For two hours the Republican Sinn Féin hunger strike commemoration was the centre of attention on O’Connell Street on a busy Saturday afternoon and was a reminder to many of the unfinished business for which the hunger strikers died.

Those who in recent times attempted sign away the rights of the Irish people by restoring Stormont may have worn the time-honoured Easter Lily but in reality they were putting back an obstacle on the road to the freedom of All-Ireland.

This, according to one commentator (Éamonn McCann) makes “an abstraction, if not a nonsense”, of the ringing words of the 1916 Proclamation that they have read out publicly this weekend.

They have accepted Stormont under the Union Jack, British police, British courts and British law in denial and flat contradiction of that Proclamation and the deeds of the Volunteers, Citizen Army, Cumann na mBan and Fianna Éireann 91 years ago.

The massive bribes made by the English government – €50 billion over four years together with €6 million from Dublin – remind people of “How did they pass the Union?” in 1800, “By bribery and by fraud”.

The poets’ Insurrection of Pearse, McDonagh and Plunkett, as it was called, asserted the right of the Irish people to the ownership of Ireland, which right could only be extinguished by the destruction of the Irish people.

It promised civil and religious liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities, and ignored the differences carefully fostered by an alien government. Resistance to British rule would continue, it said, until “the establishment of a permanent National Government, representative of the whole people of Ireland and elected by the suffrage of all her men and women”.

The recent McEntee Investigation into the Dublin-Monaghan bombings which caused the deaths of 33 Irish citizens was fruitless because the relevant documentation was “missing” or “lost” from 26-County police custody and the Departments of Justice and Defence.

Similarly, the Barron private inquiry and the Joint-Oireachtas Committee investigation into British forces collusion with those and other atrocities had been hamstrung because of official British refusal to cooperate. Nothing less than a high-powered international inquiry would be sufficient to deal with the situation.

The task for Republicans today remained to organise and lead the section of the Irish people opposed to English rule here. The way forward is through a nine-county Ulster Parliament as part of a new four-province federation.

Optimum devolution of power and decision-making will provide for all sections, whether of the majority or of local minorities. Thus can the bright ideals of the 1916 Rising be advanced and the stand taken by Pearse, Connolly and their followers vindicated.

Easter report

Balbriggan

Saturday April 7, 2007 

Members of the Ray McCreesh Cumann, North Dublin and fellow Republicans, gathered on Bridge Street, Balbriggan, over the river Bracken near the spot where two local men Seamús Lawless and Séan Givins were bayoneted to death by the Black-and-Tans from nearby Gormonstown Barracks on September 20, 1920. The two men were murdered during the sacking of Balbriggan which was a reprisal for the killing of RIC Det Inspector Peter Burke, a notorious and brutal RIC agent of the Crown forces.

This was the inaugural commemoration of two young Irish men who were among many who paid the ultimate price during the regime of brutality of the Black-and-Tans.

Andy Connolly opened proceedings by welcoming everyone, including local residents who stopped to pay their respects. He related that many of the young men of this town took their inspiration from the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, the Fenians and the men of 1798. We too take our inspiration from these men and women and also our more recent heroes Seán Sabhat and Fearghal O’Hanlon, Bobby Sands and the hunger strikers of 1981 and the Loughall Martyrs.

Jimmy Maguire, Ray McCreesh Cumann, laid a wreath and following the reading of the Proclamation by Ciaran Flood there was a minutes silence and the dipping of the flag.

Andy concluded the proceedings by thanking everyone in attendance and look forward to seeing everyone next year at what will now become an annual event.

On Saturday February 24 members and supporters of Republican Sinn Féin gathered at the Parnell Monument at the top of O'Connell Street to show their solidarity with, and take part in, the Shell-to-Sea protest prior to their continuing on to our organised protest at Croke Park.

Gardaí were all over the place – gung ho and gunning for a row. From the word go it was obvious they were hostile to us. We were not allowed to stay at the Parnell Monument even though it was a peaceful gathering. We were not blocking any roads or footpaths but we were threatened with the Public Order Act and 'escorted' up to the Garden of Remembrance. One female garda was heard to remark that she was going to split as many heads as possible on the day.

Though they moved and harassed everyone they zoned in on the young males present for particular attention. One of the young men was not allowed to go up to the Garden of Remembrance – he was told to go the other way, down Parnell Street away from the Croke Park direction, and if the garda saw him in the vicinity he would arrest him under the Public Order Act. This threat was used many times during the day by many gardaí. Another young man was followed into a café and told he was not to be seen within a mile radius of Croke Park.

When we left the Shell-to-Sea protest to go to Croke Park we had our own 'special unit' of the gardaí to escort us there!

