Martin Galvin, once banned from Northern Ireland by Margaret Thatcher, was the main speaker at a commemoration ceremony held in Derry this afternoon in memory of an IRA man killed by the SAS in the city 35 years ago today.
George McBrearty (24), along with Charles “Pop” Maguire (21), died in a shooting incident which occurred shortly before 1.00pm on 28 May 1981 at the junction of Lone Moor Road and Southway in the Brandywell area of the city.
Addressing a crowd of several hundred people at the republican monument in Cromore Gardens in Creggan, Mr Galvin, former publicity director of the New-York based Noraid, hit out at the Good Friday Agreement as well Sinn Fein’s and the Irish Government’s participation in the current peace process.
He said: “This deal was never going to open the road to freedom.
“It was always going to end up with someone like Arlene Foster talking about the next 100 years of Northern Ireland.
“We didn’t know it would end up with people lining up to shake hands with Prince Charles.and smiling when they are told that there would never be a nationalist justice minister.”
He said George McBrearty had been the “best soldier Derry city ever had.”
He added: “George was to Derry city as Francis Hughes was to South Derry.
“It was the highest possible praise - it was from leaders of the struggle at that time.”
Today’s event was chaired by veteran Derry republican, Hugh Brady, who said George McBrearty was one of Ireland’s greatest ever freedom fighters whose like would never be seen again.
Photo shows Martin Galvin speaking at todays commemoratio with (on right) Hugh Brady, who chaired the event.
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