Dolours Price reviews Ruairi O'Bradaigh biography

by Michael - Human League Sun Dec 21, 2008 21:40

Ruari was a regular patron most weekday afternoons in The Wimpy Bar situated in Aungier Street Dublin circa 1972 .
At the height of the troubles The I.R.A. Told all business's to shut down for 1 day .

Thr Wimpy Bar in Aungier Street was the 1st 24 hour Restaurant .

O n that fateful day in 1972 It Remained Open . Check it out ,its true .

by El Peregrino - Amigos de Santiago Sun Dec 21, 2008 19:54

Thank you one and all for your enlightening comments on White's book on Ruairí Ó Bradaigh and the fight for Irish freedom. It is to be expected that there are many divergent views on such a man but the consensus is that he has held to his principles throughout a long and lonely fight against our own State and that of the UK. I will be in Ireland over the Christmas and hope to pick up a copy of this book. Any ideas on where I might be able to buy one as I understand the book is virtually sold out?
I would appeal to all of you to defend your opinions without resorting to personal animosity.
Beir bua

by late reader Fri Jul 25, 2008 09:11

ive just gotten around to reading this incredible book ( i didnt really know of the man) and anyone with any interest in change should read this. for someone who has grown up where people of rsf's outlook are other not permitted be heard or more frequently misrepresented its an eye opener.

we are consistently told of the 'apolitical' nature of O'Bradiagh but here is the story of a man who unlike adams' sinn fein felt /feels republicanism should serve the irish people and not the leadership of the movement. learning about eire nua and what republican politics really are showed me why the state doesnt want this heard their privledge would collapse, as power would be in all of our hands instead of theirs. an inspiration in a time of corruption.

many young people like myself are looking for integrity something true with values principles and vision not 'leaders' who destroy tara, piss on our people like in rossport or grovel to england like ff,greens and sf and every damn party in this country and with this book i have found it, and i really hope more do too.

by Seaicilín F Fri Sep 07, 2007 09:02

Sceptic, I’m not fooled by this ‘freedom of expression’ guarantee - it has many conditions attached to it.

Article 40 6.1(i) “The right of citizens to express freely their convictions and opinions.”

The above right cited above is taken from the twenty-six counties ‘Constitution’ and has many conditions attached to it, as has all the personal rights cited in Article 40 of the ‘Constitution’- there are NO ABSOLUTE RIGHTS in the ‘Constitution’, all rights come attached with a list of conditions/restrictions and exceptions to rule, etc. - there is definitely no absolute right to freedom of expression provided for in the ‘Constitution’. As stated before, the above personal right is very conditional; conditional upon not offending or undermining the authority of those in Leinster House - they decide what’s permitted or not, whether it is a threat to them or not, and they enact draconian laws restricting further people’s rights to freedom of expression.

A common condition cited is ‘public order’ which raises its ugly head up throughout the ‘Constitution’, in my opinion, those two words are the most fucking annoying words I’ve ever heard. The Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994 (aka ‘The Catch All Act’) is a very overused and abused Act by Leinster House’s guardians, An Garda Síochána. I’ve overheard them numerous times invoke this Public Order Act at various different protests I’ve attended over the years. These words ‘Public Order Act’ are said like a mantra by the brained washed blue guardians of Leinster House and are delivered like a ‘weapon’ to hit the protestor with, these words are ‘a god send’ to the Gardaí when faced with the passive innocent protestor, they can then invoke these two blasted words as a last resort where no crime has been committed in the hope of making an arrest, preventing a protest, the distribution of information or to control public meetings not approved of by Leinster House.

I’m under no illusions, I know every citizen in Ireland today is controlled and surveilled overtly/covertly if they express openly their views or attend protests which are disapproved of by those in Leinster House. In the past it has been reported that certain organisations and individuals have had their mail intercepted and telephones tapped on occasion on the orders of representatives of Leinster House.

Of course, there are numerous other articles in the ‘Constitution’ I disapprove of, for example, Article 3, the notion that Ireland will be united only when the majority of people on the island wish it to be united and by peaceful means - this is absurd, as the majority on this island have always wished it to be united and an end brought to British rule here, it’s a small minority of militant and armed to the hilt Orange/Unionists who are insecure and disagree and cling to the unwanted British occupation - the majority opinion of Irish citizens clearly does not matter, instead, Bertie Ahern must be friends with the enemy who has murdered so many Irish citizens and denied them basic human rights and who refuses to leave the island despite numerous ‘hints’, when he should be demanding them to leave and militarily planning to expel them if they don’t, after all, he’s always going on about what a great ‘republican’ he is (another of his many concoctions, up there with his hilarious proclamation that he was the most socialist politician in Ireland).

Of course, another objection I have is the elitism of the Seanad elections, the fact that you must attend university to be granted the privilege of selecting elite categories of people (how English!), all other types of non-university people being unworthy of respect or mention according to this ‘Constitution’ - this is undemocratic and speaks volumes!

