Published in the tricityherald.com on Sept. 8, 2011
The recent riots in England
brought about an interesting quote from British Home
Secretary Theresa May: "I don't think anybody wants to see
water cannon used on the streets of Britain, because we have
a different attitude to the culture of policing here. We
police by consent and it depends on that trust between the
police and the public."
What
this means is that it is OK to use tactics such as water
cannon or rubber bullets in "backwaters" such as the north
of Ireland, but using them against people in England would
be just unconscionable.
Quotes like these sum up the reasons that Ireland needs to
be completely independant of England and her politicians.
They don't care about Irish citizens, they don't feel they
are in the same class, and so they should not be allowed to
continue their occupation of six Irish counties.
As
an aside to another part of her quote, there is little
chance of any Irish nationalists trusting the British
police, who have long been suspected of collusion with
loyalist paramilitaries. Only a free Ireland can see a true
and just peace for all of her citizens -- equally.
D.S.
Levey, Pasco
Published in the Irish News, July 14, 2011
Why is SF unwilling
to halt strip-search
brutality
Thirty years ago republicans were in the
midst of a hunger
strike which would
claim the lives of
10 heroic patriots.
This protest of last
resort followed
years of ‘naked
brutality’ in which
the blanket men and
women were beaten
and brutalised,
often during mirror
searches or
strip-searches.
Many supporters of
the H-Block Armagh
prisoners, Cardinal
O’Fiaich foremost
among them, did not
endorse the armed
campaigns of the IRA
or INLA.
However, they
unapologetically
backed these
prisoners on
humanitarian grounds
and pointed out that
republican political
prisoners had been
charged under
special laws, tried
before special
non-jury courts and
declared guilty by
Diplock judges. Even
hostile commentators
acknowledged that
most republican
prisoners would
never have been
imprisoned but for
the age-old struggle
against British
rule.
For many of us who
supported the hunger
strikers it is
deeply troubling
today to see
republican prisoners
in Maghaberry made
suffer the very same
tactics of ‘naked
brutality’, which
the British used in
their failed attempt
to criminalise
Brendan Hughes,
Bobby Sands and
their fellow
republican
prisoners.
Today’s republican
prisoners and their
families must take
little comfort that
such vicious
policies may be
sourced in London
but are now relayed
through a
compromised justice
minister, jointly
picked by the DUP
and Sinn Fein.
David Ford’s
Thatcher-like cries
of “no concessions”
are hardly softened
by the fact that
Sinn Fein gifted him
with the post he now
uses to renege on
the settlement
signed and agreed
last August.
How can Sinn Fein -
especially party
members, who
personally suffered
prison
beatings and
wrongful convictions
- show us less
interest in
safeguarding
republican prisoners
from brutality than
the DUP or David
Ford In brutalising
them?
It must be asked, is
Sinn Fein on the
same humanitarian
basis as Cardinal
O’Fiaich among so
many others backed
the blanket men,
unwilling to halt
strip-search
brutality meted out
to break republican
prisoners in
Maghaberry?
Worse, are they
unable to do so
despite the Stormont
posts they hold and
their arrangement
with Ford? Surely
the legacy of the
Hunger Strike and
blanket protest must
come to more than
this.
MARTIN GALVIN --- New York City
back to index page)
Published in the Irish Echo, My 25-31, 2011:
I have
only one comment
for the “let
byegones be byegones”
attitude we have
heard from
politicians,
political
commentators and the
media about the
British queen’s
visit to the 26
Counties this week.
When England leaves
the Six Counties and
the Irish Republic
of 1916 is
re-established, I
will consider
letting bye-gones be
bye-gones.
Jane
Enright, Woodside,
New York
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Published in SAOIRSE May 2011
To the editor:
I read with interest
Martin McGuinness’
latest statement about
the so-called dissidents
living in a “fools
paradise” and his
statement parroting
Adams that they are not
the Irish Republican
Army.
The IRA exists for a
single reason – to rid
Ireland of the British
presence and reunite the
island. Adams and
McGuinness, both
panderers to British
interests, have
absolutely no historical
right to the name
considering their
abandonment of the basic
tenets of Republicanism.
McGuinness himself
should embrace reality
and realize that it is
he who is in a fools
paradise, not those who
remain true to the
legacy of Tone,
Emmet, the United
Irishmen, the Fenians,
the men of 1916 and
beyond.