However it soon became apparent that their purpose was to prevent us reaching Croke Park. All the side streets that lead to Croke Park were blocked off, ie no entry into Mountjoy Square, we had to go via Gardiner Street to Dorset Street and from there down to Drumcondra. Eventually we reached Quinn's pub and held our protest there.

After a letter of protest was handed in to Croke Park the picket moved back to the Garden of Remembrance. On the way down the conduct of the cops was disgraceful. They did their level best to provoke trouble, they pushed and shoved and tried to stop the picket continuing down Dorset Street. They were literally stepping on people’s feet and shouting in their faces.

When the picket dispersed at the Garden of Remembrance everyone was pushed down Cavendish Row and into O'Connell Street. No one was allowed back into Dorset Street and everyone was told that under the Public Order Act they had to go where they were told. The cops followed the people, young and old, men and women, all the way down to O’Connell Bridge and anyone who was having a few words with each other were told to go home or they would be arrested – myself included.

Such behaviour from the so-called forces of law and order is hardly a good example to the youth of Ireland. It just reinforces the image that the youth have of the police – aggressive thugs spoiling for a fight. That is just how I would describe them. But then Republicans are no strangers to the thuggery of the cops; on the street, in their home and even their place of work. Two years ago coppers stole €11,000 from a safe in a hotel in Dublin – money that belongs to Republican Sinn Féin. Had any of those young lads who were on the picket done the same thing they would still be in Mountjoy.

Last week they visited the workplace of two young men in an effort to get them sacked from their jobs.

Two members from Clare were followed to their B&B where they were searched as was their car.Every day they sit outside the office of Republican Sinn Féin harassing anyone who enters the building and order them not to go in there again.

JOSEPHINE HAYDEN, Dublin

Croke Park Protest

ON February 24 Republican Sinn Féin held a very successful demonstration on Drumcondra Road prior to the Ireland/England rugby match. At 2pm Republican Sinn Féin members with their banner took part in the Shell-to-Sea protest in Parnell Square. The group of well over 100 people then made their way to Drumcondra Road, beside Quinns Pub where they began their protest. Heavy-handed Garda tactics were in evidence from the off and the group were followed by a large number of gardaí from O'Connell St to Drumcondra Road.

At Drumcondra Road two banners were unfurled, one read, British Royals not welcome while Britain holds Six Counties . Placards reading:

Some say its time to MOVE ON.
We say its time to MOVE OUT ,
Ireland 32 England 0.
British Withdrawal now ,
No Normalisation of British rule in Ireland
Bloody Sunday November 21, 1920 Tipperary V Dublin,
14 murdered by British in Croke Park.
British Rule in Ireland is not History.
RUC/PSNI Today s Back and Tans.

Leaflets were also distributed. The garda presence was very heavy and oppressive, but despite this the protesters managed to get their point across. The President of Republican Sinn Féin Ruairì Ó Brádaigh read the letter of protest, which was to be handed in to Croke Park to the protesters and the large number of media, which had assembled. Despite being informed by the garda that the President of the GAA was not willing to meet a Republican Sinn Féin delegation, Republican Sinn Féin insisted on delivering the letter of protest by hand into Croke Park.

Accompanied by a Garda Superintendent, RSF President Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, Vice-President Des Dalton, Kerry Comhairle Ceantair PRO and life-long GAA member Pat Quirke and Ard Chomhairle member Dan Donohue walked through the barriers and down Clonliffe Road towards Croke Park followed by a throng of media. At Croke Park the delegation were brought into the main VIP entrance on Jones Road. Having made it clear they would not leave without handing the letter over to a GAA official, finally an official Brian Kileen received the letter. He gave an assurance it would be handed over to the President of the GAA.

Back on Jones Road Ruairí Ó Brádaigh addressed the media, he said that the protest was to highlight the fact that whilst British rule and British occupation remained in Ireland Republicans would resist all attempts to normalise British occupation. Fifty miles from here British forces remain in occupation of our country. That is the reality and must be faced. The staging of this game attempts to portray that occupation as normal and acceptable. British rule in Ireland will never be either normal nor acceptable, Ruairí Ó Brádaigh said.

At 5.pm the decision was made to end the protest and go back to Parnell Square. This was done with some difficulty due once again to oppressive and provocative tactics by the rank and file gardai. Despite this the protesters made their way back to the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square where RSF Vice-President Des Dalton told them they were a credit to themselves and the cause of a free and independent Ireland. Ruairíí Ó Brádaigh congratulated the protesters on a job well done and said they had sent out a clear signal that there was still a section of the Irish people who would never accept British rule in Ireland.