Issue 0002, Republican Bulletin : Iris Na Poblachta (December, 1986)

              uimh 2 nollaig-december 1986 20p his only interest in the north a significant statement by dr garret fitzgerald made in an interview with the belfast telegraph on october 30 last has been let pass with scarcely a comment we quote we have no desire to be involved in the process of northern ireland any more than is necessary to tackle the problem of the ira and eliminate it that is our only interest in the matter this is surely as emphatic and remarkable a statement as has been made by any 26 county politician since the country was partitioned in 1922 as an abdication of national duty it would be hard to surpass what dr fitzgerald's statement means is that the british and their unionist friends can have the six counties the republican resistance is a difficulty which has to be eliminated it is according to him the problem and his only interest is in stopping it he would prefer some sort of devolved administration in the north with sdlp participation and then our role will be diminished as much and as rapidly as possible let no irish nationalist north or south of the border be under any illusions as to where dr fitzgerald and the fine gael party now stand before they moved head office from hume street dublin their door plate named them as fine gael — united ireland the sub-title has since gone how far behind we might ask is fianna fail — the republican party so despite the new ireland forum and all the promises dr fitzgerald has at least admitted where he and his party stand would the legend fine gael — the unionist party not be more appropriate now for their head office in mount street to expect equal rights and opportunities for all in the six-county statelet is to be dishonest or naive the northern state is an artificial entity based on a denial of democracy its very existence is an affront to democracy and irish national rights this is the reality that the leinster house politicians have always refused to face there can be no delay and no complacency in this matter and the problem will not go away the cost of helping to maintain the border amounts to a financial haemorrhage which makes us all poorer just in case we might be thought to have quoted dr fitzgerald out of context we give a fuller quotation here we have no desire to be involved in the process of northern ireland any more than is necessary to tackle the problem of the ira and eliminate it that is our only interest in the matter and i would be very happy indeed if the parties could sit down and talk through together any process they want amongst themselves under british chairmanship and any other way they like and arrive at agreement on devolution that would enable us to withdraw from all the devolved areas and leave it to the people of northern ireland to sort out their own affairs this interview was followed by another given on television by mr peter barry the 26-county minister for foreign affairs on november 13 mr barry praised the ruc and encouraged young nationalists to join it i would be happy to see young men who wanted a career in the security forces joining it he repeated this in leinster house on november 27 saying he believed the force would provide a suitable career for many young men and indeed it would be the honourable thing for them to join it did the man never hear of john stalker extradition bill a new extradition bill has now been proposed by mr barry it represents a far-reaching measure of collaboration with the british apparently the justice meted out to the birmingham six the guildford four and the maguire family means little to the fine gael/labour coalition pleasing mrs thatcher means more republican sinn fein poblachtach progress reported a general meeting was held in dublin on november 30 to assess the progress made in the sinn fein re-organisation begun on november 2 representatives from all over ireland heard some encouraging reports there are now 60 registered cumainn and seven comhairli ceantair two full-time organisers have been appointed and have already started work substantial sales of the november bulletin were reported from all areas ulster sligo north leitrim and louth combined accounted for total sales of 3,500 copies other encouraging reports received by the meeting included * sligo rsf has opened the town's first sinn fein advice centre and published a local newsletter * the cork republican comrades cumann na mban and volunteers pipe band have all declared support for rsf * in armagh the officer board of bearna uladh has given full support to rsf * there is substantial support in kerry with 1,400 copies of the bulletin sold and the bajlyseedy commemoration committee pledging full support to rsf * in roscommon there are six cumainn and a comhairle ceantair and the county commemoration committee has declared support for rsf * in clare the bulletin was sold in nine centres * a coiste gaeilge is being organised * there will be a special meeting in monaghan on sunday december 7 to co-ordinate arrangements for re organisation in ulster dublin will hold a similar meeting on december 9