Michael Flannery Testimonial Dinner

The Sixth Annual Michael Flannery Testimonial Awards Dinner organised by Cumann na Saoirse Náisiúnta, the National Irish Freedom Committee’s was held at the Astoria World Manor in New York on Friday January 26th. An overflow crowd of over 150 people attended the dance.

George Harrison, co-founder of Cumann na Saoirse, native of Co Mayo and a legend in Irish Republicanism was this year’s recipient of the Michael Flannery Award.

In a message Republican Sinn Féin extended “warmest congratulations to our Patron, George Harrison, Mayo and New York, on receiving the Michael Flannery Award at the National Irish Freedom Committee’s 6th Annual Testimonial.

“His rock-like presence and untiring work for Irish freedom in the United States over many decades has inspired generations of Irish Republicans at home and abroad. May he continue to do so into the future until we celebrate together in the New Ireland, ÉIRE NUA, free from outside interference. Slán beo, a Sheoirse!”

Danny Gormley a co-defendant in the famous 1982 arms trial along with Michael Flannery, presented the award to George. Life long human rights and labour activist and actor Al Lewis received the James Larkin Award for his contribution to Irish freedom and human rights all over the world.

Both George and Al were delighted to be honoured by the National Irish Freedom Committee and gave inspiring and heart-felt speeches. Gina Sigillito, National secretary of Cumann Na Saoirse accepted the Dáithí Ó Conaill award on behalf of Martin Neilan of New Jersey for his special contributions to the Save Josephine Hayden Committee.

Geraldine Taylor of Belfast who delivered a fiery speech detailing the dire conditions in the British occupied counties of Ireland represented Republican Sinn Féin. Geraldine appealed to all of those present to continue to support the ongoing struggle for a free and united Ireland through ÉIRE NUA.

Renowned Celtic artist Brian Mór Ó Baoighill and John McDonagh produced a beautiful testimonial journal commemorating the hunger strike that included the history of each of the 1981 martyrs as well as Brian Mór’s original artwork from 1981.

The ad journal also featured the original article written by Uactaráin Sinn Féin Ruairí Ó Brádaigh at the time of Bobby Sand’s death on May 5th 1981 and an article from hunger striker Brendan Hughes. The journal is already very much in demand as an important historical document and is likely to become a collector’s item.

The Testimonial Committee was once again chaired by Tomás McGrath, Secretary Gina Sigillito, Bob Loughman in charge of ticket sales, and ably assisted by Vic Sackett, Joe Salvayon and Dominic Bruno. In attendance were supporters from the entire North East states including a delegation from the Liam Lynch Cumann in Pittsburgh. Martin Kelleher who had the crowd up dancing all evening provided the music for the evening.

To view pictures of the fund-raiser go to http://irishfreedom.net.

The Dinner Dance was the first in a series of events that the National Irish Freedom Committee will organise this year to commemorate the 1981 Hunger Strike.
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Remember 1981 -- political status now!

THIS year marks the 20th Anniversary of the 1981 H-Block hunger strikes that saw ten Republican prisoners die. Just like 1981 Republican prisoners are once again fighting England’s criminalisation policy in Maghaberry prison.

But this time the policy did not come from the halls of Westminster, but from the rooms of Stormont through the so-called Stormont Agreement which was partly created and signed up to by the Provisionals, SDLP and Free State government.

How can any Republican vote for or support any agreement, which abolishes political status that was won by the men and women of 1981. For any such Republican to support the Stormont Agreement is to say that Bobby Sands and his nine comrades were wrong.

Criminalisation is a weapon not only used by the British, Fascist and dictatorship regimes across the world use it against their enemy’s.

The French use it against the Bretons, the Spanish against the Basque and the Turkish government use it against Kurdish and Turks.

Republican Sinn Féin, North Belfast has called on all the nationalist people to support the Republican prisoners who are once again fighting England though the prisons. There are ex-prisoner groups across Belfast that should be supporting the demands of the prisoners.

