Just a little short of twenty-three years ago Sinn Féin secured the election of its first non-abstentionist TD since the imposition of partition. Eleven years had passed since the party took the decision to enter the Dáil. General Elections were fought without success in 1987, 1989 and 1992. Sinn Féin candidates had to contest those elections with at least one hand tied behind their backs. Free article

I call the most recent election, one of hope as it really did see the political landscape change in a way we have never seen before here in the 26 counties. Free article

In the aftermath of the Westminster general election, and with a majority of nationalist MPs returned in the North for the first time ever, it’s clear that the entire Brexit debacle has dealt a potentially fatal blow to political unionism. Free article

Ar na mallaibh, d’fhreastail mé féin agus triúr chomrádaí déag ar thoscaireacht dlúthpháirtíochta go Cúba. Oileán beag atá ann. Tá sé suite sa Mhuir Chairib, 90 míle amach ó chósta Miami sna Stáit Aontaithe agus níl ann ó thaobh daonra de ach 11 milliún duine. Leoga, ní féidir a shéanadh go bhfuil stair shaibhir agus córas polaitíochta réabhlóideach tógtha acu cé gur beagán an daonra. Free article

1969 was a watershed year for the North and for republicans. It began with a People’s Democracy march being attacked by B-Specials and Unionists at Burntollet, outside Derry. That was in January. In July a Catholic pensioner, Francis McCloskey, was killed in Dungiven and Samuel Devenny died from injuries he received when batoned in his home in Derry in April by the RUC. In the following months there were further attacks on Catholic neighbourhoods. These included attacks by the Shankill Defence Association, supported by the RUC and B-Specials, against Unity Flats and Catholic families in the Crumlin Road area. Young activists like me spent a lot of our time assisting people in these communities. Free article

Is dócha go bhfuil an Ghaeilge á labhairt fá cheantar Bhéal Feirste Thuaidh a fhad agus atá sí á labhairt áit ar bith eile sa tír seo. Tá a fhios againn, mar shampla, gur suíomh tábhachtach ag sliocht Uí Néill, rítheaghlach Uladh, Cnoc na hUaimhe nó Beann Mhadagáin anallód. Thóg Brian Mac Airt Uí Néill dún clúiteach ar an chnoc seo, Dún Mhic Airt, a raibh ríchathaoir istigh ann leis na céadta bliain go dtí gur scriosadh í ag loitiméirí dílseacha na háite sa 19ú céad. Free article

“On this we stand” was the headline of the first An Phoblacht, published a half century ago in February 1970. This has been the foundation stone of An Phoblacht content ever since. It is a commitment that we would promote and sustain an independent republican message for all. In a world of corporate, commercial and conservative media, we would provide a radical, cutting commentary on the failures to deliver the republic promised in the 1916 Proclamation and the 1919 Democratic Programme for Government. Free article

Liam Mellows – Soldier of the Irish Republic – Selected Writings 1914-1922 

By Conor McNamara. Published by Irish Academic Press, €18.95.

As I was finishing this book both Mícheál Martin and Leo Varadkar were in the news for again trying to rubbish the idea of an Irish Unity referendum. They demonstrated how prophetic were the words of Liam Mellows in his Dáil speech against the... Free article

The ‘Postcards from the New Republic’ series is a hat tip to British designer, artist, entrepreneur and Socialist William Morris’s News from Nowhere series of articles from 1890 published in the Commonweal, the newspaper of the Socialist League and set in a distant future where Morris’s socialist and romantic utopia has been secured. Our story’s protagonists are Willa Ní Chuairteoir and Lucy Byrne accompanied by their four children James, Afric, Banba and Alroy who together enjoy and endure the equity and exigency of the future’s New Republic. Free article

The first inescapable conclusion from reading Ronnie Close’s Cairo Ultras was the need to rethink the idea and meaning of being a football fan. I know many diehard soccer fans, from Sinn Fein councillor Larry O’Toole’s devotion to Bohemians and some friends and colleagues who are waiting in expectant righteousness for Liverpool’s first premiership. And then there are the myriad of republicans who have an unconditional support for Glasgow Celtic. Free article

Veteran Republican Dickie Glenholmes died last November. In this edition of An Phoblacht we are delight to carry Jim Gibney’s funeral eulogy for Dickie. Free article