Death of a Hero

Just before Christmas my colleague Greg O'Loughlin, the Executive Director of Friends of Sinn Féin in the USA , gave  me the sad news that veteran American Civil Rights leader King Hollands had died. I had the honour of meeting King and his fellow activists Rip Patton and Richard Dinkins during a visit to Nashville in November 2018.

Frank Kitson. 

Richard has insisted that I write a little bit about the death of Frank Kitson. Kitson, British Army general and leading advocate of counter-insurgency operations and collusion between state forces and death squads died last week. I have written about him many times. I am sure his death will be mourned by those within the British system whom he served over many decades in defence of the Empire. He was rewarded with medals, a knighthood, and military promotions. He was for a time Commander in Chief of the UK Land Forces and from 1982 to 1985 he was Aide-de-Camp General to the British Queen.

Few if any of  his many victims who were tortured, imprisoned, killed by his counter-gangs and collusion strategies, whether in the North or in Malaya, Kenya, Aden or Cyprus, will shed tears at his passing. Nollaig na mBan

Nollaig na mBan - Women’s Christmas or Little Christmas  – was celebrated last Saturday. Traditionally, it’s the last day of the Christmas period when the role of women who did all the work preparing for and making Christmas a success for everyone else, was celebrated.  January the 6th was the day when they had the opportunity to rest and celebrate.