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April 16, 2006

Easter Rising Parades Take Place

The Easter parade moves down Westmoreland St in Dublin
The Easter parade moves down Westmoreland St in Dublin

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News About Ireland & The Irish

BB 04/16/06 Easter Rising Parades Take Place
IT 04/16/06 President Lays Wreath To Mark 1916 Anniversary
BN 04/16/06 Ahern In Peace Vow At Easter Rising Ceremony
SF 04/16/06 Sinn Féin - Celebrate 1916 And Work For Irish Unity
SF 04/16/06 Adams - Decision Time For The Governments And The DUP
SF 04/16/06 Ó Caoláin - Let The Coming Decade Be The Decade Of Unity
SF 04/16/06 Kelly - Huge Opportunity For Progress In Time Ahead
PO 04/16/06 Oration By Chairman Of 32 County Sovereignty Movement


IM 04/16/06 The Unmanageables: Honouring The Woman Of 1916
SC 04/16/06 Easter Rising Still Stirring Irish Blood

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/4913392.stm

Easter Rising Parades Take Place

Republicans across Northern Ireland are holding a series of
commemorations to mark the 90th anniversary of the 1916
Easter Rising.

In Belfast, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams will lead a parade
to the republican plot in Milltown Cemetery.

There will be also speeches and wreath-laying ceremonies in
Armagh, Tyrone, Londonderry and Donegal.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan and deputy leader Alasdair
McDonnell are attending the commemorations in Dublin.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather for the
Dublin parade, which will feature 2,500 military personnel.

It will be the city's first Easter Rising parade for over
30 years.

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has laid a wreath in
Kilmainham Jail as a mark of respect to the men executed
after the revolt.

The ceremony marked the start of events in the Irish
Republic to commemorate the rising.

Mr Ahern and Irish President Mary McAleese are due to take
part in a military parade through the city later on Sunday.

Wreaths will be laid and a minute's silence held in
commemoration of all civilian and military personnel,
including the British, killed in 1916.

Debate over revolt

The parade will begin at Dublin Castle before making its
way along Dame Street, College Green and Westmoreland
Street before crossing the River Liffey on to O'Connell
Street.

Much of Dublin city centre will be closed to traffic during
the commemoration.

The parade will pass the General Post Office, one of the
key sites during the 1916 uprising, and which still bears
bullet damage from the revolt.

"In the early 1970s, during the Troubles in Northern
Ireland, the military parades were stopped and official
commemorations became more low key," said the BBC's James
Helm in Dublin.

Our correspondent said the parade had stirred up debate
about the revolt and how Dublin should mark its
anniversary.

The 1916 Easter Rising saw Irish rebels attempt to seize
the capital from British imperial forces.

British troops put down the rebellion and many of its
ringleaders were captured and executed.

Mr Ahern made the decision to hold the parade in the
autumn, and the decision drew some criticism.

"Some question the military involvement in the parades,
while others have accused him of trying to make gains from
his political opponents - Sinn Fein - who've long seen
themselves as 'heirs' to the memory of 1916," our
correspondent said.

But Mr Ahern said the commemorations would give an
opportunity for "remembrance, reconciliation and renewal".

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2006/04/16 11:15:06 GMT
© BBC MMVI
----

Following the lowering of the tri-colour over the GPO,
Captain Tom Ryan read out the Proclamation, which asserted
the right of the Irish people to self-determination, as
Padraig Pearse did 90 years ago.

Most of the Proclamation was written by Pearse himself but
the influence of James Connolly is clear in what is
undoubtedly the most important paragraph when the leaders
set out their vision for the country: “The Republic
guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and
equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its
resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole
nation and all of its parts, cherishing all of the children
of the nation equally and oblivious of the differences
carefully fostered by an alien government, which have
divided a minority from the majority in the past.”

The document was signed by Thomas J. Clarke, Sean Mac
Diarmada, Thomas MacDonagh, PH Pearse, Eamonn Ceannt, James
Connolly, and Joseph Plunkett.
----

The Taoiseach has laid a wreath in Kilmainham Jail to the
men executed after the 1916 Easter Rising.

Among those present in the Stonebreakers' Yard, otherwise
called the Execution Plot, was Fr Joseph Mallin, son of
Michael Mallin who headed the Irish Citizen Army at the
Rising.

Mr Ahern said today's ceremonies were 'about discharging
one generation's debt of honour to another'.

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http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2006/0416/breaking16.htm

President Lays Wreath To Mark 1916 Anniversary

Last updated: 16-04-06, 12:28

The Easter parade moves down Westmoreland St in Dublin

The Proclamation of Independence was read today on the
steps of the GPO in Dublin as celebrations to mark the 90th
Anniversary of the 1916 Rising got under way.

The tricolour was lowered to half-mast in honour of those
who died on Easter week in 1916 and a minute's silence was
observed after the Proclamation was read out.

An Army piper, Cpl Kevin Duncan, played a lament Wrap the
Green Flag as the flag was lowered and members of the
Defence Forces stood to attention.

Captain Tom Ryan, of the sixth Infantry Battalion, re-
enacted the reading of the Proclamation.

During the reading, the parade stood to attention along
O'Connell Bridge and Westmoreland Street, having set off
from Dublin Castle a short time before.

UN veterans proudly parade down Dublin's Westmoreland St.

The thousands of people who turned out cheered and
applauded as the names of the signatories were read out.

The President, Mrs McAleese laid a wreath on behalf of the
Irish people at the front of the GPO to honour those who
died.

The Last Post was sounded and the tricolour was raised to
mark the end of the short ceremony, which was attended by
politicians, members of the judiciary and foreign
dignatories.

Around 2,500 members of the army, navy and air corps, took
part in what the Taoiseach said should be an inclusive
commemoration of all those who died in the 1916 Rising.

Hundreds of invited guests, including relatives of those
who fought in the rising and British Ambassador Stewart
Eldon, reviewed the ceremony from a stand at the front of
the GPO.

The Air Corp staged a flypass of the parade route as did
three Army helicopters, and Navy aircraft.

The crowds warmly applauded Army veterans and UN veterans
in their blue berets as they marched down the route.

Armoured vehicles on display

Armoured Personnel Carriers, 1.75-tonne artillery guns,
Explosive Ordnance Disposal armoured vehicles, an Aardvark
mine sweeper and several MOWAG tanks were on display. Also
included were vintage artillery guns, which were issued to
the Defence Forces in 1949 and are currently used in the
presidential 21-gun salute.

A float demonstrating the activities of UN peacekeepers was
also included. Members of An Garda Siochana who have served
as peacekeepers were represented and well-received.

The Army's Mounted Corp also took part, as did the massed
Army bands including the Band of the Southern Brigade, Band
of the 4th Western Brigade and the the Army Pipes and
Drums, who brought the parade to a close.

A number of city streets were closed off to accommodate the
parade, including O'Connell Street, Parnell Street,
Cavendish Row, Saint Mary's Place and Great Western Way.
Restrictions are expected to be in place until 2pm.

© 2006 ireland.com

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http://www.breakingnews.ie/2006/04/16/story254422.html

Ahern In Peace Vow At Easter Rising Ceremony

16/04/2006 - 11:15:14

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today pledged to continue to work
for peace and reconciliation in Ireland as wreaths were
laid in Dublin’s Kilmainham Gaol in honour of the 1916
Easter Rising revolutionaries.

In the first of a series of State ceremonies marking the
90th anniversary of the rebellion at a private service in
the jail, Mr Ahern urged people to strive for a new future.

