Brother of George McBrearty encourages all republicans to attend 43rd anniversary commemoration

Mr. McBrearty (23) was shot dead alongside Charles ‘Pop’ Maguire (21) by undercover members of the British Army at the bottom of Southway on May 28, 1981, at the height of the IRA/INLA hunger strike.

On Sunday at 2pm Tyrone-republican Frankie Quinn will be the main speaker at a special commemoration at the George McBrearty mural and Crann na Poblachta (Tree of the Republic) monument at Rinmore Drive.

George’s brother Danny said he hoped all republicans would attend.

“I believe in the future the way constitutional politicians are heading they don't want to remember our fallen volunteers.

“However, everyone is welcome to come and pay tribute to those on the montage on the wall. There is no hierarchy on that wall as there are men on it who have never been recognised by any organisation.

"Those comrades on the wall died for the same tradition of an Irish republic, nothing more and nothing less,” he said.

Mr. McBrearty expressed scepticism about the direction republican politics has taken over recent decades.

"We do not know what this 'New Ireland' which is being bandied about will be. Throughout all my years in the republican movement the words 'New Ireland' were never used. What was actually used was that the fight was for a 32 county sovereign republic.

“I know I wouldn't have thrown a stone for where we are today politically as a person and I don't know that any of the fallen volunteers would have,” he declared.

He argued that Stormont has failed to deliver for Derry over the years.

"At 71 years of age I haven't seen this town as low as what it is at the minute,” Mr. McBrearty said.

He claimed that under devolution 90 per cent of investment has gone to Belfast and other areas.

"Not a penny came here. We were promised during the City of Culture it would flourish afterwards.

"I walked up Carlisle Road the other day and I've never seen this place as dilapidated,” he remarked.

Mr. McBrearty encouraged anyone who wishes to place a floral tribute at the George McBrearty tribute garden at the weekend to contact the chair of the event Gary McCool.

George McBrearty and Charles ‘Pop’ Maguire were shot dead at the junction of Southway and the Lone Moor Road in Derry on May 28, 1981. The annual commemoration in their memory had been due to take place on Sunday, May 26, but had to be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.

In inviting people to attend this weekend Mr. McBrearty said he wished to quote the words an ex-US marine shared with John Crawley, the ex-IRA gun-runner and author of ‘The Yank’: “We wont let our comrades and volunteers die twice. We shall always remember them regardless of the political situation.”

The commemoration is due to take place at Rinmore Drive at 2pm on Sunday.

Former gun-runner and POW John Crawley says IRA Volunteer George McBrearty stood resolutely at the '˜tip of the spear' in struggle for United Ireland