Léargas: A Podcast by Gerry Adams

‘Hope should never Die’ – Bobby Sands Wednesday 20th August marks the anniversary of the death on hunger strike in 1981 of Mickey Devine. Mickey was the last of the ten men to die and several weeks later the hunger strike end on 3 October. It was also the day the by-election was held in Fermanagh South Tyrone caused by the death in May of Bobby Sands. Owen Carron successfully held the seat as the ‘Anti-H-Block/Proxy Political Prisoner’ candidate. This Sunday the annual National Hunger Strike March and Rally will take place in Belfast. Republicans and others remember with pride and sorrow those who died on hunger strike in 1981, as well as Michael Gaughan 1974 and Frank Stagg 1976, and others of earlier generations. The men of the H-Blocks and the women of Armagh Women’s Prison hold a special place in republican hearts and minds. We also remember all of those who died during that summer of 1981. An Clogán Among the many excellent events at this year’s Féile an Phobail was the launch of a new journal called An Clogán (The Little Bell). It is an independent, politically unaligned magazine that takes its name, and I suspect its design as an A5 booklet, from The Bell. This was a left oriented magazine edited and published in the 1940’s and 50’s by Peadar O’Donnell, Roisin Walsh and Sean Ó Faoláin. An Clogán, which is edited by Oisín Gilmore and Oisín Vince Coulter is an ambitious magazine containing 27 contributions from a wide range of writers, including Claire Mitchell, Robbie McVeigh, Phillip Pettit, Martina Anderson, Margaret Ward, and an interview with me.

> > Comhghairdeas Féile!! > > > > Well done to all of those who planned, organised, participated in, or generally contributed to this years hugely successful Féile an Phobail. It was a colourful, imaginative, informative, entertaining, empowering and exhausting couple of weeks. This year’s published programme was a weighty volume providing information on over 600 events across the City. It was a mix of  80 debates and discussions, sporting and music events, art exhibitions, as well as the carnival parade and family fun days for children and much more. The concerts in the Park were packed to capacity each night and revellers thoroughly enjoyed themselves. > > > > Gael Stair – Na h’Abair é, dean é. > > > > During Féile I had the honour and pleasure to open an exhibition in Conway Mill on the role of the Irish language and Irish language activists in the social and political history of Belfast. At the heart of the exhibition is the archive preserved by Brighid Mhic Sheáin - one of the founders of the Shaws Road Gaeltacht in west Belfast. Over five decades she diligently collected the Gael Stair archive which reveals how connected the Irish language was with the struggle for social rights, self-determination, and for a better future free from poverty and unemployment. > > > > 🏚"Gaeltacht Gan Tithe  🔜  Gaeltacht Gan Todhchaí"🏚 > > > > Bígí linn, Satharn 20 Meán Fómhair ag Mórshiúl Náisiúnta na nGael - CEARTA - i mBaile Átha Cliath.  > > > > ⭕"Seas le pobal na Gaeltachta" 🏡 > > Remembering Internment > > > > As we celebrate Féile an Phobail we should remember the events of August 1971 which gave rise to some of the conditions that helped shape Féile in 1988.In the early hours of Monday 9th August 1971 thousands of British soldiers swamped nationalist areas across the North and smashed their way into the homes of hundreds of nationalist and republican families. 342 men, the old and the young, were dragged from their beds and taken to interrogation and holding centres were most were beaten. Fourteen of their number were singled out for torture – the hooded men.

An interview with Dr Mustafa Barghouti, the founder and leader of the Palestinian National Initiative, Activist and advocate of Palestinian rights.