“As we look to the future, we must be generous and
inclusive so that all of the people of Ireland can live
together with each other and with our neighbours in Great
Britain on a basis of friendship, respect, equality and
partnership,” he said.

“And every day, in every place, we will continue to work
for peace, for justice, for prosperity and for
reconciliation between all who share and who love this
special island.”

The ceremony was the first of a series of events to be held
across the country culminating in a military parade of
2,500 troops past the iconic GPO, were the Proclamation of
the Republic was read out.

Mr Ahern said holding a commemoration 90 years on from the
rebellion was testament that our generation still cherishes
the ideals of the courageous men and women who fought for
Ireland in Easter week and during the War of Independence.

He said it showed the honour and respect Ireland has for
their selfless idealism and patriotism. And he said it was
a symbol of our gratitude for the great sacrifices they
made for us.

“Today is a day of remembrance, reconciliation and renewal.
Today is about discharging one generation’s debt of honour
to another,” he said.

“Today, we will fittingly commemorate the patriotism and
vision of those who set in train an unstoppable process
which led to this country’s political independence.”

Mr Ahern was joined in Kilmainham by invited guests
including Fr Joseph Mallin, son of the Commandant of the
Irish Citizen Army Michael Mallin and the only surviving
child of any of the 1916 leaders.

“Michael Mallin’s generation fought heroically to vindicate
the Irish people’s right to self-determination and it is
fitting that we rightly honour them,” Mr Ahern said.

In a solemn tribute to those who fought to liberate
Ireland, wreaths were laid only yards from where many of
the leaders of the Rising, including Padraig Pearse, were
executed in the Stonebreaker’s Yard – also known as the
Execution Plot.

Mr Ahern said the vision and bravery of Mallin, Pearse,
James Connolly and Thomas J Clarke and the other 1916
revolutionaries, in their lives and in their deaths, was
recognised by the Irish people.

He noted that only two years after the Rising the people of
Ireland backed the cause of an Independent Republic by a
massive and sweeping majority.

“The justice of the cause, not simply the willingness to
fight for it, contributed much to its success,” Mr Ahern
said.

“The men and women of Easter 1916 gave their lives so that
Ireland could gain her freedom.

“The generations that came after them used that freedom to
support peace across the world through the efforts of our
Defence Forces, Óglaigh na hEireann.”

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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/13888

Sinn Féin - Celebrate 1916 And Work For Irish Unity

Published: 16 April, 2006

Sinn Féin leaders Pat Doherty MP, Bairbre de Brún MEP,
Arthur Morgan TD, Sean Crowe TD and Michelle Gildernew MP
will today join tens of thousands of people on the streets
of Dublin to honour the men and women of the 1916 Rising.
Speaking in Dublin this morning Mr. Doherty welcomed the
marking of the 90th anniversary of the Rising by the state
and said it gave people an opportunity to celebrate the
spirit of 1916”. He called on all those committed to Irish
reunification to work together for that goal.

Mr. Doherty said:

“90 years ago a small number of men and women went out
onto the streets of Dublin city and challenged the greatest
superpower of the day. It is right and proper that the
state is marking this anniversary with a commemoration in
our capital city, Tens of thousands of people are
celebrating the spirit of 1916 and paying tribute to all of
those brave men and women who gave their lives in the cause
of Irish freedom. It is the people of Ireland who are the
inheritors of the Rising and all that it stood for.


“The Easter Rising is a defining event in our history and
the Proclamation of the Republic is the defining document
of the Rising. And the core values of the Proclamation are
as relevant in 2006 as they were in 1916.

“But simply commemorating the events of Easter 1916 is not
enough. Learning the lessons of 1916 means putting the
issue of Irish unity at the top of the political agenda. It
means the Irish government driving forward a process which
will deliver national reunification.

"The best way to celebrate the spirit of Easter 1916 is for
all of those who are committed to Irish reunification,
regardless of party political affiliation, to work together
for that goal." ENDS

*************************

http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/13889

Adams - Decision Time For The Governments And The DUP

Published: 16 April, 2006

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams MP speaking at the Easter
Commemoration in Belfast this afternoon said ‘It is
decision time for the Irish and British governments and the
DUP.

Mr. Adams said:

”The two governments are now faced with a stark choice. Are
they going to stand by the Good Friday Agreement or are
they going to continue to pander to rejectionist unionism?

The answer to that question will become clear in the time
ahead.

“The governments have said that they will lift the
suspension of the Assembly on May 15th. Sinn Féin will be
in Stormont that day. We will be there for one reason and
one reason only - the election of a government in line with
the Good Friday Agreement.

This also has to be the focus of the Irish and British
governments.

”Ian Paisley has a decision to make. He has failed in his
campaign to smash Sinn Féin. He has failed in his bid to
see unionist majority rule returned. The only way Ian
Paisley will exercise political power is in an Executive
with Sinn Fein. I do not say that to be triumphalist in any
way. I say that because that is the reality which faces him
today.

”If Ian Paisley refuses then the two governments must
deliver on their commitment to jointly implement all other
elements of the Good Friday Agreement and increase
substantially all-Ireland harmonisation and
management.”ENDS
----

FULL TEXT

90 years ago this Easter an alliance of Irish republican
organisations and others, including elements of the Irish
Volunteers, the Irish Citizen Army, Sinn Féin, the Irish
Republican

Brotherhood, the woman's movement, socialists, trade
unionists, nationalists and Irish language activists, rose
up against British rule in Ireland and declared a Republic.

Much of this occurred in Dublin but republicans also took
up arms elsewhere in the country, including the north.

Six days later, and with the centre of Dublin in ruins the
leaders of the Provisional Government of the Irish
Republicordered the surrender. In the weeks which followed
15 of the leaders were executed, and four months after that
Roger Casement from this county was hanged in London.

Among those who died was Charles Monaghan from the Short
Strand. He was killed on his way to meet Casement and is
buried in Kerry.

Next Sunday at 2.30pm on the Mountpottinger Road, he will
be remembered at a commemoration in Short Strand which will
be addressed by the Mayor of Kerry Toireasa Ferris.

The British hoped by the speed of their actions and the
scale of the executions that the flame of freedom would be
extinguished. They were wrong.

At his court martial Pádraig Pearse got it exactly right:

'Believe that we, too, love freedom and desire it. To us it
is more desirable than anything in the world. If you strike
us down now, we shall rise again to renew the fight. You
cannot conquer Ireland. You cannot extinguish the Irish
passion for freedom.'

In my view the vast majority of Irish people recognise
this. That is why the decision by the Irish government to
re-establish the state commemoration of 1916 is a popular
decision.

That is why the streets of Dublin were packed this morning.

That is why in every county on this island, and in the
United States and Canada and Australia, and in England and
other parts of the world, Irish republicans will gather to
celebrate and commemorate the men and women of 1916 and of
all the generations

since then.

I welcome the reinstatement of the government's
commemoration of 1916. It should never have been abandoned
in the first place.

And let us not forget that successive governments didn't
just abandon this event, they also banned other
commemorations.

On one shameful occasion, the daughter of James Connolly,
Nora Connolly O'Brien, by then an old woman, was arrested
for daring to do what Irish republicans have never failed
to do - to honour our patriot dead.

All of us are proud to be part of that struggle. It is a
struggle which continues.There is now a need for a great
national effort to bring it to a conclusion. The Irish
government should be part of that effort. The Taoiseach has
called for a return to the core values of Irish
republicanism. I welcome that call. The men and women of
1916 were very definite about the type of Republic they
wanted to create.The Proclamation makes that clear.

