Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-1980

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-1980
From: Megan L
Date: 22 Dec 08 - 03:48 PM

Tell the wives mothers and sweethearts of the dead.

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-
From: GUEST,triinity
Date: 22 Dec 08 - 03:33 PM

Are there no more out there who would speak kindly in Sean McKenna's death who kept silent after his hunger strike because he did not die.? ..How can you condemn a man who is in a coma and cannot tell the doctor that he doesn't want to live?.He wanted to give his life to save all the young innocent boys who he saw so cruelly treated at Long Kesh.

I say no more.

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-
From: GUEST,trinity
Date: 22 Dec 08 - 07:42 AM

Sean walked the road to Demascus at Long Kesh and like St. Paul became a man in whom the Lord and the Blessed Mother became so very close to..He would pray on his knees for hours
to God transfixed in his devotion to the Blessed Mother.

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-1980
From: goatfell
Date: 22 Dec 08 - 04:30 AM

I'm a Scot and a Scottish Nationalist as well, but I just don't support the terrorism in any country which is done by these muderers or their pals.

as I said it's sad when someone dies no matter what.

and yet no one has mentined the sufering of the 3,000 innocent men, women and children that these 'humans' killed or helped to kill, no one gives a damn about them

well those are the ones that I feel sorry about.

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-1980
From: Comrac (troll alert contact max)
Date: 21 Dec 08 - 04:48 PM

Just returned from his wake house. What a wonderful family, humble and proud. They said he never spoke about his strike of 54 days without food, or the events which lead to the second strike in 1981 in which ten men died.

His mother showed me some of the wonderful poetry he wrote in recent years. A lot of it expressed his troubled mind. He will be laid to rest tomorrow in a most peaceful setting, St, Mary's Church yard in Ravensdale.

The suffering is now over Sean.

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-1980
From: akenaton
Date: 21 Dec 08 - 03:24 PM

Well, I'm a Scot and a Nationalist...for what it's worth.
The ordinary people like Mr McKenna are always betrayed by the leadership.

I would love to see Ireland united under one flag, and Scotland an Independent nation...but I won't hold my breath, it seems the politicians have always the last word; and we have an additional problem, right from the days of the United Irishmen, Ireland has been awash with heros like Mr McKenna, people with a real pride in their culture and traditions, but we have no modern heros and in truth, very few from antiquity, we have sold our language and culture and all we have left is a shortbread tin country split by mindless religious sectarianism.

I have no religion myself, but I hope your God looks kindly on Mr McKenna.

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-1980
From: GUEST,DECLAN HUGHES
Date: 21 Dec 08 - 02:50 PM

RIP Sean your suffering is over now.

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-1980
From: Comrac (troll alert contact max)
Date: 21 Dec 08 - 11:11 AM

Not really a time for cutting the crap out of eachother lads. Hang fire for another time.

Thanks

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-
From: Midchuck
Date: 21 Dec 08 - 10:12 AM

I don't mean to make light of this, but it illustrates the communication problems that can arise between people who are supposed to be speaking the same language.

In the US, the idea of a Republican hunger striker is the ultimate absurdity - the Republicans being perceived as the fat ones. Until I realized the post was about Ireland, I did a complete double-take.

Peter

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-1980
From: goatfell
Date: 21 Dec 08 - 10:01 AM

some how I don't think he was repected by all in the Northern Ireland, perticular the Proestants or the murdered innocent men, women and children.

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-1980
From: goatfell
Date: 21 Dec 08 - 09:57 AM

well Northern Ireland is NOT BRITISH but is a part of the UK which is different.

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-1980
From: Comrac (troll alert contact max)
Date: 21 Dec 08 - 07:53 AM

And respected throughout the North of Ireland.

This gentle spoken man was troubled. It may not be the time, but many feel more could of been done to help him by those who now wear the suits and carry out British policy in Ireland.

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-1980
From: GUEST,Martin
Date: 21 Dec 08 - 07:14 AM

A lot of people should be hanging their heads in shame, as Sean was so badly treated by the republican movement. As a vol he was the bravest of the brave, a true soldier of Ireland. He was a very gentle, spiritual man and the most loyal friend any man could ever hope to have.Sadly it was 28 years to the day of Brendan the dark Hughes, calling off the the first hungerstrike,that Sean so tragically died. He was a man of deep conscience and moral standing and carried the burden of the ten deaths that followed. Some people have stated that Seans death would have saved the others(you know who you are) Sean was in a coma and hours from death, when the strike was called off and had no control over the situation and if he had, he would have seen it out to the end, this I have no doubt. A part of Sean was left in Long Kesh, he never got over the horrors of it all, he was deeply troubled and struggled with his conscience and questioned his own contribution to the struggle, more so considering the political situation we all find ourselves in. Did the means, justify the end? May you rest in peace Sean, you will be missed by your friends in Newry and south Armagh.