In conclusion, all these conditions/restrictions put on people’s personal rights make a mockery of the ‘Constitution’s’ ‘personal rights’ section and, in reality, do the exact opposite of what they claim - restrict citizens’ personal rights. I wonder sometimes how many Irish citizens have read this ‘Constitution’ from beginning to end and how much of it did they approve, I doubt if there was a vote on it tomorrow it would still remain intact.

p.s. I’m not going to waste my time reading other States’ Constitutions, because I don’t live and pay taxes to foreign States. Personally, I could never admire any country who does not grant to its citizens the very basic right to freely criticise its government (both vocally and in writing), which is paid for and wields such influence and power over the every day lives of its citizens.

by Sceptic Thu Sep 06, 2007 22:18

Seaicilín F the fact that you post here in the first place is because of freedom of expression is guaranteed in the constitution. If you were in China, Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea you would not have this freedom. So that is a start. If you dislike the Irish constitution so much is there any State whose constitution you admire?

by Seaicilín F Thu Sep 06, 2007 01:11

Cogar, you ludramán, I have no respect for the blue fairy tale book of rights and principles of governance entitled the 'Irish Constitution', I don't agree with all its articles, in fact I have massive problems with it. I was merely pointing out in general to those that might believe that their 'precious' Irish law overrides European law in areas that matter, that this is factually incorrect. Ireland is gradually losing its independence to the European Union, it has, of course, lost its neutrality already. I don't believe any of the so called personal rights of citizens contained in this little blue book actually fucking exist in my experience and it really pisses me off to hear people go on and on and quote the rights of citizens from it, when it is blatantly obvious to me from experience that these rights of citizens are works of fiction and don't fucking exist in reality. I can't respect a book which is misleading and dishonest and doesn't represent my vision for Ireland.

by Barry - 32 csm Thu Sep 06, 2007 00:05

It is a fact that both the British and Irish governments and their security forces have actively impeded any investigation into the Dublin Monaghan bombings for over 3 decades now as well as actively disposing of the evidence . Destroying evidence in a case of terrorist mass murder is an act of collusion . Covering up for the perpetrators after the fact is an act of collusion and its a fact that this has been done by the Irish state .

It is a fact that garda special branch harassed the relatives of the victims for decades . It is a fact that British army major Peter Maynard is a prime suspect in the bombings according to Irish army intelligence . It is a fact that garda special branch detective John McCoy by his own admission to 2 national newspapers was a British intelligence agent and accompanied Maynard on illegal activity within the 26 counties , and a fact that no action has ever been taken against him despite his highly public blackmail of the state in the national media .

It is a fact that collusion is ongoing today regarding the states biggest atrocity within an garda siochana , as members of an garda siochana have now illegally removed all the files and their duplicates from their own archives , having previously went to the supreme court to prevent a prosecution being taken internationally against the British governemnt for its role in the bombings . It is a fact that removing evidence in this manner is an act of collusion in the mass murder of your own citizens . It is a fact that agents of the Irish state have engaged in this illegal activity because the files have all disappeared from the Department of justice garda headquarters , Monaghan , Castleblaney and Dundalk garda stations , fairies did not remove every last file and duplicate from 5 seperate secure garda locations , and it has been fully proven they were all there just afew years ago . It is a fact that elements of the Irish security forces are engaging in collusion as regards that massacre to this very day .
Now either they are engaging in this widespread collusion on behalf of loyalist paramilitaries or they are doing it on behalf of the British intelligence services , because it is a fact that elements within the gardai have done this and a sad fact that nothing has been done to stop them , absolutely nothing .
Refusing to recognise the legitimacy of a state that behaves in this manner is quite sensible and much more principled than the activities of a state that colludes in the mass murder of its own citizens . Such a state has no moral right to exist in the first place .

by Sceptic Wed Sep 05, 2007 21:50

I don't and did not defend Ballyseedy. But it was not carried out on the instructions of the Free State Government or Army HQ. It was a local initiative. Ballyseedy was an unjustified atrocity committed against prisoners - period. It is a fact that British involvement in the Dublin Monaghan bombings is quite unproven. Republicans have jumped on this particular bandwagon in recent years with fierce indignation as if they were themselves not the authors or supporters or defenders of equally sinister bombings in Belfast or Birmingham or Woolwich or Teebane or Mullaghmore or a host of others. I can’t see how they can evade the responsibility for the bombings they did do. Just because they were not the only ones to commit atrocities does not mean they can evade responsibility for the ones they did commit whether they were “mistakes” or otherwise. As regards the EU whoever wrote that rant has little knowledge of the workings of the union or its institutions or laws. Its notable that you can be an admirer of Ruairí Ó Bhrádaigh who rejects the legitimacy of the Irish State but yet you have such a tender regard for its sovereignty and its constitution in an EU context. Besides you are wrong – the ECJ can override the Supreme Court in certain areas of law only. This arrangement in supranational authority and shared sovereignty has the assent of the Irish people in the way that Mr. Ó Bhrádaigh’s notions never have.

by Barry - 32 csm Wed Sep 05, 2007 20:36

" Even if this were proven, which it has not been "

As the gardai refused to persue an investigation , the biggest mass murder in the states history , and no Irish governemnt has asked them to investigate it , and because no Irish governemnt will hold a public enquiry , and because the gardai have blocked any international court investigation and took the families to the supreme court to prevent any enquiry , and because the British governemnt flat refuse to assist in any investigation , and because elements within the gardai have removed all the files , in their entirety , including the duplicates from 5 seperate secure locations in the last 2 years , how in the name of fuck do you expect anyone to prove anything in a court of law ?

