Gerry Adams's Blog, page 12

Voting for the President: Agreement 25: In Praise Of Tulips: Earth Day – defending our natural environment

 Voting for the President

This is not the only matter that the Irish Government is failing on. Dublin Castle was the venue last week of “Together Again – Le Chéile Arís” – the third of the Irish government’s Global Irish Civic Forums. These events bring together representatives of the Irish diaspora from across the world to promote a conversation on issues of concern and interest to the diaspora.

Another issue of concern that has been repeatedly put on the back burner by the government for the last decade is that of voting rights in Presidential elections for Irish citizens living outside of the southern state, in the North and in the diaspora. 

Votingrights.ie is a group advocating for Presidential voting rights for Irish citizens within the diaspora. During the Global Irish Civic Forum event they raised this in a letter to the Tánaiste Micheál Martin. The group expressed its “disappointment that a referendum granting citizens living outside the state the right to vote in future Presidential elections has been kicked to touch once again, and is now scheduled for 2025."

Votingrights.ie point out that this will mean that the earliest election these citizens could vote for the President would be 2032.

In July 2012 the Irish government established a Convention on the Constitution. Its purpose was to consider a wide range of constitutional issues and make recommendations on each matter to the Houses of the Oireachtas and to the government. In 2013 the Convention considered the proposal to give Irish citizens resident outside the state the right to vote in Presidential elections. It examined specifically whether citizens outside the state should have the vote in Presidential elections. 78% of the Convention said Yes. When specifically asked if citizens resident in the North should have that right 73% voted Yes.

The government then refused to bring forward any report to the Dáil on this issue.

In November 2015, following criticism by the European Commission, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs recommended extending voting rights. In February 2018 An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Seanad that the referendum would be held within two years. In October of that year he announced that a referendum would be held in May 2019. Later that date was shifted back to October 2019. Varadkar’s proposal was that all citizens, wherever they live in the world, “will be entitled to register to vote for the next President.” It would be a postal ballot for those not living in the state. In September 2019 the government published the Presidential Voting Right Referendum legislation. However, to-date the referendum still hasn’t happened.

The Office of the President and the role of the Presidency in the day to day life of the Irish nation is hugely symbolic and important. It is now ten years since the Constitutional Convention voted in favour of a referendum on Presidential voting. It’s time the Irish government honoured its commitments. Well done to Votingrights.ie for raising this important issue.

Agreement25

Thethree days of the conference to mark Agreement 25 at Queens University, aquarter of a century after the Good Friday Agreement, was an opportunity tomeet again many of those who were there when the Agreement was thrashed out in1998. I was particularly happy to see George Mitchell. He was in great form andfor me his speech was the highlight of conference. Lucid, reasoned, futuringand compelling. 

Theabsence of John Hume, Ian Paisley, Martin McGuinness, David Trimble, SeamusMallon and David Irvine and others was a reminder of the transient nature oflife and the permanency of death.  

QUBdid a great job of putting together this event. It must have been a logisticalchallenge but it worked. Victims of the conflict undoubtedly deserved a morecentral place on the agenda and I was disappointed at the lack of Irishlanguage signage or content. These are matters which can be improved by QUB inthe time ahead. But thank you and well done to all involved. 

Lookingback twenty five years from Sinn Féin’s perspective was interesting. TheGood Friday Agreement is the most important political initiative in over 100years. Some of the key elements of the Agreement have still not beenimplemented by the British and Irish governments, in particular the Bill ofRights for the North and the Charter of Rights for the island, and theestablishment of the Civic Forum. Twenty five years later these are stillnecessary parts of the Agreement that require action.

TheGFA was/is an agreement on a journey without agreement on the destination. Forsome it is about maintaining the union with Britain. For others it’s a pathwayto a united Ireland. Ultimately it is for the people to decide democratically.And that presents Irish republicans with a major challenge. We have to persuadethose who are either opposed to Irish Unity or ambivalent on it that theirfuture will be best served in a united Ireland. We have to convince those whoare British that their culture, their rights and sense of Britishness, will beprotected within a new Ireland, within the European Union. 

Ibelieve we can do that. I believe that an Irish government taking a pro-activeunited Ireland stance, along with our many friends and allies internationally,can successfully chart a course to that new Ireland.

Wealso have to get the Assembly and the Executive back up and running. Anyonelistening to the panel discussions at Queens will have been encouraged by theunanimity of approach by the Irish, British and US governments; the leaders ofthe European Union; and critically by all of the parties – with the exceptionof the DUP. All want the institutions back in place. Speaker after speaker –and frequently to loud applause – made this very clear. Uachtarán Shinn FéinMary Lou McDonald spoke of the need “recreate the spirit of 1998. Weneed a renewed commitment from all political leaders that we will worktogether, that we will share power together and that we have a government thatwill work in the interests of everyone.”

Sotoo did George Mitchell who challenged the “currentand future leaders of Northern Ireland to act with courage and vision, as theirpredecessors did 25 years ago.”

For the last year the DUP have absented themselvesfrom the institutions. It is my firm view that they will return to the NorthernAssembly. But I don't know when. And I think it’s foolish to speculate aboutthis. Our time is better spent persuading, or trying to persuade the twogovernments to convene the British -Irish Intergovernmental  Conference.So far An Taoiseach has refused to do this. Why not Leo? 

 

In Praise Of Tulips. 

I bought a bag of assorted tulip bulbs beforeChristmas. I was looking for daffodils and picked up the tulips by mistake.When I discovered this I was disappointed. I love daffodils. Now I love tulipsas well. They are in full bloom. In pots. Beautiful bright colours. Pinks andreds. Mauve. Purple. White. Gladdening the eye and brightening my day. I willnever look down my nose at tulips again. I can’t wait to plant next yearstechnicolour bloom. Along with the daffodils.

 

Earth Day – defending ournatural environment

Last Saturday was EarthDay. The theme was ‘Invest in Our Planet’ with the emphasis on encouragingbusinesses and people to use sustainable practices in their everyday work.

The first Earth Day tookplace in April 1970 in the USA. The massive oil spill at Santa Barbara inCalifornia in January 1969 and the student anti-Vietnam war movement were thecatalysts. Twenty years later the event went global and hundreds of millionsparticipated and set the scene for the 1992 United Nations EarthSummit in Rio de Janeiro.

Today Earth Day is more important than ever. Thisis evident from the report published last month by the Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change (IPCC) – the body that advises the UN and governments. In verystark terms it delivered a “final warning” about the climate crisis facing theworld. 

António Guterres, the UN secretary general,described the IPCC report as a “clarion call to massively fast-track climateefforts by every country and every sector and on every timeframe. Our worldneeds climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once.”

In December the leaders of the world’s nations willgather in COP28 in Dubai to assess progress since the Paris Agreement and agreeon the ambitious climate plans needed to avert the climate disaster that islooming.

António Guterres has warned that these plans must “cover the entire economy.Partial pledges won’t cut it… We have never been better equipped to solve theclimate challenge – but we must move into warp speed climate action now. Wedon’t have a moment to lose.”

Heis right. We need an Executive in the North and a government in Dublin thatunderstand that climate action must be a priority now and an all-islandagreement on how best to achieve that. 

Standing up for rights: Terry O���Sullivan ��� A working class hero: Michelle Gildernew: My memories of the Good Friday Agreement

John Montgomery

Standing up for rights

Among those who attended the Easter Sundaycommemoration in Belfast two weeks ago was John Montgomery. I haven���t seen Johnin many years and it was a delight to meet him again. John is originally fromSt. James��� in west Belfast.

Thirty years ago John was the Chairperson of theBallyfermot Community Association. Those were different times. Politicalcensorship and the demonisation of Republicans was entrenched in governmentpolicy North and South. Collusion between British state agencies and theirunionist paramilitary surrogates was widespread.  The Irish and Britishgovernments were locked into a strategy aimed at defeating the IRA and smashingSinn F��in. There was no thought of peace with justice or of conflictresolution; of inclusive talks; or of the centrality of dialogue to resolvedifferences. The establishment was against that.

The Irish political system and sections of themedia were in the forefront of this campaign. Opposition to SinnFein had reached such a fever pitch in the South that Sinn F��in was refused theuse of our usual venue, the Mansion House in Dublin to hold our annual ArdFheis. Other public buildings were denied to us as Fianna Fail, the LabourParty and Fine Gael abused their authority to bar us. The Special Branch wasleaning on hotel owners to put them off hiring venues to us. In 1992 we had noplace to hold our Ard Fheis.  

Eventually the Ballyfermot Community Association,in the working class area of Ballyfermot, a sprawling Dublin district notunlike its northern urban cousins in Derry or Belfast, offered us the use oftheir community centre. The Irish establishment was outraged and threatened todeny funding to the community centre but a defiant John Montgomery rejectedthis pointing out that the government hadn���t provided any funding in theprevious 20 years.

Turning a community centre into a venue for the ArdFheis required a lot of hard work and imagination. Lucilita Bhreatnach who wasthen the Ard Runa�� ��� General Secretary of the Party- led our head-office teamto get the logistical and other political back-up in place while a voluntaryteam of painters, carpenters and other construction workers moved in. My oldfriend from Long Kesh, the mural painter Danny Devenney, transformed thecommunity building. 

