|
Irish
Republican Prisoners Welfare Association
Saturday 17th August 2002.
The
IRPWA has learnt with sadness of the death of little
Kyle McMonagle, grandson of Republican prisoner Ciaran
McLaughlin. Kyle passed away this morning at 10.00am
and despite repeated requests for compassionate release
to be with his dying grandson Ciaran was denied this
most basic right. The authorities had granted him
a few hours parole but had stopped this taking place
until Sunday. Since they were fully aware of the gravity
of the child’s condition, having been furnished
with full reports from Altnagelvin Hospital, one has
to ask if this was a malicious delay to further torture
this prisoner and his family. Their treatment highlights
in a truly tragic way the brutality and contempt being
endured by the prisoners in Maghaberry Gaol and their
families on the outside. We in the IRPWA send our
sincere sympathy to Ciaran, Bernie, Leanne and their
entire family and assure them of our continued support
and assistance. No other family should be faced with
this appalling treatment, it’s time the powers
that be gave prisoners the human rights and dignity
they deserve.
•
October
5th Association (Civil Rights Veterans)
With
a deep sense of sadness civil rights veterans received
word that Kyle McMonagle, aged two years and six months,
passed away peacefully at 10 am to-day, in Altnagelvin
Hospital, surrounded by members of his loving family.
Over
recent weeks the family have maintained a constant
vigil at the hospital. Kyle had suffered with a very
severe form of hydrocephalus.
We
wish to thank sincerely all those, who upon our request,
personally contacted the Prison Service and the N.
Ireland Office in a bid to secure compassionate parole
for Kyle's grandfather, Mr. Ciaran McLaughlin, a long-term
republican prisoner at HMP Maghaberry. These included
the Bishop of Derry, Dr. Seamus Hegarty, the city's
mayor, Councillor Anne McCloskey, and Mr. Ivan Cooper,
a former Minister of Community Relations in the ill-fated
1974 power-sharing executive at Stormont. We wish
also to thank our many sincere friends in the United
States whose continuing support is much needed, and
greatly appreciated.
While
Mr. McLaughlin was not released to bid a last fond
farewell to the child, all concerned parties will
mount a determined effort again to ensure that he
is present at Kyle's funeral. We civil rights' veterans
now call on the Stormont and British authorities to
keep their 'security' to a minimum at this sad time
for Ciaran, and his long-suffering family. We wish
to see Kyle laid to rest in a totally peaceful and
dignified manner.
Messages
of sympathy received by the civil rights veterans
association will be printed out and conveyed to the
child's grieving family. The remains will be waked
to night and Sunday night. Our members will be on
hand should the family require any assistance at this
tragic time. We extend our deepest sympathy to Kyle's
parents, his grandmother Mrs. Bernadette McLaughlin,
and all the family circle, and hope to be able to
speak to Ciaran personally to offer our condolences
over the next few days.
The
civil rights veterans can be contacted via oct5th_vets68@hotmail.com
Index: Current Articles + Latest News and Views + Book Reviews +
Letters + Archives
|