"" it would not alter the IRA's moral responsibility for the things they did. Whoever did the Dublin bombings is morally responsible for that. But the IRA is responsible for Bloody Friday and the rest ""

The IRA admitted responsibility , they also phoned in warnings , their intent was not to kill innocent civilians . The intent of the people who detonated no warning car bombings in rush hour on the day of a bus and rail strike was to create maximum civilian casualties . Those in the Irish security services who colluded in this massacre and continue to collude are morally responsible for the deliberate massacre of their own citizens . Those in the Irish governemnt who to this day assist in this collusion are guilty of collusion themselves in the mas murder of their own citizens . Our current Taoiseach remember originally campaigned for election to Taoiseach on a platform with the Dublin Monaghan relatives , promising to have the files opened for inspection . As soon as he was elected he announced hed looked at the files himself and reckoned there was nothing in them of any use to anyone . After that the files disappeared , in their entirety including all duplicates from 5 seperate secure locations . Those who removed the files are guilty of collusion , morally and physically responsible for the mass murder of their own people . They are part of the ongoing murder plot and cover up , accessories after the fact . They are criminals .

by Seaicilín F Wed Sep 05, 2007 19:30

The Staters of 1922-1923 did terrible things to other Irishmen.!"

Sceptic's response: "Yes but there were reasons."

I note, Sceptic, you were 'quick on the draw' to jump to the defence of the Free State Army who committed the appalling atrocity that was Ballyseedy and the many other heinous crimes committed by them, and all deliberately silenced and omitted or glossed over in the school history books and all excused by you.

Today, no doubt you have no problem with that same force about to undergo training to join the future European Army, and God only knows what wars and atrocities this future European Army will get Ireland involved in and how we will all suffer as a result. When the money has dried up from the European Union all Irish people will be left with in the future is the sight of coffins of dead Irish men/women coming home courtesy of the grand European Army and the powers that be (Ireland having no powers of note) in the European Union. The Irish Constitution means nothing, European law overrides it, we are ruled by unseen and unaccountable forces in the dark halls of the European Union. Ireland has no power worth nothing in the EU, the EU sees it as merely a country to be abused and kicked into shape if Ireland does not vote how they wish us to or pushed aside and ignored! Yes, Ruairí Ó Bhrádaigh was right to have misgivings about Ireland joining the EC.

The biography of Ruairí Ó Bhrádaigh by the way was a bestseller and sold out in shops in a week - shops could not keep it in stock due to its popularity.

by Sceptic Wed Sep 05, 2007 19:23

Even if this were proven, which it has not been, it would not alter the IRA's moral responsibility for the things they did. Whoever did the Dublin bombings is morally responsible for that. But the IRA is responsible for Bloody Friday and the rest.

by Barry - 32 csm Wed Sep 05, 2007 19:18

In May 1974 the British gvernments military agents set off 3 no warning car bombs on the streets of Dublin and another in Monaghan Town . They were timed for commuter rush hour during a bus and rail strike . Dozens were killed , hundreds maimed . To this day the "security" agencies on both sides of the border and both governemnts are covering this massacre up , because the security agencies both sides of the border are deeply implicated in this mass murder , the worst of the entire troubles . British intelligence officers such as Major Peter Maynard and bought and paid for Garda detectives such as John " the badger " McCoy are heavily implicated in these events , and other dreadful murders .
As a supporter and apologist for these terrorists who carried out many many more massacres both sides of the border , 99.9% of which were deliberately directed at uninvolved civilians you have no grounds on which to be levelling such accusations against posters here or Mr OBradaigh , save the grounds of complete hypocrisy .
As we speak there is still no sign of an enquiry into these dreadful events , not helped by the fact that in the last 2 years it has emerged that every last file and duplicate on the massacre has been removed from the Department of Justice , Garda headquarters , Dundalk , Monaghan and Castleblaney garda stations . The scale of the ongoing collusion involving the removal of tens of thousands of documents and pieces of evidence IN THEIR ENTIRETY INCLUDING ALL DUPLICATES , from 5 seperate secure locations accross the country points to the absolute scum of the earth coluding still in the massacre of their own citizens by a foreign military agency . I personally dont regard such toerags responsible for treason of this magnitude as human , much less manly . I regard it as further despicable inhumanity for these Garda detectives to have subjected the relatives of those massacred to decades of harassment on the streets , while actively colluding in the murder and maiming of their innocent loved ones . That collusion continues to this very day at the highest levels of An Garda Siochana and in the department of justice . No doubt youll seek to defend these criminal scum and their actions , but they are plainly indefensible .

by Sceptic Wed Sep 05, 2007 18:47

Cael,
The IRA and those who led them then like O’Brady, McStioffan and Adams cannot just weasel their way out of moral responsibility for Bloody Friday and other atrocities just like that. The IRA selected people for killing and duly killed them; they also planted eight no warning bombs in Belfast and killed over a dozen civilians. The moral turpitude and moral responsibility rests with them for their actions – not the Brits. Nor have Iraq or Afghanistan 35 years later have anything to do with it either. Not only did the IRA do these things but some of their defenders lack the manliness to accept the responsibility for them.

by Cael Wed Sep 05, 2007 14:07

I know you by what you say, and I cant say Im very impressed. Why do you feel the need to call him Rory? Is Ruairí too Irish for you? Does it upset your Anglophone ear?

The events you refer to in 1972 would never have happened if the Brits were not occupying Ireland. No doubt the IRA should have been more careful to prevent civilian casualties, but by comparison to the US and British bombings in Iraq and Afganistan, with much more advanced technology, the IRA we much more successful at limiting civilian deaths and injuries.

As for the EU, Éire Nua and Saol Nua envision a completely different form of society to the one being promoted by the EU.

by sure_an_begorrah Wed Sep 05, 2007 02:55

you're just pouring out your repressed rage on me, without knowing me.
If Rory said that democracy should be devolved down to parish councils, I'm with him on that. For democracy to work it must be small and local.

But it can work in that way only if everybody cares and gets involved.

Conversely, the EU is anti-democratic as it transfers power to a nameless, faceless, unelected, unfirable clique in Brussels............

The EU is many things.

A vast job creation scheme.

