On Sunday November 16th, the 40th anniversary of Derry’s largest-ever civil rights march, will be marked by the screening of the film “We Shall Overcome“, prior to which the audience will be addressed by civil rights leaders such as Nobel Laureate, John Hume, Ivan Cooper, Denis Haughey and a 1967 co-founder of the movement, local author and historian Fionnbarra O’Dochartaigh. This cross-community event will be held at the Criterion Ballroom, 23Foyle Street, commencing at 8 p.m.The documentary was commissioned by the Civil Rights 1968 Commemoration Committee to mark the movement’s emergence on the streets, across the Six Counties, which began with the Coalisland to Dungannon demonstration in the summer of 1968. Besides those already named it features interviews with Austin Currie, Anne Devlin, Michael Farrell, Ken Maginnis and Edwina Stewart, and includes television and radio material from the RTE Archives. A special feature includes bonus 1968 footage supplied by UTV.
Archive for category Events
Newry Peoples Democracy Civil Rights Commemoration EventFriday 14 November 2008 at 8 pm in Newry Arts Centre.
The Civil Rights Commemoration Committee is hosting an international conference on Saturday 4th – Sunday 5th October 2008 in the Guildhall in Derry to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Duke Street march.
1968-2008
with
KARAN CASEY
ANDY IRVINE
LEN GRAHAM
NIAMH PARSONS
FINTAN VALLELY
EUGENE Mc ELDOWNEY
TOMMY SANDS AND FAMILY
THE LIFFEYSIDERS FOLK BAND
and
SPECIAL GUESTS
DERRY 4-5 OCTOBER 2008
The Civil Rights Commemoration Committee is hosting an international conference on Saturday 4th – Sunday 5th October 2008 in the Guildhall in Derry to commemorate the Duke Street march.
By Michael Farrell
Paper to Desmond Greaves Summer School
30th August 2008
What I have to say will be only partly historical. The Civil Rights Commemoration Committee, with which I am involved, has from the beginning stressed that while it wished to mark the 40th anniversary of the Civil Rights movement in a dignified way, it also wanted to look forward and try to apply the lessons and ideals of the Civil Rights movement to contemporary problems and challenges. So I will be trying to do that today.
THE PUBLIC are being invited to attend the unveiling of a mural at Free Derry Corner this Friday, August 29th @ 2.30 pm which will commemorate the 40th anniversary of Derry’s first civil rights march on October 5th 1968. Civil rights veterans, some of whom became prominent politicians, former residents of Springtown Camp, trade unionists, community groups, and individuals from further afield, in addition to the media, are being invited to attend.
Below are copies of some of the presentations from the McCluskey Civil Rights Summer School. Please note they are available in both Powerpoint and PDF formats. For printing and ease of use the PDF is probably the best one to download.
Coming to live in Northern Ireland in 1960 was for me a culture shock.
My first experience of democracy Northern Ireland style was when I went to vote. The choice was between abstentionist republican, labour and Ulster unionist. Seeing abstentionism as a wasted vote I had decided to vote labour. On presenting my voting card I was informed that I had already voted. I then noted that Antoin’s name beside mine was also crossed off although he had not voted at that stage. I was given a pink ballot paper. This would count in the event of a tie, I was told. All the polling officials were unionist and only the unionist party had agents present. In a state of frustration, anger and helplessness I voted for the republican! In those days, Westminster elections were left to abstentionist republicans and Stormont elections to the Nationalist Party.
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Remembering 1968 – 40th anniversary of civil rights movement
By Ashleigh McDonald Irish News 25 August 2008