The theme of our 1992 Ard Fheis was ���Towards aLasting Peace in Ireland.��� The title was taken from the document of the samename that we launched in the Ballyfermot Community Centre. At a time when theidea of a peace process was unimaginable ���Towards a Lasting Peace in Irelandsaid: ���An end to conflict is not of itself peace. In the Irishexperience to date it has represented but a pause ��� a postponement of conflictfor a decade or a generation. And end to conflict must of course be anobjective. But to have any lasting value it must be in the context of a peaceprocess which eradicates the causes of the conflict.���

In spite of the Irish establishment���s antipathytoward Sinn F��in the years that followed showed that the Ballyfermot CommunityAssociation was right in opening its centre up to Sinn F��in and Sinn F��in wasright about the need for a peace process.  Our efforts along with those ofothers created the opportunity for the Good Friday Agreement. Thank you JohnMontgomery. 

 

Terry O���Sullivan ��� A working class hero

Terry O'Sullivan is the General President ofthe Laborers' International Union of North American (LIUNA). He has just retiredafter a quarter of century as leader of one of the biggest trade unions inNorth America. I have known Terry O for many years. He is a proud IrishAmerican born in San Francisco and with close ties to Kerry where his paternalgrandfather was from. He still has family there. 

LiUNA's slogan is Feel the Power. Terry's mantra isOrganize or Die. Anyone who has heard him deliver one of his rousing speechesknows he means every word of that. He brings that same passion and convictionto his support for Irish Unity, for an end to the partition of Ireland and anew future for all the Irish people.

Terry is a committed united Irelander. He hasspoken at several Sinn F��in Ard Fheiseanna over the years. Terry has alsoaddressed Irish Unity conferences in the USA.

In 2013 he was in Dublin to mark the centenary ofthe Dublin Lockout. In 2016 he headed a big union delegation that came toIreland for the 100th Anniversary of the Easter Rising. He attended events inDublin and here in Belfast including unveiling the statue to James Connollywhich now stands outside ��ras U�� Chonghaile on the Falls Road. 

Terry and LiUNA continue to play a leadership rolein making the vision of ��ras U�� Chonghaile a reality. He was one of thespeakers at its formal opening in April 2019 along with President MichaelD Higgins. Last year ��ras U�� Chonghaile dedicated its conference space onthe top floor of the building to Terry renaming it: ���The Terry O���SullivanLiUNA! Conference and Event Space.���

As well as being a trade union leader Terry is alsoa dear friend and a comrade. Over the years I had the pleasure of meetingTerry���s father, Terry Sr. and his mother Leona. They too were strong IrishAmericans and were enormously proud of their son���s many achievements. So alsois the rest of his family and his wife Yvette.

Most recently Terry O travelled to Dublin to attendthe funeral of Rita O���Hare who he had come to know over many years and torespect. He was one of those who acted as guard of honour.

Terry has dedicated his life to advancing the causeof labour and improving the conditions of working people in the USA and aroundthe world. Terry totally understands and embraces Connolly���s analysis thatthe ���Cause of Ireland is the cause of Labour and the Cause of Labour isthe cause of Ireland.��� 

He may live thousands of miles away but Terry livesthat cause every day and we are forever grateful for it. He may be steppingdown from his leadership role in LiUNA but I know we will continue to advocatefor Irish Unity and in defence of the Good Friday Agreement. 

 

Michelle Gildernew: My memories of the Good FridayAgreement

My memories of the Good Friday Agreement areinterspersed with countless trips across the Irish Sea. I was the Sinn F��inrepresentative in London and on the day the Agreement was reached I was inLondon, where Jimmy and I were staying with Mary Mason, a brilliant Londonbased activist.

In the years preceding that I had been asked by theparty to work in the International Dept, based in Conway Mill and headed up byBairbre de Br��n. I learned a lot there and really enjoyed it, and when the SinnF��in rep in London decided he was ready to come home I was asked to considerreplacing him.

After talking it over with my family and Jimmy, Idecided to relocate, knowing that it was a lot of responsibility but also agreat opportunity. As a result, I had been over in London a few times beforethe first visit to Downing St, and was included in that delegation along withGerry, Richard, Martin, Lucilita, Siobhan and Martin Ferris in December 1997.

When Gerry posted that photo on Instagram lately itsparked all sort of conversations with a new generation of Republicans asking���How come you were asked to go?���, ���why were you in that delegation?���, quicklyfollowed by ������and what age were you?!���

One of my best memories of that day was being in ataxi en route to the airport the day before and hearing on the news that LiamAverill had escaped out of Long Kesh. The bus nearly left the road with thecheer from everyone inside, yet parts of the media portrayed it as ���anembarrassment to the delegation���. We had been joined by the then politicaleditor of the Irish News who can testify that there was no embarrassment, onlydelight!

Looking back now it was a huge honour to beincluded. I remember as we sat in the Cabinet room Tony Blair saying in hisopening remarks that there wouldn���t be a United Ireland in the lifetime of theyoung person in the room, and that was me. Gerry���s response in his openingremarks was ���If someone had told us ten years ago that we would be in 10Downing St. sitting with a British Prime Minister  and leader of theLabour Party with your majority we would have said ���not in our lifetime too.���To which Tony Blair replied ���Touch��.���

There is all sorts of possibilities if the will isthere. And then we got down to what turned out to be a very good meeting.

During those times it was extremely busy and wefelt like we were always rushing, to catch planes or to meet deadlines and thefrenetic pace didn���t stop after 10th April 1998.

When others felt their work was done, the Sinn F��inleadership brought the ANC over and organised hundreds of meetings, includingin the jails in order to bring people with us. We had a special Ard Fheis forthe party to take the final decision on the Agreement.

Thinking back the risks taken by Gerry and Martinare in stark contrast to the leadership of other party���s today. We owe GerryAdams and Martin McGuinness a debt of gratitude for the personal and politicalrisks that they took for unity and peace.

 

 

Standing up for rights: Terry O’Sullivan – A working class hero: Michelle Gildernew: My memories of the Good Friday Agreement

John Montgomery

Standing up for rights

Among those who attended the Easter Sundaycommemoration in Belfast two weeks ago was John Montgomery. I haven’t seen Johnin many years and it was a delight to meet him again. John is originally fromSt. James’ in west Belfast.

Thirty years ago John was the Chairperson of theBallyfermot Community Association. Those were different times. Politicalcensorship and the demonisation of Republicans was entrenched in governmentpolicy North and South. Collusion between British state agencies and theirunionist paramilitary surrogates was widespread.  The Irish and Britishgovernments were locked into a strategy aimed at defeating the IRA and smashingSinn Féin. There was no thought of peace with justice or of conflictresolution; of inclusive talks; or of the centrality of dialogue to resolvedifferences. The establishment was against that.

The Irish political system and sections of themedia were in the forefront of this campaign. Opposition to SinnFein had reached such a fever pitch in the South that Sinn Féin was refused theuse of our usual venue, the Mansion House in Dublin to hold our annual ArdFheis. Other public buildings were denied to us as Fianna Fail, the LabourParty and Fine Gael abused their authority to bar us. The Special Branch wasleaning on hotel owners to put them off hiring venues to us. In 1992 we had noplace to hold our Ard Fheis.  

Eventually the Ballyfermot Community Association,in the working class area of Ballyfermot, a sprawling Dublin district notunlike its northern urban cousins in Derry or Belfast, offered us the use oftheir community centre. The Irish establishment was outraged and threatened todeny funding to the community centre but a defiant John Montgomery rejectedthis pointing out that the government hadn’t provided any funding in theprevious 20 years.

Turning a community centre into a venue for the ArdFheis required a lot of hard work and imagination. Lucilita Bhreatnach who wasthen the Ard Runaí – General Secretary of the Party- led our head-office teamto get the logistical and other political back-up in place while a voluntaryteam of painters, carpenters and other construction workers moved in. My oldfriend from Long Kesh, the mural painter Danny Devenney, transformed thecommunity building. 

The theme of our 1992 Ard Fheis was ‘Towards aLasting Peace in Ireland.’ The title was taken from the document of the samename that we launched in the Ballyfermot Community Centre. At a time when theidea of a peace process was unimaginable ‘Towards a Lasting Peace in Irelandsaid: “An end to conflict is not of itself peace. In the Irishexperience to date it has represented but a pause – a postponement of conflictfor a decade or a generation. And end to conflict must of course be anobjective. But to have any lasting value it must be in the context of a peaceprocess which eradicates the causes of the conflict.”

In spite of the Irish establishment’s antipathytoward Sinn Féin the years that followed showed that the Ballyfermot CommunityAssociation was right in opening its centre up to Sinn Féin and Sinn Féin wasright about the need for a peace process.  Our efforts along with those ofothers created the opportunity for the Good Friday Agreement. Thank you JohnMontgomery. 

