Lost Gaels: New book celebrates the life of GAA members killed in the conflict
The finality of the concluding line of so many testimonies in ‘Lost Gaels’ is stark, devastating and entirely factual.
That closing line or two is one side of the story that Peadar Thompson, the author of the book of ‘Family Testimonies of Members of the GAA Killed During the Conflict in Ireland,’ has deliberately chosen not to tell.
It surrounds the circumstances of the murders by loyalist forces, the British Army, the IRA, the Real IRA, the UDR and others.
Here is one such example:
“Martin McShane was 16 when he was shot dead on 14 December 1971 by the Royal Marines as he crossed the playing field of Coalisland Na Fianna.
“He was at the local youth club in the clubhouse, and the pitch separated his small estate from the GAA club. Of the 30 shots fired at him, Martin was struck seven times in the back.”
The story of Martin McShane’s life is retold with warmth and affection by his childhood friend Paddy, as each and every testimony is throughout the book, more often by close family members.
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At the other end of his life was Sean Fox from the St. Enda’s club in Belfast, now a thriving community hub whose members suffered horrifically throughout the course of 30 plus years.
“Sean Fox was 72 years old when UVF gunmen arrived at his door on October 25, 1993. They entered his home, just 200 yards from the St. Enda’s club, and proceeded to torture him before killing him. No one has ever been convicted of his killing.”
Or Gerard Cairns, a 22 year old from Tullylish, County Down: “Gerard Cairns was killed alongside his brother Rory in the living room of their home on the evening of October 28, 1993 by the UVF.
“They had just finished celebrating Róisin’s (the family's youngest sibling) 11th birthday, when gunmen came through the back door and shot Gerard and Rory in front of her.”
These are not the stories Thompson set out to tell. Instead of relaying circumstances of their killings, he has instead told the story of their life. Not victims, but people. A celebration.
Incredibly in all the testimonies he gathered together over three years he says he encountered no bitterness from families and friends.
“The book is focused on the memories of bereaved relatives and families,” says Thompson.
“They were very much happy that someone wanted to talk about their loved ones to learn about who they were as people and bring that real human story to the fore. That was the feeling I got.
“I didn’t meet a family who were bitter despite having all the reasons to be bitter. Families have been let down by the state in many ways in terms of truth, reconciliation, justice.
“Ultimately really what’s there is a family in grief and that’s been compounded by the injustice of all this.
“It’s really grief, a person who they miss that was taken from them. I never came across any animosity.
“That tells you a lot about bereaved victims in particular and breaks down some stereotypes that might be attached to them.
“The only media attention they do seem to get is because they are on the streets protesting, because their rights or justice have been denied.
“People sit and think these people are bitter, or they have a chip on their shoulder type of thing, but that’s not the case.
“Unfortunately the state has let them down. They have to be on the streets. These are some fantastic people.”
The story of Lámh Dhearg Keady's Gavin McShane's is told in Lost Gaels
The stories of clubs celebrating the lives of members are littered throughout the book, from memorial gardens to tournaments, to cups and far more.
Stories of communities galvanising and growing stronger in the face of tragedy.
“This project is about human stories,” says Thompson. “Whenever someone dies in conflict that becomes their defining legacy. ‘Oh I remember that person’s name because they were killed.’ They are remembered because of the circumstances of their victimhood.
“The book was about trying to broaden the definition of that person’s legacy. Yes they were a victim but they were also a Gael, also a father, a brother, a sister, a mom, and bringing who that person was to the fore.
“It was about allowing families the space to bring about the before. Yes, it’s important to have the conversations around the circumstances of death and trauma.
“But there are many pieces of work that do that. I think what makes this book quite different and unique is that it was focused on the life that was lived.
“That took a lot of families by surprise. For a lot of them this was the first time anyone had asked them something like this.
“They found it a bit challenging in a sense and incredibly rewarding. Families were sharing memories of stories no-one else knew and they went on this journey of discovery again and it was pretty powerful.
Peadar’s father Mark is CEO of Relatives For Justice (RFJ), an organisation which works with families who have suffered conflict related trauma. They are members of the St. John’s club in Belfast.
“One of the questions that would often come up (in RFJ) around memory and memorialisation would be how many members of the Association were actually lost in the conflict. It was something we didn’t have an answer to.”
So they compiled a record. They decided the next step was to write “a book of pen portraits of how each of the people were as their family remembers them off and on the pitch.”
“I was very much aware of burnout and vicarious trauma,” says Thompson. “There was a support network around that.
“Coming from a bereaved family myself, I am aware of the nature of the conversations and the difficulties that can arise from those methodologies.
“When you are going through something as difficult as conflict, you have to be able to adjust to be able to live your life in a way.
“There is a lot of acceptance of stuff you know is wrong, but in a sense you have to put up with it to keep going.
“It’s only on the other side of it you can take stock and say, ‘You know what, that was pretty messed up.’
“Gaels in the North were treated differently and came to live with the expectation of being treated violently and harassed, and being singled out simply for enjoying the sport they love.”
Some GAA clubs were hit over and over again. Coalisland in Tyrone for one. And St. Malachy’s, St. Enda’s and Ardoyne Kickhams in Belfast.
What Belfast GAA might have been when you look at Dublin: “It’s a big question and you can only speculate,” says Thompson.
“From anecdotal evidence, talking to families who were around before the conflict really took off in the late 60s, they were part of clubs that were really doing great.
“The impact of the conflict was. being a member of the Association did put a target on your back.
“You put your head above the parapet simply by being a member of the GAA. I would say it undoubtedly had an effect. There was a stop put on the development of the Association.
“The state viewed the Association with inherent suspicion. That trickled through and all the different effects that would have had.
“There is also a galvanising effect, of clubs and communities really coming together. Like in Patsy Kelly’s case (Trillick club man) where the club came together and said, ‘This is even more important to us. Let’s put all of our energy into this.’
“You always get that around Championship time on the Sunday Game, ‘This means more to us,’ ‘This means more to northern teams.’
“Whilst the likes of Peter Canavan and all might get a sneer or two from others in the South and the Sunday Game, I think he is very right. It does mean more to people in the North because of what they experienced.”
Sean Brown, whose life is celebrated in Lost Gaels
Thompson and Eoin Connolly, who was heavily involved in the project, reached out to as many members as possible, including the Kielty Family.
Jack, the father of Late Late Show host, Paddy was killed by the UFF in 1988.
“We were unsuccessful in reaching many people. Say for the likes of Paddy Kielty and his family. We couldn’t find any contact.
“I know his brother (John) is the Chairman of the club (Dundrum). We didn’t hear back. There was a lot of families we didn’t hear back from. And a lot who probably have no surviving relatives.”
Thompson continued: “When we set out on the project it was the centenary of ‘Bloody Sunday.’
“The elephant in the room of those fantastic and beautifully done celebrations was that we had a 30 year conflict in the North and we have no collective or centralised acknowledgement within the Association of what happened.
“My hope is we can create a living project from this book and do something with Croke Park and the GAA to ensure all lost GAA members can be remembered and memorialised in an official way with the Association.
“Their might maybe be a lack of interest from the southern parts of the Association, or a lack of insight and knowledge.
“I think we are at a good and positive time. Jarlath Burns has written a foreword and being a northern gael, has an experience of the conflict.
“There is a wee bit of momentum that we might be able to get something done with the Association.”
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