Léargas: A Podcast by Gerry Adams

SINN FÉIN CAN WIN THIS ELECTION. During the General Election campaign I have been in several constituencies. In Dublin, in Drogheda, Dundalk, and Donegal and some other places in between. People are clearly fed up with the cost of living, the crisis in public services, especially in health and housing, childcare and disability services. Sanctions urgently needed against IsraelLast Wednesday was World Children’s Day. It was first established in 1954 as Universal Children'...

The local and the nationalI have been doing a wee bit of canvassing in the General Election in the South. The response has been positive. There are clearly some who see election campaigns, including this one, as opportunities to write Sinn Féin’s obituary. Sorry to disappoint. Like all parties fighting elections there will be moments of gain and moments of pain. That is in the nature of electoral politics especially in volatile times. However, if your political ideology and the leaderships co...

Time for a Change of Government.The southern general election was called last Friday. In just over two weeks’ time 174 Teachtaí Dála (TDs) will be elected to the Dáil – an increase of 14 over the number elected in the 2020 general election.On Sunday I was in Dublin for the Save Moore Street rally but afterwards I was in Caledon Road and St. Mary’s Road in East Wall with a Sinn Féin canvas team urging voters to give their number 1 vote to Mary Lou McDonald and their number 2 vote to Janice Boy...

Prison Poems by Bobby SandsIn a recent interview Christy Moore remarked that the death of Bobby Sands robbed us of a great writing talent. Christy was praising the quality of the work Bobby created in the harsh conditions he endured. He was making the point that you can only imagine what Bobby might have gone on to produce in different circumstances where his creative imagination could have been nurtured and not repressed. But of course this was not to be. Bobby led the second hunger strike i...

Cage Eleven. This coming weekend O’Brien Press are republishing my book – Cage 11 - about my experience of life in Long Kesh between August 1975 and February 1977. Available from most good bookshops including from www.sinnfeinbookshop.com and An Fhuiseog 55 Falls Road www.thelarkstore.ie No Parking remember Father Des Wilson many moons ago lamenting the narrowness of streets in Turf Lodge and Ballymurphy. “The City Planners don’t think the working class should have motor cars”...

ON Saturday night I was privileged to attend the oíche mhór Ghlór na Móna in Belfast’s City Hall. The event was to celebrate twenty years of this amazing Irish language initiative made up mostly of and aimed at young people in the Upper Springfield area. It was a great night. Packed out with young Gaeilgeoirí. But there was also a good clatter of veteran campaigners. The pioneers who gave us the Shaws Road Gaeltacht, An Chultúrlann, Lá, Raidió Fáilte, An Meánscoil (now Coláiste Feirste), an C...

Ethel KennedyIt was with sadness I heard last week of the death of Ethel Kennedy, the wife of assassinated US Senator Robert Kennedy. She was aged 96. Ethel Kennedy was with her husband in Los Angeles in 1968 when he was shot and killed. She was left to rear 11 children. It was a huge blow to her and to the family. Ethel’s response was to found the Robert F. Kennedy Centre for Justice and Human Rights, along with her brother-in-law Sen. Teddy Kennedy. The Centre advocates for gun control and ...

Leo’s unity words are welcomeIrish Unity is the big idea that will positively transform society on this island. Its popularity is growing and the economic, political, and social arguments in support of it are advancing each day. The recent interventions by former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar are an example of this. In June at the Ireland’s Future event in Belfast he said that the goal of a united Ireland had to be more than a “political aspiration.” It needed to become a “political objective.”Seeds...

WIN. This year’s Sinn Féin Ard Fheis last weekend was full of enthusiasm and passion with great speeches covering every issue imaginable and the delegates voting through policy motions that will help shape Sinn Féin politics in the time ahead. The speeches, particularly from Michelle O’Neill and other national leaders demonstrated the strength and relevance of the party across our island. South Africa Supports Irish Unity.Irish Republicans have had a long and enduring relationship w...

Moore St. Demolition Gets Green LightThe battle to save the iconic 1916 Moore Street Battlefield site has been ongoing for over 20 years. During that time there have been a series of plans by developers, appeals against those plans, court cases, protests and sit-ins. Last week, in an appalling decision An Bord Pleanála (ABP) – the Planning Authority in the Irish State – ruled on the remaining appeals and published its recommendations on the future development of the site.Máire FergusonEvery w...

Casement Must Be Built Now. British government policy toward Ireland has long been dictated by Britain’s strategic self-interests. From the conquest of Ireland nine centuries ago to partition the needs of the people of Ireland have played no meaningful part in the decision making processes of a British state that focusses primarily on the interests of England and the English economy. Consequently, Labour and Tory governments have each ensured that funding from Westminster has never been ...

The Far Right and Social MediaThere has been a significant increase in recent times in far right racist, islamophobic and hate attacks on social media. The purpose of these has been to promote a climate of fear through a range of conspiracy theories from climate change, to migration and asylum seekers, to direct interference in elections. Sinn Féin and Friends of Sinn Féin (FoSF) in the USA have become a particular target for these social media accounts. The most consistent themes are that ‘I...

