Gerry Adams's Blog

 Celebrating our Language, Arts and Culture

Comhghairdeas to all of those who helped make Oireachtas na Samhna the huge success it was. Thousands of Irish language speakers from across the island of Ireland spent part of last week enjoying the music, dance, culture, arts, craic and discussions that are part of the oldest Irish language and arts event on the island of Ireland. The Waterfront Hall and other venues were filled with the very young to the not so young Gaels, all actively and enthusiastically enjoying the enormous diversity of Oireachtas na Samhna. Many took part in competitions, including sean-nós singing, sean-nós step dancing and lúibíní (poetic verses).

A special well done to Máirín Nic Dhonnchadha and the leadership team which ensured the smooth running of an amazing and ambitious occasion. The presence of President Elect Catherine Connolly, due to be sworn in as Uachtarán na hÉireann next week was a special bonus. The Oireachtas was her first visit North following the presidential election. So too did the presence of Pól Deeds, the new Irish Language Commissioner, who along with Lee Reynolds the Ulster Scots Commissioner, will take up their posts next week.

This is another important step forward. The Irish Language Commissioner will play an important role in enhancing the opportunities for the growth of the Irish Language.

One of the main events at Oireachtas na Samhna was a celebration in memory of Pádraig Ó Snodaigh whose family received a posthumous award from Catherine Connolly on behalf of Oireachtas na Gaeilge. Pádraig died at the start of the year, aged 89. His passion for the Irish language was evident over many decades. He was a former Uachtarán of Conradh na Gaeilge, a historian of note, a publisher and a prolific writer, and activist.

I had the great fortune to know Pádraig for many years. He was a Gael, a proud Irishman, a poet, and much more. He was also a leader. A leader in the Irish language movement, standing up for our language rights. A leader for the writers and artists of Ireland. In 1980, with the aid of a loan, he established the Irish-language publishing company Coiscéim, which published almost 2,000 books over the years.

He had a special dedication to those who were on the margins – for example, the people of the Gaeltacht and the Irish-speaking community in the Six Counties. One of his most important books was - Hidden Ulster, Protestants and the Irish Language. It examined the role of those Gaelic speakers who came from Scotland as settlers during the Plantation of Ulster.

His wife was the wonderful Clíodhna Cussen. She too was a committed Irish speaker and a beautiful artist as well. Her rich legacy includes a statue of St Patrick at the pilgrimage site at Máméan, in Co Galway. The couple had six sons — Fergus, Aengus, Colm, Cormac, Rónán and Rossa. Aengus is a Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South-Central.

At Pádraig’s requiem mass in January three of his sons - Rónán, Colm and Rossa who are members of the music group Kila —performed with Liam Ó Maonlaí of the Hothouse Flowers. Uachtarán Michael D Higgins who was present at the funeral described him as: “A steadfast advocate for the richness and resilience of Irish as a living language, Pádraig’s passing is a great loss for all those who work to promote the use of the Irish language — but his contributions to Irish society will undoubtedly leave an enduring legacy for generations to come.”

Ról na nGael i dTógáil Éire Nua

Ceann de na himeachtaí ag Oireachtas na Samhna eagraíodh é ag Coimisiún Shinn Féin ar Thodhchaí na hÉireann. Scrúdaigh sé go sonrach ról na nGaelgóirí i dtreo aontú na hÉireann.

Cuir Tomás Ó Néill fáilte roimh an tionál ar son Shinn Fein mBeal Feirste. D’oscail Aisling Reilly MLA, duine den ghlúin úr seo sa chathair, an imeacht agus labhair sí ar na deiseanna romhainn fríd Aontacht – “deis fháis, deis cheangail agus deis ar rathúlachta chomhchoitinn”.

Dúirt Aisling gur mór an seans go mbeadh ann don Reifreann le linn Uachtaránacht Catherine Connolly agus go bhfuil muidne, muintir na hÉireann i bhfad chun tosaigh ar an Rialtas. Lá i ndiaidh lae, tá níos mó daoine, eagraíochtaí agus grúpaí a rá go bhfuil dualgas ar an Rialtas i mBaile Átha Cliath tabhairt fán phleanáil agus ullmhúchán do reifreann agus d’athaontú na tíre.

Chuala muid arís go láidir ón phainéal, an  Cathaoirleach Édel Ní Churraoin,agus  Dr Niall Comer, Paula Melvin agus Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, go bhfuil ról lárnach do na Gaeil in aon tír úr agus caithfear an Ghaeilge bheith mar chuid de sin.

Tháinig téama amháin go minic aníos ón phainéal is ón lucht feachána go raibh fís de dhíth; fís den sórt tíre a bheas againn agus is é an fhís seo a bhí is atá ar iarraidh ag Fianna Fáil is Fine Gael le breis is 100 bliain.

An dearfacht a thug Catherine Connolly fríd a feachtais, is í sin an dearfacht chéanna atá á lorg ag an phobal agus rud nach bhfuil ag an Rialtas seo. Tá an comhrá beo linn faoi dheiseanna, fhéidearthachtaí agus bhuntáistí a thiocfas amach as Éirinn nua – luíonn sé ar an Rialtas tabhairt fán réamhobair anois!

Ach mar d’fhoghlaim muid fádó, is orainne atá sé leis an obair a dhéanamh agus sin an rud a dhéanfaidh muid beag beann ar aon Rialtas.

The Olive is never just a Tree

The number of people killed by Israel’s genocidal war on the Palestinian people of the Gaza Strip has passed 68,000, with a further 10,000 at least still buried under the rubble. Over 150,000 have been wounded, many of them permanently disabled.  The most recent figures on Israeli actions in Gaza reveal that the so-called ceasefire that began on 10 October is far from that. So far Israeli forces have violated the ceasefire on 194 occasions, including 55 shootings and 55 shellings. Other attacks have occurred since then. At least 226 people, including 97 children have been killed. What price the ceasefire?

Last week, the Israeli government allowed some heavy machinery in to help in the search for dead Israeli captives. They continue to ban heavy equipment for the retrieval of Palestinian victims.

Under the agreement agreed between the USA, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey humanitarian aid should now be flowing into the Gaza Strip. However, instead of the 600 trucks cleared to enter Gaza each day less than a quarter of this number are currently being allowed in. Critically trucks carrying frozen meat, eggs and livestock are still blocked. 

The Gaza Strip is a wasteland – one huge cemetery in which the shattered buildings are the headstones of the dead. An estimated 90% of structures have been demolished or severely damaged. Two thirds of roads, most of the hospitals and schools and universities are destroyed. Many families lack adequate shelter as their homes and neighbourhoods have been systematically demolished by Israeli forces.  

While much of the focus is on events in the Gaza Strip the experience of Palestinians living under occupation in the west Bank has deteriorated dramatically in recent months. There has been a significant increase in violence directed at Palestinian farmers and villages by settlers protected by Israeli forces.

According to Ajith Sunghay who is the Head of the OHCHR Office (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) in the occupied territory; “settler violence has skyrocketed in scale and frequency, with the acquiescence, support, and in many cases participation, of Israeli security forces – and always with impunity.”

In the first half of 2025, there were 757 settler attacks. However, the Palestinian Authority’s ‘Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission,’ has revealed that in the last four weeks alone settlers have carried out 218 attacks on Palestinians in the west Bank.

“Direct land destruction is also escalating,” Sunghay said. “Settlers have burnt groves, chain-sawed olive trees, and destroyed homes and agricultural infrastructure.”

“The olive here is never just a tree,” Sunghay said. “It is livelihood and lineage, resilience and economy, and a historic vein connecting Palestinians to the land.” He pointed out that up to 100,000 families depend on the olive harvest for their livelihoods, describing it as “the economic backbone of rural Palestinian communities.”

The reality is that the settler violence is part and parcel of a growing land grab by Israel as government Ministers openly boast of annexing the west Bank. Countless UN security resolutions have been passed over the decades defending the rights of the Palestinian people to their land and to self-determination. Israeli governments have flouted these at every opportunity and too often world governments have turned a blind eye. The Irish government has a responsibility to provide leadership at this time by using the international forums available to it to challenge Israel and stand up for international law.

 Hope and Opportunity

Ba mhaith liom mo chomhghairdeas a ghabháil le Catherine Connolly agus a foireann. Maith sibh as feachtas Uachtaránachta dearfach, forásach agus trócaireach a chur chun cinn.

I want to extend my congratulations to Catherine Connolly and her team. Well done for fighting a positive, progressive, compassionate and cohesive Presidential campaign. Well done also to the many Sinn Féin activists from all parts of the island and all the others who enthusiastically handed out leaflets, erected posters, canvassed thousands of doors and worked hard to get the vote out last Friday.

Lots of words have been used to described the outcome. Stunning. Triumph. Historic. And many more. For me the two most important are hope and opportunity.

