Léargas: A Podcast by Gerry Adams

I love benches. I like to spend as much time as I can outdoors. Now in case I give the wrong impression let me make it clear that I am not all the time walking or hiking. I do do that sometimes but mostly I just sit. That’s why I like benches. I have one I inherited from our old neighbour Billy McCulloch. Truth to tell I inherited only the metal ends. Stand up against sectarianismControversy, sectarian threats and violence have long been associated with the 11 July bonfires and the marching season. ‘Kick the Pope’ bands and sectarian hate music and songs are a regular feature of many loyal order parades. This year yet again election posters of Sinn Féin, SDLP and Alliance representatives competed with each other for space on bonfires. Effigies of Mary Lou McDonald, Michelle O’Neill and Naoimi Long were hung from makeshift gallows. Sectarian, misogynistic and abusive slogans were nailed to bonfires. Among them; ‘KAT – Kill all Taigs,’ ‘All Taigs are targets’ This year also a young man in Larne fell to his death as the bonfire builders competed with each other over who could build the biggest and the highest.

Scots set date for independence referandum. The Government of Scotland has moved decisively by setting the date for a referendum on sovereignty and independence. 19 October 2023 is that date. Its decision has already won support among Scottish voters. A poll published recently in the Times showed that those for and against independence are neck and neck. 48% of those surveyed were in favour of independence while 47% were againstAfter Boris what next?Boris Johnson has resigned. Mary Lou McDonald’s view that he will not be missed is one that is shared by many. Johnson played on peoples’ fears, as well as the supremacist and right wing attitude of many in Britain who believe the Empire was great and that Britain today is still Great.Liberty Hall Concert in aid of Moore StThis column supports the work of The Moore Street Preservation Trust to save the 1916 Moore Street Battlefield site the most important historic site in modern Irish history.

Do Your Job Leo!Some of our political leaders in Dublin repeatedly reduce their offices to the status of an observer. This affects many matters which fall within their responsibility. Quite often we are treated to commentary from a government Minister on public services or the lack of them, homelessness or the cost of living crisis. It is as if they had no responsibility or obligations for dealing with the issues involved. The Springhill/Westrock families deserve truthThis Saturday will mark 50 years from the horrific events of the summer evening of 9 July 1972 when British soldiers shot and killed two adults and three children in the Springhill/Westrock areaLooking forward to Féile an PhobailEvery year I look forward to August. Since 1988 I have been amazed – entertained – uplifted and excited – by the content and the growth of Féile an Phobail. For 34 years the many people who have helped plan and organise the thousands of events that have been held have worked tirelessly to put on the best possible Peoples Festival. Well done Kevin Gamble and the Féile team. I thank and commend them all.

Bingo:My recollections last week on my successful battle against the dreaded nicotine, sparked, pardon the pun, similar recollections from some of my friends. Richard, who never smoked, reminded me of our old comrade Joe ‘Bingo’ Campbell. Bingo used to work in the old Sinn Féin office at the corner of Sevastopol Street. In those days the office was little more than a slum. It housed a number of projects including the Republican Press Centre, the POW Department, An Phoblacht/Republican News and the transport hub for buses taking prisoners’ families to visits in Long Kesh, Armagh and Portlaoise and other jails.A masterclass of song and musicThe Protocol debacleSix years ago on 23 June 2016 the Brexit referendum was passed by a narrow majority. In England and Wales the majority voted to leave the EU. In the North and in Scotland the majority of people voted to remain in the EU. The democratic vote of the people of the North and of Scotland was ignored.A masterclass of song and music:Paul McCartney’s opening song for his amazing Glastonbury set on Saturday night was ‘Can’t buy me love’. As the opening bars began to play the years rolled back for this Beatles fan and I was a teenager again listening to their latest hit on the radio. It was March 1964. I was 15. ‘From me to you’ had been their first number one the previous May. ‘She loves you’ their second. ‘I want to hold your hand’ was next and then it was ‘Can’t buy me Love’.

The Collectors StoryI have known Tom Hartley for 55 years. During that time he has given decades of service to the republican cause. He has been an organiser, a writer, a propagandist, a leader. During the anti-internment protests of the early 1970s, and then the H-Block/Armagh campaign he was in the front lineNo SmokingBack in the day my generation, or most of us, used to smoke. It was the social thing to do at that time. Gallagher’s Blues, Park Drive, Woodbine were the ‘feg’ of choice. Some shops sold them as single cigarettes. Some were also available in packs of five. I came upon an empty packet of 5 Woodbine recently. It sparked memories and a regret that I ever smoked. It was Joe Magee’s fault. Joe was a neighbour and a childhood friend. Joe is my pal to this day. He lives in Australia now. He introduced me to nicotine.

Three BooksI thought it would be a good idea to dedicate an occasional column to books. We can return to Brexit, the Protocol and other such matters at another time. So in this column I am reviewing three books. United Nation by Frank Connolly. On The Blanket by Eoghan Mac Cormaic and International Brigade against Apartheid: Secrets of the People’s War that Liberated South Africa’ By Ronnie Kasrils.International Brigade against Apartheid: Secrets of the People’s War that Liberated South Africa’ Ronnie Kasrils.I have known Ronnie Kasrils for many years. He is a friend of Ireland and a champion of those struggling around the world for freedom and justice. In 1961 he was a founding member, along with Nelson Mandela and others, of Umkhonto we Siswe – MK for short – the armed wing of the African National Congress. In the post apartheid South Africa he was the Minister for Intelligence and Minister for Water.On the Blanket by Eoghan MacCormaicEoghan Mac Cormaic is one of our most willing cheerful modest and clever writers. He is part of that growing band of republicans, particularly former political prisoners, who have produced an account of their experiences. This new book by Eoghan is based on his Pluid-Scéal na mBlocanna H 1976-81. Published by Coiscéim in 2021 it tells the story of Eoghan’s life On the Blanket, mostly in H Block 5. In this English language version he takes us through the A to Z of Prison Resistance

Confronting sectarianismThe posting online of a vile video showing members of the Orange Order mocking the murder of Michaela McAreavey has been widely condemned. Last week in another video Pastor Barrie Halliday appeared on social media describing Catholics as ‘rats that need to be murdered with rifles and grenades.’A wedding and a strikeJames Connolly is one of my heroes. He was a socialist, a republican, a writer, a thinker, a trade union leader. He fought for the rights of workers and against their exploitation. He joined with Pearse and Clarke and Ceannt and others in the Irish Republican Brotherhood at Easter 1916 in striking for Irish freedom and for the right of the people of Ireland to independence and self-determinationI am not guilty – I want to go homeThis week I wrote again to Leonard Peltier, the native American rights activist who has been imprisoned for 46 years. Regular readers will know that over the years I have written about his continued wrongful imprisonment – he is America’s longest serving political prisoner.

