New Year statements 2025

Statements issued in the name of republican groups to mark the arrival of the New Year.

Irish Republican Socialist Movement

The leadership of the Irish Republican Socialist Movement sends warm festive and New Year greetings to our members, supporters, families, and friends across Ireland and beyond. As the year ends, we particularly extend our solidarity to the Palestinian people, who continue to endure the brutality of genocide and apartheid under the Israeli regime. Their unwavering resistance inspires us all, reaffirming the universality of the struggle for justice, freedom, and self-determination.

2024: 50 Years of Struggle

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Irish Republican Socialist Movement, a milestone commemorated with events across Ireland that celebrated the sacrifices, resilience, and dedication of our members. These commemorations were not only a reflection on our history but also a renewal of our collective determination to overcome the challenges ahead.

The sacrifices made by our comrades over the decades have shaped and strengthened the IRSM. As we look forward, we do so with a commitment to remain steadfast in our principles and adaptable to the demands of the political and social landscape.

Growth and Activism in 2024

The Irish Republican Socialist Movement continued to expand in 2024, welcoming new members and deepening our work in working-class communities. Our Drop the Rents campaign saw tangible successes in Belfast and the North West, exposing the greed of landlords and advocating for housing justice.

The IRSP has always stood with working people, addressing systemic inequality, empowering communities, and challenging anti-social behaviours that stem from neglect and exploitation. While much of this work occurs discreetly due to its sensitive nature, our activists remain tireless in driving change and improving the lives of those we serve.

Political Challenges and Developments

The election of a new British government in 2024 brought fresh waves of austerity, exacerbating the hardships faced by working-class communities in the North of Ireland. This government’s refusal to engage with calls for a Border Poll further exposes its commitment to maintaining partition at all costs, denying democracy and perpetuating inequality.

Stormont, meanwhile, has again proven itself incapable of defending the most vulnerable, reinforcing its status as a failed institution designed to preserve division and uphold British rule.

The PSNI remains indistinguishable from its RUC predecessor. Decades after its supposed reform, harassment of activists, families, and journalists continues under MI5 directives. The IRSP urges those collaborating with the PSNI to abandon this failed project and join us in demanding true accountability and justice.

In the Free State, the late 2024 election once again exposed the limitations of the constitutional path. The political systems in both the North and South are engineered to preserve the capitalist status quo, forcing those who participate to compromise their ideals. While the IRSP considers elections as one of many tactical options, we will continue to evaluate their strategic value and use them only when they advance our broader objectives.

This year, we also released a detailed position on immigration, reaffirming our commitment to putting the economic needs of working-class communities first. In a post-partition Ireland, we assert the right to control our borders to prevent capitalist exploitation while maintaining a commitment to fairness and solidarity.

International Solidarity

The hypocrisy of Western powers was once again evident in 2024, as they continued to arm and support Israel’s genocide in Palestine. The bombing, shooting, and killing of Palestinians are carried out with Western complicity, particularly at the behest of Washington. Across the Middle East and beyond, imperialist aggression and expansionism persist. The IRSP stands in unwavering solidarity with all those resisting imperialism, from Palestine, Lebanon, and Yemen to Syria, Iran, Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.

We also reaffirm our support for comrades in the Donbass, who, despite over two years of intense warfare fueled by NATO and its proxies in Kiev, remain resolute in their fight against imperialist aggression.

Adaptability and Commitment to Tactics

The survival and growth of the Irish Republican Socialist Movement for over 50 years is rooted in its dual commitment to steadfast principles and tactical adaptability. The IRSP is fully prepared to deploy any and all tactics as demanded by circumstances, ensuring our struggle remains dynamic, effective, and responsive to the evolving political landscape.

Whether through grassroots activism, direct action, or strategic engagement, the IRSP stands ready to confront challenges head-on. Our adaptability has always been a strength, allowing us to remain relevant and effective in pursuing the twin goals of National Liberation and Socialism.

Advancing Irish Unity

The movement for Irish Unity continues to build momentum, yet it risks being hijacked by constitutional nationalists who prioritise the interests of the capitalist elite over those of working people. The IRSP remains committed to ensuring that the push for Unity centres on grassroots activism and working-class empowerment.

