Léargas

  Gaels call for Citizens Assembly In a powerful video message 12,000 Ulster Gaels are appealing to our fellow Gaels in Munster, Leinster and Connaught to sign and endorse a letter to An Taoiseach Micheál Martin asking the Irish government to take the lead in planning for Irish Unity by establishing an All-Island Citizens Assembly  “reflecting the views of citizens North and South to achieve maximum consensus on a way forward ” toward an “ agreed shared Ireland.” The letter states:  “It is the responsibility of the Irish government to ensure that the democratic rights of all citizens are respected and protected, regardless of where they live on the island … “ The letter to Micheál Martin was an idea that first emerged in Antrim earlier this year. Since then it has spread across the nine counties of Ulster and has gathered over 12,000 signatures. The campaign has also gained substantial support in the other three provinces. Down’s double All-Ireland winner Ross Car...

  Rewriting History “The first casualty when war comes is the truth ” said US Senator Hiram Johnson in 1917. We know only too well from our own recent experience of reporting on the decades of conflict how true this is. However, it misses the equally important other side of the coin – the victor writes the history. The narrative of European colonialism, and especially of the British Empire, is full of examples of this. The British public today still believes that the Empire was great! While those in Ireland, in Africa, in India and elsewhere who suffered from its exploitation and brutality see it as a thief, an exploiter, a mass murderer, the purveyor of famine and poverty. The English claim they came to Ireland to civilise the barbarians. Colonial and western powers often use the excuse to justify their colonial occupation and military interventions. In recent years this was evident again in Iraq, in Afghanistan and in Libya. The French philosopher and writer Jean Paul Sarte...

  How I got a different view of Croker Last week I spent a day in Croke Park. I have been there many times before. Usually for GAA fixtures or the occasional concert. But last week was different. Some of the courts service in Dublin, including defamation cases, are currently being heard there. The Covid restrictions meant shifting some cases out of the Four Courts. Croke Park is an unusual setting for court business. Looking out of the window on level five at the green pitch down below while lawyers, potential jurists, court officials and others were busily rushing about their business. My case had to do with an article in the Sunday World in September 2015. In May that year Jock Davison was killed as he walked to work. Several months later on 13 August Kevin McGuigan was shot dead outside his home. As a result there was a huge political storm as some politicians tried to link republicans to these events. The DUP wanted Sinn Féin expelled from the institutions and threatened to...

We buried Des Ferguson in Kells, County Meath last Sunday. He died aged 91 after a short illness.  His family, friends in the GAA, his neighbours and republicans from across Ireland gathered to give him a good send off. This is my tribute.  Ar dtus bá mhaith liom mo buiochas a thabhairt do teaghlach Des mór deis a thug siad domhsa ag a caint anseo ar sean chara and comrade Des Ferguson. I also want to thank Des for giving us such a fine day  – he was a great lover of nature and he would have enjoyed the spectacle of family and friends celebrating his life here in Ceannais. Ba Éireannach, Gael, fear chéile Mháire, athar agus Daideo, seán Daideo, Poblachtach, Laoch  Des Ferguson. Bá mhaith liom mo comhrón – comh bhrón  mo chroi a deanamh le Mháire agus a theaglach, le Des óg (Níl sé ro óg anois) Orlaith, Terry, Eimear, Conor, Pearse, Barry, Diarmuid, Rory. Agus tá muid ag smaoineamh faoi Ronan ar a lá mór seo. Agus ar comhrón le a dheirifeacha Rita agu...