Afleveringen
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Another step in the right direction
The decision by MicheĂĄl Martin last week to oppose Sinn FĂ©inâs âPlanning for Constitutional Change Bill 2026â was no real surprise. His opposition to any meaningful planning for Irish Unity has been transparently obvious for many years. Despite Fine Gael spokespersons declaring that Fine Gael would not oppose the Sinn FĂ©in Bill they then chose to support An Taoiseach. No surprise there. Simon Harris is TĂĄnaiste to MicheĂĄl Martinâs Taoiseach. For Fine Gael to step away from a united government approach would have likely had serious repercussions for the coalition government.
I spent the day in Leinster House on the day of the debate and it was clear from my conversations with some Fianna Fail TDs and the Sinn FĂ©in team, who had spent significant time speaking to TDs from other parties and none, that there is a significant number of them deeply unhappy with âThe Republican Partyâ turning its face against a common sense Bill that would have advanced the discussion about the future.
Irish Republicanism & âThe Gaysâ Exhibition
Next Wednesday, 22 July, an important exhibition will open in Ăras UĂ Chonghaile in Belfast. It examines the relationship between Irish Republicanism and âThe Gaysâ. For those of a certain age who remember in particular the hunger strikes of 1980 and 1981, the support of members of the gay community in Ireland in solidarity with the men on the Blanket Protest in the H-Blocks and the women in Armagh Prison, was evident at many of the demonstrations that took place. Their banners were always front and centre and were well received by the crowds in attendance.
The exhibition records the fact that it was a gay republican prisoner writing in the H-Blocks in 1991 who pointed out that âgay men and lesbian women have been involved in the struggle for national liberation and independence as long as any other section of our people.â He was right.
Moore St. should be bought by the Government
Last week it was announced that the London developer Hammerson had sold the Carlton site on OâConnell Street to Transport Infrastructure Ireland. Hammerson is the company that owns part of the 1916 Moore St. Battlefield site and the Carlton site connects it to OâConnell St.
Responding to the news James Connolly Heron of the Moore St. Preservation Trust pointed out that under the Hammerson plan the former Carlton site was to be the gateway to a shopping mall extending into Moore Lane and Moore Street. This was to include the demolition of part of the terrace, the last headquarters of the leaders of The 1916 Rising. We were told that this was essential for retail âfootfallâ.
James Connolly Heron pointed out that: âThe sale of the Carlton site renders
The Glorious Twelfth.
Now that the Twelfth has come and gone it is long past the time for opinion makers within unionism to chart out a course to regulate the building of Twelfth bonfires so that they are safer, legal and community friendly. The Orange Parade in Rossnowlagh in Donegal should be an example to the âLoyalâ Orders of what is possible. Is anyone out there within the Orange or Unionist leaders up for that challenge?
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Unionism and Unity
This week significant developments that can shape the future direction of constitutional politics on this island are taking place in Leinster House. On Tuesday Sinn FĂ©inâs Bill setting out a practical plan to achieve a united Ireland is up for discussion. Fine Gael is moving ahead with its plan for a blueprint for Irish Unity for November. And other parties, including the Social Democrats and Labour have expressed their support for Unity and notwithstanding MicheĂĄl Martinâs opposition, it is obvious that there are many within Fianna FĂĄil who understand that planning for Unity makes sense.
National Hunger Strike Commemoration for Mayo
Wednesday 8 July was the 45 anniversary of the death on hunger strike of Joe McDonnell. Joe was the fifth of the ten hunger strikers who were to die in 1981. Last week the 45th Anniversary National Hunger Strike Commemoration was officially launched in Mayo. The march and rally to honour those ten hunger strikers, and three Mayo hunger strikers Michael Gaughan (1974) and Frank Stagg (1976), and Jack McNeela (1940), will take place in Ballina on Sunday, 30 August.
'Our Chains will be Broken before we Areâ â Marwan Barghouti
Marwan Barghouti is a Palestinian leader who has spent almost a quarter of a century in Israeli prisons. He is widely recognised as the single most important Palestinian leader, capable of uniting the various Palestinian groups and for that reason Israel holds him in appalling conditions and refuses to release him. For much of that time he has been held in solitary confinement, frequently beaten, denied medical care and contact with his family.
A Thousand Days of Genocide
In the way that the news cycle is constantly shifting from one headline story to another the genocide of the Palestinian people no longer catches the headlines in the way that it once did. The devastating earthquake in Venezuela; the US war against Iran; the war in Ukraine; oil prices; the internal machinations of the British Labour Party; and much else have all pushed Israelâs genocidal policy down the news agenda.
However, as desperate as some of these other stories are we have a responsibility to constantly remind people that Israelâs torture of the people of Gaza and of the West Bank has been unrelenting for over 1000 days.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Momentum around Unity Grows
I want to begin by commending the SDLP for organising last weekâs conference â The Future of these Islands: Preparing for Change. It was a well-attended day-long event, held in Belfast, on the issue of Irish Unity. Among those who contributed to the series of discussions was Dublin Minister for Justice Jim OâCallaghan, former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Sinn FĂ©inâs Conor Murphy and others, including leading figures in the SDLP like the party leader Claire Hanna.
