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Statement on the death of Fergus McCabe

Date: Sat 10th Oct, 2020 | 13:18

“It is not only in inner-city Dublin, in which he was part of the beating heart of community campaigning, that news of the death of Fergus McCabe will have been heard with great sorrow; it will be in communities all over Ireland with whom he shared his knowledge and his deep commitment to addressing issues, in particular on drug dependency.

Those of us who knew him will remember his energy and passion for justice, in making the case for inclusion and equality.

As has been pointed out by his family, Fergus McCabe chose hope over cynicism, and dedicated his life to the pursuit of social justice and equality.

With his vision and energy, he advanced the goals of countless initiatives, including the Inner City Organisations Network, the CityWide Drugs Crisis Campaign, Young People At Risk, the Ministerial Task Forces on Drugs and other national strategies to reduce the prevalence and impact of substance abuse.

The great gift of Fergus McCabe was his genius in moving commitments on paper into the practical lives of members of communities.

While those of us who knew him will have fond memories of his energy and humour, his loss will be felt most acutely by his family, and Sabina and I send our deepest condolences to his wife Helena, his children, grandchildren and extended family.

They can be extremely proud of the legacy he has left, through his tireless campaigning for social justice and his exemplary actions of solidarity, sustained by his unshakeable belief in the good of mankind and the potential of young people, irrespective of their backgrounds.

There are so many who will miss him deeply.”