The over-riding aim for republicans in the years ahead must be to continue to build our political strength across the island, to build a revolutionary party the length and breadth of Ireland. We must double, then triple our support, particularly in the 26 Counties, if we are to have any real prospect of ending partition and establishing a radical republican government. We need something like a ten-year strategy to do this. Free article

A recent edition of RTÉ's Prime Time gave a glimpse of the true benefit of public private partnerships to the taxpayers of the 26-County state. It showed how private companies will make €5.5 billion from the public through tolls on the state's motorways in the coming years. In their current form, PPPs appear to be solely designed for the benefit of private companies. However, we in DIT Ógra Shinn Féin believe there is a future for PPPs in a socialist government led by Sinn Féin. We believe PPPs can take a radical turn to the left. Free article

Our weekly satirical column. Read on... Free article

What they said this week... Free article

James Connolly was born at 107, the Cowgate, Edinburgh. His parents, John and Mary Connolly, had emigrated to Edinburgh from County Monaghan in the 1850s. His father worked as a manure carter, removing dung from the streets at night, and his mother was a domestic servant who suffered from chronic bronchitis and died when Connolly was just a boy. Free article

Who takes responsibility for the raising of the next generation, the parent, the guardian, the school, the state, or do they all just blame each other? asks AN DRAOI RUA. Free article

The defining moment in Kildare's win over Westmeath came when Denis Gleeson, the Westmeath full forward, found himself surrounded by white shirts and unable to get rid of the ball. Instead of accepting his situation with dignity, young Denis decided to feign injury to his head. Having cured himself through the self-administering of the ancient Indian technique of champissage, he then discovered an equally terrible affliction to his shoulder. Given that none of the Kildare players made any physical contact with him during all of this, we can only assume that Pádraig Nolan was sticking needles in the voodoo doll or that he was beset by cunning and unseen demons. Free article

New Celtic manager Gordon Strachan's way of dealing with annoying hacks is more, err, direct than Martin O'Neill's. The following are some genuine bytes from the mouth of the small red haired one. Parkhead Press conferences are about to get a lot more fun. Free article

It's been the best five years of my adult life. It brought back happy memories of childhood and re-affirmed what I am all about. I am, of course, referring to Celtic. Every tribe needs a chieftain, and in Martin O'Neill from Kilrea we had one of the best. In an age of agents and kickbacks, O'Neill loved the club he joined as manager in the summer of 2000. His Zebedee bounce into the air every time his team scored a goal was a study in the trajectory of delight. Free article