‘Unbroken, but ready to work for the future’
By Aeneas
Bonner
IRA prisoners left the Maze yesterday “unbowed and unbroken” – but
offering the hand of friendship to those who would work with them. Cheering
greeted the 46 IRA men as they emerged from the jail in batches to be met by
friends and relatives. Among them was James McArdle (31), jailed for 25 years in
1998 for his part in the Docklands bombing which ended the first IRA ceasefire.
With him was Bernard McGinn (42), convicted of the 1997 murder of Lance
Bombardier Stephen Restorick, the last British soldier to be killed. Sean Kelly
(26), who received nine life sentences for the Shankill Road fish shop bombing
in 1993, also walked free.
Jim McVeigh (40), officer in command of IRA men inside the Maze, said they left
as proud republicans, “unbowed and unbroken”. “We are determined to pursue
and achieve the goals for which so many gave their lives, that is the
establishment of a united, democratic, socialist republic,” he said. “As
republicans we have experienced suffering, we understand well the hurt of
others. “We offer the sincere hand of friendship to everyone who is prepared
to help build a new future for all of our people.”
Each prisoner was met by Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly – once a Maze escapee –
who said no-one need fear IRA men back on the streets. “I was in jail and I am
no threat to anyone,” he said.
“This is an historic day. If you were too sum up the jail as a
monument, it would be a double-sided monument. “A monument to man’s
inhumanity to man, but also a monument to people who found themselves naked and
alone throughout many years but kept their spirit and commitment to their cause.”
He said the jail’s purpose to defeat republicans had “absolutely failed”
and its prisoners had shown they could emerge to become leaders of their
community. And although he was “mindful” of the sensitivities of victims of
IRA violence, he said up to 20,000 nationalists who passed through jails had
been victims as well. “You cannot support the idea of victims as if they are
in one community and prisoners as if they are in another. The prisoners come
from all sections of the community, as do the victims,” he said.
Condemning the “ranting and raving” of unionists who defended the actions of
the security forces, he said it was now the job of politicians to bring the
conflict to an end.
IRSP spokesman Willie Gallagher, speaking after the earlier release of five INLA
prisoners, called for all political prisoners to be freed. “We are also very
conscious of those who won’t be coming home today – the hunger strikers and
others who died in this prison during the course of the conflict,” he said. Mr
Gallagher, himself released in 1993 after 18 years in prison, said the Maze
should be turned into a monument to history.
And, although the IRSP did not believe the Good Friday agreement would resolve
the conflict, he said he hoped to be proved wrong: “Hopefully in five years
time we can say we were wrong and the Good Friday agreement was a step to a
united Ireland,” he said. He said those released yesterday would enjoy a “quiet,
family celebration”, and work with the Teach na Failte ex-prisoners group.