The Planter and the Gael. Last week US Congress member Richie Neal, Chair of the Ways and Means Committee on Capitol Hill, led a Congressional delegation from Washington to Brussels, London, Dublin, the Blasket’s, Derry and Belfast. The delegation met with a very wide range of political representatives including Government representatives as well as civic society. Time for TruthNatasha Butler’s grandfather Paddy was killed by the British Army on the evening of 9 July 1972. He was one of two adults and three children shot dead during the Springhill/Westrock massacre. The 50th anniversary of this event will take place in five weeks.The Springhill/Westrock MassacreOn a quiet summer’s evening in July 1972 British soldiers shot dead Fr. Noel Fitzpatrick as he went to administer the last rites to the dead and dying. 38 year old Paddy Butler died after he was hit by the bullet that killed Fr. Fitzpatrick. 19 year old Martin Dudley was shot in the back of the head by a second British Army sniper and seriously wounded as he got out of a car. 17 year old John Dougal was shot dead and his friend Brian Pettigrew was seriously injured as they tried to assist Martin Dudley. 13 year old Margaret Gargan was shot dead by another British Army sniper. And 15 year old David McCaffrey was shot dead as he tried to pull Fr. Fitzpatrick and Paddy Butler out of the line of fire.

A referendum on the FutureSunday marked 24 years from the historic referendum in May 1998 that saw almost three quarters of people in the North vote in support of the Good Friday Agreement. Despite the twists and turns in the years since then the Agreement has proved resilient in maintaining peace and in plotting a course for constitutional, political and economic change in the North and across these islands.Acht na Gaeilge – AnoisThe echo of thousands of cheerful, excited voices raised in defiance reverberated off the buildings along Royal Avenue and into Donegall Place to the front of Belfast City Hall. The raised voices called for Irish language rights – for equality and respect. The slogans demanded:Defending journalistsThe shameful decision by Israel to cover-up the murder of Palestinian/American journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh by refusing to hold a criminal investigation into her killing will have come as no surprise to most people. In our own situation there are victims groups, representing hundreds of families struggling for truth decades after their loved ones were killed by British state forces. Last week the London government introduced its so-called ‘Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill’ which makes future efforts at truth almost impossible for victims.

Lá Mór DeargAs this column goes to print Boris Johnson comes to visit our political leaders in Hillsborough. Whatever he may say or not say one thing is clear. We do not need him to govern us. But more of that anon.Employers must talk to workersSeveral trade unions are involved in industrial action in the public and private sectors in an effort to get employers to increase wages and improve conditions for workers. With inflation heading toward 10% some current pay rates are clearly inadequate, especially given the cost of living crisis and huge increases in fuel, food and energy costs.Murder of Shireen Abu AklehLast week (Wednesday 11 May) Israeli forces in the occupied west Bank deliberately targeted and murdered a Palestinian journalist. Shireen Abu Akleh was a well respected Palestinian/American reporter working for Al Jazeera. The 51 year old veteran journalist was wearing a clearly visible press vest and helmet. She was in the Jenin refugee camp covering an attack by Israeli forces when she was shot in the face by a single shot from an Israeli sniper. A second Palestinian journalist, Ali al-Samoudi was also wounded.

A transformative electionThe overwhelming majority of citizens on this island want our future to be different from what went before. Those who voted last Thursday want those they have elected to represent their interests, to make power sharing work and to shape a new future.Attacks on Human Rights laws must be opposedThe British government confirmed this week that it plans to replace the Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights. In a letter to Boris Johnson over 50 human rights groups warned of the “dire consequences” this move will have particularly in respect of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Sun Is Setting.The legacy of empire, of colonialism and of slavery is for many still a matter of the present and not the past. This is especially true for many of the former British colonies in the Caribbean. Last November Barbados formally removed Queen Elizabeth II as its Head of State. Since then the British government sent two groups of British royals as part of a charm offensive to the region in an effort to solidify waning British influence. The tours had the opposite effect.CandidatitisI first published this article in 2005 and then, slightly amended in 2016. It is dedicated to all candidates from all parties and none and their families as well as all the valiant souls who work hard on their behalf.

May 5th - The Peoples DayLess than one week to polling day and the pundits and pollsters are filling the airways and column inches with their take on who will be the big winners and who will be the losers. Who will emerge with more or fewer Assembly seats? Will the Protocol galvinise a so far lack lustre unionist campaign? Will the DUP/TUV and their loyalist allies succeed in frightening unionist voters into toeing the line? Or will Sinn Féin up-end a century of partition and the northern state by taking enough seats for Michelle O’Neill to become First Minister?Taking a stand against hate crimeAt the start of the year people across Ireland were shocked by the brutal murder of Ashling Murphy. The 23 year old primary school teacher was attacked while out jogging along the Grand Canal at Tullamore in County Offaly. The outrage and condemnation of her murder reflected the enormous frustration and anger that exists at the regular reports of violence against women, much of it related to domestic violence. Women’s Aid in the South has recorded 244 murders of women since 1996, when they first started keeping a record. In Praise Of Napping. Our dogs seem to sleep a lot. They just lie down, close their eyes and doze off whenever the notion takes them. Especially in this good weather. They pick a sunny spot and drift off into doggie dreamland. I suppose that’s one of the advantages of being a dog. As long as you don’t annoy the humans too much you can generally laze about. Cats are the same. They also lie in favoured spots and doze off whenever they feel like it. From them we get the term catnap. We humans could learn a lot from dogs. And cats.

THE MUSIC MENMy recent tales of singsongs in the H Blocks have triggered more reminiscences of other such events. Two in particular stand out. Both were after Long Kesh was burned downRióísn ReimaginedThis column gives a huge cead míle fáilte to a new musical offering Re-imagining Roísín from Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh and the Irish Chamber Orchestra, produced by Dónal O Connor.