• Support the prisoners demands
• Segregation
• Recognition as a group
• Right to have their own spokesperson
• A prison wing of their own

Remember 1981 — political status now!
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Mana

MANA (nó moladh?) a bhíodh ag an Mafia i Ticeago: “Once bought you stay bought”.

Is cosúil, ó chuid de na litreacha a d’fhoilsigh The Irish Times ar na mallaibh, go mba chóir go mbeadh a leithéid ina ordú (agus a mhalairt ina pheaca marfa ag an Eaglais Chaitliceach) ag an Impireacht (nó impireacht eile ar bith).

Is deacair dom i gcónaí dearcadh na hEaglaise sna cúrsaí seo a thuiscint agus Impireacht na Breataine (nó eile) i gceist. Toisc gur chuir an Eaglais Chaitliceach in Éirinn iachall ar gach sagart ó 1795 ar aghaidh móid dílseachta do choróin na Breataine a thógáil, agus sin mar bhuíochas as Coláiste Ríoga Má Nuad a fháil mar bhronntanas ón gCoróin? Is dócha go raibh an mhóid chéanna riachtanach freisin ó mhuintir an Láiste, mar gur bhronn an Choróin an féirín mórán ar an dóigh chéanna ar an dream buí.

Betting both ways, mar a déarfá (an craiceann is a luach).

Bhíodh sé le rá ag Íosa Críost Mac Dé gur le daoine a shaoradh ba ea a tháinig sé inár measc, agus is dócha gur mar gheall air sin go ndeacha na Rómhánaigh ina choinne, cé gur fhágadar tús na hoibre faoi na Giúdaigh. Rud naofa is ea an tsaoirse.

Taoiseach Ceilteach éigin (ní cuimhin liom an t-ainm), agus é ina chime ag na Rómhánaigh, cuireadh ceist air, tar éis “glóire” na hImpireachta dó. An cheist: “Céard é do thuairim anois faoin Impireacht?”

“Tagann sibhse,” a deir sé, “agus scriosann tú pobal is tír, agus ar an bhfásach sin greamaíonn sibh mana, mat atá Pax Romana!”

Ar ndóigh, b’fhíor dó. Agus tig linn, gan bhréag ar bith, an rud ceanann céanna a rá faoi gach impireacht dá raibh riamh ann: Scrios, éirleach, sclábhaíocht, dúshaothrú …

Mar sin is dá bhrí sin, tá sé ina dhualgas orainn uilig éirí amach in éadan an oilc, agus ár ndícheall a dhéanamh le deireadh a chur leis, mar is ní naofa é an tsaoirse.

Creidim, mar Chríostaí, gur ní naofa eile atá i mbeatha an duine. Creidim, dá bhrí sin, go bhfuil sé de dhualgas orainn uilig gan marú a dhéanamh, chomh fada agus is féidir, mar atá ordaithe sa gCúigiú hAithne. Mar sin, agus muid ar ár ndícheall le saoirse a bhaint amach, ba chóir dúinn gach réiteach eile a thriall sul má thosaíonn muid ar mharú.

Ach, má theipeann ar ár n-iarrachtaí le saoirse a bhaint amach trí chomhráití, agus trí bhealaí eile na síochána, is ceadmhac dúinn cinnte, an lámh láidir a úsáid. Tá marú ceadaithe le muid féin a chosaint, mura bhfuil aon bhealach eile ann dúinn. Ar an gcrois a fuair Mac Dé bás!

An seanduine a léas an méid sin thuas, cuirfidh sé ceist air féin agus ar an gcomhluadar thart timpeall, b’fhéidir, nath éigin ar an dóigh seo: “Seanscéal agus a thóin leis! Nach maith is eol dúinn sin uilig, ó bhíomar ag freastal ar an mbunscoil!”

