Réabhlóidithe Streachailt Na Saoirse Cuimhnithe | Revolutionaries of The Freedom Struggle Remembered
Chruinnigh gníomhaithe Éirígí ó fud fad Bhaile Átha Cliath ar son cheiliúradh gairid comórtha i Reilg Ghlas Naíon maidin Dé Domhnaigh (23 Márta).
Cuireadh tús leis an imeacht le Ciarán Heaphey ag léamh Forógra 1916 Phoblacht na hÉireann. Ansin chuir Suzi Murray bláthfhleasc thar ceann an pháirtí.
D’iarr an Cathaoirleach Brian Leeson ciúnas bomaite i gcuimhne orthu siúd ar fad a fuair bás i rith na streachailte ar son saoirse na hÉireann sular dúirt Cormac Ryan leagan spleodrach de The Foggy Dew.
I ndeisceart Doire, cuireadh bláthfhleasca ag uaigheanna mhairtírigh áitiúla, san áireamh bhí na stailceoirí ocrais Francis Hughes agus Thomas McElwee, agus Sean Larkin (Briogáidire) ar chuir fórsaí an tSaorstáit chun báis é i 1923. Ansin cuireadh cúpla bláthfhleasc i gcuimhe ar mhuintir iomlán deisceart Doire a throid agus a fuair bás mar an gcéanna le mairtírigh 1916.
Chruinnigh gníomhaithe i dTír Chonaill chomh maith in ómós do laoch básaithe eile.
Chuir Micheál Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig ó Éirígí bláthfhleasc ag leacht d’Óglach an IRA Caoimhín Mac Brádaigh, a maraíodh in ionsaí i reilg Bhaile an Mhuilinn, Béal Feirste, le linn sochraid Triúir Gibraltar.
Bhí timpeall 25 duine páirteach sa chomóradh, baill de theaghlach Mhic Bhrádaigh ina measc.
I gcuimhneamh achan duine a fuair bás sa streachailt ar son saoirse na hÉireann, labhair Mac Giolla Easbuig faoin ghá marthanóirí 1916 agus na bhfeachtas eile a chuimhneamh chomh maith; iad siúd a choinnigh an beo i ndiaidh an chatha. Dhírigh se aird go háirithe ar an ról a bhí ag mná agus fiú ag páistí sa streachailt um saoirse.
Lean sé ar aghaidh ag caint faoi chás chruógach mhuintir Dhún na nGall, go háirithe an gá le seirbhís cúram sláinte chóir, agus troime fhírinne leanúnach na dífhostaíochta agus eisimirce.
Agus é ag rianadh fhorbairt éirígí agus an chuspóir bunchloch eagraíochtúil réabhlóideach dhaingean a thógáil don streachailt atá le teacht, chríochnaigh Mac Giolla Easbuig le focail Fidel Castro, nuair a dúirt sé:
“Thosaigh mé an réabhlóid le 82 fear. Dá mbeadh orm é a dhéanamh arís, dhéanfainn é le 10 nó 15 agus muinín iomlán. Is cuma cé chomh beag is atá tú má tá muinín agus plean gnímh agat.”
Ag labhairt ó imeachtaí i mBaile Átha Cliath, dúirt Brian Leeson go raibh sé tábhachtach do phoblachtánaigh mairtírigh na tíre a chuimhneamh; mar ghníomh dlúthpháirtíochta lena dteaghlaigh agus chun inspioráid a bhaint as na híobairtí loachúla atá déanta ag an iliomad duine araon.
“Ó bhomaite an chéad ionradh míleata Sasanach in Éirinn agus tús a ngabhála, sheas muintir na hÉireann an fód le buanseasmhacht agus intliúlacht i ngach glún. Má theagasc an stair rud ar bith dúinn is é sin nach mbeidh an glún seo ná na glúnta eile éagsúil go dtí lá dearfa na saoirse agus ardcheannais.
“Ó laethanta na nÉireannach Aontaithe tá an fhrithbheartaíocht sin nasctha go daingean le idéalacha uilíocha an phoblachtánachais agus, ó Luan Cásca 1916, thit na poblachtánaigh sin a maraíodh i gcomhrac ag cosaint cheart ár muintire Forógra na Poblachta a chur i gcrích agus náisiúnstát ceannasach a bhunú do mhuintir na hÉireann.
