11th Nov 2007
Death of John Fee
O’Conall Street has learnt with great sadness of the untimely passing of John Fee. John was an SDLP MLA for Newry and Armagh during the first Assembly. Before that he was Seamus Mallon’s Parliamentary Aide.
John was a young man with a big heart. Intelligent, brave and great company John was a bulwark against physical force republicanism in the South Armagh area. He was badly beaten in the early nineties for speaking out against the IRA and never waivered from his belief that the cause of Irish nationalism can only be furthered through peaceful politics. I know he will be sorely missed by his constituency and his family. Those of us who had the pleasure of working with him during some of the most interesting times in Irish politics want to acknowledge the significant contribution he made to his country and his courage in the face of intimidation and threat.
May he rest in peace.
Any comments or messages of condolence will be passed on to Collette and John’s family.
Update 13th November, 16.35.I have just returned from John’s funeral. The people of Crossmaglen could not have paid him a greater tribute and the service was a reflection of himself, full of faith, music and great oratory. The hundreds that packed into the Parish Church including Hume, Durkan, Rodgers, Ritchie, McGrady, McDonnell, Austin Currie, the SDLP MLAs and a number members of the Oireachtas, heard Seamus Mallon pay tribute to his friend and colleague in a magnificent eulogy. A fitting tribute for a great man.
My condolences to Colette and all the family. Cross has lost a very fine and courageous Irishman.
Conall, thank you for affording the opportunity to express sadness on John’s passing.
I had the pleasure of meeting John when working in Northern Ireland and I was saddened to learn of his untimely death. The people of Northern Ireland need politicians like John, compassionate, selfless and tireless, a genuinely nice person. They are the poorer for his loss. My sincere condolences to his family.
SDLP colleagues and friends in strabane are all shocked and saddened to learn of johns death. My condolences to his wife Colette and his family circle. i worked with john during the first term of the assembly in 1998, I have many fond memories of a young man who worked tirelessly for the benefit of all.May he rest in peace
‘It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of John
former SDLP MLA for Newry and Armagh who passed away this morning. I wish to express my condolences to Colette, his wife, to Deirdre, his mother and to his brothers and sisters.
‘John was a very talented kind, generous, and compassionate person, and a politician who represented this constituency with great dedication and diligence.
‘He stood up strongly for peace during the darkest days of the
political violence here. He suffered a severe physical attack for expressing his views against violence but that did not deter him from speaking out against murder and mayhem and continuing to work for a peaceful solution to our problems.
In politics, John was passionate about equality, justice, human rights and his beloved South Armagh. John had a great political mind and played a huge part in the SDLP in the different negotiations which lead to and included the Good Friday Agreement. He loved gaelic games, Irish music and the Irish language for the sheer enjoyment he got from them
I met John regularly when I worked in Stormont during the period of the first Assembly, indeed I had coffee many a morning with him in the Members room there. I always found him to be a lovely guy, good company and a committed public representative. His death at such a young age is a real loss and my thoughts are with Collette and his family circle.
Ireland has lost a man whose principles and bravery shone through at the darkest of times.
Rest In Peace.
My deepest sympathies are with John’s wife Collette at this very sad time and his entire family circle.
In recent times we were all saddened to learn of John’s illness and he will now be sadly missed by all who knew him.
During his many years with the SDLP, John Fee served the people he represented well. He was a hardworking and dedicated public representative with strong views and a strong voice. His desire to create a more peaceful Ireland drove his political career and won him much admiration.
I am saddened that John has lost his life so young and my thoughts and prayers are with Collette and the entire Fee family.
John had so much enthusiasm for so many facets of life, it is heartbreadingly sad he died so young. The best canvas to do in any election was Crossmaglen because you ended up in John and Collette’s house where they put up a feast and made everyone so welcome. He will never ever be forgotten.
John was an Irish republican in the true sense. I got to know him first when, in the early days, he worked for Seamus Mallon. He was bright, articulate, politically astute and totally committed to the achievement of Irish Unity by consent. A severe beating inflicted by those who resented his outspoken opposition to IRA violence did not deter him from continuing to speak out. Ireland can ill afford to lose young men of such calibre. My deepest sympathy to his wife ,Collette, his mother, Deirdre and his whole family. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam uasal!
I had the privelege of working with John for nearly three years and, although we sometimes didn’t see eye to eye, our arguments were always good natured and I remember him with great affection as a genuine, kind hearted man who had become a politician for all the right reasons. My wife Catherine and I send our sincere condolences to John’s wife and family.
Farewell John, it was a privilege to have served with you. You have been a proud Irishman, Principled, Honest, Brave and Articulate and you inspired your colleagues in good times and bad. Rest in Peace……
Sincere condolences to Collette and the entire family circle from Michael, Kay & Family
John Fee was one of the first politicians that I ever met. I did an internship with Seamus Mallon many years ago and John took me under his wing introducing me to people that he was trying to help. He was good humoured, hardworking and an all round nice guy.
Sincere condolences to his wife and family
SDLP Newry and Mourne District Executive wish to express their deepest sympathy to John’s wife Collette and his entire family circle on their great loss.
John was a councillor and public representative of the highest calibre and will be deeply missed by his friends and colleagues on the District Executive
Áiféala mór bás John Fee fear óg cróga a sheas ar son an chirt sna laetheannta dubh dorcha.
It was was a privilege to have known and to have worked with John Fee as a colleague in the SDLP and in the Assembly. My deepest sympathy to Collette and the whole Fee family. Sean Farren
[...] place with a mixed reputation which last week’s killing will not help. People like the late John Fee worked tirelessly to change this and all those in government North and South must resolve to [...]
Many a canvass, many a meeting, many an argument I shared with John who was so articulate, intelligent and passionate about his ploitics. It was an honour to work with him and learn from him and his leaving, like that of his great friend Mary McKeown, has left a gap that can never be filled. Rest in peace John. Deepest symapthy to Collette & the Fee family
I only heard of John’s passing in the last number of weeks.
John’s support and encouragement for economic development in the area was second to none and his vision and insight gave great impetus to our ongoing plans.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.