Adams - Sinn Féin wants to achieve maximum change
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams MP speaking at an event to commemorate
Seán Sabhat and Feargal Ó hAnnluain who were killed on this day 50
years during the Brookeborough raid in County Fermanagh. Speaking in
Fermanagh Mr. Adams said:
"Republican strategy today is about
building political strength; popularising republican ideas; and, mobilising,
organising and strategising how we achieve a free, united Ireland.
As part of this we have to secure a new peaceful accord with our unionist
neigbours based upon equality. The new Ireland cannot be built solely on our
terms. This is the context in which we must approach the issues of policing
and justice.
Our strategic focus has been to break the grip of
the unionist elite, the NIO, and British securocrats, whose efforts are
about keeping political policing.
Our efforts have been to end
political policing.
Consequently, Sinn Fein has pursued a
relentless negotiation strategy since 1999. Significant progress has been
made on key policing and justice issues in this period.
The party
leadership believe this represents a sustainable basis to deliver a new
beginning to policing in the context of our strategic objectives; the full
implementation of the Good Friday Agreement; and, moving the struggle closer
to our primary aim of Irish independence, self determination, and
sovereignty.
This strategic initiative presents a massive
challenge for republicans. But like all republican initiatives, it is risky.
The Brookeborough raid was risky. Struggle of any kind is risky. We should
remember that those who want to maximise change, must be prepared to take
the greatest risks.
In turn, activists must bring a long term and
national perspective to what we do next. We all need to be clear sighted
about how we advance the outcome of this negotiation towards where we want
to be:
* beyond the assembly election in March 07;
* beyond the
full restoration of the assembly, executive and all-Ireland institutions;
* beyond the general election in the south in May/June 07;
* and, in
relation to the overall balance of political forces nationally.
In the weeks ahead we will debate all these issues.
The Sinn Féin
leadership will continue to set out what we believe has been achieved. We
will set out what we believe are the necessary next steps in advancing our
struggle. That is our responsibility.
It is your responsibility
to engage and to bring to this debate your knowledge and experience as
activists grounded in struggle.
We also need to ensure that there
is room for everyone to express their views, that we talk to those who have
been victims of collusion and state murder, the families of our patriot dead
and republican veterans. Let us have our debate, take our decision and move
forward united.
Republicans have never lacked courage. The
courage to take up arms like Seán and Feargal in their time, and
countless other men and women in our own time. The courage to confront
injustice and discrimination. The courage to seize an opportunity for peace.
The courage to take risks and at all times to move forward.
For
years we stayed outside policing structures because that was the best way to
bring about change. Now we want to move into those structures because that
is now the best way to maximise that change.
Our intention, if
the Ard Fheis agrees with the Ard Chomhairle, is to ensure that no police
officer ever again does what was done on our people without being held to
account.
If the Ard Fheis accepts our proposal Sinn Féin
representatives will work to ensure that political policing, collusion and
"the force within a force" is a thing of the past and oppose any
involvement by the British Security Service/MI5 in civic policing.
And Sinn Fein representatives will robustly support the demands for:
equality of treatment for all victims,
effective truth recovery
mechanisms,
acknowledgement by the British State of its involvement in
wrongdoing including collusion with loyalist paramilitaries,
to ensure
that there is no place in the PSNI for human rights abusers.
By
building political strength we can build the capacity to move our entire
struggle forward. By building political strength we can build the capacity
to move both the British government and the unionists and influence directly
the political agenda in the 26 counties.
"I believe if we advance
together, united behind our republican goals, we will win our freedom and
build the united Ireland for which Seán Sabhat and Feargal Ó hAnnluain
gave their lives."ENDS
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TEXT
Ba mhaith liom tús a dhéanamh le fáilte chuig an ócáid
speisialta seo a chur romhaibh uilig.
Ba mhaith liom buíochas
speisialta ghabháil le gach duine ar Choiste an Chaogú Cuimhneachán ar
Fheargal Ó hAnnluain agus Seán Sabhat - tá dian-obair déanta
acu le linn na míonna seo caite leis an chuimhneachán seo a eagrú;
leis a leabhar breá seo a fhoilsiú - comhghairdeas.
