Afgespeeld
-
This week I thought I would talk about the 12th in this podcast. When I mentioned a few days ago to some friends that I was going to do this podcast about the 12th and asked them what they thought if I sang a few Orange songs, the answer was no. And that’s understandable. Some of these songs are very sectarian, are about hatred and are not acceptable. I first came across Orange songs way back in the day when I came across the writings of Richard Hayward. He wrote a number of books about Ireland, about Irish folklore, about Ulster – its nine counties – and I still remain very fond of his writings.
And that’s where I came across The Sash.
It is old but it is beautiful, and its colours they are fine
It was worn at Derry, Aughrim, Enniskillen and the Boyne.
My father wore it as a youth in bygone days of yore,
And on the Twelfth, I love to wear the sash my father wore.
Anyone offended by that, either by my singing or my singing this song? Apologies in advance.
The Orange marches have to have a place in the Ireland of the future. The Orange is one of our national colours – the tradition of Orangeism is not one that many of us will appreciate but it’s there none the less and on the basis of equality we have to make space for all of this. At the same time there can be no space for hatred or incitement to hatred.But let’s just look at some of the facts around the 12 July. The Battle of the Boyne was actually held on 1 July 1690. It was part of a wider European war. They just used Ireland – King Billy and the Pope on the one side and King James and the King of France – as one of the sites of their war. The Pope, Innocent X1 supported the Dutchman King William after the English parliament sacked King James and invited William to take his job. The Pope paid part of King Billy’s expenses and when news of his victory at the Boyne reached Rome a Te Deum was sung in the Vatican in celebration.
The twelfth celebrations have little to do with religion though many Orange men and women are both religious and decent. Others infamously are not. They know the Twelfth is about power and domination.
In its day the Orange Order was the backbone of unionism. Most business people, almost every unionist politician, Judges and senior RUC officers were members one of the Loyal Orders – The Orange Order – the largest - the Apprentice Boys, or the Royal Black Preceptory. It was essential in the control of the political system, the gerrymandering of electoral boundaries, and the domination by the Ulster Unionist Party of the North for over 50 years. The Orange Order was essential to the control that party exerted. It facilitated structured sectarian political and economic discrimination against nationalists and Catholics. It’s not for nothing that the North of Ireland is known by nationalists as the Orange State.And even to this day, and I have spoken to many Orangemen over the years and had good relationships with them, and enjoy those relationships yet, it’s still a matter of deep regret that the leadership of the Orange Order will not meet with the President of Sinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald in the same way that they refused to meet with me.
The Orange Order was founded by the English and Protestant ascendancy in Ireland in the 1790s as a counter to the United Irish Society which was seeking independence from England. Its purpose was to defend England’s colonial presence and interests in Ireland and to divide people. Its fortunes waned through much of the early p
-
Its Gerry Adams here again.
And a very big welcome to you all to this Podcast.
On Friday Sinn Féin published its discussion paper the Economic Benefits of a United Ireland.
It is an exciting contribution to the growing conversation about the future, about a new Ireland – a shared, agreed Ireland.
The big question that some people put up who are against the ending of the union and self-government or who just aren’t sure, is can we afford it?
This discussion document reveals an island economy which is capable of expanding its economic potential, creating new jobs, better paid jobs, building a better standard of living of all its citizens, alongside first class public services, including a health service for everyone...
The ‘Economic Benefits of a United Ireland’ refutes the claim that the Irish state cannot afford Irish Unity or cope with the loss of the British subvention.
The claim that the British subvention is worth £10bn a year is false.
The real figure is at most £6bn and closer to less than half that.
The threat posed by Brexit and Covid-19 have also created new challenges and new opportunities.
A United Ireland offers the best opportunity to tackle these issues in a way that is to the economic advantage of the people of the island of Ireland.
We should have the right to self-government.
We should have the right to take decisions on and in our own interests.
London takes decisions in its interests.
The people of this island will take economic decisions in our interests not theirs.
A United Ireland will have a bigger, stronger and better economy.
It will unlock the huge potential of a single, all-island economic system within the European Union.
Find out more on ‘The Economic Benefits of a United Ireland’ at www.sinnfein.ie
The death of Danny Groves
It is the nature of things that this column has been moved to record the deaths of friends more often than I would like to so it is with the greatest sadness that I extend my condolences to the family of Danny Groves who died last Sunday.
Danny died after a long battle with cancer. I want to express my sympathies to his wife Liz, and to his children Roisin, Bill, Jim, Eilis, Danny, Emma and Deirdre and to his many grandchildren, great grandchildren and extended family circle.
Awaiting a Decision in Pat Finucane Case
The courage and tenacity of the Finucane family after years of battling with the British state continues to amaze and inspire.
Pat Finucane was killed in February 1989 by a UDA death squad working in collusion with RUC Special Branch, the British Army’s Force Reconnaissance Unit and the British state.
