76-year-old taking on Sinn Féin

[PRC-UTE]

The 76-year-old dissident taking on Sinn Féin

* Movement's figurehead lost son in hunger strike
* Republicans 'have sold out to the establishment'

Owen Bowcott, Ireland correspondent
Thursday March 1, 2007
The Guardian

Peggy O'Hara is an imposing figurehead for the dissident republican
movement. The 76-year-old sports a jet black beehive hairdo, is opposed to
working with the police and will refuse to take a seat if elected to
Stormont. Her first outing at the ballot box could inflict significant
damage on Sinn Féin.

The front room of her Derry home is a shrine to the memory of her youngest
son, Patsy, an Irish National Liberation Army hunger striker who starved
himself to death in 1981. She is standing against those she believes have
betrayed his sacrifice. In an assembly election damned by local
commentators as the dullest in Northern Ireland's history, attention has
focused on the imposition of water rates and "rejectionist" factions at
the extremes of the political spectrum. The appearance of tax issues has
been welcomed as proof of a new political normality.

The decision to go to the polls on March 7 was supposed to enable parties
to obtain a mandate for entering a power-sharing government at Stormont.
The Democratic Unionist party's reluctance to make explicit whether it
will commit to a deal with its arch-enemy, Sinn Féin, has deprived the
central issue of its customary vitriol. Ian Paisley, the DUP leader, is
asking voters simply to trust his judgment once the campaign is over. Few
doubt the DUP and Sinn Féin will emerge as the largest unionist and
nationalist parties respectively. But those at the margins may have an
impact disproportionate to their numbers, due to the province's system of
proportional representation. The election is significant as the first
occasion dissident republicans - including the political wings of the
Continuity IRA and Real IRA - have fielded candidates against Sinn Fein.

Ms O'Hara's posters are fixed to lamp-posts all over the west bank of the
Foyle, vying with those of Sinn Féin and the Social Democratic and Labour
party.

Martin Galvin, a prominent US fund-raiser who once channelled funds to the
Provisional IRA, has been out canvassing for her. Newspaper adverts have
been purchased, a website set up and 30,000 leaflets distributed. "I am
the figurehead for the campaign," said Ms O'Hara, who is recovering from a
stroke. "I'm doing this for my son, Patsy. I was at his bedside when he
died." She believes Sinn Fein has "sold out" to the establishment. "If
they had known that the struggle would end in support of the [police] they
would not have thought it worthwhile."

Republican Sinn Féin, another dissident faction, is standing in five
constituencies. Geraldine Taylor is a candidate. "Sinn Féin's support of
policing was the last straw," she said. "[They] are now the collaborators
working with the occupying British forces."

The mainstream republican movement has repeatedly dismissed the dissidents
as "micro-factions" and "rejectionists". Sinn Fein says it is confident of
increasing its vote, but the SDLP has proved resilient and could benefit
from a split in the republican vote.

---

Some helpful sites:
Vote Peggy Website: http://www.peggyohara.netfirms.com/

[PRC-UTE]

Radio Free Eireann will cover the March 7 election with Geraldine
Taylor,Joe O'neil RSF, Gerry McGeough IND, and Peggy O'Hara IND. You can
listen live on www.wbai.org from 1:30 pm till 3 pm New York time.

6.30pm til 8.00pm Ireland time.

[Cheung Mo]

Nice to see that some Republicans are still fighting for a socialist Ireland and refusing to deal with Paisleyite Anglo-Reactionaries who have no business influencing Irish political life.

[bolshevik butcher]

I hope she does well. It's good to see a challenge to the increasingly reformist Sinn Feinn who have repeatidley failed to represent the intersts of republicans nevermind the Irish working class. All the best to the IRSP in this campaign, hopefuly they will be successful in highlighting this.

[Redmau5]

Nice to see that some Republicans are still fighting for a socialist Ireland

Republican Sinn Fein are anything but socialist.


Gerry McGeough IND

He's a complete reactionary. He left Sinn Fein because he believed they were developing policies which would lead to more abortion. He's a right-wing catholic.


I hope she does well. It's good to see a challenge to the increasingly reformist Sinn Feinn who have repeatidley failed to represent the intersts of republicans nevermind the Irish working class. All the best to the IRSP in this campaign, hopefuly they will be successful in highlighting this.

And how will the fringes of republicanism help solve anything? Each side are as bad as each other. On one side we have the middle-class Sinn Fein, and on the other we have small republican groups who present no realistic alternative.

[PRC-UTE]

Originally posted by [email protected] 04, 2007 12:53 pm

Nice to see that some Republicans are still fighting for a socialist Ireland

Republican Sinn Fein are anything but socialist.