A slow motion coup d'etat for all of Europe.

A blueprint for dictatorship.

You are not worried about it now, because of the present economic prosperity.

When boom turns to bust, you will see how foolish you were to transfer power to Brussels.

-----------------------------------

"There's nothing to say."

That was O'Bradaigh's response when asked "What happened in Belfast yesterday?"

It was the occasion of Bloody Friday, 1972.

Is that the way to fight for 'freedom?'

No great goal can be reached by foul means.

If the means you employ are corrupt, they will contaminate the end.

Bloody Friday 1972 was not the way to fight for a better world.

As far as I know, O'Bradaigh never dissociated himself from the events of Bloody Friday 1972, never issued any condemnation of what happened that day in Belfast.

by Cael Wed Sep 05, 2007 02:30

thank's mr o' bradaigh
by robert Tue Aug 08, 2006 02:42
On behalf of the younger irish generation I thank you for your dedication to ireland and to republicanism. I greatly admire your courage and how you stood by your republican beliefs and did not waver and did not have your spirit tamed like cathal goulding or gerry adams. There are other young republicans like my self who still hold dear the true ideals of wolftone,pearse and connoly your ideals and we will never give up the struggle untill we have achived what the irish have a right to and deserve a united irish republic free from every kind of british oppression an ireland were men will no longer be called catholic or protestant but simply irishman.

Well said, Robert, a chara, when push came to shove, Ó Brádaigh and his comrades showed themselves to be the real revolutionaries. The trendy crowd from Belfast were soon absorbed into the English colonial system and now serve the same function as John Redmond and the Irish Party did. Only the Law of the Republic gives the Irish people the possibility of throwing off the Dictatorship of the Gombeen in the 26 and the direct English Crown occupation in the 06.

by Cael Mon Sep 03, 2007 19:33

I wonder why this self hater feels the need to render Ruairí Ó Brádaigh's name in English - just shows how much decolonisation we still need to do.

by Barry - 32 csm Mon Sep 03, 2007 00:30

Ive noticed of late a thoroughly Irish phenomena of certain types of Irish people mocking Irish accents by using terms like " oirish" when discussing things like the GAA or national patriotic sentiment . Some of our countrymen are quite desperate to prove to people how theyve " moved on " , so desperate in fact they adopt an ostentatious display of disgusted aloofness from their own people and nation . It seems to have degenerated to the point were attachment to any national ideal , including sovereignty , is derided as " oirish " and old fashioned . Its desperately immature but quite explainable . I honestly suspect the poster using this language has fallen victim to this undignified bourgeouis mindset .

Although you may be right and he could be a racist anti Irish wanker after all .

by Lurkalot Sun Sep 02, 2007 23:30

"why the need for this language"

Despite his pretensions of being 'anti-imperialist' the fact is he is a thinly-disguised racist, and the use of that phraseology is to provoke you and other republican and nationalist minded people into over-reacting.
Barry, keep up your regular high standard and make a point of never descending to his level.

by Barry - 32 csm Sun Sep 02, 2007 21:56

As someone who has met and had discussions with Ruairi on a number of occasions over the years , and despite my political differences with him , he is indeed a gentleman . And a revolutionary . He also didnt stop calling for an end to Brussels imperiaism in the mid 1970s , he still does . His political position was , and is , that as a colonised nation Ireland had much more in common with our fellow colonised in the Third World than with the colonisers club of the EU which sought only to exploit us and others and rob underdeveloped nations of their resources , as ours have been robbed in their entirety from our fish stocks to gas and oil . Our greatest resource , our people , are thoroughly owned and enslaved for life by the mortgage companies ( now even their kids will have to pay todays mortgage) and the multinationals . We have been thoroughly raped and pillaged , bought and sold . Southern Ireland wasnt part of the EU in 1972 , it didnt join till a year later . As President of Sinn fein ROB was at the forefront of the campaign to stay out of it

His political position was , and is , that we should seek to build alliances with those formerly colonised nations in our national self interest as opposed to handing over our sovereignty to the colonisers club in Brussels . He also sought a radical overhaul of the practise of economics throughout the island , and the devolving of political and economic power to street , parish and community level . They were and are his policies . His bitter opponents , such as Gerry Adams and Pat Rabbitte , derided him as right wing because he didnt embrace Marxist orthodoxy and the abolition of all private property . Both men today are exposed as social democrat hypocrites with more concern for corporate interests than that of the Irish nation . Ruari has however remained steadfast in his vision of a radicaly different Irish nation . .
Your blinkered attitude towards national sovereignty , that it consists only of a line on the map , is childish and short sighted . As is your choice of user name which baffles me and leaves me shaking my head . Indeed it seems to be a particularly southern Irish bourgouis phenomenon to mock an Irish accent in order to dislocate ones self mentally from the fact you are a part of the Irish nation , a colonised nation . But then to regard yourself as part of such might entail having to deal wth that reality , so dislocation and avoidance is often preferable as the human condition is generally one of mental weakness and the avoidance of such confrontation . But perhaps thats one of the mental afflictions caused by colonialism that Fanon went into such detail about . Why do you feel the need to mock an Irish accent ? Is it hatred for Irish people , do you feel your somehow superior to the broad mass of the Irish people and must mock their accents ? or do you feel you arent part of the Irish nation and must distance yourself from it by ridiculing the notion of such ? Im genuinely interested as to the reasons .