Champion Palestinian Self-determinationIn less than five weeks the genocidal war by the Israel government against the Palestinian people will enter his second year. Having ruthlessly and cruelly waged war against the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip for 11 months Israel’s war machine has now shifted to a full blown pogrom against the Palestinian people in the occupied territory of the west Bank. Violence from the Israeli military, and from settlers eager to steal Palestinian land and w...

The 94 CessationThe IRA cessation is 30 years old this Saturday. That Wednesday morning on 31 August 1994 two journalists – Barney Rowan from the BBC and Eamon Mallie from Downtown Radio – arrived at The Patio Restaurant in the Kennedy Centre. It’s where 26 West is now. They met a woman republican activist who took from her pocket a small scrap of paper – a comm – on which was written the IRA statement announcing a “complete cessation of all military operations”. While there had been signific...

Féile 24 I thought I would reflect on some aspects of Féile 24 in this week’s column. In particular the debates and discussions. First of all I’m sure all Féile enthusiasts agree that this was an outstanding Féile. The debates and discussions in particular were of a very high standard and variety and audiences and speakers had a very special treat this year at their Saint Mary's mecca on the Falls Road.Advancing the case for Irish UnityLá breithe shona do Choimisiún Shinn Féin ar Thodhch...

KneecapI’m a big fan of Kneecap. From the time they were called NÍ CEAPAINN – a clever use of the Irish phrase and a play on the English words Kneecapping. Ní Ceapainn means ‘I don’t reckon’ or ‘I don’t think so’. For example, in ‘An ceapainn tú go bhfuil seo ceart?’ – ‘Do you reckon this is right? Ní ceapainn. ‘I don’t reckon’. Or ‘I don’t think so.’ Anyway it soon morphed into KNEECAP. As part of a clever and provocative name recognition ploy. That’s my recollection anyway of the orig...

No to racists and fascists - No Pasarán!I was delighted to attend Féile An Phobail’s Carnival Parade last Saturday as it meandered its colourful, inclusive and vibrant way from the Dunville Park to An Sportlann on Bothar na bhFal. Underage representatives of local GAA clubs, other sporting organisations, community groups and numerous street artistes joined ethnic groups as they danced their way up the road. Led by a battalion of motor bikers and more sedate Lambretta scooterists, Palestinian ...

Moore Street – Rising to our FutureThe campaign to save the 1916 Moore Street Battlefield site and those iconic buildings and streetscape that are forever linked to the most important historic event in modern Irish history has reached another potentially decisive moment.In May, An Taoiseach Simon Harris announced the establishment of “a Taskforce to take a holistic view of the measures required to rejuvenate Dublin City Centre, north and south”. The stated objective is to make Dublin City Cen...

Significant boost for Unity ReferendumThis summer the momentum behind the demand for constitutional change and for the Good Friday Agreement commitment to a unity referendum has dramatically increased. The very successful Ireland’s Future event in Belfast several weeks ago, the all-island economic conference by Sinn Féin’s Commission on the Future of Ireland, the emergence of a small but resolute grouping of United Irelanders from within Northern Protestantism and the positive soundings from ...

Solidarity WorksForty years ago this month, ten workers from the Henry Street branch of Dunnes Stores in Dublin's city centre went on strike to protest against the selling of produce from Apartheid South Africa. A year later, the group was joined by another worker, Brendan Barron, from the Crumlin store, bringing their number to eleven. The strike lasted for almost three years. I remember it well. I joined the picket line a few times and Sinn Féin and An Phoblacht were firm supporters of the ...

AN OPEN LETTER TO KEIR STARMER Keir a chara, Congratulations on your election as British Prime Minister. I wish you well in the many challenges facing you and your government. The world is very divided at this time with many violent examples of injustice, poverty, hunger and violence. I hope you will use your office in a positive and progressive way. From the Middle East to get ceasefires and stop the genocide against the people of Palestine to Ukraine and other troubled place...

NO PASARAN!Across Europe, in the USA, the Middle East and in England regressive political elements are gathering strength. In the North of Ireland we have always had to contend with these forces. And historically the right wing have played a significant role in our affairs across the island. They were well represented in the conservatism of the Catholic hierarchy which like its fundamentalist protestant counterparts in the North, had a privileged position for far too long. Everyon...

Pádraic FiaccThe first book I wrote was Falls Memories. Brandon Books led by the late Steve Mac Donagh was my publisher. I asked Steve if we could include drawings by Michael McKernon. I didn’t know Michael but I was familiar with his fine line drawings. Steve indulged me, Michael obliged and Falls Memories was produced, enhanced by his artistry. That was decades ago. In 1990.Can We Afford A United Ireland?I have written before about the work of Sinn Féins Commission o...

A Great Showcase for UnityThe SSE Arena in Belfast was buzzing with positivity last Saturday as several thousand people participated in one of the largest public discussions held recently on constitutional change and the potential for Irish Unity. Over ten thousand more joined online. The organisers did a remarkable job in bringing together a first class panel of academics, political leaders, artists, economists, protestant voices, comedians, trade unionists and Gaels. Their success can be me...

