Fallen Comrades of the IRSM: Seamus Costello

[Danielle Ni Dhighe <nidhighe@xxxxxxxx>]

Fallen Comrades of the IRSM
IRSP Chairperson/INLA Chief of Staff Seamus Costello
Assassinated by the Official IRA on 5 October 1977

http://www.irsm.org/fallen/costello/costello01.jpg

Seamus Costello was born in Bray, County Wicklow, in 1939.  At the
age of 16 he joined both Sinn Fein and the Irish Republican Army.

Within a year he was commanding an Active Service Unit of the IRA in
South Derry and had earned the nickname of the "Boy General".

He was arrested in Glencree, Co. Wicklow, in 1957 and sentenced to
six months in Mountjoy.  On his release he was immediately interned
in the Curragh for two years.

He spent his time in prison studying and was a member of the escape
committee which engineered the successful escape of Ruari O Bradaigh
and Daithi O'Connell among others.

After his release, Costello worked to rebuild the Republican
Movement.  He stood for election to the Bray Council in 1967 and was
successful.

During the split of the Republican Movement into Official and
Provisional movements in 1969, Costello remained with the Officials,
serving as Vice-President of Official Sinn Fein and Chief of Staff of
the Official IRA.

As the Officials began their slide into reformist politics, Costello's
opposition to such politics caused him to be dismissed from the OIRA
and suspended from OSF.  He was dismissed from OSF in 1974 after the
OSF leadership undemocratically blocked his supporters from attending
the party convention.

At a meeting in the Lucan Spa, a hotel near Dublin, on 10 December
1974, the Irish Republican Socialist Party was formed by republicans,
socialists, and trade unionists with Costello as the Chairperson.

At a private meeting later the same day the Irish National Liberation
Army was formed with Costello as the Chief of Staff, although its
existence was to be kept secret for a time.

Within days of its founding, the fledgling Irish Republican Socialist
Movement was to begin a baptism of fire at the hands of the OIRA.
Members of the IRSM would be attacked and even killed.  Before a
truce was reached, three members of the movement were dead.

Despite the truce, Costello was gunned down by a member of the OIRA
in Dublin on 5 October 1977.

At the time of his death, he was a member of the following bodies:
Wicklow County Council, County Wicklow Committee of Agriculture,
General Council of Committees of Agriculture, Eastern Regional
Development Organisation, National Museum Development Committee, Bray
Urban District Council, Bray Branch of the Irish Transport and
General Workers Union, Bray and District Trade Unions Council (of
which he was president 1976-77), and the Cualann Historical Society,
as well as still holding the positions of Chairperson of the IRSP
and Chief of Staff of the INLA.

At his funeral, James Connolly's daughter Nora said "he was the only
one who truly understood what James Connolly meant when he spoke of
his vision of the freedom of the Irish people."

*******

"I owe my allegiance to the working class." - Seamus Costello

He died as he lived: a Republican Socialist.  Remember him with
honour and pride.

*******

"Tribute to A Comrade"
By John Gilligan

The wind it blew cold that October, as I watched the sad cortege depart
And I knew the bright sunshine of springtime, ne'er would ease the dead
chill in my heart
As l slowly came down from that chapel and we went oh, so slow, to his grave
'Twas for us this great lover of mankind, for us always his lifetime he gave.

His brilliance shone forth like the morning, as he rose up to champion the weak
And our jailers in the island dungeon cowered when Costello dared all for
to speak
For his was the voice of the worker and justice for all was his creed
And he told us "arise in your greatness, and conquer this world full of greed."

Not bigots nor hate can divide us, as we fight for the flag of the free
Not murder nor armies defeat us when we strike out for our liberty
And his voice it came back from the coffin, as I shouldered it close to my
cheek
"Go on - ever onwards my comrades - 'til we build up that nation we seek."

"And no power in this world can stop you - the assassin has failed can't
you see
And remember as you bury my body, my spirit as always is free
And I stride along there beside you, as you march on to your destiny
And remember I was willing to trade it, my life for your liberty."

It was cold when we buried that hero, and many's the heart cried with pain
For we knew as we buried our comrade, we'd not see his likes e'er again
But his words seemed to ring in the morning, as we slowly departed his grave
"Remember you were born to be free then, not quisling, not lackey, not slave

And my work in this life was an honour, so take up my struggle with pride
Doing that this cold day is beaten, and I, Seamus Costello, have not died."

To hear this song performed by Ray Collins:
rtsp://real.playstream.com:554/morrigan/19.rm

*******

Seamus Costello Tribute Pages:
http://www.irsm.org/fallen/costello/
http://www.irsm.org/irsp/costello/

=======
PLEASE clip all extraneous text before replying to a message