Add this to Fine Gaelâs announcement that it is planning to publish a blueprint on Irish Unity at its Ard Fheis in November and next Tuesdayâs DĂĄil debate on Sinn FĂ©inâs legislative proposal - âPlanning for Constitutional Change Bill 2026â â and it is clear that there is increasing unanimity in the Unity movement that planning for unity is now a priority.
These are significant developments. Sinn FĂ©in has long argued that the cause of Unity is bigger than any one party. It requires the greatest number of citizens, political parties, community and lobby organisations all moving together in the same broad direction and planning for unity.
Sign the Petition for Moore St.
The 1916 Moore St. Battlefield site in the centre of Dublin is a hugely important historical and cultural location whose significance has been ignored by successive Irish governments for over a century. Currently much of the Moore St. Terrace and adjoining lanes are under threat of demolition by the London based developer Hammerson. The Moore St. Preservation Trust (MSPT), the Relatives of the 1916 Rising Relatives and others groups and individuals have been involved in a long running campaign to save this iconic site.
Early next year the Moore St. Preservation Trust will be in court to judicially review the Hammerson Plan. This is a vital step to preserve this historic area and the Trust is engaged in a campaign to inform, lobby, and win support for its efforts. As part of its campaign the Trust has launched a petition calling on the Irish Government to bring Moore Street into public ownership and build a 1916 historical Cultural Quarter.
SĂnigh an achainĂ | Sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/save-moore-street-buy-the-terrace
TĂĄ fĂĄilte romhaibh - FĂ©ile an Phobail AbĂș
Iâm looking forward to 25 July when FĂ©ile an Phobail â begins its longest and biggest ever summer extravaganza as the largest community festival on the island of Ireland.
The programme was launched last week and is an amazing mix of music, sport, gaeilge, arts exhibitions, literary events, discussions and debates, comedy, film, tours and walks and much more. Over 500 events with something for everyone. And an anticipated 120,000 tourists from outside of west Belfast coming along to join in the celebrations. The programme is available online through this link - https://feilebelfast.com/
Seomra MĂĄire Drumm
The conference room in the Sinn FĂ©in Falls Office was dedicated last Friday to Sinn Former Vice âPresident MĂĄire Drumm by the current Vice President of the party Michelle OâNeill. MĂĄire was assassinated in the Mater Hospital in October 1976.
She was a passionate, gifted and articulate advocate for Ireland and republicanism who frequently faced down armed British soldiers, and RUC officers. The image of MĂĄire leading a river of women into the Falls in the summer of 1970 to break the British Army - imposed curfew, or her protests by women carrying hurling sticks, are iconic moments in the struggle for freedom.
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The Unity Bill passes its First stage
The âPlanning for Constitutional Change Bill 2026â, which I referenced in last weekâs column, has passed its first hurdle in the DĂĄil. It will now go to second stage on 7 July and then on to the Committee stage before returning to the DĂĄil later in the year.
The Bill sets clear goals and timetables for measures that have to be taken to properly plan and prepare for constitutional change on the island of Ireland. It does so in accordance with the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement.
It requires the Taoiseach to prepare and publish a Green Paper within 12 months. This has to address issues as diverse as public finance, taxation, public services, human rights, governance arrangements and relations between Britain and Ireland. The Bill also obliges the Government to establish a Citizensâ Assembly on Irish unity within six months of the publication of the Green Paper. Convened and funded by the Department of An Taoiseach, this will bring together representatives of the people of Ireland from all communities and citizens who have a stake in the future.
Clodagh Good
Last Saturday I joined hundreds of people in Knock Methodist Church for a celebration of the life of Clodagh Good. The Church was filled to overflowing with political representatives from over the last four decades or so, of all political hues including Gerry Kelly, Jim Gibney and Richard McAuley. It was a beautiful, uplifting and inclusive event. As was befitting the woman we came to honour.
Clodagh Good, nee Coad, is the wife of Harold Good. Harold was a key figure in our peace process. He did extraordinary work, not least with Fr Alex Reid. He was one of those from what is usually described as the Protestant tradition who went beyond the rhetoric and into the essence of that tradition to explore how it could be a catalyst for positive change. A catalyst for good. The Methodists are like that. Especially Clodagh. She was from Waterford. As Irish as the day is long. With strong yet gentle religious beliefs which anchored her life. A woman of good humour with an unassuming practical good natured welcoming attitude to those of us lucky to enjoy her hospitality. She and Harold married sixty years ago. She left the tranquillity of Waterford to journey with him throughout Methodist institutions far and wide before making her home in the North.
The Arts in a New Ireland
The Sean O'Casey Community Centre is in East Wall, Dublin. It is an excellent local facility providing a range of amenities for the community, including a playschool and crĂšche, a sports hall and 7 a-side pitch, and facilities for senior citizens. It also has a wonderful theatre. Last Thursday Sinn FĂ©inâs Commission on the Future of Ireland held a well-attended public discussion there on âThe Arts in a New Irelandâ. About 70 people participated in a thoughtful, informative and enjoyable conversation.
Aengus OâSnodaigh TD welcomed everyone and spoke briefly about the many advantages and opportunities for the Arts community that Irish unity can bring
SlĂĄn
Finally, Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday. His support for Israel in its military actions against the people of Palestine and the Labour governmentâs disgraceful criminalising of those opposing the genocide, undoubtedly played a significant part in undermining his leadership.