The Proclamation

It is the heart and soul of Irish republicanism today. But
in truth The Proclamation is also unfinished business. It
is unfinished business which the vast majority of the Irish
people want to see brought to completion.

Are there any real doubts about where Tom Clarke, Sean Mac
Diarmada, Thomas MacDonagh; Pádraig Pearse; Ceannt,
Connolly or Joseph Plunkett, would stand on the great
issues of our time?

The Proclamation is about self-determination and democracy.
Does anyone think that the men and women of 1916 would
settle for a partitioned Ireland?

They fought for and I quote; "A permanent National
Government, representative of the whole people of
Irelandand elected by the suffrage of all her men and
women."

Does anyone believe that they would block northern
representatives being accorded speaking rights in the Dáil?

Does anyone believe that they would settle for anything
less than an active engagement with the British government
and unionism to promote and seek support for reunification?

Unionism

A central part of the work of Irish republicans in the time
ahead is to engage with unionists, to talk to, debate with,
but ultimately to seek to persuade unionists that their
future and that of their children, lies with the rest of us
on this island.

The fact is that no British politician has ever governed in
any part of Irelandin the interests of nationalists and
republicans and unionists.

They have always governed and exercised power in British
interests. And they have used and exploited and deepened
the divisions and fears of people to advance British
interests.

The result has been exclusion, conflict, division,
inequality and poverty. And no section of our people has
been immune from these.

Why should a British Minister take decisions on the future
of our children?

Why should a British Minister have the power to decide the
priorities in our health or education services?

Irish republicans believe that in an independent and united
Irelandwe have the best chance of effectively tackling
these issues. Unionists have a different opinion. That's
fine.

Let's talk about these matters. And let us begin by
reassuring unionists that we are not in the business of
coercing them into a united Ireland.

Instead as we seek to build a shared space in which we can
move forward we all must appreciate that, as some northern
protestants have said to me, 'the wise man builds his house
upon the rock'.

In this case that means a meaningful, working partnership
between nationalists and republicans, unionists and
loyalists.

I believe the opportunity to do that now exists.

I believe there is a huge opportunity to fulfil the
historic destiny of our people by uniting orange and green
in unity and justice and on the basis of equality.

The Peace Process

And it exists in no small measure because of the courage
and wisdom of IRA Volunteers.

The announcement by the Irish Republican Army on 28 July to
formally end its armed campaign was a historic development.

I want to pay tribute to the Volunteers of the IRA for
taking this courageous and unprecedented step in order to
advance the cause of peace with justice in Ireland.

Despite the profound difficulties of all this for many
republicans, the IRA has provided a unique opportunity to
significantly advance the peace process and to open up a
new era in politics and relationships on this island and
between Ireland and Britain.It is vital that this
opportunity is availed of and the peace process
advanced.This must include the release of all republican
prisoners and an end to the ongoing discrimination against
republican ex prisoners.

I believe that none of us should take each other for
granted so I want to thank and commend our friends in the
Green Cross and An Cumann Cabhrach and the other
organisations which look after the interests of prisoners
and their families.

Decision time for the governments and the DUP

The two governments are now faced with a stark choice. Are
they going to stand by the Good Friday Agreement or are
they going to continue to pander to rejectionist unionism?

The answer to that question will become clear in the time
ahead.

The governments have said that they will lift the
suspension of the Assembly on May 15th. Sinn Féin will be
in Stormont that day. We will be there for one reason and
one reason only - the election of a government in line with
the Good Friday Agreement.

This also has to be the focus of the Irish and British
governments.

Ian Paisley has a decision to make. He has failed in his
campaign to smash Sinn Féin. He has failed in his bid to
see unionist majority rule returned. The only way Ian
Paisley will exercise political power is in an Executive
with Sinn Fein. I do not say that to be triumphalist in any
way. I say that because that is the reality which faces him
today.

If Ian Paisley refuses then the two governments must
deliver on their commitment to jointly implement all other
elements of the Good Friday Agreement and increase
substantially all-Ireland harmonisation and management.

Building unity - building peace

Republicans have mapped out a peaceful path which can
deliver Irish unity. But we have to build a party which can
achieve it. hat means building a truly national movement.
It means recruiting more people. It means opening up our
party. It means building alliances with others. It means
more campaigning, more activism.

I believe that the republican struggle is in better shape
today than at any time since partition. There are more
republicans on this island now than at any time in our
history. That is a good thing.

In many ways the republicans of this city of Belfast have
led the way. I want to thank and to commend you all. e have
a confidence in ourselves which arises from our shared
experience together through decades of struggle. want to
thank the families of our patriot dead, all those on the
Belfast Roll of Honour and the Roll of Remembrance for your
great contribution to our struggle. I want to thank the
volunteers of the Belfast Brigade for your discipline and
commitment.

I also want to commend our councillors in Lisburn where
they are fighting and winning the battle against
discrimination and in Belfast where Sinn Fein now gets more
votes than any other political party.

Our leadership in Belfast, representing all parts of our
city, and including our MLAs has the ability to meet all of
the challenges in the time ahead.

There will be many battles in the time ahead. I want to
call on you all to join us in these battles, to join Sinn
Fein and to be part of the great revival of Republicanism
in this city.

Building political strength is key to the tasks which face
us. It has been the historic failure to do this that has
allowed more conservative parties to engage in the
rhetoric, but not the reality of Irish republicanism. A
good example of this is to be found in the hunger strikes
of 25 years ago.

As we gather today to remember the momentous events of
Easter week 90 years ago, we should also reflect on those
long and difficult months 25 years ago when a British
government cruelly and cynically allowed ten of our
comrades to die on hunger strike.

The Irish government of the day stood back and let the
hunger strikers and their families down, safe in the
knowledge that republicans at that time had neither the
political strength nor organisation to stop them.

That is a lesson which we all must learn from.

The women in Armagh and the men in the H Blocks were
extraordinary people who faced up to repression and
resisted it in the only way they could.

Their stand, their determination to assert their rights and
the rights of the Irish people continue to inspire us, and
we owe them and their families a massive and continuing
debt.

It is vitally important that all of us use this anniversary
year to tell a new generation of Irish republicans the
story of 1981alongside the history of 1916.

So let us go from here today determined to complete their
work.

We are right to be proud of the sacrifices of all our
patriot dead. And we are determined to make the
Proclamation a reality.

Bobby Sands had a word for it, which echoed what Pearse and
Connolly said here 90 ago.

In the last entry in his diary he wrote: "If they aren't
able to destroy the desire for reedom, they won't break
you. They won't break me because the desire for freedom,
and the freedom of the Irish people, is in my heart.

The day will dawn when all the people of Irelandwill have
the desire for freedom to show."

Comrades and friends let us go from here to continue the
work for that certain day.

*************************

http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/13891

Ó Caoláin - Let The Coming Decade Be The Decade Of Unity

Published: 16 April, 2006

Sinn Féin Dáil Group leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD
speaking at the Easter Commemoration in Donegal this
afternoon said ‘let the coming decade - up to the centenary
of the Easter Rising in 2016 - be the Decade of Unity.’

Deputy Ó Caoláin said:

“The Irish Government has a special obligation to act as a
truly national government and to advance the cause of Irish
reunification. It is not good enough for the members of
that Government to stand on the reviewing platform at the
GPO today and to continue in the same old way tomorrow. The
Government should work together with all who share the goal
of Irish unity – work today, tomorrow, next month, next
year and every year until we have attained that worthy and
achievable objective. The Irish people cannot attain our
full potential socially, economically and culturally until
we achieve unity and reconciliation. So let the coming
decade - up to the centenary of the Easter Rising in 2016 -
be the Decade of Unity.”

