Republican News · Thursday 22 August 2002

Thank you, Nicky Kehoe

A Chairde,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dublin Sinn Féin Councilor Nicky Kehoe for his kind invitation to the pensioners of the Short Strand.

Nicky and the members of Naomh Fhionbarra GAA Club, Cabra treated them to a most welcome day out.

They were provided with tea and coffee on their arrival and then they visited Kilmainham Gaol. After this, they returned to the GAA Club, where they were treated to a wonderful carvery dinner, with entertainment provided.

Our pensioners fully appreciated Nicky's kindness and would like to express their thanks. They enjoyed a wonderful day away from the stress of living in an area that has been under siege this last few months.

Unfortunately, when they returned home they were immediately thrust back into the same scene they had left that morning. They were prevented from accessing their homes until the area had been cleared as there had been three pipe bombs thrown into the area.

Thankfully, even this did not mar the experience our pensioners had on that day, as they are as strong and resilient as all the residents of the Short Strand.

Many thanks Nicky.

Councillor Joe O'Donnell
Sinn Féin
Belfast City Council

PSNI brutality in Short Strand

A Chairde,

I'm sure your publication is well versed in the problem of police brutality in the Six Counties. But I have been asked to bring to your attention an event that ocurred on Saturday 11 August on the Clandeboy estate in the Short Strand.

On that day an American woman, Klf Barrett, whom I know quite well from the Black 47 internet forum, was in the locality taking part in a "Bring sunshine back to the estates" project, which involved painting the various hoardings put up on the houses after months of sectarian attacks. Others involved in the project included the muralist Danny Devenney. To cut a long story short, the police arrived shortly after 7 o'clock and proceeded to attack the people involved. Klf was severely beaten and had her shirt torn, she also saw other women being severely beaten while defenceless.

After a 45-minute onslaught, the police began to retreat. Klf at that point asked them why they had come. "We heard a brick was thrown and we had to check it out," she was told. "This is what you call checking it out?" came the reply.

Klf saw absolutely no evidence of a riot situation prior to the arrival of the RUC/PSNI and says the assault was completely unprovoked. I know I don't need to tell you this but the only thing that has changed in the police service is the name. Any suggestion that Sinn Féin ahould join the policing board is completely absurd.

Donal O' Driscoll
Cork

RTE propaganda

A Chairde,

yone who endured RTE's 'Telling Your Stories' broadcast on RTE1 on 4 August will have that uneasy feeling that RTE is softening the licence payer for a further hike in the television licence.

For those who did not see it, the programme, while examining RTE's film production abilities, contained a constant barrage of remarks suggesting that even further financial ressouces are required by RTE. Not suprisingly for RTE, the programme was noticably short on detail on where exactly the €120m annual licence fee RTE currently receives is spent.

Needless to say, the licence payer, who shall be required to furnish these extra resources, was not alone not represented on the programme, but was not even referred to. Of course, neither for that matter were TV3, Today FM or the local radio stations, who have public service requirements but receive no public subsidy and whose development has been frustrated by RTE's virtual monopoly in the broadcast market.

RTE should focus on making programmes that viewers wish to see rather than those that serve its own agenda.

Máirtín Ó Maolruaidh

Galway

Derry hurlers

A Chairde,

After watching the wonderfully skilful display of the Antrim hurling team in Croke Park recently, I wondered do the people of the 26 Counties realise the fantastic efforts of our people in the occupied Six to keep our games alive, despite all kinds of harassment. I don't think we do.

However, I was surprised to hear recently from a couple of Tyrone GAA men that while the nationalists of rural Derry were terrific, those in Derry City had turned their backs on their own Gaelic games in favour of those of another land. So perhaps that outstanding Sinn Féiner, Lucilita Breathnach, in her new role as cultural officer, might, with the help of the city politicians, teachers, professional people and GAA officials, backed up by Croke Park, organise a strong GAA structure.

Underage street leagues followed by the formation of clubs in key areas is one way.