 

Terry O’Sullivan – A working class hero

Terry O'Sullivan is the General President ofthe Laborers' International Union of North American (LIUNA). He has just retiredafter a quarter of century as leader of one of the biggest trade unions inNorth America. I have known Terry O for many years. He is a proud IrishAmerican born in San Francisco and with close ties to Kerry where his paternalgrandfather was from. He still has family there. 

LiUNA's slogan is Feel the Power. Terry's mantra isOrganize or Die. Anyone who has heard him deliver one of his rousing speechesknows he means every word of that. He brings that same passion and convictionto his support for Irish Unity, for an end to the partition of Ireland and anew future for all the Irish people.

Terry is a committed united Irelander. He hasspoken at several Sinn Féin Ard Fheiseanna over the years. Terry has alsoaddressed Irish Unity conferences in the USA.

In 2013 he was in Dublin to mark the centenary ofthe Dublin Lockout. In 2016 he headed a big union delegation that came toIreland for the 100th Anniversary of the Easter Rising. He attended events inDublin and here in Belfast including unveiling the statue to James Connollywhich now stands outside Áras Uí Chonghaile on the Falls Road. 

Terry and LiUNA continue to play a leadership rolein making the vision of Áras Uí Chonghaile a reality. He was one of thespeakers at its formal opening in April 2019 along with President MichaelD Higgins. Last year Áras Uí Chonghaile dedicated its conference space onthe top floor of the building to Terry renaming it: “The Terry O’SullivanLiUNA! Conference and Event Space.”

As well as being a trade union leader Terry is alsoa dear friend and a comrade. Over the years I had the pleasure of meetingTerry’s father, Terry Sr. and his mother Leona. They too were strong IrishAmericans and were enormously proud of their son’s many achievements. So alsois the rest of his family and his wife Yvette.

Most recently Terry O travelled to Dublin to attendthe funeral of Rita O’Hare who he had come to know over many years and torespect. He was one of those who acted as guard of honour.

Terry has dedicated his life to advancing the causeof labour and improving the conditions of working people in the USA and aroundthe world. Terry totally understands and embraces Connolly’s analysis thatthe “Cause of Ireland is the cause of Labour and the Cause of Labour isthe cause of Ireland.” 

He may live thousands of miles away but Terry livesthat cause every day and we are forever grateful for it. He may be steppingdown from his leadership role in LiUNA but I know we will continue to advocatefor Irish Unity and in defence of the Good Friday Agreement. 

 

Michelle Gildernew: My memories of the Good FridayAgreement

My memories of the Good Friday Agreement areinterspersed with countless trips across the Irish Sea. I was the Sinn Féinrepresentative in London and on the day the Agreement was reached I was inLondon, where Jimmy and I were staying with Mary Mason, a brilliant Londonbased activist.

In the years preceding that I had been asked by theparty to work in the International Dept, based in Conway Mill and headed up byBairbre de Brún. I learned a lot there and really enjoyed it, and when the SinnFéin rep in London decided he was ready to come home I was asked to considerreplacing him.

After talking it over with my family and Jimmy, Idecided to relocate, knowing that it was a lot of responsibility but also agreat opportunity. As a result, I had been over in London a few times beforethe first visit to Downing St, and was included in that delegation along withGerry, Richard, Martin, Lucilita, Siobhan and Martin Ferris in December 1997.

When Gerry posted that photo on Instagram lately itsparked all sort of conversations with a new generation of Republicans asking“How come you were asked to go?”, “why were you in that delegation?”, quicklyfollowed by “…and what age were you?!”

One of my best memories of that day was being in ataxi en route to the airport the day before and hearing on the news that LiamAverill had escaped out of Long Kesh. The bus nearly left the road with thecheer from everyone inside, yet parts of the media portrayed it as “anembarrassment to the delegation”. We had been joined by the then politicaleditor of the Irish News who can testify that there was no embarrassment, onlydelight!

Looking back now it was a huge honour to beincluded. I remember as we sat in the Cabinet room Tony Blair saying in hisopening remarks that there wouldn’t be a United Ireland in the lifetime of theyoung person in the room, and that was me. Gerry’s response in his openingremarks was “If someone had told us ten years ago that we would be in 10Downing St. sitting with a British Prime Minister  and leader of theLabour Party with your majority we would have said “not in our lifetime too.”To which Tony Blair replied “Touché.”

There is all sorts of possibilities if the will isthere. And then we got down to what turned out to be a very good meeting.

During those times it was extremely busy and wefelt like we were always rushing, to catch planes or to meet deadlines and thefrenetic pace didn’t stop after 10th April 1998.

When others felt their work was done, the Sinn Féinleadership brought the ANC over and organised hundreds of meetings, includingin the jails in order to bring people with us. We had a special Ard Fheis forthe party to take the final decision on the Agreement.

Thinking back the risks taken by Gerry and Martinare in stark contrast to the leadership of other party’s today. We owe GerryAdams and Martin McGuinness a debt of gratitude for the personal and politicalrisks that they took for unity and peace.

 

 

Back in the USA: Ceol: Alex Maskey reflects on the Good Friday Agreement

 

Back in the USA

The 25th anniversary of the GoodFriday Agreement has attracted considerable national and international interestin recent weeks. Part of this involved me travelling last week once again tothe USA. It must be four years since I was last there. While a lot has changedpolitically in that time both here and in the U.S. some things never change –among them the multiple stamping in red capitals of SSSS (SecondarySecurity Screening Selection) on ourboarding passes and suitcase labels. It is explained as a random processwhereby travellers are selected for ‘enhanced’ searches. I have been gettingthe SSSS stamp on every visit to andfrom the USA for over 20 years. Randomly routine. 

But apart from that the visit was an opportunity tocatch up with many old friends and thank them for the crucial role they playedin 1998 and continue to play today. If Irish America ever had any doubt aboutits political strength it was evident last week in President Clinton’s presencein a Cooper Union event in New York, the visit by President Joe Biden toIreland – North and South – this week and the expected presence of PresidentClinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at events in Belfast thisweekend.

The Cooper Union event was hosted by seven IrishAmerican organisations; The Irish-American Unity Conference; the Friends OfSinn Féin; Ancient Order of Hibernians; The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick;Brehon Law Society; James Connolly Irish American Labor Coalition; and LadiesAncient Order of Hibernians. President Clinton reminded the audience of thechallenges he then faced in engaging with the process, of the decisions hetook, including giving me that first all-important 48 hour New York visa inJanuary 1994 and his appointment of George Mitchell. He was forthright in hiscall for the Assembly and the Executive to be restored. 

The following night I spoke at a dinner hosted bythe Martin McGuinness Peace Foundation. Thanks to Marty Glennon and friends fortheir involvement in both events. 

The day after I returned from the USA I was inParliament Buildings. The Assembly Speaker Alex Maskey had organised a reallygood ceremony to mark 25 anniversary of the Agreement. Entitled – A NewBeginning – the event brought together many of those who had taken part in thenegotiations to reflect on the process and its outcome.

The choir of the Belfast School of Performing Artswere outstanding and the young people from the Youth Assembly who introducedeach of the speakers were a reminder that the future we are building is aninvestment in their future. Thanks also to Dana Masters for her songs. 

I said that I believe Jeffrey Donaldson when hesays that First Minister designate Michelle O’Neill taking up that office isnot a problem for him. So when the DUP has concluded its internal processes allof us can look forward to a new phase of the northern Assembly. No otherscenario is viable.

Of course that does not mean that everyone elseshould sit around twiddling our thumbs waiting for the DUP. The presentEnglish government has no real investment in the Agreement. So there is a heavyonus on the Irish government to use all the Good Friday Agreement mechanisms,including 

Our responsibility is for the future. The past willtake care of itself. Let’s plan for the day when we will all govern ourselveswithout the corrosive rule of London.

In the last 25 years we have fallen down manytimes. In fact we are very good at that. But we also are good at getting backup again. We are very successful at that. Let’s be successful once again.

 

Alex with his mother Teresa after his election in 2002 as Mayor.

This week Alex Maskey shares his reflections on thenegotiations for the Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago.

Reflections on the GFA 

They say a week is a long time in politics. Thismonth we mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreementand we all should reflect on why it is that the Agreement is not yet fullyimplemented. 

One thing is certain and that is that republicanismis stronger now across the island than it has been at any time in this pastcentury, with the continuing growth of Sinn Fein and emergence of civic UnitedIrelanders while other progressives search for a political home includingwithin a new Ireland. I believe that the GFA itself remains a work in progresshowever I also believe passionately that it has successfully set the templatefor all of our politics since 1998.

 I would say however with some frustrationthat many commentators often name check a number of participants and leaders inthe negotiations. I won’t take away from the contributions made by many inmaking the agreement possible and effectively helping to end what had been thelatest 30 year phase of conflict. But rarely do those same commentators getbeyond citing Martin McGuinness or even Gerry Adams (on a good day) asarchitects of the GFA despite the critical role played by them both and manyothers. But that’s a discussion for another day.

Building the peace process through the mid-ninetieswas met with many challenges. However progress was made though perhaps with twosteps forward and one step back until 1997 when all changed. In 1997 Sinn Feinwas eventually formally admitted into the Talks at Castle Buildings,Stormont. 