He continued

“The Easter Rising is the defining event and the
Proclamation of the Republic is the defining document in
the history of Irish Republicanism. Our task is to apply
its principles to the Irelandof 2006 and to achieve the
united Republican Ireland of Equals promised in the
Proclamation.

So long as British jurisdiction remains in the North-East
of our country the Irish people are denied that fundamental
right which is asserted in the Proclamation:

“The right of the people of Irelandto the ownership of
Ireland.”

The ending of British jurisdiction, Irish unity and
sovereignty, national reconciliation among all the people
who share this island – these remain the core objective of
Sinn Féin.

In every phase of the struggle for Irish freedom
Republicans have adapted their strategies and tactics to
the needs and demands of the time. They have shaped
history. Today we are shaping history again. The historic
decisions of the IRA last year confirmed the correctness
and the effectiveness of the Republican peace strategy. I
salute the discipline and the commitment of the Volunteers
of Óglaigh na hÉireann and I welcome the IRA’s Easter
statement which expresses its belief that it is possible to
achieve the Republican goal of a United Ireland through the
alternative route of purely peaceful and democratic means.

I also welcome the IRA’s repudiation of that tiny number of
former Republicans who have engaged in criminal activity
for personal gain. I echo the repudiation of those whose
selfish actions in no way represent Irish Republicanism but
only serve as grist to the mill of anti-Republican elements
in the media and in political life.

The Proclamation asserts our right to “the unfettered
control of Irish destinies”. That means control by the
Irish people. It does NOT mean control of our health
services by private profiteers. It does NOT mean the sell-
out of our national airline, Aer Lingus. It does NOT mean
violating neutrality and allowing our airports to be used
as a staging post for the Iraq war. It does NOT mean the
give-away of our natural resources of gas and oil to multi-
nationals. And in that regard we salute the men and women
of the West, including the Rossport Five, who have stood
against Shell and this Government and who have won the
admiration of the Irish people.

We take the Proclamation seriously and we campaign for the
type of Irelandenvisaged in that document – an Irelandwhere
all the children of the nation are cherished equally. For
that reason we are campaigning for a new health service for
Ireland, for an end to the two-tier system and its
replacement with access for all to the best care based on
need and need alone. Health, education, housing, transport,
rural regeneration – on all these issues Republicans are
active and are working side by side with communities.”ENDS
----

Full Text

A chairde agus a chomrádaithe,

I thank the Republicans of County Donegal for the
opportunity to address you on this the 90th anniversary of
the Easter Rising of 1916. It is a privilege to join with
you as we recall the Proclamation of the Irish Republic and
pay tribute to all those who have given their lives in the
cause of Irish freedom. We remember them all equally with
pride whether they died in the execution yard of Kilmainham
Jail, in Drumboe Castle, in English prisons or in the H-
Blocks of Long Kesh. We make no distinction between the men
and women of 1916 and the men and women of 1981. We honour
equally the Republicans who fell in the years of struggle
1916 to 1923 and those who gave their lives in our own era
since 1969.

To the families, friends and comrades of all those who died
we extend our continuing sympathy and solidarity.

We are gathered at a poignant and historic place, the scene
of a tragedy of the Irish Civil War. Charlie Daly, Seán
Larkin, Daniel Enright and Tim O’Sullivan were put to death
on this spot by Free State forces. They stood against the
disastrous Partition of our country. They were opposed by
fellow Irishmen who had allowed themselves to become the
servants of British imperial policy in Ireland.

James Connolly predicted that the Partition of Ireland
would lead to a carnival of reaction. The four martyrs of
Drumboe were among the victims of that carnival of reaction
which saw thousands imprisoned and interned on both sides
of the border, scores of prison executions and roadside
killings of Republican prisoners and pogroms against the
nationalist population in the Six Counties.

For decades afterwards every effort was made to drive
Republican Ireland underground but in 1969 the spirit of
1916 arose from the ashes Phoenix-like and a new phase of
struggle for Irish freedom began. It was a struggle born
out of repression and resistance. But it was also a tragic
conflict that claimed many lives. The ultimate
responsibility rests where it has always rested and that is
with the British government – the government that executed
the 1916 leaders, the government that partitioned
Irelandand provoked Civil War, the government that propped
up the sectarian Orange state for decades.

The four martyrs of Drumboe were executed because they
remained firm in their allegiance to the All-Ireland
Republic proclaimed in 1916. The Easter Rising is the
defining event and the Proclamation of the Republic is the
defining document in the history of Irish Republicanism.
You have heard the Proclamation read here today. Our task
is to apply its principles to the Irelandof 2006 and to
achieve the united Republican Ireland of Equals promised in
the Proclamation.

So long as British jurisdiction remains in the North-East
of our country the Irish people are denied that fundamental
right which is asserted in the Proclamation:

“The right of the people of Irelandto the ownership of
Ireland.”

The ending of British jurisdiction, Irish unity and
sovereignty, national reconciliation among all the people
who share this island – these remain the core objective of
Sinn Féin.

In every phase of the struggle for Irish freedom
Republicans have adapted their strategies and tactics to
the needs and demands of the time. They have shaped
history. Today we are shaping history again. The historic
decisions of the IRA last year confirmed the correctness
and the effectiveness of the Republican peace strategy. I
salute the discipline and the commitment of the Volunteers
of Óglaigh na hÉireann and I welcome the IRA’s Easter
statement which expresses its belief that it is possible to
achieve the Republican goal of a United Ireland through the
alternative route of purely peaceful and democratic means.

I also welcome the IRA’s repudiation of that tiny number of
former Republicans who have engaged in criminal activity
for personal gain. I echo the repudiation of those whose
selfish actions in no way represent Irish Republicanism but
only serve as grist to the mill of anti-Republican elements
in the media and in political life.

The Proclamation asserts our right to “the unfettered
control of Irish destinies”. That means control by the
Irish people. It does NOT mean control of our health
services by private profiteers. It does NOT mean the sell-
out of our national airline, Aer Lingus. It does NOT mean
violating neutrality and allowing our airports to be used
as a staging post for the Iraq war. It does NOT mean the
give-away of our natural resources of gas and oil to multi-
nationals. And in that regard we salute the men and women
of the West, including the Rossport Five, who have stood
against Shell and this Government and who have won the
admiration of the Irish people.

We take the Proclamation seriously and we campaign for the
type of Irelandenvisaged in that document – an Irelandwhere
all the children of the nation are cherished equally. For
that reason we are campaigning for a new health service for
Ireland, for an end to the two-tier system and its
replacement with access for all to the best care based on
need and need alone. Health, education, housing, transport,
rural regeneration – on all these issues Republicans are
active and are working side by side with communities.

Here in County Donegal you continue to suffer the effects
of Partition and economic marginalisation. The Fianna
Fáil/PD government has allowed development and economic
progress to be concentrated in the east and south; spending
under the so-called National Development Plan remains below
target in the Border, Midlands and Western regions. While
other parts of the country experience the economic boom,
here in County Donegal, Government policies have failed to
address the decline of industries that has led to a
succession of mass redundancies.

I want to salute the work of Sinn Féin in this county in
campaigning for the social and economic rights of the
people of Donegal. In particular I commend the work of your
elected representatives. The forthcoming General Election
will be a momentous one for Sinn Féin. It will also be a
very positive milestone for the people of Donegal. I have
every confidence that they will place their trust in Sinn
Féin and that among the first of the new TDs to be elected
to the next Dáil will be Pearse Doherty and Pádraig
MacLochlainn.