This Too Will PassAll of this is grist to the mill of our opponents. But we do not begrudge them that. One of our political achievements is to expose the sameness of these parties interests and policies. We now have to create an alternative. So we have to play our own game regardless of what the naysayers claim. Unlike the southern parties Sinn Féin is currently fighting the British general election in the North. So we have to bend our will to that before gathering ourselves for what comes af...

IRELAND'S Future has an event in the SSE Arena in Belfast on Saturday, June 15. Entitled Pathway to Change, it has all the makings of a seminal moment in our discussions about the future. It will be the largest gathering by Ireland’s Future since its enormously successful, ground-breaking meeting in the 3 Arena in Dublin in October 2022.

Irish Unity makes economic senseLast month a report by the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) caught the headlines with the claim that Irish Unity could cost the South up to €20 billion annually. The analysis was quickly challenged by other economists and last week those with different opinions had their opportunity to address the Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.We are running out of words to describe what is happening in Gaza.” Unit...

Dublin Needs To Say No To London.Last week Mr Justice Humphreys, sitting in the High Court in Belfast, in his summary of judgement ordered the “disapplication of provisions of the Illegal Migration Act 2023 in Northern Ireland and declared others to be incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.”Tips For Aging.I intend to include occasional Tips For The Aging in this column. If I can remember to do so. This one comes from Doctor Tom. If you get a mobile phone hang on to y...

Immigrants are not the enemy. Divide and conquer is an age old tactic. It is often utilised by conservative elements to advance their regressive agendas. This is true of the Irish as it is of any other nation. In fact historically some Irish people have acted against the interests of Ireland and supported imperialistic and other colonial or domestic adventurers. Nonetheless the vast majority of Irish people are fair minded, decent and progressive.Recognise the State of PalestineSin...

Solidarity to Student ProtestersIn the late 1960s the major national and international issues of the day that helped shape my politics were the anti-Vietnam War movement, the anti-apartheid struggle against the racist South African government and the civil rights movement in the North. In all three the activism of students was central to raising public awareness and opposition to injustice.Today students are again at the heart of an ant-war movement. In the USA students at over 100 univ...

A successful conference in support of Moore St.Last week The Moore Street Preservation Trust and Uachtarán Shinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald organised a conference to support the development of a Historical 1916 Cultural Quarter in Dublin City centre with Moore Street at its heart.Mass graves an act of barbarismAt the weekend Leas Uachtarán Michelle O’Neill was in London to address a massive pro-Palestinian march. She described what is happening in Gaza as the “gravest human rights violation of ou...

It time to recognise the State of PalestineIn 2014 Sinn Féin brought forward a Dáil motion calling on the government to “officially recognise the State of Palestine, on the basis of the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital …”I was part of this initiative. It got support from other TDs from other parties and none. It was not opposed by the Government at that time. Following a two day debate the motion was passed. This meant that ten years ago both Houses of the Oireachtas supported ...

Expanding the debate on UnityA recent report - "Northern Ireland Subvention: Possible Unification Effects" - published by the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) caught the headlines. It contained the startling claim that Irish Unity could cost the South up to €20 billion annually. It was grist to the mill of those who oppose unity.Before the day was out contrary and critical opinions of the report began to emerge with other senior economists criticising it for its failure ...

Up Antrim! 24 years ago I wrote a short piece for Antrim 2000. I discovered it this week when I was clearingout three decades of accumulated books, newspaper clippings and assorted pamphlets. The 2000 reflection on Gaelic games is reproduced below. Since then much has changed in the Gaeldom. The most important change is probably the growth of womens football. Until recent times women were confined to Camogie. Now Ladies Football is the fastest growing Gaelic game. ...

Special Rapporteur criticises Irish government on GazaFifteen years ago this month I led a Sinn Féin delegation on a visit to the occupied Palestinian territories. Our visit took place seven weeks after Israel’s assault on Gaza between 27 December 2008 and 18 January 2009. In that attack Israeli forces killed 1400 Palestinians, including more than 400 children and injured thousands more. Schools and hospitals and infrastructure were also targeted. Our delegation was impressed by the resi...

Leo finally made the right callLEO Varadkar’s resignation from the office of An Taoiseach and as leader of Fine Gael caught observers by surprise. On reflection, however, it is very much in keeping with his personality. A bit petulant. Awkward. Impulsive. He had done his best by his own lights. And his best had not been good enough, by his own admission. So in fairness he probably did the right thing. Better to get out on his own terms. The heartbreak of it all: THE million and a ha...

Wear An Easter LilyI did not think Easter is almost upon us. It was our oldest lad’s oldest lad who remarked to me that Easter was early this year. I was bemused that a nine - almost ten - year old would know this and describe it in these words. Of course he is probably thinking of Easter eggs. For many people Easter also marks an important date in their religious calendar. But for children especially – and for many adults – it is all about Easter Eggs. These come in all shapes and sizes and ...