Along with the electoral successes of Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party there is a changing political dynamic emerging within the British political system. It is an opportunity for those of us who believe in Irish Unity to grasp this moment. Keir Starmer did nothing for Ireland. His successor may not do any better. That is why, relying on our own strength, we must press on. Until we prevail and our people, all of us, decide our own future.
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Stand-Up to Racism
The bullet holes from the August 1969 sectarian pogrom against the people of the Falls area are still visible on the front wall of St. Comgallâs Primary School, Divis Street. Last Thursday lunchtime, a few yards from where, on that occasion, whole terraces of houses were burned out, scores of community activists from across Belfast came together in Ionad Eileen Howell to discuss another pogrom. This time the pogrom was rooted in violent racism.
In the days before families and workers from the various ethnic groups, who now make up an important and valued part of our society, were attacked, threatened, and some were forcibly evicted from their homes. In harrowing scenes cars and some homes were destroyed as masked thugs roamed the streets of parts of Belfast, Portadown and Glengormley attacking the PSNI and the homes of our neighbours. Terrified children fled with their parents.
Health workers were especially targeted. There was a clear attempt to intimidate many from their jobs. In addition, schools were closed. People were sent home from work. Public transport stopped.
The Community Groups at the meeting in Ionad Eileen Howell described how they had helped relocate evicted families, worked with Belfast City Council to ensure that emergency accommodation was available, established a co-ordination and response group and had activists on the streets to defuse any attempt by right wing elements to stoke up further attacks. From the GAA and individual citizens there was widespread opposition to the racism. First Minister Michelle OâNeill met community representatives, youth workers and ethnic minority communities. She visited health staff in the Mater Hospital who had been threatened. She expressed her unambiguous solidarity and support for them.
Belfast Ard Mheara Councillor RĂłis MĂĄire Donnelly, who received death threats for standing up to the racists, refused to be silent. Last Friday she addressed a local anti-racism rally and the next day she spoke to the thousands who attended the massive anti-racist demonstration at the City Hall. RĂłis MĂĄire told the crowd that Belfast is âstrongerâ because of our diversity. And she described Belfast people as âresilient, compassionate and welcoming.â
She is right on both counts. Diversity is a strength, not a weakness. And notwithstanding the naysayers and begrudgers Belfast is welcoming city that embraces our ethnic minority citizens.
Momentum Building Around Unity
There are those who dismiss any possibility in the next few years of holding the unity referendums provided for in the Good Friday Agreement. Foremost among them is Fianna FĂĄil leader MicheĂĄl Martin who obstinately refuses to countenance any preparation for unity.
However, his partner in Government, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris clearly doesnât agree. At the weekend he announced that his party is planning to develop and publish a blueprint for a united Ireland by their Ard Fheis in November. That is good news.
Harrisâs statement of intent coincides with UachtarĂĄn Shinn FĂ©in Mary Lou McDonaldâs introduction this week in the DĂĄil of a Private Members Bill that will compel the Taoiseach to begin the planning and preparation for constitutional change and Irish Unity. The âPlanning for Constitutional Change Bill 2026â will require the Taoiseach to institutionalise preparation and publish a Green Paper. This will facilitate consultation and encourage a national public debate as a first step before formal government legislation is established. The Green Paper will require the government setting out its ideas, vision and proposals on the economy, education, health, justice and the legal system and future governance arrangements.
Seeking the Truth: Pat Finucane
After 37 years the inquiry into the murder of human rights lawyer Pat Finucane has finally opened. Patâs wife Geraldine, his children John, Michael and Katherine and his dedicated family circle and legal team are to be commended for their diligence and steadfastness in pursuing the truth about Patâs murder.
Successive British governments have lied, prevaricated, distracted, delayed and made every effort to prevent an inquiry from happening. Why? Because the extent of British state collusion with the UDA in his murder has the potential of laying responsibility for his death with senior political figures within the British Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher.
That there was collusion in his murder and that of hundreds more, is not in doubt. But who was responsible? Who gave the orders? Who plotted and schemed to have Pat killed on 12 February 1989? Who knew what within the RUC; within RUC Special Branch; within MI5; the Force Reconnaissance Unit (FRU); British Army; and the British Cabinet?
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This podcast with RoĂs- MĂĄire was recorded shortly after the horrific stabbing incident in North Belfast and before the racist pogroms which followed. It was also before the PSNI warned the Belfast Ard Mheara that her life was in danger. It has been a difficult week especially for those citizens evicted from their homes. We stand in solidarity with them. Racism is the first cousin of sectarianism. The majority of people are opposed to both these negative evils. Elon Musk and others who support these despicible actions from afar should shut up. The good people who helped our neighbours are to be commended. Belfast says NO to racism.
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A Chairde,
As June heads towards July the distant beat of your drums is pounding out their rhythm. The marching season for all of the Loyal Orders is well underway and the 12 July is fast approaching. One July, sitting during yet another negotiation, into the early hours with Tony Blair the ratatat of Lambegs sundered the quiet. We paused as he asked if I knew what that was. Yes ,I replied thatâs the Orangemen.
âJungle drums?â he said.
