Celebrate the Centenary by rebuilding the Unity of ‘Irishmen and Irishwomen’ in the great cause for which our Patriots struggled!

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Our Patriots wre self-less; they never counted the cost; they sought no fame; there was no greed; they were content to ‘scatter the seed’. Our Patriots were brave; they were bold; they were honourable men and women who stood for the freedom of Ireland.

The Patriots of Ireland are our own, they are of the people, of that great and noble class ‘the men of no property’, they are of ‘the blood of serfs’ – of a people living ‘under the lash of masters’.

For generations we have produced such children, with a knowledge of our own greatness, to raise us from our knees, to assert our right.

The dead generations of Patriots did not lay down their lives for membership of a private club or any Political Party, they stood for Ireland and the people. Our ongoing struggle can have only one legitimate aim, the freedom and liberty of the people.

Such freedom cannot be limited by anyone, regardless of who they are or what organisations they associate with.

This was the broad democratic demand raised by the United Irishmen in their call for a National Parliament representative of all the people of Ireland, not just the aristocracy, not the private clubs or vested interests of their day.

Tone’s aim was the freedom of Ireland, he was against division:

“To unite the whole people of Ireland, to abolish the memory of all past dissentions, and to substitute the common name of Irishman, in the place of the denominations of Protestant, Catholic, and Dissenter – these were my means.”

Following the brutal suppression of the ‘98 Rebellion sectarian division was officially incited against the people. The principles of nationality and liberty were set aside by O’Connell and his followers.

While people starved in the fields they were called on to work for ‘Catholic Emancipation’ and later for ‘Repeal of the Union’, neither of which would feed them.

The unity established was broken, our foes were united and we were divided!

The consequence of this loss brought us into multiple famines and another century of oppression – it guaranteed the rule of that minority whose existence depends on foreign sell-out.

The age old problem we have faced is DIVIDE AND RULE, without unity we are easily defeated. If we are to learn from history we must pay attention to this danger, it is created by those who sell us out.

In the lead-up to 1916 Pearse lamented the generation of their time, in particular the ‘leaders’:

“The men who have led Ireland for twenty-five years have done evil, and they are bankrupt. They are bankrupt in policy, bankrupt in credit, bankrupt now even in words. They have nothing to propose to Ireland, no way of wisdom, no counsel of courage. When they speak they speak only untruth and blasphemy. Their utterances are no longer the utterances of men. They are the mumblings and the gibberings of lost souls.”

The very same could be said of the ‘powers-that-be’ today — but are they seriously challenged?

1916 saw the re-emergence of a patriotic movement which did unite the people. When Connolly and Pearse stood together they represented a people whose interests were bound together – for the achievement of the freedom of Ireland.

“The cause of labour is the cause of Ireland, the cause of Ireland is the cause of labour.”

These words and this demand remain true today – but we are sadly divided – and therefore kept down.

As we celebrate the memory of Patriots our many organisations don’t even march side by side, they form private clubs (Political Parties), they beat separate drums, and establish separate interests to compete with each other.

For the Parties it has become all about whatever is required to get into power – there is no thought for the empowerment of the people.

Political debates have become about pre-deciding issues of policy, over the heads of the people, democratic principles are quietly set aside. We are told to accept ‘the reality’, but this reality is nothing else other than our own enslavement.

When politics is discussed we generally find panels of ‘experts’, from academia, media, business, banking and a mix of politicians – they all see themselves as essential to resolving whatever is at stake. In reality, the ‘expert’ panels have got it wrong repeatedly, they are not so expert as they think – but… their role is to confuse and create the illusion of debate – they do that.

We are paying the price of this division, emigration has stolen another generation of our youth – sent to the four corners of the world as mere casual labour – denied a future in their own homeland.

No country on earth has a history of emigration like ours. But we have a rich country, this is true now and was even during the Great Famine, but we are sold-out.

There is no shortage of patriotic Irish people, they exist in many organisations, each with its own traditions, and they exist outside of any Political Party.

We will celebrate the Centenary of 1916 during the coming period, but how will we do it?

Do we allow officialdom, which has betrayed completely the principles of the PROCLAMATION, to ingratiate themselves, as if they were patriotic?

Will there be a People’s Celebration?

TODAY WE MUST ANSWER:

Is Ireland our cause or are the interests of some Political Party more important?

Will we make deliberate efforts to create the unity demanded by history? demanded by the people?

Must we unite with those who wish to sell our country? NO!

Will we honour our Patriots by raising the same demand as they did?

A PROPOSAL:

The basis for unity among the people today is agreement on the demand for our own Empowerment.

We are all equal stakeholders in the future of our country, regardless of social class, creed, gender, ideology, policy preferences or Party affiliation (if any).

Yes, we all have differences as to policy – but that should be our advantage, not a cause to divide us.

If we create unity based on the demand for the unrestricted empowerment of the people then we will advance the cause of Ireland.

Empowerment of the people does not and can never mean the empowerment of any private club or Party.

Are we brave enough to leave Party and self-interest in second place?

Do we have faith in the Irish people to act in our own best interests – or do we believe that the people need to be ruled over?

INDIVIDUALS MUST DECIDE:

Each of us has responsibility to step forward, to end the limited efforts of a divided people’s movement. If good people stand together then we will progress.

Let’s have the discussion, the future of our country is the prize, the next generations and history itself will thank us.

Bí id’ teagmháil, Éirn go Breá!