RSF South commemoration oration by Richard Walshe
In the interest of balance, and because people wanted to read what was said at the RSF commemoration on Sunday, the oration by Derry RSM’s Richard Walshe is below the fold.
I have however removed two paragraphs as they accuse individuals by name, or actions which, without independent citation, I am unwilling to publish. The removed paragraphs have been indicated in the below text.
A chairde,
The example of Seán Sabhat has inspired many since his untimely death to achieve a free and united Ireland. Indeed, his funeral was the biggest ever seen in this city. Some 50,000 people lined the streets of Limerick to pay their respects to this fine and honourable Irish soldier.
Having been a member of the FCA, he informed the IRA recruiting officer that he had concluded that the freedom of Ireland could never be achieved by Free State Forces. Having been accepted into Óglaigh na hÉireann, he later became Training Officer for Limerick, by all accounts having exceptional ability in this field. He was also an Irish language enthusiast, and regularly addressed people as Gaeilge.
Seán was proud of his country and his heritage, and did all that he could to finally rid Ireland of the cancerous British presence. He recognised the right of the Irish people to use any level of controlled and disciplined force to drive the British out of Ireland. We in Republican Sinn Féin also recognise that immutable right.
The Provos inevitably took the final step towards endorsing the RUC nearly a year ago, claiming that it was necessary to eradicate crime. It must be asked, however, what greater crime exists than Treason? The supporters of those who murdered Seán Sabhat have no right to assemble here, or to associate his name with their sordid message. Seeking collaboration with Ireland’s enemies can only create more martyrs. Regardless of whether certain Provos were informers or agents in the past, they are all British agents now.
Seán Sabhat did not approach Brookeborough Barracks with information on his comrades, nor did he approach with an application form: instead he bravely approached the Barracks armed only with the weapons of war. His only engagement with the Brits was through military engagement to expel them from Ireland.
We have seen already some of the inevitable effects of the Provisionals’ total collaboration with the enemy:
Members of Republican Sinn Féin and others opposed to the current sell-out have endured a catalogue of harassment at the hands of the British Colonial Police over the past year. There have been numerous raids on Republican homes in North Armagh, with SDLP and Provo mouthpieces Dolores Kelly and John O’Dowd condemning those arrested despite the fact that the majority were subsequently released without charge. Residents were also assaulted and mistreated – including a pregnant women.
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StÃofan Ó Dálaigh and his sister were arrested following a similar shooting in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, shortly after his release from Maghaberry Gaol. It is clear that the arrests were simply acts of harassment. He had courageously fought for full political status while he was in gaol, enduring an arduous ten-month protest. Regrettably the Brits appear keen to roll-back on the concessions made to the PoWs, and have even hinted at once again ending segregation. Seemingly they have still failed to grasp the lessons of the past.
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It was also revealed in the past week that Provo surrogates, ‘Community Restorative Justice’, are responsible for reporting two-hundred alleged incidents to the RUC. They have claimed that “the community [they] represent … felt able to move forward with regards to policing.â€? The truth, of course, is that it was their masters who were determined to move on the issue – indeed they had made the ridiculous claim that a multi-million pound MI5 spy centre in Co. Down was a step towards accountable and civic policing! But many in the Nationalist community remain implacably opposed to the Provisionals’ new military wing, i.e. the RUC. There have been protests and even attacks on them in places like Derry, Belfast and Crossmaglen. In many cases it is the unbought youth of Ireland rising up against them.
We have also seen the decimation of the Provos’ ranks with the departure of those opposed to their new direction. (Of course this has been countered by recruiting those who have always sought the destruction of the Republican project.) However, whilst such resignations are welcome, it must be asked why these people were happy to accept all that went before, including the treacherous destruction of arms at the behest of the English and their proxies in the Occupied Six Counties.
The Provos’ brutal murder of Paul Quinn from Cullyhanna, Co. Armagh, and their attempts to posthumously label him as a criminal, have also led to the beginning of their demise in South Armagh. People have rightly questioned why they have a military wing when they are promoters and defenders of English rule. They already have the British Colonial Police as a military adjunct to their organisation.
As we approach the tenth anniversary of the enactment of the Stormont Agreement, we remain in a partitioned and occupied country. Despite the hype and the spin from the mainstream media and those who control it, the “Constitutional Question� has not been resolved. We do not accept the authority of Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness to rule over us, nor do we accept the authority of Bertie Ahern or Gordon Brown. The true and uncompromised Republican Movement will give the lead to those disillusioned by the current surrender process. There will always be a respectable section of the Irish people to oppose English rule in Ireland, and indeed our history shows that there are those who will continue to oppose it in arms. The IRA remains very much alive under the Leadership and direction of the Continuity Army Council, and as a report inspired and backed by the British Government acknowledges “remains active, dangerous and committed.�
The people of the Mid-West have also suffered from the Paisley/McGuinness marriage with the withdrawal of Aer Lingus services from Shannon in favour of Aldergrove Airport in Co. Antrim. The airline has sought to place the Six Counties outside of Ireland by offering workers foreign, rather than domestic, conditions of employment. Needless to say, this means poorer conditions of employment.
And, as has been mooted by Bertie Ahern, a British Royal visit to the 26-Counties is imminent. We, the Republican people of Ireland, pledge our opposition to any visit to our shores by British Royals so long as they continue to stake a claim in our country. It is unsurprising that the 26-County State, which imprisoned and subsequently interned Seán Sabhat’s comrades, would welcome such a visit by Elizabeth Windsor. As Dáithà Ó Conaill stated in Dublin District Court in January, 1957, the Hungarian freedom fighters were welcomed when they arrived in Austria, whereas Republican soldiers were greeted by machine guns upon their return to the 26-Counties.
Let us secure the realisation of the dream of Seán Sabhat and Feargal O’Hanlon, and the countless others who have died for Ireland throughout the years. We will never sully their memory through compromise, constitutionalism or surrender. Their example will continue to inspire future generations. Our ÉIRE NUA proposals offer a viable alternative to the sectarian Stormont Agreement, giving local communities a real say in their governance. The Federal Government would protect citizens from abuse, as would a Charter of Rights. This would allow for the Irish people to work together for the good of all their fellow citizens. All that is required from the English is their permanent withdrawal from our shores!
Go raibh mÃle maith agaibh.
An Phoblacht Abú!