Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Social Democrats, I welcome the Currie family and again express our sympathy on their loss. When facing up against the weight of systemic oppression, it is easy to feel as if any action you take is futile and that the personal risk always outweighs the reward but Austin Currie provides a really good example of how a seemingly small action can light a spark and lead to something much bigger. By smashing a window in a council house in Caledon in County Tyrone in June 1968 and occupying that house for just a short few hours, the 28-year-old Austin Currie changed history by giving people a very tangible understanding of the discrimination being experienced. For the first time, housing discrimination against Catholics was being reported and broadcast on the evening news across Ireland and in the UK. His protest was not the first act of civil disobedience and it was far from the last but it lit a spark in the beginning of the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland. He built on this momentum to lead the first non-sectarian civil rights marches in Northern Ireland, taking direct inspiration from the American civil rights movement. From there, he went on to become a co-founder of the SDLP and became well known for speaking truth to power at a time when that was not only unpopular, but dangerous. His life was under constant threat throughout his political life in Northern Ireland, as were the lives of his family. As we have heard from several others, there were 30 attacks on his home. Shots were fired through the windows, bombs were left outside the front door, threats were constantly made and his wife, Annita, was brutally attacked. Despite the danger and violence, Austin Currie, supported by his family, remained absolutely opposed to all forms of political violence and firmly committed to achieving peace on this island by peaceful means. He was tireless in his commitment to peace and justice, which is illustrated well by the famous words he delivered at Stormont right before the housing protest in 1968, "All Hell will break loose and by God I will lead it'". It made a remarkable difference in a very tangible way. I reiterate our sympathies to the Currie family.

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