PRC-UTE
15th October 2004, 15:18
IRSP 30th Anniversary Solidarity Notices Sought
December of 2004, the Irish Republican Socialist Party and Irish National
Liberation Army will celebrate 30 years of struggle for national liberation
and socialism in Ireland. For a movement which has been described as
perhaps the most persecuted in the history of Irish republicanism, this is
an important occasion.
Accordingly, we are soliciting anniversary notices to be published in the
Starry Plough/An Camcheachta, the newspaper of the IRSP today, to
demonstrate the support the movement enjoys around the world today from
fellow anti-imperialists, socialists, and Irish republicans and to help
support the ability of the IRSP to expand and improve the newspaper's
ability to serve as the voice of revolutionary Irish Republican Socialism.
----------
Notices will be approximately 2-3/8 inches wide by 1-1/4 inches (6
centimeters by 3 centimeters) and any artwork used should be supplied in a
digital format. The cost is 20 US Dollars, 10 Pounds, or 15 Euros per notice.
We are encouraging all members and supporters in the Irish Republican
Socialist Committees of North America (IRSCNA) or the Federation of Irish
Republican Socialist Committees Abroad (FIRSCA) to put in a notice for the
city, state, or province they reside in.
We are also asking our friends and comrades in other socialist, anarchist,
syndicalist, anti-imperialist, Irish activist, trade union, Irish language
and cultural organisations to put in a notice, as a display of solidarity.
This effort has been initiated by FIRSCA in support of the IRSP and all
inquiries should be directed to Peter Urban at [email protected] or 2057 15th
Street, Suite B, San Francisco, California 94114 USA. Funds for anniversary
notices can be sent to that address as well or sent via PayPal using the
email address provided.
All notices and funds must be received by 20 November 2004 to be included.
----------
When the Official Irish Republican Movement turned away from the national
liberation struggle in Ireland and established a course towards reformism,
revolutionaries within that movement fought a battle within it to reclaim
the movement for the revolutionary Republican Socialism of James Connolly,
Jim Larkin, Liam Mellows, Peadar O Donnell and others. When those in
control of the movement smothered internal democracy and attempted to
isolate and silence those who were fighting to restore a revolutionary
perspective, they were forced to leave the OIRM behind and forge a new
movement, a Republican Socialist Movement. Led by Seamus Costello, these
revolutionaries, joined by other dedicated socialists, met together in
Dublin, in December 1974, to found the Irish Republican Socialist Party
and, later, the Irish National Liberation Army in order to keep the Starry
Plough banner of the Irish working class aloft.
Almost immediately, the new movement was attacked by the Official Irish
Republican Army, christening the infant movement in the blood of its
martyrs. No sooner was this assault responded to, then the armed thugs of
the neo-colonial regime in Dublin launched its own attack, attempting to
frame thirty leading members of the IRSP with participating in a train
robbery, which the Provisional IRA repeatedly admitted it had carried out.
Within three years of its birth, Seamus Costello, its charismatic leader,
described by Nora Connolly O Brien as the person most closely approximating
the politics of her father, James Connolly, was dead, murdered by the OIRA.
In 1980, while many of the movement's most gifted members were engaged in a
hunger strike in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh and Armagh women's prison, the
party's second chairperson, Miriam Daly, was murdered by the SAS, as were
such leading members as Ronnie Bunting and Noel Lyttle. The hunger strike
of 1981 claimed three more of the movement's best members, when Patsy O
Hara, Kevin Lynch, and Michael Devine died while struggling to end the
criminalisation of Irish republican and republican socialist prisoners,
while outside the prison's walls members of the calibre of Jim Power were
killed by the British forces still occupying Ireland.
Then, in 1987, ex-members who had been expelled for behavior that had
seriously weakened the growing movement regrouped under the banner of the
IPLO and murdered Thomas Power, the person most responsible for bringing
about the primacy of revolutionary politics within the movement. Before
those attacks were brought to a close by the defensive response of the
INLA, more members were killed and others intimidated out of active
political struggle.