As a member of our Talks team I had the greatpleasure to work closely on a day to day basis with our late and dear friendSiobhan O’Hanlon who managed our administration with absolute professionalismand discipline. Part of my own work was to ensure that as many of our localparty organisers and elected representatives could visit to either observe orparticipate in some element of the Talks process in order to give as many aspossible greater insight into the process of negotiations. For us this wasessential to underline to our members the premise that negotiations shouldalways be much more than what goes on “in the room.” In the room or outside theroom as activists we all had to complement each other by campaigning, fightingelections, engaging with our communities and winning the arguments we faceddaily.

At times as we moved closer to an Agreement thepace was frantic which only served to keep our team even more focussed on thejob in hand. But I must say it was also at times nerve wrecking because we allunderstood how pivotal and important, even historical, that an actual peaceagreement could be reached under our watch.

Once agreement was reached on Good Friday under thebrilliant leadership of US Senator George Mitchel we knew that our work wasonly just beginning as we set about establishing a new Assembly etc but thatthe experience we had gained would serve us very well.

 

Ceol

I love music. All kinds of music. I listen to theradio a lot. I still have cassette tapes and vinyl from the 1970’s. I play themalso. And CDs. And an iPod. I also have music on my phone.  Every sooften my devices organise my music into a Favourite Mix. For those of you whoshare my love for music here’s a sample of what my phone has selected. Itincludes Bruce Springsteen and James Taylor. The Byrds. Them. 

KathleenThompson. Sharon Shannon. John Spillane. Christy. Lisa O Neill. The BothyBand.Cormac Breathnach. The Animals. Mary Coughlan.  Planxty. Liam OFlynn. Frances and May Black. The Gloaming. Bob Dylan. John Prine. Pavoratti.Leonard Cohen. Cormac Begley. Ry Cooder Altan. Willie Nelson. PaddyGlackin.John mc Cormack.  Caitlín Maude. The Chieftains.Ray Charles. PeteSeeger.  Sean O Sé. Clannad. The Saw Doctors. Luka Bloom.Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh. Joe Heaney. Simon and Garfunkel. The Rolling Stones.Beatles. Skara Brae.  Woody Gutherie. Van Morrison. Willie Nelson.Eileen Ivers. 

Like books, dogs and children it’s hard to pick afavourite song or musician. I  love many many more. Let themusic keep your spirits high. 

A Warm House for Everyone: Seeking a Pathway to the Future by Lucilita Bhreatnach: Wear an Easter Lily

 

A Warm House for Everyone

Iam writing this column in New York. Richard and I are here for the weekendworking on my remarks for Monday night when President Bill Clinton and I willshare reflections on the Good Friday Agreement negotiations and developmentssince then. I will return to this in next week’s column.

PresidentClinton played a critical role in the build up to the Agreement, encouraged andsupported by Irish America. He was at the end of the phone as agreement wasreached and has been an enabler of our process ever since. So too has HilaryClinton.

OurMonday night event is in Cooper Union Great Hall. I’ve spoken there oncebefore. So has Abraham Lincoln, Barak Obama, Bill Clinton and a range of otherrenowned speakers from the Arts, Science, politics and activist sectors. Justsaying. 

‘Ifyou can make it here you can make it anywhere’ says Richard.

Ourlast event before leaving Ireland for New York was a Peoples’ Assembly inthe Carrickdale Hotel in Carrickcarnon, right on the border in CountyLouth. This Peoples’ Assembly was an opportunity for citizens fromthe Armagh, Down and Louth border region to have their say on the futureof Ireland. 

Theill-effects of living under British rule are keenly felt in this area and theimplications of Brexit casts a long shadow. So too does the BritishGovernment’s Legacy Bill of Shame and its mean spirited ‘Borders andNationalities Bill’ which makes it mandatory for visitors travelling into theNorth from the South to firstly obtain an Electronic TravelAuthorisation.  This is the latest threat from London to the peoplehere particularly in this region.

The Carrickdaleevent was the fourth organised by Sinn Féin’s Commission on the Future ofIreland. It was chaired by ConorPatterson of Newry and Mourne Enterprise Agency. The panel included; ReverendKaren Sethuraman; ICTU Assistant General Secretary Gerry Murphy; MairéadMcAlinden former CEO of the Southern Health & Social Care Trust and AidanBrowne of Dundalk’s DkIt's Regional Development Centre.

Theygave valuable insights and their contributions were well worth listening to. Soalso were contributions from the audience. They were thoughtful, spirited,informed and very interesting for me, as someone not from that region, as wellI am sure for everyone else.

It was standing room only and the packed gatheringheard Uachtarán Shinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald open the event. 

Ina wide ranging address Mary Lou spelt out the difficulties caused by partitionand the opportunities which will be created by ending division and sheaddressed the importance of reaching out to our unionist neighbours. Shesaid: “We want to encourage popular grass roots participation in that ongoingconversation about our shared future. Everyone should have their say. There aremany people in this region who are unionist. The Orange was foundedin neighbouring county Armagh. 

Thattradition is reflected in our national colours.  This is the place that weall call home. Our resolve is to make it a better place for all, unionists areour neighbours and they should also be our friends’.

Thiscolumn hopes that Jeffrey Donaldson’s DUP officer board picked up on this.

The SinnFéin President extended the hand of friendship to them when she said: “Tothose from the unionist culture I extend a sincere welcome – the new Irelandmust be a warm house for all and your traditions and beliefs must be respectedand cherished. I invite you especially to be part of the conversation and forus all to plan for the future together … Conversations are happening across thecountry – in our places of work, in our universities, as we drop our childrenat the school gates and at the match on Sundays!”

In recent years a vast amount of academic research,new studies and books on all aspects of reunification have been produced. Theyall urge the Irish Government to begin planning and preparing forconstitutional change and there is now an urgent imperative for the governmentto establish a Citizen’s Assembly to prepare the groundwork in advance of aunity referendum.

As Mary Lou said: “This is an exciting time forus all; filled with opportunity and hope for a better future. That’s whywe need to get it right. Our new constitutional national democracy willemerge from a phased transition and that is why planning and preparation shouldbegin now. Grassroots communities should be involved at the beginning of thatprocess, not at the end.”

The Sinn Fein President pointed out that theCommission on the Future of Ireland is about inviting working people, tradeunionists, business owners, community activists, women, our youth, LGBTQpeople, Gaeilgeoirí, academics, our new communities, Travellers, those withdisabilities and others to have their say on the process of change.

Speaking directly about the challenges facing theborder region Mary Lou said: “Our shared challenge is to create a futurewhich is warm and welcoming for everyone and where the potential prosperity ofareas like this border region can be fully unlocked.”

Sothere you have it. Perhaps when this column returns to Ireland the DUP attitudeto participating in the Northern Assembly will be clearer.

Or,perhaps not?

 

 

This weekLucilita Bhreatnach, one of our negotiators at Good Friday 1998 recalls theseevents.

 

Each one of us involved in thenegotiations has their reminiscences of the days leading up to the Good FridayAgreement. Also, of the preceding years, talks about talks and then, the actualtalks with the three governments, Dublin, London and the White House.

We were seeking a pathway into thefuture. Negotiations involve taking risks, listening to the other side andbeing willing to move into a new space. Every obstacle we faced had to be overcomeor talks would have broken down on many occasions.

Our negotiation teams comprised partymembers, including ex-prisoners and elected representatives. We were pursuing apeaceful and democratic solution to an undemocratic situation. England's policyin Ireland was still resisting that democratic outcome.

In the late hours of April 1998, therewere tensions and bad tempers, emotional and technical problems; loads of bi-lateralsand papers galore. The party leadership had resolved to engage and to reach anagreement, if possible based on the democratic principles governing our outlookon the negotiation process.

At some stage Bairbre De Brún, AlexMaskey and I found ourselves in a room with officials checking on papers lateinto the night. We engaged on human rights issues, a Bill of Rights, policingand the Irish language.

In a corridor, I bumped into BertieAhern and he said ‘tell Martin and Gerry I have told them we are not giving anymore.’ I put an Easter lily into the palm of his hand and offered mysympathies, as his mother had died that week.

Some days earlier, I drove to Dublin tobe with my daughter for the birth of her first child, Aoife. Back in Stormont,Bríd Curran gave me a card signed by the team for Aoife.

We waited all night long. At some stageMitchel McLoughlin, Bairbre and I addressed the media outside in the freezingsnow. We tried to keep hope alive but the talks were confidential and none ofus wanted any damaging leaks to the media. Bairbre and I did the internationalmedia, in Spanish and French agus as Gaeilge.

Back inside, Siobhán and I sat next toa photocopying machine in the hall ready to copy the all-important documentonce it arrived when the Unionist reached a decision.

There were phone calls back and forthwith the prisoners. It felt surreal at times. We knew we were on the cusp ofsomething big but also that we would not get everything we wanted.

Gerry and Martin appeared, documentswere handed out, which we all read. No time then for much sleep for we had toget ready for the plenary session chaired by George Mitchell. I had met him inthe hall and he shook my hand saying ‘you did very well’, (meaning all of us Iam sure).