For three decades the family, like many hundreds of others, have been fighting to get to the truth.
Successive British governments have blustered and bluffed, stalled and lied in order to prevent this.
Last month a lawyer acting for the British Secretary of State for the North Brandon Lewis gave the High Court in Belfast a commitment from him that a decision would be taken on whether to proceed with a public inquiry on or before the 30 November.
He has until next Monday.
The decision by Brandon Lewis in respect of Pat Finucane will indicate whether it’s business as usual for this British government or if it is finally prepared to face up to its legal and international human rights obligations.
-
This week's Podcast has its roots in a conversation with Danny D; Rab; & Tomboy.
We were all in Cage 11 with Bobby Sands and recalled his learning the guitar.
I also reflect on the ongoing plight of the Palestinian people. -
Sunday, August 2nd is the anniversary of the death on hunger strike in 1981 of Andersonstown man Kieran Doherty. Normally, August is also when Sinn Féin holds its National Commemoration in remembrance of all of the 1981 Hunger Strikers and of Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg who died in prisons in England. However this year the Covid-19 pandemic has made that impossible, so like so many other events this year it will be held online. On Sunday evening as you sit down to watch the 2020 National Hunger Strike Commemoration on Facebook, on YouTube and Twitter, remember the courage of Kieran Doherty and his comrades.
39 years ago at around 7.15 pm on the evening of August 2nd Big Doc died. He had been on hunger strike 73 days. He was just 25 years old. He spent seven of the last ten years of his life in prison. Big Doc’s remains arrived at his family home at Commedagh Drive in Andersonstown in the early hours of the following morning. Two days later thousands followed his cortege to the Republican Plot in Milltown Cemetery where he was laid beside Bobby Sands and Joe McDonnell.I knew Big Doc.
The last time I met him was a few days before he died. I was visiting the prison hospital to speak to the hunger strikers. After speaking to Tom McElwee and Lorny McKeown, Matt Devlin and others I walked into Big Doc’s cell. He was too weak to join the others. I had known Big Doc on the outside but there in that prison cell he was a shadow of himself.
Doc was propped up on one elbow, his eyes unseeing. He looked massive in his gauntness, as his eyes, fierce in their quiet defiance, scanned my face. I spoke to him quietly and slowly. I sat on the side of the bed. I told him that he would soon be dead and that if he wanted I would leave the blocks and announce that the hunger strike was over. He paused momentarily, and said: “We haven’t got our five demands and that’s the only way I’m coming off. Too much suffered for too long, too many good men dead. Thatcher can’t break us. Lean ar aghaidh. I’m not a criminal.”
After that we talked quietly for a few minutes.
As I left his cell we shook hands, an old internee’s handshake, firm and strong. “Thanks for coming in”, he said, “I’m glad we had that wee yarn. Tell everyone, all the lads I was asking for them and…”
He continued to grip my hand. “Don’t worry, we’ll get our five demands. We’ll break Thatcher. Lean ar aghaidh... For too long our people have been broken. The Free Staters, the Chgurch, the SDLP. We won’t be broken. We’ll get our five demands. If I’m dead well, the others will have them ... I don’t want to died but that’s up to the Brits. They think they can break us. Well they can’t. Tiocfaidh ár lá.”
Big Doc was right. Thatcher was beaten. The political prisoners won their five demands. And today because of their self-sacrifice and that of countless others, Sinn Féin is the biggest party on the island of Ireland. We refuse to allow anyone to delegitimize or criminalise the hunger strikers or our struggle.
Kieran Doherty put in well in those final moments before we parted. ‘Lean ar aghaidh’ – Go Ahead.
www.facebook.com/sinnfein
www.twitter.com/sinnfeinireland
www.sinnfein.ie
www.youtube.com/c/sinnfeinireland -
071120
It’s Gerry Adams and in this podcast I want to deal with a number of issues: a hunger strike by a Palestinian prisoner Maher al-Akhras and the success of Breanndán O Beaglaoich
First of all I want to welcome, after 103 days, the end of the hunger strike by Palestinian prisoner Maher al Akhras.
It is a testimony to his courage and fortitude and determination to highlight a grave injustice by the Israeli authorities.
There is a close affinity between the people of Ireland and the people of Palestine.
We both have a long history of being colonised.
We have both been the victim of occupation, state violence, discrimination and forced emigration.
And the experience of struggle has also been similar.
Last week we in Ireland and throughout the world remembered the deaths on hunger strike 100 years ago of Terence MacSwiney, Michael Fitzgerald and Joseph Murphy.
It is therefore relevant in terms of our own memory, and in particular of that of the 1980 and 81 hunger strikes when 10 Republican prisoners died, that we express solidarity with this Palestinian internee.