Like so many who have
come before him, it is
he and his failed
politics that will be
relegated to the dustbin
of history, not those
who are willing to
sacrifice all for their
love of their homeland.
In this, the thirtieth
anniversary of the 1981
hunger strike that left
ten men dead, we should
all re-examine the
legacy of the GFA and
ask ourselves how much
ground we are willing to
cede in the interests
of a united Ireland.
Violence may not be the
ideal route, but to back
down now and give way to
the traitorous policies
of Sinn Fein is a far
greater crime against
the Irish nation than
what has come before.
The IRA is, contrary to
statements made by both
Adams and McGuinness,
“history” only in the
context of being part of
a much bigger story that
is yet to be written.
Gary Delaney, Toms
River, New Jersey
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Published in the Hibernian Digest April/May issue
2011
Dear Editor,
As we approach Holy
Week, Good Friday,
Easter Sunday and the
commemoration of the
Easter Monday uprising
in Ireland, the preamble
of our AOH constitution
referring to "achieving
the complete
independence of Ireland"
should be our
inspiration.
At O’Donovan Rossa's
graveside in 1915,
Patrick Pearse spoke "on
behalf of a new
generation ...
re-baptized in the
Fenian faith that has
accepted the
responsibility of
carrying out the Fenian
programme ... and bound
together in brotherly
union for the
achievement of the
freedom of Ireland. And
we know only one
definition of freedom,
it is Tone’s definition,
it is Mitchel’s
definition, it is
Rossa’s definition. Let
no man blaspheme the
cause that the dead
generations of Ireland
served by giving it any
other name and
definition than their
name and definition."
Those of us Hibernians,
who commemorate and
honor the sacrifices of
the men and women of
1916, are identifying
ourselves as another new
generation summoned by
those we commemorate to
be re-baptized in the
Fenian faith and to take
our share in the
responsibility of
carrying out the Fenian
program. That Fenian
republican program has
two main objectives: "to
break the connection
with England the never
failing source of all
our political evils" and
the right of the Irish
people to the ownership
of Ireland, unfettered,
sovereign and
indefeasible.
The British occupation
of the six northeast
counties began with the
confiscation of Irish
land with the British
plantation of Scots and
English in Ireland. A
few centuries later it
was followed by the
British Government of
Ireland Act of 1920
establishing the
"Government of Southern
Ireland" under British
supervision and the
Stormont government in
"Northern Ireland"
controlled by the
Unionists. This was a
direct nullification of
the sovereign will of
the Irish people as a
whole exercised in the
last all-Ireland
democratic election of
1918 and the suppression
of the new 32 county
republic.
At the time, republicans
were duped into
believing that the
partition was a stepping
stone to a united
Ireland. Nine short
years from now the
British will be
celebrating the 100th
anniversary of that
stepping stone. The
final phase of British
occupation was
solidified in 1998 with
the Good Friday
Agreement power sharing
assembly in the
re-established British
colonial Stormont
government. Again
republicans were told
this was just a stepping
stone. The British
controlled six counties
now has the aura of
legitimacy because the
Irish themselves have a
share in its government.
According to Provisional
Sinn Fein counselor
Francie Molloy as quoted
in the March 28, 1999
London Sunday Times,
"Republicans are
prepared to administer
British rule in Ireland
for the foreseeable
future. The very
principle of partition
is accepted."
Where does this leave us
today at Easter 2011? I
believe it leaves us
with a challenge to our
moral and intellectual
integrity. The
continuing usurpation of
the six counties is
illegitimate and
illegal. Either we
advocate for the 32
county Irish republic or
we support those
upholding the British
colonial government. We
can't have it both ways!
In his prophetic spirit,
Patrick Pearse ends his
graveside oration as
follows: "Our foes are
strong and wise and
wary; but, strong and
wise and wary as they
are, they cannot undo
the miracles of God who
ripens in the hearts of
young men the seeds sown
by the young men of a
former generation.....
Rulers and Defenders of
Realms had need to be
wary if they would guard
against such processes.
Life springs from death;
and from the graves of
patriot men and women
spring living nations.
The Defenders of this
Realm have worked well
in secret and in the
open. They think that
they have pacified
Ireland. They think that
they have purchased half
of us and intimidated
the other half. They
think that they have
foreseen everything,
think that they have
provided against
everything; but the
fools, the fools, the
fools! — they have left
us our Fenian dead, and
while Ireland holds
these graves, Ireland
unfree shall never be at
peace."