This year marks another significant anniversary - the 25th
anniversary of the H-Block Hunger Strike and the death of
ten young Republicans in the tragic year of ’81.

We remember the H-Block Hunger Strikes with pride and we
pledge to continue our work towards the goal for which they
gave their lives. They transformed our struggle and opened
up new avenues to reach our objectives. This year we have
formulated five demands, echoing the five demands of the H-
Block prisoners. These five all-Ireland demands are:

The Irish Government should produce a Green Paper on Irish
Unity.

The work of the All Ireland Ministerial Council should be
expanded and additional All Ireland Implementation Bodies
created.

Westminster MP's elected in the Six Counties should be
accorded speaking rights in the Dáil.

Voting rights for Presidential elections should be extended
to citizens in the Six Counties.

The Irish Government should actively engage with the
British Government and Unionism to promote and seek support
for re-unification.

The Irish Government has a special obligation to act as a
truly national government and to advance the cause of Irish
reunification. It is not good enough for the members of
that Government to stand on the reviewing platform at the
GPO today and to continue in the same old way tomorrow. The
Government should work together with all who share the goal
of Irish unity – work today, tomorrow, next month, next
year and every year until we have attained that worthy and
achievable objective. The Irish people cannot attain our
full potential socially, economically and culturally until
we achieve unity and reconciliation. So let the coming
decade - up to the centenary of the Easter Rising in 2016 -
be the Decade of Unity.

I have earlier referred to the momentous IRA decisions of
last year. Despite the profound difficulties of all this
for many republicans, the IRA has provided a golden
opportunity to advance the peace process significantly and
to open up a new era in Irish politics. It is vital that
this opportunity is availed of and the peace process
advanced. This must include the release of all Republican
prisoners and an end to the ongoing discrimination against
Republican ex-prisoners.

Many people are understandably and justifiably frustrated
at the slow pace of progress. In the coming weeks there
will be a renewed effort to advance the peace process.

On May 15th the Assembly will be reconvened and the
leadership of our party, the Ard Chomhairle, last week
decided that our Assembly members will attend. The sole
purpose of that Assembly is to elect a First Minister, a
Deputy First Minister and an Executive. They must then
fully operate the All-Ireland aspects of the Good Friday
Agreement. We want no part in talking shops or shadow
assemblies.

The DUP will have to decide if they are prepared to join a
power sharing government and all-Ireland institutions. If
they refuse to do so the two governments must deliver on
their commitment to jointly implement all other elements of
the Good Friday Agreement.

We in Sinn Féin genuinely wish to achieve national
reconciliation, which means a new relationship of trust
with that section of the people of Irelandwhich today gives
its allegiance to unionism. All Republicans have an
obligation to participate in this task. This means, first
of all, firmly rejecting sectarianism and bigotry in all
its forms – no matter what its source and no matter what
its target. Secondly it means engaging in active dialogue
with unionists and to show them that equality means
equality for all – not just for nationalists and
republicans but for all those who share this island.

This year we mark two very significant anniversaries - 1916
and 1981 - years of tragedy but also years of continuing
inspiration to us. The link between 1916 and 1981 was made
by Bobby Sands in his Hunger Strike Diary when he wrote:

“I may die but the Republic of 1916 will never die. Onward
to that Republic and the liberation of our people.”

Today we echo Bobby’s words. We are nearer now than ever to
the Republic for which so many have sacrificed so much. Let
us spare no effort in this final stage of our journey.

Onward to freedom.

*************************

http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/13890

Kelly - Huge Opportunity For Progress In Time Ahead

Published: 16 April, 2006

Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle member Gerry Kelly MLA speaking in
Carrickmore, County Tyrone this afternoon said:

“There are turning points in a nation’s history that change
the course of that nations people. The 1916 rising was
such an event as was the Hunger Strike of 1981. Despite
the profound difficulties for many Republicans the IRA
statement of July 28th, 2005 could be another such event.
The IRA has provided a golden opportunity to advance a new
era in our long struggle. It is crucial that this
opportunity be grasped by Republicans and opponents alike.

In the coming weeks there will be renewed efforts to
advance the peace process. Republicans have taken hugely
important decisions. It is time for others to respond in
like manner. The challenge is there not just for the DUP
but for the British and Irish governments also.”

“Sinn Féin is a republican party. We are the only All-
Ireland party. Our goal is to see a United Ireland, which
delivers real social and economic change. We are the only
party with a strategy and policies for achieving Irish
unity and independence. An All Ireland democracy. An
Ireland of equals

We will never again accept the status of second-class
citizens. Neither will we ever impose second-class
citizenship upon anyone else. But unionists too have
responsibilities and this includes the need to break with
sectarian politics. The politics of domination.

However, in this process we also have to remember that for
many unionists the change we have embarked upon is a
terrifying prospect. Change is always difficult. When
taken in the context of a conflict resolution process,
change can be traumatic. And this can be made even more
difficult when there are those, both within sections of
unionism and within the British political and military
establishment who still want to hold on to the old ways.
The effect of political policing over the last few years,
especially where the institutions were collapsed on a lie,
demonstrates the dangers. That is where the most serious
threat to the peace process comes from at this time.

Our goal as Irish republicans is an Irish unity that is
inclusive, that unionists will feel welcome in, that they
are a part of. There is much work to do. But we believe
that we are in the countdown to a united Ireland. We
believe that together we can make further progress and
truly transform society on this island forever.

Is the British government up for this?

Time will tell.

Is the Irish government up for this?

Let’s test that. The Irish Government has after all a
constitutional imperative to work for a United Ireland.

We are commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Hunger
Strike, we can mirror the 5 demands of the Hunger strikers
with the Irish government.

The Irish government should produce a Green paper on Irish
unity.

The work of the all-Ireland ministerial council should be
expanded and additional all-Ireland implementation bodies
created.

MP’s elected in the 6 counties should be accorded speaking
rights in the Dail.

Voting rights for Presidential elections should be extended
to citizens in the six counties.

The Irish government should actively engage with the
British government and unionism to promote and seek support
for reunification.

Is Sinn Féin up for it?

The answer is a word unionist political leaders need to
learn. The answer is YES.

Sinn Fèin is up for making this work. Our activists and
supporters are up for it.

Is the IRA up for it?

Who, except for the most vitriolic and blind anti
republican elements could doubt that the IRA is up for it.
Republicans have stretched themselves repeatedly to keep
the peace process on track.

The people we represent have rights. So does everyone on
this island, unionist and others alike. We have been
through pre-condition, after pre-condition, after pre-
condition.

We are all on the journey. It is always easier to begin a
journey. The hard thing is to end it.

Sinn Féin is in this process to the end. We want the
British government and the Irish government and the
unionists to work with us and to finish the work we have
all started. The length of the journey can be shortened
and the ups and downs on the road can be smoothed out if we
go at it collectively. If we do it together.”
----

Full text of speech

A Chairde agus a chomradaithe,

Is onóir mór domhsa bheith anseo inniu, ag labhairt libh
ar an lá stairiúl seo.

Agus is fior lá stairiúl é de thairbhe go bhfuil muid
cruinnithe anseo ag cuimhniú ar na fir agus na mná a
chuaigh amach ar Domhnach na Cásca i mBaile Atha Cliath
agus lás said tine ar fud an domhain nócha bliana ó shin.

I am very honoured to be here today in Carrickmore to speak
of those who died in 1916 and in every generation since.

