Léargas: A Podcast by Gerry Adams

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 Mediterranean into a sea of death for thousands. The photograph of the child lying face down on a Turkish beach as the water washed over him was a distressing and evocative image.Last week at least 78 refugees are known to have drowned when the packed trawler they were on capsized. Survivors have said that as many as 500 more, including possibly 100 children who were in the hold of the trawler, are thought to have gone down with the ship when it sank off the southern coast of GreeceThe Pen Behind The Wire. Thousands of republicans were imprisoned during the conflict. They created a commendable body of prison literature, in keeping with prison writings from other phases in the freedom struggle. Former POWs, as well as writing their memoirs, have written short stories, novels, plays and screenplays and, of course, poetry. The writings of Bobby Sands, for example, have never been out of print over the past forty-two years and have been translated into many languages.

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 look at the Cinema and UnionismRichard Gallagher’s ‘Screening Ulster: Cinema and the Unionists’ is more than its title suggests. The book specifically focuses on the period from the 1980s. From the first page Gallagher sets his examination of how unionism has been portrayed in the cinema over the last 40 years.

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 it was gone that possibility was gone also. So I hung on. And on. And on. Onus on Irish government to protect GFAHuman rights abuses and inequality were at the core of the Unionist Stormont Regime. Discrimination in employment and housing, the gerrymandering of electoral boundaries under the Unionist One Party state, were embedded in the DNA of Britain’s colonial outpost in Ireland.Consequently, when the Good Friday Agreement came to be negotiated the issues of equality and human rights were central to its provisions. Under these there was to be a Bill of Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) was to be incorporated into the law of the North. However, 25 years later there is still no Bill of Rights and the British Tory government has repeatedly said that it intends to get rid of the Human Rights Act which reflects many of the rights provisions made in the GFA.

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 Catastrophe – the forcible expulsion of three quarters of a million Palestinians from their homes by Israeli forces in 1948. On 15 May 1948 the Israeli state was formally recognised by the United Nations. The expulsion of Palestinians which had been going on was stepped up. 750,000 Palestinian people were dispossessed and forced to become refugees in their own land. Israel ethnically cleansed over 500 villages and killed 15,000 Palestinians.

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 devoted family until her time came. Mary Herald, the same age as Martha and a childhood friend and neighbour in the Whiterock went next. A valiant Camóg in her day and a lifelong Antrim Gael.Delivering ChangeLast week’s northern local government election was an outstanding success for Sinn Féin. Well done to everyone involved, especially the votersIn solidarity with LGBTQ+ citizensLast week a video was posted on social media of a vicious attack on a young person in Navan in Co. Meath. It shows a 14-year-old boy being violently assaulted by a group of other young people. The boy is punched to the face and forced to the ground where he is kicked and punched again as he tries to crawl away. The assault only ends when other young people step in to stop it.

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 November 2021. Its remit is to undertake a grassroots consultation with the people of Ireland and internationally on the future of our island. For people to have their say on what the future might be.Walking with my Mother:Here is another offering from a book of poetry - Poems for Hard Times – I published a few years ago. This week I thought I would share this onewith you.Seán Keane:Regular readers will know that this column is a lover of music. My tastes are wide ranging and eclectic. But mostly I come back to folk music and invariably to Irish traditional music. And always when I’m in that mood it’s The Chieftains for me. Last week I purchased Chronicles: 60 Years Of The Chieftains on line from Claddagh Records.

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 after 87 days on hunger strike. His death in an Israeli prison, coming just three days before Irish republicans commemorate and celebrate the life of Bobby Sands, was especially poignant.

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 25 anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement frequently told the story of that negotiation through the words and voices of the leadership figures who participated. When the role of women in the talk’s process was mentioned it was almost exclusively in the context of the participation of the Women’s Coalition.While the Women’s Coalition undoubtedly played its part the absence of any focus on the part played by the many women from the other parties did a disservice to their involvement. During my contribution on the first day in the panel ‘Building Peace – the Parties’ that was chaired by Ambassador Nancy Soderberg I took the opportunity to read out a list of those women comrades who were consistently part of Sinn Féin’s negotiating team. Coronation Once AgainThis column supports the decision by First Minister Designate Michelle O Neill and Northern Assembly Ceann Chomairle Alex Maskey to accept the invite to attend the coronation of the English King Charles. They do so in their capacity as representatives of all the people of the North

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, Seamus Mallon and David Irvine and others was a reminder of the transient nature of life and the permanency of death. Voting for the PresidentThis is not the only matter that the Irish Government is failing on. Dublin Castle was the venue last week of “Together Again – Le Chéile Arís” – the third of the Irish government’s Global Irish Civic Forums. These events bring together representatives of the Irish diaspora from across the world to promote a conversation on issues of concern and interest to the diaspora.In Praise Of Tulips. I bought a bag of assorted tulip bulbs before Christmas. I was looking for daffodils and picked up the tulips by mistake. When I discovered this I was disappointed. I love daffodils. Now I love tulips as well. They are in full bloom. In pots. Beautiful bright colours. Pinks and reds.Earth Day – defending our natural environmentLast Saturday was Earth Day. The theme was ‘Invest in Our Planet’ with the emphasis on encouraging businesses and people to use sustainable practices in their everyday work.The first Earth Day took place in April 1970 in the USA. The massive oil spill at Santa Barbara in California in January 1969 and the student anti-Vietnam war movement were the catalysts. Twenty years later the event went global and hundreds of millions participated and set the scene for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