Celebrating the Easter RisingToday Irish republicans across Ireland and globally will commemorate and celebrate the men and women who rose up against the British Empire and in favour of an Irish Republic, at Easter time 1916. A century later their extraordinary courage is often passed over by some, particularly in the political establishment in Dublin, who occasionally pay lip service to their sacrifice. A few even dismiss it as foolish and a mistake.The Process of change is unstoppable24 years ago on Good Friday 10 April 1998 a 5pm plenary session of the talks in Castle Building brought to an end months of intense, daily negotiations. The parties present affirmed their support for the agreement that became for many forever linked to the day that was in it – the Good Friday Agreement.

A Question for Jeffrey. The democratic question remains the key issue internationally. It has been so since people asserted their right to citizenship. At the heart of that is the entitlement to self governance. That is governance of the people, for the people and by the people. Without outside interference by others. This issue, or the denial of this right, creates and underpins conflict. That’s what is at the core of the conflict in Ukraine, Palestine and other places. It was the cause of conflict in our own place and remains the main cause of division here. DelilahMy little piece last week about radio programmes sparked off recollections among some of my old prison pals, of singsongs in the H Blocks when I was on remand there one time. Moore St Exhibition in the Kennedy CentreThe Moore Street Preservation Trust launched their alternative plan to preserve this historic 1916 site last week in Belfast and then had a stall in the Kennedy Centre last Friday and Saturday

UDR Declassified by Micheál SmithOn 1 April 1970 the Ulster Defence Regiment of the British Army formally took its place in the ranks of the British Army. The UDR was a locally recruited militia established by the British government following its disbandment of the B Specials the previous year. When it too was disbanded 22 years later it had achieved an even greater level of sectarian notoriety than the Specials.Radio GaGa.I listen to the radio a lot. I always have. I’m more of a wireless listener than a television viewer. Raidió na Gaeltachta, Raidió Fáilte, RTE Radio 1 and Lyric FM. And Radio Ulster. Covid has reunited me with the radio. It was just like being back in Long Kesh.

Moving Backwards? One unionist twitter account at the weekend posed the question; “How many different ways can the DUP tell us we MUST vote DUP no matter how incompetent or corrupt they have been?”The comment followed Jeffrey Donaldson’s claim that this election is the most important in a generation for unionists. He warned: “Sinn Féin will push for border poll unless DUP wins in May election.”Of course, Jeffrey knows that whatever the outcome of the election – win, lose or draw –Sinn Féin’s efforts to secure a unity referendum will continue. It’s what we believe in. The Good Friday Agreement provides for it. As an Irish republican party our objective is to end the union with Britain and to create a new agreed Ireland. The shape and form of that new Ireland will be a matter for the people to decide, democratically, peacefully, respectfully. Jeffrey knows this too.Investing in Irish speakersTwo weeks ago almost two hundred gaeilgeorí from across the North gathered in Belfast City Hall to celebrate 12 years of Ciste Infhéistíochta na Gaeilge. This is the Irish language investment fund that was established following a particularly fraught negotiation at Hillsborough Castle in early 2010 that centred in the main on the transfer of policing and justice powers to the Executive and Assembly. It was another of those occasions when the British government’s failure to honour previous commitments and the DUP’s opposition to those commitments brought the Good Friday Agreement institutions to the point of permanent collapse.Moore St Exhibition for BelfastFor the last two weeks the alternative plan for the development of Moore Street prepared by the Moore Street Preservation Trust has been on exhibition in Cork. Regular readers will know that I have a particular grá for the 1916 Moore Street Battlefield site and the efforts to save this hugely important historic area from developers who plan to destroy much of it.

Irish Neutrality is not for saleThe Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to dominate the news agenda. Lines of tanks and armoured vehicles inexorably move toward Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. Images of hospitals and family homes bombed and destroyed; of refugees, particularly children, the elderly and disabled, forcibly fleeing has led to a massive outpouring of solidarity. People want to help. Some provide food and clothing for shipping to Ukraine. Others offer to provide shelter for those refugees who make it to our shores. All very worthwhile and commendable.However, some in the political and media establishment in the South have cynically seized on the current crisis to argue for an end to Irish neutrality. Some media commentators have worked themselves up into a militaristic frenzy. They want the Irish government to sign up to a European Army and NATO. Great to Get Out.Now that the pandemic restrictions are eased it is great to get out and about again. Of course the pandemic hasn’t gone away so it is still important to take common sense precautions. This last week or so I have been galloping around book gigs in West Tyrone, South Armagh and County Down. The events are good fun. Relaxed discussions about books and writing. A few selected readings from Black Mountain and a chance to meet new friends and to catch up on old ones. Time for Presidential voting rightsAs readers will know citizens outside the southern state, including those in the North are denied the right to vote in elections to select the President of Ireland. This is despite support for this right by the current government. It is in the programme for government. It is also supported by a Constitutional Convention.Lá Fhéile Pádraig Faoi Mhaise Daoibhse.I was delighted to be in Downpatrick this week. A fine historical town forever connected with Saint Patrick. I was shot around this time in 1984. My Uncle Paddy died on St Patricks Day after visiting me in the hospital.

Write On!Last Thursday was World Book Day. This year is the 25th anniversary of the event. This reminded me of the volume of publications produced by former republican prisoners.Palestinians deserve our support also: There are two photographs in this week’s column. One is of a school. Totally destroyed. Levelled. Classrooms reduced to rubble. The work of students scattered across the ground. The other is of a hospital. Mickey and Minnie Mouse and other favourite Disney characters look down over floors strewn with the flotsam of war. Life saving equipment destroyed. Walls and floors shattered by shrapnel. Both buildings were the target of rockets indiscriminately fired at civilian targets.Springhill/Westrock Massacre – 50 years ago: On 9 July the people of Springhill and Westrock will mark 50 years from the massacre by British troops that left 5 local people dead. Three of those shot by British snipers were children. John Dougal was aged 16. Margaret Gargan was aged 13. David McCafferty was aged 15. Fr. Noel Fitzpatrick was based at Corpus Christi Church, in Springhill and Paddy Butler was killed by the same bullet that struck Fr. Fitzpatrick as the two tried to pull victims to safety.

