Locals concerned for the safety of a group of Gazan boys who visited Tipperary

People in Nenagh have raised concerns for a group of children who visited the town from Gaza several years ago.

Members of the Nenagh Friends of Palestine Group have been trying to locate the boys, but so far, have not been able to reach them.

Nenagh Friends of Palestine Group and Sinn Féin representative for Nenagh Damian O’Donoghue said some local people are very worried for the wellbeing of the boys.

“I have been contacted by a number of people in the last few days about the wellbeing of the children that visited here. So far, we do not have any information on them, but we hope to hear something soon.

“As we all watch the relentless bombardment of Gaza on the television, it is frightening to think what they are going through at the moment.

“When the kids were here, they made a lasting impression on everyone they met, so I am not surprised people are very concerned for their safety,” said Mr O’Donoghue.

Mr O’Donoghue said he will continue trying to get information on the boys.

The boys were between 10 and 14-years-old when they visited as part of the Al-Helal football group in 2016. They would now be in their late teens and early 20s.

Mr O’Donoughue said that the boys were “great craic” when they visited and enjoyed the visit immensely.

“Most of these young people have never known life without a siege and never experienced the freedoms we do here. I think that’s part of the reason they loved being here so much,” said Mr O’Donoghue.

Mr O’Donoghue went on to say: “In the past ten days over 1,000 children have been killed in Gaza and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Electricity to Gaza has been cut off, the water supply has been stopped and there are major restrictions on the import of food and on internet access.

“The fact that Israel has the ability to do all this shows the control they have over the region and the oppressive conditions under which Palestinians have to live year after year. The entire Gaza area is the same distance as it is from Nenagh to Limerick, and the people there have very few options when it comes to leaving.”

FLAGS

Last week, a number of Palestinian flags were displayed on the railings of the monument on Banba Square.

The Tipperarylive understands that the flags were hung by a local man acting on his “own initiative” and not by any group.

However, the flags were removed on Tuesday night.

The individual replaced the flags, but on Saturday night, they were taken again.

However, the Tipperarylive reached out to the council to query their removal. A representative for the Nenagh district said that an inspection of the area was carried out at the weekend.

“It was noted that there were no flags on display,” said the representative.

They said permission is required to display flags in public areas. In this case, no permission was sought.

Should anyone wish to apply for permission to display a flag in a public place, the council say they may apply in writing by letter or email.