Sligo 32 County Sovereignty Movement

Join 32csm

2011-06-30T20:22:00.004+01:00

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement is currently recruiting in the Sligo and greater Connaught region,if your interested in joining contact 32csmconnaught@gmail.com or joinus@32csm.info

32csm wolfe tone commemoration

2011-06-30T20:18:00.002+01:00

Unemployment in the North West

2011-06-02T00:46:00.001+01:00

Unemployment in the North West
Recent figures released by the government show that unemplyment across Ireland has now hit 15%. Unemployment rates are highest amongst young males aged 18-25. Nearly half a million people are now on the dole. The North West suffers from a proportionally higher degree of long term unemployment than the rest of the country. This is due primarily to long term neglect of the region by successive governments who failed to invest in infrastructure or jobs creation. Sligo, Donegal and Leitrim all now have thousands of people who have little prospects of finding employment in the near future. These people are treated by the government and media as a problem. Their benefits are constantly attacked and business lobby groups advocate cutting them further as an "incentive to work".
The reality is that the people on the dole would rather be employed and earning a steady wage. They are not the problem.Rather it is the billions of euros being pumped into pointless banks to pay off private debt that is the problem. The government can always seem to find more money to support the bankers yet when it comes to helping the unemployed their strapped for cash! The government promised that it would introduce job creation programmes. This has not happened in any satisfactory manner. The 32 County Sovereignty Movement supports the rights of the unemployed and we regard it as essential to organize against further cuts. We urge anyone on the dole who wishes to promote the interests of the working class against the IMF agenda to contact us and help organize campaigns in their area.

Sligo 32csm condemn Government u-turn

2011-06-02T00:45:00.000+01:00

Sligo 32csm condemns government u turn on cancer services
The 32csm in Sligo is disgusted at the continued failure of the government parties to live up to election promises made to the people of the North West region. During the election both labour and Fine Gael candidates stated that they supported the retention of cancer services in Sligo general hospital. Fine Gael td John Perry announced that within the first 100 days of the new government being in power cancer services would be returned to Sligo. This has not happened.
The 32csm has fully supported the save our services campaign. We believe that universal socialized healthcare is what the people of Ireland deserve. The current system of public-private coexisting is an unfair and unequitable system. The level of care that people receive should not be dependent upon whether or not they can afford overpriced private health insurance. We call on the government to stick to its promises and to keep these services in Sligo. If they maintain their current stance then pateints across the North West will be burdened with 8 hour round trips in some cases to receive chemotherapy. This is an extra burden that people suffering from the effects of cancer can not afford.
The 32csm stands by the people of Sligo, Donegal, Leitrim and elsewhere in calling for these services to be returned to Sligo general hospital. We call for an end to the private system taking precedent over the public good. We will not stop in our fight to ensure that the people of the North West are treated efficiently and humanely in their hour of need.

32csm condemn Tom Elliot's statement

2011-06-02T00:44:00.001+01:00

32csm Condemn Tom Elliot’s Remarks

The Ard Comhairle of the 32csm wish to condemn recent remarks made by Tom Elliot, the leader of the UUP. Mr Elliot in the past week has called on Owen Patterson to revoke the licence of ex POW and 32csm member John Connolly. This comment came in the wake of John attending an anti-royal visit protest in Dublin. At the protest two masked members of the crowd burned a Union Jack. John was not involved in this incident, nor did the Gardaí arrest the individuals who burned the flag. Despite these facts Mr Elliot regards John’s presence at a republican protest as sufficient reason to have his licence revoked.

This is not merely a repetition of Tom Elliot’s familiar anti republican rhetoric. Rather we see this as a further step in a sinister pattern that has resulted in a number of ex POWs either being imprisoned on trumped up charges or having their licence revoked due to their political stance. In the past two weeks another of our Ard Comhairle members, Marian Price, had her licence revoked for attending an Easter commemoration in Derry. In the same week two members of Republican Sinn Fein were charged under obscure legislation of "supporting terrorism" for stating in an interview that they supported the right of republicans to engage in armed struggle.

Mr Elliot referred to Marian as a terrorist and justified her internment on those grounds. Given his own lengthy involvement in the UDR who colluded with Loyalist paramilitaries surely he himself qualifies for similar treatment?

This latest statement is not merely a publicity stunt; rather it is an open call for internment and political censorship. John Connolly was released in 2007. He is a well respected community activist and an unashamed republican. Tom Elliot is in effect calling for all ex POWs opposed to the GFA to be interned for their beliefs. Given the case of Martin Corey we do not think that this is mere hyperbole but rather a very distinct strategy being utilized by the British administration in an attempt to silence republicans. The 32csm stands fully behind John and his young family as well as all of the republican ex POWs that Tom Elliot is trying to intimidate and censor. We send solidarity greetings to Marian, Martin and the other republicans imprisoned in Maghaberry for refusing to abandon their beliefs. We urge all republicans to support these individuals in any way they can.

Ard Comhairle
32 County Sovereignty Movement

POW savagely beaten in maghaberry

2011-06-02T00:42:00.001+01:00

Latest from Maghaberry:

Update on POWs : It is being confirmed by Republican POWs in Maghaberry prison, that Harry Fitzsimons has received a severe beating by the riot squad.
They went into his cell this morning, holding their hands over his mouth and nose to stop his breathing, punching his face until they broke his glasses cutting his face and leaving him with a suspected broken nose.
Another POW said he's unrecognisable, having a suspected broken wrist and broken ribs due to the severe punching to his body.The screws then brutally ripped every stitch of clothing off his body, then got on top of him and beat him as he screamed out in pain.
The other POWs said they didnt even recognise the voice. other updates will follow.

Sligo 32CSM Oppose Royal Visit

2011-05-05T16:50:00.001+01:00

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement in Sligo and the North-West would like to register our opposition to the recently announced Royal visit in May. We oppose this visit on a number of grounds.

The queen is the commander in chief of the British armed forces, 5000 of these mercenaries currently occupy the six counties. She is a symbol of British imperialism, an ideology that has caused suffering around the world and which continues to inflict unforgivable atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan. This visit also comes amidst the worst economic downturn to ever affect this country. As 1000 people emigrate each week due to the economic circumstances the government is planning to spend at least 8 million euros for this royal visit. They could not afford to protect Sligo's cancer services or invest in the North West yet there is plenty of money available to ensure the queen is kept in luxury during her visit to the former colony!

We urge all republicans in Sligo and the North West to register their opposition to this visit and to work together to ensure that the queen is left in no doubt that she is not welcome here.
Beir Bua

Easter Commemeration

2011-04-10T17:14:00.002+01:00

IMF Not Welcome in Ireland.

2010-12-04T20:55:00.000Z

32 County Sovereignty Movement.

IMF not welcome in Ireland.

The confirmation that the Free State government is seeking aid from the International Monetary fund and the EU is a grim development in what has been a catastrophic two years for the Irish people. Incompetence, greed and corruption have destroyed the Free State’s ability to manage its own affairs and so with begging cup in hand they have crawled to the IMF.

The 32csm wishes to make clear that the IMF is not welcome in Ireland. Their track record has been one of attacking the working class to preserve the ruling class wherever they have intervened. Make no mistake there are plans being put in place to attack fundamental rights of workers in the 26 Counties. The minimum wage, social welfare and education for working class people are all going to be altered so as to facilitate the process of "recovery". We are calling now on the Trade Union Movement to fight back and to fight back ferociously. The leadership of these bodies have failed to protect workers and have signed deals to preserve social partnership; deals that are now being torn up with abandon.

Now is not the time for meaningless words about people sharing the burden. The burden must be bore by those responsible for it, the bankers, the political establishment and their apologists. Now is the time for a widespread campaign of resistance and fundamental to this must be a National Strike which brings the state to a halt and shows the government and their neo-liberal allies that the power is with the workers!

It is also imperative to point out that an election called now will be nothing more than a rubber stamp of approval for the IMF and their policies for none of the Parties have the moral courage to take a stand for the Irish people above their own interests. The press conferences called by Fianna Fail are to reassure the international banking system not the Irish people. It is the duty of republicans everywhere to support the people of Ireland north and south in resisting these savage cuts, it is the time for unity and the time to resist!

Beir Bua

Time To Act

2010-11-22T19:57:00.002Z

32 County Sovereignty Movement.

Time to Act.

