Write a comment
Several hundred people gathered in Mullaghbawn on Saturday, 24 October to mark the 50th anniversary of the murder of Máire Drumm. The commemoration took place at the Tí Chulainn Memorial Garden and was attended by members of the Drumm family, Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald and a number of elected representatives. Earlier events included a wreath laying in Killean and the unveiling of a commemorative stone in Mullaghbawn, recognising her lifelong connection to her native South Armagh.
The ceremony at the Tí Chulainn Memorial Garden was chaired by local MLA Aoife Finnegan. Sinead McParland laid a wreath, Pauline Lynch gave a recital of one of Máire Drumm’s most memorable speeches, and a commemorative portrait was unveiled by Councillor Áine Quinn.
Those in attendance also included Liz Kimmins MLA, Dáire Hughes MP, Senator Conor Murphy, visiting TDs and MLAs, local Sinn Féin Councillors, members of the local community and friends and comrades from throughout Ireland. All had gathered to remember one of the most prominent women in the history of Irish republicanism.
Féin and Liz Kimmins MLA.
Máire’s son Seamus shared personal memories of his mother and her enduring attachment to the place she called home.
As Seamus recalled: “Mummy lived in Belfast for 30 years, but she never really left South Armagh.”
His words captured the deep bond between Máire Drumm and the community in which she was born and raised, a connection that remained central to her identity throughout her life.
Addressing those gathered, Mary Lou McDonald paid tribute to Máire’s courage, determination and political legacy.
“Fifty years on from her death, we remember Máire Drumm with enormous pride.
"Máire Drumm was a woman of extraordinary courage and conviction, who dedicated herself to her community and the cause of Irish freedom. She stood firm in the face of injustice and never wavered in her determination to build a better future.”
McDonald added: “Máire Drumm taught us what it is to rise. To rise again and again in the face of injustice, discrimination and occupation. To rise again and again in the name of Irish freedom, dignity, equality and nationhood.”
Speaking at the event, Aoife Finnegan MLA said: “It was an honour to chair this special commemoration alongside Máire’s family, Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald and Liz Kimmins as we marked the 50th anniversary of her murder.
"From the wreath laying in Killean to the unveiling of a commemorative stone here in Mullaghbawn, we came together to honour a formidable leader, a fearless champion of Irish freedom and, above all, a proud South Armagh woman”.
She continued: “Máire Drumm was an extraordinary leader, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a political activist and a visionary whose courage and conviction continue to inspire new generations.
"Her famous words, ‘We must take no steps backward, our steps must be onward,’ remain as powerful today as when she first spoke them.”
The large attendance reflected the significance of the anniversary for Máire Drumm’s family, her native South Armagh and those who continue to remember her contribution to Irish republican politics. The gathering in Mullaghbawn gave family, friends and the wider community an opportunity to reflect on her life, her political activism and the legacy she left behind.