Gerry McGeough IND

He's a complete reactionary. He left Sinn Fein because he believed they were developing policies which would lead to more abortion. He's a right-wing catholic.


I hope she does well. It's good to see a challenge to the increasingly reformist Sinn Feinn who have repeatidley failed to represent the intersts of republicans nevermind the Irish working class. All the best to the IRSP in this campaign, hopefuly they will be successful in highlighting this.

And how will the fringes of republicanism help solve anything? Each side are as bad as each other. On one side we have the middle-class Sinn Fein, and on the other we have small republican groups who present no realistic alternative.
We agree with you about McGeogh, and we've refused to back him. When he made refrenence to Patsy O'Hara in a speech he made it was just ridiclous, a catholic fundamentalist border line fascist using the name of a socialist martyr like Patsy. I put up the info about the show because O'Hara was appearing on it, but I have nothing to do with it myself.

I'm not sure what you mean by fringes of republicanism and 'just as bad'. Obviously the point of the election campaign is to make an impact which we're doing.

[PRC-UTE]

Originally posted by bolshevik [email protected] 04, 2007 11:12 am
I hope she does well. It's good to see a challenge to the increasingly reformist Sinn Feinn who have repeatidley failed to represent the intersts of republicans nevermind the Irish working class. All the best to the IRSP in this campaign, hopefuly they will be successful in highlighting this.
Thanks comrades Chueng and Bolshevik! :)

[Vladimir]

She is spot on about the PSNI/RUC. Its the same force, different uniform with London having full control over it. Some parts I liked from her 'Platform' page on her site...

"The PSNI is the old RUC and nothing has changed. But I am also standing on a republican platform. I want to see an end to British misrule in our country. I want to see Ireland united. I want to see the people of Ireland united and they cannot be united under the crown."

"I know one thing, my son Patsy, and other brave republicans went to their deaths in the belief that they were fighting to get the British establishment out of Ireland once and for all. If they had known then that the struggle would end in support for the RUC then they would not have felt it worthwhile putting their lives on the line."

[PRC-UTE]

Originally posted by [email protected] 05, 2007 01:00 pm
"I know one thing, my son Patsy, and other brave republicans went to their deaths in the belief that they were fighting to get the British establishment out of Ireland once and for all. If they had known then that the struggle would end in support for the RUC then they would not have felt it worthwhile putting their lives on the line."
well said. what a brave woman.

[quirk]

Originally posted by Cheung [email protected] 03, 2007 11:11 pm
Nice to see that some Republicans are still fighting for a socialist Ireland and refusing to deal with Paisleyite Anglo-Reactionaries who have no business influencing Irish political life.

Nice to see that some Republicans are still fighting for a socialist Ireland and refusing to deal with Paisleyite Anglo-Reactionaries who have no business influencing Irish political life.

I think Paisley and all unionists should be able to influence Irish political life, given that they are in fact Irish. What they should not be able to do is exercise a mandate over the will of the majority of the Irish people.

[Fawkes]

I think Paisley and all unionists should be able to influence Irish political life, given that they are in fact Irish.
Yes, but their political influence over Ireland generally entails British rule in Northern Ireland and Protestant domination over things such as jobs and housing, which is unacceptable.

[PRC-UTE]

Originally posted by quirk+March 06, 2007 02:17 am--> (quirk @ March 06, 2007 02:17 am)
Cheung [email protected] 03, 2007 11:11 pm
Nice to see that some Republicans are still fighting for a socialist Ireland and refusing to deal with Paisleyite Anglo-Reactionaries who have no business influencing Irish political life.

Nice to see that some Republicans are still fighting for a socialist Ireland and refusing to deal with Paisleyite Anglo-Reactionaries who have no business influencing Irish political life.

I think Paisley and all unionists should be able to influence Irish political life, given that they are in fact Irish. What they should not be able to do is exercise a mandate over the will of the majority of the Irish people. [/b]
Very true, I meant to make that point myself. The Unionists should have as much say in Ireland as the rest of country, but not more because England backs them.

I think a large section of the British ruling class would like out but stay as they're the only force that can maintain 'stability' in a bourgeois sense.

[bolshevik butcher]

Below we publish a speech given by Willie Gallagher of the IRSP to a large gathering of republicans in Conway Mill, Belfast on November 27. He explains why republican socialists cannot accept the new police force, the PSNI, as this would be merely accepting the domination of British capital over Ireland. The only kind of policing the workers of Ireland can accept would be within the context of a 32 county Socialist Workers' Republic.

http://www.marxist.com/socialist-republica...eland120207.htm (http://www.marxist.com/socialist-republicans-police-north-ireland120207.htm)

This IRSP article on the class role of policing in Ireland I though was very good and ilustratied the polices historical role and the need for a working class revolution in Ireland.

