The new Cumann was named in honour of Liverpool Irishman, John Whelan, an IRA Volunteer killed on active service at the Upton Station ambush in County Cork in 1921. Elections took place for members of the Cumann committee and aspects of the Constitution were explained.

Later in the day a public meeting was held in Liverpool Irish Centre and addressed by both members of An Ard Chomhairle. Around 30 people attended the meeting, the first such meeting ever held in the city by Republican Sinn Féin. A blunt and uncompromising message was sent out that Irish people would always resist rule by English imperialism. Any talks process based on a British agenda could only end in some internal settlement with the military occupation intact.

During his address Seán Ó Sé said:
“It is as plain as the nose on my face who the reformists in Ireland are. We come to expect this type of thing from Free State politicians who say the way to peace in Ireland is by consent, but there are those who seek parity of esteem, a place at the negotiating table where everything but a British withdrawal can be mentioned.

“Let us not fool ourselves, Irish freedom is what it’s all about. How, in the name of God, can that be achieved without a British withdrawal?

“The leadership of Republican Sinn Féin are not begrudgers, there are no ‘sour grapes’ over the split in 1986, although we still maintain it was a great mistake and put the cause of Irish freedom back twenty years. The leadership of Republican Sinn Féin are not a belligerent crowd of warmongers as some commentators suggest and above all they are not against peace. On the contrary, peace will always be on the top of its agenda.

“What’s the way forward? By far the best proposals yet are contained in Republican Sinn Féin’s ÉIRE NUA/New Ireland document for a federation of four provinces and SAOL NUA/A New Way of Life which contains a futuristic social and economic programme. These documents have been scrutinised by the Six County politicians, clergy, armed groups on all sides with a view to discrediting it but none were able.

“ÉIRE NUA and SAOL NUA hold the key to what our president, Ruairí Ó Brádaigh calls ‘the door to permanent peace in Ireland’. Three keys in fact: the British key, the Republican/nationalist key and the loyalist/unionist key, but the British key must be inserted in that door first.

“The so-called ‘peace process’ has been suspended now to make room for more important matters, ie the Westminster elections.

“Once more, the Irish Question goes on the back burner. If predictions are correct and Tony Blair’s Labour Party forms the next British government then we must assume from their track record of late that we can expect little or no change in their all-party agreement on the Six Counties. That’s where you people here come in. Let those who seek election hear those dissenting Irish voices on the doorstep, at public meetings, shop floors, council chambers etc.

“Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion, wherever you are, use every opportunity to say your piece. Remember a substantial majority of people in Britain want a British withdrawal from Ireland. Liverpool is Ireland’s capital in England and there’s no doubt the Irish connection is very strong indeed. Use this strength to see justice being done for the Irish Nation.”

A lively question and answer session followed mainly centred around the issues of abstentionism, the ÉIRE NUA federal proposals and Republican Sinn Féin’s attitude to the ‘peace process’. The message and the speakers were very well received by the audience which gave a warm ovation at the end. It wasn’t quite the end, however, as informal discussions continued throughout the evening.

The following day, Tuesday, March 4, Seán and Pádraig, along with members of the new Cumann, drove out to Ford Cemetery on the outskirts of Liverpool to lay a wreath at the graveside monument to 16 Fenians buried there.
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“In all cases the questioning was of a political nature,” he said, “and the most disturbing feature is that the campaign appears to be aimed at new members of the organisation. We believe that this is an effort by the 26-County Special Branch to intimidate young people who have joined the organisation recently.” Dave Joyce outlined two specific cases that had occurred in recent weeks:

“In the first case, a young member of the organisation was arrested on his way to work and held at Mill Street police station in Galway city for eight hours. He was continuously questioned about Cumann activities and was offered a continental holiday if he gave information about other members of Republican Sinn Féin in Galway. Needless to say, he refused.

“In the second case, the secretary of the City Cumann’s house was raided and searched by four members of the Special Branch, with particular attention being paid to the Cumann minute books and lists of members. Subsequently, a new member of the Cumann found unmarked Special Branch cars parked outside her house on several nights.”