When formalities were over one of theloyalists told me he had studied Irish and got a Fáinne while in jail.

Twenty-five years later, the GoodFriday Agreement has yet to be fully implemented along with other agreements. Ilook forward to a New Ireland that is multicultural, pluralist and nonsectarian based on equality with full inclusion of the Unionist and othercommunities in Ireland.

Wear an Easter Lily

Easter is only days away.It is a time when tens of thousands of people across the island, andinternationally, will attend Easter commemorations to mark the anniversary ofthe Easter Rising and the Proclamation of the Republic. The symbol of ourenduring commitment to those ideals is the Easter Lily.

The first Easter Lily badges were designed in 1925by Cumann na mBan. The dual purpose of the Easter Lily was to raise money forthe Republican Prisoners’ Dependents Fund and to honour the sacrifice made bythe men and women of the 1916 Rising. The original Easter Lily badge washand-made.

So, wear an Easter Lilythis weekend with pride and in remembrance of past generations.

Talking about Martin McGuinness: Beauty an Oile��in: The Good Friday Agreement and Sue Ramsay

Talking about Martin McGuinness

Tuesday was the sixth anniversary of the death ofmy friend and comrade Martin McGuinness. I travelled to the Derry City Hotelthat evening for a public conversation about my relationship with Martin withRoy Greenslade. Roy is an author, broadcaster and journalist who during a longand distinguished career has held a series of senior positions in many ofLondon���s main newspapers.

I recalled meeting Martin in Dublin and then behindthe barricades in Derry in 1972 as we prepared to travel to London for secretmeetings with the British government. It would have been understandable if a 22year old working class lad from the Bogside was stressed and anxious about theprocess he was about to engage in but not Martin. He was in control ��� calm,confident, a natural leader ��� wanting to talk about how we should approach theupcoming engagements with British Ministers ��� our agenda, proposals, bottomline.

The Martin McGuinness Peace Foundation was established in 2019 as a not-for-profitcharity. Its purpose is to celebrate the life, work and achievements of MartinMc Guinness, as a leader, a political activist and aninternational statesperson. It does this by promoting his progressiveideals of: national reconciliation, unity and peace; of conflictresolution and peace building.

All of these ideals were at the heart of everythingMartin tried to do as a political leader and in his work in the Office of Firstand Deputy First Minister with Ian Paisley, Peter Robinson and Arlene Foster.

Tuesday���s event was really good. I enjoyed talkingabout my friend. I hope all those who were there enjoyed it also. Thank you Royfor moderating our discussion.

The Martin McGuinness Foundation is holding itsannual New York dinner in Rose O���Grady���s on 7th Avenue on 4 April. Ihave been asked to speak so see you there.

 

Beauty an Oile��in

Regular readers will knowthat I am a big fan of Claddagh Records. Founded by Garech Browne and IvorBrowne, for decades Claddagh has been recording and promoting Irish traditionalmusic and song. This wonderful enterprise has recently had a new lease of lifeand Claddagh is currently digging into its archival material and giving itscollections space to breathe once again. As the result of an arrangement withUniversal Music these gems from our tradition are now getting global exposure.Well done Claddagh.

One such production isBeauty An Oile��in ��� Music and Song of The Blasket Islands. I treated myself toa Saint Patrick���s Day present during a recent visit to An Culturlann onBelfast���s Falls Road and I am delighted that I did. Beauty An Oile��in is areally fine bi lingual hard backed book filled with notes and  interesting information. It also contains a CD of twenty six recordings. Someare quite short ��� snatches of seisi��ns ��� others complete renditions oftunes or songs from se��n n��s singers and musicians. Treasures all. Manycollected by R��onach u�� ��g��in in situ.  We are indebted to R��onach.

The Blasket Islands arespecial. There are six main islands, west of the Dingle peninsula in Kerry.They are uninhabited these days but once a thriving Irish speaking communitylived there. They were hardy folk as island people must be. Three books broughtthem to the attention of the rest of us. An tOile��nch , Fiche Blian ag F��s andPeig. Tom��s �� Criomhthain  gave us the first one, The Islandman.Muiris �� S��illebh��in gave us Twenty Years A Growing  and Peig came fromPeig Sayers. Published ninety years or so ago these books give an insight intothe life of a of a unique island community. Many other books have been writtensince then but one thing is clear. Music and song were part of life for theislanders.

So was dancing and storytelling.

 As Beauty AnOile��iIn puts it.  ���It (music) was an expression of feeling, both joyand sorrow, and this musical expression drew on, and reinforced, island cultureand tradition. Music served as a cohesive force within the community.���

One of my favourite of allour traditional airs is the Blasket one, Port na bP��cai.  This is a tunewhich came in on the wind off the Great Blasket. I first heard it from theplaying of Tony MacMahon. In Conway Mill one night he made the hair on the backof my neck stand up as he bewitched us with this plaintive tune. SeamusHeaney���s fine poem The Given Note captures and evokes the essence ofthis music of the p��ca or ghost. The Poet and The Piper, another Claddaghproduction, features Seamus reading his poem and master piper, Liam O Flynn andhis version of Port na bPucai. Well worth listening to as is Martin Hayesversion.

Beauty An Oile��n gives usthe story of the origins of Port na bP��cai as well as a lilting version byMuiris O Dalaigh.

Other modern musicians andsingers feature including the mighty Breannd��n �� Beaglaoich and Aoife andDeirdre Granville and  R��is��n N�� Ch��ileachair, all influenced by theirisland connections. Let���s give the last word to R��onach u��  ��g��in.���The tunes and songs on this CD continue to be played and sung.���

Isn���t it wonderful thatthis is so? Long may it continue.

BEAUTY AN OILE��IN. MUSICAND SONG OF THE BLASKET ISLANDS. CLADDAGH RECORDS. Claddaghrecords.com

 

 

Siobhan O'Hanlon in Castle Buildings

The Good Friday Agreement and Sue Ramsay

In other columns Gerry Kelly and Bairbre de Br��nhave recalled their experiences in the negotiations leading to the Good FridayAgreement. This week Sue Ramsay remembers:

Following the elections to the Forum, my goodfriend and comrade the late Siobh��n O'Hanlon asked me to provide administrative support to the party at CastleBuildings where the negotiations were to take place. At that time I was a localCouncillor on Lisburn Council and was also working in the office of the 6county Cuige.

Our first few weeks in Castle Building were spentgetting the offices set up. Sorting out passes for the party delegation.Getting to know the civil servants and support and security staff. Otherparties were doing the same. But more importantly we were tasked with breakingdown the barriers with all of those who worked there.

Every day I made a point of saying good morning orhello to anyone I met including the kitchen staff, cleaners and other partystaff. Usually I got a mixed response - some nods, some smiles but a fair fewgrunts. But after awhile this began to change, especially amongst the staff.Siobhan and I got to know some of them really well.

Sometimes when things were quiet in the office Iwould take a dander around the building and have tea with the staff or if I wasreally bored I would help by washing the dishes because anyone who knows meknows that I always get up to mischief when I'm not busy.  

A few weeks before the negotiations concluded andthe Good Friday Agreement achieved I was in the office minding my own businesswhen in walks the British Secretary of State, Mo Mowlam looking for MartinMcGuinness. I said he was away talking to someone. So off comes her shoes andwig ��� she was undergoing radiation treatment and had lost her hair - and shegave her head a good scratch.

As usual around Easter time republicans wear theEaster Lily to remember Ireland���s patriot dead. I had mine on. Mo asked meabout it and I told her that it is to remember everyone who had died.

���Do you want one��� I asked.

���Yes��� she said and pinned it to her top.

So, shoes and wig go back on and she leaves theoffice. Two minutes later Martin comes in and leaves the Easter Lily back on mydesk, shakes his head and smiles. I heard later that Mo was on her way to meetthe Ulster Unionist Party. Martin bumped into her en route and diplomaticallyremoved the Lily. Jesus, imagine David Trimble���s reaction if she had still hadit on.

But sure I never learn. Late on the Thursday goinginto the Good Friday morning the phone rings I answer it. This woman with anAmerican accent says she is phoning from the situation room in the White Housefor President Clinton and is looking to speak to Gerry Adams. I thought it wasone of my friends Geraldine Crawford, who was part of our support team, windingme up.

So I said ���aye dead on Geraldine do you think I'mstupid?���

The woman paused and said ���Excuse me this isPresident Clinton���s office looking to talk to Mr Adams.���

The penny dropped. I had nearly derailed the peaceprocess a second time.

Two months later the election to the Assembly tookplace. I was selected to be one of the Sinn F��in candidates. The party won fourof the six seats ��� Gerry Adams, Bairbre de Br��n, Alex Maskey and myself. It wasan exciting time and I remained an MLA until 2014 when I had to stand down dueto ill health.

I have a few other funny stories but I think I will wait until the 50anniversary before I tell them that way I will be far too old to get shoutedat.

Talking about Martin McGuinness: Beauty an Oileáin: The Good Friday Agreement and Sue Ramsay

Talking about Martin McGuinness

Tuesday was the sixth anniversary of the death of my friend and comrade Martin McGuinness. I travelled to the Derry City Hotel that evening for a public conversation about my relationship with Martin with Roy Greenslade. Roy is an author, broadcaster and journalist who during a long and distinguished career has held a series of senior positions in many of London’s main newspapers.