Russia get out of UkraineThe big story of the moment is the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Like many of you I have been watching the round the clock news reports emerging from what is now a war zone. The television images and photographs are distressing. Burning buildings, the skeletal shell of others already destroyed. Russian tanks and armed soldiers. And terrified citizens and families, many with young children, desperate to escape.Vote is a four letter word – Use it!The Assembly election is just 9 weeks away. It won’t be long going in. Most parties have completed the process of picking candidates. Many of these are already out on the doorstep setting out their policies, offering leaflets and trying to win first preference votes or at least a preference somewhere on the list. In PR elections every vote and every preference on a vote can play a crucial role in shaping the political landscape after 5 May.Pensions and Irish UnityOpinion polls have indicated that there is a section of public opinion in the North that is increasingly open to the idea of a united Ireland. These potential persuadables are now looking at other possibilities. Some are nationalist voters who are not yet convinced of the merits of unity. Many are young voters. Others are former unionist voters fed up with the negativity of the unionist parties and perplexed by the Brexit crisis. And then there is range of people who think Boris Johnson is a clown and the Tory Party couldn’t care less about the North.

The Game is UpThe singular message emerging from the conflicting voices within political unionism at this time is their opposition to the election of a Sinn Féin First Minister. Whatever other differences there may be between the different strands of unionism on other issues like how to oppose the protocol, on this they are united. Maura McCroryMaura McCrory died last week and I attended her funeral. It was uplifting to see so many of Maura’s friends from across the decades gathered in her honour and in respect and solidarity with her clann. I’m sure Maura’s family took comfort from that. While she has been ill for the last few years in the 1970’s and 1980’s Maura was hugely well known as a defender of the political prisoners.Black MountainI published a new book last August. It’s called Black Mountain and Other Stories. Because of the pandemic I was not able to do many readings or signings. Last August I wasn’t at all worried. I will do it at Christmas I thought. But of course that didn’t happen either. But now as restrictions are easing my day has come. Black Mountain will soon be available at a venue near you. So watch out for local details if you live in Strabane, South Armagh, Downpatrick, Hilltown, Ballymacnab or North Belfast expect to see me soon. Or if you can’t wait why not get a copy on line? Try https://www.sinnfeinbookshop.com/ and An Fhuiseog at 55 Falls Road, Belfast BT12 4PD https://www.facebook.com/AnFhuiseog/

Standing up to Bullies. Some politicians rarely, if ever see the irony in the words they use. Take Boris Johnson. He is currently using the dispute between the Ukraine and Russia to distract attention from the Downing Street Party-gate scandal. As more and more voices within his own party are questioning his leadership credentials Johnson is busy presenting himself as a leader on the world stage standing up for the rights of others. And so we get: “We won’t accept a world in which a powerful neighbour can bully or attack their neighbours … all people have the right to live safely and choose who governs them.”A beautiful woman with a beautiful soulLast week we buried our friend and comrade Annmarie McCarthy nee McWilliams. She died in hospital on 7 February after a short illness. On Friday morning Annmarie was brought to the republican memorial garden in Ballymurphy where local republicans paid their final respects to a woman Aisling O’Reilly aptly described as “a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul.” In a wonderful gesture of solidarity and comradeship the honour guard of women comrades surrounded the coffin and held hands as a minutes silence was held.

Ormeau Road collusion exposedCollusion between British intelligence, the RUC, UDR, British Army and Loyalist paramilitary organisations is a fact of life here. This is indisputable. A succession of reports have confirmed the extent to which loyalist death squads operated under the patronage of the British state.Growing OlderI have a sore back. I hurt it decades ago playing handball against a chap twenty years younger than me. It soon got better but every so often it comes back to trouble me, especially if I neglect to stretch and bend in the manner prescribed by the physio. It has been niggling at me for the last five or six weeks.

Reflections on Bloody Sunday. Somehow human beings, including this columnist, put more stead in twenty year anniversaries than in nineteen year ones. So in the case of Bloody Sunday 50 years seems more important than forty nine. Why this is so is worthy of some research beyond at this point my capacity. But fifty years it is since that fateful day. In less than 30 minutes it was all over. The shooting began at 4.10pm. When it ended 13 men and boys were dead. Another was to die weeks later. Another 14, including one woman had been shot and grievously wounded. On our television screens we could see the deadly consequences. The still bodies in their pools of blood. One moment alive. The next dead. Lines of men were filmed being frog marched by British soldiers and forced against walls. A community in shock. Bloody Sunday marked a watershed moment in our history.Julian Assange should be freedBritain’s counter-insurgency guru General Frank Kitson explained it well when he wrote over 50 years ago: “the press properly handled is one of the government’s strongest weapons.”Direct control of reporting by the media through the imposition of censorship or indirect control through political alliances with those who own the media, is not a new phenomena. The Irish people have long experience of British government manipulation of media coverage about events here. The killing of 14 men on Bloody Sunday in January 1972 and before that the Ballymurphy Massacre and the manner in which the British establishment managed the media afterwards are two examples of this. British political leaders and military commanders rushed to defend the Paras and criminalise the dead and wounded. That they failed took 40 years of hard work and trauma by victim’s families and the people of Derry and Ballymurphy.Leonard PeltierLeonard Peltier has Covid. The Native American rights activist has spent almost 45 years in prison and was already suffering ill-health. His family and supporters are deeply concerned at this serious risk to his life and have renewed their appeal for the US President Joe Biden to exercise clemency. I support their call for Leonard to be freed.

Save Moore Street - Buy a raffle ticket for an original 1914 Mauser rifleLast Saturday hundreds of people took part in a Save Moore Street rally in Dublin. The rally was called at short notice by the Moore Street Preservation Trust in response to the decision by Dublin City planners to green light the redevelopment plans by the UK based developer Hammerson for Moore Street and its environs.Remembering Clyde Bellecourt - Thunder Before the StormThe drum beat and the chant echoed across the emptiness of Milltown Cemetery. Despite our heavy coats the January cold leeched through to the bone. Margaret and Alfie Doherty, the parents of hunger striker Kieran Doherty; Jim Daly, whose wife Miriam – a member of the National Smash H-Block Armagh Committee - was assassinated by the UDA in 1981; and myself, Alex Maskey and others were at the Belfast Republican plot. So was Maura McDonnell, sister of H Block hunger striker Joe McDonnell.It was 1985 and we were accompanying a delegation of Native American Indians from the American Indian Movement (AIM). They were in Ireland to ‘see the situation – political and cultural …’ The delegation laid a wreath at the graves of our Patriot Dead and chanted the national anthem of AIM to the beat of their drum.

