Official Communication from the UFA
Posted by Jim on March 7, 2018
March 6th
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NEW YORK STATE FREEDOM for ALL IRELAND BULLETIN
Posted by Jim on
February 2018
A chairde:
FFAI ISSUES UPDATE
A-Valentine’s Day break-up at Stormont Assembly talks- Talks between the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein to end the 13 month Stormont stalemate broke off, with Arlene Foster claiming “no current prospect” of any deal, and Michelle O’Neill saying the DUP collapsed the talks. The breakup came after British Prime Minister Theresa May and Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar traveled to Belfast for an expected signing.
Between an understanding reached Friday, and the arranged signing on Monday, unionist hysteria over leaked proposals of an Irish language act made Foster and the DUP back out, later denying any draft agreement.
The thirteen page draft agreement was then published by journalist Eamon Mallie and can be read on his website. Sinn Fein would accept Foster as First Minister, despite the ‘money to burn’ heating scandal that caused Martin McGuinness’ resignation. An Irish language act would have been included as one of three language bills, alongside an overriding “Respecting Language and Diversity Bill” and Ulster-Scots Bill. Legacy inquest funding and legacy mechanism funding would be covered separately by the British government. The DUP now denies agreeing to anything and called on the British to implement direct rule. Eileen Paisley, widow of DUP founder Ian Paisley blamed current party leaders for “creating this mess.”
B-Time for Truth March in Belfast-Thousands of victims’ families and campaigners converged on Belfast City Hall, demanding truth
about murders of their loved ones. Many of the marchers carried crosses or large pictures with the names of murdered loved ones. Marchers from a number of victims’ campaigns joined together to slam the British government for giving the DUP a veto on legacy justice. John Teggart of the Ballymurphy Massacre families said the rally was about “telling the Government that people’s right to the truth is not some bargaining chip for political talks.” He called on the crown to release inquest funding requested by Chief Justice Declan Morgan. Mark Thompson of Relatives for Justice, said it was wrong for the British government to say “if you guys can get a deal we will give victims their rights… these rights are obligations under the European Convention and Human Rights Act.”
C-Brexit border plan rejected by May and DUP- Legal proposals by the European Union to avoid customs and immigration barriers across the six counties after Brexit, were rejected by Theresa May and denounced by the DUP. The proposal by EU negotiator Michael Barnier in Brussels, was based on a December agreement between May and the European Commission President. The EU and Irish government want a common regulatory area with no internal borders and free movement of goods as a ‘backstop’ or ‘default’ arrangement, if a full trade deal or technological solution to the border could not be devised. May said no British “Prime Minister could ever agree to it” and Arlene Foster called it “economically catastrophic”. Ireland and the EU noted that the British still have no real alternative to a hard border.
D–Newry parade battle for Irish flag-Following the successful fight against St. Patrick’s Day Parade bans on the Irish flag in Strabane and Derry, Newry has taken up the battle. Councillor Stephen Murney called the ban an “attempt to suppress and erode any display of Irish culture and heritage on a day of worldwide recognition of Irish culture”. In this heavily nationalist town marchers have been told that they are forbidden to carry the Irish national flag or even a flag with four provinces. Marchers are now threatening to defy the ban or boycott unless this ban is lifted.
ENGLAND GET OUT OF IRELAND BANNERS
Rules of the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade allow only two banners between the Irish and American flags. The only banners allowed are those identifying marching units and “England Get Out of Ireland”. These banners are a key theme of our parades. Once “Erin go Bragh” flags were used and were revolutionary. “Ireland forever” meant an Irish nation would exist and one day be free, outlasting British rule. This idea, often outlawed in Ireland, was carried proudly in American parades, where patriots among them Tom Clarke, John Devoy, O’Donovan Rossa etc would pledge to make it so and did.
Today the words “England Get Out of Ireland” signal our support for those still denied freedom for all Ireland. The words note that British rule serves English interests. Brexit, the DUP veto, and the denial of legacy truth for those murdered by British crown forces or their agents are prime examples.
IRELAND’S 1918 FREEDOM MANDATE
The 1916 Easter Rising and Proclamation of an Irish Republic on April 24,1916 was a historic event. This year Ireland will celebrate another centenary without which 1916 would have lost much of its meaning.
