Dublin's Final Farewell to Brigadista Bob Doyle

A report from Manus O'Riordan, SIPTU Head of Research and Executive Member for Ireland, International Brigade Memorial Trust, 16th Feb:

The cremation service for Bob Doyle, Ireland's last surviving International Brigade fighter, who died on January 22, took place in London on February 10.

Bob would have been 93 on February 12. Two days later, on Valentine's Day, February 14, his family brought his ashes home to his native Dublin for a marvellous celebration of the life of Bob Doyle. This took the form of a 600-strong memorial procession with Bob's ashes through Dublin city centre, culminating at the International Brigade memorial plaque at Liberty Hall, headquarters of Ireland's largest labour union SIPTU, where the commemoration in speech, music and song continued.

See http://www.oocities.org/ireland scw/ibvol-BD-Feb.htm for Ciaran Crossey's marvellous website compilation of photographs from the day's events.

See http://www.indymedia.ie/article/91124 for Ciaran O Brolchain's extensive video coverage of both the memorial procession through Bob's native Dublin and the commemorative events at Liberty Hall.

See http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0214/6news.ht ml and click on "Spanish Civil War veteran" for the Irish national TV report of Dublin's final farewell to Brigadista Bob Doyle.

Manus O'Riordan