After usurping the Declaration of Independence the architects of the Twenty Six County State invoked a sovereign legitimacy to use British guns on fellow Irish people. It continued to invoke this legitimacy to strap Irishmen to landmines, to execute Irish prisoners, to allow Irishmen die on hunger strike and to employ an English hangman to eradicate those who believed that Irish sovereignty does not stop at the border and that our national ethos should be modelled on the Proclamation.
Invoking a sovereign legitimacy it set about rewriting the terms of its own existence, not in accordance with those who defended it as a preamble to national reunification, but as a prologue for establishing a partitionist power base serving sectional interests. When it introduced its Constitution in 1937 it predicated that document on a definition of sovereignty as one which encompassed the whole island and its peoples. It spent the next sixty one years failing to restore that sovereignty culminating in its abandonment in 1998. It abandoned their fellow Irish people in the Six Counties, standing idly by whilst a sectarian gerrymander was allowed to masquerade as democracy.
Invoking a sovereign legitimacy it raised an army and called it Oglaigh Na hEireann. It placed this army on the border to reinforce its view that the Twenty Six County State had a sovereign right to exist. It sent this army into the world as a symbol of its sovereignty and generously referenced their peace keeping efforts, and their deaths, as a glowing tribute to this sovereignty.
Invoking a sovereign legitimacy it raised its own tax and allowed its governments to utilise these funds for party political interests. It allowed its Ministers to feather their own nests and encouraged a political ethos which was solely concerned with satisfying the local constituency. In pursuit of power it placed the Catholic Church and Financial Speculators at the heart of its policy making with disastrous consequences. Those that
opposed such economics were adjured to commit suicide and those who argued for complete Church State separation were marginalized and stigmatised.
And now it stares into the abyss created by its own abject failure to understand what Irish sovereignty actually represents. It has now surrendered the fate of its citizens to an institution whose sole concern is the making of money no matter the social cost. As a state it can neither look back nor look forward to redeem itself. Only its citizens retain the ability to rise above the penury the state has forced them into.
The 32 County Sovereignty Movement calls on all the Irish people to take back their sovereignty. We call on all republican organisations and the labour movement to unite and organise the shutting down of the state. This is not a time for righteous rhetoric or for tinkering with the status quo. It is a time to reach out and effect fundamental change for our people. Partition has failed on both sides of the border. The restoration of our national sovereignty is an essential prerequisite to achieving this change. It is time to act.

Francie Mackey Address 32CSM Ard Fheis 2010

2010-11-22T19:57:00.001Z

Francie Mackey Address 32CSM Ard Fheis 2010
Chairperson’s Address
Ard Fheis 2010

A chairde, delegates and comrades; we are the spearhead of this struggle. Our innovation, political maturity, our activism and leadership has ensured that this struggle is to the fore in the minds of the political establishment. We are a movement that looks forward and moves forward. We have grasped the nettle of reality concerning our struggle and laid bare the fallacies which have mired it in suspicion and factionalism.

All this we have done because we put republicanism first. We put the objective first. We embraced democracy and married it to our republicanism. We have not cocooned ourselves within restrictive rules or dogmatic history. We took the strength of our argument and brought it to the national and international stage. A liberated republicanism is the proper vehicle for change. A unified republicanism is the most potent mechanism to achieve that change.

Republican unity is not going to go away. All that stands in its way is an unwillingness to engage with it. There is no ideological or political argument against it for if there were we would have heard it by now. It is not a case of the sovereignty movement calling for unity but the goals for which we struggle demanding it. We have no right to stand at the graves of our patriot dead and preach factionalism. We have no right to stand at the monuments of our great thinkers and invoke their words to justify isolationism. And we have no right to stand before our people and in their name give less than the sum total of our parts.

For our part we concentrated on the issue of national sovereignty. We did so because there is armed conflict in our country. As republicans we saw it as our duty to address the causes of this conflict in a clear and defined manner. Ending the armed conflict does not end the struggle for republican ideals. Squabbling over what those ideals should be will not end the armed conflict. War demands from us all an immediacy in our strategic thinking to find ways to resolve it.

We again put forward the view that a coming together of Irish republicans to fashion a course to remove the cause of armed conflict is essential if any of our ideals are to flourish in a unitary state. The sovereignty movement remains committed to this task. We have taken the view that republican unity is more than the coming together of republican organisations. The path the so called peace process has taken has left large numbers of disillusioned republicans searching for direction and new ideas. We are committed to providing these ideas by engaging directly with these republicans. Their contribution to this struggle has been immense and has earned them the right to determine where now they wish to continue it. We want their ideas, we want their commitment, we want their contributions; but we have to earn it. We have to demonstrate to them that our activism looks forward and not back: that our ideas are inclusive and adaptable and not insular and reactionary.

I say to all our activists here that the coming year will require you all to reach out and engage with this constituency. As ambassadors for the sovereignty movement you will need to be fully acquainted with our policies and strategy documents. Read them, and read them again. Discuss them regularly at cumann level but above all spread the thinking behind them. Knowledge of our policies must be the cornerstone of our activism.

There is always healthy debate in the sovereignty movement. It is one of our great strengths. Prominent in these discussions is the issue of policy formation on social matters and the various aspects of governance in a future unitary state. The number and depth of motions before us here today reflects this. I wish to address two points concerning policy and policy formation; firstly the context of our policies and secondly the cause of labour. From the outset I want to commend our activists throughout Ireland for their sterling work in their respective communities. Your innovation and commitment are a lesson for all those seeking social change and justice.

Because we are constituted to campaign on the singular issue of our national sovereignty all our policies must be geared toward this end. Sovereignty is not a narrow nationalist agenda but an agenda for real change and a precursor to Irish society taking charge of its own destiny. Sovereignty is not simply a Brits Out slogan but a charter for ownership returning to the people. It is within this context that our policies must be forged. We cannot adopt policy for policy sake or direct our limited resources away from our central goal. Our policies must satisfy a strategic objective. And because we are engaged in a national struggle how we adopt our policies is just as important as the content of those policies. This is why we campaigned vigorously for republicans to forge policy together so that the very act of unity advances their content. I reiterate to our members; when you sit down to think, and rise to act, be at all times focussed on where we need to go. Be pragmatic, be realistic, do not be distracted nor blindly influenced. Bring your ideas to your comrades so that your comrades can prepare those ideas for our struggle.

James Connolly told us; “The Cause of Ireland is the cause of Labour, The cause of Labour is the cause of Ireland.” The current economic crisis both in Ireland and throughout the world has brought the issue of labour to everyone’s door. We are no different. The question for the sovereignty movement is this; not whether labour must wait but in what capacity must labour act? As it stands the cause of the labour movement is not the cause of Ireland. As it stands the cause of labour is to forge an arrangement with capitalism with labour as the junior partner. The fallout from the economic crisis demonstrates this. Is there any point in marching with the labour movement if the cause of Ireland is left behind? Is socialism served by campaigning with the labour movement for better scraps from the capitalist table? Has not this very same approach on the national question led to the grotesque spectacle at Stormont? Is this a road we truly want to go down just so that we can say we are aligned to labour?

The struggle for sovereignty and the struggle for labour must be synonymous. Republican policy and activism must reflect this. A veneer of mutual association is not enough. At the recent Student demonstrations in Dublin both the veneer and the true alliance were evident. Labour is not a pedestrian stroll, politely shouting slogans for change. Labour must be at the coalface fighting for that change. Labour must be indifferent to the howls of establishment condemnations whenever labour chooses to act. I salute our activists present here today who acted in labour’s best interests. I quote the insightful Irish republican socialist Ta Power when he says ‘there is no parliamentary path to socialism’. Equally there is no waiting for the so called ‘right time to strike’. For revolutionaries it is always the right time to act. Partition and capitalism never postpone their activities and neither should we.

To other republicans and socialists we say this: for the cause of labour to be the cause of Ireland we must rebuild the labour movement by making the cause of Ireland the cause of labour. Connolly sought to do this by working with the national and cultural movements in his day. If we wish to move beyond rhetoric then we must come together to put the bones of this movement in place. If you cannot commit to this, if working together is beyond you then both the cause of labour and of Ireland is beyond you also.

On behalf of us all I wish to send solidarity greetings to Irish republican prisoners of war where ever they may be. We salute your courage and commitment. We send greetings to your families and loved ones and pledge to do everything in our power to be of assistance to you. I also wish to thank the Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association for their diligent work on behalf of prisoners and their families.

The past year has seen our prisoners to the fore in our struggle. Once again Westminster has chosen this venue to try and undermine the republican struggle. And as before they will fail. The despicable use of degrading strip searches as a means of punishment has hardened our resolve. On this issue we did have republican unity and the benefits of it were clear for all to see. This needs to continue because perfidious albion is beginning to resort to form. The agreement reached between the prisoners and the prison authorities is steadily being undone. There is an undoubted political agenda behind this. It is not a case of rogue prison officers but a deliberate policy being overseen by their political masters.

During the year we marched in great numbers to protest. Our protest could not go unnoticed so they had to engage. And if needs be we must protest again, in greater numbers and with greater regularity. Every county must get the message. The plight of our prisoners must be to the fore in our activism. We must place this issue onto the national agenda and keep it there until such time that it is addressed. We can do no less when the prisoners themselves are doing so much.

