Published: Wednesday, 5th May, 2010 4:55pm

People must stand up for their rights, Jim Connell rally told

by Ann Casey

Navan SIPTU John Regan with Arthur Scargal at Crossakiel Jim Connell Day
Pic by==: 97

Arthur Scargill, the former leader of the National Union of Mineworkers who infamously led the British miners strikes in the 1980s, was among the speakers at the annual Jim Connell commemoration in Crossakiel on Sunday.

Others who spoke at the festival, which honours the man who wrote the socialist anthem 'The Red Flag,' included Phil McFadden, president of the Dublin Council of Trade Unions; Louise O'Donnell, national secretary of IMPACT, and Bob Crowe of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT) in the UK.

The Jim Connell parade took place in the village at 3pm and featured respresentatives of trade unions and political parties from all over the world.

The RMT band, which had travelled over from England, led the parade through the village and among those who participated were the cathaoirleach of Meath County Council, Cllr Bill Carey; the chairman of Kells Town Council, Cllr Brian Curran, and Navan Mayor, Cllr Joe Reilly.

The colourful march was followed by speeches and the main focus was how the ordinary people were being made to pay for the bailout of the banks. Arthur Scargill told the crowd that it was time ordinary people stood up and fought for their rights and entitlements.

He said the current system was letting people down and a new system, based not on money, but on the needs of people, should be put in place.

He said it was important to look to the country's natural resources such as the sea and land for job creation. Countries like Ireland and the UK should be building ships and not buying their fleets elsewhere, he added.

There was music on the street on Sunday afternoon as well as entertainment for children and over the entire weekend, there was festival music each night in McCabe's with Grada headlining the event on Sunday night.

Cllr Brian Curran, chairman of the Jim Connell Society, who acted as MC for the event, thanked the community in Crossakiel for their wonderful welcome, the visitors who travelled to the event and the Gardai for their assistance.

He also thanked Crossakiel Handball Club, the Tidy Villages Committee and John Smith for looking after the memorial, as well as Fergal McCabe for hosting the event and looking after the entertainment.

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