A chara
In a profile of Pádraic Wilson in the Sunday Tribune of December 19, references were made to the "1974-76 ceasefire" and the "southern leadership" of the Republican Movement at that time. These allusions are not in accordance with the facts.
Following the Feakle talks of December 10, 1974 a unilateral truce was declared by the IRA on December 22 to last until January 2. This was later extended to January 16 after which the British asked for talks.
These lasted three weeks and resulted in a Bilateral Truce, with effect from February 10, and political talks. This Bilateral Truce lasted until September 22, 1975 -- seven-and-a-half months. Peter Taylor of the BBC in his television series and book Provos -- Sinn Féin and the IRA recognised it as such.
With regard to the "southern leadership", Dr J Bowyer Bell in his definitive history of the IRA, The Secret Army, lists those who attended the Feakle meeting and called them "the heart of the Provo movement". The names were Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, Máire Drumm, Séamus Loughran, Billy McKee, Dáithí Ó Conaill, Séamus Twomey, Kevin Mallon and JB O'Hagan.
Those people were introduced to the Protestant clergymen present as representing "the political and military leadership of the Republican Movement. Only two of them were from the 26 Counties -- hardly a "southern leadership".
I write simply to record once more the facts of the situation.
RUAIRÍ Ó BRÁDAIGH
President
Republican Sinn Féin
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Adolf Hitler proved that with control of all media a big lie, if repeated often enough, will be believed by all the controlled people, at least for a few years.
The big English lie about the Six Counties:
The Irish nationalist people of 'Northern Ireland' became tired in the early 1990s of 30 years of civil war and finally rose against the hard men of the terrorist IRA and forced them into a peace process with the pro-English loyalists of 'Northern Ireland', and together they have worked out a peace process that has come to be known as the Stormont Agreement, that has led on to an independent shared parliament at Stormont, near Belfast and now peace and prosperity prevail, and a great future is expected.
The truth about the Six Counties (the six north-east counties of Ulster, split by England, 1920 to 1925, from the rest of Ireland in order to accommodate the loyalist planters):
The English government, seeing its economic future being threatened by the loss of buildings, bank business and other disruptions in London and other English cities as a result of the Provisionals' campaign in the early 1990s, promised the politicians of the Provisionals a great future if a ceasefire could be arranged. On September 1, 1994 the ceasefire was begun. The US, England, Dublin Free State and the European Community then began to contribute generously to the social welfare of the subjects, and the English prison authority followed a policy of early release for Provisional and loyalist prisoners in the Six Counties.
The Provisional politicians and the Ulster Unionists refused to talk to each other from 1994 to 1998. Nevertheless, during those four years elections were sold to the voters as a choice between peace or war and peace won the elections. Then the English government brought forward a lengthy paper called the Stormont Agreement, along with more promises for its subjects and prisoners, and the politicians signed. Finally this past December of 1999, the politicians of the Provisionals and the loyalists, now elected to a Stormont assembly, decided to talk to each other. Their base pay per annum is $52,000 American. At least four so-called Irish nationalists are ministers of the assembly and receive $98,000 per year American.
The Mayor of Boston and its City Council of eleven members has more political power than the Stormont Assembly. A few: Mayor Menino appoints (and may remove) the police commissioner who commands 2,200 armed police. The mayor has, with the city council, the power to tax for school increases and appoints the school board. The mayor and city council are the Suffolk County commissioners and, along with the county sheriff, hire the guards in the city prison and the county prison. The Stormont assembly has none of these powers, which are claimed by the English parliament and exercised by the Minister for Northern Ireland, at present Peter Mandelson.
Now, because of a vote in the 26-County Dublin Free State (also sold to its citizens as a vote for peace) only England can now claim sovereignty over north-east Ulster. Thus, the Stormont Agreement copper-fastens Partition, and allows the perpetual occupation of Ireland by English combat troops.
Many Irish in the 26 Counties deplore this surrender of sovereignty and feels a comradeship with the Irish in north-east Ulster. Fermanagh and Tyrone always had more nationalists than unionists, even before 1920. Derry, Fermanagh, south Armagh, south Tyrone and south Down, and parts of Antrim have majority nationalist areas, whose claim to live in a Celtic country goes back 3,000 years, and who are now treated as second-class subjects in employment and in compensation by the loyalist planters and the English Crown, and who are identified on European Community passports as English. Under these living conditions, Ireland will never be at peace.
AL MADDEN
Boston
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RUC means Royal Ulster Constabulary. The 'new' Police Force of Northern Ireland still is the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
It will still be a force that is British. It will still be a force that colludes with British-backed loyalist death squads.
Now the Provisional Movement are going to urge nationalists to join this very police force who are anti-Catholic, anti-Irish and to them their only duties is to maintain (with British-backed death squads if necessary) the Union with Britain.
This disgraced armed police force (who still use plastic bullets etc) must be delighted at the opportunity to oppress true Republicans with a movement (who still claim to be Republicans by the way) like the Provisionals.
Anyone can now see the Provisionals have not disbanded the RUC but strengthened the RUC to the Brits' advantage.
It would not surprise me in the months to come if we see Gerry Adams working alongside with Ronnie Flanagan. After all they are all the Queen's servants in that Occupied State.
TADHG MAC AN RÍ
Luimneach
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Bill Clinton's State Department just denied Irish Patriot, Marion Price, a visa because she does not support the so called Good Friday Agreement. Although she had yet to even apply for one, she had been invited by the American Irish Freedom Committee to come speak at their gathering in New York this January.
Just another predictable outrage. God forbid we free Americans should hear a point of view different from Bill Clinton's or the Nation's. What really annoys me though, is that Uncle Bill will (if he hasn't already) soon be standing teary eyed, like the lying hypocritical narcissist that he is, at some White House Lawn function paying homage to Nelson Mandela who openly supported armed struggle and never capitulated to a Good Friday like agreement that guaranteed the white minority in South Africa a gerrymandered majority rule until they decided otherwise.
Such is life on the slippery slope of political pragmatism.
OWEN M SULLIVAN
Liam Lynch Chapter
Irish Freedom Committee
Pittsburgh, USA
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After doing the Christmas Swim with CABHAIR, myself and my friends would like to express our thanks and gratitude to all the members of Republican Sinn Féin and CABHAIR for the hospitality shown to us. We had a great time and it's great that we could help out with such a worthy cause.
We would like to wish Republican Sinn Féin all the best in the future and a big well done to CABHAIR for organising such a great fund-raiser. We also hope we can help out again in any way possible in the future. See you next year.
From Danny, Joey, Gillo, Steo, Deco, Niall, Mollo, Casey, Fuzz and the Doyle family. "Ireland unfree shall never be at peace." Tiocfaidh Ár Lá.
CLONDALKIN
Dublin 22
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I am an avid supporter of Sinn Féin Poblachtach, the organisation which unflinch-ingly represents and echoes the ideals and aspirations of all true Republicans since 1917.
At each crucial junction throughout history, 1922, 1926, 1986, 1998, the true Republican people have stood against money and power-hungry "leaders", treacherous treaties and settlements. It has always been behind the banner of Sinn Féin they have stood.
It disgusts me to hear Adams & Co calling themselves Republicans. They relinquished that title in 1986. What really revolts me is that the Provos still use the title Sinn Féin. Sinn Féin is an historic and noble organisation, a title they have no right to hold on to. There is only one Sinn Féin in Ireland, Sinn Féin Poblachtach. Let the traitors find another title.
SEOSAMH Ó FAOLÁIN
Baile Átha Cliath
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