Up for the Match Off on Sunday morning to Croke Park. Dark skies. Lots of grey clouds. Our journey was delayed by Féile An Phobail’s 5km and 10km run. Diverted and distracted we eventually got out of West Belfast and on the road to Dublin. Enroute the dark skies lightened. The grey clouds gave way to blue heavens and gentle sunshine. We were off to watch Antrim’s Lady Footballers in our own All Ireland against Louth. As we crossed the Border KneeCap kept our spirits high. Their ceol blasted out and the car rocked as we hip hopped to the Capital. A morning after the night before follow-on from Saturday evening’s Falls Park Country frolicks. The match in Croker started off positively with Antrim taking an early lead but Louth soon asserted themselves and Antrim was chasing the game from then until the last ten minutes. Some of the players may have been overwhelmed by the big occasion.  If so who could blame them? To play in Croke is mighty and Antrim supporters were out in strength. Everyone, including us, as proud as could be.  Family members, club mates. The number of Northern Gaels was swelled by Tyrone supporters who later went on to win their championship against Laois. Dublin went on to best Meath in the Seniors. A great day of Gaelic football. Gaza – An Gorta Mór – The Starvation The scenes of desperation as starving people in Gaza try to get basins or pots filled with soup, are shocking images. It is a famine we are told. Last week the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a United Nations panel which had long warned of the threat of famine, concluded that it was now a reality. The use of the word ‘famine’ and the images of starving children are a reminder for many in Ireland of what life must have been like during An Gorta Mór in the 1840s. But it is important to note that in a famine there is no food. In Ireland there was plenty of food. During those years the quaysides of ports along our coast were lined each day with abundant produce - all bound for export. It was a starvation. The hunger in Gaza is an Israeli made starvation. Aid agencies and the UN have more than enough food and medical aid ready to enter Gaza. Israel prevents this. It is not a famine – it is a starvation Orangism in the New Ireland The northern statelet was built for unionism. It was constructed and then managed in a way to ensure that nationalists would never have a say in running the place. We are less than three years off the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Most citizens, and many within the broad unionist section of our people, have grown accustomed to the stability and peace it has brought but there are others who still hanker after the old days of supremacy. The DUP shares the office of the First Minister with Sinn Féin but their strategy is focused on the next Assembly election in two years’ time and their aim is to remove Michelle O’Neill as First Minister. That is why there is a battle a day over Irish language rights. That is why there has been no start on building the new Casement. That is why there is negative nonsense over bi-lingual signage in public places.

Planning for the Future It was Charles Stewart Parnell who said: “No man has the right to say to his country. Thus far shalt thou go and no further.” This was in the 19th century. He also declared; “Let no one set a boundary to the march of a nation.” Parnell was clearly setting out the right of the people of Ireland to self-determination. Interestingly he chose Cork to make this declaration.  That was the 21st January 1885. One of the current Cork TDs and the current Taoiseach Micheál Martin has a contrary view. Our right to self-determination is contained in the Good Friday Agreement so that right has been won. We now need to exercise it. There is an irony that An Taoiseach has set his face against this and that he refuses to plan for the certain day when the Good Friday Agreement referendums will be held. Planning for the Future It was Charles Stewart Parnell who said: “No man has the right to say to his country. Thus far shalt thou go and no further.” This was in the 19th century. He also declared; “Let no one set a boundary to the march of a nation.” Parnell was clearly setting out the right of the people of Ireland to self-determination. Interestingly he chose Cork to make this declaration.  That was the 21st January 1885. One of the current Cork TDs and the current Taoiseach Micheál Martin has a contrary view. Our right to self-determination is contained in the Good Friday Agreement so that right has been won. We now need to exercise it. There is an irony that An Taoiseach has set his face against this and that he refuses to plan for the certain day when the Good Friday Agreement referendums will be held. Our Martin Last week, in the Guildhall in Derry, several hundred friends, comrades and family of Martin McGuinness came together for the launch of Jim McVeigh’s authoritative and compelling new book on Martin. Jim is a gifted writer. ‘Our Martin’ is a very personal, insightful account of Martin’s life in Derry and his love for his wife Bernie, and she for him, and for their children, Fionnuala, Emmet, Fiachra and Grainne. Martin said: “What politicised me was the civil rights protest. It wasn’t anything I heard in the house, or even in my grandmother’s house in Donegal. There was no republicanism whatsoever in my background.” ‘Our Martin’ by James McVeigh will be launched in Belfast at 1pm on 2 August in St. Mary’s University College Belfast, as part of Féile an Phobail. It is available from An Fhuiseog, 55 Falls Road and from www.beyondthepalebooks.com [https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.beyondthepalebooks.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C202f79e0af6d48b4e93f08ddcdd9b2f9%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638893057095261355%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=SQrPHwKEnqofXGM4W6rDAFj3Nh%2Fb7qDJTniu7S9DMtY%3D&reserved=0]