International Women’s DayLast Friday was International Women’s Day – a day when around the world humankind celebrates the work of women who are active in their communities, in trade unions, voluntary organisations, business, politics, their families and across every facet of our society.Two formidable Belfast WomenOn International Women’s Day history was made when two statues were unveiled at the front of Belfast City Hall to two formidable Irish republican women - Mary Anne McCracken and Win...

The Commission on the Future of Ireland held successful public meetings in Fermanagh and West Tyrone on Irish Unity. Friends of Sinn Féin USA and various other Irish organisations held a successful summit in New York.Ireland’s Future released its ‘Ireland 2030’ proposals.Mary Lou McDonald & Pearse Doherty addressed the Irish Unity Summit in Cooper Union NYC. In my unity roundup hope and change are the pathway.Éire Aontaithe nua, náisiún ina bhaile do chách.

CasementI have spent many enjoyable afternoons in Casement Park watching countless football and hurling games and playing in some of them. I have lost count of my man of the match triumphs. Especially for St. Marys or Belfast Schools in hurling. Or on Sports Days. In the past the stand and terraces or raised mounds around the pitch provided a wonderful view of the contests. Some games attracted a few hundred spectators while others were watched by enthralled thousands. Casement Park was ...

RespectOn Sunday last I spoke at the 40th Anniversary Commemoration of the killing by the SAS of IRA Volunteers Henry Hogan and Declan Martin in Dunloy County Antrim. Declan was 18. Henry was 20.I was also the speaker at the funerals in February 1984. At that time hundreds of RUC and scores of landrovers surrounded Henry Hogans wake house and myself, Martin McGuinness, Danny Morisson and Owen Carron linked arms with other mourners to create a human barrier around the house and the...

An appeal for InformationIn the 1970s the IRA shot dead and secretly buried a number of people. This is a terrible legacy of that period of our history. The families of those killed have suffered a grievous injustice. Republicans, including the IRA, recognise and have acknowledged this fact. What happened was wrong and unjustifiable.Israel’s War Against ChildrenThe accounts of the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip against the Palestinian people have produced many difficult and heart wr...

Historic Change The restoration last Saturday of the political institutions and the election of Michelle O'Neill as First Minister marks an extraordinary turning point in the process of constitutional change for the North and for the island of Ireland. It is a significant new chapter in the transitional process of change that began with the peace process. Last Saturday something fundamental happened.Alex MaskeyAlex has committed himself to continuing his activism and to the g...

Comhghairdeas Kneecap Comhghairdeas Kneecap as an rath a bhí ar bhur scannán ag féile scannán Sundance. Last August I travelled over to a studio close to Queen’s University to meet with Kneecap. The three west Belfast lads were busy putting the final touches to their movie which recounts – mostly i nGaeilge - how they were formed. That night they were to do some work with Michael Fassbender but I was there to film a short segment. Irish government must join South Africa Ma...

Time for Clarity. The question – will he or won’t he – has yet to be answered. Will Jeffrey Donaldson provide the leadership needed to persuade his party to go back into the Executive or, as Michelle O’Neill pondered at last week’s meeting of the Assembly, have we seen the final sitting of the Assembly?Irish government must recognise Palestinian StateThe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out a post-war peace process that would lead to the establishment of a sovereign Pa...

WCNSFs – Wounded Child No Surviving FamilyIsrael’s genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the west Bank passed the 100 day mark at the weekend. By the time this column is published the number of dead at the hands of Israel’s war machine is likely to have passed 25,000, mostly women and children. That’s almost equivalent to the entire population of Newry wiped out.Irish Unity Summit for New YorkThis week the tickets became available for a major public event on Irish Unity to be he...

Death of a HeroJust before Christmas my colleague Greg O'Loughlin, the Executive Director of Friends of Sinn Féin in the USA , gave me the sad news that veteran American Civil Rights leader King Hollands had died. I had the honour of meeting King and his fellow activists Rip Patton and Richard Dinkins during a visit to Nashville in November 2018.Frank Kitson. Richard has insisted that I write a little bit about the death of Frank Kitson. Kitson, British Army general and leading adv...

This Land Is Your Land. I am a long time fan of Woody Guthrie. He is one of the worlds great song writers in the English language and many of his words are as relevant today as they were when he wrote them. He was also an American activist who agitated and educated and sang for social equality, immigration reform, peace and fairness. He stood against fascism, racism, war, corruption and for a clean environment. He sang about love, for workers rights and a better life fo...

So, 2023 was a very busy year. Lots of activism. 2024 is already shaping up to be even busier. So, join the campaigns for a Citizens’ Assembly and for the unity referendums. Have your say on the future and help shape the new Ireland.A New Year WishBbliain Úr Faoi Mhaise Daoibhse Go Leir.I received this verse in a Christmas card. Very appropriate.

