AN organisation which restores and maintains the graves of Irish republicans who died for Irish freedom will celebrate its 90th anniversary next year.
Cumann Uaigheann na Laochradh Gadheal, or National Graves Association, was founded in Dublin in 1921 before the first branch in Belfast started in 1935. Over the course of the past nine decades monuments have been erected and restored, and graves have been marked and maintained.
All the work is overseen by a committee of ten members – five men and five women.
In recent times, the committee has overseen the complete rebuilding of what has become known as the new republican plot in Milltown Cemetery, which contains the remains of 77 republicans who died on active service or as a result of imprisonment or assassination.
The National Graves Association is also responsible for the maintenance of the County Antrim Plot in Milltown, which contains the remains of 34 IRA volunteers who died on active service, the Harbinson Plot in which five IRA volunteers are interred, and a number of other republican graves, some of which stretch back to the early 1920s.
As part of the 90th anniversary next year, the National Graves Association will re-publish the book Belfast Graves and publish an information leaflet about its activities.
Joe Austin, Chair of the National Graves Association, said: "The idea of National Graves Association began at a time when republicanism was a bit depleted. We wanted to do something to remember the dead and established a Belfast National Graves Association
"We are very proud of our Easter commemorations every year and the Easter Lily launch in City Hall
"We have faced so many challenges over the years. Internment and imprisonment of republicans down through the years forced us to become inactive at times.
"The current committee- of five women and five men has been in place for about 12 years. We want to continue the work we inherited and get ready to pass it on to the next generation
"We are re-launching our book Belfast Graves and an information leaflet about the National Graves Association We want to expand into schools and community groups and that work will start in January."
Committee member Pól Wilson added: "I was invited onto the Committee in 2016. I was previously involved in putting the original book together in 1980. It is a privilege to be custodians of the final resting places of some of our republican dead."
