Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from March, 2019

Áras Uí Chonghaile – A world class centre for Belfast

  J im McVeigh opening the event   “Comrades, Brothers and Sisters, I have wonderful news! Our comrade James Connolly, the General Secretary of our great union, the ITGWU, is returning to Belfast on the 19th April. He and his family will take up residence in 374 Falls Road. Come and welcome him. Come and listen to his speeches. Come and read his insightful publications. He comes to Belfast to lead us and unite the working class, not as Catholics and Protestants, not as Nationalist and Unionist but as Belfast workers united. He comes to lead us in the glorious struggle for Socialism”. With these stirring words, Jim McVeigh, Trade Union activist and Chair of the James Connolly Association, commenced the formal launch of Áras Uí Chonghaile – the James Connolly Visitor Centre – at Belfast City Hall last week. The centre itself will be opened on April 19 th with a pageant along the Falls Road from Conway Mill, where 100 years ago Connolly helped organize the ...

James Connolly Heron: Remarks to the City Hall Launch of Áras ÚI Chonghaile

James Connolly Heron: Remarks to the City Hall Launch of Áras ÚI Chonghaile on Wednesday 20 March 2019: Chairperson,   Thanks to the Committee for the invitation to this launch of a most important visitor centre in a city and in an area very close to the hearts of those of us fortunate to be related to a person still held in such high esteem at home and abroad.    One hundred years on - Edinburgh, Belfast, New York, Chicago and Dublin - still hold the footprints of a remarkable journey for its time marking what was for James Connolly and his family, in his own words - ‘a full life’. It is a great honour to be here on what is a very special occasion - an historic day. Lord Mayor, Members of the Áras Uí Chonghaile Project, friends and comrades, ‘REMEMBER ME IS ALL I ASK AND IF REMEMBRANCE PROVES A TASK – FORGET’. So wrote Nora Sullivan, republican prisoner in a Kilmainham Gaol prison autograph book. That golden generation - the men and women of 1916 - d...

No Planet B???? - 12 years to save the planet

Protesting outside Leinster House Last week tens of thousands of school pupils in Ireland, and in over 100 countries across the world, took part in an unprecedented demonstration highlighting the threat to humanity from climate change. Thousands took part in an impressive protest outside the Dáil. They were all united in their demand that governments must do more to save the planet. The extraordinary enthusiasm, commitment and determination of the young people, was inspirational. Friday’s protests are the latest in the ‘ school strike movement’ that has been inspired by the actions of Greta Thunberg, a 16 year old Swedish teenager. Thunberg has sat outside the Swedish Parliament almost every Friday since last summer demanding that her government implement the Paris agreement on climate change. Just before Christmas she spoke at the COP24 climate talks that took place in Katowice, Poland. Her scathing criticism of the international community and of governments struck a chor...

Raidió Fálte takes up a new home

    D’oscail suíomh nua Raidió Fáilte ar an Aoine seo caite. Seo m’cuid foclaí ón imeacht.  "Molaim achan duine a chuidigh le Líonra Uladh – Raidió Fáilte a bhunú. Ach tá moladh ag dul do Fergus Í hÍr go hairithe. Ghlac Fergus páirt i nGluaiseacht na gCeart Sibhialta. Is fear gnímh é. D’inis sé scéal dúinn le déanaí faoi na hAontachtóirí sna seascaidí nuair a chuir siad bac ar pháirc na leanaí mar Dé Domhnaigh a bhí ann. Is ceannródaí Gaeilge é Fergus, iar Phríomh Oide i Meánscoil Feirste, amhránai den scoth, craoltóir, bullaí fir agus scoláire. Nuair a bhunaigh Eoin O’Néill, Fergus, Gearóid O Cearbhalláin agus Clara Ní Giolla Raidio Failte i lár na nóchaidí bhí sé ar an aer go minic agus ansin bhí sé mar bhainisteoir. Mar a deir siad féin sin na laethanta nach raibh siad ag cloí leis an dlí!!! These were their ‘pre-legal days. Fuair siad an ceadíúnas in dá mhíle is a sé agus chuiagh siad ó neart go neart. Le fiche ...