The National Army continues to engage the enemy. Our right to national self determination will be protected and fought for. War is an inevitable consequence of the presence of the British government in our country. There are those who say that now is not the right time for armed struggle; that alternative strategies must be pursued. But it must be grasped that armed struggle is an inevitable reality and any strategy hoping to be viable must recognise this. Armed struggle cannot be wished away no more than it can be stored neatly in a box so that a political initiative can be aired in public. Avoiding reality cannot be a precondition for any strategy.

Comrades I wish to conclude with an impassioned plea to you all, at every level in our organisation, to both experienced and novice activists, make the coming year one of sustained activism within your communities. Bring the issue of national liberation with you. Demonstrate that there is an alternative and that they have it within their power to realise change.

New Years Day Sponsored Swim.(Galway Bay)

2010-11-22T19:55:00.000Z

Galway 32CSM will be holding a New Years Day sponsored swim,in aid of the Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association.

Anyone wishing to participate or sponsor an activist contact directly.
32csmgaillimh@gmail.com

Venue and Time

12 noon New Years Day

Diving Board,Galway Bay

Salthill,Galway City.

www.irpwa.blogspot.com

Sligo 32CSM Noble Six Commemoration

2010-09-24T23:05:00.004+01:00

32CSM Sligo - Noble Six Commemeration

2010-09-12T20:08:00.003+01:00

Sligo 32 CSM will be holding a commemeration for the Noble Six, six IRA volunteers murdered by Free State forces on Benbulben in 1922.

The commemeration will assemble at Mc Sharry Park on Sunday September 19th at 1pm and march to the republican plot at Sligo Cemetery for speeches.

This will be followed by a fundraiser that night for the IRPWA,get in contact for details.

Everyone is invited to attend to remember the ultimate sacrifice given by these volunteers.

Beir Bua.

32CSM Sligo - Anti Social Incidents Must Stop

2010-08-23T00:29:00.005+01:00

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement in Sligo has been alarmed by the increasing number of anti social incidents occurring in Sligo town in the past few weeks. These include a man being beaten to death in his own home, a woman being mugged on the way to work, and another elderly man being robbed by masked men. These types of incidents are unfortunately an ever more regular occurrence and we believe this activity must cease.

We regard the current level of such incidents to be intolerable and the inability of the Gardai to deal with them to be inexcusable. We are calling on any concerned residents to contact the 32CSM in the Sligo region if they feel that they are being ignored or let down by the Gardai. The 32CSM has had considerable success in tackling anti social behaviour in many areas and we find that a unified community is usually more than enough to deter such activities.

We also call on any individuals engaging in these crimes against our community to consider carefully the consequences of their actions both for themselves and for their neighbours who they treat with such disdain. We can be contacted through our local email address or talking to a known member, complete confidentiality is guaranteed.

Sligo 32CSM Condemn Politically Motivated Charge

2010-08-22T01:02:00.002+01:00

22/08/2010

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement in Sligo would like to unequivocally condemn the continuing harassment of Gary Donnelly by the PSNI/RUC. Having failed to secure his imprisonment in the 26 counties along with the other members of the Derry 4 on trumped up charges they resorted to effective internment. They assaulted Gary earlier this year and then jailed him for 7 months when he refused to pay the British government for being attacked by their proxies.

When Gary's internment helped catalyse support for the plight of the men in Maghaberry their plan backfired spectacularly! Upon his release Gary returned to his work with the many issues the 32CSM are addressing in republican communities in Derry. Hoping to stop the continuing spread of republican principles and seeking to deprive the movement of a dedicated activist the PSNI/RUC have this week tried to charge him with phoning in bomb warnings over a year ago. This is despite the fact that the journalist involved has already stated it was not Gary who contacted him.

The harassment of media figures involved in republican related stories seems to now be a standard tactic despite the embarrassing failure of their attempts to prosecute Suzanne Breen for her integrity. We have no doubt that this show trial will prove to be both an indictment of British policy in the six counties and another victory for press freedom in a supposed democracy.

Sligo 32 County Sovereignty Movement: Reroute The Marches

2010-07-13T22:14:00.000+01:00

13/7/2010

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement in Sligo would like to take this opportunity, in the wake of the rioting that engulfed North Belfast and elsewhere, to condemn the Parades Commission and the British government for their facilitating of contentious orange parades.

Each year nationalist residents are subjected to police swarming into their communities to allow Orange Order marchers to swagger through. The history of the Order, its blatantly sectarian purpose and its triumphant behavioral patterns, make these marches unwanted and unacceptable. In light of this it is unsurprising to see locals clashing with the police sent to protect the marchers. The intensity of the response to the marches is merely an indicator of the strength of feeling about the issue.

Even the Parades Commission were forced to admit that the Order refused to engage with the local community rendering the talk about inclusiveness emanating from unionist politicians as hollow and meaningless.

Provisional Sinn Fein were forced to trot out the usual lies about “dissidents” bussing in rioters. Perhaps it has been so long since they’ve set foot in working class areas they are unable to recognize their own constituents. The Greater Ardoyne Residents Committee is also a body made up entirely of locals and so it is unfathomable to think that it is outsiders objecting to the parade.

We stand in solidarity with the beleaguered residents and urge all republicans to support them in their efforts.

Room For The Night? Help the Homeless, Help The Country.

2010-07-13T22:05:00.002+01:00

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement in Sligo would like to state our concern in light of the current housing situation in the region.

Sligo and indeed the north west in general suffers from a deficit of social housing. Waiting lists are long and the accommodation that is eventually provided is frequently sub standard or unsuitable to the needs of the family or individual that requires it. This is unacceptable in our opinion. Waiting lists should not extend into months let alone years, yet we are expected to accept this state of affairs as the natural state of affairs. We contend that no Person should have to wait for years for assistance when the banks did not have to wait even for days with their begging bowl at the door of Brian Lenihan and his cohorts in the Department of Finance.

The frequent refrain from local authorities is that there simply isn’t the money to fix the problem. Given the innumerable junkets taken by these same people for years at our expense we say that not only do we believe that there is sufficient money but that perhaps the councillors and TDs themselves could take a pay cut to facilitate the relief of their constituents! I wonder how many county councillors are currently on the waiting list for social housing? Homelessness is a blight on the collective conscience of this country’s government. For years they have wasted and wanted for nothing. Now they tell us the money is gone. But not apparently all of it. No, it would seem there are still countless billions to be thrown into the gaping financial hole that is NAMA. Not only does this project defy all known economic logic but it also takes priority over the needs of ordinary Irish people. Despite being bailed out to the tune of 22 Billion euros the Banks still want more. Is it too much then to raise our collective voices and demand that we too want more, that we want more money for our communities, towns and villages?

The 32CSM does not think so. We regard the problem of homelessness to be a problem that is eminently solvable through a combination of social housing and proactive initiatives at a local level. Whilst there is an undersupply of social housing we simultaneously have “ghost estates” covering the North West. Is it too much to ask of the thinking ability of our representatives to put two and two together and to use these empty houses for the logical use? In reality there doesn’t need to be any person in this country waiting for a house when we have 300,000 empty ones, the majority of which are now owned by the people through NAMA anyways.

Many of these estates now lie half completed, likewise the construction industry is in free fall. Why not put some of the thousands of unemployed tradesmen to work establishing facilities and amenities and completing these estates. Social programmes in times of economic crisis are not a radical idea, the reforms introduced by the Roosevelt administration in the great depression helped to alleviate much of the suffering of the people. Why are we content to sit back and watch as perfectly good houses are knocked down whilst people sleep on our streets.

We call on the government, for once in its term to use some common sense. It is not an irrational proposal to address the needs of society’s vulnerable. The issue cannot become a rallying cry when the time for action has passed. It will not be enough in years to come, to reflect on opportunities missed and communities betrayed. The legacy of a era is more often visible in the people left behind by it than those that scaled the heights of the social ladder, trampling others in their wake.

For once think of the people, rather than the paycheque. If it is too much to ask that the people in power to help us then perhaps it is time to reconsider the people we put into power!

Invest in the people, not the powerful

Sligo 32 CSM - Paedophile Laws Too Lenient

2010-07-05T20:34:00.000+01:00

Sligo 32 County Sovereignty Movement express their dismay at the latest revelations in relation to serial paedophile Joseph McColgan and his activities.

This pathetic excuse of a human individual is a perfect example of the Free State’s laws failing the ordinary people of Ireland and, more importantly, the victims of these heinous crimes. Although on no comparable scale, the laws in place presently in relation to every aspect of the legal system are skewered to protect any of those in the position of power- the bank man, the developer, the priest, the abuser.

McColgan’s case history and the actions he carried out are nothing short of disgusting and the incapability of the accountable services to highlight and stop the abuse was neglect of the highest order in their supposed duty.

After years of systematically raping, beating and psychically abusing his children from his isolated den McColgan was given a 238 year sentence, he only served 9 years of this. This figure alone is a stark indication that there is something seriously wrong either with the legal system or those who administer it.