Catherine Connolly was an exceptional candidate. The success of her campaign cannot be separated from her authenticity and her connectiveness with the electorate and with those, many of them first timers, who campaigned for her. That campaign and the emergence of a centre left alliance of parties backing Catherine has provided hope that the century long dominance of the two conservative parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, can be ended.

Everyone supporting Catherine Connolly worked well together. They intelligently responded to the negative campaigning of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil and of sections of the southern media establishment. And they stuck to Catherine’s positive message of inclusivity, equality, unity and of a new Republic. 

And that brings me to opportunity. Catherine Connolly’s election as Uachtarán na hÉireann has the potential to be one of those watershed moments in our history when new directions can open up new possibilities for the people of Ireland.

None of this will be easy. The challenges are enormous. Every effort will be made to fragment this new alliance. The fightback by the establishment parties had begun even before they left the Dublin Castle count centre last weekend. Micheál Martin and Simon Harris were dismissive of any threat to the dominance of their parties – no surprises there. But that was before their own back bench chickens came home to roost. And they could include elements who might welcome a new genuinely republican way forward. These internal machinations could well be a long game played slowly. We will see.   

But the reality is that there is now a new opportunity for change. This election victory shows that there is pathway to political power for a viable progressive alternative to the conservative politics of FFFG. That places a huge responsibility on everyone who helped elect Catherine Connolly to stay the course and to build a movement for transformative change and equality. For republicans it is an opportunity to make Irish Unity the centre piece of political activism as part of building that mass movement.

The Vinyl Gift

I love listening to music. There is nothing as uplifting as a good live session. And the music stays in your head forever after,  to be dipped into when the need or notion moves you. For example, Martin Hayes magical concert last week in Belfast’s Grand Opera House. Its still jigging in my brain. Martin was well served by guitarist Conal O’Kane and bouzouki and concertina driver Brian Donnellan. They were joined for the encore sets by Donál O’Connor and Neil Martin, two of my favourite musicans, who opened the event along with singer Mary Dillon who was outstanding.  A

ll  in all a wonderful evening. Martin Hayes  playing was amazing, elegent, draoíluíleacht, exquisive, sublime and betwitching. He transported us to a higher state of being. And all of us are the better for it. 

But it isn’t possible to get to live events all the time. So apart from the radio I have a fine collection of recorded  music. They include cassette tapes, CDs and LPs. Some are over fifty years old.

Seamus Drumm gave me an ipod of over a thousand tunes years ago. I’m still working my way through  them. Go raibh maith agat Seamie.

A few Saturdays before his death I was having a Saturday  afternoon coffee with Ted. We were in his living room and he invited me to take my pick of his LP collection which occupied a corner of the room. Of course, being a shy soul,  I declined. I thought Ted was just being his usual generous self. How was I to know he was going to die a few weeks later? Thankfully Ted ignored my well mannered protestations. He instructed his two fine sons that I was to get first go at his collection of LPs when he ventured forth from this life.  So he was being generous. But planning ahead as well. As usual. 

A few months later I spent a bitter sweet hour or so in his empty house  picking through Ted’s music. It includes a few LPs which I gave him over the years for birthdays and other special occasions. All my favourite musicans are there. Christy, Ry Cooder, Leonard Cohen, James Tayor, The Bothy Band, Planxty, Joe Heaney, Van Morrison, John Denver, John McCormack, Sinéad Caher, Dylan,Moving Hearts, Patrick Street, Joe Heaney and tons more.

So, on  a Saturday or two ago I set aside the afternoon for listening to Ted’s music. Vinyl is a different listening experience. All the other audio devices are lazy ones. Very little effort is required by the listener. Vinyl demands more attention. You have to select the LP, perhaps read the sleeve notes. Load up the record player. Put the vinyl on the turn table. Manouvere the arm and set the needle on the revolving LP. Tune your ears to the slight sizzley purr as needle and vinyl get into their groove and the music issues forth. 

All together a much more complete and involved cultural soujourn. A less passive and more satisfying way to let the music take you with it. Maybe because it requires an effort by the listener. You are part of the process. You have to give it time and attention. The magic embraces  you and fills you up spiritually and lyrically. You and the tune  become one.  So my friends take time to listen to the music. If we have the gift of hearing we all deserve to indulge ourselves. And making the time for vinyl is the best way to do this. Míle buiochas  Ted.

Supporting Palestine

October is the month Palestinian farmers in the west Bank harvest their olive groves. But this year many such groves sit untended because Israeli settlers are attacking Palestinian villages and farms and the Israeli forces have erected barriers to prevent Palestinians getting to their land.

In the Gaza Strip the ceasefire is being repeatedly broken as Israel continues to pound Palestinian families and communities. At the same time the medical situation in Gaza remains critical with Israel blocking much need humanitarian and medical aid entering the Palestinian territory. The World Health Organisation last week reported that only 10 percent of the requested medical supplies have arrived. Medicines like Paracetamol that we take for granted and that can be bought freely here are not available to help those in pain.

In the last two weeks Israel has returned the bodies of around 200 Palestinian prisoners, some of them showing signs of torture. At the same time civil defence teams digging through the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israel over the last two years have recovered almost 500 bodies. Thousands more remain buried but heavy machinery is needed to find them.

The ordeal of the Palestinian people continues with little sign of any real effort to alleviate conditions in Gaza or the west Bank. The election of Catherine Connolly was reported in many Arabic media as a positive development given her strong support for the people of Palestine.

In a more hopeful sign Palestinian factions met in Cairo last week and agreed steps needed to prepare for a national dialogue to protect Palestinian sovereignty. They rejected all forms of annexation and displacement in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Jerusalem and called for the “withdrawal of occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, the complete lifting of the imposed siege, the opening of all crossings including the Rafah crossing, the entry of all humanitarian and health needs, and the initiation of a comprehensive reconstruction process that restores normal life to the sector and ends the suffering of the citizens.”

This meeting is an important step forward but it needs to be built upon. The Irish government and international community must support the Palestinian people. The Occupied Territories Bill must be urgently pushed through the Oireachtas and has to include a block on the provision of services.

 Adh Mór Catherine

The Presidential election is on Friday. Many of you reading this column or listening to it on social media platforms, will not have a vote. But some of you will. So, I am asking you to cast your first preference for Catherine Connolly and to encourage everyone else to do the same. 

The last week has seen a significant increase in negative campaigning against Catherine by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil and by the establishment media.

Why has Catherine Connolly, who most of the media ignored during her time as a TD, become the bête noire of the establishment? Is it because she has unashamedly challenged Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil on their appalling record in government – on health, on homelessness, on the cost-of-living crisis, and on carers? Is it because of her fluency in the Irish language? Is it because she has defended neutrality and condemned genocide against the Palestinian people? Is it because of her support for a United Ireland. 

It’s all of these and more but I suspect it also has to do with the unity of purpose demonstrated by the alliance of parties who have backed her. Citizens in the Irish state are seeing for the first time the possibility of a pathway into government for a viable alternative left coalition that is mould breaking.

So, good luck Catherine. Ádh mór ortsa. 

Hiding the Truth

Last Sunday was the anniversary of the imposition on 19 October 1988 of the broadcasting ban by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.  Prior to that    censorship in one form or another had operated in the North and in Britain, and also in the 26 counties. The rational for this had long been the desire of the two governments to deny citizens their right to information. In this way it was easier to promote the establishment’s narrative.

In Ireland the British media strategy had its roots in Britain’s colonial experience. But it was especially influenced by the writings in the late 1960s of General Frank Kitson who believed that all governmental structures; the judiciary, the law, the police and the media, must be part of a co-ordinated strategy to defeat ‘the enemy’ while suppressing citizens and their rights.

The Broadcast Ban is best remembered for its prohibition on Sinn Féin voices being broadcast. The various actors and journalistic voices that were used to mimic my voice, and that of Martin McGuinness and others were at times so silly that they provoked widespread derision. But censorship was about more than gagging Sinn Féin. It was primarily about restricting the flow of information about the conflict.  It interfered with the dissemination of knowledge, of facts and inhibited the communication of opinions. It reinforced a climate of secrecy which protected British security agencies as they tortured, colluded with loyalist paramilitaries in the killing of citizens, and killed political opponents.

The Ban was widely welcomed by Unionist spokespersons, by the Tories, by Gerry Fitt and sections of the British Press. The South African apartheid president P W Botha backed the ban while pointing out that the British could no longer criticise the White South African government.

Censorship, whether the self-censorship and unofficial censorship of the 70s and early 80s or Thatcher’s Broadcast restrictions or the Irish Government’s Section 31, were all about preventing the public from hearing the truth. Almost 40 years later and the right of citizens to freedom of information and to seek and impart information, remains under threat by the Legacy proposals, published last week in the ‘Northern Ireland Troubles Bill’ jointly agreed by the British and Irish governments.