Maklevelli why are IRSP not part of the "realistc alternative". Surely they are a force for the Irish working class. While I at times disagree with them, I think taht they are part of the emerging socialist republicanism which seems to be the only form of republicanism capable of appealing to working class proteastants.

[Cheung Mo]

Originally posted by quirk+March 06, 2007 02:17 am--> (quirk @ March 06, 2007 02:17 am)
Cheung [email protected] 03, 2007 11:11 pm
Nice to see that some Republicans are still fighting for a socialist Ireland and refusing to deal with Paisleyite Anglo-Reactionaries who have no business influencing Irish political life.

Nice to see that some Republicans are still fighting for a socialist Ireland and refusing to deal with Paisleyite Anglo-Reactionaries who have no business influencing Irish political life.

I think Paisley and all unionists should be able to influence Irish political life, given that they are in fact Irish. What they should not be able to do is exercise a mandate over the will of the majority of the Irish people. [/b]
Why? Their settlement of Ireland was essentially a form of ethnic cleansing by the British Empire. And such a wrong needs to eventually be recitified whether the perpetrators are Monarchists, fascists, theocrats, capitalists, liberals, or leftists.

The descendants of these settlers are unconscious beneficiaries of ethnic cleansing and should either peacefully accept a united Ireland or resettle in the UK.

[Redmau5]

The descendants of these settlers are unconscious beneficiaries of ethnic cleansing and should either peacefully accept a united Ireland or resettle in the UK.

That's quite a naive view of the situation here. Regardless of their political views (which are extremely reactionary), 'planters' have been here for several hundred years and have a completely seperate culture from the rest of the UK. Yes, they should never have been settled here in the first place, but there is little we can do about that now.

I genuinely believe socialism is the only workable alternative in Northern Ireland. We have to unite nationalists and unionists along working-class lines. Then, I believe, the border will be removed anyway because Unionists will recognise it is not in their interests.


Maklevelli why are IRSP not part of the "realistc alternative". Surely they are a force for the Irish working class. While I at times disagree with them, I think taht they are part of the emerging socialist republicanism which seems to be the only form of republicanism capable of appealing to working class proteastants.

I hold the IRSP in a very high regard. However, I believe their emphasis on republicanism only helps to alienate the protestant working-class from their cause. I know the IRSP welcome protestants into their ranks, but the stigma attached to republicanism within loyalist working-class communities means that they can never hope to gain the support from a large section of the working-class in Northern Ireland. This is why I believe we should work to spread socialism first, and then the 32-county socialist republic will become more than dream, it will be a reality.

[PRC-UTE]

Originally posted by Cheung Mo+March 06, 2007 04:58 pm--> (Cheung Mo @ March 06, 2007 04:58 pm)
Originally posted by [email protected] 06, 2007 02:17 am

Cheung [email protected] 03, 2007 11:11 pm
Nice to see that some Republicans are still fighting for a socialist Ireland and refusing to deal with Paisleyite Anglo-Reactionaries who have no business influencing Irish political life.

Nice to see that some Republicans are still fighting for a socialist Ireland and refusing to deal with Paisleyite Anglo-Reactionaries who have no business influencing Irish political life.

I think Paisley and all unionists should be able to influence Irish political life, given that they are in fact Irish. What they should not be able to do is exercise a mandate over the will of the majority of the Irish people.
Why? Their settlement of Ireland was essentially a form of ethnic cleansing by the British Empire. And such a wrong needs to eventually be recitified whether the perpetrators are Monarchists, fascists, theocrats, capitalists, liberals, or leftists.

The descendants of these settlers are unconscious beneficiaries of ethnic cleansing and should either peacefully accept a united Ireland or resettle in the UK. [/b]
You have to understand that the consciousness of Protestants in Ireland has undergone many changes. It is not a straightforward question. We owe the very idea of republicanism to a progressive section of the Protestant community who founded the United Irishmen and reached out fraternally to the Nationalist community and launched the first republican uprising in 1798. In 1803 Robert Emmet led an uprising in which he appealed to the working masses to rise up. During the great depression there were outdoor relief riots in which workers of both communities struggled together.

It is of course true that the Brits were able to always break these movements by appealing the reactionary elements in that community. This Connolly predicted would be worse under partition, a prediction which has been unfortunatley been vindicated. That's why believe the reactionary six county state has to be smashed.