Ba
mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh na daoine sin a ghlac páirt, i
gcomhar le Feargal agus Seán, san ionsaí stairiúil sin caoga bliain ó shin
inniu. Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh teaghlach Fheargal Uí Annluain.
Bhí deartháir Sheáin Shabhat le bheith linn inniu ach ní raibh
sé ábalta teacht sa deireadh. Guímid gach rath air.
I want to begin by welcoming you all here today on this very special
occasion.
I want to say a special word of thanks and commendation
- comhairgdeas
- to all of those in the Feargal Ó hAnnluain and Seán
Sabhat 50th
Anniversary Committee who worked very hard over many months
to organise this
commemoration; the other events and who produced this
very fine 48 page booklet.
I want to welcome those who
participated with Feargal and Seán on that fateful Brookeborough raid
50 years ago today. And I want to especially welcome the family of Feargal Ó
hAnnluain, his sister, brothers and other members of the family.
I am sure they will understand me extending a special welcome to Fergal's
sister Pádraigín Uí Mhurchadha who is the longest serving Sinn
Féin councillor in Co. Monaghan with 21 years unbroken service to the
people on Monaghan Town Council.
Fergal's brother Éineachán was
one of the four Sinn Féin TDs elected in 1957. Their cousin Caoimhghín
Ó Caoláin next year will have served for a decade as Sinn Féin TD
for Cavan-Monaghan
Seán Sabhat's brother Seamus was due to be
with us today but couldn't make it because he is unwell. Our best wishes go
to him.
We owe a deep and heartfelt thank you to the families of
Feargal Ó hAnnluain and Seán Sabhat. We are very proud of you and
of the dignified example you have consistently set.
Feargal Ó
hAnnluain and Seán Sabhat were two young men from almost opposite ends
of this island. Feargal was from Monaghan, Seán was from Limerick.
Feargal Ó hAnnluain was almost 21. Seán Sabhat was 28. Both men, and
their comrades in the North Fermanagh Resistance Column - generally known as
the Pearse Column - were resolutely opposed to British rule in our country.
Fergal and Seán were part of a major, planned resistance campaign by the
IRA which was formally launched on December 12th 1956.
'Operation
Harvest' had been years in the planning. The early 1950s saw an
intensification of training and arms procurement and a series of daring
raids on places like Ebrington Barracks in Derry in 1951 and Gough Barracks
in Armagh in 1954.
More and more people were also turning to
Irish republicans for political leadership. In May 1955 two republican
prisoners, Tom Mitchell in Mid Ulster and Phil Clarke here in Fermanagh
South Tyrone were elected as MPs. Later in 1957 four Sinn Féin TDs were
elected.
'Operation Harvest' was an ambitious plan. Its
inspiration were the guerrilla tactics employed so successfully during the
Tan War and in particular the use of flying columns.
The first
engagement by the Pearse Column was an attack on Lisnaskea barracks on
December 13th. The column was led by Sean Garland and Daithí Ó
Conaill was second in command. I remember at a commemoration in Monaghan how
Daithí Ó Conaill enthralled us all with his account of the
Brookeborough raid.
As he recalled it that day there was snow on
the ground and in the hills. 14 IRA Volunteers set out in a lorry from
Bunlogher at around 7pm to attack the RUC barracks in Brookeborough village.
11 volunteers lay in the back of the truck. They were armed with a
mixture of weapons, including two Bren guns, two Thompsons, and 303 rifles.
They also had two mines, six grenades and six Molotov cocktails.
They drove their lorry up to the front of the barracks.
The two
mines were placed at the front door but both failed to explode. In the gun
battle that ensued Feargal Ó hAnnluain and Seán Sabhat were
mortally wounded. Four other volunteers were also shot. Sean Garland ordered
the column to withdraw. The lorry had been badly damaged. It stopped here at
Altawark crossroads and Feargal and Seán were
carried into a farm
building.
When it was clear that both were dead Daithí Ó Conaill,
who now took command from a wounded Seán Garland, ordered all the remaining
members of the column to begin the long and exhausting journey across
country toward the border.
As they made their way over rough
terrain, through deep snow drifts and bog land, carrying their wounded, two
more volunteers were injured. All the time they were being pursued. Two
helicopters and up to 4,000 RUC, B Specials and others were involved in an
intensive search of the area.