Legacy Bill deeply flawed

Presented by the Irish and British governments as the resolution to the long running legacy issue the ‘Northern Ireland Troubles Bill’ is anything but that. Once again the British government, with the support of the Irish government, is introducing a legal structure that provides the British state with the means to deny the truth to families.

Under draft legislation, drawn from the two governments Framework Agreement, the British Secretary of State will have the power to withhold information from families and inquests; from the information retrieval body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (CRIR), and from the new Legacy Commission. In addition, agencies like MI5 will have the power to vet all reports. The British Secretary of State will also be able to make various regulations and guidance, including the power to make an award to cover legal representation/expenses etc. for participation in inquisitorial proceedings.

Currently, the British Secretary of State is legally challenging the ability of Coroners to release a gist (summary) information report in inquests like those of Seán Brown and Topper Thompson. Seán Brown’s family is being denied their request for a public enquiry.

The legislation also makes it clear that apart from the nine inquests that are almost completed the intent of the legislation is to shoehorn as many, if not all, outstanding inquests, around 24 in number, into the new Legacy Commission and the Inquisitorial Proceedings which the British Secretary of State and MI5 can veto.

All families and survivors have the right to have an Article 2 compliant investigation into the death of their loved one. However, on page 40 of the draft legislation it states; “The Directors of Investigation must take into account any investigation {of any kind, including an inquest} of the death that has already been carried out by any other person.” This suggests that any prior investigations or inquests which were not Article 2 compliant can still be used as an excuse not to proceed.

That an Irish government would agree to measures to protect British soldiers is disgraceful. The Glenanne Gang was a mix of British Army, British intelligence, UDR and RUC personnel along with loyalist paramilitaries. It is believed to have killed over 120 people, including the 34 people killed in the Dublin-Monaghan explosions in May 1974. 

In 2001 a Commission of Inquiry under Mr. Justice Henry Barron was established by the Irish Government. The British government refused to cooperate with it. Four reports were published and a Sub-Committee of the cross-party Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights conducted an extensive examination of the reports.

The Sub-Committee concluded: “that given that we are dealing with acts of international terrorism that were colluded in by the British security forces, the British Government cannot legitimately refuse to co-operate with investigations and attempts to get to the truth.”

To his shame An Taoiseach Micheál Martin has now signed up to a new law that will protect those in the British security agencies who were responsible for the Dublin/Monaghan and other attacks in the 26 counties.

Finally, in its determination to prevent former internees, illegally imprisoned in the 1970s, from receiving compensation the British government did not include any reference to interim custody orders in the Framework Agreement. Instead they included in last weeks’ legislation a mechanism to block compensation. This move follows the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s outburst earlier this year when challenged about my case for compensation. Speaking in the British Parliament he said that he would “look at every conceivable way to prevent these types of cases claiming damages”.

In 2020 the British Supreme Court determined that I was wrongfully interned for a period in the 1970s. The decision by the Court was explicit. Interim Custody Orders not authorised and approved by the Secretary of State were illegal. It is believed that upwards of 400 other internees are similarly affected. In the course of the Supreme Court case my lawyers proved that the British government knew at the time that it was breaking its own law in charging me with attempting to escape. It proceeded anyway. knowingly breaking its own law.

This new law upholds the quashing of the convictions I and others received but denies compensation. This is clearly discriminatory. Once again the British state changes the rules to protect its security personnel while denying others equality of treatment.

Dealing effectively with the past, providing information, truth, and justice, is key to acknowledgement and reconciliation. The cover-ups mean the past cannot be resolved. The British want to close the door on their past actions; to protect their agents and security agencies. They and the Irish government, must be challenged on this.

Comhghairdeas Naomh Eoin

Well done to Naomh Eoin's Senior hurlers. Crowned Antrim Champions on Sunday after six semi-final defeats in seven years and after a dogged battle with Loughgiel the Johnnies are hurling Kings of the county. Well done to all the hurlers, the Management and support staff, the Club Committee and every one in Saint Johns. 

 Palestine Must Be Free.

A population greater than that of Belfast has been moving back to the northern Gaza strip following the ceasefire announcement last week. Awaiting them is utter destruction. The infrastructure of Gaza has been levelled by the Israeli state’s genocide. The return of the Gazans. is based on hope. Hope that humanitarian aid will arrive. Hope that the indiscriminate bombing by Israel and the deliberate slaughter of desperate, starving people at aid stations has stopped. Hope that the big powers – which have allowed this holocaust to go on for two years will ensure that this is a meaningful end to the war.

Much of the detail of the agreement between Israel and Hamas is still not known. What we have seen is vague and ambiguous. Sometimes in negotiations this is necessary to create the space needed for progress to be made. But progress also demands meaningful and positive momentum. A ceasefire is but a first step. An inclusive process is urgently needed. If it is to succeed it must involve everyone and exclude no one. The Palestinian people have too often been side-lined by the governments. Their voices ignored. Their representatives demonised and barred from negotiations. That cannot happen again. The Palestinian people, through their various organisaitons must be included as equals in this process. They must be front and centre. They must  have the right to self-government and to self-determination.

Liam Mellows and the Irish Revolution – ‘a Very Important Book’

I was very pleased to speak at the launch in Áras Uí Chonghaile last week of the latest edition of Desmond Greaves’ wonderful book, ‘Liam Mellows. And the Irish Revolution.’ Dr. Ruan O’Donnell, a Senior Lecturer in History, was instrumental in updating the book. Present also was Anthony and Muriel Coughlan. Anthony is Desmond Greaves literary executor. He is owed a debt of gratitude for his lifelong work on many issues, but especially the work of collating Desmond’s writings.

I first read this book while in Cage 11 of Long Kesh.  At that time, we formed a little book club and got in touch with Joe Clarke, who ran the Irish Book Bureau in Dublin. Joe was a veteran of 1916. He was a survivor of the Mount St. ambush in April 1916 in which he and 12 other IRA volunteers held two thousand British soldiers at bay as they marched into Dublin from Dún Laoghaire.

The small force of republicans held the bridge for a day during which they wounded 250 British soldiers and killed 28 others. Four IRA Volunteers were killed. Joe was captured. He remained active up until his death in 1976.

We asked Joe to send us some books. We also got in touch with the Connolly Association in London and they also sent us many books, including the Liam Mellows one. This book was stopped by the prison censor. However, we thwarted that by putting a false cover on it and got it sent back in. I still have it and brought it along to the Áras event. The fabricated cover is entitled, ‘The transformation of Spain – from Franco to the Constitutional Monarchy.’ The rest of the book is Liam Mellows which proves, if nothing else, they didn’t read it.

I was very influenced by Desmond Greaves. He was a prolific writer – his works included a biography of James Connolly. He was also editor of the Connolly Association’s monthly paper the Irish Democrat.

Liam Mellows in my view is one of the most important of our leaders. He was executed by the Free State along with Joe McKelvey, Dick Barrett and Rory O’Connor in January 1922. The Greaves book is the story of the Irish Revolution. It is about a man who was cut from the same cloth as James Connolly. As part of our Cage 11 discussions we got the Treaty Debates from the government publishing office in Dublin and discussed them thoroughly. Mellows contribution to those debates, his notes from Mountjoy, give a clear insight into his understanding of the needs of the republican struggle, of the importance of understanding imperialism and how it manifests itself, and his clear class analysis of the forces ranged against Irish republicanism.

If anyone is looking for a rational for the behaviour of the Dublin establishment’s refusal historically to face up to British governments from Cosgrave to Micheál Martin, you will find it in Mellows speech during the Treat debates. Liam Mellows words on 4 January 1922 are prophetic:

‘If this Free State comes into existence, … Men will get into positions, men will hold power, and men who get into positions and hold power will desire to remain undisturbed and will not want to be removed, or will not take a step that will mean removal in case of failure…’

So this is a very important book. Well done to all involved with it. There are other similar books that need to be republished that give an anti-imperialist analysis of our recent history and of our right to be free and how we might achieve that.

One of the people who was with us in Cage 11 and who understood what Connolly and Mellows were about, and understood this concept of the re-conquest of Ireland by the Irish people, was Bobby Sands.  And Bobby expresses that in his writings.  But one particular piece, which he wrote on the last day of his hunger strike diary – 17 March 1981 – sums it up.

“If they aren’t able to destroy the desire for freedom, 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 Ireland will have the desire for freedom to show. It is then we’ll see the rising of the moon.”

That’s what we have to do. Those of us who are trying to bring about change, in the tradition and spirit of Mellows need to learn that lesson. It’s all about working with other people. It’s all about forming coalitions. It’s all about alliances. It’s all about the people, not a small group, but the people assuming and taking power and building struggle in ways that suit them. The campaign for Catherine Connolly is a good example of this.