A Boy named JayI did a book signing for Christmas at An Fhuiseog’s stand in the Kennedy Centre. It was a pleasant hour of banter and craic, meeting old friends and making new ones. Gerry Kelly was there just before me but he escaped when I arrived. So it was just me and the punters. And RG and Maggie who was selling all matter of gifts for An Fhuiseog. 2024 – Momentum toward Unity Polls set to increaseAfter weeks, months, of public and private negotiations it is still not clear as 2023 d...

Shane:Last Friday I travelled to Nenagh for the funeral of Shane MacGowan. It was a sad and yet joyous event with family and friends lifting their voices and their hearts as a succession of musicians played some of Shane’s best known songs, including the exuberant Fairytale of New York, Cór Cúil Aodha, including Seán O’Sé and Seán O’Riada’s son Peadar also did what they do best.The de-humanising of the Palestinians:Last Sunday was the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rig...

Slán ShaneShane MacGowan was a friend of West Belfast. Back in 1988 in the wake of the killings of IRA Volunteers Mairead Farrell, Dan McCann and Sean Savage in Gibraltar, and the killing of other citizens at their funerals and the killing also of IRA Volunteer Kevin McCracken in Turf Lodge this community was subjected to a vicious full frontal tsunami of vilification on the back of decades of demonisation and discrimination.Connolly House - End of an Era.Sinn Féin’ Connolly House in Anderson...

Where to for Loyalism?I have met many loyalists over a very long time. In prison. Out of prison. In secret or in private talks going back to the 1970s. And many times since then. I like to think that some of us became friends. Or at least we became friendly. Some loyalist leaders played a crucial role in the negotiations which led to the Good Friday Agreement. They deserve great credit for that. That was then. Unfortunately some of those involved have died or are no longer active. In ot...

strength to strength Regular readers will know that Ionad Eileen Howell/St. Comgall’s was formally opened in June by the US Economic Envoy Joe Kennedy. It came after many years of fundraising, planning and hard work by all involved – not least Eileen Howell who the centre is named after. The project is designed to promote economic, educational, social and cultural benefits for the people who live and work in the local area and to promote good relations between communities. Ionad Eileen H...

Fr. Alec ReidNext Wednesday – 22 November – will mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Father Alec Reid. It is a matter of wonderment that a decade has passed since he left us. Students of the Irish peace process will know that Alec was a central figure in our search for peace. He and Fr. Des Wilson were key to the beginning of that process. I won’t deal in this column with all the twists and turns of those times or the stubborn refusal for decades of the establishments, British and Iris...

The Unity Debate Seven key Irish-American organisations have announced an ‘Irish Unity Summit – For a New and United Ireland’ to be held in New York on 1st March next year. This major initiative – coming as it will just before St. Patrick’s Day and the visit to the USA of political leaders from Ireland – is being organised by the Ancient Order of Hibernians; the Brehon Law Societies of NYC and Nassau; the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Long Island; Friends of Sinn Féin; Irish American Unit...

Wolfe Tone’s Cordial Union Last week I attended an event in Parliament Buildings at Stormont, hosted by US Special Economic Envoy Joe Kennedy. There was a panel discussion on the impact of the Good Friday Agreement which involved myself, former DUP leader Peter Robinson; former Alliance Assembly Speaker Eileen Bell; Lady Daphne Trimble, President of the Ulster Unionist Party; and former SDLP leader Mark Durkan. First Minister designate Michelle O’Neill, DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson and U...

We are all PalestiniansAs I write this week’s column all of the scéal coming from the Israeli government and its international allies indicate that a ground invasion of Gaza is imminent. It will, according to some be a ‘surgical strike against Hamas’. From British government Ministers, to political pundits, to international allies of the Israeli government, to Israeli spokespersons the aim – they say - is to destroy Hamas.It’s all nonsense of course. The reality is that Israel can no more des...

Ireland Should Launch A Middle East Peace Initiative.Like many of you I have been shocked and distressed by the appalling events in the Middle East. The attack by Hamas fighters which targeted civilians cannot be defended. Mary Lou McDonald spoke for all of us when she unreservedly condemned these actions and called for the release of all hostages.Waterford Assembly votes for Citizens’ AssemblyExactly one year after the first Peoples Assembly on Irish Unity was held in Belfast the ninth such ...

Peace Talks NowThe scale of the assault by Palestinian fighters into Israel last weekend is unparalleled. The scenes of death and destruction on both sides are heart breaking. But shock and despair at more violence in that region is not the answer.On Being Seventy Five. I published a version of this reflection when I was seventy two.Following my recent 75th birthday I think it deserves another slightly revised outing. I might rewrite and republish it again when I’m eigh...

David Ervine - The Man Who Swallowed A DictionaryAnyone who knew David Ervine or knows of him will appreciate the title of Bobby Niblock’s play - The Man Who Swallowed A Dictionary. In its humorous description of David’s style of speaking and wordiness it reminds us of a political leader who was an able and determined advocate for working class loyalism. His sudden death in January 2007 at the age of 53 left a political vacuum within loyalism and wider politics which has never been properly f...