McColgan did not participate in any rehabilitation programs, show any remorse or seem to accept the wrong of his behaviour during his imprisonment in Ireland. On these actions alone his sentence should have been indefinite until an improvement or change was shown. Once released McColgan moved to England, and given recent news stories revealing his continuing involvement in child pornography and his ability to leave England without notifying the authorities with ease, who is to know if he continued his sick obsessions and actions over there on innocent individuals?

Sligo 32CSM are also alarmed at the fact that McColgan could so easily and callously return to the very location and area where he committed all of his crimes, this itself shows absolutely no level of remorse or comprehension of what pain he has left behind and is another clear marker to indicate that he should never be released to put the public of any country in danger again.

We would call on the system of Megans Law as exhibited in the United States to be implemented here with immediate effect. Parents and communities have the undeniable right to know if there is an individual in their community that may put them or their children in danger. Any argument for the right of anonymity to protect the abuser is farcical, that right evaporated as soon as their first crime was committed.

Sligo 32CSM also call on the rehabilitation system within jails to be closely looked at and made compulsory for abusers to become active in, if they refuse this their sentence should be made indefinite. Tags currently used to locate individuals on bail should also be made compulsory on offenders once released coupled with the introduction of a more regular signing on period of twice daily to ensure these evil paedophiles cannot so easily escape the net to try and ply their trade elsewhere as has been shown in McColgan’s case.

These individuals have been and always will be a danger to society with their sick and perverted intentions. The safety of the public is paramount and all measures should be put in place to ensure that men like McColgan are never released to prey again.

Sligo 32CSM call for this system, which lets these offenders ruin so many lives after serving shamefully short sentences, to be reviewed and changed with immediate effect. We stand with residents of communities to have the right to self determination to expel dangers that may lie in their area by introducing a Megan’s Law system to ensure our children's safety and to minimise the risk from paedophiles and rapists.

This safety of the innocent and vulnerable in our society is an issue we feel particularly strongly on and will continue to highlight to ensure enhanced protection for the future for the people of this island.

32CSM Sligo Radio Interview

2010-07-04T00:36:00.000+01:00

On Friday the 2nd of July 2010, Sligo 32CSM member Sean Keogh spoke on Ocean FM in relation to sectarian Orange marches being forcibly pushed through nationalist areas. A contentious parade in Newtownbutler was being held later that day against the wishes of the 98% nationalist population.

Sligo 32CSM Welcome Gary Donnelly Release

2010-06-19T20:30:00.002+01:00

Sligo 32 County Sovereignty Movement welcome the release of republican Gary Donnelly.

Gary was arrested and charged with a trumped up offence after being assaulted and having his arm broken by RUC/ PSNI officers. This is the type of unacceptable policing that others may wish to think has become part of the past, but the arrest, trial and imprisonment of Gary is a very real reminder that absolutely nothing has changed. The institutions and people who uphold the continuing British rule which allows this to happen must be challenged and highlighted as the show pieces that they are.

Sligo 32CSM Condemns Israeli Government

2010-06-01T21:52:00.001+01:00

Sligo 32 County Sovereignty Movement express their unequivocal condemnation of the murder of human rights activists in international waters by Israeli assasins.

For far too long the actions of the rogue state that is Israel have gone unpunished simply due to the lack of interest from other nations from a laxidasical attitude or through connections that tie them to the Zionist regime. The latest episode in many years of genocide only further proves that the Israeli war machine has no boundaries to confine its morals to and it's embassys and inhabitants,working as proxys to sway influence,should be treated with utter contempt.

Sligo 32CSM calls for the immediate expulsion of the Israeli ambassador,his staff and for the repossesion and sale of all Israeli owned property in Ireland with the proceeds of this sale being donated to the IPSC and humanatarian agencies who work within the Palastinian region

Garda Harassment of 32CSM Activists in the North-West Continues

2010-05-27T19:34:00.001+01:00

In the past number of weeks 32CSM activists in Sligo and Donegal have come under increasing harassment from both the Gardai and the Special Branch. Three of our members in Donegal have been subject to house raids, intimidation and insinuation from the forces of the state. They have harassed the families of our members and have made unfounded allegations regarding republican activity in the region.

One of our young activists has been followed to and from his place of work and has received penalty points for spurious reasons in an attempt to prevent him from travelling. On Tuesday 25th May four 32csm members were stopped and searched twice in the space of an hour in Bundoran. The 32csm in the North West condemns this aggressive harassment of our members, and their families by the Gardai.

We encourage any republicans in the region who have suffered similar harassment to contact us with details. We will not be intimidated or discouraged from activism by this infantile range of tactics.

Sligo 32CSM Alarmed At Developing Trend

2010-05-27T00:21:00.000+01:00

Sligo 32 County Sovereignty Movement has learned through members of the local community and media reports of a worrying trend developing in the county area. The latest of such incidents involved those responsible holding a man of over 80 years of age hostage in his own home for an hour in what can only be described as a reprehensible and cowardly act.

The ordeal this man endured is sickening and a complete violation of an individuals rights in his own home. This is not an isolated case, just one in a continuing series of attacks focusing on specific and vulnerable targets.

Sligo 32CSM appeal for members of the community to contact us with their concerns or furnish us with any information they may have in strict confidence. We call on those behind these actions to cease with immediate effect.

Remember Irelands Patriot Dead This Easter

2010-04-03T00:09:00.002+01:00

Again this Easter we urge all republicans to remember the sacrifice that Irish patriots have made in the cause of freedom that have gone before us.
Wear an Easter Lilly with pride and continue the duty of those who have strived to achieve the united Ireland of equals.

Commemerations are being held this weekend and at the end of the month, contact for more information or www.32csm.info

Sligo 32CSM Letter to Sligo Champion Re: Thomas Healy Comments

2010-02-01T22:18:00.003Z

Sligo 32CSM wish to express our disgust at the statement from Provisional Sinn Fein representative Thomas Healy in last weeks paper in which he continues to feebly promote the phase of normalization ongoing in the North of Ireland to the people of this area.

First of all, it is ironic at best that this ever changing organisation chooses to commemorate Vol. Coen by electing a Fianna Fail councillor to speak at his commemoration. In his rush to curry favour with the Fianna Fail electorate Mr Healy forgets the despicable record of Fianna Fail and the objectives for which Vol. Coen fought and died.

Secondly by attempting to link Vol Coen’s sacrifice with the current charade in Stormont Mr Healy lends credence to all those revisionists who have steadfastly endeavored to criminalize the republican struggle of which Kevin Coen was a part.

Equality has never come in such a warped terming if the present situation is what Mr. Healy is setting his standards by. PSNI/RUC forces, backed up by the ever present force of 5000 British army troops, ensure this through their Section 44 legislation. The so called 'Peace' walls remain steadfast, separating two communities who may only live yards apart but never meet due to the sectarian line continually being pushed where it seems appropriate to divide these areas due to their religious make up. How can an example be made to people to share a land equally and peacefully when the example that is given to them is a brick wall between them and 'the other side'??? The power sharing government that Mr. Healy says Vol. Coen gave his life for cannot even get an Irish Language Act pushed through though they apparently operate on this basis of equality, and so what hope is there for any of the other more major issues still to be dealt with by this government??

MI5,with their brand new multi millions pound base of operations in Holywood, will remain to answerable no-one on a policing level and their accountability will be zero. British forces will remain to work unimpeded on Irish soil, and this is the culmination and outcome, according to Mr.Healy, of sacrifices like Vol. Coen's and many others over the last century.

Original Article - Kevin Coen memorial event at Riverstown Wed Jan 20th Sligo Champion

Bloody Sunday Commemeration - Derry 31st January 2010

2010-02-01T21:59:00.004Z

On Sunday 31st of January 2010 , members of Sligo 32CSM attended the annual Bloody Sunday Commemoration to show solidarity with the victims' families who are,still to this day, fighting for justice. The stalling tactics of the British in investigating and publishing their findings into the event is only leading to put further anguish and strain onto the families who have already endured an unimaginable ordeal. The whole truth must be revealed to bring closure and those responsible for the murders must face up to the consequences of their actions and not be continually defended by a British shield. 'Murder is murder is murder' must only be valid when it is not British foot soldiers causing the damage as they continually commit war crimes,murders,assasinations and kidnappings, whether it be in the North of Ireland, Afghanistan,Iraq or anywhere else in the world where British imperial forces still enforce occupation.

February POW Protest

2010-01-13T22:00:00.001Z

February POW Protest

The next POW Protest will take place at 2.30pm on Saturday 6th February 2010 at Free Derry Corner.

POW Protest - Derry

2010-01-13T21:36:00.003Z

Derry POW Protest 9th January

Sligo 32CSM members attended the January POW Protest last weekend in Derry. The protest was to highlight the consistent unjust persecution that Irish republicans endure for standing firm to their beliefs, all this while the drug king pins are allowed run rampant and destroy communities by both the RUC and Free State arms of the law. During this period of time, we will endeavor to keep prisoner issues to the forefront of peoples minds and we will increase the spotlight on the continuing hypocrisy of the state police forces in their actions.