Liam Mellows and the Irish Revolution is available through Lawrence and Wishart at: https://lwbooks.co.uk/product/liam-mellows-and-the-irish-revolution-2

An Fhuiseog, 55 Bóthar na bhFál, BT12 4PD

Oireachtas na Samhna

Oireachtas na Samhna is coming to Belfast. The oldest Irish language festival in the country which celebrates an Ghaeilge, sean-nós music, dance, literature, recitation and even a rap music category - a sign of the times! Thousands of Gaeilgeoirí - families, children, young people and some older folk too, will gather in Belfast where the Oireachtas is being held for the first time since 1997. 

There will be lots of events, including competitions, book launches, conversations, live broadcasts and debates - all completely as Gaeilge.

Sinn Féin’s Commission on the Future of Ireland will host a debate on ‘Ról na nGael i dTógáil Éire Nua - The Role of Gaels in building a new Ireland’ and Coiste na n-Iarchimí is hosting a panel discussion on ‘Ról na Gaeilge i bPríosún na Ceise Fada The Role of the Irish language in Long Kesh in 70s and 80s’. Both events will take place on Friday 31st October at 11am and 1pm, respectively, and will be held completely in Irish.

And when I think of my own journey in learning Gaeilge, from the Saint Mary’s Grammar School to the Donegal Gaeltacht and the Cages of Long Kesh in the 1970s, compared to the journey of my grandchildren, whose first language is Gaeilge and who thrive in Irish-medium education and youth clubs and sports clubs, it reminds me of the huge changes we have seen in recent decades. 

It’s incredible to see that reflected in our city - a richness, a diversity, a saibhreas of culture and language. Be  that the positive step forward that Belfast City Council took to implement a new progressive Irish language policy, or the Fleadh coming to Béal Feirste next year, or thousands of Gaeilgeoirí from across the country gathering in our city this Halloween for Oireachtas na Samhna.

As the song goes - ‘the times they are a-changing’. Agus nach maith sin. 

- Oireachtas na Samhna will take place from 29th October - 2nd November in Belfast. More info can be found at: https://www.antoireachtas.ie/

 Where now for Micheál Martin?

The decision by Fianna Fáil Presidential candidate Jim Gavin to withdraw from the contest means the race is now between Independent Catherine Connolly and Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys.

But what of the man who asked Gavin to stand? Suffice to say I am not a supporter of Micheál Martin. There is nothing personal in this. I have seen at close quarters how he works and I am not impressed. How Fianna Fáil responds to this debacle which its leader landed it in will determine how it faces into the future. Because the process by which Jim Gavin became the Fianna Fail candidate says more about Fianna Fáil and how Micheál Martin runs it than anything else. No leader can ignore or disregard the views of grassroots or other activists. Diktat may keep a leader in place if he has the guile and resilience to survive. But for what purpose?  Especially for a party which is proclaims itself to be republican. Micheál’s instinct will be to brazen it out. But he can only do that if the party lets him. And that risks the party completely losing its sense of itself.

Mr. Martins negative approach to the Good Friday Agreement and the Unity Referendum it provides for amounts to a refusal to fulfil his obligations under the Good Friday Agreement, the Irish Constitution and Fianna Fáil’s own aims and objectives.

Michael Martin’s attitude to these issues is not unusual for Southern political leaders. Many are well disposed to Irish unity, like most Irish people, but the southern establishment is deeply partitionist. So, the attitude of its leaders on the North is generally rhetorical. Verbalised republicanism with no plan or strategy to deliver the Unity referendum and to win it. 

Ditto with its attitude to the British Government. The recent agreement between Dublin and London on legacy issues casts Dublin as a junior partner. The agreement includes a side deal by the British government to give protection to its forces. We have all been here before, especially families of the victims of the conflict. Micheál Martin knows this. And yet he goes along with it.

But where he does differ from other southern leaders is that he rules out a unity referendum on his watch. He is clear and unequivocal on this. He also refuses to plan for the future. To engage with unionist opinion. To engage with nationalist opinion in the North. His stance is at odds with both the SDLP and Sinn Féin positions. And arguably with Fianna Fail grassroots opinion.

And that also says a lot about Fianna Fáil at this time. We now know there will be no Fianna Fáil President elected on Oct 24. The challenge is to get Catherine Connolly elected. But the chore of getting Fianna Fáil to face up to its national responsibilities continues. Hopefully Micheál Martin’s most recent miscalculation may assist this.

The Orange and the Green. 

Another friend of mine died last week. An Orangeman, Ian Milne. He was also an undertaker. I met Ian in 2003 in Dublin Castle when he spoke at The Forum for Peace and Reconciliation. I thought it was a very good initiative by him in an effort to find a resolution of the Drumcree stand-off caused when the Portadown Orangemen refused to accept a ruling by the Parades Commission preventing them from marching down Garvaghy Road. 

After the event we bumped into each other in the Men’s Room. In those days Men’s Rooms were the main venue for the many first informal off the record words between me and some unionists. I told him that Sinn Féin would talk to the Orange if that would be helpful.  Ian was very friendly although he was at pains to tell me that he wouldn’t reveal at that time that he talked to me. 

Eventually we did do the meeting with some Portadown Orangemen. It was in Conway Mill and while it didn’t resolve the issues it was a very worthwhile and informative discussion. It’s good to talk. And to listen. Ian was also in dialogue with Seán Murray for over twenty years as part of their efforts to advance reconciliation. 

In 2007 Ian and I met again at the wedding of a mutual friend. We enjoyed a good afternoons craic together. Since then we were in regular contact until a wee while before his death. He phoned me often about the ongoing political situation and also about other matters, including the Tandragee 100. Motor bike road racing was one of Ian’s passions. He also took to using little phases in Irish when talking or texting me. We both enjoyed that. He could be funny, quirky and outspoken.  I am sorry to hear that he has left us. My commiserations to Ian’s family and friends. 

Retired Church of Ireland Archbishop Alan Harper said the respected funeral director was “by turns soldier, policeman, prison officer” and risk-taker, who was “prepared to do what few others were prepared to do: the quiet, confidential but risky work of also being a peace-maker”. 

Ian Milne, a father-of-three, died aged 64 on September 28. 

Manchán Magan also died last week. His death, at the age of 55, is a huge loss for his wife Aisling, his mother Cróine, his brothers Ríoch and Ruán and his sister –Líadain. It is also an immeasurable loss to Ireland and to all of us who love the Irish language, nature, our culture and heritage.

Manchán’s books, his travel documentaries and interviews, and his many articles on Ireland and the Irish language provide an amazing insight into who we are as a people. His writings are inspirational, always informative, and enormously enjoyable.  

They show how Irish speaks more to our environment and way of life than English ever can. Manchán Magan understood this. He embraced it. And his words provide a beautiful, perceptive insight into this.

Manchán is the grandson of Sighle Humphreys, a senior figure in the Cumann na mBan, a founding member of the Irish Volunteers Dependents Fund, and an anti-Treaty activist who was imprisoned in Kilmainham in 1922 and 1923. Sighle remained a republican until her death in 1994. His great grand uncle was The O’Rahilly who was in the GPO in 1916  He was shot dead in Moore St  after the Volunteers evacuated the GPO. 

In his bestselling book, ‘Thirty-Two Words for Field‘  Manchán credits his grandmother with beginning his journey into the Irish language. One day he asked her what the word for a hole was. She replied; “Do you mean one dug into the ground by an animal. That’s an uachas. Or one made by fish in a sandy riverbed for spawning? That’s a saothar. Or if its’ been hollowed out by the hoofs of beasts and then filled with rain it’s a plobán …” And that’s how it began for him.

In ‘Thirty-Two Words for Field‘ Machán describes how our landscape may look like an “anonymous expanse of indistinguishable fields” but in the Irish language, and to those who have been cultivating the land for thousands of years, “each field has its own word, depending on its characteristics and function …”

‘Geamhar is a field of corn grass, biorrach is a marshy field, branar is a fallow field. Cuibhreann is a tilled field worked in partnership with a neighbour, tuar a night field for cattle. Cluain is a meadow field between two woods, tamhnacht an arable field in an arid area. Réidhleán is a field for games and dancing, plás a field for spreading flax or hay; plásóg a sheltered field in which a mare would foal and there are many, many more, including cathairín which is a field with a fairy-dwelling in it.

In one part of the book Manchán turns to the issue of ‘Curses’ which “extends beyond mere name-calling or petty insults.” For example:

Go n-ithe an chráin mhíolach thú. (May the louse-infested sow eat you.)

Cré na cille chugat. (May the earth of the graveyard engulf you)

Go bhfana an bhuinneach choíche ort. (May you suffer from diarrhoea for ever.)

