Eddie Keenan – Laoch ar lár

03/03/09

(English version follows.)

Bhí poblachtóirí agus pobal na Gaeilge i mBéal Feirste ag mairgneach an tseachtain seo caite i ndiaidh bás fhear móruchtúil na streachailte ar son athghabháil na hÉireann, Eddie Keenan.

Rugadh Eddie i mBéal Feirste mí Feabhra 1921 agus rialtas na Breataine ag luí isteach ar dheighilt na tíre. Fuair sé a oideachas polaitiúil mar ógánach le linn Chíréibeacha Fhóirithint Bhaile 1932 agus ní ba mhoille mar bhall de Fhianna Éireann. Ba san eagraíocht seo a d’fhoghlaim Eddie Gaeilge den chéad uair, a thosaigh grá saoil don teanga dúchais.

Chuaigh Eddie san IRA in 1938, agus i Feabhra 1941 gabhadh é agus coinníodh i bPríosún Bhóthar Cromghlinne. Níorbh fhada gur éalaigh sé le cúpla poblachtóir eile agus rinne sé a bhealach go Baile Átha Cliath.

Gabhadh ansin é mí Márta 1942 as freastal ar agóid shíochánta le Brendan Behan in éadan bhású George Plant agus cuireadh é go Campa an Churraigh. Bhain Eddie úsáid as a am sa champa le líofacht sa Ghaeilge a bhaint amach, é ag staidéar leis an Bhéachánach agus eile faoin poblachtóir sóisialach as Conamara Máirtín Ó Cadhain.

Tar éis a scaoileadh saor d’fhill sé ar Bhéal Feirste, ach imtheorannaíodh arís é i Lúnasa 1971, é caoga bliain d’aois. Cuireadh chuig an Cheis Fhada é agus an cogadh sa Sé Chondae ag formhéadú. I mí Iúil 1976 mharaigh drong báis aontachtach a iníon Rosaleen agus a fear céile Mervyn ina dteach.

D’ainneon na gcruatán ar fad a d’fhluaing Eddie le linn a shaoil, bhí sé i gcónaí ina chrann taca don phobal thart air. Bhí meas mór air mar mhúinteoir, mar sheanchaí agus mar amhránaí, le stór iontach amhrán a d’fhoghlaim sé óna óige, agus bhí sé an-tugtha don leagan Gaeilge den Internationale a chum Máirtín Ó Cadhain agus é sa Churrach.

Fuair Eddie Keenan bás Dé hAoine 26 Feabra 2009, é 88 bliain d’aois. Tá sé fós ina inspioráid do chách a chas air sna streachailtí leanúnacha ar son athbheochan na Gaeilge agus bunú poblacht shóisialach 32-condae.

Eddie Keenan – Laoch ar lár

Republicans and the Irish language community in Belfast were in mourning last week following the death of long-time stalwart of struggle for the re-conquest of Ireland, Eddie Keenan.

Eddie was born in Belfast in February 1921 as the British government set about partitioning the country. He received his political education as a youth during the Outdoor Relief Riots of 1932 and later as a member of Fianna Éireann. It was while in this organisation that Eddie first learned Irish, leading to a lifelong love of the native language.

Eddie joined the IRA in 1938, and in February 1941 he was arrested and detained in Crumlin Road Prison. It wasn’t long before he escaped with several other republicans and made his way to Dublin.

He was arrested there in March 1942 for attending a peaceful protest with Brendan Behan against the execution of George Plant and sent to the Curragh Camp. Eddie used his time in the camp to become fluent in Irish, studying with Behan and others under the Conamara-born socialist republican Máirtín Ó Cadhain.

Following his release he returned to Belfast, but was interned again in August 1971, aged 50, and sent to Long Kesh as the war in the Six Counties escalated. In July 1976 his daughter Rosaleen and her husband Mervyn were killed in their home by a unionist murder gang.

Despite the many hardships Eddie endured during his life, he was always a pillar of the community around him. He was well regarded as a teacher, a seanchaí and a singer, with an amazing repertoire of songs he had learned from childhood, and one of his favourites was always the Irish version of the Internationale composed by Máirtín Ó Cadhain while in the Curragh.

Eddie Keenan died on Friday 26 February 2009, aged 88. He remains an inspiration to all who met him in the ongoing struggles for the revival of the Irish language and the creation of a 32-county socialist republic.