32CSM National New Year Statement

2010-01-02T00:27:00.001Z

32 County Sovereignty Movement
New Year Statement 2010

We commend our activists for their dedication and hard work in pursuit of the republican goal in 2009. We commend all other republican activists for being true to their beliefs and for being generous and inventive in listening to the beliefs of others. 2009 was a year which witnessed that inventiveness being translated into political action which was widely recognised throughout the republican base. It represented the most potent expression of solidarity with imprisoned comrades. It is solidarity in action with those who were bereaved in the struggle. It is also the way forward for Irish republicanism.

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement has a clear vision for the year ahead. The reclamation of our sovereignty must take real form. We must give leadership to our communities to help them achieve this. Throughout Ireland communities have been betrayed by the institutions of faith, finance and state which have long purported to speak and act on their behalf. The abundance of trust placed in the integrity of individual leaders has proved misplaced. They have been left leaderless.

They have not, however, been left powerless. It is in recognition of this reality that the 32CSM will now engage with our communities. In a disciplined approach the 32CSM will liase directly with local communities to explore ways of reclaiming their sovereignty, and under these auspices, help them pursue their political and social objectives. We will focus our efforts in ensuring that all community activity will by default be a pursuit toward national sovereignty. Such a process will be a challenge to both states. It is a first step in filling the vacuum left by those who are now wholly subsumed into the apparatus of partition.

Communities so organised can become the template for national freedom. The republican objective is twofold; to secure our sovereign independence and to organise a just society within that independence. Like our republican forebears we can now enact our aspirations, we can involve our people with our beliefs in real and tangible terms. Republicanism cannot be detached from the people and the people cannot be detached from the strategies deployed to secure their freedom. We can only lead through democratic involvement with our communities.

Because it is a first step it must be taken with due diligence. We have prepared our arguments and are refining our position as mandated at our Ard Fheis. It will be democratic. It will be a learning process which will require discipline, patience and pragmatic political judgement. Republicans cannot interact at a distance. We need to create a new interface between ourselves and our people which will allow us to seek their mandate for our struggle. This mandate will not be measured by a gerrymandered vote. Its value will be in its democratic integrity and its sovereign credentials. For us the ballot box means more than just numbers. Democracy can only be returned to the Irish people when their national sovereignty is recognised.

Because it is a challenge to the state the state will obviously respond. Mistakes will be made, but also learned from, and it is this disciplined approach which will allow for this engagement to spread successfully to other areas. In part the success of this project may be gauged from the state’s reaction to it. They will not be alone. Establishment Nationalists will also have a vested interest in seeing this project fail. They will seek to divide and conquer. But a clear understanding as to the implications of its sovereign distinction and clear democratic practices will thwart them. After all it was disdain for democracy within their own organisations which led them into the cul de sac they now find themselves.

The 32CSM will be active on other fronts. Two major international initiatives will be launched in the coming year. We have observed how issues at play on the international stage are geared toward political events in the occupied six counties. We have made our intentions known to the relevant governments that we are determined to follow a particular path challenging any move that would seek to de-legitimise the republican struggle. These initiatives are for the benefit of Irish republicanism, we will not claim sole ownership of them. But we will provide the leadership that will open up counter arguments for all republicans to employ against these nefarious measures.

Republican unity in 2009 resulted in impressive demonstrations on a range of issues. The continuing media and political demonising of republicans is proof of their effect as is their grudging admission of our growth. The media and political establishment’s objective is to ignore us but through mutual cooperation we have made this impossible. In the coming year this cooperation can be galvanised within our communities as these issues now become their issues in pursuit of our national objectives.

The British Government’s strategy of finally destroying any vestige of republicanism within the provisional movement will not be allowed to undermine the separatist ideal. A resurgent republicanism will demonstrate to both governments and the international community that the destruction of the provisional movement was the liberation of Irish republicanism. It is up to all of us to ensure that 2010 clearly demonstrates this reality.

32CSM : Free Maura Harrington

2009-12-25T18:02:00.002Z

32 County Sovereignty Movement: Free Maura Harrington

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On a day when the government chose to impose savage cuts on the least well off to compensate for the reckless behaviour of bankers and developers they also chose to imprison an Irish Citzen endeavouring to protect our natural resources as the property of all the Irish people. Judge John Haughton sentenced Maura Harrington to nine months imprisonment and the severity of the sentence seems to be meant as a deterrent against further similar activities by Ms Harrington and others.

Not content to allow bankers squander billions alone they also allowed a corrupt and convicted Cabinet Minister negotiate a deal with the Shell Corporation to siphon billions of our natural resources into private hands. The concept of the people being the nation no longer holds true for them. The harassment of activists by Shell and their local lackeys is not a pattern unique to Ireland and the atrocities committed by Shell against the native people in the Ogoni in Nigeria which culminated in the Shell sponsored state executions of the Ogoni Nine shows the lengths to which they will go for profit.

The 32CSM supports the people of Mayo in their struggle against Shell and the brutality of the Gardai in dealing with protestors. We call for the immediate release of Ms Harrington and any imprisoned Shell to Sea activists and for an immediate cessation to Shell construction projects in Ireland.

To Maura Harrington and her comrades we trust the spirit of Ken Sara Wiwa will continue to sustain you

Christmas Statement

2009-12-25T17:40:00.004Z

Nollaig shona agus athbhliain faoi mhaise duit

Sligo 32CSM extend greetings to all comrades, national and international, this Christmas and, in particular, POW's who continue to be held for thier republican beliefs.

In the current continuing state of affairs where profit is put before people in all alleys of society, right up to the back hand takers of Dáil Éireann, we will continue to increase activity to raise awareness of important issues on a local and national scale over the coming year.

To join or if you wish to raise any issue, please get in contact through the appropriate channels.

Beir Bua.

32CSM - Bundoran

2009-11-29T19:25:00.010Z

Posters were recently put up in the Bundoran area of Donegal.
The 32CSM will continue to branch out and encourage like minded individuals to make a difference and join in defending Irish national sovereignty and to make a difference in their own areas on local and national issues.

Recruitment Poster

2009-11-25T01:48:00.002Z

Price arrest shatters myth that six county policing is 'non political'

2009-11-25T01:29:00.000Z

32 County Sovereignty Movement
18/11/2009

Price arrest shatters myth that six county policing is 'non political'

The recently staged political arrest of 32 County Sovereignty Movement National Secretary Marian Price underscores the fact that policing in the Six Counties will always be political. We have long stated that where sovereignty is disputed policing will always take a side in that dispute. The myth that policing in the Six Counties could be detached from the constitutional question by employing the charade of ‘Civic Policing’ has been shattered yet again.

The British Government has repeatedly used policing to curry favour with whichever political mood prevails. On the one hand we had the establishment of the benign District Policing Partnerships as a sop to the constituency of establishment nationalists. And now that we have unionists grappling with the issue of devolving minimalist Policing and Justice ‘powers’ to Stormont we witness the targeting of high profile republican activists for arrest by the RUC/PSNI. Coupled with this is the appearance before Crown Courts of Irish Republicans on the most spurious of grounds.

All of this points to where the British Government desires that political policing should lead. We urge all republicans to be vigilant in the times ahead as British efforts to secure its illegal sovereign claim over part of Ireland intensify.

Recruitment Posters

2009-11-19T17:25:00.005Z

Recruitment Drive Now In Progress
Contact Your Local Cumman or joinus@32csm.info

VOTE NO, AGAIN

2009-09-25T20:46:00.003+01:00

Statement From Francie Mackey

Chairperson 32CSM

27/09/2009

Lisbon Treaty Referendum October 2^nd 2009

As predicted, and as expected, the people of the Twenty Six Counties face another vote on the already defeated Lisbon Treaty. Following on from the sidestepping of the Dutch and French people’s rejection of the EU Constitution the second referendum being held here is yet further proof that democracy is viewed as a hindrance to the current EU direction. Despite platitudes about different contexts and binding guarantees the true intent of this referendum is to be found in the politics behind it. Fearful of an almost certain rejection of Lisbon in a British Referendum if a change of government were to occur in London the Irish people are being forced to revisit their decision because foreign political opinion deems it expedient to its interests that we do so. It is a mockery of Irish sovereignty on a par with the continuation of partition. Once again the British Government is imposing its will on the outcome of an Irish election.

It is clear that the acceptance of democratic will is deemed less worthy of guarantee by those who sought it, but argued for a different outcome. The so called guarantees issued by the EU Heads Of State are designed to give the illusion of change to justify the calling of a second vote. The Lisbon Treaty remains the same. The so called guarantees are not being voted on. If Lisbon is passed there is no legal prohibition preventing the Heads Of State reconvening afterwards to overturn the so called guarantees. Dublin can veto this of course but that merely amounts to a political promise that they would act in such a fashion. Given that they went to Europe like chastened schoolchildren after the people exercised their veto, there can be no realistic expectation that Dublin will act contrary to the wishes of Brussels.

