Tom Smith remembered in Dublin

Ruadhán Mac Aodháin

ST PATRICK”S DAY saw Dublin republicans mark the 34th anniversary of the death of IRA Volunteer Tom Smith who was killed during an escape attempt by republican prisoners at Portlaosie jail in 1975.
A march from Berekely Road Church to Glasnevin cemetery was led by a republican colour party.
The main speaker at Glasnevin was Sinn Féin local election candidate for Dublin’s North Inner City Ruadhan Mac Aodháin.
During the course of his address he said:
“Volunteer Tom Smith, in prison and outside prison, was a member of a disciplined Irish Republican Army that had clear aims and objectives, a strategy to achieve them and a leadership and Volunteers united in their determination to succeed.
“The determination and idealism shown by volunteers such as Tom is something that young republicans seek to emulate today.
“But comrades there is no comparison between the IRA that Tom Smith belonged to and the micro groups responsible for the three recent killings in Antrim and Craigavon. These micro-groups do not deserve the name republican. They have attacked the Peace Process and they have attacked the republican peace strategy which has the support of the overwhelming majority of Irish republicans at home and abroad and which has advanced us towards our republican objectives.”
Mac Aodháin said such tiny splinter groups  pursued a militarist agenda designed to justify their own existence.
They are totally divorced from republicans throughout Ireland and had nothing to offer.
“As a young republican I would warn other young republicans against being in any way deceived by these groups”.
He said republicans are as determined as ever to “achieve Irish unity and freedom, the complete removal of the British government and the British army from Ireland”.
“Now, thanks to the sacrifices of the past by Volunteers such as Tom Smith and by so many other republicans who died, including members of Sinn Féin, Irish republicanism is stronger than ever. Thanks to them we have been able to create a peaceful and democratic way forward. We will pursue that road to freedom and we will not be diverted from it”, he said, adding:
“In pursuit of our goal to break free from British rule the wider Republican Movement must remain engaged with the day-to-day struggles of working people.”