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 British state agencies and their unionist paramilitary surrogates was widespread. The Irish and British governments were locked into a strategy aimed at defeating the IRA and smashing Sinn Féin.Terry O’Sullivan – A working class heroTerry O'Sullivan is the General President of the Laborers' International Union of North American (LIUNA). He has just retired after a quarter of century as leader of one of the biggest trade unions in North America. I have known Terry O for many years. He is a proud Irish American born in San Francisco and with close ties to Kerry where his paternal grandfather was from. He still has family there. Michelle Gildernew: My memories of the Good Friday AgreementMy memories of the Good Friday Agreement are interspersed with countless trips across the Irish Sea. I was the Sinn Féin representative in London and on the day the Agreement was reached I was in London, where Jimmy and I were staying with Mary Mason, a brilliant London based activist.

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 and suitcase labels. It is explained as a random process whereby travellers are selected for ‘enhanced’ searches. I have been getting the SSSS stamp on every visit to and from the USA for over 20 years. Randomly routine. Alex Maskey GFA25They say a week is a long time in politics. This month we mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and we all should reflect on why it is that the Agreement is not yet fully implemented. One thing is certain and that is that republicanism is stronger now across the island than it has been at any time in this past century, with the continuing growth of Sinn Fein and emergence of civic United Irelanders while other progressives search for a political home including within a new Ireland. I believe that the GFA itself remains a work in progress however I also believe passionately that it has successfully set the template for all of our politics since 1998.CeolI love music. All kinds of music. I listen to the radio a lot. I still have cassette tapes and vinyl from the 1970’s. I play them also. And CDs. And an iPod. I also have music on my phone. Every so often my devices organise my music into a Favourite Mix. For those of you who share my love for music here’s a sample of what my phone has selected. It includes Bruce Springsteen and James Taylor. The Byrds. Them. Sharon Shannon. John Spillane. Christy. Lisa O Neill. The Bothy Band.Cormac Breathnach. The Animals. Mary Coughlan. Planxty. Liam O Flynn. Frances and May Black. The Gloaming. Bob Dylan

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 been an enabler of our process ever since. So too has Hilary Clinton. Lucilita Bhreatnach: GFA25Gerry and Martin appeared, documents were handed out, which we all read. No time then for much sleep for we had to get ready for the plenary session chaired by George Mitchell. I had met him in the hall and he shook my hand saying "You did very well." (Meaning all of us, I am sure.)When formalities were over one of the loyalists told me he had studied Irish and got a Fáinne while in jail.Twenty-five years later, the Good Friday Agreement has yet to be fully implemented along with other agreements. I look forward to a New Ireland that is multicultural, pluralist and non-sectarian, based on equality with full inclusion of the unionist and other communities in Ireland.Wear an Easter lilyIt is a time when tens of thousands of people across the island, and internationally, will attend Easter commemorations to mark the anniversary of the Easter Rising and the Proclamation of the Republic. The symbol of our enduring commitment to those ideals is the Easter lily.

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 Windsor Framework as a fait accompli, and go back into the Executive and Assembly.H-Blocks April 1998 by Pádraic WilsonPadráic Wilson hosts our guest spot on the Good Friday Agreement 25 years on. Here he is looking back on the H Blocks in April 1998. As Easter 1998 approached there was an air of anticipation on the wings of the H Blocks and in other prisons.There was also a level of caution that was based upon past experiences.From the outset of the peace process Republican prisoners had made it clear, publicly, that we were not a bargaining tool. Maintaining the support and confidence of the wider republican base was critical for the development of the peace process. Resolving the issue of prisoners was an important part of that. However, more important would be addressing the core causes of conflict, not tinkering with some of the consequences.Israel’s apartheid warThe apartheid war being waged by the Israeli Government against the Palestinian people has reached new heights of violence. In the first three months of this year there have been more Israeli attacks against Palestinians living in the occupied west Bank than in any previous year since 2000, when the Second Intifada began.Among those killed in that time by Israel was Rachel Corrie, a 23 year old American activist who was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in March 2003. Rachel was attempting to prevent the Israeli Army from destroying the home of a Palestinian pharmacist. I was reminded of Rachel because it was her anniversary last week and because I saw for the first time the video of a speech she made as a ten year old to her school friends.A Step ForwardSome United Irelanders have voiced doubts about the Irish Labour Party’s call for the Irish Government to set up a national Citizens Assembly to plan for the future and for the SDLPs recent support for Irish Unity. This column sees these developments as good news.

