Re: NIFC Report of FoIF Mass/Commemoration -- Stormont Watch

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Date Posted: Mon, Apr 09 2007, 21:52:41 PDT
Author: National Irish Freedom Committee
Subject: Re: NIFC Report of FoIF Mass/Commemoration
In reply to: National Irish Freedom Committee 's message, "NIFC Easter Message 2007" on Sat, Apr 07 2007, 23:22:58 PDT

Sean �glaigh Na h�ireann/Friends of Irish Freedom

2007 Easter Commemoration and Mass

After the ceremony, those present proceeded to the Easter Mass and Commemoration organized by Sean �glaigh na h- �ireann and the Friends of Irish Freedom, the Irish American Cultural Club of Long Island, the Tipperary N & B association and Saoirse NJ at Kelly Ryan's Resturant. The Mass was celebrated by Fr. Pat Maloney who gave another stirring sermon, perhaps his best, regarding the reality of life in the 26 county Irish Free State and in the occupied six counties. Never known to pull his punches. He said that during his most recent trip to Ireland he found evidence that the Celtic tiger has devoured many of its poor while rewarding the rich. He went on to say that recent developments in the British occupied six counties would have Michael Flannery turn over in his grave, because these developments are based on injustice, will the end of British rule, therefore, will not bring unity and independence to Ireland.

After Mass, Master of Ceremonies Martin Lyons, a lifelong activist both in Ireland and in America for the cause of Irish independence, introduced the dais. Martin welcomed Ken Tierney another icon of Irish republicanism who is back from a long illness. He also asked for a moment�s silence for those who died in the past year including Frank Durkan, Bart Dougherty and Eileen Flynn from Philadelphia.

The dais included Tom Beirne of the Leitrim Society, former Congressman and founder of the Ad Hoc Committee on Irish affairs, Mario Biaggi, Tony Creany of the Antrim Society, Bob Loughman of the National Irish Freedom Committee, Michael Sean and Jimmy McDermott; grand nephews of Se�n Mac Diarmada who was one of the organizers of the Easter Rising, Charlie McLoughlin of the Friends of Irish Freedom, Mary Holt Moore of the Bronx Gaelic League, who was honored in 2006 by Cumann Na Saoirse, John Murphy of the Tipperary N & B Association and Mary Nolan of the John Barry Club.

After a traditional Irish breakfast, Bridie McBearty from Derry City, the guest speaker from Ireland, was introduced. Bridie spoke eloquently regarding the current and ongoing situation in the six occupied counties. Bridie�s son George was murdered by the SAS in 1981. Her other son Danny is a founding member of the "EX-POWS against the RUC/PSNI", of which Bridie is a patron. The breakfast was a very well attended again this year. It was a great success and congratulations are in order to the organizing committee, in particular chairperson Cathleen O'Brien.

