Séamus Fitzpatrick (b.1942)

Séamus Fitzpatrick (b.1942)

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The Fitzpatrick family comes from a farming background, and Séamus Fitzpatrick still farms at Creeney and runs a filling station and shop at Drumacon. He describes what life was like on the republican side of the Border on the old Clones Road during the Troubles. He says that Belturbet was a thriving town prior to the Troubles but explains that the conflict had a very negative impact. One day, Séamus was shooting pheasant with his dog on Derastaton Island within the Erne System when he saw a helicopter flying very low. He jumped into a ditch and was later to discover that he had been close to the scene of a murder which had just taken place. He retreated to his boat and returned home; he was later visited by members of An Garda Siochána who knew of his whereabouts the previous day. During the 1970s so many murders and reprisals took place. Great mistrust remained within and among the two communities following the Good Friday Agreement, he says. He explains that his son, Maurice Fitzpatrick, has just published a book on the life and times of John Hume, entitled John Hume in America.

This collection, carried out by Irish Life and Lore on behalf of Cavan County Library Service, is funded by the EU Special EU Programmes Body Peace IV fund under the objective to build positive relations with people from different backgrounds and communities to support peace and reconciliation.

Download the recording free of charge by adding it to the basket and checking out as normal or listen to it online at this link: CDVOT01-26-Fitzpatrick

Additional information

Type:

MP3

Audio series:

Voices of the Troubles

Download time limit:

48 hours

Number of files:

1

Recorded by:

Maurice O'Keeffe – Irish Life and Lore

Product ID:

CDVOT01-26

Length:

25mins

Date Recorded

16/11/2017