In 2025, we will intensify our efforts to reinvigorate the Yes for Unity campaign, ensuring it remains rooted in the principles of justice, equality, and socialism. A united Ireland must not simply recreate the existing inequalities but instead offer a new vision that prioritises the needs of the majority.

Honouring Our Past, Building Our Future

As 2024 draws to a close, we honour the sacrifices of our comrades, past and present, and pay tribute to the former prisoners and their families who have endured immeasurable personal costs in the fight for liberation. Their courage and resilience remain the foundation of our struggle and a source of inspiration as we press forward.

Forward to 2025!

As we enter the new year, let us carry forward the spirit of those who came before us. Guided by our unwavering principles and strengthened by our adaptability, we will continue to fight for a Socialist Republic and the liberation of all working people.

Forward to the Socialist Republic!

Forward to Victory!

Saoirse go Deo!

Irish Republican Army (New IRA)

The leadership of the Irish Republican Army would like to wish all genuine Republican activists, supporters and friends a Happy New Year.

We give a special mention Republican Political prisoners in Hydebank, Portlaoise and Maghaberry who show their continued resilience against the oppressive regimes whilst shown full support for the ongoing struggle for Irish liberation. These prisons are designed to break the political mindsets of Republican prisoners and deter current Republican activism across Ireland, this has not worked in the past nor will it in the present. We salute your strength and resilience!

We would like to commend the volunteers of the Irish Republican Army in their continued dedication to the cause of Irish freedom. We urge you to continue your training, to stay focused, vigilant and prepared to strike at the crown forces when ordered to do so. We continue to salute your bravery, have a Revolutionary New Year!

To all likeminded Revolutionary organizations across the globe and from individuals that sympathize with our struggle, we would like to thank you for your ongoing support and wish you all a Revolutionary New Yearl

A special mention to the Palestinian freedom fighters, the axis of resistance and all our Arab comrades who have shown the Zionist and western colonial forces the Revolutionary spirit of resistance. Over the past year, you have shaken the Zionist state to its illegal core and have changed the political landscape of other once Zionist friendly states with your heroic acts of defiance. You’re an inspiration to all revolutionaries around the world. Like ours, may your colonial chains once and for all be broken. We salute you and wish you a Revolutionary New Year!

We note in the past year the advanced co-operation between the British and Free state security forces in their attempts to dismantle the Republican movement. This will not deter, distract or break us. We are focused, our aims are clear! Until the British government commit to removing itself from treland and leave Ireland to control its own affairs, we will continue target its Installations and its crown force personnel when and where we choose.

Happy New Year, From the Irish Republican Army!

Signed, T O’Neill

Irish Socialist Republicans

The leadership of the Revolutionary Irish Socialist Republican Movement extends or greetings to our membership and supporters at home and abroad. We thank you for the dedication and commitment you showed through revolutionary activism throughout 2024 in the struggle for a 32 County Socialist Republic and we encourage you to redouble your efforts to advance the cause of Freedom and Socialism in 2025. We give the commitment that we will be doing the same.

As 2025 begins we extend our solidarity greetings to all Irish Republican Prisoners of war, revolutionary men and women held in Portlaoise, Hydebank and Maghaberry Prisons because they believe in the legitimate cause of an free and sovereign All Ireland Republic. In particular we extend our solidarity and take the opportunity to raise the case of Sean Walsh, now entering his 4th year of internment in Portlaoise at the behest of British imperialiam, who are intent to extradite him to occupied Ireland. The Republican cause would be greatly strengthened in 2025 if all Republican Organisations and independents worked together to resist British Extradition in Ireland.

We further extend our solidarity to all Revolutionary Irish Republicans who, like us remain committed and active in the fight for the All Ireland Republic and we look forward to working with you in the year ahead on common issues and campaigns that advance our struggle for Irish National Liberation.

This new year, as imperialism continues to be stretched and frayed around the edges, the international trend is of wars, a growing Anti Imperialism and of revolutions. The Irish Struggle for National Liberation must be understood within this international context and every act that weakens imperialism strengthens the Revolution in our own country.