Condolences are not enoughI want to extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ashling Murphy. The spontaneous public outpouring of grief at her murder underlines the frustration and anger that exists at the habitual reports of violence against women.Condolences are not enough. Men, and I include myself in this, need to take responsibility for ensuring that every woman has the right to be safe and that there is zero tolerance of male violence against women. Our friend and Sinn Féin MLA Emma Sheerin says this better than I ever could. DOGS CAN THINK. Part 2So’ I concluded ‘ Dogs are non verbal. They cant tell us what they think. But think they do. Its clear from their body language. They don't think the way we do and they don't write or read or stuff like that but they can be taught to do lots of other things. Our wee Anna has trained our Fiadh to do all kinds of fancy tricks.

Sectarianism must be ended:Sectarianism is a legacy of our colonial past. We have the opportunity to confine it to the dustbin of history.CAN DOGS THINK? ‘Can dogs think? Is that what you asked me?’ Your man snapped at me in exasperation. ‘What kind of stupid question is that to ask anyone? Are you winding me up again?’

OUR old pal Tom Hartley is a fine singer. He and I have been known to duet together. Back in the day in C Wing in Belfast Prison on the Crumlin Road, his dulcet tones echoed around the landings like a bird in flight while my rich baritone kept close harmony. Our sonorous grace notes soared and dipped in perfect tune. Even now, decades later, men locked in the loneliness of their cells at that time, recalling nowadays how they were transfixed by the magical quality of our voices, will shed a tear at this musical memory. I even remember prison officers being moved by these moments. Tom always said he couldn’t abide mediocrity.Archbishop Tutu: a voice for kindess: and reason has been lostI HAD the honour and pleasure of meeting Desmond Tutu over the years. He was a friend of Ireland and a supporter of the Irish peace process. He was a remarkable, compassionate and inspirational human being. He never compromised on his belief in the essential goodness of people or on the imperative of dialogue as the means of resolving differences.

A funny kind of New Year’s resolution:NEW Year resolutions and I are old friends. Usually I muse at the end of the old year about what I need to commit myself to for new year’s arrival. This year the pandemic cuts down the options. Going to the gym isn't on. Taking up senior hurling or football? Same problem. Stopping the drink? Maybe? But seeing as I am fairly sober most of the time it would be going too far not to have a wee deoch every so often. For medicinal purposes.CAPUCHIN GENEROSITY AT CHRISTMAS IN Dublin on the Tuesday before Christmas an estimated three thousand women and men began queuing in the cold and dark of a bleak December morning outside the Capuchin Day Centre.All below and many more are available through An Fhuiseog, 55 Falls Road, www.thelarkstore.ie• Time Shadows: A Prison Memoir by Laurence McKeown.• 6000 Days by Jim (Jaz) McCann.• On Dangerous Ground, A Memoir of the Irish Revolution by Máire Comerford. Edited by Hilary Dully.• Ireland, Colonialism and the Unfinished Revolution by Robbie McVeigh and Bill Rolston.• Inside and Out, A Book of Poetry by Gerry Kelly,• Pluid by Eoghan MacCormaic.• Ón Taobh Istigh by Jake MacSiacais.• No Ordinary Women by Sinéad McCoole.

THIS Christmas take a moment to think about Leonard Peltier. Leonard was convicted in 1977 of the murder in 1975 of two FBI agents during a confrontation at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Two others who were charged with the murders were found not guilty by reason of self-defence. Peltier has always denied involvement in the two deaths. He has been in prison for almost 45 years.A New Year resolution for a Citizens’ Assembly:If you take as read the normal health warning that accompanies opinion polls, there is little doubt that the two latest reaffirm the public interest in the potential for Irish unity and the need for a dialogue to commence to talk about the many issues of concern that arise for such a step to be contemplated. It says much about the disaster that is partition that in the year of its centenary there are more people talking about its failures and the need for an all-island replacement than ever before. However, instead of leaving it to newspapers and pollsters – whose questions can often negatively affect the responses – to ask people about new constitutional arrangements, the place of a health service, the question of flags and emblems and anthems and the cost/tax implications of unity, let’s have a considered conversation in which those questions can be asked and expert testimony taken on what answers and solutions are available.

The last number eleven up the RockAT A cruinniú in Glór na Móna I noticed a pop-up advertising one of the projects Glór na Móna is pioneering. ‘Faoi Scáth an tSléibhe – Connecting People and Place in the Upper Springfield Area’ is a heritage project aimed at making local history vibrant and accessible. The pop-up contained a photo of the number eleven bus wending its way along the Whiterock Road. That brought back many happy memories. I used to work in the Duke of York pub in Commercial Court off Lower Donegall Street in the late 1960s. I was a regular passenger on the number eleven bus when I wasn’t on my bike or my Honda 50.Irish language project does young people proudRECENTLY I met with activists involved in the Glór na Móna project in West Belfast. Along with the local MLA Aisling Reilly they briefed us on their work in the field of youth provision through the medium of Irish. Glór na Móna was established in 2004 and since then has gone from strength to strength. The enthusiasm of its activists reflects the growth in the numbers of people who now conduct their everyday business and social life through Irish. This is especially true of the Irish medium education sector.

The TreatyIn the early hours of 6 December 1921 the Irish delegates taking part in the negotiations with the British government signed The Anglo Irish Treaty. Their decision reinforced the terms of the partitionist Government of Ireland Act passed in the British Parliament one year earlier. In the years since then the decision to sign The Treaty has been discussed, debated, argued over and been the subject of countless books and articles. For some it was a necessary decision in the face of the threat of immediate and terrible war by British Prime Minister Lloyd George. For others it was a betrayal of the Republic, of the Proclamation and of those who had fought and died in 1916 and in the following five years. The Dignity of Everyday Life.Back in the day I would often travel by bus from Dundalk to Dublin. Sometimes I was unlucky and my bus was the one which stopped at every telegraph pole on route. A tedious journey. Other times I was lucky with the express yoke and before I knew it we would be pulling into Busáras in the capital.More questions than answers:I find myself asking questions I used to hear older people ask. Questions which are rarely answered no matter how often they are asked. Maybe because I often mutter them to myself.