Easter week 1916 was one of the greatest historical events
of the last century. It started the bush fire of
decolonisation, which was to engulf what, was the then
British Empire. It inspired generations of Irish
Republicans and peoples throughout the world who rose up
against the tyranny of colonial rule, imperialism and
oppression. It is a fire still burning in the heart of
every Irish republican.

This is also the 25th Anniversary of the Great Hunger
Strike of 1981. Our comrades who gave their lives and those
of us who survived to take up their mantle were and are
about bringing about British withdrawal and achieving a
free independent and united Ireland based on equality for
all those living on this island.

In commemorating and celebrating the bravery of our fallen
comrades, I want to pay tribute to the volunteers and
leadership of the IRA of today because they have shown
outstanding valour and vision on and off the battlefield.
They have played a central role in this phase of the
struggle and I commend their initiatives, patience,
discipline and tenacity.

If courage were the yardstick of success then the British
would be long gone.

Indeed individual and collective courage have been the
mainstay of this long struggle. It was the courage shown
by the leadership of the IRA in calling a cessation of
military operations in 1994 which was the catalyst for not
only the overall peace process but for the ongoing
development of the republican strategy which has brought us
so far.

Since we last gathered on Easter 2005 the Irish Republican
Army announced that it has formally ended its armed
campaign. This was a courageous and truly historic step to
advance the cause of peace and the cause of Irish freedom.

There are turning points in a nation’s history that change
the course of that nations people. The 1916 rising was
such an event as was the Hunger Strike of 1981. Despite
the profound difficulties for many Republicans the IRA
statement of July 28th, 2005 could be another such event.
The IRA has provided a golden opportunity to advance a new
era in our long struggle. It is crucial that this
opportunity be grasped by Republicans and opponents alike.

In the coming weeks there will be renewed efforts to
advance the peace process. Republicans have taken hugely
important decisions. It is time for others to respond in
like manner. The challenge is there not just for the DUP
but for the British and Irish governments also.

The Assembly will be reconvened on May 15th. Sinn Féin
will be there with a focus on forming a power sharing
government on the basis of the Good Friday Agreement. The
inescapable question for the DUP is whether they are
prepared to join with the rest of us in sharing power. If
they refuse then the 2 governments must deliver on their
commitments to jointly implement all other elements of the
Good Friday Agreement.

Many people will be frustrated at the slow pace of progress
and angry that those opposed to change are being pandered
to. However these are the perennial tactics of our
opponents.

Our response lies in our strengths, Sinn Féin has become
the largest political party in the North. We became the
3rd largest party in Ireland. We are the only all-Ireland
party. Republicans have the capability of achieving a
united Ireland and we are constantly building the capacity
to achieve that goal.

We will only do that by leading with courage and
imagination, by taking initiatives and above all by hard
work. More and more people in Ireland North and South are
joining us and looking to us for leadership. It has meant
activists changing and adapting their role in our struggle.
Perhaps few activists thought they could adopt, but, as
they say – “the proof is in the pudding”. It has been the
Republican ability to face each new situation, each new
obstacle to overcome, in an open and imaginative way which
has proven the versatility and ability of the Republican
activist. There is no lack of work in this struggle and
make no mistake the work that republicans put into this
struggle is the envy of political struggles the world over.

The Good Friday Agreement is about the rights and
entitlements of citizens. They are not negotiating chips
to be bartered for, or withheld. They are absolute and
should be defended. Sinn Féin is not going to stand by and
allow Human rights, equality, ending discrimination, the
rights of Irish language speakers, the achievement of an
acceptable policing service or any other of our rights, to
be subject to any unionist veto. These are our rights and
we will persist until they are achieved.

Sinn Féin believes in people. Sinn Fein believes in
empowering people, in working in partnership with local
communities to tackle problems and map out new policies.

One of the most encouraging aspects of this phase of our
struggle has been the numbers of young people attracted to
our party. A new generation of activists are taking their
place in the struggle and we must ensure that place is
secured. We are the only political party, which is
experiencing such growth, and it is a sign that young
people see this party as a vehicle for change for a new
generation. The first people out to defend our areas
against physical attack are youth – they should also be in
the vanguard of our political project.

Sinn Féin is a republican party. We are the only All-
Ireland party. Our goal is to see a United Ireland, which
delivers real social and economic change. We are the only
party with a strategy and policies for achieving Irish
unity and independence. An All Ireland democracy. An
Ireland of equals

We will never again accept the status of second-class
citizens. Neither will we ever impose second-class
citizenship upon anyone else. But unionists too have
responsibilities and this includes the need to break with
sectarian politics. The politics of domination.

However, in this process we also have to remember that for
many unionists the change we have embarked upon is a
terrifying prospect. Change is always difficult. When
taken in the context of a conflict resolution process,
change can be traumatic. And this can be made even more
difficult when there are those, both within sections of
unionism and within the British political and military
establishment who still want to hold on to the old ways.
The effect of political policing over the last few years,
especially where the institutions were collapsed on a lie,
demonstrates the dangers. That is where the most serious
threat to the peace process comes from at this time.

Our goal as Irish republicans is an Irish unity that is
inclusive, that unionists will feel welcome in, that they
are a part of.

There is much work to do. But we believe that we are in
the countdown to a united Ireland. We believe that
together we can make further progress and truly transform
society on this island forever.

Is the British government up for this?

Time will tell.

Is the Irish government up for this?

Let’s test that. The Irish Government has after all a
constitutional imperative to work for a United Ireland.

We are commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Hunger
Strike, we can mirror the 5 demands of the Hunger strikers
with the Irish government.

The Irish government should produce a Green paper on Irish
unity.

The work of the all-Ireland ministerial council should be
expanded and additional all-Ireland implementation bodies
created.

MP’s elected in the 6 counties should be accorded speaking
rights in the Dail.

Voting rights for Presidential elections should be extended
to citizens in the six counties.

The Irish government should actively engage with the
British government and unionism to promote and seek support
for reunification.

Is Sinn Féin up for it?

The answer is a word unionist political leaders need to
learn. The answer is YES.

Sinn Fèin is up for making this work. Our activists and
supporters are up for it.

Is the IRA up for it?

Who, except for the most vitriolic and blind anti
republican elements could doubt that the IRA is up for it.
Republicans have stretched themselves repeatedly to keep
the peace process on track.

The people we represent have rights. So does everyone on
this island, unionist and others alike. We have been
through pre-condition, after pre-condition, after pre-
condition.

We are all on the journey. It is always easier to begin a
journey. The hard thing is to end it.

Sinn Féin is in this process to the end. We want the
British government and the Irish government and the
unionists to work with us and to finish the work we have
all started. The length of the journey can be shortened
and the ups and downs on the road can be smoothed out if we
go at it collectively. If we do it together.

All of you here today are part of the fastest growing party
in Ireland. Whether it is here in Carrickmore, or in Derry
or Upper Bann, or North Antrim or Wexford, or Dublin or
Belfast, or South Armagh, or Cork it is clear that Sinn
Féin is winning more and more hearts and minds right across
the island. Everyday there are more and more Irish
republicans. We are building our political strength.

This is our day for remembering fallen comrades. We
remember those we knew in our own personal way. We are
here to celebrate their lives and we send out solidarity
greetings to their families and friends.

Let me take a moment to mention a comrade and a friend of
many of us. Siobhán O’Hanlon was laid to rest on Good
Friday after a prolonged fight against cancer. She was
only 44 years old but her whole adult life was dedicated to
our Republican ideals. In the 1980’s I wrote a simple
epitaph to another Republican activist who died. It is, I
think, appropriate for Siobhán.