The Irish Republican Socialist Movement regrouped once again and was
regaining membership and focus under another charismatic leader, Gino
Gallagher, when he too was struck down in 1996, this time by criminals
working at the behest of British intelligence services posing as a feuding
faction. The collective leadership forged under Gallagher's leadership
survived, however, and the IRSP and INLA continued to re-establish themselves.
Though the INLA, recognising the war weariness reflected in the vote by
Irish working people in the Good Friday Agreement polls, declared a cease
fire in August 1998, it has continued to provide some of the most effective
defense of the working class community in the nationalist communities of
the occupied six counties, when loyalist death squads and rampaging pogroms
have threatened it.
For its part, the IRSP has re-established its newspaper, expanded its work
not only among the working people of the nationalist communities in the six
counties, but among the most advanced, class conscious workers of the
British working class communities within the six counties, as well as in
the working class communities of the 26 county statelet. The party has
broadened and strengthened its international relations with others
struggling against imperialism, capitalism, Zionism, racism, sexism,
heterosexism, globalisation, and other forms of oppression. It has worked
to build a Broad Front with other Irish republicans opposed to the Good
Friday Agreement and to build a unified Left opposition with other Irish
socialist organisations and individuals.
The movement launched Teach na Failte (Welcome Home), an organisation for
ex-INLA prisoners, which in turn undertook an ambitious project of
commemorating all of the movement's martyrs throughout Ireland's 32
counties. This undertaking helped to bring former activists back into the
movement and to strengthen both the IRSP and Teach na Failte, better
enabling it in its work to provide former Prisoners of War with the skills,
support, and encouragement they need to return to productive lives within
their families, communities, and class.
Today, the IRSP is again the largest organisation within the socialist
community of Ireland and an important voice in opposition to the failed
Good Friday Agreement and the pacification process from which that
agreement grew. The Irish Republican Socialist Movement is again in a
position to provide revolutionary leadership to the working class of Ireland.
The movement has not simply survived three decades of struggle. The IRSM
has grown and matured and we believe it has earned the dedicated support of
its members both in Ireland and abroad, as well as the solidarity of other
revolutionaries.
Please add your name or that of your organisation to this display of
support and solidarity by taking out an anniversary notice this December.
December of 2004, the Irish Republican Socialist Party and Irish National
Liberation Army will celebrate 30 years of struggle for national liberation
and socialism in Ireland. For a movement which has been described as
perhaps the most persecuted in the history of Irish republicanism, this is
an important occasion.
Accordingly, we are soliciting anniversary notices to be published in the
Starry Plough/An Camcheachta, the newspaper of the IRSP today, to
demonstrate the support the movement enjoys around the world today from
fellow anti-imperialists, socialists, and Irish republicans and to help
support the ability of the IRSP to expand and improve the newspaper's
ability to serve as the voice of revolutionary Irish Republican Socialism.
----------
Notices will be approximately 2-3/8 inches wide by 1-1/4 inches (6
centimeters by 3 centimeters) and any artwork used should be supplied in a
digital format. The cost is 20 US Dollars, 10 Pounds, or 15 Euros per notice.
We are encouraging all members and supporters in the Irish Republican
Socialist Committees of North America (IRSCNA) or the Federation of Irish
Republican Socialist Committees Abroad (FIRSCA) to put in a notice for the
city, state, or province they reside in.
We are also asking our friends and comrades in other socialist, anarchist,
syndicalist, anti-imperialist, Irish activist, trade union, Irish language
and cultural organisations to put in a notice, as a display of solidarity.
This effort has been initiated by FIRSCA in support of the IRSP and all
inquiries should be directed to Peter Urban at [email protected] or 2057 15th
Street, Suite B, San Francisco, California 94114 USA. Funds for anniversary
notices can be sent to that address as well or sent via PayPal using the
email address provided.
All notices and funds must be received by 20 November 2004 to be included.
