Outmanoeuvering the British
A Chairde,
I salute the leadership of the republican movement for its
brilliant outmaneouvering of the British and the Unionists and
its success in getting the decommissioning obstacle removed from
our road. It should not be replaced. As Leon Trotsky pointed out,
political consciousness often lags behind circumstances and those
who are not incapable of really understanding politics will all
soon come to understand what has been achieved. As for the few
detractors, either through stupidity, malice or mischief, let us
leave them to pick the bones on the dustheap of history.
The republican movement as a whole must keep its eyes on the
prize and focus on the future and commence a dynamic campaign for
the maximum outcome to the current political process. It is not
we who are afraid of constitutional change in Ireland. We call
for a new constitution for a new Ireland. For those ``politically
significant institutions'' which Tony Blair promised Irish
nationalists in his Belfast speech on May 16th to be inclusive,
dynamic, deep and wide all-Ireland institutions. Whatever is
achieved, we will at every stage point the way to the next step
towards the united, democratic republic of equals envisaged by
the United Irishmen in 1798. It is not we who will be negative.
There will be no return to the past. In any referenda we will
positively campaign for the ideal of the United Irishmen. We will
talk to and endeavour to work with anyone who shares even part of
that goal, even the PUP if they are breaking from Unionist
supremacism and increasingly identifying as a working class
party? Forward to the united, democratic socialist republic of
Ireland!
Joe Murphy,
Birmingham.
Self-defence
A Chairde,
Last October, I wrote urging Republicans to reframe the
decommissioning debate as being an issue of self-defence for
nationalist people. Much has happened since then and the public
political debate has once again returned to the difficult
question of decommissioning. Unfortunately, the concept of
self-defence still doe not appear in press accounts of the
Republican Movement's political position - at least not in the
American press.
For example, the Associated Press wire stories this week
described the Republican Movement as being unwilling to
``decommission'' because it would be perceived as a ``surrender''. It
almost sounds like recalcitrant football fans disgruntled over
their team's won-loss record. I have to tell you, most people
don't care whether Republicans' sensibilities are offended. To be
blunt, it sounds like whining.
In political debate, morality really does matter. Just about the
only morally defensible reason to have a gun and be prepared to
use it, is in the defence of human life. Not coincidentally, that
is why the IRA is in no position to ``decommission''. Unilateral
disarmament is not an option for a group of people facing a
heavily armed and hostile force. It might help if the rest of the
world understood that the IRA's guns defend people living under
the threat of death.
Once the issue is redefined as self-defence, the entire political
debate shifts. Can Tony Blair or George Mitchell guarantee the
safety of nationalist people? Who do they propose to implement
their guarantee - Ronnie Flanagan? Until there is a realistic
answer to that question, no one can, or should, expect the IRA to
decommission. And, ``decommissioning'' should not block negotiation
of a peace settlement.
Thomas J. Fox,
Albany,
New York.
Deireadh Seachtaine John Joe McGirl
A Chairde,
A commemorative weekend will be held in Ballinamore from August
8th to 10th in honour of the well known Republican John Joe
McGirl who died in 1988 and who was seen by many as bridging the
generations from 40's and 50's to the new birth of a popular
republican struggle in the 80's.
John Joe McGirl had been a Sinn Féin TD, a republican prisoners
on many occasions, a former Chief of Staff of th IRA, Chairperson
of Leitrim County Council and a Sinn Féin Councillor at the time
of his death. He was especially close to the leadership of Gerry
Adams and Martin McGuinness and the drive to politicise
republicanism.
Martin McGuinness MP for Mid Ulster will give the John Joe McGirl
memorial lecture in the Commercial Hotel on Friday 8, followed by
a function with Clann Rí. On Saturday evening in Slúbh an Iarainn
Hotel there is an exhibition and talk on the prison struggle with
writer and former H-Block prisoner Eoghan MacCormaic plus Frances
McHugh, sister of republican POW in an English jail.
On Sunday afternoon a monument will be unveiled at the Republican
Plot, Aghnasheelin to the volunteers killed at Geltan Hill in
March 1921 plus a plaque is being erected in memory of Volunteer
Francis McGirl, killed in an accident in 1995. This will be
followed by an Irish evening in McGirl. Gerry Kelly, Belfast will
give the oration on Sunday.
Owen Carron.
Solidarity from Scotland
A Chairde,
My wife and I arrived in the Six Counties late on Saturday
5/7/97.
I awoke at 4.30am on Sunday to hear that the RUC stormtroopers
had yet again battered without mercy the residents of Garvaghy
Road. BBC and UTV showed all to clearly the severe injuries
inflicted on the men, but even worse the brave women with blood
flowing form their heads, a courageous community on eh cross once
again.
We visited Garvaghy Road on Monday 7/7/97 early in the morning
having to pass through loyalists, RUC and crown forces with two
Saxon armoured vehicles, I took some photographs the area was in
a state of wreck caused by RUC/army attacks many of the residents
were in a state of shock and who could blame them after what they
had suffered. We returned by Blins Street when the call came from
the residents of that small and beleagured but enormously
courageously community at the Lower Ormeau Road. I told my wife I
intended going down to an area of South Belfast I know so well
and would support my fellow nationalists no matter how long it
took to oppose orange sectarian marchers who have treated the
nationalists people who live there with contempt for so long. I
had intended to leave my wife in Belfast making sure she was on
the 4.20pm bus going to Bangro County Down back to the flat we
had hired for 2 weeks. I would then walk via the markets area
down Ormeau road watching out for any potential confrontation at
the infamous Donegall Pass then onto the Lower Ormeau Road where
through peaceful means the nationalists would see off not only
orangemen but RUC crown forces as well, at about midnight on
Thursday 10/7/97 the news was given on UTV's ``Insight'' programme
that the range order had capitulated all over the Six Counties.
Make no mistake about it this was turning victory for
nationalists all over the Six Counties where contentious marches
are held it must be repeated again on the 9th August when further
contentious marches are held int the rea finally the residents of
Garvaghy Road should follow the example of their fellow
nationalists of the Lower Ormeau Road who know that the force of
numbers count.
Billy Docherty,
Cairde Sinn Féin,
Dundee.
Thanks for help
A Chairde,
Through the page of AP/RN I would like to publicly thank members
of Sinn Féin for their kind assistance on a research field trip
to Belfast I made at the end of May. Their kindness was
especially appreciated as everybody was incredibly busy int the
aftermath of the election victories in the Six Counties.
In particular I would like to thank Martha at the Sinn Féin
office in Belfast and councillors Tom Hartley, Bobby and Danny
Lavery.
Brian Kelly,
University of the West of England.
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