‘Women in Struggle’ Honouree - Padraigín Uí Mhurchadha

Padraigín Uí Mhurchadha wears her past lightly. With her affable, approachable and ever cheerful nature, one would not note that she has a past so full of commitment and sacrifice.

Padraigín, was raised in a republican household in Monaghan Town, and saw from a very young age the malign influence partition had on the country, and on her locality, and she along with others in her family and from her area rallied against it.



Padraigín’s brother, Fergal Ó Hanlon, joined the republican movement at a young age, and was killed at the age of 21 along with Sean Sabhat, during the raid on Brookeborough Barracks on New Year’s Day 1957.

Following their deaths, another brother of hers, Éineacháin Ó hAnluain, stepped forward to stand as a candidate for the 1957 general election for Sinn Féin, and he was duly elected as TD for Cavan Monaghan, along with John Joe Rice, Ruairí Ó Bradaigh, and John Joe McGirl. This sent a clear message to the hypocritical Free State establishment.

So Padraigín comes from a proud tradition of republican resistance, but she marked herself out as a leading activist in her own right. A long standing activist she got involved in the republican movement at the tender age of 18.

She remained involved in republicanism throughout her life, and was a committed activist. She like her brothers saw the importance of building political support, and a political movement in the form of Sinn Féin, and was not found wanting when Sinn Féin began to contest elections again in the 1980’s.

She along with a number of others across county Monaghan and across the country , stood successfully on a Sinn Féin ticket, and was elected to Monaghan Town Council in 1985, and has held her seat ever since.

And she is as keen as ever to pull her weight in elections, and could be found just a short two weeks ago, enthusiastically canvassing for another great woman of struggle, Michelle Gildernew, in Dungannon.

She remains a committed activist, and indeed, following in the proud republican tradition of her family, a number of her children are active in republicanism today. She is regarded with great affection and respect in the town, where she remains an effective, committed and popular councillor.

Is Gaeilgeoir flúirseach í Padraigín chomh maith, agus bíonn sí de shíor ag moladh úsáid ár dteanga dúchais, agus is mór an sásaimh a thugann sé di labhairt le daoine óga as Gaeilge.

Padraigín has always been a keen supporter of Ógra down through the years, encouraging its development locally, and supporting Ógra events and activists in any way she could, and values greatly the role of young people in the party.

So tonight is an opportunity to repay Padraigín for her support for Ógra, for her commitment to republicanism, and to salute her as an exemplary activist.

Beán Cróga, Bean stuama, is bean dílis í. Is mór an honóir dúinne a bheith in ann omós a thabhairt di.

Finally we would like to congratulate Padraigín and Matt on being married 40 years this 4th July. Matt always reminds people that American gained its independence on that day, and he lost his.