Recent history of Crossmaglen and Cullyhanna areas of South Armagh retold in important new book

This Wednesday May 1 at 7.30pm in the Cross Square Hotel in Crossmaglen, sees the launch of an important new book.

Titled “The Troubles in Creggan Parish 1969-2000”, the book tells of the events of the recent troubled times in the Crossmaglen and Cullyhanna areas of South Armagh.

The book will be launched by Fr. Michael Murtagh, PP in Dunleer, a native of Crossmaglen and himself a published writer. His account on the history of St Patrick’s Dundalk won wide acclaim.

The main work on the book was done by Kevin McMahon, a renowned local historian, who painstakingly went through local newspapers and recorded, chronologically, the awful events of those 30 tragic years.

Those involved in the publication of this book, believe that people in years to come will thank Kevin for this important gathering together of all that happened. He passed his research on to Éamonn Ó hUallacháin, another with a great love for local history, and he edited Kevin’s work, prepared it for publication and published it.

The book does not seek to analyse or judge but to record. It tells of a massive effort by ordinary people to bring justice and peace into their lives. It describes 30 years of resisting, struggling, planning, marching, meeting, fighting, suffering, dying.

A thousand names are mentioned in the book, including Kevin McMahon himself, a local secondary teacher, who was interned on August 26 1971 for no reason whatsoever and detained “on her majesty’s pleasure” for almost a year. On reading this book one is left with the strong conviction, and hope, that never again will the ordinary people of South Armagh have to struggle so hard for their rights to live as free citizens in a just society.

The launch is under the auspices of the Creggan Local History Society and will be chaired by Kieran McConville. Since their first meeting on the 25th of October 1984 the Society has been a vibrant presence in the South Armagh area. During those 35 years they have published an Annual Journal and a series of historical books, organised lectures and tours and helped to collect and conserve the story of the Creggan area.

Kevin McMahon was a core member of the Society from the beginning and at their last AGM he was made an Honorary Life President. It is seen as a fitting honour to a lifetime of dedication and love for the story of his own area.