If you get a chance type Manchán’s name into Youtube. There you will discover No Béarla, a documentary series in which he travelled through Ireland speaking only Irish. He had been planning another series in this mode along with Molai Bap or Naoise of Kneecap. Or Crainn na hÉireann in which he identifies native trees. You will discover interviews he has given to others, including Anthony Murphy of Mythical Ireland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4MZgPTXBP4

A few Saturdays ago Brendan O Connor did a remarkable interview with Manchán on his RTE Radio show.  It is available on RTE player. Manchán came out of hospital to do the interview and to talk about his illness and his work including his latest book ‘Ninety-Nine Words for Rain (and One for Sun).’ Published by Gill Books. 

This interview will tell you more about the man than my words ever can. It is about death, about the world, the other world of spirituality, our language, its richness, vitality and variety and its importance to us as a people.

A President for All

All three candidates in the Presidential election have made commitments in support of Irish Unity. Clear evidence of the growing importance of Irish Unity to the electorate.

Last Saturday Catherine Connolly was invited to address a Sinn Fein conference in Dublin. There was a palpable buzz of anticipation in Dublin City University as over 500 party activists gathered to discuss ‘Building For Unity.’  It was an opportunity to judge her style, hear at first hand her vision for the future of our island, and to assess her ability to challenge the establishment parties and their candidates.

Connolly has been an outspoken critic of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil and an advocate for workers, communities, and equality. She supports the need for the Irish government to plan for the future unity referendums. A call Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and their candidates refuse to make.

An Taoiseach Micheál Martin has made clear and repeated it last weekend, that there will not be a unity referendum on his watch. Mr. Martin is on the wrong side of history and I can’t help but wonder what the many republican or nationalist Fianna Fáil members think of his negativity. Maybe someday some of them will break ranks and go beyond the bland rhetoric that is no substitute for reasoned, tolerant, sensible planning for unit8y in keeping with the GFA, the Fianna Fáil constitution and the Irish constitution.

Introducing Catherine Connolly last Saturday Uachtarán Shinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald described her as someone who “believes in Ireland, believes in the people of Ireland, believes that we can realise a better future together. She is a rooted working-class woman. A proud Gael and Gaeilgeoir. A woman with a lifetime of standing up to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. She will be a President who understands the immense opportunity of Irish Unity, who speaks with hope and confidence that we can achieve a United Ireland. 

A President who defends our military neutrality and Ireland’s place in the world as a champion of human rights, peace, diplomacy, and freedom. A President who will stand with us in upholding the cause of Gaza and Palestine.”

In her remarks Catherine Connolly asserted her belief that Irish Unity is a “foregone conclusion” and that preparations are needed to demonstrate that the new Ireland can be a place that will embrace diversity and equality. She pledged that as President she will “give voice to the firm will of the Irish people in Article 3 of the Constitution in every way I can to promote that objective”. Connolly also said that people must take courage in their hands if we are to shape a new Republic that can provide housing and health services for everyone.

The constant and enthusiastic applause Catherine Connolly received and the standing ovation and sustained chants of support she received, are all evidence that republicans are wholeheartedly behind her.

There are now just three weeks left in the campaign. The opportunity exists to elect a President who will act for and speak on behalf of all of the people of the island of Ireland. Who believes in Irish Unity. A President who believes in an Ireland where there is no homelessness, where the rights of citizens are protected and valued and where gender, or race or class or skin colour or creed are not obstacles to every citizen living a full and happy life. Northeners are denied a vote in this election. That is unacceptable. But all of us should find some way to be part of the campaign.

Do that by contacting her at www.catherineconnollyforpresident.ie/ or take your own personal initiative and contact friends or family in the South to vote Connolly for President.   

Real sanctions needed now

Last Friday I spoke on my podcast to Chris Andrews a Sinn Fein Senator who is on the Global Sumud Flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea which, as a I write this, is trying to bring much needed humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people of Gaza. The flotilla, which has already been bombed by Israeli drones, sails under the constant threat of Israeli assault. The 50 boats involved left the coast of Crete on Sunday. Another flotilla of ten vessels also left Sicily on Sunday. When I spoke to Chris we discussed the danger and challenges facing the flotilla. He urged the Irish government and Tánaiste Simon Harris to do more in support of the flotilla's mission and the Palestinian people.

Last week at the United Nations most state representatives refused to sit while Israeli PM Netanyahu ranted against those who opposed his genocidal policies.  Every day Israeli forces are continuing to assault the people of Gaza City and scores of Palestinians are being killed, and others, mostly children, are dying from forced starvation.

One result of this is that more and more states are formally recognising the state of Palestine but the reality is that meaningful sanctions against Israel are also urgently needed to stop the destruction of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli genocide and the systematic theft of Palestinian land in the west Bank.

The Irish government and the international community must do more and quickly. Real decisions with a real impact on Israel are needed, including a ban on goods and services from the Occupied Territories, the total suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and the ending of arms supplies.

The zoom with Chris Andrews can be watched at:

https://youtu.be/7fewPPJJnn444

Using your Loaf!

This week I want to highlight the virtues of the humble Belfast Bap and the man who created it. During the week I breakfasted on boiled eggs served on a sliced  bap plastered with butter and sprinkled with black pepper. An bhlasta. Really scrumptious. Try it. You won’t be disappointed. 

This particular bap came ready sliced. I prefer to slice my bap myself so that the slices are thick and well able to carry the butter and the boiled  egg. This is real finger food.  The ready sliced baps can be a wee bit thin. Still tasty but a bit messy. So slice your own. 

The Bap was invented by Armagh man Bernard Hughes. Bernard or Barney Hughes had set up his own bakery in Belfast. It came into its own during An Gorta Mór, the Great Hunger, particularly between  1845 and 1848 when he produced Bread at Affordable Prices or BAP.  Ulster Sots advocates also claim the word Bap comes from that origin.

In any case Barney Hughes baps became part of the staple diet of many people including those who crowded into Belfast from rural places to escape starvation. 

To keep the Bap at a reasonable price Barney mixed flour with ground peas and beans. Undoubtedly this increased the nutritional benefits of the Bap. It also added to its flatulent velocity. This element lives on almost two centuries later in the street song Barney Hughes Bread.

“Barney Hughes’ bread

It sticks to your belly like lead

Not a bit of wonder 

You fart like thunder

Barney Hughes Bread.”

It is also immortalised in the childrens’ song My Aunt Jane.

“My Aunt Jane 

She called me in

She gave me tea 

Out of her wee tin

Half a Bap

With sugar on the top.

And three wee lumps 

Out of her wee shop.”

Barney Hughes was a very successful businessman. He was inventive and innovative. He was also a champion for citizens‘ rights and a firm opponent of sectarianism. He became the first Catholic elected to Belfast Corporation and he also used his wealth to advance  many causes.

For example, he donated the land on which Saint Peter’s Cathedral is built and he contributed to the building of Saint Mary’s Hall which used to be in Bank  Street, as well as a statue to Dr Henry Cooke - the Black Man- in Wellington Place. They enjoyed a cordial relationship although Barney abhored Cooke’s politics. 

He also spoke out against the Fenians and seemed to have a passive attitude to the Home Rule movement although many of his friends were strong Home Rulers and supporters of the Fenian prisoners. 

Jack Magee, a former Marketing Manager for Bernard Hughes Ltd captured the life and times of Barney Hughes in his fine book ‘Barney ‘which was published in 2001.  While he is best remembered for his baps Barney’s strong and courageous commitment to social justice and anti-sectarianism should be more widely known and celebrated. 

He died in 1878. By that time Barney Hughes was the biggest bread producer in Ireland. So when you munch your Bap give a thought to Barney and his contribution to our well being. 

By the way if you ever wonder why Belfast men with the surname Hughes or Kennedy - another Belfast bakery -get nicknamed Bap use your loaf. That’s down to Barney Hughes as well.

Barney: Bernard Hughes of Belfast 1808-1878. By Jack Magee.Published by the Ulster Historical Foundation. 

 Catherine Connolly – A President for all of Ireland

In less than five weeks’ time the next Uachtarán na hÉireann will be elected by the people of the 26 counties. Election day is 24 October. That the people of the North and of the diaspora will be denied a vote is a disgraceful consequence of the efforts over recent years by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael (FFFG) to prevent the extension of the presidential franchise. Both parties are frightened by the prospect of people, who have never voted for either party, voting in Presidential elections.  They want to retain the status quo not change it. This partitionist approach also influences the resistance of Micheál Martin and others to the growing potential for a referendum vote in favour of Irish Unity.

Last weekend’s decision by the Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle to endorse Catherine Connolly’s campaign is, to quote Mary Lou, a ‘game changer.’ Sinn Féin has many capable, articulate leaders who would have been great candidates. But the party chose to join with others as part of a left alternative. This was a courageous decision which gives those who can vote in the election a clear choice between the conservative politics of FFFG or a progressive and positive alternative.

