Blessed Are the Peacemakers: Saint Martin and the Blessed Mitchel McLoughlin
In a city that has witnessed so much pain and conflict, the opening of the Peacemakers Museum in Derry is an affront to decency and historical truth. Not to be confused with the Free Derry Museum—already a sort of Disneyland for Provo revisionists—the Peacemakers Museum is more akin to a Holocaust museum for Provo sympathisers. Its very existence is stomach-churning and disgusting, but the fact that taxpayers have funded this monstrosity? That it is a registered charity? It defies all belief and reason.
Imagine this: a drawing of Martin McGuinness stuck on the wall of the “Peacemakers” museum. Yes, Martin McGuinness, the man who never apologised for his role in the IRA. What’s next? Are we going to see a Peter Sutcliffe portrait unveiled at the Women’s Centre in Yorkshire? The absurdity would be laughable if it weren't so deeply offensive.
The museum boasts what can only be described as a shrine to the dirty protests and an “immersive riot room.” Just let that sink in for a moment—an immersive riot room. If you fancy breakfast and a ticket to this house of horrors, it’ll set you back around £18. Yes, you read that correctly. For £18, you too can partake in this grotesque revisionist fantasy.
But it gets better. The museum’s website offers educational links that read like the IRA Green Book. Apparently, the notion of balanced, objective education has been entirely lost on the creators of this museum.
The national executive has apologised for funding this travesty to the tune of £1.8 million, claiming they may not have fully done their due diligence. Not done their due diligence? How about not having a shred of common sense or decency?
But the funding circus doesn’t stop there. The museum has been bankrolled by The National Heritage Lottery Fund, with additional support from TEO / Urban Villages, the Department for Communities, and Derry City and Strabane District Council. What a fantastic use of public funds—who knew that rewriting history could be so profitable?
Let’s not forget the supposed peacemakers themselves. Alongside Martin McGuinness, we have Mitchel McLaughlin, another Sinn Féin politician. This trio of so-called peacemakers is being celebrated while conveniently ignoring the vast swathes of people who suffered due to their actions.
The late John Hume, a true peacemaker, is being shamelessly exploited in this revisionist farce. Hume’s wife and family have rightly distanced themselves from this abomination. They stated: “If John were well, he would invite you to change from a focus on three politicians, two of whom represent one view. He would invite you to focus on a diversity of political views and political lives. To him, this level of just inclusion would be vital and non-negotiable.”
In the absence of this fundamental commitment to inclusivity, the Hume family has made it clear they want no part in this. As Mrs. Hume said, “With all that is happening at present, we do not wish to be contacted again about this unless the concept has changed to become truly inclusive.”
So here we are, with a museum that is nothing more than a shrine to a distorted version of history, funded by our hard-earned money, and flaunting an educational agenda that is as biased as it is offensive. Blessed are the peacemakers? If this is what passes for peacemaking, we are truly lost.