Because the Lisbon Treaty remains the same our original objections to it remain the same. But the second referendum does open different fronts on which objections to Lisbon can be expressed. Not least of these is the economic crisis. A crisis cannot be resolved by those who created it, employing the same failed ideologies, electing the same failed political elites and endorsing the same failed policies which they are wedded to because of the influence of corrupt bankers and developers. It may well be the better option that this economic crisis can only be resolved by confronting it with a political crisis which has no option but to force change through. It is not acceptable that working people should be subject to periodic bouts of economic boom, followed by economic doom, whilst the architects of it bask in the financial security of massive wages, bonuses and pensions. Small wonder that it is from these quarters that passing Lisbon is most cherished.

Equally, there exists a mindset in the Twenty Six County body politic that holds that financial failure and misdoing should be rewarded as opposed to being punished. The banks acted wholly irresponsibly yet are rewarded for same. State appointees, part of the crony culture, who viewed the public purse as a slush fund for extravagant living, are excused with massive remuneration packages form the very same public purse they abused in the first place. This is the political mindset which boasts of having been involved in the negotiations which gave us the Lisbon Treaty.

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement calls on the people of the Twenty Six Counties to remain firm in their rejection of Lisbon. We say that there is a consequence for saying No which confirms that a No Vote can effect change if the political will exists to do so. If that will does not exist, then that too must be changed.

VOTE NO, AGAIN!

http://www.32csm.info/Lis2.html
VOTE NO AGAIN

Sovereign Nation

2009-05-08T12:29:00.002+01:00

Click Here For Latest Edition

Prison Protest Set To Escalate

2009-04-24T22:38:00.000+01:00

Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association
24/04/2009

E3 Prison Protest to escalate.

The current protest by republican POW’s on E3 landing in Portlaoise gaol is set to escalate following a ruling that yet another prisoner has been denied temporary release by the Free State department of justice. Last week two republicans prisoners went on a no wash/dirty protest over the politically motivated denial of temporary release, more prisoners were set to follow but an agreement was made between the Irish Prison Service and the Officer Commanding republican POW’s to call a temporary halt to the escalation of the protest in order to see what moves could be undertaken to end the action by the prisoners.
Earlier today the OC of the prisoners informed the IRPWA that the Irish Prison Service had come back empty handed and another prisoner was denied temporary release. It seems that the Department of Justice and the Irish Prison Service are committed to the policy of confronting republican prisoners.
We have been informed that all republican prisoners on E3 will join the protest on Monday. The POW’s had earlier stated that they would stagger men in pairs until the whole landing was on protest, the OC has informed the IRPWA that this is no longer the case as the prisoners now see no merit in this course of action.
The IRPWA call on the entire republican family to support the men in their protest and to support the IRPWA in a series of protests they are now planning, we thank those republican comrades who have already come out in support of the POW’s.
The Department of Justice and the Irish Prison Service are making a grave mistake if they think they can call these man’s bluff and they are guilty of a gross underestimation of the Óglaigh na hÉireann POW’s resolve.

POW Protest Portlaoise Prison

2009-04-18T17:05:00.001+01:00

IRISH REPUBLICAN PRISONERS WELFARE ASSOCIATION 18/04/2009 Protest on E3 Portlaoise Gaol.
It is with great regret that the IRPWA call upon the republican family to once again support POW’s in their protest against the blatant injustice of the Prison system in Ireland.
The IRPWA have been tasked by the republican POW’s to state how and why this protest has occurred and to clarify the facts of this protest.
A protest is currently underway on E3 Portlaoise due to the suspension of the temporary release (TR) and compassionate release (CR) programmes. It is the belief of the POW’s that this has happened due to IRA actions in the occupied six counties, indeed the Irish Prison Service have indicated this much and one of their spokespersons has even asked the OC of E3 if he ‘Believed in the border’!
The situation at present is as follows: Two republicans prisoners (Vinny Kelly and Justin McCarthy) are currently involved in a no wash/dirty protest, NOT on the blanket as some have suggested. At intervals republican POW’s will join this protest until the whole landing is on protest , at this stage the protest will escalate.
The Irish Prison Service representative and the Governor have asked the Officer Commanding to reconsider the POW’s stance pending talks with the Free State government, the only concession the POW’s have been willing to make at this stage is to delay further men joining the protest for a short period to give them a chance to resolve the issue. It is the understanding of the IRPWA that this window of opportunity is fast closing and we would urge all those involved in the Free State government and the Irish Prison Service to make strenuous efforts to resolve this intolerable situation as soon as possible.

32CSM Easter Oration

2009-04-13T17:07:00.002+01:00

32CSM Easter Oration

2009

A chairde, there are those who would say we are traitors gathered here to commemorate the actions of traitors. Pearse and Connolly were deemed to be traitors because the British trenches in the Somme were filled with Irishmen deceived into thinking that fighting in the imperial slaughter of the First World War would lead to Home Rule. Pearse and Connolly said it wouldn’t, and they were right, but still they were vilified and executed. Ninety three years later republicans once again state that the Home Rule strategy will not deliver Irish freedom. Calling us traitors for saying so from the steps of Stormont, flanked by Britain’s head policeman in Ireland, proves we are also right. We are immensely proud to share the views of Pearse and Connolly.

Once again British soldiers are being killed on Irish soil. Once again British soldiers are using Irish soil to train to kill in foreign wars. Once again establishment nationalists have moved to support the British regime in Ireland. Nothing has changed. Claiming that unity will be achieved by 2016 is similar to the deception employed to lure men to their deaths in the fields of Flanders in the lost hope of securing Home Rule. Nothing has changed here either. The men and women of 1916 fought for fundamental change. They were not reformists, but Irish separatists who articulated the basic republican message that our sovereignty is inalienable and indefeasable.

This year also marks the 90^th anniversary of the establishment of the First Dail Eireann. The First Dail was the Proclamation in action. It was an Irish parliament of, by and for the Irish people. It declared our independence to the world and set about a radical social programme to cherish all of the children equally. It remains our blueprint for the future of our country and our people.

Our history is one of conflict because too often our history has been repeated. Political arrangements which usurp Irish sovereignty cannot lead to peace or freedom. Inherent in these arrangements is the attempted suppression of those who seek to defend our sovereignty. They murder us. They hang us. They intern us. They intimidate us. They malign us. It represents that familiar colonial chorus, ever desperate to maintain itself. Trading civil rights in return for recognition of foreign rule condemns our children to fight for that most basic of rights, their own freedom. The men and women of 1916 were not fooled or bought by the trappings of Home Rule nor intimidated by the forces of Westminster and her Irish lackeys. For them democracy meant more than an opinion poll rating or a gerrymandered election. The voice of the people can only be heard if it is freely expressed.

And this is the message which republicans need to articulate today. As republicans we need to put before the people our framework from within which Irish democracy can function without external impediment. We need to set our case against British occupation in a way which is relevant to our people’s needs today. Our aims cannot be solely the product of the past nor can they be a slave to that past. British reasons for remaining in Ireland will change according to modern British interests and republican strategies opposing these interests must adapt accordingly. But in doing so we cannot repeat the failures of history by compromising the legitimacy of our position for the appearance of short term gain. The British have no right to be here and our right to resist them is a matter for us to determine and not them.

We are constantly asked; what is your alternative? The answer depends on who is asking the question. To those who call us traitors we say; any alternative but yours. To those who call us anti democratic we say; let us negotiate without pre conditions. To those republicans who genuinely seek an alternative we say; let us construct one together. We must be clear that the Good Friday Agreement represents a significant defeat for republicanism. And in the face of this we need to be pragmatic and not reactionary. Recrimination is not an alternative. Working constructively together is. Along with other republican comrades the 32 County Sovereignty Movement has engaged in an initiative to forge a way forward from a unified republican position. The ideology behind it is the ideology of necessity. All republican banners are welcome because all republican banners are needed.

How we engage with the Irish people is as important as what we engage them on. From the outset the truth of what we say will be judged by the strength by which we say it. Eloquence and emotion are no substitutes to a unified voice. The politics of conflict resolution requires clarity to ensure that any resolution is just and democratic. Armed conflict is in existence because such a resolution has not been entered into. Neither republicans nor the British government can invoke the existence of armed conflict as an excuse not to engage in a process to find a final democratic resolution to the Anglo Irish conflict. We have to deal with reality as it is and not how we wish it to be.

Standing here in commemoration of 1916 let us invoke the clarity of the Proclamation as we now address the British government today. You must leave Ireland. If, as you say, you have no selfish, strategic or economic reasons for remaining in Ireland then there is no excuse for you not to leave. There is no problem in Ireland which demands your presence that the Irish people themselves cannot resolve. If you require a framework to allow you to disengage from our country we will construct one for you. But for this to happen you must go before the international community and renounce your claim to sovereignty over the Six Counties. A claim of sovereignty represents the bedrock of any strategic interest so let this be the basic test of your intentions.

