Graveside ceremony- 100th birthday of "Mother of the Civil Rights"

YESTERDAY, Sunday, key figures associated with the
civil rights movement in Derry assembled at the grave
of the late Mrs. Mary Ellen O'Doherty,[nee Hegarty] to mark her 100th birthday on April 28, 1908. She was born at Balee, near Strabane and died last year on June 16th, surrounded by her loved ones from at home and abroad, in hospital, after a short illness.
Former Mid-Derry MP and former Minister for Community
Relations in the ill-fated 1974 Stormont Executive,
Mr. Ivan Cooper gave a short oration as did her son,
Fionnbarra, a co-founder of NICRA in 1967.

A wreath of fresh flowers, formed into the figures
"100" was laid on her grave by her daughter Deirdre and
a grand-dauhter, Emma, an under-graduate from Belfast,
Pics and an audio/vidual recording were made by Luke
Coyle, a son of the Late 'Vinny', who was Chief
Marshall of around 700 stewards during the civil
rights era. Copies of pics can be obtained on request
via rights.civil@googlemail.com

Ivan Cooper giving the oration at the graveside of Mary Ellen O'Doherty
(mother of Civil Rights) on what would have been her 100th birthday

Fionnbarra O'Dochartaigh, Deirdre and mary ellen's grand daughter emma lay a floral tribute on Mary ellen's grave

Photographs Courtesy of Luke Coyle