The British, joined by the Irish papers and establishment politicians of the day denied any popular support for the Rising or an Irish Republic. The Irish party leader at the time John Redmond even told Westminster that the Irish people regarded 1916 “with utter detestation and horror”. They hoped to make 1916 one more unsuccessful rising, to be forgotten. Over the next two years all of that changed utterly.
Events like the executions, brutal treatment of those interned, death of Thomas Ashe, campaigns for prisoner candidates, ballads, and poets would awaken Ireland to the true meaning of 1916 and the Proclamation. At the 1918 British General Election, Ireland voted a mandate for freedom, by choosing representatives who pledged to go a free Irish parliament or Dail Eireann instead of Westminster.
At our New York State Convention the AOH resolved to remember and commemorate Ireland’s 1918 mandate for freedom. FFAI encourages this theme for speakers at Easter Commemorations or other appropriate occasions. Under the leadership of our worthy New York State President Vic Vogel we are even hoping to get a formal recognition at the State Legislature.
HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!!!
Please contact me at MGALVINESQ@AOL.COM.
Slan
Martin Galvin
The Changing Face of England’s Orange State
Posted by Jim on
We have inserted the best available percentages of the Unionist/Loyalist/Protestant population in each of the Six Counties in Northern Ireland—aware the Catholic population is already even larger than appears here.
The artificial State of Northern Ireland was created by the British “Government of Ireland Act,” (December 23, 1920). The relevant demographics for the Counties included —and excluded— were according to the 1911 Census as follows:
Protestant percentage in the Six Counties: Fermanagh 43.8; Tyrone 44.6; Derry 54.2; Antrim 79.5; Down 68.4; Armagh 54.7. (The population was 1,250,531).
The other three counties of Ulster were excluded because there were too many Catholics in them. The Protestant percentage was: Cavan—18.5; Donegal —21.1; Monaghan— 25.3.
Setting up the Anti-Catholic State
No revisionist attempt can conceal that a Protestant, anti-Catholic state (some might say a caliphate) was being set up.
The Protestant leader and founder of the State of Northern Ireland spells it out clearly: “The figures will at once show where the difficulty comes in. We have to refer in these matters to Protestants and Catholics – we should only be making the very greatest camouflage of argument if we did not treat them in that way— because these are really the burning question over there. The inclusion of these six counties would bring in under the jurisdiction of the north of Ireland parliament 820,000 protestants out of 890,000 in the whole province [counting Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan]. On the other hand, while you would leave out 70,000 who are in these three counties [Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan] you would bring in from these three counties into the northern province an additional 260,000 Roman Catholics.” (Edward Carson. Westminster. May 18, 1920).
The Dublin-born Lord Carson and the Northern Unionist leaders felt free to set up their “Protestant caliphate” because they knew that all the top British leaders were deeply and venomously anti-Catholic: Robert Cecil, “Bloody” Balfour, Asquith, Lloyd George, Churchill, Bonar Law — imperialists, bigots and racists, every one of them. Even worse, that irrational religious bigotry was condoned and enshrined in the top law of England: the Act of Settlement,1701—the foundation stone of the Royal Family— that forbids a Catholic from inheriting the English Throne. So, ultimately, it is the unwritten uncodified British constitution that is to blame for religious bigotry in Northern Ireland—the Orangemen were just being loyal to the anti-Catholic bigotry and sectarianism of the British constitution.
Steady increase in Nationalist/Republican/ Catholic population
According to the last Census of 2011, the Protestant percentage now is: Fermanagh —37.78%; Tyrone — 32.57%; Derry—36.44%; Antrim—54.66%; Down— 63.06; Armagh— 36.16.
The 2011 Census gives the population of Northern Ireland/Six Counties as 1,810,863.
It is commonly believed by experts that the next census in 2021 will show an even greater increase in the Catholic population. … All of which teaches the obvious truth: gerrymandered, contrived and artificial states do not succeed in the end—especially if they were maintained through inequality, disrespect, and discrimination. … No way to build up the Beloved Community.
