Remarks at a memorial for Inez McCormack
23 March, 2013
Inez McCormack once said that her greatest achievement in life was ‘seeing the glint in a woman’s eye who believed she was nobody and now knows she is somebody’. Inez was a woman who saw the ‘somebody’ in every person; a woman who possessed an innate belief in the dignity, worth and expertise of ordinary people; a tireless campaigner who fought passionately for the rights of the marginalized, the downtrodden, the excluded and the exploited.
The gap Inez’ death has left behind her is immense. But so too is the legacy of the woman I am honoured to be paying tribute to here today. Inez was a remarkable person whose life made an enormous and positive difference to the lives of so many others and who inspired many, many younger citizens to strive to identify, address and right inequalities in their communities; and to raise their voices in protest and advocate and campaign against injustices, prejudice and discrimination in our society.
D’oibrigh Inez ar son an cheartais shóisialta ar feadh a saoil. Mar oibrí sóisialta, mar ghníomhaí ceardchumainn agus mar fheimineach, ba iad na daoine ba bhoichte agus ba laige sa tsochaí an t-ábhar ba chúram di agus an snáithe comónta ina saol, an rud a bhí i gcroílár gach cinnidh thábhachtaigh a rinne sí.
[Inez worked for social justice throughout her life. As a social worker, as a trade union activist and as a feminist, concern for the poorest and the weakest in our society was the common thread that ran through her life, lying at the heart of every important decision she took.]
Her courage, integrity and passion for justice were her defining characteristics. As a young woman she fought actively for the rights of her fellow citizens in Northern Ireland. As a trade union activist she was tenacious, persistent and absolutely unwavering as she battled for the fair treatment of low paid workers. As a feminist she was determined and relentless in her campaign for the right of women to have an equal voice in society.
But Inez did not simply fight on behalf of those who were marginalised or oppressed within our society. She was with them, ensuring they were next to her in the campaign halls, beside her at the negotiating tables, walking alongside her on the long and difficult journey towards parity and equal opportunity. Rather than speak of how to treat our fellow citizens with dignity and respect, Inez showed example as to how to do it.
Her ability to constantly question the status quo demonstrated not only the strength of mind which was such an integral part of Inez’ personality but also the emancipatory thinking that marks out the true progressive; the person prepared to challenge false inevitabilities and question the taken for granted assumptions of the world we inhabit and the future we wish to craft together.
It takes great courage and moral strength to stand up to the perceived norms within society and to question the bureaucratic controls that can so often stifle progress. It takes enormous determination and persistence to constantly challenge the rigid mindsets that obstruct creative thinking and to refuse to give in to the easier alternative of remaining silent.
For too many it is so much easier to be the person who follows, and adheres to, the familiar script, than the person who strives to write a new and inclusive narrative; who dares to imagine an alternative version of society that will respect the voices of all of our citizens and create a democratic citizenship where every citizen is allowed their right to participate in society and is given the opportunity to develop their personal and social selves in conditions of freedom, communal solidarity, justice and equality.
Inez, however, chose the difficult road, one which demanded that she look beyond perceived barriers as she envisaged and aimed to realise a better world.
In a Northern Ireland torn apart by sectarianism, bitter prejudice and destructive segregation, her vision for workers’ rights transcended politics and religious divides, uniting workers in their fight against injustice in the workplace.
When political leaders of Northern Ireland were finally able to come together to commence a process aimed at finding a lasting peace, Inez was there at the table ensuring that any agreement would include strong protections for equality and for human rights. As always, she understood that a shared future for all its citizens could only be built around a society where people from all communities and all creeds could come together in work and play, with respect for each other’s beliefs and culture.
As a feminist she became a woman of many firsts: ‘first female President of ICTU, first woman full-time official of the National Union of Public Employees; first woman Regional Secretary of UNISON, first woman elected to the Northern Ireland Committee of Congress and its first woman Chair.
She was truly a woman unafraid to question the kind of world we inhabit, to aspire towards a fully conscious and critical life, to be the arrow and not the target. Inez will be remembered as a great pioneer, who broke through so many challenges and barriers, a brave fighter, and a person of extraordinary generosity whose contribution to an inclusive citizenship and a better world has been immense.
She never tired in her struggle to place equality issues firmly on the agenda, battling strong and often hostile opposition as she fought for a fair society, but also demonstrating the capacity to work with others, be part of a team. Her contribution towards the creation of a truly democratic citizenship has made this island a better place for the people who share it.
Bhí aitheantais éagsúla aici sa domhan leathan agus cuimhneofar uirthi mar ghníomhaí ar son chearta an duine, a raibh cáil idirnáisiúnta uirthi; cuimhneofar freisin uirthi mar cheardchumannaí a bhíodh i mbun feachtais gan scíth ar son oibrithe a raibh brabús á bhreith orthu nó a bhí á ngearríoc; mar fheimineach bródúil a chuidigh leis an timpeallacht a athrú do na glúine ban amach anseo; mar dhaonnúlach den scoth a d’oibrigh go dian chun sochaí a chruthú a bheadh cóir i leith na mball uile – mionlaigh, oibrithe agus mná san áireamh.
[Inez had many identities in the wider world and will be remembered as a human rights activist of international repute; as a dedicated trade unionist who campaigned tirelessly for exploited and underpaid workers; as a proud feminist who helped to change the landscape for future generations of women; as a great humanitarian who worked hard to create a society which was fair for all its members: minorities, workers and women included.]
But Inez, of course, also left a personal and private imprint on the lives of the many of you here today who will also remember Inez as a warm and generous friend, a loving wife, mother and grandmother, a sympathetic companion, and a person of great humility, kindness and understanding.
Those of us privileged to have known Inez will also remember her as someone who always remained one of the people, who never made a distinction between the senior politician and the factory worker, and considered everybody to be of equal importance –to be a ‘somebody’ with a voice, with a viewpoint and with a right to be valued and respected. That, most especially, is what has made Inez so deserving of our tribute here today.
It has been a great honour to take part in this celebration of Inez’ life, a life which has truly made this world a better place to be. She will be greatly missed by all those who were fortunate to know her. But I know her work and her spirit will carry on through the many young people who have been inspired by Inez’ to strive for a more just and more equal world. That is a tribute beyond words and one which Inez’ family can be very very proud of indeed.
Go raibh mile maith agaibh go leir.