It is for this reason we continue to stand in solidarity with all Revolutionary movements fighting for the defeat of imperialism from Latin America, to the Philippines, from India to the Basque Country. We also extend our solidarity to the revolutionaries fighting in in the Imperialist cores of the United States and Europe where the class struggle is heating up and can only lead to the strengthening of Revolutionary Forces.

In particular we extend our solidarity to the revolutionaries and national resistance in Palestine. To our comrades in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades and to the Axis of Resistance, we continue to stand with you as you wage the war of National Liberation against Zionism and Imperialism in the Middle East. The Palestinian National Resistance has shown the revolutionaries of the world what is possible through the Revolutionary Armed Struggle in the 21st Century, but their fight is far from over and All Revolutionaries must continue to develop genuine solidarity with the Palestinian Resistance throughout 2025 through action, not words . In this regard we note and commend the work of Saoirse don Phalaisín and other Palestinian solidarity activist groups that have been committed to direct action over the last 12 months.

In Ireland as the year begins, British Imperialiam and the Free State remain at war with Irish Republicans and our communities. Repression and harassment of Republicans across the 32 counties has been stepped up and MI5 are given a free hand to carry our their nefarious operations across Ireland. The British Military remains in open occupation of 6 Irish Counties and there are growing reports of unidentified British Soldiers engaging in operations against Republican activists alongside the colonial militia, the RUC/PSNI. Yet despite all of the efforts of British imperialiam and the Free State, despite the surveillance, repression and harassment of Irish Republicans the struggle continues, the Revolutionary Armed Struggle in Ireland continues and despite all claims to the contrary, the Republican struggle is growing.

And it is because of this growth that Britain and the Free State wage a well oiled campaign of censorship against Revolutionary Republicans, ensuring Republican platforms are removed from social media and enforcing a virtual blackout of Republican activism in the corporate media. This campaign of censorship is carried out in the hope that the Republican Position will not be heard, but the continued growth of the Anti Imperialist Movement demonstrates that campaign is failing. The Revolutionary Socialist Republican Movement commits that in 2025 we will launch a number of new initiatives along side our monthly paper An Phoblacht Abú, to combat and resist British and Free State censorship and bring the Revolutionary Republican message to the Irish working class.

The corporate media is the tool of our oppressors. We need our own revolutionary media. The recent case of the portrayal of the Price Sisters, Irish Republican heros, in the ‘Say Nothing’ book and television programme demonstrates how the corporate media is used as a tool on the war against Irish Republicans. We take this opportunity to extend our solidarity and support to the veteran Republican Activist, Marion Price in the face of the current felon setting that no doubt originates from within the central corridors of the British Imperialist establishment.

The Free State election of November 2024 demonstrates that the numbers of people, particularly working class people, refusing to vote in the electoral circus continues to rise. The recent Free State election was the lowest turnout since 1922. This provides a number of important opportunities for Revolutionary Republicanism.

To achieve victory, the Revolutionary Irish Socialist Republican Movement must be rooted in and advance the struggles of the Irish Working Class. The growing numbers of people boycotting elections provide fertile ground for Republicans to begin building the Revolutionary Alternative to British Imperialiam and the Free State.

But to do this, Republican activists must bee rooted in our communities, engaging in Republican community activism and explaining the Revolutionary Republican Position and how it is of benefit to the working class. Throughout 2025, the Revolutionary Irish Socialist Republican Movement will continue and step up our community activism, embedding ourselves in working class communities across the country to take an active part in the struggles of those communities through our mass organisation Anti Imperialist Action Ireland and through the involvement of our members and supporters in tenants and residents associations, trade unions, sporting and cultural organisations. The 32 County All Ireland People’s Republic has to be built from the bottom up, begining by providing the vehicle for the class and national Liberation struggle in communities across Ireland.

As the Revolutionary movements continues to grow this work, building a real and organic base among the masses must be a key priority of the movement as it is essential for building strength in the short term and achieving revolutionary victory in the long term. In 2025 our movement will not be foud wanting on this front.