As regards his role in the armed struggle of the 50s and early 60s it was much less surreal than his revolutionary contemporaries of the period , Guevara and castro and few dozen others losing all their guns and ammunition on a beach in Cuba , betrayed and freindless, but pressing on regardless . And even less surreal than its Bolivian aftermath . To say the Irish people didnt want an end to partition is ridiculous given the political shows of support given accross the country at the funerals of south and OHanlon , the county council motions in support and even the electoral vicories of that period when Ruiari himself was elected as a TD . They were simply too timid to do anything about it and physically confront the status quo , they were disorganised and frightened . And again in a colonised society thats to be expected . Unfortunately for the revolutionaries of that period an internal IRA schism led to breakaway groups launching their campaigns much too early before a planned political agitation campaign in the north was formulated and before sufficient weapons and money were gathered for the insurgency . This in turn led to the IRA itself becoming fearful of being left behind and its premature launching of its offensive before the conditions for a sucessful insurgency were in place . Hence its failure due to the Irish peoples timidity , confusion and deference to authoritarians like DeValera and the church .
As regards Bloody Friday 72 , the author of those events Mr Gerry Adams , set his sights on removing Mr O'Bradaigh and others fromleadership even from that period . Perhaps you believe Ruairí should simply have abandoned the liberation struggle to him and his ilk without a fight and just went home and did nothing. It seems to be why you say youve no respect for him .

And finally to return again to the issue of national sovereignty . Why you regard the notion of an independent Irish nation as a " chimera" , a monstrosity , also baffles me . You seem deeply opposed to the very notion . It also baffles me as how you actually believe the Irish people will someday acheive socialism without first asserting themselves as a nation and reclaiming their national territory . Socialism requires from the people their dignity first and foremeost . It requires them to be masters of their own futures . Without national self determination there can be no socialism or any radical change in Irish politics . If we accept the right of a foreign state to physically violate our national sovereignty and to persue the undemocratic methods by which this is done then the principle of power to the people goes out the window from the very beginning , it will never be part of our national politics if we accept the violation of our national sovereignty . National sovereignty entails national dignity and being masters of our own futures in our own nation . Ireland cannot progress to anti imperilism before it frst defeats colonialism on its own territory . The failure thus far of the Irish people to acheive nationhood in the face of colonialism has itself created our current chimera , the one in which we , our resources and territory are owned by others seemingly as of right . And the one in which you and others like feel the need and regard it as progressive somehow to mock an Irish accent to distance yourself mentally from someone like Ruari OBradaigh who has given a lifetime to the confrontation of colonialism and neo colonialism in Ireland .

by Molly O'Reilly Sun Sep 02, 2007 08:10

For readers unfamiliar with the finer details of Irish history the references above to "Ballyseedy" are about a particularly gruesome massacre of unarmed prisoners. But even those, including many republicans, who know about the Ballyseedy massacre may not be aware that it was not an isolated incident. Within twenty four hours another five Republican prisoners were blown up with another landmine at Countess Bridge near Killarney and four in the same manner at Caherciveen. And Seamus Taylor, another Republican prisoner, was shot dead by National Army troops in Ballyseedy woods.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executions_during_the_Iris...l_War
http://1169andcounting.blogspot.com/2003_08_31_archive.html

by sure_an_begorrah Sun Sep 02, 2007 05:54

The Ballyseedy thing illustrates what is happening in threads like this. You can throw a boundary around your thoughts and refuse to consider any information that contradicts your mindset and refuse to communicate with anyone who disagrees with you. To idolise O'Bradaigh, you have to cut yourself off from much of the rest of the world. If you let yourself think, O'Bradaigh is exposed as a fantasist who was fighting for nothing except an unrealistic, romantisicised chimera - the notion that by redrawing the map of Ireland to his satisfaction and changing the colour of the flag and the accents of our oppressors, suddenly all would be well with the world.
The EU is the common oppressor now, which Ireland will discover when the current economic prosperity bubble bursts.
The statements coming from the mouths of continental EU enthusiasts are terrifying. "The first non-imperial empire;" for instance... what is that? The EU is a slow-motion coup d'etat for all of Europe, as we all will discover when the economic bust sets in.
To be fair, I think O'Bradaigh's "Eire Nua" pamphlet of 1972 called for Ireland's withdrawl from the EU...

by Sceptic Fri Aug 31, 2007 17:08

"The Staters of 1922-1923 did terrible things to other Irishmen.!"

Yes but there were reasons. Collins and co were the duly elected Government and the Treaty had been passed by the Dáil. They had to take over from the British, establish the administration, write the constitution and at the same time prevent the ruin and bloody chaos that would have been caused by the irregulars who had taken to blowing up railways, bridges and the like as well as killing TDs to shift the Dáil majority that way. In the circumstances they had to take extreme measures like executions which were somewhat extra judicial. Ballyseedy was a local atrocity committed by security forces of which the Government had not got full control over. It took time for the sovereignty of the Government to have its full reach, What happened were the irregulars were felling trees across roads and booby trapping them so that when the security forces came to clear them they would be killed. Hence the Ballyseedy revenge atrocity. All very unfortunate and regrettable and it is easy to condemn now but it was in defense of a young democracy and it was counter terror. The villains of the peace were those who took it upon themselves to overthrow the Free State Government by violence the moment it had been established.

by sure_an_begorrah Fri Aug 31, 2007 04:30

I came up through the Irish educational system; yes, there was the generalised summary, 700 years of oppression by England....
But I never really learned anything from it.

The Staters of 1922-1923 did terrible things to other Irishmen.
That was conveniently omitted from the version of Irish history that was given to me by my 'teachers.'

In the school I attended, it all seemed to begin in 1798, down in Wexford, with Father Murphy from old Kilcormack, and the yoemen at Tullow.
As the lady implied, the period before that dating back to 1169 was always a blank.
We try to move on and to be a bit better than our ancestors.

