NORTH Belfast MP John Finucane is to be the keynote speaker at this year’s main Easter commemoration in Belfast.

It will be the first time a Belfast speaker has addressed the National Graves Association’s (NGA) commemoration since 2016, with last year’s speaker being Sinn Féin Uachtarán Mary Lou McDonald.

The parade will commence this year on Sunday 9 April with participants assembling at 1pm at Beechmount Avenue before beginning at 1.30pm to enter Milltown Cemetery at 3pm. Beforehand there will also be a reception of around 300 people representing the families of Belfast’s patriot dead.

This year’s commemoration plans to be bigger than ever, with a number of bands scheduled to participate including bands from Belfast, Glasgow and rural areas of the North.

Joe Austin, Chairperson of the National Graves Association said: “This year’s speaker will be John Finucane. It’ll be the first time since 2016 since there’s been a Belfast speaker. This year is an important year in terms of the Protocol and elections so we’re really pleased to have John speaking, he’s a very in demand and has spoken wonderfully at a lot of recent events such as the 50th anniversary for the New Lodge Six and he’s been doing a lot of interviews on television, so to have John as our speaker, it’s a real feather in our cap so to speak.”

“We’re predicting a big parade this year, weather permitting. Easter’s arguably the most important time of year in the republican calendar and usually we have five or six bands but this year we are expecting a considerable amount more than that. 

“We want again to put out the appeal and say that while it is brilliant watching the parade go by we would also encourage people to come into the cemetery and hear John speak. Given the year we’re in, given the Protocol and DUP’s antics it’s certainly a speech that needs to be heard.”

Mr Austin said the NGA are currently working on a number of projects following on from the work they did last year commemorating Belfast republican Joe McKelvey who was executed by the Free State government in 1922 during the Irish Civil War. Joe stated they will be working towards doing some projects to commemorate Liam Lynch, who led the republican anti-treaty forces until he was killed in action in the Knockmealdown Mountains in south Tipperary on 10 April 1923.

“2023 will be the centenary of the death of Liam Lynch," he added. "Many would describe him as the real Chief of Staff of the IRA. We are endeavouring to do something to commemorate the contribution that Liam Lynch made to the War of Independence and republican thinking.

"Lynch was very much against the Civil War and was someone who believed he could reach an accommodation with Michael Collins. In Collins’ notes he was speaking with Liam and shared his view but unfortunately that thinking ended when Collins was killed in 1922."