Rita and Tina – A Story of Struggle

Liam O’Lapain
Ógra Shinn Féin

(This article was printed in the Newry/Armagh SF constituency newpaper ‘ Nuacht’ in March 2008)

Rita and Tina McNally are two remarkable ladies. They are historians. They are both in their eighties. They are active Armagh Gaels. But, above all, they are proud Irish Republicans. They were born into a Republican family in the 1920s. Their father being a member of the IRA’s Fourth Northern Division and their mother a member of Cumann na mBan.

Mitchel McLaughlin with the McNally sisters

It was fairly early in their lives that the sisters became aware of the oppressive state that they were growing up in; Rita reveals “It was a lovely bright morning during a time of relative peace when we made our way to Easter Sunday mass. I recall seeing an RUC man sitting on the grass beside his bicycle, our mother explained to us that he was checking to see who was wearing Easter lilies. At that time we did not know what an Easter lily was although we made up for that neglect in subsequent years!”

The sisters grew up listening to stories and ballads of the great freedom struggle in Ireland which were recited regularly by their father. He had obtained a written copy of the Irish National Anthem, when its author Peadar Kearney visited their home in Clady along with Michael Collins, Harry Boland and Countess Markievicz to meet with local republicans during the tan war. The item was sadly misplaced in later years when the McNallys hid it for fear it would be captured during any subsequent raids of their home by the RUC.

In 1956, Ireland’s media was to descend on the small village of Clady when local man, Arthur Lenoard, a friend of the McNally sisters was murdered while passing through a B Specials checkpoint outside the south Armagh town of Keady. This murder illustrated the bigotry and injustice that the Irish people were suffering at the hands of the British regime in Ireland, in collaboration with the locally recruited loyalist militia.

It was shortly afterwards that Tina emigrated to England to find work. Meanwhile at home, her sister Rita joined the Pearse Dramatic group which toured around community halls in Co Armagh raising much needed finance for republican prisoners and their dependents.

The McNallys both welcomed the emergence of the civil rights campaign in the late 1960’s and threw their weight fully behind the demands for justice and equality for the nationalist community. It was at an Easter commemoration in 1968 when Rita can recall “something in the air” and “a movement among the youth”; within a year the IRA were to reemerge on active service across the six counties. Rita often collected pieces of timber, pencils and pens which she would send into the republican prisoners for the production of handcrafts. Such was her dedication to the prisoners; she would often be found sending full sacks of timber into the newly opened internment camp at Long Kesh.

Rita with a harp made for her by Vol. Dessie Grew

During the 1970’s Rita continued to support the republican prisoners by collecting finance for the Green Cross campaign as more and more men and women were being processed through the Diplock courts and sentenced to years of imprisonment . Rita herself visited the Armagh women’s jail regularly and vividly recalls a young Mairead Farrell waving a tri-colour out one of the windows during a particular International women’s day.

In March 1981 when Bobby Sands commenced his hunger strike, Rita began to recite the Rosary in the Mourneview housing estate in Clady. This then became a daily ritual with crowds of people coming from all over the country to join in the prayers to remember the men in Long Kesh.

The sisters recall the hunger strike as being one of the saddest times in their lives and describe Maggie Thatcher as a ‘hang woman’. Tina remarks, “It’s an awful pity that they missed her in Brighton!”

In 1980, Rita retired from work. Tina then retuned home from England and both joined the Padraic MacLogan Sinn Féin cumann in Clady. They were quickly elevated to senior roles in the Newry/Armagh Chomhairle Cheantar and became full time party activists. They were central to the foundation building of the party, canvassing across the constituency as Sinn Féin began to contest more elections. Rita herself acted as an election agent for Danny Morrison during the 1980’s and stood as a Sinn Féin candidate in the 1989 and 1993 local elections.

The 1990’s saw the emergence of the peace process and the McNallys had mixed feelings about the ceasefire wondering what could be gained and achieved for republicans. However they remained loyal to the republican leadership continuing to assist with the development of the party while travelling annually to the Ard Fheis in Dublin. At the same time, Tina embarked upon a university degree - A remarkable achievement for a woman at 76 years.

The McNallys now appreciate the achievements of the initiatives taken by the republican movement as the border, in their eyes, is “becoming more and more irrelevant”. Tina adds that the border is now “becoming ignored through cross border initiatives”. They both agree that British withdrawal and Irish reunification is going to be part of a gradual process which has already begun although asked if they will see a united Ireland, they seem rather unnerved by the question. “It will come” says Rita “It will probably be after us but it will come”.

Rita & Tina pictured at the 2006 Ard Fheis with Gerry Adams

And who would know better, because these two ladies were born shortly after partition and have remained active in every decade since then, actively campaigning for our aims and objectives. Rita and Tina McNally are not only remarkable women, but are two loyal stalwarts of our struggle.

A special dinner dance is being held in Ballymacnab, Co. Armagh on Saturday 12th June to acknowledge the contribution made by these two republicans over the years.