After many difficult hours they
reached Mulligan's house in County Monaghan. The injured were taken
initially to Monaghan hospital before being moved to Dublin. The others were
arrested and spent six months in prison. Thousands turned out in Monaghan,
Dublin and Limerick at the funerals of Feargal Ó hAnnluain and Seán Sabhat.
At Feargal Ó hAnnluain's graveside Noel Kavanagh said: "If you wish
to erect a monument to this Volunteer I ask you to erect a monument which
can be seen all over the world. I have in mind a monument that Fergal would
like and that monument is the Irish Republic."
Diarmaid Ó
Donnchadha giving the oration for Seán Sabhat said: "Ba mhór aige
prionsabhail, ba mhór aige saoirse, ba mhor aige Gaelachas. He died for
my freedom; for my sake, for your sake, for the sake of the generations that
are to come ... let his life and his death be a lesson and a guide to all of
us. Ní hamháin gur lean sé lorg Mhic Piarias agus Emmet agus Tone,
ach dhein sé staidéar ar dhúchas agus stair Gael ó thosach ré na staire -
agus dhein sé beart dá réir."
The Taoiseach
John A Costello was praised by the Unionist regime in the north when he
condemned the attack. Costello was supported in his stand by Fianna Fáil
leader Eamon De Valera.
Three months later Fianna Fáil came to
power.
Immediately it embarked on a vigorous policy of
repression, including the widespread use of internment. De Valera invoked
the Offences against the State Act. Five years later Operation Harvest was
formally brought to an end.
The IRA were entirely right to embark
on the Border Campaign in 1956. In 1962 when they called an end to that
campaign that was also their right and judgement.
Just as it was
the right and the judgement of the IRA in more recent times to bring an end
to its armed campaign. And I also think it is worth recalling the IRA
statement issued in
February 1962.
The IRA ended its
campaign because in their own words the Irish people had been 'deliberately
distracted from the supreme issue facing the Irish people, the unity and
freedom of Ireland." Compare that situation with the situation today.
When the IRA ended its armed campaign in more recent times it did so to
advance the peace process and the republican struggle. In 1962 the IRA
statement called upon Irish people to support and mobilise around republican
objectives and expressed confidence for the future of our struggle if that
happened.
This generation of republicans has risen to that
challenge. People nowadays are mobilising around republican objectives like
never before. Today there are more republicans on this island than at any
time since the 1920s.
The British and the unionists are
challenged by a republican party - Sinn
Féin - stronger than at any
time in living memory - and growing. We know that with hard work and clear
strategies we will continue to make advances.
But to make further
advances we need to build our struggle; build our party and build our
political strength. But all of us need to remain focused on what this
struggle is about and
what we are seeking to achieve. We need always to
remember the huge sacrifices made by those like Seán Sabhat and Feargal Ó
hAnnluain and their families.
The struggle is about breaking the
connection with Britain. It's about uniting orange and green in a new united
Ireland. It's about building a genuinely egalitarian national republic.
It's about equality and social justice for all our people. It's about making
the Proclamation of 1916 a reality. It's about ensuring the continuation of
the process of change which
will achieve these goals.
All of
which brings me to the current situation.
I am very aware of the
irony that this is my first public engagement since the Sinn Fein Ard
Chomhairle decided last Friday to call a special Ard Fheis to decide our
party's attitude to the PSNI.
I see no contradiction in honouring
the sacrifices of Feargal Ó hAnnluain and Seán Sabhat and the other IRA
volunteers who went out to attack the RUC at Brookborough and half a century
later in commending Sinn Féin's policing proposals to the republican
people of this island.
I do not for one minute underestimate the
difficulties republicans have in addressing this issue.
We have
all lived through the days of sectarian and political policing. The violent
excesses of the RUC and their surrogates in the unionist death squads have
touched every person here.
Our approach has to be about ending
all of that. Ignoring policing is simply not an option.
Sinn Féin
brought the issue of policing into the heart of the negotiations which led
to the Good Friday Agreement.
We did that because it was clear
that peace could never be underpinned while the RUC remained intact -
directing policy, directing death squads and oppressing our people
The transfer of powers on policing and justice away from London and into
Irish hands will be an advance for the democratic struggle on this island.
