Plaque to Murdered IRSP Men Unveiled

[Danielle Ni Dhighe <danielle@xxxxxxxx>]

Irish News
14 October 2002

Plaque to Murdered IRSP Men Unveiled
By Maeve Connolly

Two republican socialists were remembered yesterday with the
unveiling of a plaque in West Belfast. Ronnie Bunting and Noel
Little, both members of the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP)
and the H-Block Armagh Committee, were shot dead on October 15 1980.

Gunmen, thought to be from the UDA/UFF, burst into the Buntings' West
Belfast home and opened fire, killing Ronnie, a Protestant member of
the INLA, and Noel Little. Shot six times, Mr Bunting's wife Suzanne
was unable to attend her husband's funeral.

She said yesterday that the memorial had been important for her
grandson and three children, the eldest of whom was seven when his
father was murdered.

"My children are grown up now and only the eldest really has any
memories of his father so it's given them a chance to identify with
him," Mrs Bunting said.

"It means a lot to them to see such a turn out, especially since the
organising committee are Ronnie's comrades.

"They all knew him and that makes it more special."

Family members and representatives of the IRSP laid wreaths at
yesterday's event, watched by large numbers of former colleagues and
friends.

Republican activist and leading figure in the civil rights movement
in Northern Ireland, Bernadette McAliskey, addressed the crowd.

Mrs McAliskey said the two men were among many who had made
a "remarkable contribution" to the hunger strike movement of the
1980s.

Remembering Noel Little for his "critical mind", the former Mid-
Ulster MP said that he and Mr Bunting had played a part in ensuring
that the involvement of IRSP members in the hunger strikes would not
be forgotten.

"Ronnie Bunting's strength was in organising and maintaining and
contributing to the defence of local people who stood out on streets
in the dark campaigning and praying for prisoners," she said.

Gerard Murray, from the ex-prisoners memorial committee, praised the
two "heroes for the Irish working classes" for their unwavering
beliefs.

"Neither Noel nor Ronnie would have deviated from the revolutionary
path. Today may require different tactics but not different
principles," he said.


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