We must listen to each otherEfforts by the British government and the unionist parties to stymie the conversation on future constitutional change has actually brought a greater focus on the growing momentum around the upcoming unity referendum. The criticism of An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar by the British Secretary of State and a range of unionist voices for daring to suggest that a United Ireland will happen in his lifetime is the latest example of unionist and Tory efforts to delegitimize...

Lough NeaghSeamus Heaney’s poem, published in 1969, captures much of what makes Lough Neagh unique. It has long been a place of myth and fable, where the palace of the Tuatha Dé Danann is supposed to lie beneath its waves. It is said that Lough Neagh was created by the giant Finn McCool who legend claims scooped out a huge chunk of earth and threw it after the Scottish giant Benandonner. He missed and thus created the Isle of Man. Richard believes that the Lough was created 400 million years ...

Palestinian StateLast week the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin visited Israel, the West Bank and Jordan. It was an opportunity for the Irish government to take a firm stand against Israeli aggression and its apartheid system of governance. Instead Mr. Martin became little more than a commentator on the ongoing and worsening crisis in that region.SepsisThe month of September has been designated as Sepsis Awareness Month. Sepsis is not a condition that often attracts at...

Unique Robert Ballagh Moore Street PrintAs regular readers of this column know I have been involved for a very long time in the campaign to protect and develop as a historic and cultural quarter the Moore St. Terrace and its environs in Dublin. The entire terrace 10-25 Moore Street was occupied by the evacuated GPO garrison at the end of Easter Week 1916. The developer - Hammerson - wants to demolish much of the terrace.You Are Never Alone With A Book. I’m glad to say I finished re...

The Road To Cork. In 1986 I gave a talk at a Sinn Féin conference which became known by activists of my vintage as The Road to Cork or The Bus to Cork. More of that at another time. Suffice for now to say that I made the journey to Cork a metaphor for the journey to the new republic. I am minded of that now as our car speeds south and I sit in the back penning these words. The road to Cork is indeed a very long road. So too the road to the new republic. But barring accidents ...

Visiting the Hunger StrikersThis column will be in Cork, le cuidiu Dia, to attend the National Hunger Strike Commemoration on Sunday. It’s the first time that this annual event will be held in Cork. It will remember the ten 1981 hunger strikers and Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg who both died in English prisons and those Cork republicans - Terence MacSwiney, Michael Fitzgerald, Joseph Murphy, Denis Barry and Andy O’Sullivan - who also died on hunger strike during the Tan War and the Civil Wa...

John Joe McGirl – an unbreakable FenianIn the course of almost 60 years of activism I have been very lucky to meet many wonderful, committed, compassionate republicans. On Saturday, in Ballinamore in County Leitrim, Republicans from Leitrim and beyond will gather to celebrate the life of one of these – John Joe McGirl. The annual John Joe McGirl commemoration is one of the highlights of the Ballinamore Festival Week and the participants will walk from John McGahern Square to the monument to J...

Be An ActivistI had the privilege of attending many of the debates and discussions which are a unique and vital part of Féile an Phobail. Well done to all the participants and in particular to the organisers and the stewards who ensured that everything worked smoothly. Thanks also to the venues which welcomed us all.I want to touch briefly on the remarks made by Terry O'Sullivan and Jeremy Corbyn at separate events, particularly on the importance of organising civic society. Jeremy, a former ...

Dawn Doyle remembers her friend and comrade Rita O’Hare.Last week (Thursday August 2023) I launched my latest Léargas book An Bhean Dearg about Rita O’Hare. The main speaker at the event was Dawn Doyle who was a close friend and comrade of Rita’s for many years. These are her words of tribute.

Frederick Douglass takes pride of place in BelfastA great crowd turned out on Monday morning in Lombard St. in Belfast City Centre for the unveiling by Belfast City Ard Mheara Ryan Murphy of a very fine statue of Frederick Douglass, escaped slave and human rights campaigner. It is a striking image of Douglass who is an iconic figure for his work on campaigning for an end to slavery and for equality and justice for African Americans and for women. He visited Ireland in 1845-46 just before the ...

Fly Me To The Moon.I am a longtime fan of Tony Bennett. News of his death at the fine age of ninety six brings an end to an amazing life and a wonderful singing career lasting over sixty years. In more recent times this column reviewed an album he did with Lady GaGa. Cheek to Cheek is an envigorating stroll through some old favourites like Anything Goes alongside more modern melodies. “I stand with the people of Ireland” Jessie JacksonReverend Jesse Jackson has been a long-st...

Slán Irish Voice Two weeks ago Niall O’Dowd, founder of the Irish American newspaper The Irish Voice announced that it was to close after 36 years. The New York based Irish Voice and the Irish Echo were the principle sources of news for decades of Irish Americans and new Irish immigrants moving to the USA. Now the Irish Voice is gone. But a far sighted Niall O’Dowd realised some years ago the direction of travel for newspapers competing against the huge growth in online media services an...