Along side the continued building of the fight for national liberation, class, cultural and economic resistance must also be developed as weapons in the fight against imperialism, providing more and more opportunities for people to become involved in the revolutionary struggle. Direct actions in the class struggle, to promote the Irish Language and Culture and against foreign Imperialist corporations in Ireland must be key parts of the activism of all Revolutionaries here in the year ahead. Acts of economic and cultural resistance against imperialism are a essential but all to often overlooked way to win the support and mobilise the working class into the struggle for freedom.

2025 will be an important year for the Revolutionary Socialist Republican Movement and the struggle for National Liberation and Socialist Revolution in Ireland. We appeal to all those who agree with our aims and objectives to get involved and help in any way you can. 2025 will be another year of Resistance, another year in the fight for the freedom of our Country and Our Class and another year closer to the inevitable British Withdrawal and the Reestablishment of the 32 County All Ireland People’s Republic, Proclaimed in Arms in 1916. We are ready and willing to play our part. Are you?

Beir Bua, Tiocfaidh Ár Lá An Lár Choiste Irish Socialist Republicans.

Sinn Féin Poblachtach (Republican Sinn Féin)

The British still holds firmly onto the Occupied Six Counties which has been rightly described as economically depressed and dependent on British subsidies for its survival. It is evident that our pro-British political class lacks the steadfastness and conviction necessary to truly represent the interests of our nation. Their unwavering loyalty to British policies and agendas signifies a concerning level of susceptibility to external influence, compromising their ability to truly advocate for the needs and desires of our citizenry.

The pliability of these individuals raises questions about their integrity and commitment to serving the best interests of our country, as they appear more inclined towards appeasing foreign powers than prioritising the welfare of our own people. It is imperative that we hold this political class accountable. This is not achievable under any pro-British Stormont administration.

In the 26 Counties the recent election has returned to power the same political parties who have misgoverned it for over 100 years. Sadly, the Irish people did not see an alternative to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and decided the devil they knew was preferable to a party which has changed its coat on numerous occasions in the recent past.

Republicans have always recognised that securing a British withdrawal is not an end in itself but merely the beginning of creating a new society throughout the whole of Ireland whereby the conquest of centuries would be totally undone.

The constitution of Sinn Féin Poblachtach advocates not merely the complete overthrow of British rule in Ireland but also the setting up of a federal, democratic socialist republic based on the Proclamation of 1916.

Those of us who believe in a future of an all-Ireland political landscape consisting of Éire Nua, a Sinn Féin Poblachtach blueprint whereby A NEW IRELAND is in the making. While having the tools in hand the youth of Ireland would be on the march demanding radical change in Irish society.

The partition system of government, North and South, has failed and the gross inequalities in our society will no longer be tolerated. Sinn Féin Poblachtach demands more for all our people whether it be Protestant, Catholic or Dissenter.

Become part of revolutionary Ireland. Join Sinn Féin Poblachtach and play your part in shaping the new Ireland.

An Phoblacht Abú.

Lasair Dhearg

As our struggle continues into another year Lasair Dhearg sends revolutionary greetings to our members and supporters across Ireland and further afield. We extend our solidarity to those people across the world who suffer at the hands of capitalism and imperialism, as well as those fighting injustice in pursuit of a better world. Furthermore, we send our support to those imprisoned for their part in this fight, here in Ireland and around the world. In particular this year we have in our thoughts the people of the Middle East, as they continue their resistance to Zionist occupation and genocide which, after 14 months in Palestine and Lebanon, is now threatening to engulf the wider region.

This year has been a pivotal one in the development of Lasair Dhearg. We have experienced substantial growth in membership, fuelled by our ongoing campaigns against both failed states in Ireland, as well as our continued support for anti-imperialist movements throughout the world.

After seven years of consolidation and growth, heavily interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, we reached the point this year where we felt confident in transitioning from a caretaker leadership to a National Executive formally elected by our membership. As such, this October saw Lasair Dhearg hold our inaugural Ard Fheis in Belfast, where our members joined with invited guests and supporters from across Ireland. The structures and policies decided upon by our membership on that day have set the foundations for our continued growth over the coming years.