I am minded to remind you that the Battle of the Boyne was fought on the 1st July not the 12th. The date changed in 1752 when the English adopted the Gregorian calendar introduced by Pope Gregory. The war was part of a much wider European conflagration â the Nine Years War. James was backed by the English Aristocracy, by France and by the Irish Catholic aristocracy. William who was Jamesâs son-in-law and King of Holland, was backed by the English merchant class, by Pope Innocent X1, by Spain and Germany and by Protestant settlers in Ireland. At its core it was William leading a âGrand Allianceâ of Europeans to curb the power and expansion plans of the French King.
The Pope contributed to Williams expenses and when news reached Rome of the victory there was a Te Deum hymn sang in a âjoyous proclamation of praise, thanksgiving and faith.â The Pope was front and centre of it all. So much for No Pope Here!
Bodenstown
âTo say all in one word, Ireland shall be independent. We shall be a nation, not a province, citizens not slaves.â Wolfe Tone
On 28 June Republicans from across the island of Ireland will travel to Bodenstown, County Kildare, to stand in homage at the graveside of Theobald Wolfe Tone, the founder of Irish Republicanism.
For those who know of Tone and for those who donât I want to recommend a new publication â Bodenstown: Honouring Wolfe Tone â A Pictorial History â which tells his remarkable and inspirational story and recounts the generations who have travelled to Bodenstown each June to remember and celebrate his life.
This new publication profiles Tone and publishes photographs of many of the commemorations that have been held there. The first image of Bodenstown is of Padraig Pearse delivering the oration in June 1913. The Irish Republican Brotherhood had asked Pearse to speak and the event was chaired by veteran Fenian Tom Clarke. Both were executed by the British less than three years later following the 1916 Easter Rising.
Cupla Focal Eile.
Another few words Ă nGaeilge as part of this columnâs contribution to the effort to use whatever Irish we have even if it is only a wee bit. Here are a few more bits and pieces to replace their English equivalents.
LĂĄ breithe shona duit means Happy birthday to you.
It also sounds really good when sung by a crowd at a birthday gathering. Or even on a one to one basis. Try it. Use the same air as the English version.
Tiomaint go curamac means drive carefully.
Sliothar is a hurling ball.
TĂłg go bĂłg Ă© means take it easy.
SlĂĄn abhaile means Safe home.
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Unionism and the Future
Last week, at a meeting of the Executive the DUP chose to block the Good Jobs Bill. Why did they do this? The Bill will be good for all workers. It makes no distinction based on religion, politics, ethnicity or gender. Workers who vote unionist would benefit as much from this Bill as would workers who vote nationalist or for neither of these.
The legislation, being proposed by Caoimhe Archibald, the Minister for the Economy, contains common sense measures making it easier for Trade Unions to represent workers; replace zero hour contracts; protect employees tips and gratuities; strengthen neonatal leave and pay; and improve paternity entitlements and redundancy protections for workers who are pregnant.
The DUP claim they need more time to scrutinise the legislation but the place for that is on the floor of the Assembly where it can be debated and amended.
The truth is that the DUP is opposed to equality
Stop the Game
In his most recent comments on the two Ireland-Israel soccer internationals due to be played in September/October An Taoiseach MicheĂĄl Martin chooses to waffle and pass the buck to UEFA rather than take a principled stand and oppose the game. He says, âIrelandâ does not want to be "self-defeating" â whatever than means - in its approach to the games.
Martin claims, that while everyone knows the governments opposition to the actions of Israel â he avoids mentioning its disgraceful response to the Occupied Territories Bill â he says that âeverything shouldnât be reduced to just one match.â Why not? Russia was banned by EUFA following its invasion of Ukraine. Israel has killed close to 100,000 people in Gaza and the west Bank; stolen Palestinian land and invaded its sovereign neighbour Lebanon. Why should it be treated differently?
RĂłis-MĂĄire Donnelly - A Ballymurphy Woman
There was a time when younger people I used to bump into would say to me by way of introduction âYou used to know my Mammy.â âOr my Daddyâ. Nowadays they say to me; âYou used to know my Granny.â
That would have been over fifty years ago when Grannies and Grandaâs were young and well before the Grandparent stage. Thatâs when I first met the late Mrs Donnelly, the Granny of our Ard Mheara RĂłis-MĂĄire. It was in 1969/70. She was living in Westrock Drive off the Whiterock Road and then in Springhill Drive. Mrs Donnelly was a lovely woman. She was originally from McDonnell St. in the Falls area and lived for a time in Ballymacarrett in East Belfast before returning to the west of the city.
As a young girl May had been one of hundreds of women who prayed outside Crumlin Road prison during the night and into the morning Tom Williams was hanged in September 1942. In the decades that followed, especially during the conflict following the pogroms of 1969, May was one of those Indomitable women in the greater Ballymurphy area who stood against the brutality, harassment and raids of the British Army. May was a kind; compassionate woman whose door was always open to republicans.
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A few weeks after the Good Friday Agreement was agreed in April 1998 I brought a delegation of the Board of Governors of Bunscoil Phobail Feirste, on the Shaws Road in west Belfast, to meet the British Secretary of State Mo Mowlam. I asked for the meeting after the Department of Education had again denied funding to the school for the construction of permanent school buildings. The Department had just announced a ÂŁ33 million schools building programme which excluded Irish medium schools and nurseries. I did an intense series of engagements with Mo Mowlam in the run into this meeting and she told me privately in advance that she was going to supply the funding. But she said she had not told the Department of Education officials.