Six of The Best: I’m reading Colin Broderick’s ‘Thats That,’ an evocative account of growing up in Altnamuskin in Tyrone at the height of the conflict. Colin’s mother and her efforts to protect her brood are at the heart of this story. Opinion Poll on Irish Unity:Only a planned conversation, involving all of those who wish to participate, can hope to find solutions to these issues. One thing is for sure. We republicans are not about the south taking over the north or vice versa. We are about self determination and a new society, citizen centred and rights based. A genuinely new Ireland based on equality. Standing with Palestinians:Monday was International Day of Solidarity with Palestine. Solidarity vigils and demonstrations took place in Belfast, in many other parts of Ireland and around the world. These acts of solidarity are very important. They are a reminder to the Palestinian people that they are not alone. Despite the many governments who continue to shamefully ignore the brutality of the Israeli apartheid system, and the ill-treatment of the Palestinian people, there are millions of people who empathise with and support their efforts to achieve freedom and self-determination

Gaels call for Citizens AssemblyIn a powerful video message 12,000 Ulster Gaels are appealing to our fellow Gaels in Munster, Leinster and Connaught to sign and endorse a letter to An Taoiseach Micheál Martin asking the Irish government to take the lead in planning for Irish Unity by establishing an All-Island Citizens Assembly “reflecting the views of citizens North and South to achieve maximum consensus on a way forward” toward an “agreed shared Ireland.”Back of BorisComhgairdheas to the many hundreds of people who took part in a series of protests against Brexit along the border last Saturday. The ‘Border Communities Against Brexit’(BCAB) has been very effective in raising awareness around the threat to the Good Friday Agreement, to the economy of the island of Ireland and especially to the border communities, posed by Brexit. Saturday’s event at Carrickcarnon had activists dressed in customs officer’s clothes and a recreation of the old customs huts that used to sit along the border corridor. But beyond the theatrics the message was clear and vitally important.An Irish National Health ServiceThis time in our history is for as much all-island cooperation and coordination as practicable to make best use of available limited resources. In the longer term we need an Irish National Health Service that is free at the point of access and is sufficiently funded to meet the health needs of citizens. This isn’t pie in the sky. This is a realizable, achievable objective. It just needs political will.

Rewriting History"The first casualty when war comes is the truth” said US Senator Hiram Johnson in 1917. We know only too well from our own recent experience of reporting on the decades of conflict how true this is. However, it misses the equally important other side of the coin – the victor writes the history."Ratcheting up the Brexit crisis For now the DUP and Johnson still appear determined to create a real crisis with the EU. London has set a December deadline for a deal with the EU on British terms. Will they won’t they trigger Article 16 as part of this process? We should know soon. Day of ActionWell done to everyone who participated in last Saturday’s Day of Action in Belfast and Dublin which promoted the theme – Unity in Our Time.

The Sunday World apologisesMy case had to do with an article in the Sunday World in September 2015.. For me this was always about asserting my own integrity and I think the case succeeded in that. It is my intention to donate the proceeds of the settlement to good causes. These will include the Irish language sector, Green Cross, The Bobby Sands Trust, The Moore Street Preservation Trust, the homeless and other projects that I have a grá for. Eradicating PovertyIn my view we will not eradicate poverty in Ireland while we are governed by Tories in Dublin and London. Of course we need to keep trying to alleviate hardship and we need to support measures to give people economic rights even though our country is partitioned. But when we end partition and have our own national democracy and the opportunity for a real republic then the struggle enters another phase.Lá breithe TG4.I don’t watch television that often but when I do TG4 is usually my first choice. It has everything. Its an Irish language channel. THE Irish langgusge channel. Great music. Sport. It’s GAA coverage is first class. News. History. Culture. Documentaries, drama, programmes for children and much more. Its series of films telling the stories of the 1916 leaders are among the best ever produced.

Criostóir de Baróid Criostóir de Baróid died two weeks ago, surrounded by his family in Marymount Hospice in Cork where his wife Máire had died in February. About 20 people from Ballymurphy travelled to Cork by car and train to participate in Criostóir’s funeral. They were there to pay their respects to a man, who in the 1970’s along with his son Ciaran became a part of the extended Ballymurphy family.Theresa McArdleThe suddenness of Theresa McArdle’s death last week was a shock to all of us who knew and loved her. After we heard the news of her death I tweeted: “Sweet, kind, pleasant, staunch Treasa. I went 2 the office 2day becos she texted me 2 remind me to sign Cónall’s card. She left it below her notebook. I signed my name beside her’s in wonderment and sorrow that she had died since then. Grma T. U made the difference xo”Time for Change – Time for Unity:A united Ireland and change were the two big themes of the Ard Fheis and Mary Lou didn’t mince her words. She said it loud and clear: “I want to lead as Taoiseach if you give us that chance … we can unite our country. To make this happen we need a government that shows-up for you. A government for the people and a Taoiseach that puts you and your family first - now and always. So, to those who told me – again and again – to make sure we run enough candidates at the next Dáil election. I hear you loud and clear because – friends – the time for change is now.”

ALICE Toner lived in Ballymurphy Drive, not far from our house in Divismore Park. I was deeply saddened by her death. I knew Alice and her husband Fra all of my adult life. Like my own family, they moved into Ballymurphy shortly after it was built. She and Fra were long-standing republicans. Alice was born Alice Scullion in 1929. She was from Varna Street in the Falls area. Varna Street is now gone – a victim of redevelopment, but it was situated around where Osman Street is now. Alice was born just eight years after partition was imposed. Her family suffered under the apartheid system imposed by the unionist regime at Stormont. Unemployment and poverty were widespread along with the denial of the vote in local elections and the gerrymandering of electoral boundaries. It was almost impossible to get a house if you were a Catholic. LAST Thursday Ardmhéara Bhaile Átha Cliath, Alison Gilliland, unveiled a Dublin City Council plaque in memory of the visit to that city in 1845 of the African-American anti-slavery leader Frederick Douglass. The plaque is on the Irish Film Institute (IFI) building in Eustace Street, Temple Bar, which was formerly the meeting house of the Society of Friends.

