and conflicts between these users is inevitable.’

But a decade later the byelaws are not being enforced, decisions are not being taken, the risk of injury and damage to the environment is increasing and Cavehill is being advertised throughout the world as a mountain bike venue*

Real and present danger                                                                                          “It is beyond belief that the City Council and a number of councillors continue to drag their feet on this issue. There is a real and present danger that people may get injured – including the mountain bikers – and that habitats and the environment will suffer irreparable damage.

Belfast City Council in its own leaflets describes Cavehill as an area containing “…natural and historical features…. livestock, picnic areas, woodland areas and species rich greenland ”, but are doing nothing to prevent damage to those amenities or ensure the safety of those using them.” said Gemma.

A fully functioning Executive remains “the absolute political priority”.

Following today’s talks between the Secretary of State and a number of the main parties The Workers Party has said that the restoration of a fully functioning Executive remains “the absolute political priority”.

‘Health, education and other public services are in crisis, budgets cannot be set, projects signed off or jobs and funding secured”, the Party said.

‘Some parties are happy to find reason after reason why a new Executive should not be formed but there are more pressing reasons why it should: hospital waiting lists, school budgets, housing schemes, eliminating unemployment, infrastructure projects, jobs, wages, benefits and quality of life are but a few’.

‘Sinn Fein won’t take their seats at Westminster and since January 2017  they haven’t taken their seats at Stormont. They continue to display an arrogant and contemptuous disregard for working class people, families and children’.

‘While those people bear the brunt of crumbling public services Sinn Fein’s undisguised disdain continues to place their own political ambitions front and centre regardless of the price paid by working class people’.