A woman:

Strength of our struggle

In life:

A tireless worker

In death:

A ceaseless inspiration.

Let’s also remember POW’s still incarcerated. There are
still political prisoners in jail. They should be released
immediately. There are people on the run. They should be
with their families.

Republicans are not chained by history. They learn from it
and use it. That is why important initiatives have been
taken on so many occasions. While unionists are fixated
with slowing down and frustrating change republicans want
more change, want to move on from the past. But there will
be a need for more discipline and a well of patience by
republicans. More courage is called for. Those who have
set their minds against change will be more provocative.
The bigots and the securocrats dream of wrecking the
structures of change. They want to destroy rather than
build. Their tools are bigotry, mistrust, political
policing and paramilitary attacks. They should be starved
of anything that feeds their frenzy.

Republicans have a better vision.

I am confident that we will build on our achievements and
substantially increase our political strength. We must
continue to build on that strength, the stronger we are the
closer our goal of a free independent, and united Ireland
will come.

We face difficult challenges ahead but also with great
opportunities. We stand on the threshold of great change.
Previous generations have struggled for a united Ireland.
It is, however, our generation who have the possibility of
achieving that goal. So go out and do what we do best.

Bígí cinnte go dtiocfaidh ar lá.

*************************

http://www.politics.ie/viewtopic.php?p=366774&sid=c0efea0e0d350443ad84071e5b1f5778

EASTER ORATION 2006

Oration At Arbour Hill By The Chairman Of 32 County
Sovereignty Movement Mr Francis Mackey

Friends, Comrades

Today marks the 90th anniversary of one of the most
momentous occasions in the history of the Irish people’s
struggle to end foreign occupation in our country and to
fulfil the right of national self-determination free from
outside interference.

Today we remember with pride and honour the leaders of the
rising who acted legally and in good faith when they set
about planning their strategy which ended in their murder
and the murder of the Provisional Government.

We remember all republicans who made the ultimate sacrifice
with their lives 90 years ago and through every generation
to the present day. Those men and women were not in the
republican movement for glory or self gain, they were
principled and believed their actions were correct in the
face of the massive opposition from the colonial invader.

Today republicans face even stiffer opposition because
today not only do we face the illegal interference from the
British Government, we are faced with the quislings in the
Dublin Government and regrettably from the Provisional
Movement whose leadership have totally usurped the position
of the men and women of 1916.

Today in our capital city we witness Provisional Sinn Fein
in collusion with Fianna Fail attempt to rewrite our
history.

We listen to their bleak attempt at saying they are the
inheritors to fulfil the legacy of 1916 and it is further
disgusting to hear both parties claiming to be republican
when both have signed up to an agreement that to use their
words, “under international law” gives legitimacy to
British Rule in Ireland.

British rule in Ireland was never legitimate, not in 1916,
not in the years that followed and most certainly not
today.

British rule in Ireland will never have legitimacy whilst
that Government holds an illegal sovereign claim to the
occupied 6 Counties.

The attempts by Sinn Fein, the British Government and
Dublin to enter into agreement in writing revisionist
politics for the Irish people is wrong and when something
is wrong it will fail.

The failure of Stormont today is history repeating itself.
It failed before and is doomed to failure again and it does
not matter if Gerry Adams, Martin Mc Guinness and all the
rest crawl on their bellies to get into it, it will fail
because the single fundamental issue of Irish National
Sovereignty has been usurped by all the parties allied to
the British agreement of 1998.

Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail today claim lineage to the
leaders of 1916, yet their actions are alien to that great
document of 1916. The Proclamation clearly states, “The
Provisional Government of the Irish Republic to the People
of Ireland” and goes on to declare “ the right of the
people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland and the
unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and
indefeasible”.

Where does Sinn Fein’s and Fianna Fail’s actions protect
and uphold that position.

They are hypocrites to proclaim support for the men and
women of 1916 whilst seeking to administer British rule in
Ireland and having signed away the sovereignty of the Irish
people in 1998.

Every generation the Irish people have asserted their right
to National freedom and National Sovereignty.

The Proclamation goes on to proclaim the Irish Republic as
a Sovereign Independent State. And the leaders of 1916
pledged their lives to protect it.

A far cry from not only usurping it but actively pursuing
the British Agenda.

At this point in time the 32 County Sovereignty Movement
are the only organisation in Ireland with a legitimate
challenge to British Rule in Ireland under international
law.

We see the vast opposition to having this case heard, never
the less we see the value in pursuing that case in
defending the position of those who we are gathered here
today to commemorate and we question the failure of Sinn
Fein to support this challenge.

We acknowledge the legitimacy of other groups and
organisations opposing British rule and we see there is
more uniting us than what keeps us apart, therefore I call
again for Unity of purpose from all groups and individuals
to unite and enhance the challenge.

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the 1981 Hunger
Strike when the British Government denied the right of
Irish POW’s to have political status.

Ten brave men died as a result of the intransigence of the
British Government who were trying to criminalise the
republican struggle.

That Government failed and today we have a similar
situation whereby republican prisoners are being denied
their rights as political prisoners. In English Gaols POW’S
are being denied the right to be close to their families
and loved ones. The British Government are refusing to
repatriate them back to Ireland

So too in gaols in Ireland we witness attempts to
criminalise not alone the individual prisoner but to
criminalise any attempt to oppose British Rule in Ireland
and to criminalise any organisation that upholds and
defends the Sovereignty of the Irish people.

To those POW’s who are standing steadfast on the principles
of why you find yourself in gaol, I congratulate for
holding your legitimate position.

We recognise the extent to which the establishment will go
to criminalise you but do not give in to them, just think
of the sacrifice of Pearse and Connolly, of Thomas Mc
Donagh, Sean Mc Diarmada, Thomas Clarke, Eamon Ceannt and
Joseph Plunkett.

Remember Bobby Sands, Francis Hughes, Raymond Mc Creesh,
Patsy O’Hara, Joe Mc Donnell, Martin Hurson, Kevin Lynch,
Kieran Doherty, Thomas Mc Elwee and Michael Devine and
think of the sacrifice they endured not only to get their
five demands which was ultimately Political Status but to
protect and defend the legitimacy of the political struggle
in upholding Irish National Sovereignty.

Remember too the Irish people rose up in the past and will
again when republicans re-emerge as a significant force in
upholding the Sovereignty of the Irish people.

Remember also the contrast between 1916 and 1981 when the
leaders of 1916 were murdered. It was described in poetic
terms as “A Terrible Beauty Being Born”.

The Irish people rose up in support of protecting their
Sovereignty and ratified the Proclamation some two and a
half years later when the people of Ireland Declared their
Freedom.

What happened then was the British continued to deny the
people their democratic rights. A foreign Treaty was
accepted by some, a civil war ensued and De Valera moved to
accepting the principles of the Treaty which partitioned
our country. He in turn executed republicans as a warning
to anyone who would uphold Irish National Sovereignty or
defend it.

Following the Hunger Strike again the Irish people rose in
support of the republican position. Republicans entered the
election trail and became the largest Nationalist party in
the occupied area and what did Sinn Fein do with this
support. They like Fianna Fail accepted a partitionist
treaty and having signed it became critical of Irish men
and women for upholding Irish National Sovereignty, indeed
they went further with the issue of threats against those
who upheld their constitution.

So in recognising the plight of the POW’s we acknowledge
the political climate and we must ensure that the murder of
the 1916 leaders and the 1981 Hunger Strikers will never be
forgotten and that the sacrifice of all republican
volunteers was not in vain.

