Longford -- Each generation has resisted British rule
April 20, 2003 Oration by Josephine Hayden, Ard Comhairle Sinn Féin Poblachtach at Ballymacormack Cemetery, Longford, Easter Sunday 2003.
Since the Rebellion in 1916, Easter has become a focus all over the country for people to reiterate their commitment to the Irish Republic and pay their respects to those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish freedom. Many people have taken part in that war of liberation to free their country from foreign oppression and declare her a nation including Captain Henry Hughes and Patrick McKeon who are buried here in this graveyard. We salute their courage and dedication. Just as in every decade, men and women today are involved in the continued struggle -- the freedom and independence of our country is not yet won in spite of those who would have us believe that the Ireland that Henry Hughes and Patrick McKeon died for has been realised. The old British tactic of divide and conquer has once again been used to good effect, it has been bought into by those who should know better. And I mean bought into in the broadest sense [^] they have been bought. But we remember Padraig Pearse's words on the 'purchasing' of the people -- the Brits have still only purchased one half, the other half continues the fight. The twelve men whose names are on the Longford Roll of Honour were honourable men who believed in the complete separation of Ireland from England - as did Thomas Ashe when he was arrested for a speech he made in Ballinalee. In the 32 Counties of Ireland today men and women are being shown the respect they deserve. Such men as Henry Hughes, who died on June 13, 1921 from injuries he received while training for active service and Patrick McKeon who suffered such ill-treatment in Ballykinlar Camp it resulted in his premature death on February 23, 1922. Not for them or their comrades the acceptance of the British imposed border and British rule in Ireland. And we know that today our former comrades, the Provos, will stand at the graves and monuments of our patriot dead and pay them lip service. It would be more fitting for them to stay at home with the pay packets they received from the Brits and the US Governments rather than dishonour Irish freedom Fighters, for they have sold out Ireland to the two warmongers of the world. When the Provisionals signed the Stormont Agreement -- the basis for which was Thatcher's Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985 -- they relinquished the right to consider themselves the Republican Movement and call themselves Sinn Féin. Sinn Féin as an organisation would never collaborate with the British in the occupation of the country. But the Provos are willing collaborators in upholding and indeed going so far as to administer British rule in Ireland. They have destroyed weapons and materials procured for the freedom of Ireland, they have discredited people and they have attempted to impose their will on those who hold opposing views. They have made secret deals with the British, US and Free State Administrations, the extent of which may never be known. They, like others before them, have placed obstacles in the way of those who are attempting to win separation from England and their next logical step is to don the peelers uniform and come the heavy on their former comrades. [That would be nothing new in Ireland. We have seen plenty poachers turned gamekeepers [^] especially in the Free State]. No matter what change in uniform, badges, names takes place, no matter what gloss is put on it to give it respectability, the RUC/PNSI will forever remain a sectarian bigoted force as part of British misrule in Ireland. But the Republican message has a long history and has been passed on from generation to generation. And in spite of any and all obstacles placed in the way the fight will go on and be fought by Republicans as it has always been fought and for as long as it takes. While each generation has resisted British rule, each generation too has unfortunately produced its share of traitors and collaborators. The true and faithful can expect repression from all quarters, that never deterred Republicans in the past and we will not let that deter us now. Republicans are being held without bail in Maghaberry on charges with no basis -- the three men have refused to accept the Stormont deal so they must pay for their insubordination. A few months ago a twelve year sentence was imposed on a Republican on such flimsy evidence as would not be accepted any place else in the world. The Free State too is leaning heavily on those who do not accept the Stormont Agreement and the status quo. Men are serving savage sentences, one man 10 years and another 14 years, in Portlaoise prison, imposed by the special non-jury court in Dublin, on the perjury of special branch detectives. Seven members of Republican Sinn Féin are awaiting the outcome of a trial that began on January 13 and ended last week with a reserved judgement. The Special Branch are sitting outside the office of SFP in Parnell Street every day and they monitor all customers and meetings. They have stopped and harassed people -- often on their way to work at 7 in the morning -- and offered them bribes to tout for them and when that does not work they try to intimidate them. Young people especially are being stopped and searched under the Drugs act and told to 'move on' under the public order act (a case pending in Limerick). We know that all of this harassment is designed to intimidate. But we send a message today to Blair and Aherne 'Republicans will not be intimidated. You can introduce as many draconian laws as you like, threaten people as much as you like, Republicans will