Vic Sackett ---
Glenwood Landing, N.Y.
back to index page)
Published in the Irish News March 4, 2011
Verdict
eloquently proves
McGeough’s point
AN "UNJUSTIFIABLE
killing" is murder or
manslaughter. Untruths
stated under oath to
cover up crimes
constitute perjury and
perverting justice.
David Cameron shows no
inclination to charge
anyone of any rank with
committing or commanding
"unjustified and
unjustifiable" Bloody
Sunday murders, or for
perjury.
Shortly after Gerry
McGeough is said to have
joined the JRA, Majella
O'Hare (12) was shot as
she walked to
confession. British
troopers swore she was
killed while they
returned IRA fire. A
Royal Marine was
acquitted and sent back
to patrol. Now the
British admit that tales
of an IRA sniper were
made up.
No one was charged with
perjury or perverting
justice. RUC members
swore they fired the
plastic bullet in
response to rioting.
Film taken by a TV crew
showed none of it was
true.
A crown judge said too
much time had passed and
any charges would be a
clear abuse of process.
The same judge applied
different rules to Gerry
McGeough, for an
incident four weeks
earlier. Gerry McGeough
was jailed for joining
the IRA at.17 and taking
part in an IRA ambush.
He was not charged by
extradition warrant
during his years in a
notorious German bunker
prison, or later
imprisonment in America,
or when he returned to
Tyrone. He was arrested
in March 2007 outside
the polling centre where
his votes were tallied
in a case which brought
new meaning to
'political policing'.
Now, four years later,
despite a new
compromised justice
ministry, constabulary
boards and partnerships,
two heart attacks, abuse
of process applications,
and evidentiary
weaknesses, that Diplock
court prosecution ended
in a verdict which seems
to have proven
McGeough's point more
eloquently than his
words.
Martin Galvin ---- New YorK City
back to index page)
With St. Patrick's Day almost here millions of
Americans will celebrate
their Irish heritage,
however large or small
that may be. That I
think is wonderful, but
it should not be just
once a year. I hope that
as they are drinking and
singing funny songs they
remember that the
country they are
celebrating is still in
some turmoil, even if
not on the daily news
like Egypt, Libya, et
al.
Ireland still has 6 counties occupied by
England. There still are
Irish political
prisoners in English
jails, Irish Republicans
in cities such as Derry
or Belfast still suffer
harassment at the hands
of British military
patrols. One former
prisoner (Martin Corey)
after 18 years out of
British prisons has been
re-interned for nearly a
year merely because of
his Irish Republican
principles. The RUC
(Royal Ulster
Constabulary) turn a
blind eye as loyalists
attack Irish
Republicans, this is
especially prevalent
during notorious
loyalist celebrations
every July.
Everyone enjoying St. Patrick's Day should, but
they also should
remember and honor the
men and women still
struggling, and in many
cases risking their
liberty or even their
lives while striving for
a peaceful and free
Ireland.
The proposed visit of the Queen of England to the 26-county
state is intended to signal British occupation and
the partition of Ireland is now normal and
acceptable.
A visit by the head of the British state, while that state
continues to occupy and partition Ireland, will be
opposed by true republicans.
In 1911, patriots such as James Connolly, Maud Gonne and Helena
Maloney led republican and progressive resistance to
a similar attempt to pacify Ireland with a British
royal visit.
They did so under the banner "Thou art not conquered yet, dear
land" and, in 2011, those who have neither been
purchased nor intimated will be sending out the
same, clear message.
Mary
Brennan -- Princeton, New Jersey
back to index page)
Irish Echo Jan. 12-18, 2011
To the editor:
Despite
recent comments, Clan na Gael, the oldest Irish
Republicanism organization in the world, has not been
co-opted into the puppet Noraid organization or the Adams’
propaganda machine known as Friends of Sinn Fein. Many
individuals continue to insist on using the name of the clan
but are light years away from the original organization
established by Jerome Collins in 1867 and bear no
resemblance to the republicanism of Theobald Wolfe Tone.
They resemble Clan na Gael about as much as the musical
combo of the same name.
The real, republican Clan na Gael still exists, and
although in the minority, has no intention of compromising
the vision of Tone, the sacrifices of generations of those
who died for Ireland, or accepting anything less than a
united Ireland without foreign interference, even if it is
being enforced by their former brethren.
Gary Delaney -- Toms River, NJ