Rory Brady was a 'gentleman soldier' back in the 1950s during the 'border campaign.' It was a bit surreal... fighting a guerilla war to 'free Ireland' in total disregard for the wishes of the people north and south.....

I hope Rory Brady never tries to 'liberate' me.

After his 'gentlemanly' approach to the 'war' in the 1950s, later on as president of Sinn Fein, Kevin Street, he seemed to go along with what started to happen from 1971 onward.
It was difficult to have any respect for Rory Brady after bloody Friday, 1972, for which he had no explanation.

by Muiris O Neill Wed Aug 29, 2007 12:25

Neither O Brady nor Republican Sinn Fein is anti-imperialist. Rory's son, and member of RSF, in Galway is engaged in scientific research for Raytheon and Lockheed, some of it paid for by the British Government. Have RSF supported the Raytheon 9?

by Susan Isabella Sheehan-Repasky - Flicker Light Studio Wed Aug 29, 2007 04:47 art at tomandsusan dot us

A bit off subject, but Don Scotus asked on Saturday July 08, 2006:
“Could someone please supply information on the English oppression of the Irish between 1169 and 1500. These 300 years or so are a bit obscure. What were the major rebellions, any hunger strikes, who were the martyred heros in these years? What form did the culural oppression take? How many English troops were in Ireland during say 1400? All those who ramble on about the 800 years of oppression surely must have this information. Please share it with us.”

I quote from www.triskelle.eu:
“In 1315 a horrible event took place in Ardee when the Scotsman Edward Bruce burnt the town and killed many of its inhabitants. In the nineteenth century, when Ardee has become a flourishing town with 4,000 inhabitants, the population was again decimated by the Great Famine.”

And from http://countylouth.com:

“In 1315 Edward Bruce, who had been crowned High King of Ireland, herded all the townspeople of Ardee into the church before burning it to the ground.”

We visited the land where this unbelievable tragedy and nightmarish sacrilege took place. This is where the building that the people of the village were forced into, doors barred from the outside, set afire, and where these good people were burnt slowly to death. Grandmothers and babies, daughters and uncles. Is that horrific enough for you? I can supply many other instances and documentation of oppression in Ireland during the years of 1169 and 1500, and beyond.

Here is a photo we took of the memorial headstone located in the graveyard.

Memorial At Saint Mary's - Ardee

by sure_an_begorrah Wed Aug 29, 2007 03:30

Rory Brady is a dinosaur. Ireland and England are now colonies of Brussels. What 'freedom' was Rory Brady ever fighting for? Did Rory Brady ever care about child abuse in the schools and homes of Ireland? Did Rory Brady ever care about social inequality? Rory Brady always only and ever wanted to draw a new line on the map of Ireland. Caring about the people of Ireland never came into it.

Rory Brady was just like Paddy P. Completely divorced from reality.

Will Rory Brady now please initiate the glorious struggle to free us from Brussels imperialism?

by Seaicilín F Mon Aug 14, 2006 01:02

Conas truamhéalach! You are surely a purist intellectual snob, how dare you come on here and berate people for their spelling/typing. It's intellectual purist snobs like yourself that turn many away from continuing to learn Irish and do the Irish language movement no favours at all. Please condescend to come on down from your mythical merry purist lecturing throne.

Have you nothing to say regarding the article that you should have commented on, the biography written about Ruairí Ó Brádaigh? No doubt you couldn't find anything to criticize in the book, so failing that, you attacked the readers' spelling/typing errors instead.

Bíodh ciall agat agus fás aníos!

by Sharon - Individual Sun Aug 13, 2006 22:30

'Saoithin' -

How many times is Mr O Bradaighs first name referred too in the article , and how many times is same spelt correctly ?
You have little to complain about regarding this issue .

Sharon .

by An Saoithín Súgach Sun Aug 13, 2006 19:53

Dolours Price writes:
"There is not a time in my remembered history within the family of Republicanism that I did not know the name Ruari O' Bradaigh."

Actually, the man's name is Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, with three I's (one of them long) and no apostrophe.

by Belfast Repubkican Sun Aug 13, 2006 01:34

In Belfast republicans have to put up with Adams thugs, who act on behalf of the brits, look at how they put down the people of Ardoyne who wanted to protest about orangemen marching thrpough their area, they brought their storm troopers in from West Belfast, ..they are nothing but Broy harriers.

by robert Tue Aug 08, 2006 02:42

On behalf of the younger irish generation I thank you for your dedication to ireland and to republicanism. I greatly admire your courage and how you stood by your republican beliefs and did not waver and did not have your spirit tamed like cathal goulding or gerry adams. There are other young republicans like my self who still hold dear the true ideals of wolftone,pearse and connoly your ideals and we will never give up the struggle untill we have achived what the irish have a right to and deserve a united irish republic free from every kind of british oppression an ireland were men will no longer be called catholic or protestant but simply irishman.

by Donnchadh Sun Jul 09, 2006 02:32

Excellent post Seaicilín. Of course, even if there was only one Brit soldier here it was one too many.

by Seaicilín F Sat Jul 08, 2006 21:02

There was continual resistance against Brit military rule in Ireland throughout the four provinces of Ireland from 1169 - 1500. A summary of some of the major events I know of are:

1170 - 1171 Rory O'Connor, High King of Ireland, along with most of the other kings in Ireland attacked Strongbow in Dublin but, unfortunately, they didn't succeed where they should have, as it is recorded that Rory O'Connor was not a very good military commander and due to lack of co-ordination his army were scattered and suffered heavy losses.

