Saoradh POW Dept statement on denial of compassionate bail to Peter Granaghan

Saoradh POW Department want to voice our outrage that Republican Prisoner, Peter Granaghan was today refused compassionate bail to attend his mother’s funeral.

Despite assurances to the court that Peter would be accompanied at all times by Conal McFeely and Peter Bunting his application was denied.
Confirming once again that there is no compassion to be found in a British Court for Republican Prisoners.

Saoradh POW Department sent our solidarity to Peter and the Granaghan family at this difficult time.

New from Éirígí

 

Éirígí For A New Republic Stands In Solidarity With Morales And Bolivia

Éirígí For a New Republic condemns the ongoing right-wing coup in Bolivia and stands in solidarity with Evo Morales and the Movement For Socialism (MAS).  The usurpation of the MAS mandate and the Bolivian democratic process by a coalition of US backed right-wing oligarchs, mercenary gangs and sections of the Bolivian security forces must be condemned by all progressives across the globe.

https://eirigi.org/latestnews/2019/11/14/irg-for-a-new-republic-stands-in-solidarity-with-morales-and-bolivia

 

UP Housing Successfully Launched In Wexford Town

The official launch of the UP Housing campaign took place in Wexford Town on Tuesday (November 12th) in the Coolcotts Community Centre. The meeting was attended by citizens from the town as well as Enniscorthy, Bunclody and elsewhere.

Following an introduction by local Éirígí member Gary O’Brien, Cathaoirleach Éirígí Brian Leeson gave a presentation explaining the key elements of Universal Public Housing.

https://eirigi.org/latestnews/2019/11/13/up-housing-successfully-launched-in-wexford-town

 

O’Devaney Gardens – When Gombeens Do What Gombeens Do

As disappointing as the vote was, it came as no surprise to anyone that understands the true nature of the Twenty-Six County state and the Gombeen political class that rule it.

The Gombeen has been a feature of Irish life for centuries. Through invasion, plantation, starvation, deportation and

Talk on north inner-city Dublin’s experience of the Great Hunger

In Review: Jeffrey Leddin’s “The ‘Labour Hercules’: The Irish Citizen Army and Irish Republicanism, 1913-23”

by Daniel Murray

“If you or anybody else expect that I’m going to waste my time talking ‘bosh’ to the crowds,” James Connolly was heard to say, “for the sake of hearing shouts, you’ll be sadly disappointed.” He preferred instead to “give my message to four serious men at any crossroads in Ireland and know that they carry it back to the places they came from.”

This would prove to be more than just ‘bosh’ on Connolly’s part. A stiffening of the Irish Citizen Army (ICA) was noted in October 1914, upon his assumption of its leadership, with the announcement of a mandatory parade for all members. Rifles were to be “thoroughly cleaned”, anyone absent would be noted and latecomers refused admittance.

Meanwhile, articles by Connolly started to appear in the Workers’ Republic, critiquing the. . .

continue reading here.

SPI leaflet against 1911 Royal Visit

Britain’s George V visited Ireland in July 1911.  The protests against this visit were the first point we can see the coming together of the forces which would launch armed rebellion five years later.  Crucial to the protests was the Socialist Party, whose leaders included James Connolly and Constance Markievicz.

Two years later, Markievicz would be a central founding leader of the workers’ militia, the Irish Citizen Army, and serve on its Army Council from then until the Rising.  Connolly was living in Belfast at the time of the founding of the ICA in November 1913. He would return to Dublin and take over leadership of both the Transport Union and the ICA from James Larkin when Larkin departed for the United States in October 1914.

Below is the text of the leaflet issued in 1911 to Dublin workers by the SPI branch in the city. 

 

THE ROYAL VISIT.

“The great appear great to us only because we are on our knees:

                                                                              LET US RISE.”

Fellow-Workers,

As you are aware from reading the daily and weekly newspapers, we are about to be blessed with a visit from King George V.

Knowing from previous experience of Royal Visits, as well as from the Coronation orgies of the past few weeks, that the occasion will be utilised to make propaganda on behalf of royalty and aristocracy against the oncoming forces of democracy and National freedom, we desire to place before you some few reasons why you should unanimously refuse to countenance this visit, or to recognise it by your presence at its attendant processions or demonstrations. We appeal to you as workers, speaking to workers, whether your work be that of the brain or of the hand – manual or mental toil – it is of you and your children we are thinking; it is your cause we wish to safeguard and foster.

The future of the working class requires that all political and social positions should be open to all men and women; that all privileges of birth or wealth be abolished, and that every man or woman born into this land should have an equal opportunity to attain to the proudest position in the land. The Socialist demands that the only birthright necessary to qualify for public office should be the birthright of our common humanity.

Believing as we do that there is nothing on earth more sacred than humanity, we deny all allegiance to this institution of royalty, and hence we can only regard the visit of the King as adding

Photos of Vol Bobby Sands, Vol Jimmy Roe

Bobby Sands on left; Jimmy Roe on right, with Tricolour.