I recalled meeting Martin in Dublin and then behind the barricades in Derry in 1972 as we prepared to travel to London for secret meetings with the British government. It would have been understandable if a 22 year old working class lad from the Bogside was stressed and anxious about the process he was about to engage in but not Martin. He was in control – calm, confident, a natural leader – wanting to talk about how we should approach the upcoming engagements with British Ministers – our agenda, proposals, bottom line.

The Martin Mc Guinness Peace Foundation was established in 2019 as a not-for-profit charity. Its purpose is to celebrate the life, work and achievements of Martin Mc Guinness, as a leader, a political activist and an international statesperson. It does this by promoting his progressive ideals of: national reconciliation, unity and peace; of conflict resolution and peace building.

All of these ideals were at the heart of everything Martin tried to do as a political leader and in his work in the Office of First and Deputy First Minister with Ian Paisley, Peter Robinson and Arlene Foster.

Tuesday’s event was really good. I enjoyed talking about my friend. I hope all those who were there enjoyed it also. Thank you Roy for moderating our discussion.

The Martin McGuinness Foundation is holding its annual New York dinner in Rose O’Grady’s on 7th Avenue on 4 April. I have been asked to speak so see you there.

 

Beauty an Oileáin

Regular readers will know that I am a big fan of Claddagh Records. Founded by Garech Browne and Ivor Browne, for decades Claddagh has been recording and promoting Irish traditional music and song. This wonderful enterprise has recently had a new lease of life and Claddagh is currently digging into its archival material and giving its collections space to breathe once again. As the result of an arrangement with Universal Music these gems from our tradition are now getting global exposure. Well done Claddagh.

One such production is Beauty An Oileáin – Music and Song of The Blasket Islands. I treated myself to a Saint Patrick’s Day present during a recent visit to An Culturlann on Belfast’s Falls Road and I am delighted that I did. Beauty An Oileáin is a really fine bi lingual hard backed book filled with notes and   interesting information. It also contains a CD of twenty six recordings. Some are quite short – snatches of seisiúns – others complete renditions of tunes or songs from seán nós singers and musicians. Treasures all. Many collected by Ríonach uí Ógáin in situ.  We are indebted to Ríonach.

The Blasket Islands are special. There are six main islands, west of the Dingle peninsula in Kerry. They are uninhabited these days but once a thriving Irish speaking community lived there. They were hardy folk as island people must be. Three books brought them to the attention of the rest of us. An tOileánch , Fiche Blian ag Fás and Peig. Tomás Ó Criomhthain  gave us the first one, The Islandman. Muiris Ó Súillebháin gave us Twenty Years A Growing  and Peig came from Peig Sayers. Published ninety years or so ago these books give an insight into the life of a of a unique island community. Many other books have been written since then but one thing is clear. Music and song were part of life for the islanders.

So was dancing and story telling.

 As Beauty An OileáiIn puts it.  ‘It (music) was an expression of feeling, both joy and sorrow, and this musical expression drew on, and reinforced, island culture and tradition. Music served as a cohesive force within the community.’

One of my favourite of all our traditional airs is the Blasket one, Port na bPúcai.  This is a tune which came in on the wind off the Great Blasket. I first heard it from the playing of Tony MacMahon. In Conway Mill one night he made the hair on the back of my neck stand up as he bewitched us with this plaintive tune. Seamus Heaney’s fine poem The Given Note captures and evokes the essence of this music of the púca or ghost. The Poet and The Piper, another Claddagh production, features Seamus reading his poem and master piper, Liam O Flynn and his version of Port na bPucai. Well worth listening to as is Martin Hayes version.

Beauty An Oileán gives us the story of the origins of Port na bPúcai as well as a lilting version by Muiris O Dalaigh.

Other modern musicians and singers feature including the mighty Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich and Aoife and Deirdre Granville and  Róisín Ní Chéileachair, all influenced by their island connections. Let’s give the last word to Ríonach uí  Ógáin. ‘The tunes and songs on this CD continue to be played and sung.’

Isn’t it wonderful that this is so? Long may it continue.

BEAUTY AN OILEÁIN. MUSIC AND SONG OF THE BLASKET ISLANDS. CLADDAGH RECORDS. Claddaghrecords.com

 

 

Siobhan O'Hanlon in Castle Buildings

The Good Friday Agreement and Sue Ramsay

In other columns Gerry Kelly and Bairbre de Brún have recalled their experiences in the negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement. This week Sue Ramsay remembers:

Following the elections to the Forum, my good friend and comrade the late Siobhán O'Hanlon asked me to provide administrative support to the party at Castle Buildings where the negotiations were to take place. At that time I was a local Councillor on Lisburn Council and was also working in the office of the 6 county Cuige.

Our first few weeks in Castle Building were spent getting the offices set up. Sorting out passes for the party delegation. Getting to know the civil servants and support and security staff. Other parties were doing the same. But more importantly we were tasked with breaking down the barriers with all of those who worked there.

Every day I made a point of saying good morning or hello to anyone I met including the kitchen staff, cleaners and other party staff. Usually I got a mixed response - some nods, some smiles but a fair few grunts. But after awhile this began to change, especially amongst the staff. Siobhan and I got to know some of them really well.

Sometimes when things were quiet in the office I would take a dander around the building and have tea with the staff or if I was really bored I would help by washing the dishes because anyone who knows me knows that I always get up to mischief when I'm not busy.  

A few weeks before the negotiations concluded and the Good Friday Agreement achieved I was in the office minding my own business when in walks the British Secretary of State, Mo Mowlam looking for Martin McGuinness. I said he was away talking to someone. So off comes her shoes and wig – she was undergoing radiation treatment and had lost her hair - and she gave her head a good scratch.

As usual around Easter time republicans wear the Easter Lily to remember Ireland’s patriot dead. I had mine on. Mo asked me about it and I told her that it is to remember everyone who had died.

“Do you want one” I asked.

“Yes” she said and pinned it to her top.

So, shoes and wig go back on and she leaves the office. Two minutes later Martin comes in and leaves the Easter Lily back on my desk, shakes his head and smiles. I heard later that Mo was on her way to meet the Ulster Unionist Party. Martin bumped into her en route and diplomatically removed the Lily. Jesus, imagine David Trimble’s reaction if she had still had it on.

But sure I never learn. Late on the Thursday going into the Good Friday morning the phone rings I answer it. This woman with an American accent says she is phoning from the situation room in the White House for President Clinton and is looking to speak to Gerry Adams. I thought it was one of my friends Geraldine Crawford, who was part of our support team, winding me up.

So I said “aye dead on Geraldine do you think I'm stupid?”

The woman paused and said “Excuse me this is President Clinton’s office looking to talk to Mr Adams.”

The penny dropped. I had nearly derailed the peace process a second time.

Two months later the election to the Assembly took place. I was selected to be one of the Sinn Féin candidates. The party won four of the six seats – Gerry Adams, Bairbre de Brún, Alex Maskey and myself. It was an exciting time and I remained an MLA until 2014 when I had to stand down due to ill health.

I have a few other funny stories but I think I will wait until the 50 anniversary before I tell them that way I will be far too old to get shouted at.

Celebrating St. Patrick and the GFA: Gerry Kelly:

 

Celebrating St. Patrick and the GFA

This week Uachtarán Shinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald and Leas Uachtarán Michelle O’Neill will be in the USA for the St. Patrick’s Day events. St. Patrick’s Day or week is regular part of the annual calendar for the Irish diaspora everywhere but especially in the USA.

Mary Lou and Michelle and Conor Murphy will engage in an extensive round of diplomatic talks with senior political leaders on Capitol Hill. They will brief them on the current situation and attend events with business leaders to promote investment. They will also meet with representatives of Irish America without whom none of this would be possible.

This year is particularly special because it marks the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Irish America and the Clinton Administration played a crucial role in helping all of us to achieve that historic event in April 1998 and critically Irish America and successive US administrations have maintained that commitment in all of the years since.  

I haven’t travelled to the USA in recent years. However, seven of the most important Irish American organisations have come together to mark 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement and to host an event in New York on 3 April to “reflect on twenty-five years of peace and progress on the island of Ireland.”

President Bill Clinton will join with me and our hosts in looking back on those momentous events, as well as looking forward to a future in which the promise of the Good Friday Agreement will be fully implemented.

Further evidence of Irish America’s commitment to Irish reunification is also evident this week in a major advert that has been taken out by those same Irish American organisations in the Washington Post; New York Times; Irish Voice and Irish Echo and Examiner (USA) and online in the San Francisco Chronicle and LA Times.

Surrender. 40 Songs. One Story.

I have just finished reading Bono’s book, Surrender. It is a good read and the U2 singer is a very good writer. He knows how to tell a story. But perhaps we should not be surprised at this. Bono has penned a long string of very good songs.