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. Founded by Garech Browne and Ivor Browne, for decades Claddagh has been recording and promoting Irish traditional music and song. This wonderful enterprise has recently had a new lease of life and Claddagh is currently digging into its archival material and giving its collections space to breathe once again. As the result of an arrangement with Universal Music these gems from our tradition are now getting global exposure. Well done Claddagh.The Good Friday Agreement and Sue RamsayIn other columns Gerry Kelly and Bairbre de Brún have recalled their experiences in the negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement. This week Sue Ramsay remembers:

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 events with business leaders to promote investment. They will also meet with representatives of Irish America without whom none of this would be possible.Surrender. 40 Songs. One Story.I have just finished reading Bono’s book, Surrender. It is a good read and the U2 singer is a very good writer. He knows how to tell a story. But perhaps we should not be surprised at this. Bono has penned a long string of very good songs.This is an impressive book. Made up of forty short stories. Each based on a U2 song. But it works well also as unit, as a narrative. I like autobiographies. If they are written well. And this one is. It is particularly insightful about the origins of U2, Bono’s relationships with the other band members and with Paul McGuinness their former manager. So too about the influence of other lifelong friends. And his youthful religious experiences.This island will be as one by Gerry KellyAs part of my reflection on the Good Friday Agreement I have asked comrades who were part of that process to write about their memories. Last week it was Bairbre de Brún. This week it is Gerry Kelly:I was released from prison in 1989, after serving a total of 16 years in various jails and jurisdictions. I joined Sinn Fein on release and was, soon after, part of the discussions that were going on at that time in pursuit of a peaceful way forward. An intermittent line of communication between Sinn Fein and the British government had existed over many years and had become active again.

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 their clans.We buried Bridie on Monday. On Tuesday it was Rita’s turn. We buried Marie on Wednesday - International Women’s Day. A quarter of a century of the GFAThe Good Friday Agreement will be 25 years old next month. It is probably the most important political agreement of our time in Ireland. It is also an agreement that was overwhelmingly endorsed in referendum North and South by the people of Ireland.

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 acclaimed Belfast filmmaker Sean Murray – The Story of Moore Street 1916 – and narrated by Stephen Rea was shown to very warm applause. Frank Connolly for SIPTU which supports the campaign welcomed everyone to Liberty Hall.To Be Or Not To Be.As this column goes to press it appears that the British PM Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission have reached an Agreement on the Protocol. The so-called ‘Windsor Framework.’ To add to the excitement Dame Arlene Foster is giving off because King Charles is having tea with Ursula von der Leyen – a proverbial storm in a tea cup. The next few days - or longer - will see how the new Agreement goes down particularly among the Brexiteers here in the North. Remember the majority of people here voted against Brexit. Watch this space. Remembering Wounded KneeOn 27 February 1973 several hundred Native Americans of the Oglala Lakota people occupied Wounded Knee in South Dakota in a move intended to highlight their demand for sovereign rights. The stand-off between the Native American people and federal authorities lasted 71 days and involved daily fire-fights. Two Native Americans were killed.Horror in Palestine and the MediterraneanIsraeli settlers danced in the street as they burned 75 Palestinian homes and killed a Palestinian man in Huwara. The plight of the people of Palestine gets worse day by day. It is an international disgrace that this is allowed to continue. Apartheid Israel is evil and inhumane. The international community must defend international law, condemn such human rights abuses and stand up for the rights of people.

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 suggest that it is likely the deal is already done. The work now is probably down to crossing the t’s and dotting the I’s and getting the PR strategy right. Which means it could still unravel. The big question is whether it will be enough for Jeffrey and the DUP? Will the Conservative right wing European Research Group (ERG) buy into it?Irish Unity is the FutureAs unionist political leaders worry that they are about to be sold down the river – again – the alternative to the Union with Britain was up for discussion last week in Donegal.People packed into the Balor Theatre in Ballybofey to take part in the Donegal People’s Assembly organised by Sinn Féin’s Commission on the Future of Ireland. The event was opened by Pearse Doherty TD. The Ballybofey meeting was the third such public meeting held by the Commission. The first took place in Belfast last October and the second was in Derry just before Christmas. The next will take place in the Carrickdale Hotel at the end of MarchStanding up to FascismWell done to the tens of thousands who took part in Saturday’s ‘Ireland for All’ solidarity march and rally in Dublin. It was an impressive and timely rebuttal to the small number of fascists who encourage hate crime through the targeting of emigrants and asylum seekers.Racism, intolerance of and discrimination against citizens takes many forms. All of us have a responsibility to make a stand against such injustice and intolerance whatever form it takes. Fair play to all of those who took part on Saturday and thanks to our friend Christy Moore who sang a beautiful rendition of Viva La Quinta Brigada, a song in tribute to Irish soldiers who fought against fascism in the Spanish civil war.Letting Sleeping Dogs Lie.Regular readers of this column will know I am a dog lover. Dogs have been part of my life since I was an infant. Our oldest lad has had the same experience. If I gave him nothing else I gave him a love of dogs. Like me he has had a madadh all his life and I’m glad to say the little people in our lives are doggie people also. We have two dogs. Fionn and Fiadh. Fiadh is a she dog. Fionn is a he dog. Fiadh is smaller, smarter and more biddable than Fionn. As I write these lines they are stretched out across the room from me. Usually they don’t get in the house.

