Léargas

  Deirdre Hargey, Liadh Ní Riada, Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill Saturday is count day to elect the next President of Ireland. Irish citizens living in the North do not have a vote in this election. But that shouldn’t stop you from having your say. Almost all of us have relatives, friends, associates who will have a vote. So it’s not too late. With less than 48 hours to go before polls close give them a ring. Send them a text. Email. Facebook. Instagram. Urge them to vote for the only Presidential candidate who has put the North and the issue of Irish Unity front and centre in her campaign – Liadh Ní Riada.  Liadh is the Sinn Féin candidate. A gaelgeoir. A musician. An activist. A republican. A woman. A member of the European Parliament representing the Munster constituency. The daughter of Sean O’Riada who was the single most important figure in the revival of Irish traditional music in the 1960s and who wrote the acclaimed Mise Éire. For weeks now Liadh, a...

Conor Murphy, Mary Lou McDonald, Michelle O'Neill and Paul Maskey in London for meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May. They told her there has to be a unity referendum We need a new union Captain Jack Doyle in Sean O’Casey’s “Juno and the Paycock” has a word for it – ‘ chassis .’ He says: “I’m telling you … Joxer …th’ whole worl’s … in a terr … ible state o’ … chassis.” Last week, Denis Naughten the Minister for Communications in the Irish government resigned in bad temper. His decision was as a result of accusations of inappropriate meetings he had held with a businessman who now leads the only bid still in place for a billion-euro state contract to supply broadband to half a million rural homes. It was a grievous blow to the Fine Gael minority government which depends on a confidence and supply agreement with Fianna Fáil. With Fianna Fáil committed to abstain in key votes An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar needs 57 votes in the Dáil to sustain his government and pass ...

March 1st last year witnessed the formal recognition by the government and the Dáil of the ethnicity of Travellers. It came after a long and difficult campaign and those of us who were part of that knew that recognition was only one step - albeit an important step - in challenging discrimination and achieving equality for Travellers.  For those who don't accept Traveller ethnicity I publish again my remarks in the Dáil on that important occasion. Traveller Ethnicity Tá mé fíor-bhuíoch as an deis labhairt ar an ábhar tábhachtach anocht. Is lá agus oíche fíor-thábhachtach don Lucht Taistil é. Cuirim fáilte roimh na grúpaí anseo, na daoine sa Gallery and elsewhere in Leinster House and I extend solidarity to all Travellers on this historic day. It is their day, and a momentous step forward for equality. Some are outside and I am sure we all regret that. Perhaps, if the Taoiseach's schedule allows, he could address them. I understand there are 70 members of the...

Mise agus John serenading Irish America at the White House St. Patrick's Day event in March 1995 The Thursday evening before last I was part of a panel in the Helix Theatre at Dublin City University (DCU) to discuss the contribution of John Hume to the work of civil rights and peace. There were around 200 people present. We watched Maurice Fitzpatrick's film ‘ John Hume in America’ . Afterward Brid Rodgers, a former Deputy Leader of the SDLP; Liz O Donnell, a former Minister of State at the Dept. of Foreign Affairs;   Maurice Fitzpatrick; and I, joined John Doyle, the Executive Dean of DCU's Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, to discuss the film. Fitzpatrick’s film recalls John Hume’s connections on Capitol Hill and his efforts to encourage US governments to engage positively in efforts to support civil rights in the North. Through archive footage and interviews with Presidents Clinton, Carter, Bruce Morrison, Richie Neal and others it record...

Duke Street – 50 years later Last Saturday in Derry was a great day. The 50 th anniversary of the October 5th 1968 civil rights march was a colourful and optimistic event attended by thousands. I want to commend all of those who helped organise and who participated in it. The mood was upbeat, positive and determined. Where 50 years ago a peaceful demonstration was attacked by the RUC and people left bloodied and scattered, this year Derry resounded to the sound of thousands of voices laughing, singing, happy, confidant. The raised voices of an indomitable people singing ‘We shall overcome’ echoed around the Guild Hall. 50 years ago the Stormont regime’s uncompromising response to the civil rights campaign saw the then Ulster Unionist Home Affairs Minister Bill Craig ban the march. Craig went on to form the ultra-right wing Ulster Vanguard Movement. During one speech several years later he spoke about the need to “build dossiers on the men and women who are a menace to this ...

Tish and Alex just elected in 1985 to Belfast City Council - Brian Quinn looks on Teresa Holland – Lunney – died last week. Better known as Tish she was the youngest woman ever interned by the British in the 1970s. She was aged 17 when arrested in February 1973 and imprisoned in Armagh prison without charge or trial. Tish was also the longest serving woman internee.  She was a strong woman - a bright, intelligent, immensely able woman. She knew she was dying. She faced up to that challenge with the same courage and grace that marked her life as a republican and community activist. Saying Good-bye to Tish I visited Tish the Sunday before she died. Despite the pain and knowing how ill she was, Tish was still Tish. She was calm. Relaxed. In the last weeks of her life Tish’s thoughts were for others. There was a positivity about her approach to death. Along with her husband Phil and her good friend and close comrade Alex Maskey she planned her funeral. That’s why ...