Léargas

A section of the huge crowd For a brief period the rain eased as we walked through Dundalk on Sunday but for most of the time it lashed. Thousands of brave souls, many soaked to the skin despite all kinds and sizes of umbrellas and coats, and led by relatives of the hunger strikers, walked the two miles from the assembly point to the centre of Dundalk where this year’s National Hunger Strike march and rally where held. The talk of many was of similar marches in the past, often in similar cold and inclement weather, during the long years of the blanket protest in the H-Blocks and in Armagh Women’s prison. Along the route the County Louth organisers of the event had arranged for some street theatre to remind us of other days. At one place there were women holding posters shouting slogans in support of the blanket men and the Armagh women prisoners; at another spot a group was shouting slogans against strip searching; at yet another a group of women were vigorously bashing th...

National Hunger strike March is on Sunday August 23 rd . Assemble 2.15pm Bailigh at 2.15 to walk to New Inn, Newry Road at 3pm 1981 was a tumultuous period in modern Irish history and the 1981 hunger strike was a watershed moment from which all changed. Thursday was the 34 th anniversary of the death of Mickey Devine, the last of the ten republican hunger strikers to die that year. The following day marked the 34 th anniversary of the election of Owen Carron in the by-election in Fermanagh South Tyrone which followed the death of Bobby Sands. Tomorrow August 23 rd Sinn Féin will hold the annual hunger strike march and rally in Dundalk. It is an occasion for remembering the 10 hunger strikers – as well as Frank Stagg and Michael Gaughan - and reflecting on their courage and selflessness. The elections which took place in 1981, including the June general election in the south which saw Kieran Doherty elected as a TD for Cavan Monaghan and Paddy Agnew elected for Louth - chang...

Féile an Phobail is the largest community festival on these islands – and the best in the world. This year it celebrated its 27 th birthday. It was born in 1988 at a time of great hurt and conflict. It was one response by the people of west Belfast to efforts by the British government, and others to demonise this community. It was evidence of our collective determination to demonstrate to the world that the people of west Belfast are a generous, humourous, talented, gifted and inclusive community. Notwithstanding the concerns raised about the Frankie Boyle event the Féile was a huge success. For 11 days west Belfast resounded to the sound of ceol and comedy and craic. There were plays, exhibitions, sport, walks, and debates and discussions. West Belfast Talks Back in St Louise’s saw British Labour leader contender Jeremy Corbyn take part. The Ballymurphy Massacre families again organised a series of events highlighting their case and this year there was a focus on the next...

The funeral cortege for O'Donovan Rossa moves through Dublin In February Sinn Féin launched our national campaign to mark the centenary of the 1916 Rising. It was and is a first class programme which included a re-enactment of the funeral of veteran Fenian Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa . In stark contrast the initial launch of the Irish government’s centenary programme last November and especially of its 80 second promotional video, was widely criticised . It failed to mention the Rising, the executed leaders, or the Proclamation but managed to include David Cameron, Bob Geldof and the English Queen. The government’s programme also neglected to mention O’Donovan Rossa. The video was withdrawn and the government was forced to go back to the drawing board . One consequence of this was that a new improved government programme , which I welcomed, was produced . It included a government sponsored re-enactment of the funeral of O ’ Donovan Rossa to take place on the same day a...