When others stood idly by, you and your families gave your all, in defence of a risen people and in pursuit of Irish freedom and unity.

• It will always be a battle a day between those who want maximum change and those who want to maintain the status quo.
• Your determination, selflessness and courage have brought the freedom struggle towards its fulfilment.
• Such decisions will be far reaching and difficult. But you never lacked courage in the past. Your courage is now needed for the future.
• Republican patience with how unionism deals with the political institutions, and with key issues like equality and human rights, will be tested because, obviously, there will be a battle a day on these matters. So lets face up to all of this with our eyes wide open.
• Sinn Fein has demonstrated the ability to play a leadership role as part of a popular movement towards peace, equality and justice.
• The unionists also for their part, want to minimise the potential for change, not only on the equality agenda but on the issues of sovereignty and ending the union.
• When others stood idly by, you and your families gave your all, in defence of a risen people and in pursuit of Irish freedom and unity.
• Your determination, selflessness and courage have brought the freedom struggle towards its fulfilment.
• Such decisions will be far reaching and difficult. But you never lacked courage in the past. Your courage is now needed for the future.
• For over 30 years, the IRA showed that the British government could not rule Ireland on its own terms.