Ach go tiubh atá na duilleoga ag titim, agus is iomaí fear agus bean óg in Éirinn, agus thar lear, nár chuala a leithéid sa mbunscoil, i scoil ar bith eile, ach a mhalaairt ar fad. Níl “foréigean” faiseanta, dar lena lán. Sin é an lipéad atá ar an éirí amach in eadan na daoirse. Sea, sin agus “sceimh-litheoireacht”.

AN CLICHÉ

In éindí leis na lipéidí eile is ea a lonnaíonn “foréigean”, mar cliché, le meon an phobail a dhorchú. Ach beir ar an bhfoclóir i dteanga ar bith agus gheobhaidh sibh an fhírinne.

Rud é “foréigean”, dar leis na foclóirí, a chiallaíonn an iomarca fórsa a úsáid, agus gan aon ghá leis. Ach tá foraois na gclichéanna thart timpeall orainn i gcónaí. Le di-armáil a dhéanamh ar ár gcoinsias, ar ár samhlaíocht, ar acmhainn na hargóna, na loighice, atáid scaipithe. Ón gcrannog, ó bhinse an dlí, ó raidió agus teilifís “respetabáilte” atáid le cloisteáil, lá agus oíche.

Mar is eol leis na “duilleoga” atá ag titim go tiubh, leis na faisistí ba ea a sheas an Eaglais Chaitliceach as Spáinn sna tríochaidí. Ach thart faoi 30 bliain ó shin d’admhaigh an Easlais sa Spáinn go raibh sí ciontach i bpeaca nuair a thacaigh sí leis an dream a chuir cogadh ar an rialtas a thogh an pobal. Más ba mhall, ba mhithid.

I mbliana, tá deis ag an Eaglais Chaitliceach in Éirinn admháil mórán ag an gcuma chéanna a dhéanamh agus pardún a lorg ó mhuintir na hÉireann.

Cén fáth, an cheist ón bhfear óg sa gcúinne.

PARDÚn ÓN bPÁPA

Toisc gur ghlac [pardún ón bPápa] an Eaglais leis an bhféirín úd sa mbliain 1795, mar a bhí Má Nuad. Toisc gur sheas sí leis an mBreatain sa gcogadh a throid laochra 1798 ar son saoirse na hÉireann. Toisc gur cháin sí na Buachaillí Bána, an IRB, Óglaigh na hÉireann, Éirí Amach na Cásca, agus gach iarracht eile a rinne tírghráthóirí le saoirse na hÉireann a bhaint amach go dtí ár lá féin. Ach, a deir tú, seans, goidé an fáth gur chóir di a faoistin a dhéanamh i mbliana?

Ní deacair an cheist a fhreagairt, óir i mbliana beidh comóradh ar Acht damanta na hAontachta, acht a cheannuigh an Bhreatain trí bhríbeanna a scaip sí ar bhaill na Parlaiminte i mBaile Átha Cliath (Parlaimint na hÉireann uilig, dála an scéil, cé nach raibh i mbaill na parlaiminte sin ach ionadaíocht bhréagach, toisc gur Protastúin a bhí sna baill sin uilig: Níor aithin an dlí mar vótóirí an uair sin ach na Protastúin, mionlach.

Bíodh cead cainte ag na sagairt a thuigeann an scéal agus déanfaidís de réir a gcoinsias.

Cé aige a bhfuil an fhírinne. Agamsa, san aiste seo? Nó ag lucht na gclichéanna, lena mbéicí faoi “fhoréigean” agus “sceimliú”, lena dtóir ar an tsíocháin bhréagach, an tsíocháin gan phrionsabal, Pax Britannica?

Des Wilson, cá bhfuil tú? Réamoinn Ó Muirí, an beo duit go foill? Agus an Dr Brian P Murphy, staraí agus sagart? Agus bail ó Dhia oraibh uilig agus ar an obair ar son na fírinne, faoi bheannacht an Spioraid Naoimh.
-- Deasún Breatnach
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