Irish Republican News: Archives

November 28, 2018

Tony Taylor freed, banned from political statements

Derry republican Tony Taylor, released as his internment by the British approached a significant one thousand days, was released this evening after a day of tense last-minute negotiations around the details of his release.

November 27, 2018

Tony Taylor to be released after almost 1,000 days

Republican political prisoner Tony Taylor is set to be freed tomorrow after spending 994 days interned at Maghaberry Jail without charge.

November 24, 2018

The Border ‘will be maintained by the gun’

Amid a hostile reaction by unionist politicians to a draft Brexit deal, one TUV politician has warned that the border through Ireland will be “maintained by the gun”.

Councillors join new Sinn Fein splinter party

A breakaway anti-abortion, nationalist/republican party being set up by former Sinn Fein TD Peadar Toibin is organising meetings across the country and has already recruited two councillors, Sinn Fein Kildare councillor Ide Cussen and former Sinn Fein Cork councillor Ger Keohane.

Inquests ‘a problem’, says Karen Bradley

Britain’s Direct Ruler in Ireland, Karen Bradley, has been widely condemned for comments that families of victims of British war crimes are part of ‘the problem’ for seeking coronial inquests, and that she was ‘outraged’ by the legal pursuit of the soldiers involved.

Recruitment target endangered by MI5 approach

Members of a British intelligence agency who tried to recruit a vulnerable teenager have “put him at risk”, according to his mother.

Red mist descends on British military memorial in Dublin

A protest action has seen a giant sculpture of a British soldier at the entrance to Dublin’s St Stephen’s Green daubed with red paint.

Call for all-Ireland soccer team

Sinn Fein deputy leader Pearse Doherty has called for a debate about the possibility of establishing an all-island soccer team, following the resignation of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane as the Ireland management team.

Remember Irish republican prisoners this Christmas

This is the time of year when republicans traditionally remember those ‘faoi ghlas ag gallaibh’, behind bars in the cause of Ireland. This is the current list of prisoners as collated from welfare groups, families and friends.

DUPed again

Excessive threatening language has long been part of political unionism’s response when faced with the prospect of change.

November 17, 2018

DUP MPs told to ‘get over yourselves’

The DUP leadership is completely at odds with civic unionism after a draft Brexit deal won praise across the north of Ireland, particularly from farmers and business interests who see significant advantages in proposed arrangements to facilitate trade with both Britain and the EU.

Republican Sinn Fein name new party President

Republican Sinn Fein has named a new party President, Seosamh O Mhaoileoin, at its Ard Fheis [annual conference] last weekend, replacing Des Dalton without an election.

Heartbreak for Derry family of interned prisoner

The elderly father of a political prisoner who’s been in jail for almost 1,000 days without charge or trial has written a heartfelt letter to the British government pleading for his son’s release.

Indignation after new files back McGurk’s Bar families

A shocking British military archive discovered by a grandson of victims of the McGurk’s Bar Massacre of 1971 proves that the Royal Ulster Constabulary police originated and disseminated “a line” falsely stating that the atrocity was an IRA ‘own goal’, just over 4 hours after the bombing.

Ballymurphy horror relived at inquest

There were emotional scenes in a Belfast court this week as families of the Ballymurphy massacre victims described their grief and loss after British soldiers killed eleven civilians in 1971.

Debate takes place on unity referendum

A debate about an Irish unity referendum/border poll has brought together speakers representing Sinn Fein, the Irish Republican Socialist Party, the 1916 Societies and the Peadar O’Donnell Socialist Republican Forum.

Bridget Dirrane

Bridget Dirrane is a remarkable person in the history of Ireland.

The GFA is under siege - and so is my right to be Irish

A community is, in the here and now, being marginalised, penalised and discriminated against, the effect of which is catastrophic. And the cause is their identity.

November 15, 2018

May under pressure as DUP reject Brexit deal

Theresa May’s leadership of the Conservative Party is again under pressure as a series of Ministers resigned and the DUP rallied opposition to a negotiated Brexit deal.

Second Sinn Fein TD quits on abortion issue

Meath West TD Peadar Toibin has resigned from Sinn Fein, weeks after he was suspended from the party after voting against abortion legislation in the Dublin parliament.

November 14, 2018

The Irish protocol of the draft Brexit withdrawal agreement

The full text of the chapter of the Brexit agreement that relates to the Six Counties (pages 302 to 327) from the draft document which was released tonight.

Brexit deal ‘moves on’ after May wins cabinet support

Negotiations on Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union have reached a decisive moment as a draft agreement won the support of the Tory government in London.

November 12, 2018

Hope and determination as Ballymurphy Inquest opens

After almost 50 years, an inquest has opened into the deaths of eleven civilians killed by British soldiers in Ballymurphy in west Belfast. The inquest is expected to last up up to six months.

November 10, 2018

Save ‘Our Precious Union’ from Brexit - DUP

The paradox of the unstoppable force of Brexit and the DUP’s immovable intransigence may be resolved within days amid reports of a looming showdown between the British Prime Minister and the DUP.

No stone left unturned in Loughinisland cover-up

The arrest of two journalists for the ‘theft’ of ‘secret information’ used in a TV documentary about the Loughinisland massacre has descended into a pantomime public row, leaving the victims of the atrocity furious at the abuse of police resources.

Call for action over poppy-related racism

The annual media bullying campaign known as ‘poppy fascism’ has been blamed for an outbreak of anti-Irish racism in the world of sport.

Brazen loyalists involved in racist violence, rioting

A racist arson attack in east Belfast has followed days after loyalist paramilitaries in nearby Newtownards dressed up as in full Klu Klux Klan uniform and posed for photographs outside an Islamic centre.

Damning report on council slush fund

A report on the use of council funds in the North to make payments to loyalist paramilitaries and other politically connected groups is a major embarrassment for the main political parties.

Unification can prevent Brexit economic crash - report

The reunification of Ireland would lead to a massive economic windfall for the whole island, while Brexit will have disastrous consequences, a major new international research study has concluded.

No extradition of political prisoners

This week Dublin City Council became the third council to pass motions against the extradition of Irish Republicans to the North. The following is a piece by councillor Ciaran Perry explaining the campaign which saw his motion passed.

Seven reasons not to wear the poppy

It’s time to look at the wider picture of how the poppy pays tribute to so many crimes down the years.

November 6, 2018

‘Bad faith’ over extradition bid against John Downey

Prominent Donegal man and former republican prisoner John Downey is behind bars tonight as part of a surprise bid to extradite him to British jurisdiction to face IRA charges dating from 1972

November 3, 2018

‘Shitshows’ by Brexit Brits

British government ministers are treating the north of Ireland as a colonial outpost which must be visited, however briefly, in order to maintain the validity of their jurisdiction.

Investigators were kept in the dark, papers show

Fresh revelations in the murder of nationalist councillor Patsy Kelly have called into question all previous investigations into the killing.

PSNI notebook was source of loyalist threat

The son of a County Tyrone couple who were shot dead by the unionist paramilitary UVF is to take legal action after discovering a police notebook containing his personal details was in the hands of the same organisation who murdered his parents.

Toibin suspended by Sinn Fein for six months

Sinn Fein TD Peadar Toibin has been suspended from the party for six months in a move which could lead to him contesting his seat as an independent candidate in the next election.

Casey speculates over new right-wing campaign

Business figure and TV personality Peter Casey, who came from nowhere to secure the support of almost one in four voters in the Presidential election, is to try to build a new political movement on the back of apparent support for his right-wing populist comments.