Posted by Jim on January 5, 2016
by Sean Bresnahan, PRO 1916 Societies
Following the conclusion of yet another pseudo negotiation at Stormont,
its purpose as ever to prop up British rule in the North, it is clear
the status quo in Ireland is incapable of securing forward political
progress. New thinking is required. Partition has failed both the
long-suffering people of the Six Counties and their compatriots to the
South, who likewise endure a reactionary policy spectrum imposed by
external actors. The private deal concocted by the Sinn Fein-DUP
coalition, overseen by London and Dublin, will do nothing to change
that.
As is already the case in the 26-Counties, ordinary men and women in the
North are faced with tightening austerity measures, the lynchpin of the
agreement brokered. The rich are to profit at the expense of working
people, with the slashing of corporation tax to be funded by massive
cuts to welfare, impacting on thousands of already struggling families.
The British government, backed by Dublin, Sinn Fein and the DUP, has
successfully stamped its long-running austerity agenda all over the
deal.
On top of that, once again Britain refuses to admit its ‘Dirty War’,
with ‘national security’ the instrument to avoid full disclosure. That
some agreed to move forward on this basis – effectively losing out on
both sides of the negotiation – is a clear demonstration of who holds
sway in Ireland. It should likewise be noted the Sinn Fein project of
drawing power away from Westminster, supposedly towards regional
decision-making processes, stands in ruin, the handing back of key
powers to London exposing the same as facade.
All of this makes clear the deal in question has been framed to uphold
partitionist government, fulfilling the needs of the British state and
its occupation system, with the people barely an afterthought. Ireland
can achieve so much more and needs a new beginning. As such, the 1916
Societies, through our flagship One Ireland One Vote initiative, seek a
credible alternative to endless negotiation and agreements which ignore
the people.
We call instead for a truly democratic engagement, for an inclusive,
all-Ireland referendum on Irish Unity, where the people determine their
own future, without external impediment. The failed British-run process
must go, to be replaced with a project the people control themselves.
Posted by Jim on January 4, 2016
In the early hours of Saturday 19th of December, members of the 1916
Societies entered the Curragh military camp under the cover of darkness
to commemorate seven Irish Republican Army Volunteers who were executed
92 years ago on that day.
The Curragh Camp in County Kildare was for decades the chief
British military base in Ireland. It was handed over to the Free State
army in May 1922 and was used to imprison republicans who remained loyal
to the Sovereign Republic, declared on Easter Week 1916.
Those present made their way to a fence surrounding the Glasshouse
military prison, where the Volunteers were executed by firing squad by
Free State counter-revolutionaries. At the closest possible position to
the Glasshouse, a wreath, a copy of the Proclamation and an Irish
Republic Flag were placed on the fence. The Proclamation and the names
of the executed Volunteers were read out followed by a minute’s silence.
The executed Volunteers had been captured by Free State troops in a
hidden dugout on December 13th 1922 with Commandant Thomas Behan. The
Volunteers surrendered but a Free State soldier struck one of them,
Thomas Behan of Rathangan, with a rifle butt and broke his arm. The
republicans were ordered to board a truck but when Behan was unable to
do so, because of his broken arm, he was attacked viciously, his skull
smashed in with rifle butts – a war crime subsequently covered up with
the tried and tested excuse, ‘shot while trying to escape’.
The seven surviving republicans were taken to the Glasshouse, the
military prison in the Curragh. Under powers given to them by the Free
State government, military tribunals could impose the death sentence for
possession of arms. The Volunteers executed on that day were:
Officer Commanding Bryan Moore, Rathbride, Kildare – age 37
Volunteer Patrick Bagnall, Kildare – age 19
Volunteer Patrick Mangan, Kildare – age 22
Volunteer Joseph Johnston, Kildare – age 18
Volunteer Patrick Nolan, Kildare – age 34
Volunteer Stephen White, Kildare – age 18
Volunteer James O’Connor, Tipperary – age 24
Posted by Jim on
Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher asked what the reaction
would be if the British bombed the border town of Dundalk in county
Louth when she met then Irish Taoiseach in 1985.
