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Politicians climb mountain, plant tree to help Irish illegals

By
PATRICK ROBERTS,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Saturday, December 26, 2009, 9:14 AM
Updated Saturday, December 26, 2009, 9:45 AM

 

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Camlough Mountain in County Armagh
Camlough Mountain in County Armagh

A group of leading politicians and activists in Northern Ireland spent Christmas Day climbing one of Northern Ireland's highest mountains to bring attention to the plight of Irish undocumented in the United States.

The climb of Camlough Mountain in Armagh and the planting of a tree there for undocumented Irish was led by Northern Ireland Minister Conor Murphy and local climber Terence "Banjo” Bannon who has successfully climbed Mount Everest.

Minister Murphy was outspoken in his support of the undocumented. "There are many within the Irish community throughout America who are caught in this situation. So many of the undocumented Irish have lived in the U.S. for many years and, like generations of previous Irish emigrants, they work hard, raise families and make an important contribution to the economic and social life of their communities, yet, they live in the shadows of society with fear and uncertainty as their constant companions," he told the Irish Echo newspaper .

One of the event organizers was Newry and Mourne councillor, Pat McGinn.

"The Christmas period is an especially difficult time for the undocumented Irish in America. Many people from this area have family members living and working in America who they have not see because of the restrictions on travel enforced by their undocumented status. It is imperative that the issue of the undocumented Irish in America and all the hardships that go with such status are resolved in a humane manner," he said.

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7 Comments

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Posted by Madeleine on Dec 31, 2009, 05:55 PM EST
I don't think they should have to sneak into the country like that, I have a friend who comes in for 6 months and works at a pub in Brooklyn and then he has to go to Australia to get another job for 6 monhts because you can only stay for 6 months at a time in NY on an irish work visa. I think the Irish have a harder time getting into NY than anyone I know. No one cares who comes in to America if they are willing to work, its the illegals who come in and don't work and go on welfare automatically and are given a medicaid card automatically that we care about. Why can't they make it easier for immigrants to come in and then we wouldn't have to go through all of this, neither would they. If they are bad people with murder and rape convictions , don't let them in, otherwise let them at least come in legally. We are swamped with the UN sending in African Muslims and Middle Easterners who have caused trouble in the past, that should stop, why should the UN be able to decide when 250,000 people are dumped on your doorstep, bad enough the UN moves around like they own the world. Do they pay for anything? In NY they live in splendor and its paid for by our dues,J Rockefeller gave them the money to build the UN building in NYC, and they have a building every where now, Switzerland, Scotland and I'm sure Ireland, why are they exempt? Who voted for them? The sidewinding polecats. Lety people come in legally and not have to wait for years to do so, that would end illegal immigration.
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Posted by PatMcGinn on Dec 27, 2009, 04:33 AM EST
All went well. People from south down, south Armagh and Monaghan who have family and friends living in the USA and classed as undocumented Irish participated. The tree was named "Bernadines Tree" after a local girl who passed away this year. She was married and lived in New York and had been a great support to irish people of all traditions from throughout the island.
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Posted by Tony Barry on Dec 27, 2009, 03:39 AM EST
OH YES...planting a tree is great...no one askecd those "UNDOCUMENTED" to live illegally in this country...illegals are not allowed to stay in Ireland...why should this be any different?
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Posted by ThomasCoolberth on Dec 26, 2009, 05:13 PM EST
Will the government of Ireland let me leave the US and live illegally in Ireland? I want out !
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Posted by plasticpaddy on Dec 26, 2009, 03:20 PM EST
Unfortunately our laws are nearly as draconian as those in the United States, shameful.
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Posted by nightgypsy on Dec 26, 2009, 11:57 AM EST
what is ireland ready to do in the case of undocumented workers in ireland?
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Posted by plasticpaddy on Dec 26, 2009, 10:05 AM EST
Good to see support for those undocumented persons so many people on this site would treat as dogs.
 


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