Coming a bit late this year with the annual Appeal for Christmas Cards for Irish Republican prisoners.
Here’s the list
Address:
Portlaoise Gaol
E3 & E4, Dublin Road, Portlaoise, Co Laois
Republican prisoners from Dublin:
Tallaght: Dean Byrne Edward McGrath Kevin Braney
Clondalkin: Patrick Brennan
Ballymun: Stephen Hendrick David Nooney
Finglas: David Murray Ciaran Maguire Eddie O’Brien
Cabra: Bob Day
Raheny: Dean Evans
Killester: Donal O’Coisdealbha
Goatstown: Connor Hughes
Ballybrack: Darren Fox
Republican prisoner from Louth: Conan Murphy
Republican prisoner from Carlow: James Smithers
Republican prisoners from Cork: Joe Walsh Sean Walsh Mick Gilmartin Martin McHale
Republican prisoner from Tipperary: Dylan Cahill
Republican prisoner from Monaghan: Jim Smyth
Republican prisoners from Mayo: Colin Mannion Brian Mannion
Republican prisoner from Sligo: Julian Flohr
Republican prisoners from Belfast: Sean Hannaway Kevin Hannaway
Address: Dóchas Centre
N Circular Rd, Inns Quay, Dublin, Ireland
Republican prisoner from Belfast:
Eva Shannon
Address
Roe 4, Maghaberry Prison, Old Road Ballinderry Upper, Lisburn BT28 2PT
Republican prisoners from Armagh: Brendan McConville Sean McVeigh
Republican prisoners from Belfast: Matt Johnston Gerard Burleigh
Republican prisoner from Fermanagh: Barry Petticrew (Held on a non – political wing)
Republican prisoner from Meath: Darren Poleon
Republican prisoner from Tyrone: Gavin Coyle
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Which prisoner should I chose?
Whoever you want – maybe somebody from an area you know in Ireland.
Or where your ancestors came from.
Or some place you’d like to visit
Or just a name you like the sound of
Or somebody whose name you’ve seen in the press and on TV
What should I do?
Just send them a card with a little note in it.
Should I just send a Christmas card or a letter?
Whichever you are happiest with.
It’s a gesture to to show solidarity at this time of year
Should I enclose my address?
That’s entirely up to you.
You can enclose your address or not as you wish.
If you do, you may set up a sorta penpal friendship
If you don’t – it’s the thought and the card that count
Any suggestions on topics to write about?
Just write and let them know who you are, that you’re thinking of them
For example: I’m XY from . . .. .
I’m writing to send Christmas wishes and hoping you are doing OK in gaol
My thoughts are with you during the festive season as you are far from your family and friends
If you want to start up a correspondence, ask them for some news about themselves
“Let me know how you are keeping and getting on”
And include your address
Remember: Just the cost of a card and a stamp and
a few minutes of your time will make a big difference to a prisoner
the mirror@wordpress.com 
Hey Ben , Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year . Whats your view of Oliver Cromwell and the Connolly Association , an Irish Republican organisation that officially supports him and his legacy.
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Evening Ted Welcome to the site
Best wishes to you too for a happy Xmas and a healthy and wealthy 2019.
I’m happy to provide my view of English Republican Oliver Cromwell but I cannot connect that to the Connolly Association until you supply a link showing they officially support Cromwell and his legacy.
Once you do I’ll be delighted to read it, think it over and explore all the implications
In the meantime – have a great few days with your family and friends
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Morning Ben. Hope you had a peacefull Christmas Day
James Connolly is an amazing historical figure. A socialist revolutionary born in a time where you died in poverty if you were born into poverty. Some would say not much has changed, the poverty is just less stark these days. Connolly was a purist and patriotic socialist, determined to make the world a better place and looked to the French socialist republic and their socialist revolution for his inspiration.
Connolly was aware he was making a blood sacrifice back in 1916. But what was his sacrifice for?. The resulting civil war fought mostly in the the south failed to take off in the north, leading to a conservative unionist strong hold there. In the south, a catholic population created a conservative right wing republic.
You mentioned English Republicanism, is Jeremy Corbyn and his movement the great hope and perhaps the best opportunity in a life time for social revolution in these islands?.
I have no objection to Oliver Cromwell as an English Republican clearly. English republicans use him as an example of how monarchies can be overturned. But when Irish republicans can turn a blind eye to him as a violent sectarian bigot, you have to ask the question. Is it time to truly back English Republicanism and forget about the past? it’s easy to support a dead English republican, but is it more constructive to formally support a living Republican like Corbyn?.
I’m Irish, but there’s huge brand confusion about Irish Republicanism out there and what it now stands for.
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Thanks for your comment Ted.
I had a lovely Xmas and hope you did too .
What a long post to reply to!
“James Connolly is an amazing historical figure”.
