Saturday, July 10, 2010


22 IRISH HUNGER-STRIKERS COMMEMORATED IN DUBLIN , SATURDAY JULY 10th 2010.









The RSF Colour Party and Cumann na mBan members stand to attention as the Piper plays a lament in memory of the 22 Hunger-Strikers.


Forming-up on the isle at the GPO.

On a wet , overcast and very 'clammy' (25 degrees Celsius) Saturday afternoon in the centre of Dublin city - on the traffic isle facing the GPO in O' Connell street - and for the 92nd successive year (ie since 1918) the Republican Movement held a commemoration in Dublin to commemorate those that have died on hunger-strike in this on-going struggle for complete Irish Freedom.
Watched by a crowd of, at times , 500-strong
(most people were intimidated away from the traffic isle by the uniformed and plain-clothed State police and, instead, observed and supported proceedings from the footpaths on both sides of O' Connell Street) , members of Na Fianna Éireann ,Cumann na mBan and an RSF Colour Party followed a Piper from the Garden Of Remembrance to the traffic isle , where they took up position, facing the GPO. The proceedings were Chaired by Andy Connolly , Dublin, who welcomed the crowd , explaining why it was that RSF were there , mentioning the POW's in Portlaoise and Maghaberry , and highlighting the on-going political situation in this country regarding the unwelcome British military and political presence. Andy then called on the first speaker, Shane O'Toole, to deliver his speech, followed by RSF President , Des Dalton both of whom referred to the fact that, at the time each of those twenty-two men lay dying , the representatives of both States - Leinster House and Westminster - regarded them as 'dissidents unworthy of political status'.
Over 500 'booklets' of Irish Republican leaflets
(each 'booklet' consisting of three different leaflets) were distributed during the 90-minute period with many tourists , in particular, looking for more information re the situation in the Occupied Six Counties. Despite the bad weather , the organisers are to be congratulated for holding such a dignified and fitting tribute to the twenty-two hunger-strikers , and it is to the credit of both Shane and Des that they held the crowd at the venue. Andy brought proceedings to an end by asking the Piper , Seán , to play our National Anthem on the bagpipes , which received a sustained round of applause from the hundreds of on-lookers , native and foreign!

We publish with this post a few pictures from the proceedings today , with a proper report to be published in the August 2010 issue of 'Saoirse' , which goes to print on Wednesday 11th of that month.



RSF President , Des Dalton , one of the two speakers at the Hunger-Strike Commemoration in Dublin today , and.....


.....Shane O'Toole , the second speaker at the Commemoration today.


Hunger-Strike banner on display in O'Connell Street , Dublin, today.


Na Fianna Éireann , RSF Colour Party and Cumann na mBan at the GPO , Dublin, Saturday 10th July 2010, paying tribute to the 22 Irish Hunger-Strikers.

Finally , thanks to Frank , Robbie , Aisling , Mags , Paddy E. and Carl, amongst others, for the work they put in today - appreciated by all!
And thanks to
you , for reading!
Sharon.






Wednesday, July 07, 2010


Aitheasc an Uachtaráin Ruairí Ó Brádaigh don 85ú Ard-Fheis de Shinn Féin in Óstlann an Spa , Leamhcán , Co. Atha Cliath , 21ú agus 22ú Deireadh Fómhair , 1989 /
Presidential Address of Ruairí Ó Brádaigh to the 85th Ard-Fheis of Sinn Féin in the Spa Hotel , Lucan , County Dublin , 21st and 22nd October 1989.....


"The other more recently departed group has added insult to injury by getting into the 'Empty Formula' business before changing its name. At least de Valera and company had the decency to change their party name to 'Fianna Fáil' before soiling the honour of their Sinn Féin background by subscribing to the Oath to the British King then required for entry into Leinster House.

The people of the 26 Counties will have , in the next local elections, their first opportunity to express an opinion on these matters. It is up to us to make sure that everybody is fully aware of what is involved , in spite of the mis-representation . It is a challenge to which all real Irish Republicans must respond.

It will require hard work and dedication and , I regret to say, an intense education programme on the part of loyal Cumann members as well as elected Councillors and Head Office , directed towards a younger generation. Many are confused and ill-informed . Lies , propaganda , dishonest history-writing or even the withdrawal of significant historical facts from some school courses have all ensured an air of unreality and uncertainty about our case and our Cause - about the Cause of Irish Republicanism......."


(MORE LATER).






MURDERER* , LIAR , OR BOTH?
(* '1169...' Comment - their word, not ours.)
From 'MAGILL' magazine, December 1997. By Ursula Halligan.





We contacted Seán O' Callaghan and put a number of the questions raised by Mrs Corcoran in her interview with us about the murder* of her husband in 1985. Initially , O' Callaghan said the whole issue was a ".....hideously complicated business..." and that the only thing he was prepared to say was that everything would be clarified when his book was published in May of next year (1998) . " It will be the definitive account," he said.

