MAURICE QUINLIVAN: Building political strength

The fight for the Republic continues

NEWLY-ELECTED Sinn Féin Cllr Maurice Quinlivan was the main speaker at last weekend’s Liam Lynch Commemoration in the Knockmealdown Mountains in County Tipperary, where the Chief of Staff of the anti-Treaty IRA forces met his death on 10 Aprl 1923.
Maurice Quinlivan made a breakthrough for republicans when he was elected to Limerick City Council last month and it was fitting that he addressed the republicansgathered to honour not just the memory, but the life and struggle of Liam Lynch, who came from Barnagurraha, Limerick.
Liam Lynch was killed in action in a clash with Free State troops in the Knockmealdown Mountains.
Recalling that histori period Maurice told the crowd:
“It wasn’t just Liam Lynch who was fatally wounded that day here in the beautiful Knockmealdown Mountains but also the revolution to create the Republic as established in arms in 1916 and betrayed by the disastrous Treaty of 1922 that was fatally wounded as well.
“To this day, we have failed to achieve national unity and the expulsion of Britain from our country. We have seen armed campaigns against the British continue in the 1940s, 1950s, and the ‘60s throughout the ‘70s, ‘80s and up until 1997. Whilst the war in the North could have continued indefinitely, the IRA realised it couldn’t win, that it couldn’t defeat the British; however, the British knew the IRA could never and would never be defeated. There had to be another way.
“Leadership was required and republicans stepped up to the mark and provided it. The war was ended but the fight for Irish unity wasn’t and the Peace Process laid the foundation for a peaceful way forward for us to achieve the objective of national unity and create the Republic for which Liam Lynch, Bobby Sands and thousands of others died.
“Thinking republicans have always sought alternatives to armed revolt to achieve freedom. And so it is today. Sinn Féin’s strategy involves building the necessary political strength to achieve our objectives.”

AN BORD SNIP NUA
The fight for the Republic has to be waged on many fronts, Maurice Quinlivan declared.
“This country is in crisis. It remains partitioned, we face deep economic problems many created by the unbridled greed and corruption which has gone unregulated for years as some sought to grab a quick buck at the expense of  the many and society in general.
“It really is obscene that those who in many cases never benefitted from the Celtic Tiger – those on middle and lower incomes, farming and rural communities and those dependent on social welfare  – are now the same people being demanded to make the sacrifices to fix the mess we find our economy in.”
The swingeing cuts proposed by the so-called An Bord Snip Nua will force those on low and middle incomes to pick up the tabs whilst there is still no job-creation or job-retention strategy, he said.
“This is insane and many of An Bord Snip Nua’s proposals must be rejected.”