Agreed – First and foremost he was the first International Socialist in Ireland. He understood the benefits of uniting the working class to improve their condition.
Connolly himself lived and died in poverty,
Nothing I have read about him, his life and family suggests they lived a easy life.
“Some would say not much has changed, the poverty is just less stark these days”
Today ‘s Connolly will be found living among the “knackers” (horrible term) trying to improve their living conditions and standards
“Connolly was a purist and patriotic socialist, determined to make the world a better place and looked to the French socialist republic and their socialist revolution for his inspiration“.
AFAIK he had contact among Indians who were seeking Independence and Russian internationalists of the day, to say nothing of the US “Wobblies” .
He was determined to make the entire world, as he knew it, a better place for the working man –
Is that such a bad ideal?
Roger Casement, his co-revolutionary, was determined to make the colonial world, as he knew it, a better place for the working man -Is that such a bad ideal?
“Connolly was aware he was making a blood sacrifice back in 1916.
But what was his sacrifice for?”.
To fight for the rights of the working class and break the connection with England (see Theobald Wolfe Tone)
Here it is in his own words and a little song
Remember the United Irishmen’s motto
“To subvert the tyranny of our execrable government, to break the connection with England, the never-failing source of all our political evils, and to assert the independence of my country—these were my objects. To unite the whole people of Ireland, to abolish the memory of all past dissentions, and to substitute the common name of Irishman in the place of the denominations of Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter—these were my means.
To unite Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter under the common name of Irishmen in order to break the connection with England, the never failing source of all our political evils, that was my aim’.
If the men of property will not support us, they must fall. Our strength shall come from that great and respectable class, the men of no property.”
“The resulting civil war fought mostly in the the south failed to take off in the north, leading to a conservative unionist strong hold there. In the south, a Catholic population created a conservative right wing republic.”
Yes, quite true. A loss for both parts of the island of Ireland. Religious Fundamentalism was no good/ a bad thing for Irish people North and South
“You mentioned English Republicanism”,
Republicanism seems to be the way forward for modern States. Until the present Queen dies, it’s hard to guage the support for English republicanism. Rest assured it will be suppressed as much as possible by the English/British Establishment
“is Jeremy Corbyn and his movement the great hope and perhaps the best opportunity in a life time for social revolution in these islands?”
I have honestly no idea.
Jeremy Corbyn and his movement may well be the best hope for social revolution in England and perhaps Wales.
Scotland is trying to chart out its own path of social democracy and independence.
Ireland is moving towards re-Unification.
Can the break-up of the UK be considered a social revolution?
“I have no objection to Oliver Cromwell as an English Republican clearly. English republicans use him as an example of how monarchies can be overturned.But when Irish republicans can turn a blind eye to him as a violent sectarian bigot, you have to ask the question. Is it time to truly back English Republicanism and forget about the past?”
Irish people can support English republicanism as they can support Republicanism anywhere in any country.
As I said Republicanism is the way forward for a modern state.
The monarchy has had its day.
There is no need for Irish republicans to forget or forgive what Cromwell did in Ireland.
He was just one more English Head of State who tyrannized and butchered, starved and enslaved the Irish
“it’s easy to support a dead English republican, but is it more constructive to formally support a living Republican like Corbyn?.”
Jeremy Corbyn may well be an English Republican. I am not entirely convinced he is a European. He and his British Labour party are Unionists. They may have realized that holding on to NI is a losing battle but they seem determined to hold on to Scotland, even though most Scots no longer vote Labour. Bad moon rising for British Labour!
“I’m Irish, but there’s huge brand confusion about Irish Republicanism out there”
Irish Republicanism has always been a broad church.
There are as many Republics out there as there are days of the week!
And there are as many splits in the Irish republican movement as there are “prima donna leaders”, ready to take umbrage at the slightest objection to their pet ideas.
The fundamental point is that the Irish Republican movement wants to achieve a 32 Co Independent republic so that our country is free of British Interference, British Army troops, MI 5 presence, Diplock and Special Courts etc.
The various factions in the Irish Republican movement need to unite behind that one fundamental principle they can agree on
“to break the connection with England, the never-failing source of all our political evils, and to assert the independence of my country—these were my objects. To unite the whole people of Ireland, to abolish the memory of all past dissentions, and to substitute the common name of Irishman in the place of the denominations of Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter”.
They may well agree on other shared principles.
They could well agree on a way forward together along some lines of political thought and social policies (evictions, NI representation in Dail Eireann, NI voting in presidential Elections anyone?)
Whatever type of Irish Republic emerges – liberal, social democratic, socialist, pacifist, communist a combination of all tendencies etc will, in the final analysis, be up to the Irish people at the ballot box.
The important point is to get there so they can vote and tell us what they want!
And be free to change their minds if they don’t like what they’ve got!
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