We call on all republicans to realign ourselves around the securing of achievable aims. We have set forth a programme to rebuild the republican movement through political advancement. We have proposed that commemorating 1916 should be the annual barometer by which we measure our success especially in the run up to its centenary in 2016. Irish republicanism must be in a position on the occasion of this centenary to tell the Irish people that concrete political gains have been made toward making national reunification an unstoppable reality. The Proclamation is too important a document to condemn it to perpetual aspiration.

The Unity Initiative is the only realistic way forward. Armed struggle is a reality in our midst. We must address it for what it is, a symptom of the unwillingness of the British government to engage on the core cause of conflict, namely, its illegal claim to sovereignty over part of our country. For those who want armed struggle to cease they must come forward with proposals to address its cause. The politics of condemnation is a failed irrelevancy just as British micro Ministers are sitting in Stormont. The 32 County Sovereignty Movement have endeavoured since its formation to put such proposals into the public domain.

We sought a peaceful alternative through the auspices of the United Nations only to have that route disbarred to us when the US authorities, acting on influence from London and Dublin, banned our organisation from travelling there. But we are not deterred by this and efforts are underway to petition the Obama administration to reverse this policy. Because contrary to previous declarations made there, Ireland is not at peace.

We have sought dialogue with both governments, unionist and nationalist parties in an attempt to seek a peaceful way forward but these offers have been largely ignored. We thank all those who worked toward achieving this. And we say it again now; if you truly believe our position is so flawed come and tell us how, rather than grandstanding on media soap boxes. Our door remains open and we will not stop knocking on yours.

Comrades, the template of 1916 remains supremely relevant for us today. It was republican unity which drafted the Proclamation and allowed for the accommodation of its diverse views so magnificently. It was republican disunity which led to that fateful confusion on that day. They have given us the benefit of their foresight and the lessons of their errors. Let us leave here today all the wiser for both.

Beir Bua.

End The Conflict. End The Occupation

2009-03-12T23:19:00.001Z

32 County Sovereignty Movement

12/03/2009

End The Conflict, End British Rule In Ireland

If the conflict in Ireland is to end once and for all, so too must the illegal British claim to sovereignty over the Six Counties. That has been made clear in light of the violent events of recent days. That the so called peace process failed to openly address this central core issue of conflict is the reason for its failure now. Attempts to cocoon the problem in a puppet British Assembly arguing along sectarian lines are doomed to failure. From the outset of this process the British government have moved to defend their illegal sovereign claim to Irelands territory. This was evident when they made it an absolute pre-condition that the entry fee into negotiations was the acceptance of a partitionist outcome. Once republican leaders acquiesced to this British demand the republican project within that process was doomed. As it limped from crisis to crisis its British and unionist credentials began to assert themselves. What also emerged was the clear fact that rather than accept their abject defeat in negotiations with the British, republican leaders dug deeper into the morass whilst making outlandish and unsustainable claims about achieving Irish unity by certain dates to keep supporters on board. It was a classic British trap. This British strategy has now reached its pinnacle with a Provisional Sinn Fein leader standing at Stormont, under the British flag, as a minister of the British crown, calling IRA Volunteers ‘traitors’ for continuing to resist British occupation.

We note the ritual chorus of condemnation emanating from Leinster House. Far from reflecting a unity of purpose it represents a bankruptcy of will from that institution to pursue the objective of a Sovereign Irish Republic. From its inception Leinster House abandoned the Irish people in the Six Counties. It abandoned them further under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. It evolved a politics which made it a slave to vested interests. It is economically on its knees because of financial and political corruption at the highest level. It has selectively spurned its own referenda results because it lacked the courage to represent those results to the political elite in Europe. It is no position to lecture to anyone on any matter of substance.

From its inception the 32 County Sovereignty Movement has endeavored to place the issue of Irish National Sovereignty at the heart of the political process via peaceful methods. We sought to raise our concerns by pursuing our case at the United Nations only to have that peaceful route disbarred to us when London and Dublin petitioned Washington to have our organization declared illegal in the US. We petitioned all the main parties with detailed submissions but were met with silence. We sought peace. We seek peace, but we recognise clearly that this can only be achieved if true parity is brought to a negotiations process. Britain’s claim to have ‘no selfish, strategic or economic reasons’ to remain in Ireland is laid bare when one sees its use of Irish soil to train and dispatch British soldiers to kill in foreign wars. The British are not neutral in Ireland, no more than they are in Afghanistan or Iraq. To allow them to claim this, which the Good Friday Agreement does, represents a massive abdication of duty and responsibility by all those supposed nationalists who support it. The recent loss of life as a result of military action is yet another tragedy in the continuing conflict in Ireland. What is required to resolve it is an end to British Parliamentary activity in Ireland so that the people of the island can come to their own democratic arrangements as to how we govern ourselves.

Sligo 32CSM POW Protests

2009-03-08T20:09:00.002Z

32CSM New Year Statement

2009-01-02T09:26:00.001Z

32CSM
New Year Statement
2009
On behalf of the National Executive I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all our activists who campaigned so effectively for our goals during 2008. I choose the word effectively deliberately as I believe certain milestones in Irish republicanism were achieved during the past year. At the outset let me address the realities of our struggle by welcoming home the Derry 4 but in equal breath call for the immediate release of Terry McCafferty, Michael Campbell and all incarcerated Irish republicans. If ever a set of circumstances so described the nature of justice under partition it is these which do so with the greatest clarity. Partition is maintained by the establishments on either side of it which makes our struggle a thirty two county affair. A protest in Kerry is no less important than a protest in Belfast and in our efforts to build our organisation this is the message we must bring with us.

Our organisation has grown in 2008. We have reached into new areas and attracted new people who share our strategic vision. 2009 must see the Sovereignty Movement consolidate this growth and give it firm political leadership. The effective activism I speak of was visible in a number of areas;

A mature campaign for a No Vote against Lisbon.
The sustained protests on Prisoner issues.
The establishment of the Irish Republican Forum For Unity.

Our efforts at securing a No Vote in the Lisbon referendum were based on ensuring that the issue of Sovereignty and Partition were at the heart of our strategy. In doing so we made it clear that all issues of national relevance, be they concerned with natural resources or national heritage, can only be addressed in the context of National Sovereignty and that a resolution of one must contain a resolution of all. Sovereignty cannot be sub-divided.
Our comrades in the Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association facilitated our activists in holding protests and demonstrations concerning imprisoned Irish Republicans. We point to the successful intervention in the Aidan Hulme case and the release of the Derry 4. But the cases of Terry McCafferty and Michael Campbell loom large and require similar attention to secure similar outcomes. We send solidarity greetings to all imprisoned republicans but we will do so through continued activism on their behalf.

After long and searching debate the Unity Initiative bore fruit with the formal establishment of The Irish Republican Forum For Unity. At its inaugural meeting in Derry City the republican base could finally see the unity idea transformed into political action on an inclusive basis. A series of public meetings have been planned throughout 2009 to bring the Unity Forum to different areas so that the broad republican base can be instrumental in forging its political activity. The 32CSM will remain fully engaged with the Unity Forum and have proposals prepared to put to it for the coming year.
2009 will see us once again confronted with the Lisbon issue. Those who make the repeated charge that republicans should respect the ‘democratic’ wish expressed in the dual referendums on the Good Friday Agreement should have their hypocrisy thrown back at them. A second referendum will have the added issue of its democratic nature and once again the 32CSM will campaign to ensure that this undemocratic premise and that of Partition itself will be seen as one. Our analysis of the re-run Nice Treaty convinced us that only a Yes vote will satisfy the Dublin Government and having anticipated the inevitability of a second poll we had begun our preparations for our campaign soon after the No victory. I take this opportunity to formally launch ‘Countdown To Lisbon II’ as our effort in the forthcoming campaign. It will be a campaign which will focus on our original objections to Lisbon and also on the status of a second referendum as it relates to our National Sovereignty. We will also campaign for a No Vote by highlighting the extraordinary corruption and social bankruptcy of the Twenty Six Counties political and financial classes as it tries to convince the people that a treaty hewn from the same bankruptcy is in our best interests.

2009 will not see the ending of Partition. Neither will 2016. These are the realities which face us and they need to be recognised by all republicans. However, this does not mean that 2009 and 2016 cannot witness political achievements that will help us secure this objective. Acting within our limitations and acting together to reduce those limitations can greatly enhance our prospects to once again place the republican position back onto the national agenda. Wallowing in the past or afraid to grasp nettles is the stuff of cul-de-sac politics. There is no need to reinvent the republican wheel but we do need to reinvent ways and means by which our core message is given the weight of political activity behind it. We view the Unity Forum as one such means and we strongly urge that all republican groups engage with it so that 2009 can become a watershed in our history.
Beir Bua.
Francie Mackey.