----------
When the Official Irish Republican Movement turned away from the national
liberation struggle in Ireland and established a course towards reformism,
revolutionaries within that movement fought a battle within it to reclaim
the movement for the revolutionary Republican Socialism of James Connolly,
Jim Larkin, Liam Mellows, Peadar O Donnell and others. When those in
control of the movement smothered internal democracy and attempted to
isolate and silence those who were fighting to restore a revolutionary
perspective, they were forced to leave the OIRM behind and forge a new
movement, a Republican Socialist Movement. Led by Seamus Costello, these
revolutionaries, joined by other dedicated socialists, met together in
Dublin, in December 1974, to found the Irish Republican Socialist Party
and, later, the Irish National Liberation Army in order to keep the Starry
Plough banner of the Irish working class aloft.
Almost immediately, the new movement was attacked by the Official Irish
Republican Army, christening the infant movement in the blood of its
martyrs. No sooner was this assault responded to, then the armed thugs of
the neo-colonial regime in Dublin launched its own attack, attempting to
frame thirty leading members of the IRSP with participating in a train
robbery, which the Provisional IRA repeatedly admitted it had carried out.
Within three years of its birth, Seamus Costello, its charismatic leader,
described by Nora Connolly O Brien as the person most closely approximating
the politics of her father, James Connolly, was dead, murdered by the OIRA.
In 1980, while many of the movement's most gifted members were engaged in a
hunger strike in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh and Armagh women's prison, the
party's second chairperson, Miriam Daly, was murdered by the SAS, as were
such leading members as Ronnie Bunting and Noel Lyttle. The hunger strike
of 1981 claimed three more of the movement's best members, when Patsy O
Hara, Kevin Lynch, and Michael Devine died while struggling to end the
criminalisation of Irish republican and republican socialist prisoners,
while outside the prison's walls members of the calibre of Jim Power were
killed by the British forces still occupying Ireland.
Then, in 1987, ex-members who had been expelled for behavior that had
seriously weakened the growing movement regrouped under the banner of the
IPLO and murdered Thomas Power, the person most responsible for bringing
about the primacy of revolutionary politics within the movement. Before
those attacks were brought to a close by the defensive response of the
INLA, more members were killed and others intimidated out of active
political struggle.
The Irish Republican Socialist Movement regrouped once again and was
regaining membership and focus under another charismatic leader, Gino
Gallagher, when he too was struck down in 1996, this time by criminals
working at the behest of British intelligence services posing as a feuding
faction. The collective leadership forged under Gallagher's leadership
survived, however, and the IRSP and INLA continued to re-establish themselves.
Though the INLA, recognising the war weariness reflected in the vote by
Irish working people in the Good Friday Agreement polls, declared a cease
fire in August 1998, it has continued to provide some of the most effective
defense of the working class community in the nationalist communities of
the occupied six counties, when loyalist death squads and rampaging pogroms
have threatened it.
For its part, the IRSP has re-established its newspaper, expanded its work
not only among the working people of the nationalist communities in the six
counties, but among the most advanced, class conscious workers of the
British working class communities within the six counties, as well as in
the working class communities of the 26 county statelet. The party has
broadened and strengthened its international relations with others
struggling against imperialism, capitalism, Zionism, racism, sexism,
heterosexism, globalisation, and other forms of oppression. It has worked
to build a Broad Front with other Irish republicans opposed to the Good
Friday Agreement and to build a unified Left opposition with other Irish
socialist organisations and individuals.
The movement launched Teach na Failte (Welcome Home), an organisation for
ex-INLA prisoners, which in turn undertook an ambitious project of
commemorating all of the movement's martyrs throughout Ireland's 32
counties. This undertaking helped to bring former activists back into the
movement and to strengthen both the IRSP and Teach na Failte, better
enabling it in its work to provide former Prisoners of War with the skills,
support, and encouragement they need to return to productive lives within
their families, communities, and class.
Today, the IRSP is again the largest organisation within the socialist
community of Ireland and an important voice in opposition to the failed
Good Friday Agreement and the pacification process from which that
agreement grew. The Irish Republican Socialist Movement is again in a
position to provide revolutionary leadership to the working class of Ireland.
The movement has not simply survived three decades of struggle. The IRSM
has grown and matured and we believe it has earned the dedicated support of
its members both in Ireland and abroad, as well as the solidarity of other
revolutionaries.
Please add your name or that of your organisation to this display of
support and solidarity by taking out an anniversary notice this December.