Nowadays almost thirty years later, this attitude to equality and the right to acceptable school facilities remains an ongoing challenge. Despite this Irish medium education has grown in popularity and numbers. When Bunscoil Phobail Feirste, which was the first Irish medium school in the North, opened its doors in 1970 it had 8 pupils. Today there are around 8,000 pupils in Irish medium education. A fitting tribute to those dedicated activists and parents who stood up for their rights and refused to be ignored or discriminated against.
One fine example of this determination was evident last week when Gaelscoil na MĂłna held a celebration of its 25th anniversary. When it first opened in September 2000, on a tiny site in temporary huts behind houses on the Monagh Road in Turf Lodge, there were a handful of students. Today there are around 80 and there are an additional 25 in the NaĂscoil.
Did you enjoy the good weather??
Did you enjoy the weekend? The blue skies and warm weather? The mountain walk along the top of Black Mountain was busy with those of all ages enjoying the Sun and the heat. Our parks and public spaces were full of people making best use of the hot weather. Itâs hard to imagine at such times that shifting weather patterns and climate instability, as a result of humanities pollution, is threatening the stability of our world. But it is.
Three weeks ago the âEuropean State of the Climate reportâ was published bringing together the work of 100 scientific contributions and providing an overview of the threat to our climate.
The report revealed that globally 2025 was the third warmest year on record and that each of the past 11 years has been among the 11 warmest on record. Europe is now the fastest warming continent on Earth. The result is that glaciers in all European regions saw a net mass loss; the annual sea surface temperature for Europe was the highest on record; and wildfires burned the largest area on record.
A Slap in the Face to Palestinians
Israelâs brutal treatment of hundreds of international activists, kidnapped by its forces after it attacked the Global Sumud Flotilla, has been widely condemned. The flotilla of ships was trying to bring much needed aid to the Gaza Strip. Images of men and women activists forced to kneel, with their hands bound behind them and their foreheads on the ground sparked outrage. This grew in intensity as reports emerged of systematic beatings and ill-treatment and the release of a video by Israel's far-right national security minister Ben-Gvir. He told the Israeli Parliament that he was proud of his actions âagainst those supporters of terrorâ and that the images released âare a great source of pride.
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CĂșpla Focal
I often quote the late SeĂĄn Mac Goill. SeĂĄn was one of the visionaries who gave us the new Bombay Street after the pogroms of 1969, the urban Gaeltacht on BĂłthar Seoighe, The Andersonstown News and many other outstanding projects going back to the 1960s. SeĂĄn and his peers and their families were immersed in the Irish language and the wider cultural revolution across Belfast. It was they who laid the foundations for todayâs revival and successes. SeĂĄnâs name is immortalised in the Gael Ionad Mhic Gioll in Ballymurphy, home of GlĂłr na MĂłna, the outstanding Irish language organisation.
Britainâs shameful role in the Nakba
On May 15 Palestinians across Palestine and throughout their diaspora commemorate the âNakbaâ or the âcatastropheâ of 1948. In that year Zionist militias commenced a systematic assault on Palestinian towns and villages creating fear and displacement. Massacres occurred daily and in a short time 800,000 Palestinians became refugees in their own place. The Nakba is ongoing. It is taking place now in the west Bank, in Lebanon and in the Gaza Strip.
Fianna FĂĄil â A centenary of failure
Last Saturday the Fianna FĂĄil Ard Fheis in Dublin marked the centenary of that party. At its foundation in 1926 meeting it was agreed that the party would be titled âFianna FĂĄil â The Republican Party.â
Its principal aim was defined as âSecuring the political independence of a United Ireland as a republic.â
That was the basis on which Fianna FĂĄil first entered government in 1932. But in the decades to follow nothing was done to advance that aim. On the contrary when in government every effort was made to thwart unity, including through the imprisonment and execution of republican political prisoners and the abandonment of nationalists living in the North under an apartheid unionist regime.
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In conversation with Gerard Shannon on his new book âRory O'Connor: To Defend the Republicâ
Available to buy in An fhuiseog.ie
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The Disunited Kingdom
At the time of writing this weekâs column Keir Starmer is still the Leader of the British Labour Party and Prime Minister. On Monday he delivered a âSave Keir Starmerâ speech which may or may not work for him. Can he survive the voices of opposition within Labour? That is a matter for his party.
The reality is that his leadership of Labour and its success in the 2024 general election had little to do with Starmer and more to do with votersâ deep antipathy toward the Conservative party. With a landslide victory and a massive majority of 174., Starmer was given a mandate to right the wrongs of a decade of Tory mismanagement and corruption, and of the Brexit debacle.
Instead and in just 23 months Starmer has lost the confidence of the vast majority of the electorate in Britain. His funding of public services in the North is disgraceful; his governmentâs abject failure to tackle the cost of living crisis; or his bizarre and stupid appointment of Peter Mandelson to the post of Ambassador to the USA, have cost Labour dearly. Allied to these has been his shameful support for Israelâs genocidal war against the Palestinian people. Consequently, Starmer is now reputedly the most unpopular British Prime Minister since opinion polling began decades ago.