Britannia waives the rules – againInternment was introduced 52 years ago next month on 9 August 1971. In the early hours of that morning 342 men and boys from nationalist homes across the North were dragged from their homes. Many were badly beaten and forced to run a gauntlet of battle wielding British soldiers. 14 – The Hooded Men - were subjected to days of sustained torture. It was a traumatic moment for society in the North. In Ballymurphy ten local people were shot to death by ...

Debate on Irish Unity steps upTwo successful events on the future of Ireland were held in Belfast and Dublin last week. The atmosphere and enthusiasm at both events was mighty. The two events were part of the work of Sinn Fein’s Commission on the Future of Ireland which was established two years ago by the party to encourage dialogue. It’s about people having their say about the kind of Ireland we want. Teach your dog IrishI’m pleased to say our dogs were reared in Irish.But n...

Threat to Neutrality must be challengedLast June Micheál Martin, the then Taoiseach attacked the decades long neutrality policy of the Irish state. He claimed that; “We need to reflect on military non-alignment in Ireland and our military neutrality. We are not politically neutral …,”And Martin cast aside any pretence that the people should have a say in this when he said: “We don’t need a referendum to join NATO. That’s a policy decision of government.”Double standardsFor a brief t...

Moore StThe threat of demolition to parts of the Moore St Terrace - that played a central role in the Easter Rising - has increased significantly. Last month the Executive of Dublin City Council rejected a motion by Councillors that Number 18 Moore St should be designated a Protected Structure. The Councillors had previously passed a motion in support of this.Coffin ShipsEight years ago the death of two year old Alan Kurdi brought a focus on the refugee tragedy that has turned the Mediterrane...

St. Comgall’s and Eileen Howell St. Comgall’s/Ionad Eileen Howell in Divis St. will be formally opened next week on Thursday the 22 June. In honour and memory of Eileen the refurbished building is being named after her. The multi-million pound project has been 21 years in the making. The transformation of what was for many years a derelict building has been amazing. All of those who have contributed in any way to its successful renovation should be very proud of their efforts.A New ...

ON YOUR BIKE. I have given my good bike away. This marks a defining moment in my life. My good bike sat in the backyard for almost a year. That’s the last time I was out on it. A year ago. It was dawning on me that my cycling days were over except for occassional sorties on a Greenway in some secluded place. But I was reluctant to face up to that. It seemed to me that as long as I held on to my good bike I held on to the possibility of venturing forth on it. Once &nbs...

In March 1984 I was shot as I and four friends drove from Belfast Court. We were driving up May St. at the back of the City Hall when our car was fired on from a passing vehicle. Four of us – myself, Sean Keenan, Joe Keenan, and Kevin Rooney - were hit. Bob Murray escaped injury. I was wounded in the neck, shoulder and upper body. We were blessed by incompetent assassins, UDA members and surrogates of the British system. -- May marked the 75th anniversary of the Nakba or C...

Ar Slí An Fhirinne. It’s the age we’re at I tell myself and my declining peer group as we attend funeral after funeral this last wee while. The great wheel of life is now turning for our generation. This phase started with Colette’s sister Martha. Martha was eighty five. The matriarch of the Mallon family. A kind, strong, gentle woman who lived on through Parkinson’s and the loss of her husband Jim and their son Jim. Martha was ferried between Andytown and Donegal and Spain by her ...

The People’s Priest:Fr. Des Wilson died in November 2019. I first met him in 1968. His long life was dedicated to helping people. During the years of conflict, he stood with the Upper Springfield community against the aggression and violence of the British state forces. He gave comfort and solidarity to those in need and was hugely respected and loved.Have your say on the future of IrelandFuture of Ireland:The Commission on the Future of Ireland was established by Sinn Féin in Nov...

Candidatitis:This syndrome is capable of moving even the most rational aspirant or shy wallflower into a state of extreme self belief. It strikes without warning, is no respecter of gender, and can infect the lowly municipal hopeful, the aspiring Parliamentarian, as well as the lofty presidential wannabe.Solidarity with Palestinian peopleI want to extend my solidarity and condolences to the Palestinian people and especially to the family of Khader Adnan who died on the 2 May last week a...

Stardust families demand truthThe inquest into the Stardust disaster opened in Dublin last week. The list of the dead from that terrible event in February 1981 is heartbreakingly long. The families of the 48 young people who died have been reading poignant pen portraits of their loved ones into the record of the inquest. All of those who were killed were aged between 16 and 26. Over two hundred others were injuredRepublican Women negotiators. The considerable media coverage of the 2...

Agreement 25The three days of the conference to mark Agreement 25 at Queens University, a quarter of a century after the Good Friday Agreement, was an opportunity to meet again many of those who were there when the Agreement was thrashed out in 1998. I was particularly happy to see George Mitchell. He was in great form and for me his speech was the highlight of conference. Lucid, reasoned, futuring and compelling. The absence of John Hume, Ian Paisley, Martin McGuinness, David Trimble, S...

Standing up for rightsAmong those who attended the Easter Sunday commemoration in Belfast two weeks ago was John Montgomery. I haven’t seen John in many years and it was a delight to meet him again. John is originally from St. James’ in west Belfast.Thirty years ago John was the Chairperson of the Ballyfermot Community Association. Those were different times. Political censorship and the demonisation of Republicans was entrenched in government policy North and South. Collusion between Br...