Maher was arrested on 27 July and spent the following 103 days on hunger strike protesting against his detention.
He is a father of six children.
He is a dairy farmer from a village in the occupied West Bank.
He has not been charged with any alleged offence.
Like thousands of Palestinians over recent years he is the victim of administrative detention.
This procedure is effectively ‘internment without charge’, internment without trial.
It is a practice used by the British state and the old Unionist Stormont regime in every decade since the creation of this state, until the 1970s when it was used for five years.
A person arrested under administrative detention is held with a trial.
The Israeli state does not have to accuse him/her of having committed an offense.
There is no time limit on the length of the time they can imprison someone.
In some cases it has lasted years.
Currently according to the Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, 355 Palestinians are being held under administrative detention, two of them are minors.
In the last 20 years the Israeli government has enforced over 30,000 administrative detention orders.
The Irish govt is now a member of the UN Security Council. It campaigned for membership on the themes of “Partnership, Empathy and Independence”.
If it is to be true to these it demand that the Israeli government end the use of administrative detention. It should also move now to fulfill motions passed in the Oireachtas several years ago and recognise the state of Palestine.
I would also urge readers to write to Maher who is being held in the Kaplan Medical Centre, Pasternak St. P.O.Box 1, Rehovot 76100, Israel or email its Public Relations Dept at [email protected]
-
My Podcast this week deals with the demolition of Herbert Park in Dublin, the home of the only leader of the 1916 Rising to be killed in action, and the report of the Independent Panel of Inquiry into the Circumstances of the H-Block and Armagh Prison Protests 1976-1981.’
40 Herbert Park was demolished two weeks ago in a shameful act of political and corporate vandalism and greed.
Its demolition again raises serious concerns at the refusal of successive Irish governments to protect Moore Street, part of the “laneways of history” linked to 1916 and where the leaders of the 1916 Rising held their last meeting.
Dublin City Council has now said that legal proceedings will be issued and is calling for the home to be restored.
James Connolly Heron, the grandson of James Connolly described it as; “a flagrant breach of the law and a direct challenge to each and every elected representative holding office on behalf of citizens.” He called for the house to be “rebuilt brick by brick, stone by stone, garden by garden.”
If you agree with James Connolly Heron and if you believe that the Irish government must protect Moore Street why not write and tell them that.
Write to An Taoiseach Micheál Martin - Government Buildings, Merrion Street Upper , Dublin 2 or email him at [email protected]: and the Minister for Heritage Darragh O’Brien at The Customs House, Dublin D01 W6X0.
Like characters from the Gulag
Last week saw the publication of the report of the Independent Panel of Inquiry into the Circumstances of the H-Block and Armagh Prison Protests 1976-1981’
The years from 1976, when the British government ended special category status and sought to impose its criminalisation strategy, to August 1981 when the second hunger strike ended after the deaths of 10 republican POWs, were hard and challenging and difficult.
For those of us who lived through those traumatic years much of what is in the report; ‘I am Sir, you are a number: Report of the Independent Panel of Inquiry into the Circumstances of the H-Block and Armagh Prison Protests 1976-1981’ confirms what we already knew.
However, the strength of the report is in its detail, in the confidential British government documents it accessed and in the eyewitness accounts of the prisoners and two prison governors.
I spent a short time in the H-Blocks on remand awaiting trial on an IRA membership charge.
I wrote about it in my book ‘Before the Dawn.’
I wrote; “I was struck by the spirit of the prisoners.
In my other jail experiences, we had been cushioned by our numbers and by the prisoners’ own command structure from dealing directly with the screws; it had been possible for prisoners in the cages to serve long terms with little or no contact with the administration.
Here in our individual cells, in the Blocks, it was different. If you wanted to resist a search, you had to face the screws on your own...
They were like characters from Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag, shuffling along in big boots without laces, wearing, for their visits, ill-fitting jackets and trousers.
Most of the trousers had their backsides slit open, and all of the blanket men had long, unwashed hair and unkempt beards.”
-
Few names from the Tan War 100 years ago are as well known that of Kevin Barry.
His torture and execution by the British at the age of 18 generated huge national and international attention.
His name evokes a deep rooted emotional connection to a young man who heroically fought for Irish freedom and lost his life at the end of a hangman’s rope.
The song was written a few months after his death.
No one knows who wrote the lyrics but there are few songs of Ireland’s long struggle for freedom that have been played as frequently or successfully capture the heartfelt passion of that struggle as ‘Kevin Barry’.
In times past it has been sung by almost every Irish folk group, including the Clancy Brothers and The Wolfe Tones.
International singers have also recorded it.
Leonard Cohen who we heard at the top of this podcast was one.
Next Sunday, November 1st, will mark the centenary of the execution of Kevin Barry.
In recent weeks two books have been published reminding us of the Kevin Barry story.
