Dolours Price: ‘You have triumphed in the end’ -- Ó Brádaigh

The untimely passing of Dolours Price is a moment in Republican history. Born into a staunch Republican household in Belfast she came under the influence of her father, Albert Price, who was active in the 1940s and was imprisoned, and her aunt Bridie Dolan who was severely injured when a grenade she was handling exploded prematurely.

With the birth of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, Dolours was to the fore in all activities. When the struggle escalated and internment without trial was brought in, she and her sister Marion joined the Republican Movement. There followed activity in London and prolonged imprisonment and hunger strike.

This last development was met by force-feeding for more then 200 days until demands for relocation to the Six Counties were met, but were not implemented for more than two years. It is certain that the brutality of the protracted force-feeding had grievous effects on Dolours both mentally and physically. It surely brought about an early release for both sisters.

Dolours rejected what she saw as a “surrender process” from the outset. When the Stormont Agreement was signed in 1998, she visited the Ard-Oifig of Republican Sinn Féin in Dublin and made her position clear. By attending the subsequent Ard-Fheis of Republican Sinn Féin she nailed her colours to the mast.

When attending the 25th anniversary in Ballina of the death on hunger strike of Frank Stagg in 2001, she spoke at the grave of an old friend and comrade, Jackie Clarke. Here she made her stand once more. In more recent times she publicly attacked what she saw as deceit, hypocrisy and public lying in high places. She exposed it relentlessly. She saw all that as a contradiction to the mountain of sacrifice that had been made over the decades.

She herself had contributed more than her share and she was outraged at the developments. Never did she participate in deceit, hypocrisy or public lying. She will be remembered – cuimhneofar ort, a Dholours. You have triumphed in the end.

Sincere sympathy is expressed to her sisters Marian and Clare and to her two sons, Danny and Oscar.

-- Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, Eanáir 27, 2013.

Source: Republican Sinn Fein 28-01-2013