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 family, friends and comrades of both men came together to celebrate their lives of activism. They were also interviewed by Joe Austin about their experience of community activism, struggle, imprisonment and elected politics. Prison Book Ban liftedLast week I wrote a piece about books and the prison system here. That literary ramble through our penal institutions was triggered by news that some books by republicans are banned from the prisons here. Pat Sheehan MLA, a former prisoner and hungerstriker, wrote to the prison authorities. He said: “Twenty-five years after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement I find it incomprehensible that republican literature should still be censored in this way. I thought those days were long behind us. The Irish republican analysis of our history is as valid as any other, and attempts to censor that analysis only serve to indulge the view that the prison service is politically partisan.” Brendan BehanLast week, 9 February, marked the centenary of the birth of Brendan Behan. Behan was a hugely influential writer whose books were rooted in his working class experience and republicanism. His parents, Stephen Behan and Kathleen Kearney, were republicans. His mother’s brother - Peadar Ó Cearnaigh – was a veteran of the 1916 Rising and wrote The Soldier’s Song (Amhrán na bhFiann).At the age of eight Brendan joined the Fianna. Later he joined the IRA. In December 1939 he was dispatched to Liverpool to identify possible targets for the then bombing campaign. In his eagerness he brought with him explosives he had personally prepared. He was arrested. Because he was aged 16 Behan was sentenced to three years in a juvenile centre. Almost 20 years later that story was told in Borstal Boy. The book was banned in the South.

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 Liberty Hall, Dublin on the 23 February. Belfast film maker Seán Murray will produce a short documentary with Oscar nominated actor Stephen Rea to be launched in the Urgent Public Meeting.Prison BooksNews that some books have been banned by the Prison Service in the North comes as no surprise. The books are Joe Cahill A life in the IRA. Joe would be amused. Dessie; The life and Legacy of Volunteer Dessie Grew, and No Greater Love. The Memoirs of Seamus Kearney.The banning of these books is stupid. No accident that they are written by or about republicans. Former prisoner and hungerstriker Pat Sheehan MLA has written to the prison authorities seeking the unbanning of these titles. Good man Pat. Donegal Peoples Assembly - Have your SayOn Tuesday 13 February Have Your Say in the exciting discussion on the future of Ireland. The Donegal Peoples Assembly will take place at 7pm in the Balor Theatre, Ballybofey.Opening remarks will be by Pearse Doherty TD and the independent chairperson is Mícheál Ó hÉanaigh, the former CEO of Údarás na Gaeltachta and a former Director of Services with Donegal County Council. There will be a panel of well known Donegal people.

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.Bloody SundayLast Monday – 30 January - was the anniversary 51 years ago of the deliberate murder of 14 Derry civil rights marchers by the British Parachute Regiment in Derry.Following Bloody Sunday the British Widgery Inquiry blamed the organizers of the march, the victims and the IRA. Widgery accused the dead of being ‘gunmen and bombers’. According to the British the actions of the Paras actions were legal.Establish a Citizens’ Assembly on Irish UnityIn recent weeks some readers will have seen billboards calling on the Irish government to establish a Citizen’s Assembly on Irish Unity. Thousands of leaflets have also been produced.This campaign is a natural consequence of the Good Friday Agreement which is 25 years old this year. The Agreement affords the people of the island of Ireland the democratic opportunity to decide through referendums North and South if they wish to end the union with Britain or establish a united Ireland. For the first time since partition there us a peaceful and democratic route to ending the union with Britain.

TREESI want to recommend that you make friends with a tree. Any tree. Pick one in your local park or glen or up on a mountain. Get up close and friendly with it. Or admire the very welcome trees now being planted along our urban roads and streets. Make friends with one of them. And you don’t have to be monogamous. You can love lots of trees. In lots of places.They come in all shapes and sizes. All produce seeds. Some have berries, bright and attractive. Most of them are older than us. In the Irish tradition some trees are sacred. They ward of evil spirits. Or bring good luck. They provide shelter. Some are ancient. They have wisdom. They are holy.THERE IS NOTHING GREATER THAN FREEDOMMartin Luther King’s birthday is on 15 January. Each year since 1986 the USA has celebrated the life and legacy of King with a national public holiday.In 2001 I had the good fortune to visit Atlanta in Georgia where Martin Luther King was born and where he spent much of his life preaching. Atlanta was at the heart of the Civil Rights struggle and I had the opportunity to sit quietly in Ebenezer Baptist Church where he preached his first sermon at the age of 17.The Democratic Programme of the First Dáil21 January 1919 was a day of firsts. It was the day the first shots were fired in the Tan War at Soloheadbeg. It was the first day those TDs elected in the December 1918 election met in the Mansion House as the first Dáil Éireann. And it was also the first ever democratically elected Parliament in Ireland. Lá stairiúil a bhí ann.The First Dáil was the moment the Irish people democratically asserted our desire for sovereignty from the British Empire. Just over a century later of the three texts presented to the Dáil that day the Democratic Programme is as relevant today as it was then.

