R.N.U Cill Dara: Ardoyne A Welcomed Experience!

national | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Monday October 26, 2009 22:48 by Republican Network for Unity Kildare - Republican Network for Unity republicannetworkkildare at gmail dot com

RNU Cill Dara, Ardoyne Fianna commeration report:

On Sunday the 25th of October, members of the newly formed Republican Network for Unity Cumann in Kildare took part in a commemoration in Ardoyne and the unveiling of a plaque for four fallen Na Fianna volunteers from the Ardoyne area. We shared this experience for the first time with our comrades in R.N.U from all over the country and other Republican groupings. This was our first experience of life in Ardoyne and Belfast itself, with religious divide between two communities, one side Unionist, the other side Nationalist. Before the commemoration one of our comrades showed us a monument put up for all the fallen volunteers from the Ardoyne area. As we looked at this beautiful monument a car with two unionists inside it drove by, shouting out the window BANG BANG, obviously impersonating the sounds of a gun going off. As we drove through parts of Belfast, unionist areas in our Southern registered cars we were nervous and intimidated by Union jacks flying high everywhere, red, white and blue murals of UVF murderers in our faces. Myself personally I felt very angry at the whole situation, seeing Union Jacks flying in our country, British RUC cars patrolling in our country. However we in R.N.U intend to change this and from all of us in Kildare, we would like to congratulate the leadership of R.N.U for the amazing job they have done in building R.N.U in the six counties to the strength it is at in such a short time frame, its hard to believe only fourteen months ago, 4 Republicans sat in a room to form the Republican Network For Unity.

Over 400 Republicans gathered in Ardoyne for the unveiling of a beautiful little plaque to commemorate these brave men. In the lashings of Rain two Republican Flute bands and a smartly dressed R.N.U colour party led the march around the Ardoyne estate to the plaque. It was a welcomed experience from our point of view and we look forward to working with our comrades up North in the future.

Republican Network for Unity
Kildare Cumann