Among the outcomes of the Ard Fheis was the adoption of our “Immigration, Capitalism & Imperialism in Ireland” policy. As the spectre of fascism once again rears its head here in Ireland and elsewhere, our new policy aims to provide people with evidence of the reality of immigration into Ireland, and how it is used as a tool by the combined forces of Capitalism and Imperialism to manipulate the working class. Our document sets out a comprehensive rebuttal to the right’s mountain of lies around these issues and Lasair Dhearg’s proposals for dealing with them, both in the current capitalist system and in a future Irish Socialist Republic. The culmination of approximately 18 months of research and editing, this is the most substantial work developed by our organisation so far. We believe that within Socialist Republicanism and the wider Irish ‘left’, no other critique has yet been developed that deals with these three intertwined issues in such detail.

Alongside this, our activism continued unabated, driven by our growth in membership. Whether on the streets, at protests, or through direct action, we continued to highlight and oppose the ongoing occupation of our country and those who profit from it. From our action changing road signs welcoming people to ‘Occupied Ireland’ on the Derry-Donegal border to our targeting of Spirit AeroSystems billboards in Belfast, our activism has been seen by more than 5 million people across our social media platforms this year, exposing new audiences to Lasair Dhearg’s Socialist Republican platform.

Unfortunately, the highs of our successful year of activism were brought into perspective by the immense low experienced on the tragic loss of our friend and comrade Dannielle Meighan. A founding member of Lasair Dhearg and a well-known face in the local community, Dannielle was highly respected for her deeply held beliefs and her relentless activism. Despite long struggles with illness, she was among our most active members and helped drive the establishment of ‘Israeli Goods Free Zones’ across many areas of West Belfast as part of the wider campaign against Israeli Genocide.

Like many of us, she was also a passionate anti-fascist and would never give up an opportunity to face them down. Dannielle was given a well-earned and dignified send off in September by her family, friends, neighbours and comrades. The large attendance was testament to the regard in which she was held. As we move into 2025 and beyond, Dannielle will be at the forefront of our thoughts and our activism will be driven by a desire to do her proud.

In the coming year, Lasair Dhearg will build upon the solid foundations that have been put in place. We will continue to face down fascism in our communities across Ireland and eradicate the poison that has infected many of our people. These people have been enabled by those in the Western establishment, including the British government, and European Union and United States imperialists who for so long have exploited our country, culturally, politically and financially. Their landlords, businessmen and politicians across Ireland have driven our people to the edge, so that we now have a situation where to have a secure home is increasingly seen as an unattainable luxury. This cannot be allowed to continue.

Our thoughts can now turn to the task we have been assigned – the rebuilding of Irish Republicanism. The Republican movement finds itself in a quagmire, the likes of which it has not faced for many, many decades. Treacherous constitutional nationalists, hand in hand with their British paymasters, have co-opted the Movement, alongside the knowledge, expertise and resources built up over many years by principled and dedicated Republicans.

While these people bend the knee to our enemies, our generation has instead dedicated itself to learning from the mistakes of the past and once again building, from the ground up, a Movement fit for the future. This process has already begun; we hope that 2025 will see Lasair Dhearg, alongside other like-minded comrades from other organisations and none, make further strides towards this goal.

In building this Movement we will place ourselves at the forefront of opposition to imperialism, British or otherwise. When our task is complete, Ireland will be free from the plough to the stars.

Onwards to the Socialist Republic.

Beirigí bua! Bígí Linn. Join us.

32 County Sovereignty Movement

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement sends revolutionary greetings to all republican and socialist activists, to all imprisoned comrades and their families and to all our people struggling in their social and economic lives.

We especially send solidarity greetings to the people of occupied Palestine as they withstand the genocidal onslaught from Zionist and western imperialist forces. The ongoing colonisation and displacement of peoples throughout the Middle East is leaving a trail of devastation in its wake with the added destructive legacy that proxy Western regimes visit upon their own people in terms of persecution, corruption and theft of national resources.

We commend the activism of the BDS Movement, and all Palestinian support groups and we urge republican involvement at every level to counter the Western-Zionist genocide against the people of Palestine.