BE PREPARED FOR MORE STUPIDITIESI considered ignoring the British Government’s exclusion of the Sinn Féin President from the recent talks. Then I thought why should I? Stupidity like this needs highlighted. For me it is proof, once again, of what democrats here are up against. This column could analyse the statements from the current British Secretary of State and the Foreign Minister - With – The – Wonderfully – Inaccurate - Surname. But I will let you do that yourselves if that is your want. Suffice to say that every statement was even stupider than the one which preceded it. FRANCIS JOSEPH BIGGERFor the last few months I have been revisiting many of the oul words that used to be in common usage in times past. My source for many of these was a copy of a book of Montiaghisms written by William Lutton in 1923. The title of the book comes from a district close to Lurgan – the Montiaghs – where Lutton picked up many of the Ulster dialect words. He wasn’t alone in this. Other writers of the period – especially Francis Joseph Bigger also had an interest in and made use of words that today are no longer used.

Don’t Let The Old Man InI'VE been at a lot of funerals recently. It seems someone from my circle of friends, comrades, associates or neighbours is dying every week this last wee while. And sometimes more often than that. I console myself by reminding myself that it's the age I’m at. People were always dying. That’s part of the circle of life. But now I notice it more because its also part of my circle, my own wee peer group.Failure of Leadership The Irish government’s two-year term on the UN Security Council is at an end. Micheál Martin, now Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, claimed last week that the government had “achieved some real and tangible results". As evidence of this he pointed to the UN role in providing humanitarian aid in Syria and challenging Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. However welcome the Irish government’s role was in addressing these matters, the reality is that its time on the Security Council failed to match the ambitious targets it set two years ago. Its most obvious failure has been in providing leadership against Israel’s apartheid policies toward the Palestinian people.

2022 should be marked down as the year when we eventually got rid of the last of England’s Penal Laws imposed upon us in 1737. Well done An Dream Dearg and everyone else for bringing colour, vitality, good humour, cheerfulness, success and fun to this achievement. Leanagaí ar aghaigh.

Beannachtaí daoibhse go leir. Have a great Christmas, dear readers. Thanks and benedictions also to the Belfast Media Group team. Christmas can be a sad and stressful time for some people. Be mindful of them, my friends. Reach out to neighbours and others who may not be as lucky as we are. I’m strongly against the commercialism of Christmas. I love the Christmas story and the story of Joseph and Mary and of Jesus’ birth in a stable. The simpleness of it all and the way children relate to Dadaí Na Nollaig appeals to me

THE Sinn Féin building on the Falls Road at the corner of Sevastopol St. is internationally famous for its mural of Bobby Sands. Less well known is the fact that the building is dedicated to the memory of another Irish republican, Joe McKelvey.

A massacre in InstalmentsAS I write this column the number of Palestinians killed this year by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza strip is 207. By the time it is published in a few days time that number will have increased. Last Friday I watched online video of the last moments of Ammar Mufleh, aged 23, shot dead in Huwara, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, by an Israeli soldier. He was the tenth Palestinian killed by Israeli forces in 10 days. MAKING THE CASE FOR IRISH UNITYIn 2019 Professor Colin Harvey and Mark Bassett, Barrister-at-Law, co-authored an independent legal and academic report – 'The EU and Irish Unity: Planning and Preparing for Constitutional Change in Ireland'. It was part of a series of reports which examined the implications of Brexit. Last month the two produced a second report. “'Making the Case for Irish Unity in the EU' was commissioned by The Left in the European Parliament. It explores the legal mechanisms that are part of the Good Friday Agreement for the island of Ireland to be reunited within the EU. The report also sets out the steps the EU can take to provide for such an eventuality.

Marie Ferris and Martin. A week or so ago on November 18 in Killarney 820 republicans broke bread together in honour of Martin and Marie Ferris. It was a great night. Marie Ferris is one of my heroes. A warrior woman. An activist. A mammy. A mamó. And the wife of Martin Ferris. Martin is one of my heros as well. He is as tough as old boots. As strong as teak. A Kerry Gael from head to toe. But he has the heart of an angel. That’s probably why Marie has put up with him all this time. Adrian Dunbar in Moore St.I want to thank Adrian Dunbar and all of those who turned out last Saturday morning for tour of the 1916 Moore St. Battlefield site in Dublin

Words.In Ireland the English which we use is Hiberno English. We use Irish language constructions a lot as well as many Irish words or words based on Irish words.As part of the colonisation of our island people London tried to destroy our native culture, music, dance and language. They failed and we hibernised the language they forced on us. In Ulster there is also a Scots influence. Different locations have their own local phrases or words. And native place names are special. I love that. Dialects are all part of the colour or fabric of dialogue.Moore Street So the battle to save the 1916 Moore Street Battlefield site continues and is growing in strength. More and more people want to see this area developed as a historic quarter which would be of huge educational, economic and social significance to the people of Dublin Inner city, the capital and the nation, as well as a fitting memorial to the heroism of the men and women of 1916

Thank You Briege and Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin Friends from far and near were in the Four Seasons Hotel in Monaghan last Saturday night for a special testimonial event for my old friend and comrade Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin. Mary Lou McDonald was there to remind us of Caoimhghín’s long and distinguished life of activism for over 40 years. It was also an opportunity to thank Briege. It’s not easy being the partner of an activist but Briege is a Republican in her own right and her family before her. So go raibh maith agat a bheanuasal agus do chlann.‘The Eternal Buzz and the Crock of Gold.’ The event for Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin was not my only social outing last week. Shane MacGowan published what some have described as his first ever art book. However that label doesn’t do it justice. It is a wild mixture of over 3,000 poems, photographs, sketches, and paintings. It includes self-portraits and handwritten lyrics of almost two dozen songs, including early versions of lyrics for The Pogues. There are even some of his cocktail recipes.Alcohol AbuseOut of my brainAnd suddenly my worldWas free of painOut of my brainAnd I didn’t thinkI’d feel that good againBut I couldAnd I wouldAnd I did

