IRA Volunteer who took the war to England

g BY PAT MAGEE

MY dear friend and comrade Francis (Frankie Fuzz) Rafferty died from prostate cancer on Wednesday, November 24th, aged 58.
I first met Frankie in 1976. He wasn’t long released from internment. I hadn’t known him in Long Kesh but knew of his reputation as a good Explosives Officer. The IRA had recently ended its ceasefire and... Free article

FORTY THOUSAND students, including large numbers of Sinn Féin and Ógra activists, took to the streets on Wednesday, November 3rd, in a national mobilisation by the Union of Students in Ireland to highlight the proposed increase in registration fees.
Buoyed by the news of Pearse Doherty’s success in his court case, republican students from UCC, CIT, NUIG, DCU, Athlone IT, NUI... Free article

Government neglect causes call for demolition and regeneration

g BY ROSS CARMODY

DURING the so-called Celtic Tiger era many areas around the state remained untouched by the new-found prosperity, none more so than St Teresa’s Gardens in Dublin’s south inner city.
What was a proud community for over 50 years, has been the victim of such official neglect that 44% of the residents... Free article

Rich versus poor at Cancún climate summit

BY EMMA CLANCY

THE Cop16 UN climate summit is happening in Cancún, Mexico, with little of the fanfare that accompanied last year’s Copenhagen summit.
At Copenhagen, high hopes of achieving a strong and binding global climate treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, due to expire in 2012, were dashed by big polluting countries,... Free article

Republicans must champion a green recovery

BY EMMA CLANCY

AGAINST the backdrop of a profound economic crisis, the IMF/EU attack in the 26 Counties and the Tory-led attack in the Six Counties, defending the basic rights and living standards of the people of Ireland is the highest priority of all republicans, socialists and progressives.
Behind the scenes of the economic crisis,... Free article

A TEAM of more than 20 young Aboriginal Australian footballers recently visited Belfast as part of a tour around Ireland. The Broome Saints, an Aussie Rules team from rural Western Australia, are part of ‘Alive and Kicking Goals!’, a youth suicide prevention project based on peer education.
The group completed a two-week tour around Ireland and had meetings with a range of... Free article

I  WAS in work at half-seven on Monday morning. The first person I met was a Polish woman who comes in at some ungodly hour to clean the place from where the great and good will issue their decrees on behalf of the IMF and the bondholders.
Last week, they decided, in the ‘national interest’ of course, that this woman and the other cleaners ought to sacrifice €40 a week in order... Free article

Using Pension Fund to bail out banks is ‘act of treachery’

SINN FÉIN TD Martin Ferris has called for the bondholders who possess Irish debt to be told that they will not be paid. He also described the commitment of the National Pension Reserve Fund to the bank bail-out as an act of treachery.
In an interview with Radio Kerry, the Sinn Féin spokesperson on Workers’ Rights was asked... Free article

PEARSE DOHERTY TD – making history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlWeL8tNSG0

THE Irish economy has suffered the equivalent of an earthquake. The after-shocks are being felt by ordinary working people and the unemployed every day.

People feel betrayed by a government that has sold its soul.

They are looking for leadership and hope.

They are looking for people to bring forward ideas about the future.

They want real solutions and are demanding new... Free article