‘We were never occupiers, we were always occupied’: With Ireland’s past in mind, Mayo stands firm in support of Gaza
County Mayo is unwavering in its support of the Palestinian people.
Over the weekend, nine vigils for Palestine took place across the county, as communities gathered to stand in solidarity with those suffering in Gaza.
From Castlebar to Claremorris, Ballina to Belmullet, the message was the same; stop the genocide now.
The number vigils in Mayo have increased as international agencies warned of the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. A famine was formally declared by the United Nations last week, who warned of widespread starvation, destitution and preventable deaths.
As the death toll climbs and conditions deteriorate further, Mayo people are making their voices heard. In Charlestown, a group gathered at the N5 to N17 bypass to show their solidarity with Palestine, and to call for an end to the genocide. Their presence was met with strong support from passing motorists, sounding their horns and cheering out of open windows as they drove by.
Catherine Malloney, from Cong, was stood on the bypass. She explained why she felt compelled to join the vigil: “We are out in Charlestown to try and draw attention to the dreadful things that are going on in Gaza. In particular, the famine, where there is food and it’s not being allowed through. It's dreadful. People have to do something,
“The point now is that children are starving. Watching TV and watching the dreadful stuff that is going on, you can can only assume the situation is far worse than what we are seeing.”
Pat Collins from Curry in County Sligo shared his concern over the rising number of children losing their lives in the conflict: “It’s about the number of children who have lost their lives. It’s now running at over 18,000, plus the fact that the IDF is now admitting that over 83pc of the casualties in Gaza were not soldiers or terrorists but men, women, and children who were innocent non-combatants.”
He described how he recently joined the final two days of the eight-day Famine Walk. He walked from Strokestown House to the famine monument on the Quays in Dublin. “That was very emotional, it was very difficult. There were over 100 people there at the Quays. There was also the 40-metre blanket crocheted by women from Mullingar, and abroad, to represent the over 18,000 children who have died in this genocide.”
For Brenden Duffy, from Charlestown, remaining passive was not an option: “I am appalled at what’s happening in Gaza. I'm not even sure how many thousands of children have been killed since the war started. This is happening right now under the world's nose. I don't think anyone has the right to say ‘I’m not involved in this’,
“I’m an ordinary citizen, we went through a famine in this country, we learnt about it going to school, it's still remembered, and that was 1847 during the worst of it.”
Many of those who took part in the vigil said they believe Ireland holds a unique moral position when speaking out on Palestine. They pointed to the country’s own past, centuries of occupation, and the human-induced famine of the 19th century, as experiences that give Irish people a deep understanding of the current situation in Gaza.
Charlestown councillor Gerry Murray reiterated this point: “We are a small nation, but we are a unique nation. If you take the vast majority of the native countries, they are all former imperial powers. Germany, Portugal, Spain, The Netherlands, Britain. All of these have been former imperial powers. We would have a much different outlook as a country,
“We were never occupiers, we were always occupied, therefore we are able to identify and relate to the plight of the Palestinians.”
Cllr Murray said the campaign for Palestine must focus on putting pressure on America: “It's a question of praise the Lord and pass the ammunition, that is essentially what America is doing. I think the campaign needs to focus not just here, but throughout Europe and globally, on American embassies, in my view. Bring the pressure to bear on the people in the White House to stop the supply of weapons and ammunition into Israel, that's the problem.”
He criticised the EU’s inaction: “The EU, no one wants to take any real action, for all intents and purposes, they’re saying a lot of things, but there’s no real action being followed through and no real sanctions against Israel. We need to focus on America, they are prolonging the war by giving Israel more and more weapons, bombs, and ammunition. It’s beyond words, I’m lost for words.”
Despite the frustration at the lack of international action, Cllr Murray warned that the conflict will inevitably end, but at a terrible human cost: “This war will end, and when it does end, a lot of people will have died unnecessarily. There is only one solution, and that is the two-state solution. Since the 1967 war, there has been a gradual occupation and taking over of Palestinian settlements, and that has to stop.”
He added that the EU’s considerable influence as a trading bloc could play a key role, but so far its leadership has been lacking: “It's a very dangerous scenario, but the EU has enormous power, it's a huge trading bloc. You have India and Asia, who would follow suit if Europe gave leadership on this matter, which they have not done.”
Across County Mayo, the vigils highlighted not only widespread support for Gaza and deep concern over the worsening situation, but also a shared belief that Ireland’s own history gives its people a unique perspective and responsibility to speak out.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.