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-1980
From: GUEST,josephine hughes brendan hughes daughter
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 04:21 PM

really sad to hear of the death of sean another legend gone but never forgotten   
rip sean

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-1980
From: goatfell
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 03:25 PM

There Were Roses
(Tommy Sands)

My song for you this evening, it's not to make you sad
Nor for adding to the sorrows of this troubled northern land,
But lately I've been thinking and it just won't leave my mind
I'll tell you of two friends one time who were both good friends of mine.

Allan Bell from Banagh, he lived just across the fields,
A great man for the music and the dancing and the reels.
O'Malley came from South Armagh to court young Alice fair,
And we'd often meet on the Ryan Road and the laughter filled the air.

There were roses, roses
There were roses
And the tears of the people
Ran together

Though Allan, he was Protestant, and Sean was Catholic born,
It never made a difference for the friends, it was strong.
And sometimes in the evening when we heard the sound of drums
We said, ``It won't divide us. We always will be one.''

For the ground our fathers plowed in, the soil, it is the same,
And the places where we say our prayers have just got different names.
We talked about the friends who died, and we hoped there'd be no more.
It's little then we realized the tragedy in store.

It was on a Sunday morning when the awful news came round.
Another killing has been done just outside Newry Town.
We knew that Allan danced up there, we knew he liked the band.
When we heard that he was dead we just could not understand.

We gathered at the graveside on that cold and rainy day,
And the minster he closed his eyes and prayed for no revenge.
All all of us who knew him from along the Ryan Road,
We bowed our heads and said a prayer for the resting of his soul.

Now fear, it filled the countryside. There was fear in every home
When a car of death came prowling round the lonely Ryan Road.
A Catholic would be killed tonight to even up the score.
``Oh, Christ! It's young O'Malley that they've taken from the door.''

``Allan was my friend,'' he cried. He begged them with his fear,
But centuries of hatred have ears that cannot hear.
An eye for an eye was all that filled their minds
And another eye for another eye till everyone is blind.

So my song for you this evening, it's not to make you sad
Nor for adding to the sorrows of our troubled northern land,
But lately I've been thinking and it just won't leave my mind.
I'll tell you of two friends one time who were both good friends of mine.

I don't know where the moral is or where this song should end,
But I wondered just how many wars are fought between good friends.
And those who give the orders are not the ones to die.
It's Bell and O'Malley and the likes of you and I.

There were roses, roses
There were roses there were roses
and ant tears of the people stand together.

Aye a tortured soul right enough,a man who had helped to kill many innocent men, women and children, people that ahd nothing to with the so called 'war' in Northern Ireland.

I just hate the republican/loyist terrorists I don't care wither you're republican or loyalist, no one has the right to kill anyone else, or be a part of that group that does that, I mean ther are other ways of dealing with it.

the S.N.P want freedom from Westminster but we don't go around killing, sad though it is a human being has died but what about the countless innocent mudered people that he helpe to kill.

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-1980
From: GUEST,kickham
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 01:52 PM

Sean was a kind gentle humerous man who never got over having survived, t'was not of his choosing. In the end, he didnt survive. He should be remembered and respected not denegrated as he has been by some. Sean was a forgotten hero like many others of the first strike. May he rest in peace now and may his family gain some peace in the knowledge that he is tortured and humilitated no longer.

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 01:45 PM

god bless you sean

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-1980
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 07:27 AM

.....those ten men hadn't died.

I should have added in the second hunger strike in 1981

Subject: RE: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker-1980
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 07:09 AM

Taking part in hunger strikes to the point of near death must have a detrimental effect on the body and consequently result in a shorter life expectancy. Brendan Hughes died earlier this year.

I just wish it had never happened and those ten men hadn't died.

Very sad.

Subject: Obit: Sean McKenna. Republican Hunger Striker
From: Comrac (troll alert contact max)
Date: 19 Dec 08 - 07:47 PM

Sad news this evening Sean McKenna has died suddenly at his home.

On the 27 October 1980, Sean began a hunger strike. Many prisoners volunteered to be part of the strike, but a total of seven were selected to match the number of men who signed the Easter 1916 Proclamation of the Republic.

Sean lapsed in and out of a coma and on was on the brink of death, when the British government appeared to concede the essence of the prisoners' five demands with a thirty-page document detailing a proposed settlement. With the document in transit to Belfast, Darkie Hughes took the decision to save McKenna's life and end the strike after 53 days on 18 December.

May you rest in peace now Sean.