Happy St Patrick’s Day

This St Patrick’s Day is different from all others because we are closer to Re-Unification.
Brexit has focused international attention on the democratic case for Irish unity.
Britain’s border in Ireland is now an issue for Europe.

Stormont, the seat of British administration in Northern Ireland,

no longer functions as Irish nationalists and republicans withdrew their support 2 years ago, saying

“There will be no return to the status quo”

Remember: In Northern Ireland, Unionists have options only as long as nationalists/republicans enable their implementation. Without our consent . . .

A unity referendum is our democratic right according to the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement
That is what we must insist happens next.
But while we are waiting . . . .

This St Patrick’s day let us
* remember the history of our struggle for freedom as we fought  from the

United Irishmen, to

the Liberator and the

Young Irelanders,

the Fenians,

Michael Davitt and the Land War

Let us 

*celebrate the 1916 rising and the War of Independence

*recall the inequities and evil of the Orange State in Northern Ireland

*remind ourselves of the Troubles
and the fact that only Soldier F is being prosecuted for the Bloody Sunday massacre
And no soldier is being prosecuted for killing innocent people in Ballymurphy, Springhill, Mc Gurk’s Bar and the New Lodge or for imposing the Falls Curfew.
And that’s just some of the atrocities that happened in Belfast alone

In the past we were starved, hounded, harried,

deprived of our language, culture and prosperity through Penal laws,

forced into workhouses, compelled to emigrate to survive,

imprisoned without charge, wrongfully imprisoned,

hanged, executed, shot, deported into penal servitude,

killed with plastic bullets and, like the Suffragettes, forced on hunger strike to get our rights

Our history testifies to the difficulties a small country like Ireland had in dealing with Britain

Today the UK no longer get to write the story themselves.
Today our Ministers criss-cross the globe, visiting states, nations and governments
knowing there is still one more step to take
before we take our rightful place among the nations of the world

Let us continue our walk forward to liberty, fraternity, equality
Remember: The French only had to manage to reach those 3 ideals
We have a 4th to achieve – independence from Great Britain

Tomorrow will be different.
These coming years will be ours to transform the island of Ireland.

Remember: we are always the indomitable Irishry.
You find us worldwide.

This song is for us, our long walk to freedom  and our future

REFS
https://www.irishecho.com/2019/03/album-explores-familys-trauma/?fbclid=IwAR0rnRQnZdoH_MYyFhVtclx9__xycZYZcAw-NuCM4xoc7YOzJnJgGHGkZII
https://www.thejournal.ie/patircks-day-4453139-Jan2019/

https://eurofree3.wordpress.com/2013/09/10/the-ballymurphy-massacre/

https://eurofree3.wordpress.com/2014/02/20/springhill-the-forgotten-massacre/

https://eurofree3.wordpress.com/2014/05/04/that-was-the-week-that-was/

https://eurofree3.wordpress.com/2014/03/26/the-falls-curfew-july-3-5th-1970/

https://eurofree3.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/the-british-army-military-reconaissance-force-mrf-and-the-new-lodge-6-2/