Christy returns to Belfast to salute H-Block heroes:THE first time Christy Moore sang ‘Ninety Miles from Dublin’ in West Belfast – his song about the obscenity of the H-Blocks – was in the old Ballymurphy Tenants Association building on the Whiterock Road in the summer of 1980. Tom Cahill had asked Christy to come to the city and play a set. Still not sure of the words, Christy had a piece of paper on which the words were written taped to the microphone.WHO WILL SPEAK UP FOR LEFT-BEHIND LOYALISTS?• IN the 2011 census figures and then in the statistics drawn from the 2017 Multiple Deprivation Measure (MDM) areas of Belfast are identified as either Protestant or Catholic depending on the relative size of the respective population in each. As much as this column dislikes identifying people by religious labels, that’s the way it is done in these projects. There are 174 so-called Super Output Areas (SOAs) in the city each with a population on average of just under 2,000 people.

Michael Davitt GACIn October 2006 and again in August 2021 I was asked to give a talk on Michael Davitt to the members of Davitts GAC on the Falls Road as part of the Davitts Culture, Sport and History Weekend. I enjoyed the craic. My thanks to Chairperson Tommy Shaw, Terry Park and others for a good evening. The Future of Moore StreetLast Thursday the relatives of the Signatories of the 1916 Proclamation of the Republic and the Moore Street Preservation Trust launched their detailed plan for the protection of the 1916 Moore Street Battlefield site and for its development as a historic cultural quarter. They were joined at the launched by many of those, including … and Mary Lou McDonald TD and others who have campaigned against the developer led proposal for the area that has been produced by British company Hammerson.Tony McMahonThe great Tony McMahon has died. A musician and broadcaster Tony was one of the giants of traditional music. His music on the button accordion was passionate, deeply Irish, poignant, uplifting and spiritual.

Jeffrey at the CrossroadsIs the Union the only reason why some working class unionist voters persist in voting for parties like the DUP when that party clearly doesn’t represent them on social and economic issues? In fact the DUP often acts against the class interests of working class Protestants, Unionists and Loyalists especially those from deprived communities, suffering from the effects of Tory policies. The failure, thus far, of parties like the PUP and other smaller parties to organize and to win more significant electoral support compounds this anomaly. So does Sectarianism.A game of chickenWill they, won’t they, trigger Article 16? For those of you who don’t know what Article 16 is? It is a part of the Protocol agreed between the EU and the British government that in the event of “serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties that are liable to persist, or to diversion of trade” would allow either side to effectively tear up parts of the deal. Seán Ó RiadaSeán Ó Riada was a genius. This column is certain of that. He brought Irish traditional music out off the back kitchens, travellers’ trailers and pub snugs and brought it centre stage and into the concert halls and theatres of Ireland and the world. Sean died on October 3, 1971, in hospital in London, England aged 40. So the 50th anniversary of his death is this year.

Biden tells Johnson a few home truthsWhile sitting beside Johnson at a press conference in the White House President Biden told the media that neither he, “nor I might add would many of my Republican colleagues like to see a change in the Irish accords, the end result having a closed border in Ireland.” Many other US leaders were equally resolute in their rejection of any suggestion that there could be a US – British trade deal if the Good Friday Agreement was threatened.Remembering Big Bob in the PD:LAST Thursday a portrait of Bobby Storey, by Tony Bell (right), was unveiled in the Andersonstown Social Club. It is a place that he had a long association with. The following night – within Covid regulations – family, friends and comrades again gathered in the PD club to reflect on Big Bobby’s life and times, and his contribution to the struggle for freedom.40 years on: 40 YEARS ago, on October 3, 1981 the hunger strike ended. It was the culmination of almost a full year of hunger strikes, first in Long Kesh in October 1980, then in Armagh Women’s Prison in November 1980, and finally in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh beginning on March 1, 1981.

NEXT week will mark 40 years from the end of the 1981 hunger strike. Much has been written this year and many events have taken place to remember those who died. For me Ten Men Dead by David Beresford and Nor Meekly Serve My Time, compiled by Brian Campbell, remain two of the outstanding books of that period. Jim McCann’s 6000 Days is a very welcome and amazing recent addition to these publications. A must read book. So too with another new book – The Comrades – just published by An Fhuiseog as part of the work of the ‘81/21 Committee’. This collection of reflections provides a rare insight into the 12 republican prisoners who died on hunger strike during the most recent phase of the long struggle for Irish freedom. Pádraic Wilson was the dynamo behind its publication and Danny Morrison edited it. 1981 was a watershed year in our history: the heroic resistance of the women in Armagh Gaol and the men on the blanket in the H-Blocks; and the support of families and communities across this island and internationally who rallied in support of the hunger strikers.

ACCORDING to media reports there was great elation among Palestinians when the news broke that six political prisoners had succeeded in tunnelling their way to freedom from the high security Gilboa prison in northern Israel. The six were Zakaria Zubeidi; brothers Muhammad and Mahmoud al-Arida; Eham Kamamji,;Yacoub Kadiri; and Munadil Nafayat. Photographs after the escape show a hole in the floor of their communal shower cubicle and an exit hole outside the wall of the prison in full view of an observation tower. Palestinian people demonstrated in solidarity with the escapees and with Palestinian prisoners. Currently, there are approximately 4,750 Palestinians being held in dozens of prison facilities across Israel. These include 42 females, 200 children, and 550 administrative detainees (internees).

Are you listening Jeffrey?Unionism, especially its DUP component, has been talking up unionist and loyalist resistance to the Irish Protocol since before Boris Johnson dirty-joed them, broke his commitments to them, negotiated and then signed up to the Protocol.There is some evidence of this in the loyalist street disturbances earlier this year and the sacking of Arlene Foster and of Edwin Poots. The dramatic decline in the polling fortunes of the DUP, as it flounders about trying to assert its former role as the undisputed leader of unionism, is also linked to its stance on Brexit and its transparent efforts to blame everyone else for a debacle they helped create.Reclaiming the EnlightenmentThe best kind of history is that which successfully brings the stories of our past to life. Recently I had the good fortune to buy three little books that do exactly that from An Fhuiseog on the Falls Road, beside Sevastopol Street. The three are Mary Ann McCracken 1770-1866 – Feminist, Revolutionary and Reformer; The United Irishmen and the Men of no Property, The Sans Culottes of Belfast; and Cave Hill and the United Irishmen.Together they give a wonderful insight into the lives and working experience of those in the Belfast region who helped shape the United Irish Society of the late 18th century. They are all written by John Gray who is the former Librarian of Belfast’s Linen Hall Library. John Gray has written and lectured on “many aspects of Ulster’s Labour and radical history.” The pamphlets are written under the auspices of ‘Reclaim the Enlightenment’ which “is committed to recalling and celebrating that progressive era in Belfast’s past. We are convinced that doing so can lend inspiration in the present.”