Future generations would benefit and be proud of the effort.

Rúairi Kavanagh,
Enniscorthy,
Co Wexford

Chrannchur Náisiúnta

A Chairde,

Mar a fheicfidh sibh in eagrán na seachtaine seo de AP/RN, tá leagan Gaeilge de thicéad Chrannchur Náisiúnta SF ar fáil anois. Mholfainnm do Ghaeilgeoirí an pháirtí an leagan seo a ordú agus a bhrú chun cinn ag gach uile leibhéal den pháirtí.

Aithníodh go ndearnadh botún trí leagan iomlán Béarla a chlóbhualadh i dtosach. Réiteach sásúil atá sa leagan Gaelach. Ní mór dúinn láidreacht an Ghaelachais sa ghluaiseacht a lÉiriú tríd na ticéidí seo a úsáid. Má tá ticéidí Béarla faighte cheana féin ag ceantracha,ba chóir go ndéanfaí ticéidí Gaeilge a ordú freisin, óir ní bheidh costas breise leo, agus seans maith go méadófaí ar an líon a dhíolfaí.

Bheinn buíoch díobh an focal a scaipeadh tríd an pháirtí.

Daithí Mac an Bhaird
Gaillimh

Commemorating British wars

A Chairde,

Tom Shelly is wrong to call on Irish republicans to commemorate the deaths of British soldiers during World War II and wrong to expect them to apologise for their neutrality during that conflict.

Firstly, the British war itself was not a fight against fascism. Throughout the 1930s, the British ruling class had expressed no opposition to Nazi Germany, or any of the other fascist regimes in Europe. When Hitler established his hangman's dictatorship in 1933 and marched thousands of socialists onto the scaffold, he was applauded by British reactionaries, who prayed for a similar attack on the Soviet Union itself.

Consequently, when Soviet ambassador Litvinov urged the formation of an anti-fascist pact, he was gently dismissed by his British counterparts, who much preferred Nazi capitalism to peaceful socialism.

Hitler's reoccupation of the Ruhr, Mussolini's invasion of Abyssinia and Franco's destruction of the democratic government in Spain, aided by the former two, were all similarly received by the British ruling class. It was only much later, when the vast scale of Hitler's imperial project became clear, that the British ruling class acted. Naked imperial self-interest was the British motivation, not anti-fascism. As such, it is not worthy of commemoration by Irish republicans.

This attitude of the British ruling class was in stark contrast to that of Irish republicans, who consistently opposed fascism during the 1930s. Active in groups like the Irish Labour League against fascism, where they faced down O'Duffy's Blueshirts, and supplying volunteers to the Connolly column in Spain, where many lost their lives, Irish republicans along with Irish communists were among the most dedicated anti-fascists to be found anywhere in the world. It is these people who should be remembered by present-day republicans.

During the 1939-1945 war, where Britain behaved in true imperialist fashion, beating down anti-colonial revolts and restoring the rule of reaction, Irish republicans stayed largely neutral. Some, though, did call for support for the USSR after it was invaded by the Nazis in 1941. For this overall policy of neutrality, Irish republicans need make no apology. Churchill was not a freedom fighter for democracy, but a narrow-minded, bigoted, imperialist bloodhound who had spent his entire career thwarting Irish national rights, ultimately fomenting a civil war in the country. Irish republicans owe no debt to Churchill nor the soldiers who died under his direction, as part of the British war effort.

The point made about the IRA collaboration with the Nazis is inaccurate. The action of two Irish republicans in seeking guns from the German army may have been a mistake, but it does not constitute collaboration, a sinister term with definite political implications. One of the two, Frank Ryan, had fought against fascism in Spain and had lain naked in a Francoist dungeon for two years as a result of his principles. Boosting the fortunes of a weak, almost moribund national liberation movement and exploiting England's imperial difficulty was the motivation here, not collaboration with the Nazis.

Conor Magill,
Galway