Back in the USAThe 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement has attracted considerable national and international interest in recent weeks. Part of this involved me travelling last week once again to the USA. It must be four years since I was last there. While a lot has changed politically in that time both here and in the U.S. some things never change – among them the multiple stamping in red capitals of SSSS (Secondary Security Screening Selection) on our boarding passes...

A special podcast by Gerry Adams part 2. Marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Gerry’s guests include Mitchel McLaughlin, Bairbre De Brún and Gerry Kelly who all involved in the negotiations at that time..

I am writing my notes for this week's podcast in New York. Richard and I were there last weekend working on my remarks for Monday night when President Bill Clinton and I will share reflections on the Good Friday Agreement negotiations and developments since then. I will return to this in next week’s column. President Clinton played a critical role in the build-up to the Agreement, encouraged and supported by Irish America. He was at the end of the phone as agreement was reached and has b...

Myself, Mitchel McLaughlin, Bairbre De Brún and Gerry Kelly who all involved in the negotiations at that time, reflect on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Good Friday Agreement protects everyoneAt the beginning of the month Jeffrey Donaldson established a panel, which includes Peter Robinson, Arlene Foster and some business and legal people, to advise on the DUP’s approach to the Windsor Framework. Some have interpreted this as Donaldson buying time until the other side of the local government elections on 18 May. Others believe that the panel will provide Donaldson with the fig leaf he needs to buy into Protocol 2.0, accept the Windso...

Talking about Martin McGuinnessTuesday was the sixth anniversary of the death of my friend and comrade Martin McGuinness. I travelled to the Derry City Hotel that evening for a public conversation about my relationship with Martin with Roy Greenslade. Roy is an author, broadcaster and journalist who during a long and distinguished career has held a series of senior positions in many of London’s main newspapers.Beauty an OileáinRegular readers will know that I am a big fan of Claddagh Records....

Celebrating St. Patrick and the GFAThis week Uachtarán Shinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald and Leas Uachtarán Michelle O’Neill will be in the USA for the St. Patrick’s Day events. St. Patrick’s Day or week is regular part of the annual calendar for the Irish diaspora everywhere but especially in the USA.Mary Lou and Michelle and Conor Murphy will engage in an extensive round of diplomatic talks with senior political leaders on Capitol Hill. They will brief them on the current situation and attend ev...

Macalla na mBán. This week’s column is dedicated to women. It includes a guest piece by Bairbre de Brún, former MLA and Minister.Wednesday was International Women’s Day. It is a day set aside to celebrate the advances of women and their contribution to society and to draw attention to the inequalities and injustices still experienced by them. In the last week three woman friends of mine died.They were Rita O Hare, Bridie Crowe and Marie McBride. I extend my sympathy and solidarity to the...

The Story of Moore StreetLast week the Moore Street Preservation Trust held an Urgent Public Meeting in Liberty Hall in Dublin to discuss the crisis surrounding the future development of the Moore St. Battlefield site and the threat posed to these historic 1916 laneways by a developer. The meeting was chaired by Christina McLoughlin who is the niece of Sean McLoughlin. He was appointed Commandant General of the Republican forces in Dublin after James Connolly was wounded. A short film by...

Make Your Mind Up Time. As I write this column the rumours are rife that the European Commission and the British government are close to an agreement – maybe – on the Protocol. It could be this week –it could be next week – it could be tomorrow. It may be done by the time you get to read this. The British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak added to the speculation by jetting into the North last Friday to brief the parties. Watching the spin and manoeuvring my instincts and experience sugges...

Celebrating with Alex and FraRepublicans don’t say thank you often enough to each other. Fra McCann and Alex Maskey are 50 year activists. That is they have both been involved in the struggle for over 50 years. The two of them stepped down from the Assembly two years ago. Fra was replaced by Aisling Reilly and Alex by Danny Baker. Alex still remains the Ceann Comhairle – Speaker of the Assembly – until such times as the DUP agree to elect a new Speaker.Last Friday evening several hundred fami...

Moore St belongs to the peopleThe importance of the Moore Street 1916 Battlefield site was best summed up by Uachtarán na hÉireann Michael D Higgins who said: “This area belongs to no one individual, group or party. It belongs to the people”.If you want to protect this hugely important part of our revolutionary history with its many exceptional links to the dramatic events in Dublin at Easter 1916 then support the Urgent Public Meeting being held by the Moore Street Preservation Trust in Libe...

The Duke of York The recent cold snap and the sniffles of many of my associates reminded me of when I was a young curate in The Duke of York pub in Commercial Court in Belfast in the mid 1960s. In those days a hot whiskey was the cure for colds of all kinds. In the Dukes a ‘Hot Coleraine’ was the much prized preference of hot whiskey drinkers whether they had a cold or not. But in the winter it was regularly utilised to see off the ravages of Belfast chills for all and sundry.Blood...