A Chairde
The word ‘ERASURE’ has many meanings, however they all come back to the act of : Expunging, eliminating, obliterating. In the book ‘1984’ Winston Smith’s job was erasing history, people, rewriting the narrative. The River Boyne casts a large shadow over the history of this country which continues to this day. The Battle of the Boyne symbolises division. Thousands of people killed, maimed and missing.
On December 6th 1976 up to 15,000 men and women from both side of the religious divide and none marched across the new ring road bridge. The were Marching for Peace and an end to violence in Northern Ireland. Dialogue not bombs and bullets. The march was the culmination of a series of Marches for Peace, North and South. At times marchers were subjected both verbal and physical violence incited by paramilitaries. It took courage to march. Punishment shootings and people ‘Disappeared’ were common. Stick your head above the parapet and risk having it chopped off.
The message of the Peace Marchers was simple,
“We have a simple message to the world from this movement for Peace. We want to live and love and build a just and peaceful society. We want for our children, as we want for ourselves, our lives at home, at work, and at play to be lives of joy and peace. We recognise that to build such a society demands dedication, hard work, and courage. We recognise that there are many problems in our society which are a source of conflict and violence. We recognise that every bullet fired, and every exploding bomb make that work more difficult. We reject the use of the bomb and the bullet and all the techniques of violence. We dedicate ourselves to working with our neighbours, near and far, day in and day out, to build that peaceful society in which the tragedies we have known are a bad memory and a continuing warning.”
The organisers of the Peace March Movement were recognised worldwide and were awarded The Nobel Peace Prize in 1977. While the high-profile marches filtered out after the Boyne March the movement continues to this day. The new bridge was named in honour of those who marched for peace in dangerous times. The Boyne River becoming a symbol of unity rather than division.
St. Oliver Plunkett has become a symbol of Peace and Unity; he was also an Educator.
The proposal to rename the Bridge of Peace in his honour is in itself a nice thought is also an insult to the women and men of courage who risked bodily harm and death in the modern era. It is, in a real sense, erasing them from the history of Ireland and of Drogheda in particular.
I am calling on Elected members of Louth County Council to reject the motion to change the name from The Bridge of Peace. The part played by women in the 1916 Rising and the War of Independence has long been ignored and for a century they have been ignored and erased. Voting for this motion will make members Complicit in erasing the part MNÀ NA hEIREANN played in the Peace Process.
Lest anyone think I am opposed to this on other than altruistic reasons I was involved in a minor role in the St. Oliver Plunkett Centenary Commemorations and I give credit to devotees of St Oliver who ploughed a lovely for many years in the pursuit of peace
If you wish to honour St. Oliver Plunkett I would suggest that the refurbished building at the corner of Narrow West St./Georges Square/ Bridge of Peace be named in his honour.
To my knowledge it is to be a place of Unity, Community and Education.
Thanking you
Michael Gerald FLOYD
