US Ancient Order of Hibernians donate to Bogside Artists and other Derry organisations

Martin Galvin also commended his friend Danny McBrearty and the wider family as they met at the Garden of Tribute and the mural of Danny’s brother George, painted by Bogside Artist Kevin Hasson. He also revisited the Artists’ People’s Gallery.

The garden in memory of the 1981 hunger strikers and local republicans opened in Creggan last year at the mural dedicated to the memory of Vol. George McBrearty, who was shot dead by the British Army alongside his friend Charles ‘Pop’ Maguire (20) in 1981.

Speaking on Monday, Danny McBrearty said: “I was glad to welcome Martin Galvin up to our Garden of Tribute this morning. I would also like to pay tribute to Kevin’s work and the Bogside Artists’ work in general, and thank Martin for attending.”

New York-based Mr Galvin said he was delighted to be back.

He said: “We the Ancient order of Hibernians, as a Christmas appeal each year, support groups that apply to us that are working for freedom for all Ireland, and this year we are giving out over $150,000 in grants to 19 groups, three of them in Derry.

"Today I was able to present a cheque to the Bogside Artists outside of the McBrearty mural and garden of remembrance. I’m very good friends with Danny and the McBrearty family. I had encouraged the Bogside Artists to apply for a grant. I know how important their work has been to the people of Derry, and to people across the world who are interested in the Irish struggle and see it symbolised by some of the murals they have done.”

"They applied for a grant this year and we were happy to award it to them and I was happy to present the cheque today. I’m very impressed by the work they have done and I am pleased the first cheque I could present was at that mural.

"I’ve attended some of the McBrearty commemorations and independent Republican commemorations in the past. I’ve always been very impressed and moved. There are people on that mural I knew personally, obviously very strong patriots.”

He added: "Two weeks ago I was in Washington meeting with people including the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar. We talked to him about opposing the British ‘amnesty’ bill. We were able to meet with Irish officials, British officials, party leaders particularly on the legacy issue.

"We at least let all of them know in Derry and across the north that those working for justice, those supporting freedom for all Ireland, they have a voice in Irish America and we want to make sure their concerns are heard and that people know they have the support of Irish America and that is another reason why I am here today, to re-emphasis that.”

Two other AOH cheques were also being presented to the Bloody Sunday Trust and the Martin McGuinness Foundation this week.

Mr Galvin said many people when they think of the Irish conflict, try to visualise and understand it, the work and images created by the Bogside Artists are often those that come to mind.

Tom Kelly from the Bogside Artists said they felt ‘very humbled and honoured’ to get this support from the AOH and said the grant would help towards their goal of restoring the murals of the People’s Gallery.

“They have been advocates for a long, long time of culture and Irish history and Irish art so I guess this falls within that remit for them.

"This is the first bit of support we have had in about eight years from any source. You can see the excessive deterioration of the People’s Gallery in the Bogside. We have 12 murals in total and 10 of them are in bad need of restoration so this really helps us. We are determined to see the 12 murals completely restored.

"Everybody knows it has been one of the biggest attractions in the north west and indeed in Ireland, although that has never been acknowledged officially.”

Mr Kelly said that his much missed late brother William, Kevin and himself had created the murals with the support of the people of the Bogside and their donations. “It’s their story, it’s their narrative,” he said.

"It’s what we all came through, it’s not frightening, it’s not something to be shied away from. It’s a testament to the struggle of the people and a tribute to the everyday person.”

The Peoples Gallery has been instrumental in bringing people from across the world to Derry and boosting tourism to the city. "It really deserves to be taken a bit more seriously and given respect, and the Councillors and the Housing Executive and others need to sit up and pay attention and understand this is something that is respected and cared for by the people of the Bogside and the city. It is coming up to 30 years now since we first created it, and we are determined to restore it hopefully with the help of the AOH and others who may come onboard.

"It belongs to the people and we are the caretakers of it.”