Time to Extend Presidential Vote to North and Diaspora Last week I wrote about the threat posed to our world by climate change. The international climate change conference - COP 27 – which commenced in Egypt on Sunday is viewed by many as the world’s last real opportunity to reverse this threat. This year has been especially dangerous with a mixture of floods, droughts, huge storms and the threat of famine in East Africa.End the Cuban EmbargoThe economic and societal impact on the people of Cuba of the economic blockade by the USA is enormous. The blockade, which began in 1960, prevents essential economic and medical resources from reaching the people of that Caribbean island nation. It imposes billions in costs on the Cuban economy each year. A Good Day Out. It was good to be able to attend the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis in Dublin last Saturday. The Ard Fheis is the supreme authority in Sinn Féin. It is the open democratic forum where policy is agreed, leaders elected and strategy and direction discussed. Members can attend and visitors but the democratic base of the Ard Fheis is the delegates elected and directed by local cumainn and other party structures to speak and vote on motions which have also been put forward by members.

Good Advice? I thought I might pass on a random sample of some of the personal advice I have been given over the years. You dear reader might, like me, benefit from some of it. Or perhaps not.BrazilThe successful election in Brazil of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (popularly called Lula) has raised hopes that the huge damage being done to the Amazon rain forest and the threat to the indigenous peoples of that region will now end.The Climate EmergencyThis weekend the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27 – the Conference of the Parties) will begin in Sharm El Sheikh, in Egypt. It will be the 27th UN Climate Change conference and last for 12 daysIt comes at a critical juncture in the effort to tackle climate change and follows the publication of three keynote reports by UN agencies warning that we are on the cusp of climatic changes from which there is little prospect of recovery.

Conway Mill – 40th birthdayConway Mill has been at the heart of west Belfast for over almost 200 years. First as a hard place of work for generations of local people, mainly women, and then as a community hub providing education and employment opportunities. Last week the Mill celebrated its 40th birthday promoting, supporting and facilitating small indigenous economic enterprises, and providing adult education facilitiesFamineThe history of An Gorta Mór – the Great Hunger – runs deep in the Irish psyche. Few have not read of or heard about the unimaginable horror that the people of Ireland faced during the 1840s. Some label it The Famine although we know that there was sufficient food on the island to feed the people. Political decisions allowed over a million to die and millions more to take to coffin ships for other shores.SurrenderBono - U2’s lead singer has written a book. Surrender 40 Songs One Story. I’m looking forward to reading it. I understand from press reports that he says his wife Ali and he were targets for the IRA. That’s news to me and I’m sure to anyone else close to republican thinking back in the day. Bono is also quoted in some news reports claiming that I hate him. Nope Paul, not me. You must be mixing me up with someone else. I don’t hate anyone. It’s a wasted negative emotion. I do detest imperialism - a good old fashioned word. Greed. Cruelty. Unbridled capitalism. War. Poverty. I believe in freedom. Solidarity. Equality. Community. Socialism. The Arts.

Wee Baby BrothersMy mother, Annie, gave birth to thirteen of us. I am the oldest. Then came Margaret, Paddy, Ann, Frances, Liam, Jim and David, Sean and his twin Brendan, Maura, Deirdre and Dominic. We are probably not all listed here in proper chronological order. I rarely get anyone’s birthday right. It’s hard to keep track. We are now reduced to eight. Our brother Liam and sister Frances died in the last few years. David and Jim died at birth or shortly afterwards in 1956 and Sean’s twin Brendan in 1958 again at birth or shortly afterwards.Well done Ciarán and OrlaithTwo weeks ago my good friends Ciarán and Orlaith Staunton from New York were awarded the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad by President Michael D Higgins.Belfast Peoples AssemblyWell done to Belfast Sinn Féin for last week’s successful Belfast People’s Assembly in the Waterfront Hall. Over 300 hundred people packed into the studio conference hall to hear submissions from a range of individuals and groups, including community activists, academic, business people, anti-racist groups and Gaeilgeoirí.

CressloughI know Creeslough well. I have friends who live there. Outside the village. At both ends. My heart goes out to the families of the ten people who were killed last Friday.Same old StoryLast Saturday’s DUP party conference saw it behave as unionist parties have usually behaved. Within their own little bubble. It’s the same old story. The DUP was established 50 years ago to oppose civil rights. It was openly sectarian. It pledged to Smash Sinn Féin – and failed - founded its own paramilitary organisations and set its face against power sharing. It successfully outmanoeuvred its unionist electoral rivals and emerged triumphant as the largest party in the Assembly.Patrick KavanaghI am a long time fan of Patrick Kavanagh. And a long time supporter of Claddagh Records. Poet and writer Patrick Kavanagh was born in rural north Monaghan in 1904. He left school at the age of 12 and taught himself about literature. He went on to become one of our leading poets.

