Jackie was a founding member of the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation going back to those very early days when she and her husband Brian stood in a silent vigil outside the Sinn Fein office in Kevin Street. They were protesting against the car bombs that had exploded on the streets of Belfast killing 11 people on what became known as Bloody Friday in July 1972.
Brian could not understand why thousands of Dublin people came out on the streets six months earlier to protest against the 14 killings by the Parachute regiment on Bloody Sunday but there was no similar response to the Bloody Friday killings. He placed an advert in the newspapers inviting people to take part in the vigil. Jackie prepared the placards “Not in my Name”. About 20 people joined Brian and Jackie – including Una O’Higgins O’Malley, Ivor O’Sullivan and Eleonor Wicklow. They became the group Working for Peace who then went on to form the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation in 1974. Brian was the first chairman.
In between those months during 1973, Jackie arranged host families in Dublin to bring children on their own down from Belfast away from the Troubles. She supported her husband Brian in all these early peace efforts and their four daughters enjoyed going up to Glencree. Unfortunately Brian died in 1982 leaving her on her own to raise her family.
We send our condolences to Cathy, Sara, Emma and Alice. We will always remember Jackie’s vision for peace in Ireland and her voluntary commitment to Glencree in those early days based on love for all.
May she rest in peace in the beauty of Heaven’s gardens.
Dedication by Geoffrey Corry
Glencree Board Member