Catherine Connolly and the left alliance, that now support her, offers optimism for a new and better future. The Irish Nation and diaspora need a Peoples’ President – a President who can bring hope; who can lift spirits and reach out to and embrace all the people of this island. A President who believes in the core republican values of equality and fairness. A President who believes in unity.

The Sinn Féin party across the island of Ireland will now actively and energetically take up the challenge of electing Catherine as the next resident of Áras an Uachtaráin. Party members from the North will travel South to add their activism to one of the most important elections in recent years. We do so as an Irish Republicans committed to our objective of ending partition and the union with Britain and of creating a new Ireland, based on equality, for all the people of our island.

This election signals  the coming together of all of the opposition parties within the Oireachtas in a concerted effort to break the mould of southern politics and build a practical alternative to the failed conservative politics of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the two parties that have governed since partition.

Catherine Connolly was elected to the Dáil in 2015. In the following five years, as TD for Louth, I had the opportunity to watch Catherine first hand as she spoke in Dáil debates. She is a gifted speaker, coherent and skilful, an eloquent Gaeilgeoir and a resolute and compassionate advocate for progressive causes. And for the rights of citizens. She will be an excellent Uachtarán na hÉireann and a worthy replacement for Michael D. Higgins who, along with Sabina, has for 14 years ably represented the Irish nation.

The priority for Sinn Féin in this campaign is to keep Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil out of the Áras. In addition, the building of a successful united left coalition will also provide an opportunity to demonstrate to voters that there is a real, sustainable alternative to the politics of FFFG.

An alternative which is determined to build a better life for working families and communities and is worthy of their trust and vote in the next general election.

In addition, since Martin McGuinness was a candidate in 2011, this is the best opportunity to advance the conversation about a new Ireland. The momentum around Unity is growing day by day. The direction of travel is clearly heading for the unity referendum provided for by the Good Friday Agreement. So, we have the real possibility of ensuring that Catherine Connolly is the next President of Ireland when that referendum takes place. 

At a time when the Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael government, propped up by Michael Lowry’s group, is for ending Irish neutrality we need a President who will champion it. At a time when the genocide in Gaza and the assault on the Palestinian people in the west Bank and East Jerusalem is increasing we need a President who will speak out against that genocide and who stands foursquare with the Palestinian people and their right to sovereignty. At a time when FFFG are pursuing policies that are making it impossible for young people to buy or rent their own home, and the state is failing to build much needed housing, we need a President who will not shy away from speaking up for ordinary people.

As Mary Lou said, when announcing the decision to back Catherine Connolly, Republicans believe this is an opportunity to elect an Uachtarán “who will be a voice for citizens with disabilities, the marginalised, and those too often ignored by those in power. An Uachtarán with a record of standing for fairness, compassion and economic justice.”

We are a defining moment in our journey toward Unity. The presidential election of 24 October offers all of us a unique opportunity to change the script – to take the island of Ireland in a more positive, equality driven direction. We have five weeks to make it happen. Can we do it? Absolutely. But we need your support.

So play your part. Join the campaign. Work to elect Catherine Connolly. 

Cearta –Marching for Rights

Under the banner of CEARTA – meaning RIGHTS - tens of thousands took to the streets of Dublin on Saturday to demand equality for the Irish language. In scenes reminiscent of An Dream Dearg in Belfast three years ago, Irish speakers and activists from across the island, wearing their distinctive red with a white circle, marched from Parnell Square to the gates of Leinster House.

The protest was an exuberant and joyful celebration of our language and culture and of the demand that the Irish government implement policy changes that will protect and enhance the lives of Irish speakers and of the Gaeltacht communities. There was live music from Ispíní na hÉireann, Niamh Ní Dhubhgháin and Breandán Ó Beaglaoich and others. Niamh Ní Dhubhgháin performed a song about the needs of young people, especially those living in Gaeltacht areas who are finding it impossible to buy or rent or build a home.

The threat to the language and the failure of successive governments to invest properly in supporting ár teanga and culture was the main message of the day.

Gaeltacht communities face huge challenges because too many of our young people are being forced to leave. The impact of bad policy on communities is substantial. Without homes, there can be no communities and without Gaeltacht communities, the language will not survive. This is not just a housing crisis – it is a crisis for the future of the Gaeltacht.

Looking down a packed Molesworth St, facing the entrance to Leinster House, Ciarán Mac Giolla Bhéin, President of Conradh na Gaeilge, warned that the vision of the language contained in Bunreacht na hÉireann and in the Good Friday Agreement has never been realised. There needs to be a greater investment in education and in the provision of resources. He pointed out that the value of funding received by Foras na Gaeilge, the cross-border language institute, has almost halved in the last 20 years and that only 0.1% of State expenditure was going to the Irish language and the Gaeltacht.

The demands of the protestors are entirely legitimate. They are also sensible and practical. Irish language activists are determined to achieve their reasonable demands and there is a responsibility on all of us, whether we speak Irish or not, to support their efforts.

Go raibh maith agat Bruce Morrison

In two weeks’ time there will be a celebration in New York to mark 30 years of the Morrison Visa Programme. The event will remember the introduction of the visa legislation that provided an estimated 45,000 Irish people with a legal pathway into the USA in the early 1990s.

The Morrison Visa was the brainchild of former US Congressman Bruce Morrison who introduced a program that allocated visas to nationals who up to that point were underrepresented in US Immigration. Bruce however, is also known for his hard work in support of the peace process. He was part of a group of Irish American business, trade union and political leaders – the Connolly House Group – who played a pivotal role in creating the conditions for the 1994 IRA cessation. Bruce and his colleagues continued to be active for years afterward and Bruce remains so today.

So, well done Bruce. Maith thú agus comghairdeas a chara. The celebration will take place on 1 October in the Rainbow Room in New York. For more information visit www.morrisonlegacy.com.

 Defending the Assembly and Executive

If we were to listen to and accept at face value those in the media who criticise the Assembly and the Executive as ineffective, and who question their value or use, we would mothball both institutions and sack the MLAs.

Yes, there is justifiable frustration at the failure of the institutions to address concerns on health and education and delivery on Casement Park, Saving Lough Neagh, building the A5, delivering for Gaeilgeoirí, tackling poverty and hate crimes and legacy issues alongside problems in our public services. But that is not the fault of the institutions. It lies with the political parties and others who are blocking progress.

Yes, there are problems but it is wrong to tar all our politicians with the one brush and it would also be wrong to hand over responsibility for these issues to unelected civil servants and to the British government. That would be irresponsible and stupid.

Does anyone really want another British Secretary of State running this place? There have been 25 British Secretaries of State, mostly mediocre and forgettable, including some who contributed enormously to the conflict.

We also need to appreciate that the London government is adding to the difficulties faced by an Executive which doesn’t have the financial resources to tackle some of the issues of greatest concern. All of this is an argument for the end of Westminster rule. Wecneed to say that loudly and often. London has never ruled us in our best interests. We who call this place home are the only ones entitled or fit to do that. That includes our unionist neighbours and their representatives. 

The reality is that the Northern statelet was not and is not a normal society.  Partition was a unionist and British imposed response to the demand by the people of this island to independence and sovereignty. The unionist regime at Stormont immediately and successfully deepened political and sectarian discrimination and the inequalities that were part and parcel of colonisation. The Northern state was a place where non-unionists were to have no say in its running and where the institutions of the state were closed to us. 

After 78 years of ‘Northern Ireland’ the Good Friday Agreement began a process of fundamentally changing that system. It is a process. The Agreement was and is a unique arrangement to facilitate conflicting political visions. Republicans decided to enter Stormont – a place that represented all that was wrong with the Orange State – because we believed that a space was needed in which we and unionism could moderate our differences. Other venues were considered but we believed that unionists would be comfortable within the Stormont setting. And we opted for that. 

However, did anyone seriously think that generations and centuries of colonisation and prejudice could be overturned quickly? That the deep rooted antipathy to all things progressive or rights based, never mind nationalist or republican, would disappear overnight or even in the short term?  Only the most naive or stupid among us would have thought the British State would acknowledge its wrong doing and embrace equality and democracy?  No dear readers. It was always going to be a battle a day- a process that demanded and demands perseverance, doggedness, generosity, resolve and strategic focus. Especially strategic focus.

Yes, we need delivery now on many issues but we also need always to see beyond the shortcomings of the present system and always be trying to win support for a more democratic system to deliver an inclusive future. And we should never let any subversion of the current arrangements rob us of our rights. And we should have faith in the good sense of many nominal unionists who are disenchanted with the Union and with some unionist leaders. 