>Cumann na Saoirse N�isi�nta
>National Irish Freedom Committee
> >href="http://irishfreedom.net">http://irishfreedom.net<
>/a>
>
>
>
>Easter Message 2007
>
>
>
>
>On this weekend ninety one years ago, Padraic Pearse
>proclaimed on behalf on the Irish people, the right of
>the Irish people to a sovereign 32-county Irish
>Republic. That historic Proclamation was read from the
>steps of the General Post Office (GPO) in Dublin at
>the onset of the military uprising against the British
>Empire�s seven century long colonization of Ireland.
>
>
>This is the 91st anniversary of that historic event.
>That proclamation and the subsequent uprising was a
>defining moment in modern Irish history. It is
>considered the most sacred of days in the Irish
>Republican calendar. Republicans have never missed an
>Easter commemoration since then either in Ireland or
>here in America.
>
>
>This is a particularly important anniversary that we
>commemorate here today because politicians in both the
>twenty-six and six county partitionist sectarian
>states are redoubling their efforts to maintain and
>safeguard the status quo, thus securing their own
>selfish interests as well as Britain�s illegitimate
>occupation of the six county state.
>
>
>The latest betrayal by the Provisionals, who abandoned
>Republican principles in 1986, is by far the most
>insidious and blatant of all the betrayals to the
>32-county sovereign Republic proclaimed by Pearse on
>the steps of the GPO in 1916. Prior betrayals,
>although unforgivable, did not reach the level of
>deceit and treachery as did the Good Friday /St.
>Andrews Agreement embraced by the Provisionals.
>
>
>Other erstwhile comrades who abandoned republican
>principles did not join forces with the British
>partitionist establishment to rule on their behalf.
>What they did instead was embrace the partition of
>Ireland created by British Government of Ireland Act
>enacted in 1920, establishing their own ruling elite
>in the 26-county state and proceeded to rule
>accordingly. They did not defile the Republican cause
>by holding on to the name �Sinn Fein� as have the
>present-day Provisionals.
>
>
>
>On the other hand the Provisionals became fully
>integrated into the British establishment, recognized
>and embraced Britain�s governing institutions in the
>occupied six counties and paid de facto allegiance to
>the British crown. After 30 years of conflict and the
>loss of over 3,500 lives this was what the
>Provisionals achieved. The loss of so many Volunteers
>and innocent citizens did not faze the Provisional
>leadership whose aim, all along, was to get, what they
>considered to be their rightful reward, a piece of the
>British controlled partitionist pie.
>
>
>All of these erstwhile comrades including the
>Provisionals will continue to profess allegiance to
>the Proclamation of 1916 and will undoubtedly attend
>various commemorations to mark the anniversary. They
>will make speeches pontificating over the blood
>sacrifice of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising and
>will, unashamedly, claim commonality with their cause.
>How ironic that those who signed on the Good Friday
>/St Andrews agreement have the gall to claim
>allegiance to a 32-county sovereign Irish Republic
>that so many have died for over the centuries.
>
>
>Politicians who signed that agreement or any other
>agreement that supports or recognizes any British
>claim to Irish soil is akin to affixing their belated
>signature to the death warrants of Padraic Pearse and
>his sixteen comrades.
>
>
>As their reward for embracing and promoting the Good
>Friday/St. Andrews agreement the British gave the
>Provisionals their piece of the pie which amounted to
>legislative and ministerial positions in their
>reconstituted Stormont puppet government. They were
>also afforded personal protection by the British
>security forces, and a free hand to control opposition
>to the continued British presence in the six occupied
>counties.
>
>
>Pearse himself was well aware that everybody who
>claims to be republicans was not necessarily so. He
>wrote during Christmas 1915, mere months before the
>Easter rising;
>
>
>
>�If we today are fighting for something either greater
>than or less than the thing our fathers fought for,
>either our fathers did not fight for freedom at all,
>or we are not fighting for freedom. If I do not hold
>the faith of Tone; and if Tone was not a heretic, then
>I am. If Tone said, �BREAK the connection with
>England�, and if I say �MAINTAIN the connection with
>England�, I may be preaching a saner (as I am
>certainly preaching a safer) gospel than his, but I am
>obviously not preaching the same gospel. Separatism,
>in fact, is the national position. Whenever an Irish
>leader has taken up a position different from the
>national position he has been repudiated by the next
>generation. ... The chain of the Separatist tradition
>has never once snapped during the centuries�
>
>
>
>It is clear from Pearse�s prophetic words who will be
>repudiated. Yet, the Republican Movement continues to
>safeguard the ideals of Easter Week.
>
>We, the Irish Diaspora in America gathered here today
>reaffirm our commitment to the same.
>
>
>We will continue to support and publicize the plight
>of Irish republican prisoners in HM Maghaberry Prison,
>who are fighting for political status while engaged in
>an on going prison protest in conditions that are
>eerily reminiscent of the period prior to the hunger
>strikes of 1981.
>
>
>We will also continue to promote the Eire Nua program
>that proposes a federal solution based on the four
>historic provinces of Ireland. This comprehensive
>Irish authored political program is designed to
>achieve a just and lasting peace in the context of a
>British withdrawal.
>
>
>
>National Irish Freedom Committee
>Cumann na Saoirse N�isi�nta
> >href="http://irishfreedom.net">http://irishfreedom.net<
>/a>

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