The Irish Language and Irish Unity
Well done to Conradh na Gaeilge on the publication of its report â âA United Ireland: A Transformative Opportunity for the Irish language and Gaeltacht.â The report, written by Roisin Nic Liam, a researcher at Queens University, is an insightful examination of how the Irish Language has been traditionally viewed in the context of Irish Unity and its place in the growing conversation now taking place on unity. It accepts that âcomprehensive planning is required in order to clarify what a united Ireland might look like. Such clarity would ensure that the people of Ireland are able to make an informed decision about the future of the country. Central to this discussion is the question of the Irish language.â
Marwan Barghouti â A Resolute Defender of Freedom
After 24 years the continued imprisonment of Palestinian Leader Marwan Barghouti is more than a punitive act of judicial oppression by Israel. It is a calculated strategic decision to prevent the emergence of a united Palestinian leadership. Barghouti is widely recognised among Palestinians as the leader who can unite the various Palestinian groups and provide a united, coherent political strategy to challenge Israelâs occupation of the Palestinian territories and its genocidal policy in Gaza.
For more than 50 years Marwan Barghouti has been part of the struggle against Israelâs apartheid regime, its brutality and occupation of Palestine. He was born in 1959 in the west Bank. When he was eight years old the 1967 war resulted in Israel occupying the west Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. It was under this military occupation that Marwan grew up.
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Springhill Heroes
When I was a wee buck growing up in Ballymurphy there was a river at the back of the houses across from our home place at the corner of Glenalina Road and Divismore Park. The river ran the length of our street and the length of Ballymurphy Road before exiting below the Whiterock Road and into the City Cemetery. From there it meanders down to and under the Falls Road beside the Bus Depot and onwards to the Bog Meadows. You can see it there to this day. The stretch which used to border our street was long ago captured and incarcerated in a pipe below ground.
Before then it was one of our favourite places to play. The Ordinance Survey maps name this rivulet as the Ballymurphy Stream. I canât find its Irish name. It rises in the mountain and cuts under the Springfield Road beneath a very high arch just up from our street. It used to be at its widest at that point. Perfect for jumping. Swinging across on a rope. Falling in. Catching frogs. Plastic sandals were all the go. Perfect for walking on water.
Tiocfaidh ĂĄr lĂĄ
It does not feel as if 45 years have passed since the death on 5 May 1981 of Bobby Sands on hunger strike. Bobbyâs death and that of his nine comrades changed so much in our struggle and opened up so many new opportunities that it is rightly viewed as a tipping point in recent Irish history.
On Sunday former hunger striker Pat Sheehan MLA gave a wonderful speech at Bobbyâs statue in Twinbrook. The courage and heroism of the ten men who died and those who took part in the hunger strike, and of Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg, are a huge part of our republican history.
But we should never lose sight of the fact that Bobby and his comrades in the H-Blocks and in Armagh Womenâs Prison were more than political prisoners. They were family members, friends, neighbours. Comrades. They were ordinary young men and women who enjoyed life.
Free Marwan Bargouti
Freedom struggles across the globe have their heroes. Nelson Mandela, Che Guevara, Bobby Sands and in Palestine, Marwan Bargouti .
Last September a mural celebrating Marwanâs leadership and resistance to Israeli occupation and the oppression of the Palestinian people,was unveiled at the international wall on BĂłthĂĄr na bhFĂĄl. Two weeks ago at the Ard Fheis I met with Marwanâs son Arab. Since then we have spoken by zoom. His family and those, like me, who believe he should be released are fearful for his life.
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Standing at the crossroads
Sinn FĂ©in, but especially, the party in Belfast pulled out all of the stops at the weekend to ensure that the Ard Fheis was a huge success. The ICC Waterfront Hall was buzzing with republican voices from across our island and beyond talking about the big issues confronting all of us nationally and internationally. The number of young people attending and taking part in the debates was particularly encouraging.
There were 167 Motions on the clĂĄr for discussion. They ranged across the cost of living crisis, housing, Irish unity, education, health, the climate crisis and our environment, rural Ireland, justice and human rights, and the fraught international situation.
International Solidarity
Sinn FĂ©in believes in international solidarity. Consequently, an important element of our annual Ard Fheis is the many international guests who travel to be with us. This year there were around 60 guests from the ANC in South Africa, EH Bildu in the Basque country, the ERC in Catalonia, from Australia, Kurdistan, France and other comrades.
I was especially pleased to meet again with Arab Barghouti, from Ramallah in the west Bank and son of Marwan Barghouti who has been imprisoned for 24 years by Israel. The situation is Gaza continues to be appalling with scores of Palestinians being killed on an almost daily basis, and towns and villages in the west Bank regularly targeted by criminal Israeli gangs of settlers.
Honouring Rita OâHare
The next time you go into Ăras UĂ Chonghaile on BĂłthar na bhFĂĄl in Belfast go up to the first floor where there is a plaque dedicated to the work of Rita OâHare, who played a huge part in securing the support of American Trade Unions for the Ăras.
Last Friday a bunch of us, her family and friends, got together to remember Rita and to unveil a James Connolly bust in her memory. Itâs a striking piece of art. It was created by the talented sculptor Steve Finney and Barry OâNeill of Lough Neagh Bronze. The bust was originally donated to the Moore St. Preservation Trust that is campaigning to save the 1916 Battlefield site in Dublin.