Since the Agreement was achieved in April 1998 elements of unionism have battled against it every single day. For some it’s about diluting the Agreement and erecting obstacles to much needed public service reform or common sense cross border economic ties. For others it’s about placing a dead hand on the institutions and any progressive policies that could deliver equality and potential beneficial improvements, even if they are in the interests of their own electorate. Their preference  is for the Northern state to remain locked into a failed relationship with Britain, which itself is facing its own constitutional and political crisis.

This intransigent view of the world has been reinforced by the shift in voting patterns resulting in the unionist parties now being in the minority within the Assembly and in Westminster, and Michelle O’Neill emerging as First Minister last year.

It also needs to be acknowledged that the DUP, Ulster Unionist Party and Traditional Unionist Party are deeply conservative. That is evident in their attitude to policy proposals affecting the rights of women or housing provision, migrants and the Israeli States genocide on the people of Palestine.

Nationalists see the Agreement and the institutions – however challenging and difficult this may be - as an opportunity to reverse or to stop the injustices of partition by the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement while democratically and peacefully arguing for Irish Unity as the obvious solution to generations of misrule. We are for a new Ireland and we need to keep working toward that objective, while making life better for the people of the North and the island, as we do so. Some unionists say they want to make the North a better place for everyone. But rhetoric alone will not do this. They need to deliver. They need to make politics work. And they need to face down the naysayers in their own ranks if it comes to that. Otherwise they are going nowhere.

It is mostly a result of this unionist opposition to change that has undermined the Assembly and created significant challenges for the Executive. Until this term both have been up and down repeatedly. And there have been notable failures – some of which I mentioned earlier. But scrapping the institutions will not overcome these challenges.

The Assembly and Executive and the connecting all-island institutions, are important for building on the opportunities for progress created by the peace process. Of course the Irish government is central to this. Unfortunately, our current Taoiseach has no real interest in leading this imperative or in fulfilling his obligations. Notwithstanding this, Irish unity and the desirability. of a new Ireland are now a central part of political debate. Without doubt there will be a referendum on the future. There will be an opportunity to set aside the failures of the past, and the present. The people will decide. Some unionists fear that democratic Rubicon. So do elements of the Irish establishment. 

The institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are a vital part of managing this process of change, including persuading the Irish government to begin planning for unity through the creation of Citizens’ Assemblies.

So, we have to remain focussed on the future. Be patient and resolved and positive in our determination to build friendships across the sectarian divide. And make the institutions work to the best of our ability while always at the same time creating the new Ireland. 

Cearta Anios. 

In May 2022, 20,000 activists took to the streets of Béal Feirste to demand Irish language rights. This An Dream Dearg mass mobilisation of both young and old was highly symbolic, positive, cheerful and confident. Four days after this protest, the British government took the first step to introduce Irish-language legislation, paving the way for historic social change in the Northern state. This legislation provided for the repeal of the centuries old  penal-law ban on the use of Irish in the courts. It also provided the mechanisms to create the office of an Irish-language Commissioner, who will oversee the delivery of language rights in the six counties.

These achievements point to the importance of grassroots democratic movements as part of the fight for a better Ireland.  Mechanisms and structures to bring about change have many parts and roles for many people and a range of tactical and strategic requirements but most important of all these is a movement of empowered activists.  The popularity of the Irish language and its resurgence is proof of just how much can be achieved when the people reclaim our language and our power. This is particularly important given the efforts by some unionists to dilute and delay the modest changes which are now ongoing. And the failure of succesive Irish governments to deal with these issues in their own state or in the North. 

This Saturday will provide an opportunity to spread this message. Activists from Dún Chaoin to Dún Pádraig will take to the streets of Dublin to challenge the Dublin government. Organising under the watchword of ‘Cearta’ or ‘Rights’, Irish-speaking or English-speaking activists – will mobilise to high light the absence of Irish language rights, ranging from the housing crisis in Gaeltacht areas, to the crisis in education, and the historic underfunding of an Ghaeilge in general.

Despite the collective goodwill towards our indigenous language successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments have neglected it. They spend only 0.1% of total state expenditure on schemes related to the Department of an Ghaeltacht. Indeed, the neoliberal policies of the political establishment in the South are decimating our Gaeltacht regions. They are actively undermining the rights of   Irish-speaking locals. This mindset will be challenged next Saturday, when thousands of activists will demand transformative change for our language and full rights for Irish speakers. 

Bígí linn. Play your part. The recent history of the language movement shows how ordinary men and women, and young people especially, can change the political realities around us. The future remains ours to fight for.  “Tá an saol ar bhos ár gcamán againnse” – ‘life is on the boss of our hurleys’. Its’ time to face the puck out.

Gather for ‘CEARTA’ on Saturday 20thSeptember at 1:30pm on Parnell Square, Dublin. 

 Gaza – The Gates of Hell

Next month will mark two years since the commencement of the Israeli genocide assault against the Palestinian people, following the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023. The statistics of death and destruction are horrendous. To date almost 65,000 Palestinians have been confirmed as killed with many thousands more buried under the rubble of Gaza.  Almost 20,000 children have been murdered and tens of thousands have suffered serious injuries, many of them life changing.

UNICEF has described the situation in Gaza City as catastrophic with starvation now an integral part of Israel’s genocidal war against civilians. Eight Palestinian children die every day from starvation. The Israeli forces kill 28 children every day. Over 350 children are daily being admitted to the limited U.N. facilities still operating within the Gaza Strip, suffering from acute malnutrition. Many will not survive and those who do will suffer from health problems for the rest of their lives because of this experience.

According to UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell: “Famine is now a grim reality for children… As we have repeatedly warned, the signs were unmistakable: children with wasted bodies, too weak to cry or eat; babies dying from hunger and preventable disease; parents arriving at clinics with nothing left to feed their children.”

All of this is happening as Israel’s western allies, the USA, European Union and the British government continue to back Netanyahu’s genocidal strategy. In the last three weeks the Israeli occupation forces have intensified their bombing of civilian targets in Gaza City killing over a thousand people. Boasting of the attacks the Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that “the bolt has now been removed from the gates of hell in Gaza.”

In addition, around 60,000 Israeli Army reservists have been called up to reinforce the Israeli Army’s military resources to implement Netanyahu’s invasion plan. In the last week an estimated one million people have been told by Israel to leave their tents and the homes they have created amidst the rubble as Israel’s full scale invasion is imminent. It is claimed by some of the regional media, based on intelligence information from Egypt, that Netanyahu is determined to raise the Israeli flag over an occupied Gaza City to mark the second anniversary of Israel’s holocaust against the Palestinians.

As part of the growing instability in the region the Egyptian government has sent 40,000 troops to Gaza’s border with Egypt in expectation that Israel is planning to force Palestinian refugees out of the Gaza Strip into the Sinai desert and Egypt.

This latest escalation in Israel’s genocide follows the publication of a report by the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) - a 500-member body of academics, historians, lawyers and human rights specialists. This respected group of scholars voted overwhelmingly in support of a new resolution that accuses Israel of pursuing policies and actions that meet the legal definition of genocide under the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Almost 90% of those members who participated in the ballot backed the resolution. It states that the actions of Israel constitute genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. It states: “These crimes include deliberate attacks on civilians, including children, starvation, deprivation of humanitarian aid, water, fuel, and other essentials, sexual and reproductive violence, and forced displacement of the population.”

The report also notes that Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant are subject to international arrest warrants for crimes, including, the starvation of civilians and intentional attacks on civilian populations. The International Court of Justice has also accused Israel of committing genocide.

So, well done to all of those who continue to confront and challenge Israel’s war crimes. The problem is that the most powerful states in the west support the Israeli government’s war. Until this obscenity is challenged the carnage will continue. All of us who value peace and justice must never stop raising our voices in support of peace in the Middle East and freedom for the people of Palestine.

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Movies can uplift and depress, frighten and inspire, and occasionally make us laugh. The Irish experience, through films like Hunger, which tells the story of Bobby Sands; In the Name of the Father which recounts the miscarriage of Justice experienced by the Guildford Four; of Michael Collins; Bloody Sunday and others is evidence of this. These movies focussed on important political or historical events while successfully and emotionally impacting on audiences.

Last week ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ received the longest ever standing ovation at the Venice film festival and won the Silver Lion prize. It is a drama based on true events – the killing by Israel of a five-year-old Palestinian child, Hind Rajab, in Gaza in January 2024.

Hind was in a car with her Aunt and Uncle and four cousins trying to flee Israeli forces. Their car was struck by a shell and the adults and three children were killed. An Israeli tank fired consistently into the trapped vehicle. The fourth cousin was later killed. Hind was alone, surrounded by the bodies of her relatives. She spent hours on a mobile phone with the Palestine Red Crescent Society. She was terrified. She pleaded for help. “Come take me. You will come and take me? … I’m so scared, please come. Please call someone to come and take me.” Desperately the Red Crescent sought clearance from the Israeli Army to send an ambulance. They never got it.

