Save the O'Rahilly house

Ógra Shinn Féin utterly condemns the decision of An Bord Pleanála to demolish the former home of the O’Rahilly.

This comes before the council meeting on Monday, where a motion on the protection of the site was due to be voted on. Our Sinn Féin councillor Mícheál MacDonnacha introduced the motion and it intended to add the house to a list of protected buildings.

It is very concerning as the house could be demolished before Monday the 14th when the vote will take place. It is important that we stand for the protection of the building in order to keep this revolutionary history.

The building was where The O'Rahilly sent his final letter to his wife as he lay dying. It was one of the locations where the Howth gunrunning was planned. There was a constant flow of patriots in and out of the house, preparing the Easter Rising.

It is time for the people to put their foot down, after the destruction of the house where Wolfe Tone was born, The building where Na Fianna Éireann was founded and the endless battle to save Moore Street and countless other insults to our history.

Darragh O'Brien, Minister for Housing, Local Goverment and Heritage must support calls to protect this historic building. Minister O'Brien claims to be a republican. As a republican, he will surely be happy to call for the preservation of a piece of republican history.

-Ógra Shinn Féin Commemoration Committee