1259 - Arrival of Scottish mercenaries, to help Aed O'Connor, King of Connacht, and hired also by other Irish Kings, to remove the Brits from elsewhere in Ireland. These Scottish mercenaries were callled the Gall-Óglach or Galloglass and were strong and skilled warriors indeed (came over here due to King of Connaught marrying a Scottish Princess who brought over these mercenaries from the Hebrides with her). The Galloglass reduced the military advantage which the English had previously enjoyed and put a great dent in the Brit's confidence, but, unfortunately, could only do so much, but there contribution was significant at the time.

1260 - Battle of Down. Brian O'Neill around this time was recognised my most Irish native rulers to be the High King of Ireland and himself and Aed O'Connor, King of Connacht's forces and others fought against the Brits at the Battle of Down but, unfortunately, the natives lost and poor Brian O'Neill's head was severed and sent to England and put on public display in the Tower of London (feckin hate that place!! Bastards!!)

1315 - Edward Bruce (brother of Robert I, King of Scotland) joined up with the O'Neills to invade Ulster in an attempt to drive out the Brits. Bruce defeated the Brit forces and nearly captured Dublin but, alas, arís, his forces didn't succeed and he died in the Battle of Faughart. 1318.

1316 - Battle of Athenry - Five Irish Kings battled bravely here but all had their heads chopped-off by the Brits in this battle which ended in failure for the natives obviously (Irish Kings are commemorated on the seal of Athenry).

1318 - Edward Bruce and O'Neills joined in the Battle of Faughart against the Brits, which ended in defeat and Edward Bruce's death.

1333 - Due to heavy resistance the Crown forces lose control of parts of Connacht and Irish Chiefs in Ulster.

1366 - Gaelic Revival another form of resistance and independence. The major threat the Brits feared was Irish culture, they became so obsessively insecure about it that they even introduced a law for their settlers, the Statutes of Kilkenny 1366, forbidding the settlers from learning the Irish language, marrying the natives or fostering their children, and banning Irish music and literature and basically banning all things Gaelic!

By the end of the 13th Century educated native Irish families over a 300 year period produced great Gaelic literature poetry, etc., and works of genealogy and Irish history and translations which succeeded in keeping the Irish traditions alive. There was even an attempt to revive the High Kingship of Ireland about this time, as they wanted to revive the pre-invastion Ireland. They contributed immensely to the preservation of the culture for generations to come.

1414 - 47 - Lots of political feuding and trouble in the ranks of settlers for control. Great upheaval for settlers.

1494 - Henry VII had major problems with his own settlers during this time because when they came over to visit him in England they were treated as foreigners, (Paisley has the same problem today) they were very pissed-off with this, and decided that they'd make their own rules in the Irish Parliament, then Henry VII sent over Edward Poynings who established another law "Poynings Law" making English parliamentary legislation applicable in Ireland and keeping his settlers under close surveillance for fear that the settlers were becoming too independent.

Throughout 1170 - 1500 there were also smaller rebellions in all parts of the country against the English invaders, particularly, in the towns, although these all tended to be local and no major scale national events occurred due to lack of co-ordination (communications not being great in those days) and the cruel suppression and barbaric nature of British rule and oppression in Ireland.

As for the number of British military personnel in Ireland for the period 1169 - 1500, you should ask the Brits they should know!!!!!

Slán go fóill

by Don Scotus Sat Jul 08, 2006 16:12

Would someone please supply information on the English oppression of the Irish between 1169 and 1500. These 300 years or so are a bit obscure. What were the major rebellions, any hunger strikes, who were the martyred heros in these years? What form did the culural oppression take? How many English troops were in Ireland during say 1400? All those who ramble on about the 800 years of oppression surely must have this information. Please share it with us.

by annals of the four masters Sat Jul 08, 2006 10:34

Jumping from 1169 to 1798 ?

What about the Statutes of KIlkenny attempting to arrest the process of Anglo-Normans intermarrying with the Gaelic population and adopting the Gaelic language and customs ?

Not to mention (as a non-exhaustive list of illustrative examples):

The Geraldine Rebellion (1534) and the FitzGerald Rebellion against Henry VIII 1535 to 1537.

The Desmond Rebellions, that occurred in the 1560s, 1570s and 1580s in Munster.

Tyrone's Rebellion (also known Nine Years War) from 1594 to 1603 predominantly in Ulster.

The Flight of the Earls and the subsequent Plantation of Ulster.

The Irish Rebellion of 1641, a conflict between the Roman Catholic native Irish and Anglo-Normans, and Protestant settlers.

The Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland 1649-1652.

by well now indeed Sat Jul 08, 2006 01:05

Think about the prequel movie thing. Note I (who is very careful with the words) wrote "prequel" and not "sequel". A bit like Star Wars - you might like to start fiddling with the vertical hold on your computer screen -
A long time in an Ireland far far away...
That would be 1169, and we see the start of the empire and evil knights of the sith Strongbow and company - Then chapter 2 would have to be the 1798 thing, opening with usual Hollywood panache with a defiant Wolfe Tone cheating the noose (possibly played by Ardal o Hanlon) which would lead us through the big full screen shots of millions of people starving in the Famine, the Fenians trying to blow up Brit ships with homemade submarines in the ports of the USA and end with the 1916 glorious birth of nationhood. Chapter 3 would be the birth of Ruari, we'd open with the big fella and the long fella (played by general Liam Neeson and whoever looks like DeValera) hunting all of Ireland like Herod to slaughter the promise Ruarí in his crib.

ok. so you don't like the movie idea.
what about the matching Ruiari O B continental quilt and matching pillow case merchandising?

the book is still on the latest comments list ;-)

by please Fri Jul 07, 2006 23:06

Ruarí Ó Bradiagh has one (1) biography written about him, and the snide slagging starts. How many autobiographies has Gerry Adams written? 18? 18? And two biographies?

