Léargas

  Protect the Assembly Rooms   The North began, the North held on, The strife for native land; When Ireland rose to smite her foes God bless the Northern land Thomas Davis In the 1790s Belfast was the centre of an Irish political movement which linked Antrim and Down with the Republics of France and America, and Belfast citizens celebrated the Fall of the Bastille, drank toasts to Mirabeau and Lafayette and studied Payne’s great book,  The Rights of Man . Presbyterians formed the Society of United Irishmen and declared for Catholic emancipation, for the abolition of church establishments and tithes, for resistance to rack rents and for sweeping agrarian reforms. They gave a cordial welcome to Mary Wollstonecraft’s  Vindication of the Rights of Women  and joined with their Catholic neigbours in the struggle for national independence and political democracy. It was a time of change, of great ideas and of hope for a new future free from England’s cl...

  Martin Mc Guinness. A Reflection. Friday the 21 March was the eighth anniversary of the death of our friend and leader Martin McGuinness. Like many others, I am sure, I was perplexed as it dawned on me that eight years had passed since we lost him. In my head I thought it was five or six years ago. But as we people of a certain age should now know time waits for no one. I remember as if it was yesterday dashing to the hospital. Even though we were anticipating his death there was nonetheless a numbness, a shock to be told that Martin was gone. Of course the love of his life Bernie, and their children and grandchildren and his siblings were the ones most effected but yet in their grief they knew that Martin mattered to a lot of people, particularly from his other family. His republican family. And they let us grieve with them. Grief is the price we pay for love. There are layers of feelings, unpredictable and unique to each of us personally as we adjust to the absence of ...

  Defend Neutrality If truth be told the long standing claim of neutrality by the southern Irish state is not all its made out to be. It is a fact that successive Irish governments have turned a blind eye to American war planes using Shannon as a stopping off point for attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as carrying munitions to Israel for its genocidal war against the people of Palestine.  US planes carrying political prisoners to interrogation and detention sites, where they were tortured, stopped at Shannon to refuel. A breach of international law. The government did nothing. In recent months a significant and increasing number of articles have been published in the mainstream Dublin based media claiming that neutrality was fine in the past but is not fit for purpose in the world today. It is ‘morally degenerate’ wrote one writer. Getting rid of neutrality would make the Irish state appear more ‘grown-up’ said another. The language has become increasingly belligere...

Na Mná Abú. I have been a life-long supporter of Antrim’s footballers and hurlers. And the Camógs as well. Colette played county back in the day. Back in another day I had a dream that I too might make the grade.  But wee boy dreams faded into reality and alas it was not to be.  I sometimes reflect on how different my Gaelic sporting life might have been in a different political dispensation.  If only?   So, I have followed our county’s fortunes and misfortunes from the side-lines for over seventy years now. That’s a long time.  I am one among many. Not all of us can be county stars. But we kept the faith on tough days out as well as on heady days in Casement and other county grounds and occasionally in Croke.  In recent years the totally unacceptable delays on building the New Casement has infuriated us all. I am thinking especially of a generation of young Gaels who have been robbed of the opportunity to play in our county ground. Some of the s...

  Seachtain na Gaeilge Seachtain na Gaeilge used to run for one week but because it was so popular it was extended. It now runs annually from 1 March to 17 March – St. Patrick’s Day.  Is í Seachtain na Gaeilge an ceiliúradh is mó den Ghaeilge agus Cultúr na hÉireann ar domhan. Bhí an oiread sin ráchairt uirthi gur síneodh amach chuig coicís í. Bíonn sí ar siúl ó 1 Márta go dtí 17 Márta - Lá Fhéile Pádraig, achan bhliain. Seachtain na Gaeilge was founded in 1902 by Conradh na Gaeilge as part the Gaelic  revival of that time. Initially Seachtain na Gaeilge was limited to the island of Ireland but today it is now a global phenomenon and the largest celebration of our language and culture here and overseas. Seachtain is an opportunity to celebrate our native language and culture and to enjoy it all.  I was lucky to attend the Belfast launch in An Cultúrlann on the Falls Road last week. I certainly enjoyed it. It was a great even...

  Brendan McFarlane On Tuesday we buried our friend and comrade Brendan McFarlane. Bik texted me just over 2 weeks or so ago to say he was back in hospital. He had been battling cancer for some time. A few days later the medics stopped his treatment. There was nothing else they could do for him. Suddenly and unexpectedly he was gone. He died peacefully surrounded by his loving family. My solidarity and sympathy to Lene, a mighty woman, and to their children Emma, Tomás and Tina, his brother Gerard and the wider family circle. His loss for them is immeasurable. For his countless friends and comrades his death is a deep blow. Bik spent almost all of his adult life as a Republican activist - an Óglach, a political prisoner, a leader, a man of courage, fiercely proud of and loyal to his community, a resolute advocate for Irish Unity, a Gaeilgeoir,  a friend and a comrade.  A lot has been written about Brendan and his IRA activities and he surely wa...