Republicans have a moral duty to uphold the principles for
which they died.

Today as Fianna Fail and the leaders of Sinn Fein
masquerade as republicans we must recognise them for what
they are. They are Home Rulers.

In 1916 Home Rule under British Sovereignty was becoming a
reality. The 1916 leaders knew this would have a
devastating long term effect on the political landscape and
their actions 90 years ago must be recognised as a brave
attempt, detrimental to their own lives, in pushing the
political landscape forward with a republican focus. They
succeeded, it was others who usurped their position and
moved to accept the foreign treaty.

Today Sinn Fein are a Home Rule party having usurped the
Sovereignty of the Irish Nation. They now find themselves
in a dilemma. They continue to use republican speak to get
into Stormont but cannot challenge the British Government.
They are confined within that agreement to work with and
administer the will of the British Government.

Last week the British Minister Peter Hain told the Irish
people in his assurances to the Unionist parties, “if the
DUP and SF can’t agree on administering British Rule” new
legislation will be brought in outside the conditions of
the GFA.

In other words the British Government will do what they
have to, to protect their position. The GFA is dead. The
Brits have changed the rules to strengthen and protect
their illegal sovereign claim.

Hain also stated that any working arrangement with Dublin
will not be Joint Authority. He said, “the constitutional
position of the British Government is safeguarded”.

Sinn Fein need to tell us what they got out of this for the
Irish people and how did they further the aims of the 1916
leaders.

The answer is obvious they got nothing, they did what the
Brits wanted assisted by informers and agents so that Sinn
Fein policy and strategy was based on a British agenda.

The Sinn Fein leadership failed the men and women of 1916
and they have failed the Irish people today.

As we leave here today let us remember why it is important
to assemble here at Arbour Hill and remember our
responsibilities to uphold the Sovereignty of the Irish
people with pride and that we rededicate ourselves to it’s
defence as we intensify our challenge to the Legality of
British Rule in Ireland.

Go Raibh maith agat.

ORATION ENDS.

*************************

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/75488

The Unmanageables: Honouring The Woman Of 1916

dublin anti-war news report Sunday April 16, 2006
11:54 by JonG - 1 of Indymedia Ireland Editorial Group

''They are at once the boldest and the most unmanageable of
revolutionaries.' Eamon de Valera

An alliance of contemporary women activists from a broad
coaition of campaigning groups, Anti-War, including
Cosantoiri Siochana, Dublin Catholic Worker group,
Residents Against Racism, Save Tara and Shell to Sea have
come together to honour the Women of 1916, who have been
ignored by the State's commerorations and the Military
Parade.

The Umanageables

The contemporary activists have each chosen a woman
activist from the 1916 era as an inspiration and are
marching from Christchurch to O Connell Bridge on the
morning of 16th April.

The protest will be in costume and the women activists will
carry banners relating their contemporary activism to the
first two paragraphs of the Proclamation which in substance
has been ignored and denigrated by the Government. They
will also be wearing and distibuting Black Shamrocks which
symbolise Irish State Collusion in rendition flights and
loss of our neutrality will be distributed on the day.

This protest is a non-violent direct action and will be a
short march, followed by banner drops and leafletting.

Assembled at 11am @ Christchurch Sunday April 16th.

Pictures by Revolt Video (c):
http://revoltvideo.blogspot.com/

more info@ http://theunmanageables.blogspot.com/

Related Link: http://theunmanageables.blogspot.com/

*************************

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/04/16/INGOLI8OE61.DTL

Easter Rising Still Stirring Irish Blood

Fight for independence not without its critics

Anthony Healy
Sunday, April 16, 2006

It was the event which began Ireland's struggle for
independence, and it signaled the beginning of the end of
the British Empire, but 90 years later, the Easter Rising
is still causing controversy.

Every major political party in Ireland claims a connection
to the Rising, when the Irish Revolutionary Brigade took
over strategic positions in the center of Dublin and
Patrick Pearse read out the Proclamation of the Irish
Republic.

This weekend a large military parade was scheduled to march
through Dublin to commemorate the events, but critics say
the parade celebrates an evil legacy and that in today's
war on terror, the men and women of the Easter Rising would
be seen as terrorists.

The festivities include a fly-past by the Irish Air Corps,
and a special reception stand has been erected for the
surviving relatives of the people who died during the
Easter Rising. Commemorative stamps have been issued, and
Stewart Eldon, Britain's ambassador to Ireland, intended to
come. It was expected that hundreds of thousands would line
the route of the parade. But this has only made critics of
the commemorations even more adamant.

British commentator Geoffrey Wheatcroft noted last week
that, "If the Irish want to celebrate the Easter Rising,
they may, but they must realize that they are in no moral
position whatsoever to condemn any other violent
insurrection against another lawful government carried out
by people who feel strongly enough. Looking around the
world today, the Easter rebels have a good deal to answer
for."

Veteran Irish politician Ollie Wilkinson, a member of the
Irish parliament, is not convinced that the British
authorities in Dublin could be called lawful, but he's
certain of the importance of the Easter Rising:

"From the Rising came the freedom we have today. It won't
be complete of course, until we have a 32-county Ireland.
But these men had a cause -- this country was occupied --
and we can see in Northern Ireland, where the British
remain, that there's still trouble. We don't need to look
outside Ireland to see the trouble caused when one country
occupies another."

Of course, this is not an argument about the past, it's
about the present. It's about the direction of the peace
process in Ireland and the wider war on terror.

If rising up against British oppression is terrorism, where
does that leave George Washington? But if the Irish rebels
are heroes, why does the Bush administration insist that
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams should not be allowed to
raise funds in the United States?

If the commemoration of the Easter Rising was not emotive
enough already, the gruesome murder recently of ex-Sinn
Fein official Denis Donaldson sent reaction soaring.
Donaldson had confessed to being a British spy in December
and had gone into hiding, although the IRA said he would
not be harmed. But 12 days ago, Donaldson's body was found
in a cottage in Donegal. He had been shot in the face and
the chest with a shotgun, and his right hand had been blown
off.

The slaying was condemned from all sides of Irish politics,
with Gerry Adams saying the assassination of Donaldson came
from a bygone era. It was a brutal reminder of Ireland's
violent political past, and it raised questions about what
is being celebrated in Dublin this weekend.

"Only in Ireland could anyone fail to see the connection
between the two," says Geoffrey Wheatcroft.

Nothing more than a red herring, says Wilkinson: "The peace
process in this country -- which (Irish Premier) Bertie
Aherne has worked so hard on and Gerry Adams and Tony Blair
deserve all credit and praise for their efforts -- cannot
be derailed, because it's the only way forward. We will
celebrate the Easter Rising with a military parade because
the Rising itself was a military event. But the
commemoration will not affect the peace process, nor will
anything else. It's the only way forward."

By the time the British army had defeated the Irish rebels
in 1916, the center of Dublin had been destroyed by
artillery fire. Those who had signed the Proclamation of
the Irish Republic were promptly executed by British
authorities, and the mood of Ireland began to change.

Irish poet W. B. Yeats' haunting poem, "Easter 1916,"
written at the time, still captures the heroic yet
strangely ambiguous events of the Easter Rising:

"Now and in time to be,

Wherever green is worn,

Are changed, changed utterly:

A terrible beauty is born."

Anthony Healy is a journalist, novelist and playwright. His
latest novel, "Scut," is scheduled for publication next
month. Contact us at insight@sfchronicle.com.

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