Irish National Caucus• P.O. Box 15128 • Washington, D.C. 20003-0849 Tel: (202) 544-0568 • Fax: (202) 488-7537
Email: Sean@IrishNationalCaucus.org • Barbara@IrishNationalCaucus.org Website: IrishNationalCaucus.org
Loughinisland Massacre, “No Stone Unturned”
Posted by Jim on March 6, 2018
Advocating for Congressional Hearings on Capitol Hill and viewing of film on Loughinisland Massacre, “No Stone Unturned”
CAPITOL HILL. Monday, March 5, 2018— It was a busy day for the Irish cause on Capitol Hill on Monday. A powerful film was shown on collusion. Collusion is the British Government’s conspiracy to facilitate Unionist/Protestant death squads in the systematic killing of Catholics (of course, the murder of young Raymond McCord, Jr shows the British Government was also prepared to kill some Protestants, too). And there was strong lobbying for another Congressional Hearing on Human Rights violations in Northern Ireland.
The film “ No Stone Unturned” was shown in the Capitol Building, hosted by Congressman Ritchie Neal ( D-MA). To promote the documentary film on the 1994 Loughinisland Massacre three of its “stars” had traveled from The North:mother and daughter, Clare and Emma Rogan and attorney Niall Murphy of the famed Kevin Winters Law Firm in Belfast.
Clare lost her 34-year old husband in the awful atrocity, while Emma was 8-years old.Emma is now a Sinn Fein MLA.
During the day, the three visitors from Ireland advocated for another Congressional Hearing, along with Sean Pender, National Treasurer of the AOH, and Fr. Sean Mc Manus and Barbara Flaherty of the Irish National Caucus, who arranged a meeting with the Helsinki Commission, Chaired by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ). Congressman Smith has the astounding record of having held 16 Congressional Hearings on Northern Ireland.They met with Mark Milosch, key staff person for the Commission.
Emma Rogan, Niall Murphy, Mark Milosch, Clare Rogan, Barbara Flaherty, Fr. Sean Mc Manus
Fr. Sean McManus, Niall Murphy and Sean Pender.
Theresa May must listen carefully to George Mitchell
Posted by Jim on March 5, 2018
Irish News Editorial. Belfast.Monday, March 5, 2018.
IF Theresa May is seeking further advice on the full implications of Brexit for Ireland, north and south, it must be hoped that she pays more attention to George Mitchell than Boris Johnson.
The British prime minister, in a BBC interview yesterday, declined to address her foreign secretary’s astonishing attempt last week to compare the enormously sensitive questions associated with the Irish border to the process of driving from one London borough to another.
An immensely better informed intervention in the wider debate was made at the weekend by Mr Mitchell, the former US senator who was the central architect of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
He said it was not inevitable that the possible imposition of a hard Irish border – as a result of the chaotic British approach to negotiations with the EU- would have violent consequences, although he described the associated risks as `high enough’.
However, Mr Mitchell was considerably more concerned about the change in attitudes on all sides which would follow the reintroduction of security measures covering the labyrinth of road links between the two parts of Ireland.
He said: “If you reinstate a hard border, you go back to the days when stereotyping resumes, demilitarisation resumes and people turn inward as opposed to outward and they lose the benefits that come from open borders.”
What Mr Mitchell was really saying was that the all the political gains of the last two decades, and the advances in community relations along the way, will be thrown into doubt by the wrong outcome to the Brexit talks.
Mr Mitchell of course has walked the walk across our region, in sharp contrast to Mr Johnson who would certainly benefit from a number of visits here before offering his insights on the jagged line between Derry and Newry.
If Brexit moves to the next stage, which is far from certain, another key Irish issue which will arise immediately is the representation in the European Parliament of the majority of northern citizens who firmly vote to remain in the EU.
The arguments from two academics which we report today in favour of extending the electorate the opportunity to return MEPs from both sides of the border deserve to be carefully considered by the Irish government.
Mrs May insisted yesterday that she remained confident of reaching an eventual deal with the EU, although the Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney provided a noticeably cool assessment of her prospects.
If progress is to be made, Mrs May will have to firmly distance herself from Mr Johnson and demonstrate instead that she fully understands the dangers which were so starkly set out by Mr Mitchell.