As we enter yet another year with the partition of our country more entrenched than ever, and Irish republicanism reduced to the status of impotent bystanders, we reiterate our call for a radical rethink within Irish republicanism. We are in the midst of generational change wherein the political influence that can be brought to bear does not stem from an experience of the recent phase of our struggle but of its relevance, if any, that republicans can bring from it to the Ireland of today.

The result of the recent election in the Twenty-Six Counties confirms our analysis that the body politic of that state is firmly in the control of conservative and reactionary elements across the electoral spectrum. The issue of ending partition was completely absent from that campaign which means for the foreseeable future the restoration of our national sovereignty will have zero electoral value for the political careerists.

In an editorial in the Belfast Media, a Provisional Sinn Fein mouthpiece, a stark admission was made that the direction which policing in the Six Counties is taking is in accordance with that republican analysis which vigorously warned against accepting the RUC/PSNI in the first place.

But such an admission cannot be isolated to one arm of the functioning of the statelet. The malaise runs deep in the very fabric of the gerrymandered entity vindicating the republican view that partition is beyond reform and that only the full restoration of our national sovereignty can bring peace and prosperity to all the people of Ireland.

British control over the Six Counties is not dependent on a functioning Stormont, which is self-evident, nor is there redemption for Irish republicanism if that institution collapses. These are the distractions carefully fostered by London and Dublin and used by establishment nationalists to feign revolutionary intent. Yet this is the prevailing narrative which goes largely unchallenged and entering 2025 this is what Irish republicanism must urgently address with a revolutionary narrative of our own.

Mary Lou McDonald (Sinn Féin)

In 2025, Sinn Féin will work relentlessly with determination and ambition to advance the Republican vision for Ireland’s future.

In the Executive, in the Assembly and in Oireachtas, Sinn Féin will continue to stand-up for working people and for communities throughout Ireland. We will be their voice; we will represent them, and we will work to make their lives better. We will hold the incoming government to account with purpose, energy, and passion.

2025 must be the year in which we see real progress for workers and families. We cannot afford another five years of Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael crises in housing, health, childcare, the cost of living and their scandalous waste of public money.

Sinn Féin will continue to advance our groundbreaking plans to end the housing crisis, transform our health services, deliver affordable childcare, and reduce living costs in the long term. We will champion a future of economic growth, the strengthening of workers’ rights, social progress and prosperity – a future in which we strive for climate justice and energy independence, where we uphold the right of our young people to have their opportunity to build a good future in Ireland and ensure that there is a route home for those who have left.

We will fight on the side of ordinary people to make a difference and to convince even more people that, with their support, a real alternative to perpetual Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael governments is possible. Our goal remains – to deliver the first government for working people in the history of the state. We will keep working to make this a reality.

This is a time of generational change in Ireland. The momentum continues to grow for the ending of partition and the reunification of our country. The incoming government must prioritise planning and preparations for constitutional change.

These next steps must include publishing a green paper on Irish Unity, appointing a Minister for Reunification at the Department of An Taoiseach, setting up an Oireachtas Committee on Constitutional Change and establishing an inclusive Citizens’ Assembly on Unity.

Irish Unity referendums must happen in this decade. The people, north and south, must have their say. It is the responsibility of both governments, in Dublin and London, to play a leading role in fostering a mature and positive conversation about the future.

The people of Ireland have resolutely stood with the people of Palestine and Gaza over the past year as they’ve endured slaughter, mass displacement, and starvation – brutal human rights violations at the hands of the Israeli regime. The new year must bring an immediate ceasefire and an end to this genocide. The incoming government must lead the international community holding Israel to accounts through sanctions. This means passing the Occupied Territories Bill once the Dáil reconvenes. There can be no more delay, no more excuses, only decisive action.

Above all, 2025 will be a year of dedicated activism as we reach for the Ireland envisaged by the proclamation. As always, Sinn Féin representatives and grassroots members will be on the ground, in our communities campaigning on the issues that really matter to working people.

We are driven by ambition, by hope, by the unwavering belief that Ireland can be a better, fairer, more equal place. To those who share this belief, I say – we are on your side, we have your back, and we are not giving up. Not now. Not ever.

Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh.

Urgent Appeal