According to Dave Joyce, “the intimidation started in November after a particularly successful public meeting which was addressed by Fr Des Wilson and Republican Sinn Féin Vice-President, Des Long. On that occasion several people had their names taken by Special Branch after the meeting, which was held in Eyre Square. Again, the emphasis was on young people.

“We are calling on the Special Branch to stop this campaign of harassment of young people engaged in legitimate political activities, and ask the people of Galway to make known their opposition to these tactics,” said Dave Joyce.

Following publicity in the Galway papers on March 26 exposing this harassment three homes belonging to Galway City members of Republican Sinn Féin were raided by the Special Branch later the same day.

The organisation was not deterred by this heavy-handed political policing and continued with their active preparations for the Easter 1916 commemorations in the city and county.
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A seventeen-year-old boy, who does not wish to be named, is still trying to get his life back to normal in time for his Leaving Cert, after he suffered prolonged harassment and intimidation by the Free State’s secret police force.

The problems began after a group of schoolchildren were questioned about cannabis-taking by the Drugs Squad. All the children concerned strenuously denied the accusations and were all released without charge.

Some time later one of the young boys was contacted by a mysterious man who claimed his name was ‘Gerry’. ‘Gerry’ asked for general information about three local Republicans whom the lad would have known very casually through his summer job last year.

This initial meeting was followed by a strong of disturbing phone-calls to the boy’s home, repeatedly asking his whereabouts. On several occasions the boy noticed “strange men in cars” watching outside his home and school. Eventually, he was accosted by four Special Branchmen (including ‘Gerry’), and asked to go “for a ride” in their car.

During the journey the boy was offered money, told to join Republican Sinn Féin and “for the crack”, to attend Cumann meetings, and he was asked to report back on a regular basis to Gerry. The boy promptly refused and asked to be released from the car; the boy was then allowed to leave, and has not been contacted since.

The number of people who have been approached by Special Branch in this way has not yet been fully uncovered. This is an indication of the lengths to which the Free State political police will go to infiltrate the Republican Movement, stooping to the level of intimidating schoolchildren, and using people who have only superficial or social links with Republicans.

Anybody who is approached in this way should immediately contact Republican Sinn Féin.
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Cardinal O’Connor wrote that “the human plight of those who served sentences in Northern Ireland, judged by that judicial system as political prisoners but who are categorised in the US as having committed an act of terrorism, is all too obvious.

“It is my understanding that Pearson, convicted by a Diplock court, was accorded political prisoner status, served his time at Long Kesh prison and was released in 1988. Since his arrival in the US in 1988, I am assured that Pearson has led an upstanding life in the company of his family,” Cardinal O’Connor said.

A judgement was pending in New York as we went to press on March 27.
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On Monday, March 4 a crudely made bomb was placed outside the Provisionals office in Monaghan town. The device was said to contain enough explosives to blow half the town apart. The device only partially exploded.

On Sunday March 9 two tourist offices in Banbridge and Newcastle in County Down were extensively damaged in firebomb attacks. A previously unknown group, the Loyalist Volunteer Force claimed responsibility for the attack in Banbridge but made no mention of Newcastle. However both attacks which occurred within an hour of each other are thought to be linked.
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Meanwhile the defection of Tory MP George Gardiner to the Referendum Party on March 8 put the British Tory government into an even weaker position. The Tory Party now have a technical minority of two.
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The incident happened shortly after the Saturday evening service had ended. A group of 60 women went to the church in solidarity as part of International Women’s Day. The women were handing out flowers to the congregation as they were leaving. Loyalists picketers were singing The Sash as they continued their weekly sectarian abuse and harassment outside the Catholic church. A rock was thrown in the general direction of the congregation which hit the roof of the church and fell back down, hitting McWilliams.
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“We are seeking damages and an injunction preventing him from saying these things again. His solicitors have accepted service and we are now waiting to see if they will defend. otherwise we will be seeking a statement of apology in open court and damages,” Benedict Birnberg, the men’s solicitors said.

Evans implied in the interview that the Birmingham Six were responsible for other killings of people in England before being framed for the 1974 pub explosions in England.

During the interview Evans also referred to a “black bastard” rapist and to the children of an opponent in the Labour Party as “three bastard children”.
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