Bobby died on hunger strike in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh in 1981; Jimmy, one of an earlier generation of fighters, rejoined the armed struggle at the start of the 1970s, in his 40s, and died in 1996.

John McAnulty on lessons of People’s Democracy & 50+ years of revolutionary struggle in Ireland

Some time back I suggested to my friend Mick that John McAnulty was someone he should interview for his series of videos.  I have a bit to do with John from time to time as I have immense admiration and respect for the original People’s Democracy group.  I finally met John in Belfast in 2013 and spent several hours talking to him.  Mick also got John down to speak in Dublin a couple of years ago to speak on political developments involving anarchism and Marxism (with anarchist Alan MacSimeon) in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  Alan, sadly, has since died.

 

Left for Unity rally, Sat, October 26

The risen children. . .

I actually saw this on Jim Lane’s fb page.  So much good stuff there.

New from Éirígí

Below are outlines of some of the articles and analysis from the month gone.

This weeks budget in the 26 counties, continued the ongoing and sustained attack on the least well off. The 26 county government has used every excuse from Brexit, to the housing crisis, to the climate disaster as an opportunity to continue the flow of wealth from the poorest in the state to the richest.

Join the Fightback.

 

Concentration Of Ultra-Wealthy In Twenty-Six Counties Fifth Highest In The World

A recent report by Wealth-X entitled “World Ultra Wealth Report 2019” highlights the one-way class war that is being waged by the ultra-wealthy on the rest of the global population.  Defining the ultra-wealthy as individuals who hold a net worth of $30m or more, the report finds that 265,490 such people control $32,000,000,000,000 ($32tn) worth of wealth collectively.  This equates to an average of $121m per individual.

http://eirigi.org/latestnews/2019/10/10/concentration-of-ultra-wealthy-in-twenty-six-counties-fifth-highest-in-the-world

 

A €210,000,000,000 Debt Bomb – The True Cost Of Gombeen Capitalism

During the Celtic Tiger period the debt level of the Twenty-Six County state as relatively stable at about €43,000,000,000 (€43bn). This meant that each worker was carrying a debt of about €22,600.This all changed dramatically when the property market collapsed and the private banking sector went into freefall. On the night of September 28th, 2008 a small group of gombeen politicians from Fianna Fail and The Green Party met with senior civil servants and top bankers to develop a plan to prevent the private banks from going…..well….bankrupt.

The following morning the nation and the wider world woke to the incredible news that the government had guaranteed all of the debts of the private banks, with a potential liability of €440,000,000,000 (€440bn).

http://eirigi.org/latestnews/2019/10/4/a-210000000000-debt-bomb-the-true-cost-of-gombeen-capitalism

 

Teaching Of Irish Must Be Reformed And Prioritised In All Schools

Some senior civil servants have for years worked behind the scenes to marginalise Irish in the education system. Many Irish speakers believe that the issue of derogations is merely the thin end of the wedge and that the compulsory status of Irish will come under fire next. 

http://eirigi.org/latestnews/2019/10/2/teaching-of-irish-must-be-reformed-and-prioritised-in-all-schools

 

Break The Barriers To Education
Third-level education in the Twenty-Six Counties is rapidly becoming inaccessible for large amounts of our young people. Student accommodation costs across the state have risen sharply, with most college students seeing significant rent increases in recent years

Vast amounts of student accommodation have been built across the state by large multinational corporations, keen to take advantage of desperate students.  The rent of more than 90% of student accommodation units built since 2016 is over €800 per-month.

http://eirigi.org/latestnews/2019/10/2/break-the-barriers-to-education

 

On The Shoulders….Bobby Sands – The Rhythm Of Time
Much has been written about the hunger strikers over the years, and no doubt more will be written in the future. However, today we will let a piece by one of them speak for itself. As part of our On the Shoulders of Giants series, today we reproduce The Rhythm of Time, a poem by the first hunger striker to die, Bobby Sands.
http://eirigi.org/latestnews/2019/10/3/on-the-shouldersbobby-sands-the-rhythm-of-time

Get Involved In The Campaign For Universal Public Housing

UP Housing – Universal Public Housing – has the potential to permanently end the housing crisis and radically transform Irish society in the process. When other political parties politely ask for more ‘social and affordable’ housing, they are essentially begging for more of the same – for a slight tweak to the current housing system.

http://eirigi.org/latestnews/2019/9/22/get-involved-in-the-campaign-for-universal-public-housing

Join Us
Are you ready to join the fight for a New Republic?

The right-wing political, economic and social forces that dominate Ireland today are deeply-embedded, well-resourced and highly-organised.  They will not give up their power or privileges easily.  It will take great patience, discipline and organisation to build a movement that will replace the existing two failed states with one new all-Ireland Republic.
http://eirigi.org/join