I wrote the following letter to The Irish News newspaper in response to the murder of Lyra McKee.
So-called republicans should use energies to learn Irish
There is something that the IRA can do to offer comfort to the family of Lyra McKee. In one word – disband.
I am sure the family and friends of Lyra McKee and most Irish people would be very happy and comforted to know that the organisation has disbanded.
While saying this, I am not saying that the people involved are barred from pursuing their political objectives. There are non-violent and constructive ways for any political beliefs to be progressed. If the leaders of the organisation were wise, they would engage in political debate and reaching out to the community to form coalitions for a common purpose. You know, the kind of things that normal political parties and campaigns do.
If they wanted to do something constructive, they could also learn the Irish language and encourage its use as much as possible.
I always find the so-called republicans who march around in British army uniforms and who can’t speak any Irish a bit of a joke.
If you wear the uniforms of your enemy and can only speak your enemy’s language, what are you fighting for? By using their energies to learn Irish they would do far more for Ireland than firing randomly down a residential street in the dark and murdering innocent bystanders. Learning Irish also has the added advantage of being a bridge to reach out to unionists who are interested in their Irish cultural origins.
Let me finish by using a well-known Irish war cry to the so-called IRA – fág an bealach! (Get off the road).
SEANÁN Ó COISTÍN
Trier, Germany
Gaeilge, IRA, Irish language, Irish News, Letter to the editor, Lyra McKee, political party