Together we Can Ireland’s Future is well named. Its landmark event last Saturday in Dublin was all about the future. Saturday’s conference was an ambitious project. Over thirty participants addressed 5,000 citizens. Ten political parties with five party leaders along with leaders from civic society and the Arts talking about their desire to achieve a united Ireland. And music and dance as well. That’s a remarkable achievement.Belfast Peoples Assembly.If you want to continue the discussion on future constitutional change why not come along to Belfast’s Waterfront Hall at 7pm on 12 October. Sinn Féin’s Commission on the Future of Ireland will launch the first of our Peoples’ Assemblies. The second one is on November 24 in the Mount Errigal Hotel in Letterkenny.State Murder in the GlensIt has long been my view that people need to tell their own stories and the stories of their communities. Historians often concentrate on the big events, the big stories and big leaders. These are important but usually the personal accounts of citizens and their individual experiences are ignored.LucasWe buried Óglach Frank Lucas Quigley last week. A very large funeral on a beautiful warm afternoon. There was tears and music – a fine piper and Bik on the feadóg. And songs. Fra McCann was fear an tígh and Danny Morrison excelled himself with a wonderful oration which captured the essence, humanity, humour, bravery and history of Frank and his family especially Jimmy, another Óglach, killed aged eighteen by the British Army fifty years before on the very date of Frank’s funeral.

We are not invisible” – Springhill familiesLast week the family of Loughlin Maginn settled a case against the British Ministry of Defence and the PSNI over his murder by the UDA in August 1989. While it had been widely accepted for the previous 20 years that collusion between the British Army, RUC and unionist paramilitaries was an integral part of Britain’s dirty war in Ireland it was the murder of Pat Finucane in February 1989 and then of Loughlin Maginn in August that year which focussed significant attention on this practice and confirmed that collusion was a matter of administrative practice.Our Ireland Also. During one of the many excellent events at last month’s Féile An Phobail Kevin Gamble, Féile Director, committed the Féile to playing a role within the arts community to counter the official narrative from the Dublin establishment about the North. The event, chaired by Clíodhna NicBhranair of Áras Uí Chonghaile was titled Our Ireland Also. Historians Liz Gillis, Lorcan Collins, Tom Hartley and Cormac Moore, all accomplished authors, explored the partitionist mindset of the southern state and its origins. It was a fascinating and well attended discussion. The panel was informed and entertaining and the speakers were very obviously pleased to have an engaged and interested audience. Moore Street ScandalThe battle to Save Moore Street – the historic last meeting place of the 1916 leaders and from where they were taken to be court-martialled and executed by the British – has taken many twists and turns over recent months and years.

The English Monarchy: A Tolerance of Differences At the same time I have no time for hierarchies, aristocrats or royalty, whether they are political, religious, secular or industrial. They are all about power for elites. No one should have an entitlement to a life of privilege and wealth because they are deemed to be divine rulers. I believe in equality. In community. In citizenship. In self-determination. None of us should ever be anyone’s subject. Working people should always be mindful of our own class and of our own history, our values and entitlementsColm’s Harps I was very pleased to get an email from Colm Dawson from New York. Colm, who is originally from Belfast, read my article about Long Kesh handicrafts in The Irish Echo.He writes ‘During internment my mother used to bake homemade soda farls and send them up to the Cages. In 1973, in recognition of her contribution, we received this lovely little harp. I believe it came from Conn McHugh, Owen Quigley and your good self.It has been sitting in my living room in NY for over twenty years. And it’s in great shape. That wee harp sat on top of our TV in Belfast for decades. We had another one that my dad won in a raffle at the PD, also in 1973, that sat beside it. Both are now here with me.’

Another British PM closer to UnityLiz Truss is now the leader of the Conservative Party and British Prime Minister. No real surprise there. She is the fourth leader of the Tories in six years. And as each has tried and failed to reshape Britain to a post Brexit world Tory government policy – especially under Johnson - has shifted further and further to the right. ON DANGEROUS GROUND.This is not a book review. It is a book recommendation. On Dangerous Ground is a memoir by Máire Comerford, edited by Hilary Dully, with an introduction by Margaret Ward.THE CHIEFTAINS WALK.The Chieftains Walk will be on Sunday 18th September at 1pm in Derry. It is in memory of Martin McGuinness. So why not join us and Martin’s family. The walk is organised by The Martin McGuinness Peace Foundation. The foundation was established in September 2019, two years after Martin’s death.

