Roy Garland is a leading Political Commentator in Northern Ireland. He is a journalist and writer for the Irish News, a member of the Ulster Unionist Party, a member of the Reform Group and author of several books – most notably the biography of UVF leader, Gusty Spence. Roy is a well respected and leading Unionist figure and has been from the 60’s.
Unsung Heroes by Roy Garland May 2012.
There have been many “unsung heroes” associated with the peace process. I was privileged to work with people like Gusty Spence, Billy Mitchell, Jim McDonald, David Ervine and others.
One totally unsung hero friend was a leading UVF man who asked that I would not disclose his name just before he died. He was among the most decent human beings I have known. He saved lives, including lives of Catholics and encouraged fellow loyalists to think about the future. But he remained content that his work was virtually unknown while he worked away quietly for a better future.
Two other parallel stories illustrate how human beings can transcend divisions even in the dire circumstances of prison life to support those in need whatever their religion or politics. Their names may never be known. Both were Prison Warders, one Presbyterian the other Catholic. They were men of integrity and humanity who befriended prisoners from traditions that were not their own.
When Gusty Spence first went into prison he faced hostility and was occasionally treated with distain by certain Prison Warders who thought he had brought their cause into disrepute. But he wasn’t long in Crumlin Road Jail before finding an unexpected friend, a devout Catholic Prison Warder who Gusty codenamed “Minister”.
This was the only name by which Gusty’s family knew the Warder during a time of painful separation. The Minister became a true and trusted friend who liaised with Gusty’s wife Louie and their family. During times of great tension and at great personal risk to himself, this Catholic Warder crossed the barricades into the heart of the Shankill Road because of his compassion for a fellow human being.
The Minister carried personal messages for Gusty and his family and a deep lasting and genuine friendship developed between the two men. Gusty explained, “To me friendship means a person who’s there whenever you need them and he was there whenever I needed him. Yes and I was there whenever he needed me”.
Gusty and Louie eventually met the warder who was ill and had retired. They picked him up in a rural village outside Belfast and spent a peaceful, quiet and enjoyable day of friendship reminiscing together. Gusty recalled that “from time to time not only was there mirth, but there was tears in both our eyes” as they remember mutual friends who had died. The Minister was held in the highest esteem to the very end of Gusty’s life.
By a strange coincidence Paddy Joe McClean, also known as PJ, told me a similar story. Paddy Joe hails from a small remote village in County Tyrone. Rather unusually he had the doubtful privilege of being interned not once but twice. The first was during the 1950s, the second by the early 1970s. Yet PJ was never involved in violence.
He came from a broadly nationalist background but would not appreciate being referred to as a nationalist. For a time during the 1950s he worked for Fianna Uladh during an election. This was the political wing of Saor Uladh, the only Republican group to recognize Ulster (Uladh) in their title.
When PJ was first interned during 1956-1960 he got to know a Presbyterian Warder. When he was again interned in 1971 they met up again as PJ was being returned to his cell in Crumlin Road Jail. Paddy Joe had been tortured and the Prison Warder could not help but notice his serious injuries.
He asked Paddy Joe if there was anything he could do for him so PJ asked for pen and paper. The man was skeptical about Paddy Joe’s ability to write because of his injuries, but he got a pen and paper. Paddy Joe was then able to write enough to explain what happened and the Warder agreed to post his letter to Cardinal Conway. But at his own expense the man hired a taxi and delivered the letter by hand to the Cardinal in Armagh.
The Cardinal flew immediately to London to meet Prime Minister Ted Heath. This led to the torture experiment becoming public knowledge. The Government was eventually found guilty of cruel and degrading treatment at Strasbourg. That was 41 years ago but even today Paddy Joe McClean tells me that not a day passes but he thinks about the Presbyterian Warder and the lessons he learned.
It is inspiring to realize that human beings have the capacity to walk even in their enemies shoes and see fellow human beings lurking behind the labels we have placed on them. Such stories should be told, treasured and remembered for all time.