“An Cháisc seo, athchaitheann éirígí leis an sprioc a chuaigh mhairtírigh stair na hÉireann le baint amach – cur i gcrích an Fhorógra sin. Leanfaimid ar aghaidh ag tógáil ár n-eagraíochta, ar fheachtas agus ag tógáil airde ar an éagóir i sochaí na hÉireann. Leanfaimid ar aghaidh freisin ag obair leosan a bhfuil ar aon bharúil linn agus ag féachaint le fuinneamh a thógáil ar son athrú réabhlóideach in Éirinn atá i ndáiríre chun leas mhuintir na hÉireann.
“Is é sin an obair os ár gcomhair – níl aon seachrán orainn faoina nadúr ollmhór, ach baineann muid inspioráid agus misneach as an íobairt ollmhór atá déanta ag daoine agus pobail ar fud na tíre seo. Gríosaíonn muid gach poblachtánach féachaint as an nua ar Fhorógra Phoblacht na hÉireann – anois 92 bliain d’aois agus chomh ábharthach agus a bhí riamh – é a léamh as an nua, agus iad féin a athcheangal le brí lena réaladh.
“Beir bua.”
Revolutionaries of the freedom struggle remembered
Éirígí activists from across Dublin gathered for a short commemorative ceremony in the city's Glasnevin Cemetery on Sunday morning (23 March).
The event was opened with a reading of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic by Ciaran Heaphey. Suzi Murray then laid a wreath on behalf of the party.
Chairperson Brian Leeson then asked for a minute’s silence in memory of all of those who have died in the course of the struggle for Irish freedom before Cormac Ryan sang a rousing version of The Foggy Dew.
In south Derry, wreaths were laid at the graves of local martyrs, including hunger strikers Francis Hughes and Thomas McElwee, and Sean Larkin (Brigadier) executed by Free State forces in 1923. A number of wreaths were then laid in memory of all the people of the south Derry area who have fought and died in the same vein as the 1916 martyrs.
Activists also gathered in Donegal to pay tribute to another fallen hero.
Éirígí's Michéal Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig laid a wreath at a monument to IRA Volunteer Caoimhín Mac Brádaigh, who was killed in an attack in Milltown cemetery, Belfast, during the funerals of the Gibraltar Three.
Around 25 people took part in the ceremony, including members of Mac Brádaigh's family.
In commemorating all those who had died in the struggle for Irish freedom, Mac Giolla Easbuig spoke of the need also to remember the survivors of 1916 and other campaigns; those who had kept the struggle alive in the aftermath of battle. In particular he drew attention to the role played by women and even children in the freedom struggle.
He went on to talk about the pressing concerns of the people of Donegal, in particular the need for an adequate health service, and the harshness of the continuing reality of unemployment and emigration.
In plotting out the development of Éirígí and the objective of building solid revolutionary organisational foundations for the coming struggle, Mac Giolla Easbuig concluded with the words of Fidel Castro, when he said:
"I began the revolution with 82 men. If I had to do it again, I'd do it with 10 or 15 and absolute faith. It does not matter how small you are if you have faith and a plan of action".
Brian Leeson, speaking from events in Dublin, said it was important for republicans to remember the country's many martyrs; both as an act of solidarity with their families and in order to gain inspiration from the heroic sacrifices so many people have made.
"From the moment of the first English military incursion into Ireland and the beginning of their conquest, Irish people have resisted with great tenacity and ingenuity in every generation. If history has taught us anything it is that this generation and others will be no different until the certain day of independence and sovereignty.
"From the days of the United Irishmen and women that resistance has been firmly linked to the universal ideals of republicanism and, from Easter Monday 1916, those republicans who have fallen in action have done so in defence of our people's right to implement the Proclamation of the Republic and to establish a sovereign nation state for the Irish people.
"This Easter, Éirígí rededicates itself to the goal the martyrs of Irish history set out to achieve – the implementation of that Proclamation. We will continue to build our organisation, to campaign and to raise awareness of the injustices in Irish society. We will continue also to work with those who share our ideas and seek to build momentum for a revolutionary shift in Ireland that truly benefits the people of Ireland.
"That is the task that lies before us – we have no illusions as to its mammoth nature, but we take inspiration and courage from the mammoth sacrifice that has been given by people and communities across this country. We encourage all republicans to look afresh at the Proclamation of the Irish republic – now 92 years old and as relevant as ever – to read it afresh, and to recommit themselves with vigour to its realisation.
“Beir Bua.”