Léargas

  2026 - Bliain Úr faoi Mhaise Daoibhse A very happy New Year to all readers of this column, to the staff of the Belfast Media Group and The Irish Echo. And to you good readers who have stayed with me over the years. None of us know what 2026 will bring but we can be sure it will be interesting. May it also be good to you all and to your families. Beirigí bua.  Eyes On The Prize.  2025 was a good year for Irish Unity. All of those advocating for a new Ireland, including Sinn Féin’s Commission on the Future of Ireland, worked hard and effectively promoting the message that Irish Unity will be good for the people of the island of Ireland. Crucially, both houses of the Oireachtas, the Dáil and the Seanad, passed motions calling on the Irish government to begin the process of planning and preparing for Unity referendums. These include  The Oireachtas Good Friday Agreement Committee. This is the only all-Ireland committee in Leinster House. It is unique in that Members of...

  Nollaig Shona one and all Hunger Strike in English Prisons In English prisons five people, imprisoned under new repressive laws targeted at pro-Palestinian activists, are on hunger strike. Several of them will have been on hunger strike now for over 50 days. At the weekend and each day since, protests have taken place across the island of Ireland and in Britain.  Irish republicans have a natural affinity with those who use hunger strike in protest against inhumane prison conditions and to advance democratic aims. The use of hunger strike by political prisoners following the Rising and during the Tan and Civil Wars and in the North is well documented. Last week Uachtarán Shinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald wrote to the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. She expressed her serious concern at the life-threatening situation facing the protesting prisoners and urged him to intervene urgently to resolve this situation before it ends in a tragic loss of life. In her letter Mary Lou McDon...

  Kenova – Collusion and the Murder of Citizens The Kenova Report adds further substance to the litany of existing reports that over several decades have exposed the extent of British state participation in the murder of citizens. The Kenova Inquiry commenced in June 2016 and the final report was published on 9 December 2025. Operation Kenova covered four distinct investigations: ·        Operation Kenova – Stakeknife ·        Operation Mizzenmast – The Murder of Jean Smyth-Campbell ·        Operation Turma – The Murders of Sergeant Sean Quinn and Constables Paul Hamilton and Allan McCloy ·        Operation Denton – The activities of the Glenanne Gang. The Kenova Report is 166 pages long and it is impossible to deal with it all in this column. However, it is available on the PSNI website at  https://www.psni.police.uk/about-us/our-publications/operation-kenov...