This is an impressive  book. Made up of forty short stories. Each based on a U2 song. But it works well also as unit, as a narrative. I like autobiographies. If they are written well. And this one is. It is particularly insightful about the origins of U2, Bono’s relationships with the other band members and with Paul McGuinness their former manager. So too about the influence of other lifelong friends. And his youthful religious experiences.

We all need people in our lives who sustain us in good times and also more importantly when times are not so good. Bono acknowledges this and his own occasional testing of the patience of those closest to him.

Ali, Bono’s wife, is a constant in his life. And a good influence. He acknowledges this also. And with some humility. You don’t get to be married as long as he is without appreciation of your other half. Ali is undoubtedly a mighty woman. Bono makes this clear. He is lucky to have her. He makes this clear also.

He also writes of his mother Iris who died when he was fourteen and of the enduring personal effect this had on him, even when he didn’t always understand it when he was younger. Now in his sixties he can look back with a clearer sense of self awareness. So too with his relationship with his father. And how he himself  adjusted to parenthood. For me these personal elements of the book are the most moving, not least because of the candid fluent way they are written.

I enjoyed the passages where he takes us into the music and song writing experiences. I am fascinated by how people can create memorable songs, music and poetry to uplift and to take us out of ourselves. Work of the imagination is the essence of art. Music making is a magical process. U2 are wizards at it.

Bono’s work as an activist is also chronicled in great detail. He asks questions of himself and of decisions made by him along the way. I can appreciate the contradictions of some of the choices he made, particularly in efforts to broaden support among world leaders for much needed measures to help others in the developing world. Surrender sets out the rationale behind some of these decisions, not always with the support of his friends or other activists.  His answers on other issues, for example on U2 moving one of its companies abroad to avoid tax, aren’t always as clear. So too with some of his perceptions about militant Irish republicans. But in this new era we will forgive him for that.

Surrender is well worth reading. Writing it is no mean achievement. Fair play Bono. Surrender:40 Songs, One Story. Published By  Hutchinson Heinmann.

 

This island will be as one by Gerry Kelly

As part of my reflection on the Good Friday Agreement I have asked comrades who were part of that process to write about their memories. Last week it was Bairbre de Brún. This week it is Gerry Kelly:

I was released from prison in 1989, after serving a total of 16 years in various jails and jurisdictions. I joined Sinn Fein on release and was, soon after, part of the discussions that were going on at that time in pursuit of a peaceful way forward. An intermittent line of communication between Sinn Fein and the British government had existed over many years and had become active again.

My first step into negotiations was when I was asked to accompany Martin Mc Guinness to an exploratory meeting with a British government representative on March 23, 1993.

During this exchange, the British Representative stated, amongst other things, ‘The final solution is union. It is going to happen anyway…..Unionists will have to change. This island will be as one.’

To me, it was a meeting of considerable significance but I wasn’t thinking of it as a seminal moment-though in hindsight I believe it was.

After discussion, the leadership’s view was to engage but cautiously, as our historical experience with Perfidious Albion was not encouraging. If there was to be a negotiation then there had to be a public manifestation of this and that it had to include all the protagonists.

The IRA declared a cessation of military activity on August 31 1994, to create a peaceful atmosphere for talks to take place.

A few months later, in December 1994, Martin Mc Guinness, led myself, Lucilita Bhreatnach, Siobhan O’Hanlon and Sean Mc Manus into Stormont to face the permanent under-secretary, Quentin Thomas.

Fairly quickly we suspected that the British were using the meetings to slow things down. Presumably this was because PM John Major depended on Unionist votes to remain in power and Unionism was against talks with Republicans.

However, when Labour came to power with a huge majority, under Tony Blair, in May 1997, things changed. The negotiations which led to the GFA really began.

Ironically, the exact same civil servants, who sat across the table in 1994, filibustering, now began to engage on the real issues.

Unionists led by David Trimble stubbornly refused to talk directly to Sinn Féin. The epitome of this manifested itself when all the parties were invited to South Africa to allow for relationship building away from the public eye.

The Unionists refused to travel on the same transport as Sinn Féin so they all piled on to a military Hercules jet while we were given a small and very comfortable Executive jet for the same journey.

This continued when a picnic was organised for all delegates. While the others travelled in a large coach we travelled in a minibus with a couple of South African Ministers. The Women’s Coalition members came with us. We arrived first. The Coach carrying everyone else passed by on the upper Road a number of times because David Trimble refused to come down while we were there!

To cap it all, the Unionist delegation demanded a separate meeting with the President. This appalled the South African hosts. However, Nelson Mandela, in his own inimitable way, accepted their request but said to the Unionist delegations that they would not achieve anything by simply talking to their friends.

Despite, all of the difficulties, The Good Friday Agreement was signed. It was indeed an historical breakthrough, which was massively endorsed by the people across Ireland, North and South.

 

27 Feb 23: To Be or not to Be: The Story of Moore St: Remembering Wounded Knee: Horror in Palestine and the Mediterranean

 

To Be Or Not To Be.

As this column goes to press it appears that the British PM Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission have reached an Agreement on the Protocol.  The so-called ‘Windsor Framework.’ To add to the excitement Dame Arlene Foster is giving off because King Charles is having tea with Ursula von der Leyen – a proverbial storm in a tea cup. The next few days - or longer - will see how the new Agreement goes down particularly among the Brexiteers here in the North. Remember the majority of people here voted against Brexit. Watch this space. 

The Story of Moore Street

Last week the Moore Street Preservation Trust held an Urgent Public Meeting in Liberty Hall in Dublin to discuss the crisis surrounding the future development of the Moore St. Battlefield site and the threat posed to these historic 1916 laneways by a developer. 

The meeting was chaired by Christina McLoughlin who is the niece of Sean McLoughlin. He was appointed Commandant General of the Republican forces in Dublin after James Connolly was wounded. A short film by acclaimed Belfast filmmaker Sean Murray – The Story of Moore Street 1916 – and narrated by Stephen Rea was shown to very warm applause. Frank Connolly for SIPTU which supports the campaign welcomed everyone to Liberty Hall.

Patrick Cooney, who is one of the founders of the Save Moore St campaign and Cork Architect Seán Antóin Ó Muirí provided background to the campaign and described the alternative master plan for the creation of a cultural and historical quarter in Moore St and its environs. The alternative plan brings best international practice to the preservation of this historic site.  

James Connolly’s great grandson James Connolly Heron was the main speaker. He castigated the developer Hammerson who recently claimed to be aware and respectful of the importance of this last extant 1916 battleground but yet at the same time has embarked on legal proceedings to overturn the decision of Dublin City Councillors to protect Moore St.

The developer claims that its plan will sensitively rejuvenate this historic part of Dublin. James Connolly Heron said: “It will do nothing of the sort. It will redraw streets and lanes that have remained intact for over a century. It will take a wrecking ball to an area that predates the rising. A street that predates the famine and survived the disgraceful blitzing of our capital city in 1916 by enemy forces with incendiary shellfire… This is not planning in the public interest. This is the Craggy Island approach to planning.”

At the end of the evening Micheál MacDonncha who is the Secretary of the Moore St Preservation Trust joined the speakers on stage where they all appealed to people to:

·        Scaip an scéal – Support the Trust’s plan for a Moore St. historic quarter: Contact your local TDs, Councillors, trade union, workplace, college etc.

·        Tabhair tús áite dó – Prioritise: Lobby TDs on the Housing Committee to prioritise the Cultural Quarter Bill.

·        Na meáin shoisialta – Social media: Like, share and engage

·        Imeachtaí – Events: Attend our upcoming events or contact us to organise an event in your area.

Thanks to all of those who took part in the event, including Evelyn Campbell and Bert Versey who provided songs appropriate to the evening. And thanks also to the staff in Liberty Hall who made it all possible.

The alternative plan envisages the transformation of the Moore St. area into a historical cultural quarter, keeping the streets and laneways intact and holding it in trust for future generations.

For more information: https://www.facebook.com/MooreStreetTrust/

 

Remembering Wounded Knee

On 27 February 1973 several hundred Native Americans of the Oglala Lakota people occupied Wounded Knee in South Dakota in a move intended to highlight their demand for sovereign rights. The stand-off between the Native American people and federal authorities lasted 71 days and involved daily fire-fights. Two Native Americans were killed.

Wounded Knee was chosen in 1973 because it was the site of an infamous massacre in December 1890 of some 300 native peoples by the US Calvary, many of them women and children.

Last weekend native peoples gathered in Rapid City, South Dakota and also at the site of the 1890 massacre at Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, to mark the 1973 occupation and to remember those, like Russell Means, Dennis Banks and Clyde Bellecourt who participated in the event and who have since died. They also called for the release of Leonard Peltier who was convicted in 1977 of the killing of two FBI agents during a confrontation at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota two years earlier. Leonard has been in prison for 46 years. In the years since then serious doubts have been raised about his conviction.

The decision to occupy Wounded Knee 50 years ago was a desperate action by native peoples who had been subject to decades of violations of their treaty rights. Several hundred took part in the occupation calling for investigations into the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the running of the reservations, as well as congressional hearings on treaty violations. U.S. Marshals and FBI agents surrounded the town. There followed a three month confrontation which only ended in early May 1973 when the native people agreed to leave Wounded Knee.

