16 December 1999 Edition
Back issue: Relaunching national consciousness
MacBride Principles activist Oliver Kearney, Father Des Wilson, Fianna Fáil dissident Nora Comiskey, Green Party member Patricia McKenna, veteran union activist Matt Merigan and artist Robert Ballagh were just some of those on the platform at a press conference held in Buswells last Friday.
Chaired by Richard Greene, it was explained that at a meeting on 11 September, a group of people concerned at the current state of affairs in Ireland had come together and elected an ad hoc committee to organise a major conference on Saturday 20 January in Liberty Hall in Dublin.
The objective is to have as wide as possible section of people represented at the conference and to have a sufficiently large and broad attendance to launch an Irish National Congress.
The organisers believe that a consensus is emerging from the encouraging number of replies received so far that what is needed is a non-party political organisation to unite people from all political parties and none who believe that the key to peace and freedom lies in the British Government making a declaration that they will withdraw from Ireland and allow the Irish people to achieve national self-determination.
Over 2,000 individuals, organisations and community groups have been contacted. The organisers hope that this will be the beginning of a serious attempt to create a non-party political framework to remove the deep feeling of alienation in Irish society, North and South.
Chaired by Richard Greene, it was explained that at a meeting on 11 September, a group of people concerned at the current state of affairs in Ireland had come together and elected an ad hoc committee to organise a major conference on Saturday 20 January in Liberty Hall in Dublin.
The objective is to have as wide as possible section of people represented at the conference and to have a sufficiently large and broad attendance to launch an Irish National Congress.
The organisers believe that a consensus is emerging from the encouraging number of replies received so far that what is needed is a non-party political organisation to unite people from all political parties and none who believe that the key to peace and freedom lies in the British Government making a declaration that they will withdraw from Ireland and allow the Irish people to achieve national self-determination.
Over 2,000 individuals, organisations and community groups have been contacted. The organisers hope that this will be the beginning of a serious attempt to create a non-party political framework to remove the deep feeling of alienation in Irish society, North and South.