Remembering Bobby Sands
Finally, next Tuesday, 5 May, will be the anniversary of the death on hunger strike of Bobby Sands. He was the first of ten men to die during the six-month hunger strike in 1981.
This weekend there will be a number of events to remember Bobby and his comrades and their contribution to the struggle for freedom.
· At 9.30 am on Sunday the Annual Bobby Sands Walk will take place on Divis Mountain.
· At the same time there will be a 12k freedom run meeting at the Bobby statue in Twinbrook.
· At 2pm on Sunday there will be a commemoration and wreath laying at the Bobby Sands statue in Twinbrook.
· And later that evening at 8pm the Annual Bobby Sands Lecture will take place in Andersonstown Social Club.
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The Great Fenian Escape
For as long as the English have occupied Ireland there have been political prisoners. As long as there have been political prisoners there have been daring and ingenious escapes. In the most recent period of conflict it is estimated that around 100 republicans participated in escapes, including the great escape from the H-Blocks in 1983. That was the biggest ever in British penal history. Others tunnelled their way out; clambered over walls; escaped in a helicopter; shot their way out; blew a hole in a wall; hid in a bin lorry or dressed as priests or in one case as a woman. I was a Samuel Beckett type of escapee. I failed. But I never gave up. I failed better.
Moore Street Trust calls on State to buy Moore St. Terrace
This Friday, 24 April, is the date 110 years ago when the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army launched the Easter Rising. They published the 1916 Proclamation and proclaimed a Republic. For six days a small band of Irish rebels took on the might of the British Empire.
Ard Fheis 2026 in Belfast
This weekend the Sinn FĂ©in Ard Fheis will be held in the ICC Waterfront Hall in Belfast. Like hundreds more I will be there as the party debates policy, including how we can advance our core objective of Irish Unity.
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Irish government and the Fuel Debacle
The blockade of fuel depots, motorways, towns and Dublin City centre was entirely avoidable if the FFFG government had taken the growing crisis around the cost of living and increasing fuel and energy bills seriously months ago. Instead MicheĂĄl Martin and Co. stuck their heads in the sand and ignored the mounting anger.
Another Israeli Offensive likely in Gaza
As I write this the talks between Iran and the USA, over the illegal Israeli/US war against Iran, appear to have foundered. It is likely that the energy and economic crisis that has resulted will continue.
Israelâs leader Benjamin Netanyahu has been lobbying the USA for decades to attack Iran. Other Presidents refused. President Trump agreed. The bombing of Iran and Lebanon result from Netanyahuâs war aim of expanding Israelâs borders.
Palestinian Prisoners Day 17 April:
This Friday is Palestinian Prisonersâ Day. It is a day set aside internationally and dedicated to the freedom of Palestinian political prisoners and in support for their rights.
A just published report - titled âAnother genocide behind wallsâ - by Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor https://euromedmonitor.org/en documents the appalling widespread patterns of brutality and sexual violence, including rape, used by Israel against detainees from the Gaza Strip.
A Nation For All
Caoilfhionn NĂ DhonnabhĂĄinnnâs book A NATION FOR ALL is a must read primer for anyone interested in the struggle for the re-conquest of Ireland by the people of this island. I whole heartedly recommend it. Especially to activists or those brave souls who are on the journey into activism and who are trying to figure out how, in this turbulent world, the struggle for equality, solidarity, democracy and sovereignty in Ireland is to be taken forward. As always it is important to get the basics right. A Nation For All does that.
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American Trade Unions and Ireland
Last Friday I spent an enjoyable couple of hours in the company of my good friend American Trade Union leader John Samuelson and the staff of Ăras UĂ Chonghaile and FĂĄilte Feirste Thiar â the west Belfast Tourist Board. Unbeknownst to John both organisations had agreed to name one of the Ăras rooms after himself and a former Transport Workers Union, (TWU) President Mike Quill.
Keeping the Faith for Unity
This Easter the Good Friday Agreement is 28 years old. It only seems like yesterday that we were all gathered in Castle Buildings wondering if David Trimble was going to take the leap. He hadnât spoken to Sinn FĂ©in at any time during the negotiations â except on one occasion when I said hello to him in the toilet and he told me to grow up. But on Friday 10 April 1998 he signed up to the Agreement.
It was a defining moment in our recent history. It was a compromise between conflicting political positions. For the first time since partition the Agreement brought peace, stability and hope, and the opportunity for a better future for all the people of the island of Ireland.
Terry âCruncher OâNeill
It was the profound sadness that I heard on Sunday of the death of my friend and comrade Terry âCruncherâ OâNeill. Cruncher was an incomparable singer of Irish songs of resistance. Type his name into google and you Will discover videos and audio recordings of Cruncher singing.
My memory is full of occasions when he enthralled an audience. There is a great Frankie Quinn photo of himself, Joe Cahill, me and Gerry Kelly singing âSomething Inside So Strongâ at the tops of our voices outside the old Sevastopol Street office. Cleaky is in the foreground looking after us.
Gabriel Rosenstock.
