Fr Alex Reid to speak at historic Longford commemoration

A priest who played a major part in helping to secure peace in Northern Ireland is to give this year’s address at one of the country's most famous War of Independence commemorations. 

Fr Alex Reid will give the address at this year's annual commemoration at Clonfin in County Longford on Sunday February 6.  

This year's commemoration will mark the 90th anniversary of the historic happenings that occurred on February 2 1921. 

Fr Reid, often described as one of the unsung heroes of the Northern Ireland Peace process, is based at Clonard Monastery in Belfast and is known within the Nationalist and Unionist communities for his facilitator role in the peace process. 

Among his many actions during the Troubles, Fr Reid aided a series of meetings between Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams and SDLP leader John Hume, in an effort to establish a pan nationalist front. 

A long-time confidant of Gerry Adams, Fr Reid helped to broker the ground-breaking talks between the two party leaders.  

These talks led to the 1993 Downing Street Declaration that paved the way for dialogue between the Irish and British governments and the Republican and Loyalist paramilitary groupings.

Tipperary native Fr Reid is expected to deliver a strong address to those gathered at the 90th anniversary commemoration and explain how, when the fighting ended some of the Irish warriors helped bandage the wounds of some of the British auxiliaries ensuring that the ambush played its part in building a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ireland.

 

SOURCE