never be deflected from their path'. North and south of the British imposed border touts and informers continue to be used to gather information on Republicans while those touts are granted immunity for their criminal, and often murderous, activity. We need only refer to the latest report on the inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane to see the far reaching effects of such immunity. Even the Brits are afraid to publish the whole truth behind that murder. They cannot bring themselves to admit the extent of the collusion between the security forces and the murderous loyalist death squads or the cover-ups that protected their agents. Pat Finucane[base ']s son, Michael, has stated that the latest investigation into his fathers murder was worthless because 'the intelligence system worked exactly as it was designed to'. He is so right. In an article in The Times on April 18, Ed Moloney said 'Without doubt Stevens assertions constitute one of the darkest chapters in British security force operations during the troubles, a chapter many will be tempted to compare with the behaviour of the death squads of Argentina and Chile'. I believe that never will the full extent of such collusion be made public. However some of the collusion between British Military Intelligence (at all levels) the RUC (individual members and the Special Branch) and the loyalist death squads has been documented. The Republican Movement has always highlighted overt and covert collusion pointing out that only the British Security forces, [especially the RUC], could have given personal details and photographs to the loyalist death squads. These were no rogue members of the security forces as is suggested by the British, the British Government knew exactly what was going on and sanctioned it. The security forces at the highest level were the only ones who could have withdrawn the RUC/Army from an area to allow the death squads to make good their escape having murdered their selected 'target' -- the target having been pinpointed by British military intelligence and details passed to loyalist informers/killers.Brian Nelson, known as agent Ten-Thirty Three, was one such informer/killer who was run by one branch of British Military Intelligence, the Force Research Unit. According to Nicholas Davies, Nelson's 'databases were rivalled only by those held by British Intelligence and the RUC Special Branch. And all had been provided courtesy of Military Intelligence'. But Nelson was also a committed UDA man, a member of the loyalist death squads. He, along with his bosses in the UDA and with the approval of his military handlers, planned and carried out a campaign of murder that will never be fully uncovered - Pat Finucane was but one of their victims. The latest victims of the British/US killing machine are the thousands of Iraqi men, women and children who in the last few weeks have been slaughtered indiscriminately. This was no war of liberation but a war of occupation. It was interesting to see that when the statue of Saddam was toppled it was the American Flag the US Marines draped over the plinth -- the flag of the conqueror. They have left the country in ruins, its people without water, food or electricity, its hospitals (whats left of them) without medicine and its 9,000 year old national artefacts are no doubt safe in some US State -- the Iraqi museum in Baghdad was well plundered before the looters were encouraged to go on the rampage. [After the 1990 Gulf War some of the most valuable artefacts stolen from the museum in Baghdad turned up in London.] And the Free State is complicit in such destruction of a people and their state. By allowing US military to stop-over at Shannon, the Free State is supporting the US Military. By arresting, charging and imprisoning protestors they are supporting the invasion. They have joined forces with the warmongers. Those same warmongers who have lectured the Irish people on how to live and conduct themselves and even how to 'vote properly'. The last EU election in the Free State has a strong resemblance to Bush[base ']s election -- keep at it until you get the result you want. The 'coalition of the willing' are a 'mutual admiration society' arresting, imprisoning, wounding and killing in the name of peace. But real peace only comes with justice. Peace only comes when all nations and states have respect for each other and traditions are respected. No state has the right to occupy another, murder its citizens and carry out act of terrorism against its people because all peoples have a right to live in freedom and peace. Ireland as a nation is entitled to her freedom, regardless of the wishes of the majority or minority. All of us here have a duty to our country. We have a duty to free our country from foreign occupation, oppression and intimidation. We have a duty to rid our country of the native traitors who collaborate with that foreign occupier. Republican Sinn Féin believes that the way forward for peace with justice in Ireland is through the ÉIRE NUA programme. The four province federal state will give the people a greater say in the running of their country, it will bring real power to the people. A document entitled An Address to the Irish People has been published recently by SFP in response to a resolution from An Ard Chomhairle at the 2002 Ard-Fheis [^] it addresses in particular the people of the occupied areas. SAOIRSE is an important part of the Republican Movement and by promoting all three the people will read the truth for themselves and nail the lie there is no alternative to the Stormont agreement. Let us leave here today with that in mind and work towards that end.
7:58:44 AM 
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