As part of the last weekend’s ceremonies I was asked to contribute a video to the programme of events. I was happy to do that.

Almost 40 years ago Clyde Bellacourt and a delegation from the American Indian Movement (AIM) arrived in Ireland. I had the great honour to meet them. Clyde, who was one of the Movement’s founders said: “Like the Irish people we had to fight against cultural genocide.”

On that occasion we visited Milltown Cemetery and stood at the gravesides of Bobby Sands, Kieran Doherty and Joe McDonnell who died on hunger strike along with seven of their comrades in 1981. The delegation laid a wreath at the graves of our patriot dead and chanted the national anthem of AIM to the beat of their sacred drum.

In the years since then I have written regularly to successive US Presidents calling for the release of Leonard Peltier. I have also written to Leonard and I took the opportunity in my video to again extend solidarity to him. Leonard is the victim of a miscarriage of justice and should long ago have been freed.

The Irish proverb: “Is ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine.” translates as: “We all live in each other’s shadow.” In other words we are all interlinked. An example of this occurred in 1847. That was the worst year of An Gorta Mór – the Great Hunger – which took over a million lives in Ireland over five years.

The Choctaw nation was originally from the Mississippi region. In 1830 15,000 people were forced to walk 600 miles to Oklahoma. In what subsequently came to be known as the ‘Trail of Tears’ a quarter of them died.

Despite the many dangers and challenges they faced in their own lives the Choctaw people were moved by the accounts of the great hunger in Ireland. At a meeting they raised $170 – about $5,000 today and they sent it to Ireland. That act of kindness and generosity has never been forgotten. Consequently, during the pandemic Irish people raised over three million dollars to help provide clean water, food and health supplies to people in the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Reservation.

So, one act of generosity, of solidarity 176 years ago was reciprocated by another act of solidarity. Is ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine.

Solidarity and best wishes to all of those who participated in last weekend’s anniversary event.

Is ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine.

 

Horror in Palestine and the Mediterranean

Israeli settlers danced in the street as they burned 75 Palestinian homes and killed a Palestinian man in Huwara. The plight of the people of Palestine gets worse day by day. It is an international disgrace that this is allowed to continue. Apartheid Israel is evil and inhumane. The international community must defend international law, condemn such human rights abuses and stand up for the rights of people.

So too for the poor people who are fleeing from their own countries, especially those who perished in the Mediterranean this week. Around 100 drowned, including 12 children.

The Mediterranean Sea route is the deadliest for people fleeing war and hunger and poverty. Last year at least two thousand died but the number is likely much higher. Between 2014 and 2018 12,000 people who drowned were never found. Instead of seeking to rescue people from boats run by criminal gangs inhumane policies by western governments leave them to drown. Shameful.

Macalla na mB��n: A quarter of a century of the GFA:

 

Rita O'Hare

Macalla na mB��n. 

Thisweek���s column is dedicated to women. It includes a guest piece by Bairbre deBr��n, former MLA and Minister.

Wednesdaywas International Women���s Day. It is a day set aside to celebrate the advancesof women and their contribution to society and to draw attention to theinequalities and injustices still experienced by them. In the last week threewoman friends of mine died.

Theywere Rita O Hare, Bridie Crowe and Marie McBride. I extend my sympathy andsolidarity to their clans.

Ritais well known as a republican activist here and in North America. For manyyears she was one of our leaders. For most of her adult life she was arepublican activist. Her story is a remarkable account of courage and tenacityand guts. As an IRA volunteer she confronted the British Army. She wasgrievously shot, imprisoned in Armagh Prison, got bail, went on the run, wasimprisoned in the South and beat extradition. She was a campaigning journalist,editor of An Phoblacht, part of our national leadership, a core member of ournegotiating team and for over two decades the Sinn F��in representative in theUSA and Canada.

Inthat time she built up very effective personal and diplomatic relationship withPresidents, Congress members, Senators, their staffers, and IrishAmerica. 

Bride Crowe

LikeRita, Bridie Crowe is an old comrade although I have not seen her for sometime. She lived in the Whiterock and she and her husband Alex were part of thegreat popular uprising of the late 1960s. Bridie was a volunteer with Cumann namBan. She was kind, down to earth, generous and funny. She was one of thoseindomitable working class women who faced down the British Army when they camewith their tanks and guns into West Belfast.

Bridiereared a young family and spent years and years visiting Alex in Long Kesh. Sheand Colette and Anne Marie and Dorothy Maguire and wee Maureen and Anne Maguirewere great friends along with the other risen women from that era.

Marie McBride

MarieMcBride is a younger woman from a different generation. From Springhill.  The youngest of Paddy and Ann McBride���sdaughters and the mother of two young children Elise and Cullan. A teacher andan avid reader of books. A young woman who was yet to realise her full potential.Rita and Bridie were both mothers and grandmothers.  They lived longfull lives. Marie���s life was tragically cut short.

Ritaand Bridie have long understood the connection between Irish freedom andequality and women���s rights. They knew there can be no real freedom withoutwomen���s freedom. Bairbre knows that also. So did Marie.

Weburied Bridie on Monday. On Tuesday it was Rita���s turn. We buried Marie onWednesday- International Women���s Day.

 

Macalla na mBan

Streachailt na mbBan

Caoineadh na mBan

Fulaingt na mBan

Neart na mBan

Foighne na mBan

Fearg na mBan

D��chas na mBan

Ceol na mBan

Cro�� na mBan

Craic na mBan

G��ire na mBan

Cairdeas na mBan

��thas na mBan

Gr�� na mBan

Todhcha�� na mBan

Saoirse na mBan

 

A quarter of a century of the GFA

The GoodFriday Agreement will be 25 years old next month. It is probably the mostimportant political agreement of our time in Ireland. It is also an agreementthat was overwhelmingly endorsed in referendum North and South by the people ofIreland.

Since then ithas witnessed many ups and downs, including at this time when the institutionsare not in place due to the intransigence of the DUP and the machinations ofsuccessive Tory governments. However, despite these difficulties the Agreementhas succeeded in bringing about significant political and economic change notleast in the almost complete absence of conflict. It is also seen as an exampleof hope by many people internationally who are looking for ways in which toresolve other deep rooted conflicts.

The GoodFriday Agreement isn���t a perfect agreement. It was after all a compromisebetween conflicting political positions after decades of violence andgenerations of division. It is also a fact that crucial elements of the Agreementhave still not been implemented by the British and Irish governments, includinga Bill of Rights for the North; the Civic Forum; and a Charter ofRights for the island of Ireland.

Over the nextfew weeks as the debate around the anniversary of the Agreement increases Ithought I would provide an opportunity for some of my comrades, who were partof our team which negotiated the Agreement, to reflect on their memories ofthat time.

I begin thisweek with Bairbre de Br��n: 

���Thelate 1990s included moments of great hope and pride.  It also included real lows such as hearingabout the Omagh bomb and the tragic loss of life that day.  There is always the danger that naming oneevent can appear to diminish others, but that was not the case.   We were always aware throughout that periodof the real suffering people were going through and the determination to leadeveryone to a better place. 

Iwent from being a local activist and Ard Chomhairle member who travelled abroadto promote the peace process, to being a teacher in an Irish medium school whotook a year out to join Martin McGuinness on the Business Committee of thenegotiations, to joining Martin in the Executive that was set up after the GoodFriday Agreement as the first Sinn F��in Ministers in the North and, in my case,one of the first ever female Ministers from any local party.   I still pinch myself when I think of sharingthese experiences with Martin, Gerry, and other giants of that period ofhistory. 

Wewent to South Africa and met with Nelson Mandela, as ANC members shared theirexperiences of negotiations with us, and here at home we saw local democracy inaction as community halls were packed with community activists pushing toinclude their needs and their demands on the negotiations agenda, and womenmarched to secure women���s place in what came out of the negotiations.

Whenthe talks began, Sinn Fein was excluded.  There were a lot of protests as people were angry they were being denieda voice at the table because their representatives were not at the table. Talkingto someone from the ANC,  I remarkedabout ���when Sinn Fein gets into the negotiations���.   He laughed.  ���You are already in the negotiations���, he said.  ���Make no mistake about that.  You may not be formally at the table rightnow, but you are very much part of the negotiations.

Peopleopened their homes to us so that we could discuss negotiating strategy withsome measure of privacy.   We had a broadnegotiations team that carried out the painstaking work of preparing and refiningpapers and positions for our main negotiators on the range of issues thateventually became the Good Friday Agreement. I have fond and proud memories of meeting and working with those in ourcommunities who had expertise on that range of issues to tease out with themthe possibilities and limitations of what we could hope to achieve.

Ournegotiating position on the constitutional issue was a United Ireland.  If we���d had more political strength at thattime, we���d have got what we sought immediately.   Had we had less political strength wewouldn���t have got the peaceful way forward which we did achieve.  

AnMLA told me recently that he grew up visiting the prisons and could never haveimagined that that would ever change, yet suddenly it did.  That gives him, and us hope that barriersthat may seem overwhelming can be temporary and can be overcome.  We should never lose sight of what ispossible.���