Aidan Hulme Latest

2008-10-15T21:21:00.001+01:00

POSITIVE OUTCOME TO AIDAN HULME CAMPAIGN

The Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association (IRPWA)welcome the latest development in the Aidan Hulme campaign whereby the Prison Governor in Portlaoise Gaol has agreed with the prisoners and Aidan that the OC and Adjutant will be allowed access to accompany Aidan when he is visited by a doctor or when visited by the Governor.

Today (15/10/08) such a visit took place and it is confirmed that gangrene is not present in Aidan’s foot rather the symptoms are a result of a severe infection for which Aidan is now being treated.

Staff from the hospital will now visit Aidan to clean the infected areas of his foot and renew dressings to prevent further spread of infection.

An assurance is also given that Aidan will have a consultant assessment before the end of the month and an agreed care plan is being implemented and developed. This will allow for a proper consultant led care management package.

This positive and jointly agreed approach to Aidan’s welfare will ensure early intervention in the event of deterioration and will allow for continuous monitoring of his condition.

The negative effects of the medication will also be closely monitored and with Aidan’s agreement can be reduced depending on his individual needs at any given time.

The IRPWA on behalf of the POW’s would like at this time to thank most sincerely the many people who moved to support Aidan in his time of need and to those who sent greetings.

We would like to extend this thanks to other republican organisations who pledged their support and advice to ensure that Aidan received immediate professional intervention.

Aidan is indeed most grateful for all the support he has received and extends his heartfelt appreciation to everyone involved.

Marion Price

IRPWA

Support Aidan Hulme

2008-10-10T21:29:00.002+01:00

August/September Sovereign Nation

2008-08-12T21:20:00.003+01:00

Click Here For Latest Edition

August 9th Internment Protest

2008-08-11T20:44:00.003+01:00

Internment Commemoration

2008-07-18T21:43:00.002+01:00

Whilst The Occupation Remains, Resistance Remains

2008-07-05T23:51:00.001+01:00

The revelations that the people of Derry City are to be petitioned in order to put pressure on Anti Agreement Republican Separatists to disband is disingenuous in the extreme and smacks not only of political opportunism but also no small measure of desperation.

It is clear that those behind this political stunt are using the understandable anger in the community at the murder of Emmet Sheils to further their own political objectives, namely an end to opposition to support for the RUC/PSNI and the British Administration in Stormont.

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement will not be deflected from our political work by such ill conceived political posturing nor will any other Anti Agreement Republican groupings.

Those who have sought to ferment community tensions by deliberately and falsely attributing blame for the murder of Emmet Sheils will be exposed for what they are as will their cynical use of his death for their own narrow agenda. Republicans will not be intimidated from upholding the Republican position and the 32 County Sovereignty Movement are resolute in our intention to continue our work in Derry City and across the nation.

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement are attracting disillusioned and disenfranchised Republicans right across Ireland and further a field as are other Republican organisations and the cynical manipulation of this tragic event illustrates how low Pro State Nationalists will go to undermine this growth, they will fail.

We note also the presence of the so called Deputy First Minister in Iraq. Just recently the same Minister greeted the US President to the Six Counties without a whimper of protest from him against the occupation and wholesale slaughter in that country. This reluctance to petition for protest against these blatant injustices is at least consistent with their equal reluctance to petition for protest against other high profile murders here because they do not afford him the same opportunity for cheap political kudos

The Irish Resistance Movement will not be forced to disband and anyone endeavouring to do so is not only naïve but is also acting in a dangerous manner. Attempts to foster a civil war mentality will also fail as all previous attempts have done.
The 32 County Sovereignty Movement have this pledge to make to Republicans,
While the British Occupation remains so too will Irish Resistance to that Occupation

Wolfe Tone Commemoration

2008-06-30T01:08:00.008+01:00

The 32 CSM held their annual Wolfe Tone Commemoration at Bodenstown Cemetery on the 29th of June 2008. Unfortunatly the IRSP who were originally attending were not present due to the passing away of one of their comrades. An oration was given by Marion Price at the graveside of Theobald Wolfetone and a wreath was laid as a mark of respect.

Link To Full Oration

ct.

Lisbon Article Published

2008-06-05T14:37:00.005+01:00

The Sligo 32 County Sovereignty Movement's letter in response to the Lisbon treaty articles has been published in the Tuesday June 3 2008 edition of the Sligo Weekender.

Link To Sligo Weekender

Republican POW's protest at denial of Temporary Release

2008-06-02T01:29:00.002+01:00

IRPWA: Republican POW's protest at denial of Temporary Release

Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association

31/05/2008

Republican POW’s protest at denial of Temporary Release.On Friday 30th May, Republican prisoners on E3 wing, Portlaoise Gaol refused to lock up for a period of an hour in protest at the denial of the Minister of Justice to grant Temporary Release to two prisoners to attend their children’s first holy communion. The POW’s were joined in the protest by prisoners allegedly aligned to the Irish National Liberation Army on E4. The prisoners, Justin McCarthy from Dundalk and Shane Hickey from Cork, were denied TR without an explanation from the Ministry of Justice, this despite the fact that other prisoners, with different perceived affiliations have been granted TR for the same reasons recently.

The prisoners and the IRPWA are convinced that this denial of TR is based upon the perceived affiliations of the prisoners involved and is directly linked to attacks by the IRA in the six counties.The Officer Commanding of E3 made it clear to the governor of Portlaoise that this was a protest against Dermot Ahern and not against the prison which he accepted.

The IRPWA condemn the Minister of Justice for his pathetic and petty minded attempts to punish Republican POW’s and their families and we salute the IRA and INLA prisoners for the principled stance they have taken in order to highlight this injustice.

32 County Sovereignty Movement Rebukes Arguments Made On No Vote

2008-06-02T01:24:00.004+01:00

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement Rebukes Arguments Made On No Vote

32 CSM Outlines Position On Recent Lisbon Articles

Press Release: 32 County Sovereignty Movement.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

26/05/2008

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement in Sligo would like to endorse the sentiments shown by Counciller Declan Bree in his column on the Lisbon Treaty referendum in a recent newspaper article, but also point out the failings put forward by the Yes camp.

John Perry claims that the No campaigners are basing their claims on false information in an attempt to frighten people into voting against the treaty. Article 48 is what he has highlighted as the point being falsified, yet reading point 5 it is clear to see what kind of democracy the EU is trying to put in place and force through. Even if Ireland says no, the EU after two years is entitled to refer the matter of this rejection to the European Council, and we can be under no illusions that this is a showroom to push EU agendas through against the will of the people no matter what happens.

Another point made by Marian Harkin at a recent meeting in the Glasshouse Hotel was that there is a safeguard to the Yes side, as even if approved, Ireland is allowed to review how it feels on the treaty in the future. The options after this review if Ireland feels she is being negatively affected are simlilar to Brian Cowens approach to the treaty as highlighted by John Ferry in a letter in the same newspaper, stay in tune and get on with it or exclude herself from the EU. This is the type of democracy we face these days from the Dáil to Luxembourg.Marion Harkin also opened her piece on the Treaty with a straight out assumption that the people of this region will simply vote No as a result of the cancer services issue, a sort of reprisal vendetta against the big wigs in Dublin. We would be willing to grant the people more respect in this manner and will not simply vote No because of their justified anger in relation to the dropping of critical health services for our region, but also because they see and realise the total negative and dominating effect this treaty will have on Ireland as a nation.

The next phase Marion moves onto in her argument is her points on the American Chamber of Commerce. She wants you to listen to a person speaking for American interests to determine Irelands future. She wants you to listen to a person speaking who will put profit in front of workers. A foreign multi national banding who speak only for the well being of themselves and their profits, not for the interest in Ireland.

If she is willing to tackle the issue along these lines, she should highlight the main points of the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base across the EU which is being approved in this Treaty, which at first will be optional but if proving troublesome the Commision can take control and force it as a standard rate for all of the EU.

And mention the Laxal/Vaxholm case in Sweden,where workers from Latvia are being exploited by being paid Latvian minimum wage while working in Sweden, an action which has shockingly and worryingly been approved at the highest level by EU courts. Remember the fiasco we experienced here with workers being paid under miniumum wage at places like Irish Ferries, yet only this time these actions are being fully backed by the EU.

This treaty also asks you to accept making Irelands voice even smaller, take away Irelands right to a permanent voice to show its concerns and thoughts in Europe, and when this voice is allowed it will be elected in Brussels not in Ireland. The UK and Germany's influence will shoot upwards up to four times what it is currently. Democracy at work???

The EU started out as a loose economic grouping to try and nuture relations between countries on an economic scale. Now this loose grouping has come onto the road of eventually forming a complete EU state with everything being directed from Luxembourg, a United States of EU. The time has come for a stop to this move towards a centralised voice from the centre of Europe speaking for our interests and our people, and this is the time to say No.

STATEMENT ENDS