Issue 140, Saoirse: Irish Freedom (December, 1998)

              uimh 140 nollaig — december sean sab hat commemoration limerick sunday january 3 assemble 12.45pm bedford row ii999 rcepubcicfln tlbe cegacy of 1798 • bobby sands full colour calendar 2 3 by post contact 223 parnell street dublin i for bulk orders dait conn glasne new years day 1999 12.45pm f 6 conaill emoration organised by his comrades in republican sinn f&n t^we believe in the establishment of a national \ parliament representative of the i people of ireland in an ireland ^ where social justice is a reality and ^ not apolitical catch-cry in an i ireland where our language and culture enhance our life and are not objects of scorn and derision in an ireland where past dissensions are a forgotten memory and jrish people irrespective of creed live in peace and \ prosperity j j \ — daithf 6 conaill i bodenstownoration,1970 republican sinn fein 223 parnell street dublin i the legacy of 1798 lecture by ruairf 6 bradaigh wednesday december 9 8pm trinity lounge upstairs pearse street dublin on the corner of shaw street and pearse street anoth provos a classic p nf counter revolution crisis follows crisis in the current process over the partitionist stormont agreement just as there was in the talks leading up to its signing however there is one consistent aspect throughout the provisional are being drawn deeper and deeper into the new british scheme of things the price that they will be required to pay is to protect the updated form of british rule against those who would continue the struggle this is nothing new in irish history since the failed settlement of 1921-22 cumann na ngaedheal/fine gael in the 1920s fianna fail in the 1930s and 1940s and now a combination of british forces free staters and provos attempt to secure the new british arrangements in ireland the arrests of ard chomhairle members and delegates of republican sinn fein at the end of the 94th ard fheis in drogheda on november 8 was an attempt to silence or drive underground those giving leadership to nationally-minded people throughout the 32 counties in opposition to the stormont agreement this intimidation is equally nothing new and will only strengthen and renew republicans conviction and resolve to move forward as terence macswiney said it is not those who can inflict the most but those who can endure the most who will ultimately triumph it is transparently obvious that the current process is aimed at getting the british off the hook internationally where they faced the damning charge of continuing to operate colonialism and imperialism in ireland the supporters of the stormont agreement seek to define the problem as a nationalist vs unionist conflict in one corner of ireland ie defining it in terms that suit britain these new structures are devised to get those who opposed british rule on the streets and in the countryside into the puppet stormont parliament building and by doing so defusing the entire struggle none of this would have been possible without the full collaboration of the provos as in 1922 in the 26 counties this is a classic case of counter revolution the whole thrust of the ongoing and most heroic irish struggle yet which lasted for over a quarter of a century • loyalists continue to besiege the residents of the garvaghy road — britain s responsibility for the situation in the six counties is ignored by bertie ahern and the supporters of the stormont agreement has been halted in its tracks its an irish nation and its right to leaders turned and driven back against their former comrades the hard reality must be faced that the british could not have done this without the provisionals at the same time bertie ahern floats an unofficial addition to the stormont agreement going back into the commonwealth which the 26 counties left 50 years ago and which is composed of former british colonies fianna fail — the commonwealth party would appear to want to hearken back to the days of travelling under a passport as a subject of the britannic majesty both indicate a crippling lack of belief in the existence of self-determine its future without outside interference the latest stormont crisis involves the surrender of arms and north-south bodies trimble has stated on december 2 that no significant function would pass to any cross-border bodies the idb controlling inward investment to the six counties will still be under stormont control once again the unionists get their way and the north/south bodies far from being the engine to lead to all-ireland executive powers as dublin and the provos would have people believe will be given no wings to fly oiri go leir