RSF Bodenstown Address 2018

Posted by Jim on June 16, 2018

An abridged version of the main oration was delivered by Republican Sinn
Fein Ard Chomhairle member, John Joe McCusker, following the party’s
annual commemorative parade to the grave of Theobald Wolfe Tone last
weekend.
If we were to come here today and speak in the negative of the cause of
Ireland; if we were to reconcile the position of those supporting the
maintenance of the union with Britain as it is and remains pressed upon
the Irish people; even if our land were but reduced to a void mass of
rock and soil and rendered as a ‘void space of ground’ and then if we
were to allow the most ruthless and strongest of beings to seize,
plunder and enslave all those of its inhabitants, and we not raise a
hand to defend them; then at all times in our lives we would have to
turn the body from the soul and die.

Yet we are here today to defend the Irish Republic proclaimed in Dublin
1916. We are here to decry those who support the undemocratic and
illegal union of our country and Britain and we are here to declare the
rights of our ancient and proud land of Ireland. Irish Republicanism is
a living breathing body and soul and I salute and welcome you all to the
holiest place on Irish soil, Bodenstown Graveyard.

Theobald Wolfe Tone Dublin, was the leader of the United Irishmen, Henry
Joy McCracken, Belfast and Thomas Russell, Cork (the man from God knows
where) are also well-remembered leaders. These men believed in the
Republican philosophy which was spreading across the world at this time,
where the people of the nation state would cast off the old colonial
system which brutalised the indigenous and the downtrodden peoples of
society.

Republicanism created a new platform whereupon the people set aside
their religious and or ethnic background and pursued the growth of
pluralism and individual freedom and equality. This emphasising the core
principles of the Christian faith, “that all ‘men’ are created equal”
and should have the equal right to pursue his or her career without
state impediment. Naturally it goes without saying therefore that the
people of another state or country should have no right or design with
malign intent or otherwise, upon the governance of another people and
their country.

When Arlene Foster stated that Unionism transcended the narrowness of
Nationalism and that Unionism was pluralist in outlook she was
absolutely wrong. I stated in Bundoran many years ago that
Republicanism transcends the narrowness of Nationalism and invited the
people of the Protestant community in the Six Occupied Counties to join
with us in establishing the 32-County All-Ireland Republic.
Republicanism has pluralism as its foundation stone. This was the
thinking in the minds of Theobald Wolfe Tone, Henry Joy McCracken and
Thomas Russell (incidentally all these men came from the Protestant
Christian faiths) when they ventured forth all those years ago. That a
sometimes narrow nationalism has become a fellow-traveller and imposed
upon the principles of Republicanism is unfortunate. The Republican
Movement stands full square with the principles of Wolfe Tone and the
United Irishmen of 1798.

In this regard Prof J C Beckett points out, “..that the struggle of 1798
was largely a struggle of Irishmen against Irishmen. The Yeomanry and
the Militia, both Irish, with the largely Catholic Militia responsible
for crushing the United Irishmen Rising of 1798. Politics, idealism,
religion, property and family loyalty were all issues that cut across
one another and were liable to set a Catholic Militia man, skilled in
the use of a bayonet against a Protestant Republican who had hasty
training with a pike.” (p201 Ireland History of a Nation).

The Unionism which Arlene Foster speaks of refers to a union governed by
a Constitutional Monarchy and this, at present, deems that the Monarch
must be of one particular faith. This at the very core of this Unionism
is not pluralism. Might I say that as far as we are concerned, if this
system is working perfectly well for the English people then there is
nothing wrong with this and this is their business. Again, we would
say to the Unionist people in the north of our country: look at
Republicanism. Ask why these men, Wolfe Tone, Henry Joy McCracken and
Thomas Russell sought to unite Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter and to
cast off the influence of a foreign power. Speak to your Republican
neighbours and ask us how we can accommodate you in a new All-Ireland
Republic.

The RUC/PSNI has delayed plans to sell disused stations at Aughnacloy
and Castlederg as well as Warrenpoint which may have a future customs or
security role, alongside some in County Fermanagh which may also be used
to facilitate a “hard border”. The Fermanagh Herald this week quoted
Cllr John Coyle SDLP, who had this to say, “We are the most westerly
point of the ‘UK’ and stations in Co Fermanagh may be earmarked for
extra resources. While Kesh is closed, both it and Lisnaskea are
first-class bases that are being well-maintained and perfectly placed to
facilitate whatever plans may be in the pipeline.” Where does the SDLP
find these people? Perhaps he could become a militia man and help the
British police the undemocratic partition of our country.

The chief of the RUC/PSNI has called for an additional 400 paramilitary
police to assist with security along the border and the Garda have
prepared armed units to assist them to secure the Hard Border should
this come into existence.

The days, weeks and months ahead shall decide many serious issues on the
proposed way forward for our country. Partition has not served as a
solution to the difficulties of Ireland indeed it remains the source and
well spring of our woes. Chief of these is the perpetuation and
kindling of sectarian hatred.

Regarding the status of the Six Occupied Counties, the Good Friday
[Stormont] Agreement goes no further than what was stated back in 1949.
When the British passed the Ireland Act accepting the Independence of
the Free State and they included that the Six Counties would not cease
to remain part of His Majesty’s dominions and of the “UK” without the
consent of the Parliament of the ‘six counties’ (sic).

We have been treated with arrogance and disdain by our English
overlords. They know that the odds were always stacked against the
people of Ireland and that democracy could be set aside at any juncture
in history.

Such was the case with the collapse of Grattan’s Parliament; the
continuing disenfranchisement of the Catholic/nationalist population for
a further one hundred and thirty years; the stalling of the Home Rule
legislation; the partition of our country despite the majority voting
for the separatist party Sinn Fein which underpinned the declaration of
the Irish Republic at the GPO in 1916; the gerrymander of the north (our
Six Counties) forcing countless tens of thousands to leave our shores
thereby affording the British a sectarian majority with which to hold
our country; the disenfranchising of the landless class throughout the
first fifty years of the corrupt state.

With jobs, housing and one man one vote, the demographics of the north
would long ago have secured a vote for unity. Not indeed that this bar
is necessary in the constitution upheld by Irish Republicans, but
nevertheless, from a malign perspective, these are the chains which bind
us and I must relate them as they are. This then remains the bar which
Irish Nationalists and Republicans and indeed the Protestant and
Dissenter must ascend, in order to secure the peaceful residence of our
own country.

Now finding that Nationalist Ireland has moved to this new ground in the
interests of peace, we see that the sands are shifting again. The
Stormont Agreement is now not fit for purpose. For Irish Republicans
who were too awake for the cunning of the English, it was never fit for
purpose. However, as an example to modern Ireland it becomes
demonstrably clear that all agreements with the Brits are exercises in
stealth management. Suddenly with the possible advent of a
Nationalist/”Republican” majority the halls of Stormont Castle are no
longer the attractive bastion that the British desire – and they paying
for it all. Their intent in this regard, as with Brexit, is to stall
for time and produce more obstacles, develop new strategies. Listen at
the door, blackmail, bribery and coercion.

One way or another Irish Republicans will not have too long to wait to
witness the intent in the outplaying of these events.

The intent of Irish Republicans is to abolish the border and secure the
32-County All-Ireland Republic.

Long live the Irish Republic. An Phoblacht Abu!

 

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