He would neither confirm nor deny the previous accounts he gave to newspapers on how he murdered* John Corcoran : " It's a much more complicated story than I may have given the impression. Sometimes, in these situations , there were reasons why I chose to say things , " he said , saying, again , that the book would explain everything and that people would be in for "....a shock.." . When asked whether this meant he was saying he did not kill John Corcoran , he refused to confirm or deny the suggestion.

However , Sean O' Callaghan said there was hardly a day that passed when he did not think of Mrs. Corcoran and her family . " I'm desperately sorry for what happened to John Corcoran, " he said. When asked whether he would apologise to Mrs Corcoran for murdering* her husband , he replied - " I can't say that , it's very, very complicated......."
(MORE LATER).





Between 1917 and 1981 , 22 Irish Republican POW's died on hunger-strike. A Rally in honour of these men will be held in Dublin on Saturday 10th July 2010....



Thomas Ashe, Kerry, 5 days, 25 September 1917 (force fed by tube , died as a result).
Terence MacSwiney, Cork, 74 days, 25 October 1920.
Michael Fitzgerald, Cork, 67 days, 17 October 1920.
Joseph Murphy, Cork, 76 days , 25 October 1920 .
Joe Witty, Wexford , 2 September 1923.
Dennis Barry, Cork, 34 days, 20 November 1923.
Andy O Sullivan , Cork, 40 days, 22 November 1923.
Tony Darcy, Galway, 52 days, 16 April 1940.
Jack 'Sean' McNeela, Mayo, 55 days, 19 April 1940.
Sean McCaughey, Tyrone ,22 days, 11 May 1946 (hunger and thirst Strike).
Michael Gaughan, Mayo , 64 days, 3 June 1974.
Frank Stagg, Mayo , 62 days, 12 February 1976.
Bobby Sands, Belfast , 66 days, 5 May 1981.
Frank Hughes , Bellaghy (Derry) , 59 days, 12 May 1981.
Raymond McCreesh , South Armagh , 61 days, 21 May 1981.
Patsy O Hara , Derry , 61 days, 21 May 1981.
Joe McDonnell , Belfast , 61 days, 8 July 1981.
Martin Hurson , Tyrone , 46 days, 13 July 1981.
Kevin Lynch, Dungiven (Derry) ,71 days, 1 August 1981.
Kieran Doherty , Belfast , 73 days, 2 August 1981.
Tom McIlwee , Bellaghy (Derry) , 62 days, 8 August 1981.
Micky Devine , Derry , 60 days, 20 August 1981.


The hunger strike is part of a very ancient Irish tradition, although it seems that James Connolly was the first to use it in 1913 as tool of political protest in 20th century Ireland.
From 20 September 1917, Irish internees used the hunger strike as a means of trying to secure their rights from an implacable enemy.
Thomas Ashe, former principal of Corduff National School,was the first to die after an attempted force-feeding.
Fasting as a means of asserting one's rights when faced with no other means of obtaining redress is something that has been embedded in Irish culture from ancient times. Even when the ancient Irish law system,
the Laws of the Fénechus, which we popularly called the Brehon Laws from the word breitheamh, a judge, were first codified in AD 438, the law relating to the troscad, or hunger strike, was ancient.

The hunger striker gave notice of their intent and, according to the law tract
Di Chetharslicht Athgabhála, if the person who is being fasted against does not come to arbitration, and actually allows the protester to die, then the moral judgement went against them and they endured shame and contempt until they made recompense to the family of the dead person. If they failed to make such amends, they were not only damned by society but damned in the next world. They were held to be without honour and without morality.
The ancient Irish texts are full of examples of people fasting to assert their rights and shame powerful enemies into accepting their moral obligations. St Patrick is recorded to have done so according to
the Tripartite Life of St Patrick. And, in the Life of St Ailbe, we found St Lugid and St Salchin, carrying out ritual fasts to protest.
Even
King Conall Dearg of Connacht fasted when he found his rights infringed. And the entire population of Leinster fasted against St Colmcille when he rode roughshod over their rights. The poet Mairgen mac Amalgado mac Mael Ruain of the Deisi fasted against another poet Finguine over an act of perceived injustice.
The troscad continued in Irish law throughout the centuries until the English conquests proscribed the native law system and foisted English law on Ireland through a series of Acts between 1587 and 1613.
Nevertheless, individual fasts against the cruelties of the English colonial administration are recorded several times over the subsequent years....


On Saturday 10th July 2010 , in Dublin , a Rally will be held to commemorate the 22 Irish Hunger-Strikers : those attending are asked to assemble at the Garden of Remembrance at One pm , from where the Parade will leave , to make its way to the isle facing the GPO in O'Connell street.
All Welcome!
Sharon.