FOR years I used to gather up acorns and chestnuts and hazelnuts and little sycamore seeds and all manner of other seeds. My growing methods are fairly basic. I collected as many as I could and then planted them out in pots or growbags and let nature do the rest. I worked on the general assumption that if I planted a lot there was a greater chance that I would harvest a lot. I’m not talking of hundreds of seeds, by the way. Pocketfuls picked up on walks. The Falls Park has plenty of oak and chestnut trees. There are native trees also in the Waterworks, Colin Glen and Woodvale. Acres of broadleafs. And in all of our forests. The British Prime Minister’s country residence at Chequers has great rowan trees. I got heaps of towan berries there. They are always a wee bit trickier – like the tenant in Chequers. The seeds are contained in the little red berries but well worth the trouble. Unlike the tenant in Chequers.Campfire tales of a great manLAST week I was part of an online panel discussion on the life and times of escaped slave Frederick Douglass, his time in Ireland in the 1840s and the relevance of his message of hope and equality in today’s world. The conversation was part of an ambitious and successful one day conference organised by the Irish Echo in New York. The event – The Big Irish Campfire (the title alone attracted me) – showcases Irish American organisations across the USA. All of the discussions were short – 30 minutes – so there was no time to bore those contributing or watching. The Echo staff – comhgairdheas to all involved – ran a tight ship.

Nicknames. When I was at primary school my nickname was Addies. It didn’t last beyond Saint Finian’s for some reason. My brothers, or at least some of them, had the same moniker. I don’t know about the girls but years later I discovered our Gearóid’s old school books had Addies scribbled on them. Different generation. Same nickname.In prison nicknames were common. Cleaky, Floorboards. Honkytonks, The Dosser, Jack the Giant, Rigor Mortis, Shoulders, Ted the Red, Dickiemints and so on. The origin of some of these nicknames is amusing. For example Floorboard’s surname was Rafter. He was a great friend of mine. Rigor Mortis spent a lot of time stretched out on his bunk. He also was a good friend. I wonder where Swinger or Jock McBride or Goose or Cheeser’s nicknames came from.Some Achievement!I normally try to keep my private life private. But let me make this small exception. Colette and I were married fifty years ago this week. Fifty years!Ballymurphy PoemsEilish Rooney very kindly sent us her Ballymurphy Poems. Eilish is one of the stalwarts of our community and educational sectors. An active citizen in every sense and a wonderful poet. This collection is dedicated to the families of the Ballymurphy Massacre and to another community stalwart Ciaran Cahill. It is all about the massacre. It is also self-financed by Eilish and all donations will go towards the Ballymurphy Massacre Memorial Garden.Part One takes the reader into the heart of the Ballymurphy Inquest as well as events in the Murph on 9-11 August 1971. Part Two consists of eleven poems. One for each of the victims.A scathing indictment of ImperialismSummer is a time for catching up on reading some of the books which have been patiently waiting to be opened. ‘Inglorious Empire’ by Shashi Tharoor is one such. It is particularly relevant as the current crisis in Afghanistan unfolds amid the chaotic and shambolic disengagement of the British and the USA from a country they should never have invaded.It is a story of Empire and colonialism and of its legacy as told through the experience of India. It is a scathing indictment of British rule in that region – an India which up to 1947 included Bangladesh and Pakistan. That year Britain, as in Ireland just three decades earlier, imposed an arbitrary partition of the sub-continent. Between one and two million died in the conflict that followed and many millions more were uprooted from their homes.

An Féile AbúWell done Féile an Phobail and to all of the staff who plan and prepare Féile. Many thanks to all those volunteers who work around the clock every August to make it all come together. Black Mountain Thanks also to Féile for hosting the launch of my latest book Black Mountain And Other Stories. Harry Connolly- Féile Chair- was very kind and Timothy O Grady travelled from Poland to be with us. He too was very kind. He also did the Foreword to Black Mountain. Thanks to them all, and to The Felons who hosted the event.AfghanistanAlmost exactly 20 years ago the USA and Britain invaded Afghanistan. On Monday the Taliban returned to Kabul amid scenes of the chaos as thousands tried to flee. The British pulled their Army out of Afghanistan in 2014 after losing 457 soldiers and spending some £37 billion there. This week, like the fall of Saigon in another era, they are pulling out their citizens and Embassy staff.The future for the people of Afghanistan is less certain. But a look at the Iraqi situation gives a sense of the stupidity of these adventures.The expulsion of Ken LoachTwo weeks ago my column focussed on the British Labour Party, and the approach of its current leader Keir Starmer toward Ireland. The internal decision making processes of that party and the leadership style of Mr. Starmer are obviously a matter for it and for him. My concern is for its Irish policy and in particular the Labour leader’s stated willingness to stand on the side of Unionists in any debate on Irish Unity. His stance is in direct contradiction to the principles of the Good Friday Agreement which state that it is for the people the island of Ireland alone to determine our own future.Regrettably, the news that Ken Loach, film producer, director and writer has been expelled from the Labour Party has reinforced my concerns.Ken Loach has long been a friend of Ireland. The 85-year-old is widely respected, with an impressive international reputation as a film maker. His style of filming making is described as “socially critical” and he makes no secret of his belief in socialism.

Imagine lying in your bed as the sun begins to rise above the horizon. You are awakened by loud banging on your front door. The sound of breaking glass and the splitting of wood as the door finally surrenders to the sledge hammer. Sitting up half asleep as the noise of booted feet come charging up your stairs and your bedroom door is kicked in. The screams of your children, or wife or partner or your parents as uniformed soldiers in blackened faces grab and drag you from your bed, demand your name, and haul you out of the bedroom. Baton blows rain down on you.