Mayor praises Tony Hassan's new 'Memoir of Derry'

The book which is published by Cholmcille Press is packed with photographs and memories of Derry, with all proceeds being donated to the Foyle Hospice, one of the Mayoral charities.

Mayor Logue said the memoir is a great way of supporting the local hospice.

Mayor Logue said: “It was a great honour for me to have Tony Hassan in the Mayoral Chamber and to be given an opportunity to get a copy of his book.

"The longest serving Councillor to serve on the Council, Tony Hassan is a stalwart of the local community and has working tirelessly for the people of Shantallow. I am delighted that he has put his thoughts and memories into a book that we can all enjoy.

“I want to thank him for his generosity in giving al proceeds of the book to the Foyle Hospice and would encourage everyone to buy it and support this worthy charity.”

The massive growth of Shantallow since the ending of the gerrymander in Derry is at the centre of the new memoir, and the author recalls how he moved to Shantallow in the early 1970s after an IRA bomb destroyed his parents’ Bridge Street home.

He then chronicles the role played by himself and others in new developments such as those at Skeoge, Northside, Lenamore, Glenabbey and Bradley’s Pass.

Mr Hassan’s former colleague, retired Stormont Speaker Mitchel McLaughlin, penned the Foreword to the book.

Mr McLaughlin wrote: “My overwhelming impression was admiration for the dedication of the author and astonishment at his powers of recall of events that shaped his life and indeed the broader contemporary history of Derry.

“It outlines a city in the post-war era, whose economic potential had been strangled by the denial of civil rights and the gerrymandering of the electoral process, which enabled a minority of voters to dominate local Government and obstruct educational and economic opportunity for non-Unionists. This pernicious policy extended to a systemic abuse of housing provision also.

“This book provides an invaluable insight into almost 50 years of political struggle for Irish self-determination.”

The new book also recounts the impact of the conflict on Shantallow and the Troubles-related deaths of people from the area, including the controversial British army killing of unarmed IRA man Eamonn ‘Bronco’ Bradley in 1982. Tony Hassan would chair the graveside ceremonies for his friend and later help establish a long-running community football tournament in his memory.

Derry's longest serving Sinn Féin Councillor at the time, Tony Hassan, stood down from Derry City & Strabane District Council in 2018. Mr. Hassan was first elected to Derry City Council in 1997 and successfully fought every election he stood in after that.

‘From Old Streets to New Homes: A Memoir of Derry, Bridge Street and Shantallow’ by Tony Hassan, (Colmcille Press, £15), is available in local shops.