Eventually her body and those of her family were found in their bullet riddled car. The Ambulance was found parked nearby. The two medics who had courageously tried to reach her had been murdered.

The French-Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania asked the Red Crescent for the audio of the call. The voice heard in the film is Hind Rajab’s own voice. The director told the Venice audience that Hind Rajab’s story was not just about her but was the voice of “an entire people enduring genocide.”

The story of Hind Rajab goes to the heart of Israel’s genocide. Well done to those who have produced this important movie.

Van The Man

A very happy 80th birthday to Van Morrison. This column is a big fan of Van the Mans music. It is great that he is still so creative. His   latest offering Remembering Now is a gem. It is reflective and musically very very positive and uplifting. Not bad for a man who started in the sixties . Still going strong. 

Remember Them? Remember, Here Comes The Night? Gloria? Baby Please Dont Go? Moondance? Like Mr Morrison they all stand up well over half a century later.  Ralph McTell of the BBC’s Radio Ulster, a man who knows good music, did a special run of his regular programme dedicated to Van Morrisons top 80 songs as chosen by radio listeners. It is still availible on Radio Ulsters App. Well worth a listen to. 

All the old favourites are here.  I wont name them. There are too many. But Brown Eyed Girl, Cleaning Windows (I also cleaned windows in the late Sixties. For about three weeks.) Madame George, Into The Mystic, Cyprus Avenue, Raglan Road, Carrickfergus and so on and so on. From jazz, skiffle, R&B, Folk, Blues and Rock and Roll. Music to uplift and take us out off ourselves. So thank you Mr Morrison. 

 Say No To Farage. 

Probably more than any other politician in Britain Nigel Farage was responsible for winning the vote on Brexit in 2016. He exploited racism and anti-migrant sentiment winning new converts over to an English centred- jingoistic view of the world. The dangers of Farage’s xenophobic beliefs are evident daily across the British news media. Every day attacks increase on refugees and migrants.

Farage has also exploited the divisions within the British Conservative Party. Theresa May and Boris Johnson said they were for completely cutting Britain from all its legal and legislative connections and treaty obligations with Europe. One of these is the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The ECHR was incorporated into the law of the North as an integral part of the Good Friday Agreement. It was written into the Agreement as a way of protecting equality and human rights and preventing any return to the discriminatory and sectarian policies implemented under the Stormont Regime.

Farage has now made the withdrawal of Britain from the ECHR a major plank of his political programme for the next British general election. As the right in Britain become ever more strident Farage has set his sights, very publicly, on renegotiating the Good Friday Agreement and clearing the way to extricate Britain from the ECHR.

Not surprisingly Sammy Wilson of the DUP has welcomed the Farage commitments. The Good Friday Agreement remains anathema to many within the DUP, who seek to delay and dilute the implementation of its provisions.

This week a right-wing think tank in London – Policy Exchange – has claimed that Britain can quit the ECHR without impacting the Agreement. This same group was credited by former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for helping his government to draft anti-protest legislation. Its opponents accuse it of advocating and assisting the targeting by the state of the right to free speech and the right to free assembly. 

Farage and his Reform Party have become a potent force in British politics. In June IPSOS published a poll showing that Reform UK was on a 34% vote share - nine points ahead of the Labour Party. The Conservatives’ were on 15%.  Last week The i Paper published a poll claiming that Reform UK were now 15 points ahead of Labour.

There are significant dangers in this situation for the people of Ireland. We have already witnessed many examples of Starmer’s ineptitude in government and his willingness to move ever rightward in his efforts to see off the challenge of Farage and the far right. His determination to defend the status quo is also evident in its approach to legacy issues – for example his refusal to agree an inquiry into the murder of Sean Brown – and his determination to re-write the law to prevent 400 former internees, illegally detained in the 1970s, from receiving their just compensation.

The Good Friday Agreement is an international treaty to which the Irish government is a co-signatory and co-guarantor. It was endorsed in referendums by the people of the island of Ireland. No British government has the right to rewrite it. Can we trust Keir Starmer to defend the Good Friday Agreement? Absolutely NOT.  He has already instructed his Ministers to issue new ‘guidance’ to judges on how they should interpret parts of the ECHR. Not a good sign.

There is an onerous responsibility therefore on the Irish government to make clear to the Starmer government its implacable opposition to any attempt to renegotiate the Agreement. An Taoiseach Micheál Martin needs to stand over all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement, including those still outstanding like a Bill of Rights for the North.

This current threat to the Good Friday Agreement brings home the importance of the Irish Government pushing for, and winning, the unity referendum provided for by the Agreement. Political stability and the future prosperity of our island nation cannot be left to the whims of the little Englander tendencies that brought us Brexit. Our future rests with the people of this island not with Nigel Farage, Keir Starmer or the rest.

Padraic Fiacc – A Belfast Poet

Padraic Fiacc (born Patrick Joseph O’Connor) died six years ago at the age of 94. Several weeks ago a Blue Plaque was unveiled on the wall of the Falls Road Library, close to his birthplace, in memory of this redoubtable Belfast poet.

His writing is not as well-known as other poets but his poems stand out for their stark language and brutal rawness, especially when he writes about the conflict. 

Michael and Brid McKernon, brother and sister, have been campaigning for almost twenty-five years to have Padraic Fiacc, formally recognised and accepted as an outstanding poet of his time. They believe the recent unveiling of the Ulster History Circle Blue Plaque, is a significant step in that direction.

Michael first met Padraic Fiacc in 2003, when he was in Haypark Care Home. A friend of Michaels  asked him to paint a portrait of the poet. During the sitting they spoke about Padraic’s poetry, and he asked Michael to read some of his poems to him. Michael was very impressed and believed Padraic’s poetry should be brought to a wider audience at home and abroad.

He described Padraic as a writer of depth, great perception and humanity – a life steeped in literature from a young age, a reader of music and a piano player. He brought these skills to his poems when writing about his many themes including the conflict here or in Palestine and the impact of colonisation on oppressed peoples.

He was deeply affected by the loyalist killing of a young poet, Gerard McLaughlin, just 20 years old. Padraic’s powerful poem, ‘Requin - The Ditch of Dawn’ is a tribute to the young poet.

Padraic was a contemporary of and often in the company of leading poets like Seamus Heaney, Michael Longley, John Hewitt, Gerard Dawe, Michael McClafferty, Derek Mahon, Paul Muldoon and Brendan Hamill from West Belfast.

Two renowned literary figures mentored Padraic Fiacc in his lifetime – Padraic Colum in 1940s New York and Michael McClafferty in Belfast in the 1960s. With others he was recognised as an ‘up-and-coming’ poet in a book, ‘New Irish Poets’ published in New York in 1948.

In 1956 he was awarded the AE George Russell Award for his work-in-progress, ‘WOE TO THE BOY’. This collection is testament to Padraic’s extraordinary knowledge of birds and the natural world. Speaking at his funeral in 2019 the Belfast poet Gerald Dawe said of this aspect of Padraic’s work: “Padraic Fiacc’s poems are full of birds – storm-birds, surely, but also birds of all kinds – jackdaws, wrens, robins, and blackbirds. Fiacc was a birdman: ‘I recall yourself and the birds’, he writes in ‘North Man’ recounting a walk one evening along the Lagan with the writer Michael McLaverty ‘and the birds in tune with the sky gone down’.”

In 1981 he was invited to join ‘Aosdana’ the academy of Irish artists and in the same year he received the ‘Poetry Ireland Award’.

Shortly after Michael and Padraic met they collaborated on a book of his poetry, ‘SEA – 60 Years of Poetry’. This was Padraic’s first illustrated collection. The title, selected by Pádriac, owes its origins to the Greek philosopher, Xenophon, whom Pádriac admired.

To mark the centenary of his birth in 2024 Michael and Brid published two books, ‘Tear the Dead Day Back Alive’ and ‘Turas Filíochta’ and organised a series of public events about Padraic’s work. They were assisted in this by Padraic’s associates and friends. Michael has acknowledged in particular the support of Jim Gibney and Tom Hartley. 

Just days before his death in January 2019 Uachtarán na hÉireann, Michael D Higgins visited with Padraic in Belfast. Commenting after Padraic’s death President Higgins wrote: “Having experienced tragedy and loss, Padraic Fiacc was never afraid to reflect dark, deeply emotive and disturbing elements in his verse. He courageously raised crucial questions about the relationship between violence, poetry and language.”

Following the blue plaque unveiling on the Falls Library Michael Mc Kernon believes now is the time for the poet to be on the school curriculum and for universities in Ireland to posthumously recognise the greatness of Padraic Fiacc, the poet born in Elizabeth Street on the Falls Road.