Notes of the conversation between the leaders at a meeting in Luxembourg
during an EU summit a little over two weeks after the Anglo-Irish
Agreement are contained in government files released this week under the
30-year rule.
In the conversation, the details of which are contained in a note by the
then cabinet secretary, Dermot Nally, Mrs Thatcher demanded that
Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald increase the rate at which IRA Volunteers
were convicted or extradited.
“Can you give me evidence on which to charge more of them?” asked Mr
FitzGerald. “If there is evidence against anybody, there are channels
through which it can be communicated and action will be taken.”
“If we have evidence, we will get it to you,” responded Mrs Thatcher.
Menacingly, she added: “People in the South come to the North to commit
criminal acts and then dash back. What would you say if Dundalk were
bombed to stop this?”
The Taoiseach responded only: “We have no evidence against people in
Dundalk – if we had, we would arrest them.”
Thatcher’s focus in the conversation, which lasted for half an hour on
December 3rd, 1985, was on unionist opposition to the agreement, which
had been signed on November 15th.
Later in the conversation, Mr FitzGerald suggested that the then British
Direct Ruler Tom King might indicate the possibility of early release
for IRA prisoners if there was a sustained period of reduced violence
after the agreement.
“That would be dynamite – no, not dynamite; nuclear,” Thatcher
responded. “We could not think of relief for people guilty of bombing,
of murder, of other atrocities”.
Posted by Jim on
Brother Hibernians Malachy McAllister and Joe McManus recently opened a new establishment,
Wolfe Tone’s Irish Pub & Kitchen at 37 East 29th Street near Park Avenue in Midtown.
They are throwing a Fundraiser, in Sean Pender’s and Dan Dennehy’s Honor, to kick off their campaigns for National Treasurer and National Director, respectively, at the July 2016 AOH National Convention in Atlantic City.
They will provide food, live music and a great atmosphere at this great spot just down Park Avenue from Grand Central Station.
This fundraiser will provide much needed funds for costly hospitality and campaign expenses.
I would be most grateful if you joined us at Wolfe Tone’s on Wednesday, January 13 from 5 to 9 pm.
Donation: $25.00 per
Posted by Jim on
News Letter (Belfast) .Sunday, January 3, 2016
A Catholic priest has accused a former Irish leader of being a “useless Irishman” who was prepared to “abet British oppression”.
Father Sean McManus, founder of the Irish National Caucus Inc., made the comments about now-dead Fine Gael politician Garrett FitzGerald.
It followed a press report – published in Dublin’s The Journal on New Year’s Day – which contrasted Mr FitzGerald’s outright condemnation of the IRA in 1985 with the more equivocal attitude of John O’Connor, the Catholic Archbishop of New York.
In The Journal’s article, the former taoiseach was said to have told the archbishop that is was “wrong to equate what is done by security forces trying to maintain law and order” with the violence of unlawful paramilitaries.
Notes from the meeting came to light when they were released alongside other 30-year-old declassified papers.
In response, Fr McManus wrote: “Further proof, not that it’s needed, that Garret FitzGerald was a useless Irishman – a total quisling.”
The term ‘quisling’ stems from Norway, where puppet leader Vidkun Quisling was placed in charge of the country during its occupation by the Nazis.
Fr McManus (who is originally from Fermanagh) continued: “Had he [FitzGerald] remained as Taoiseach, there would never have been a peace process.
“He would have simply continued to aid and abet British oppression in Ireland. The man was a disgrace.”
The Irish National Caucus is based in Washington DC, and describes itself as “a human rights organisation dedicated to getting the United States to stand up for justice and peace in Ireland”. It bills itself as “non- violent, non-partisan, and non-sectarian”.
It is not the first time Fr McManus has spoken out to attack someone for their condemnation of violent republicans.