And just modest enough to give one of his books this title: An Irish Journal: The Views and Insights of the Leader of Irish Republicanism

Please, catch a grip of yourself. Ruarí Ó Bradiagh is a deserving subject of a biography, as are many other Irish Republicans. You don't have to be so insecure.

by Donnchadh Fri Jul 07, 2006 21:11

The book is written by Professor Robert White - its a biography not an autobiography. And yes the life of Ruirí Ó Brádaigh would make an excellent subject for a film.

By the way, its New PSF who are selling Hunger Striker dinner plates not RSF.

by well now indeed. Fri Jul 07, 2006 20:04

He should make sure he gets prequel rights on that. will be worth a few bob down the cobbler.
Then by 2016 there'll be the first telly series, I suppose you've got advice about the merchandising?
the "ruarí ó bradiagh" doll, the "ruarí ó bradaigh" continental quilt and matching pillow case, lunchbox, mugs, plates and one of you technically minded rsf heads should start working on the computer game "ruarí fights the brits!".

by Donnchadh Fri Jul 07, 2006 18:21

It was available in Easons and Waterstones - I got mine in Easons O'Connell St (the last one they had) you were lucky to get one as Im told the first print run is all but sold out. Seems the second print will be available soon.

by Ghandi of North Strand Fri Jul 07, 2006 15:21

With some trapsing around I eventually got a copy in the week of publication, and read it immediately.
Well worth reading and should be compulsary reading for anyone with an interest in these matters, who could then compare it to the copius almost yearly biography's of others.

It was interesting to note but not surprising that it was not on sale in major book stores (though this could be because of the 2000 print run), though I note they refused to stock Disleacht.

It is immensly difficult to put over 50 years of activity into one short book, hopefully White may follow up with detailed books perhaps for each decade with much greater detail.

by John Fri Jul 07, 2006 12:36

Well done to the author of this book.

I have just finished reading it.

The story of an honest republican is there for all to see.

It is an essential read for any body which wishes to understand Irish republicanism.

by Seaicilín F Tue Jun 27, 2006 13:03

This book is a magnificent account of an extraordinary selfless and pure revolutionary republican, who remains as committed as ever before to freeing Ireland of British imperialism. I'm nearly finished reading the book and it has certainly enriched my knowledge of the struggle for independence from the past up to the present (and his recollections remind me of what my grandparents & others had to endure). Ruairí O'Bradaigh dedicated his whole life to achieving Irish independence and has been interned, lost his job and and has risen above all sorts of turmoil and disappointments with former comrades and yet never faltered and remains today as dedicated as ever to freeing Ireland of British control over our affairs. I can't help but admire such an idealistic man, he is a very rare species in today's grab-all that you can for yourself Ireland. Everyone with an interest in Irish history and politics should buy this book. Well done to all involved.

A Ruairí, mo cheol thú!

Slán anois.

by Support the POWs - CnS Tue Jun 27, 2006 07:20

I just started re-reading it. Great book on a great man.

by Donnchadh Tue Jun 27, 2006 03:09

Unfortunately the first run was only 2000 copies and they are nearly all sold out. I got the last one in Easons O'Connell St. The RSF book shop is sold out too. The good news is that a second print run is under way. If you cant find a copy now, please have patience, you will be well rewarded for the wait. Since I got my copy yesterday I have hardly been able to leave it down. I have met Ruirí on a number of occations and I can say that the modest, humorous, clear sighted man that I talked to comes accross on every page. But though he is modest and unassuming, when I stood in his presence I felt I was in the presence of Cú Chulainn, of Tone and Pearse and Connolly - and indeed I was. This book is not only the story of one of the great figures of Irish history, but the story of his generation of republicans who grew up in the shadow of a 32 county Republic won in the hearts of the Irish people but lost in the egoism and ambition of their leaders. Sadly, it is also an all too obvious metaphor for our own time. But as Delores says, republican history runs in cycles. Its obvious that Ruirí Ó Brádaigh has learned well from the mistakes of the past. In reading this book we glean a paradigm for the future. Go deimhin, Ruirí Ó Brádaigh is not the last republican - the man himself has made very sure of that.

by Barry - 32csm Tue Jun 27, 2006 01:23

Had the pleasure of bumping into Ruairi and shaking hands just after the respectably attended Belfast launch of the biography which I sadly was unable to attend . Very much looking forward to reading this book which will certainly be a major insight into decades of Irelands revolutionary history from a trustworthy academic source rather than a politician with a spin machine to keep happy .
Unlike someone elses auto biography therell be no denials of IRA membership and passages deleted with every new edition and further political departure .

by a very impressed iosaf Tue Jun 27, 2006 00:27

you can repair more modern type of shoes with used bicycle tyres,
just cut strips out of it and glue it on to the synthetic soles, but don't put cardboard in modern shoes because it provokes fungal imbalances. Thats the bad thing with the new type of shodding going about, if its not waterproof there's not much you can do about it. They make it that way of course, capitalism just wants us to throw stuff away. Consumerism is the word precisely.

Well done Mr O bradaigh ( & all the little o bradaighs [wee ruari óg the rogue rory)
you're not for throwing away. It would be great to see a copyleft online version as well that would get it into the libraries perhaps a tad quicker.