As we go to press I am also sorry to hear of the death of Gabriel Rosenstock, poet, play wright, haikuist and writer. Gabriel was one of the leading lights of Irish language literature. He was the author and translator of more than 180 books and publisher of over 400.
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Wear an Easter Lily
Easter is only days away. This Sunday will mark 110 years since the momentous events of Easter Week 1916 and the declaration of Independence and equality contained in the Proclamation. It is also the centenary of the sale of the first Easter Lilies which were designed in 1925 by Cumann na mBan to raise funds for the Irish Republican Prisoners Dependants Fund.
In the 100 years since then thousands of women and men have been imprisoned in defence of the Irish peoplesâ right to national self-determination and each year Easter Lilies are sold in their tens of thousands to support them and their families and to honour the sacrifice of those who died in pursuit of freedom.
MicheĂĄl Martin is stalling on Unity
An Taoiseach MicheĂĄl Martin was the first guest to participate in a new six part series of the podcast, âHow to Gaelâ under the title â âHow to Unite Ireland?â
The 40 minute interview - can be heard on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/01Mg0w8UDawINdgeX45IvV
It was conducted by Doireann NĂ GhlacĂĄin and Louise Cantillon, who in her opening commentary described their series as an exploration of the âlived experiences that shape how people feel about unity. Itâs a complex and sensitive topic, and the series creates space for open, informed and respectful conversation."
The interview with MicheĂĄl Martin provided an opportunity for the Fianna FĂĄil leader to restate his long standing position on issues as diverse as the history of Fianna FĂĄil, his refusal to work with Sinn FĂ©in, the Shared Island project, reconciliation and Irish Unity, the Good Friday Agreement and border poll, and talking to loyalists.
The surprise of the two interviewers at Martinâs claim that Fianna FĂĄil is a republican party was genuine and an interesting insight into how that party is viewed by many young people. Time and again Martin returned to his central thesis of reconciliation as a pre-condition to reunification. He said: âMy philosophy is it has to be about the unity of people, insofar as you can go, itâs not just about territory.â
Donegal /The Swallows Tail â A song by Davie Furey
Next week my first expedition into the recording world of music will be launched when singer and songwriter Davie Furey releases âDonegal/The Swallowâs Tailâ, his first single of 2026.
I have known Davie a long time. When I sent him a copy of a small book of poems I had written he especially liked âTir Chonaill Thuaith.â He asked me if he could include it in a new song he proposed writing around the poem. I said yes. But then he asked if he could record me reciting the poem as part of the single.
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London Civil Case - Thank you for your support
The Civil Case against me in London came to an end last Friday when the Claimants and their lawyers accepted a âdrop hands settlement of the extant claim on the conditions that:
1. the Claimants file and serve a Notice of Discontinuance by 10 am 20 March 2026; and
2. that there be no order for costsâ
In other words, they accepted an offer, made by me the previous evening, that they discontinue their claim. I instructed my legal team to make the offer because it was apparent at the end of day eight of the trial that the claimants case, as presented by McCue and Jury, the lawyers for the claimants, was in serious trouble. I gave them a way out.
Dolores Keane â A Great Voice
I have always loved music. All kinds of music but I have a particular fondness for Irish traditional and folk music. I think by the time I heard De Danannâs first album, with Dolores Keaneâs amazing voice leading the vocals, I was probably in Cage 11. That first DĂ© Danann album was incredible and over the subsequent years I never stopped being astonished by the uniqueness of Dolores Keaneâs magnificent voice.
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London Civil Case coming to an end
This week I spent LĂĄ FĂ©ile PĂĄdraig in Derry/London. As you read this my time in the Royal Courts of Justice should be coming to an end. Regrettably, the court case prevented me from joining in the St Patrickâs festivities in Belfast or here. I am assured the London Irish have a vibrant, hugely enjoyable celebration of Irish music, culture and language so good luck to all the Paddys and Patricias.
The civil case is expected to conclude on Thursday, although, that could slip. The case is based on hearsay and alleged intelligence claims made by witnesses who could provide no documentary supporting evidence. So far it has provided a platform for some highly offensive, insulting and untruthful commentary.
What the Judge makes of all of this we will know when he delivers his judgement; although that might not be for some time yet.
Time for Diplomacy in the Middle East
The illegal Israeli attacks against Lebanon and the equally illegal Israeli/US assault on Iran continue to dominate the media agenda. The financial cost to the USA of over a billion dollars a day and the rising cost of oil, petrol and gas are also major talking points. The cost of living crisis is set to get worse.
The number of Lebanese and Iranian citizens killed as a consequence of the massive bombing campaign barely rate a mention in a western media that has largely become a propaganda wing of the aggressors - Israel and USA.
More Schools needed for Irish speakers
The Irish language has more than two thousand years of unbroken history behind it. Apart from Greek, it has the oldest literature of any living European language. It is the badge of a civilization whose values were vastly different from the one which has sought to subjugate us. Of course, Irish culture is wider than the Irish language and wider than Gaelic games, music, dance and story-telling.
Add to this the myriad traditions of urban and rural Ireland, of ancient and modern customs, of Protestant, Catholic and other religious tendencies, of the influence of the new Irish who have come to our shores from all parts of the globe â and we have some sense of the diversity of our island people. All of this is great cause for celebration and is as thoroughly Irish as any other aspect of our society.
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