Victims hit out over Hurson play

A LOCAL victims group has accused Armagh, Banbridge and Craigvon Council of ‘acting in a complicit way’ with those seeking to justify the use of terrorism.

On Thursday night ‘The Martin Hurson story’ will take to the stage at the Market Place Theatre in Armagh - a move which has sparked controversy, particularly among those who lost loved ones in the Troubles.

Victim and survivor support group SEFF says it has been contacted by many victims and survivors across Armagh City and beyond concerned by what they describe as; “A public amenity acting in a complicit way with those seeking to retrospectively justify the use of terrorism and violence within this Society.”

Kenny Donaldson, Director of Services at SEFF stated: “It is important to remember but also honour all those whose lives that were extinguished outside the Maze Prison walls over one of the most turbulent periods in our history.

"Inside the Maze Prison walls 10 men, 10 convicted terrorists (including Martin Hurson) took the choice, with the leadership of the Republican Movement at their back to complete suicide.

"Who was Martin Hurson? The facts not relayed in the promotional material for the Play are as follows:

"Martin Hurson was born in Cappagh, County Tyrone. He joined the Provisional IRA in 1974 and trained in Bundoran.

"In November 1976, Hurson, together with Kevin O’Brien, Dermot Boyle, Peter Kane and Pat O’Neill were arrested. Hurson was tried and convicted of involvement in three Provisional IRA landmine incidents, one at Cappagh in September, one at Galbally, County Tyrone in November 1975 and a third at Reclain (neat Dungannon) in February 1976, when several members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Ulster Defence Regiment narrowly escaped being killed. He received concurrent sentences of twenty, fifteen and five years for these convictions.

"He died after 46 days on Hunger Strike in the Maze Prison".

Mr Donaldson added: "Those murdered and killed outside those Prison walls did not have the choice to live because in most cases others decided that they had a right to play God in determining who would live and who should die".

"Within those murdered and killed outside the walls of the Maze Prison were members of the security forces who were murdered both on duty and off duty, there were also many civilians from across the community murdered/killed and within this were four young children aged 11-15 years whose lives were cut short because they were brought out onto the streets by a terror Movement which had a history of using children as human shields".

"Much has been said and written of the hunger strikes and this will continue. Many republican ideologues and other apologists have sought to rewrite history and reconfigure who these individuals were. The reality is that this has not been extended others, their names have been cast aside. We insist that they must be acknowledged and remembered within public discourse, just as they will be by their families".

"In this County of Armagh 10 innocents were murdered by The Provisional IRA over that turbulent period:

"Gerard Rowland, Kenneth Acheson, John Robinson, John King, Paul Bulman, Andrew Gavin, Michael E. Bagshaw, Grenville Winstone, Gavin Dean and Charles Armstrong. Their lives mattered to their families, to their friends and colleagues and to the community at large".

Mr Donaldson continued: "We are clear that the death of 10 men on hunger strike was a human tragedy and no-on with a semblance of Christianity within their DNA would take glee in their demise. Their families left behind mourn their loss and we acknowledge that. But what we will not ever acknowledge or accept is the manipulation of the truth, the 10 men who died on hunger strike were terrorists (as per National and International law) they were insurrectionists, and they were criminals who were convicted of serious crimes including murder."

"Martin Hurson was one such individual and whilst the Marketplace Theatre sees economic value in staging a revisionist play of his life, in-so-doing the theatre is complicit with the rewriting of history. The theatre has shown disdain for the feelings of innocent victims/survivors of violence, at no point were they considered in the decision-making process to host this production.

"Coinciding with the holding of the play SEFF will be publishing a short film on its' Victim and Survivor Facebook page on Wednesday 2nd October 2024, the film will also be available on YouTube. This production will Remember those who had NO Choice," concluded Mr Donaldson.