Belfast People's Assembly Last summer Sinn Féin announced the setting up of a ‘Commission on the Future of Ireland.’ The Commission is a unique and ambitious initiative which includes a series of Peoples’ Assemblies under the broad slogan - ‘The New Ireland is for Everyone – Have Your Say.’On 12 October - the inaugural first public meeting of the People’s Assembly will take place in Belfast’s Waterfront Hall between 7 and 9pm. Prison Privileges.On my occasional vacations at her majesty’s pleasure many of my comrades made mementos of their incarcerations from wood or leather as gifts for family or friends or for The Green Cross or An Cumann Cabhrach, the prisoner’s dependents support groups. I rarely did any handicraft work. I lacked the skill sets required. In the beginning my artistic endeavours were limited to the production of handkerchiefs suitably adorned with pledges of everlasting love with appropriate symbols

National Hunger Strike MarchComhgairdheas to all of those who organised and participated in Sunday’s Belfast march to remember the hunger strikers of this and previous phases of struggle. Thousands came from all over Ireland to take part. I met comrades from Meath and Mayo and Dublin and Derry. The families of the hunger strikers had pride of place and many former blanketmen – wearing their grey blankets – and Armagh Women POWs helped lead the event.An Dream Dearg - Cearta Teanga.Last May with some 20,000 others, I attended the Lá Dearg rally in Belfast. This event was organised by An Dream Dearg in response to the continuous delay in implementing the long-promised Acht Gaeilge. It was a great day out. Despite the understandable frustration and anger among the Irish language community, the atmosphere of the day was one of celebration, of positivity and inspiration.The Troubles I’ve SeenDuring the Féile I went to watch The Troubles I’ve Seen in Áras Úi Chonghaile. I’m glad I did. The Troubles I’ve Seen is a documentary which is being shown across the North. The LGBT NI Heritage Project is very keen to get it into local areas. The documentary captures the shared experiences and stories of the local LGBT Community.

The Women of Antrim.Congratulations to Antrim Ladies All Ireland Football Champions 2022 and Antrim’s All Ireland Camogie Champions. Na mná abú. The Women of Armagh. Last Friday, there was standing room only in The Felons as Richard McAuley and I were joined by former Armagh POWs Síle Darragh, Máire Cush and Martina Anderson for the launch of a new book, The Armagh Women during Prisoners’ Day. The Armagh Women – The Story of Protests in Armagh Women’s prison -is a tribute as well as a history of republican women resisting oppression. The book begins with the construction of the prison in the 18th century. It outlines the imprisonment of republican women there in the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. Regrettably there is not a huge amount of information covering that period.Now for Féile 35! Féile an Phobail was a triumph. I want to thank and congratulate the organising committee and the hundreds of activists who made it all possible by their hard work. Féile just doesn’t happen. It takes a huge amount of planning throughout the year. The result was 10 days during which a hundred thousand people attended scores of debates, discussions, 28 art exhibitions, music and sporting events, book launches and much more. Over 350 events with 90 percent free. Noah Donohoe’s family deserve answersOn Saturday several thousand people turned out at Belfast City Hall in a demonstration of solidarity and support for the family of Noah Donohoe. The 14 year old was found in a storm drain in North Belfast in June 2020 after being missing for six days.

A Windfall Tax urgently neededThe cost of living crisis is taking a terrible toll on families. Food and energy bills are increasing at a phenomenal rate pushing more and more people into debt and poverty. The ready excuse trotted out by governments and most of the media to explain this dire situation is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war. While this is clearly having an impact it cannot explain the monstrous profits being made by the oil and gas industry and by energy companies world-wide. The dramatic increase in fuel and energy costs have pushed up production costs, transport costs and the price paid by the consumer for food and petrol and heating. It is all interconnected.Moore St at the FéileOn Monday Honor O’Brolchain, the grandniece of Joseph Plunkett, one of the executed leaders of 1916, and Seán Ó’Muirí and Cliodhna Nic Bhranair spoke of the work of the Moore Street Preservation Trust and their efforts to protect this historic quarter.Where is the International Community?Last Friday the government of Israel launched three days of unprovoked air strikes and artillery fire into the Gaza Strip. As a result 44 Palestinians, including 15 children, were killed and almost 400 were wounded. The images on social media of children wrapped in their white shrouds and of others injured and crying were deeply distressing. In the last 14 years Israel has waged four wars on Gaza in which 4,000 people – over 1,000 of them children – have been killed.

The ArkThe Ark wasn't a big public house. Situated at the corner of Broadbent Street on the Old Lodge Road it consisted of a public bar, partitioned from a more discreet backroom and a snug. That was it. A backdrop of shelved whiskey bottles fronted by a no-nonsense wooden counter which separated myself and the only other barman from the clienteleDavid TrimbleDavid Trimble became First Minister along with Seamus Mallon as Deputy First Minister shortly after the referendum that endorsed the Good Friday Agreement. It was December 1999 before other Ministers were appointed. Among them were Martin McGuinness and Bairbre de Brún as Sinn Fein’s first two Ministers to the power sharing Executive.

SWEETS I USED TO KNOWThere was a Sweetie Shop across from Saint Finian’s School, just above Leeson Street on the Falls Road. It had a large advertisement for Blue Bird Toffees as part of its frontage. It was an attractive feature boasting an iconic Blue Bird in full flight. I call this fine establishment a sweetie shop because my recollection, which may be flawed, is that this shop sold only sweeties. They were there in large glass jars with big screw-on lids. Shelves upon shelves of them. Confections of all descriptions. Britain’s legacy of shoot-to-killTwo weeks ago the BBC programme Panorama broadcast a report which claimed that the British Army’s elite death squad - the Special Air Service (SAS) was responsible for as many as 54 killings of detainees in Afghanistan in 2010-2011. The excuse in most instances was that the detained Afghan men either unexpectedly produced weapons or made an effort to take a weapon from a SAS member. Senior British Army officers covered-up these actions.