That is why it has met so much resistance within the British and unionist
establishment.
So for many reasons republicans need to come at
this issue strategically.
The big question we all need to
ask ourselves is: are our republican objectives more achievable if we secure
the level playing field set out in the Good Friday Agreement?
The
answer to this question and others like it is yes.
Be sure of
this, getting our strategy right on this is inevitably bound up with how we
move forward beyond partition to the Republic.
Despite
major advances in recent years Sinn Fein does not yet command
sufficient political strength to realise our primary and ultimate aims.
We do well to remember that struggles cannot be won without the support of
people, and a huge battle for hearts and minds has still to be waged,
to
mobilise greater levels of popular support behind republican aims and
objectives.
There are no short cuts to independence and a New
Ireland.
"Republican strategy today is about building political strength;
popularising republican ideas; and, mobilising, organising and strategising
how we achieve a free, united Ireland.
As part of this we have to
secure a new peaceful accord with our unionist neigbours based upon
equality. The new Ireland cannot be built solely on our terms. This is the
context in which we must approach the issues of policing and justice.
Our strategic focus has been to break the grip of the unionist elite, the NIO,
and British securocrats, whose efforts are about keeping political policing.
Our efforts have been to end political policing.
Consequently, Sinn
Fein has pursued a relentless negotiation strategy since 1999. Significant
progress has been made on key policing and justice issues in this period.
The party leadership believe this represents a sustainable basis to deliver a
new beginning to policing in the context of our strategic objectives; the
full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement; and, moving the struggle
closer to our primary aim of Irish independence, self determination, and
sovereignty.
This strategic initiative presents a massive
challenge for republicans. But like all republican initiatives, it is risky.
The Brookeborough raid was risky. Struggle of any kind is risky. We should
remember that those who want to maximise change, must be prepared to take
the greatest risks.
In turn, activists must bring a long term and
national perspective to what we do next. We all need to be clear sighted
about how we advance the outcome of this negotiation towards where we want
to be:
* beyond the assembly election in March 07;
* beyond the
full restoration of the assembly, executive and all-Ireland institutions;
* beyond the general election in the south in May/June 07;
* and, in
relation to the overall balance of political forces nationally.
In the weeks ahead we will debate all these issues.
The Sinn Féin
leadership will continue to set out what we believe has been achieved. We
will set out what we believe are the necessary next steps in advancing our
struggle. That is our responsibility.
It is your responsibility
to engage and to bring to this debate your knowledge and experience as
activists grounded in struggle.
We also need to ensure that there
is room for everyone to express their views, that we talk to those who have
been victims of collusion and state murder, the families of our patriot dead
and republican veterans. Let us have our debate, take our decision and move
forward united.
Republicans have never lacked courage. The
courage to take up arms like Seán and Feargal in their time, and countless
other men and women in our own time. The courage to confront injustice and
discrimination. The courage to seize an opportunity for peace. The courage
to take risks and at all times to move forward.
For years we
stayed outside policing structures because that was the best way to bring
about change. Now we want to move into those structures because that is now
the best way to maximise that change.
Our intention, if the Ard
Fheis agrees with the Ard Chomhairle, is to ensure that no police officer
ever again does what was done on our people without being held to account.
If the Ard Fheis accepts our proposal Sinn Féin representatives will work to
ensure that political policing, collusion and "the force within a force" is
a thing of the past and oppose any involvement by the British Security
Service/MI5 in civic policing.
And Sinn Fein representatives will
robustly support the demands for:
equality of treatment for all victims,
effective truth recovery
mechanisms,
acknowledgement by the British State of its involvement in
wrongdoing including collusion with loyalist paramilitaries,
to ensure
that there is no place in the PSNI for human rights abusers.
By
building political strength we can build the capacity to move our entire
struggle forward. By building political strength we can build the capacity
to move both the British government and the unionists and influence directly
the political agenda in the 26 counties.
"I believe if we advance
together, united behind our republican goals, we will win our freedom and
build the united Ireland for which Seán Sabhat and Feargal Ó hAnnluain gave
their lives.
That is our duty.
Tá a lan obair le
deanamh again. Leanagai ar aghaigh ó an ait stairuil seo agus deanagai
an obair seo.