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IRA
Bobby Sands Diary
Bobby Sands kept a diary for the first seventeen days of his hunger strike, which began 32 years ago today. Sunday 1st March I am standing on the threshold of another trembling world. May God have mercy on my soul. My heart is very sore because I know that I have broken my poor mother’s … Continue reading
Happy Birthday Peader O’Donnell
Peadar O’Donnell was born on February 22nd in Donegal, in 1893, and was educated locally and at St. Patrick’s College, Dublin. He became a school teacher in Donegal but in 1918 gave up teaching to become organiser of the I.T. and G.W.U. He joined the I.R.A. and at the Truce was OC. 1st Northern Division. … Continue reading
James Connolly – A Working Class Hero
This documentary, James Connolly – A Working Class Hero, is a comprehensive look at the life and work of James Connolly. From his birth in Edinburgh’s Little Ireland to his execution by the British state and via his life in the United States this great documentary explores Connolly and his times. Featuring contributions from the … Continue reading
Joe O’Connell’s Speech From The Dock And British Torture
On the day three Kenyans successfully fought for the right to force the full trial over their torture at the hands of British state it is worth recalling Joe O’Connell’s speech from the dock at the end of his and his comrades, Hugh Doherty, Eddie Butler and Harry Duggan, trial. During the speech he explicitly … Continue reading
The Great Escape
Documentary about the escape of 38 IRA POWs from Longkesh on September 25th 1983.
Hang Up Your Brightest Colours – Michael Collins
Michael Collins was shot dead 90 years ago today. Below is the 1973 Kenneth Griffiths film Hang Up Your Brightest Colours, which was originally suppressed by British censors. Also below is the poem by Brendan Behan, written when he was thirteen, in memory of Collins who was a personal friend of Behan’s mother and it … Continue reading
Loughgall Martyrs
Today is the 25th anniversary of the killing of eight Volunteers from the IRA’s East Tyrone Brigade at Loughgall. Volunteers Jim Lynagh, Declan Arthurs, Seamus Donnelly, Tony Gormley, Patrick Kelly, Gerard O’Callaghan, Eugene Kelly and Padraig McKearney were killed as part of the British state’s shoot-to-kill policy with the SAS firing more than one thousand … Continue reading
Volunteer Bobby Sands
On this the 31st anniversary of the death on hunger strike of Bobby Sands, his friend and comrade, former IRA prisoner Colm Scullion from South Derry, recalls first meeting Bobby while on remand in Crumlin Road Jail. Colm had been injured in a premature explosion at the time of his arrest in October 1976 along with … Continue reading
Volunteer Larry Marley
On April 2nd 1987 IRA volunteer Larry Marley was shot dead by a pro British death squad at his home in Ardoyne. His funeral was delayed for three days due to attacks from the RUC as APRN reported at the time: There was a massive demonstration of popular resistance to British injustice on Wednesday when … Continue reading
Death On The Rock
On March 6th 1988 three unarmed IRA volunteers, Mairead Farrell, Dan McCann and Sean Savage, were murdered by British forces on the orders of the Thatcher Government. In the aftermath the British state told lie after lie which their media repeated without any investigation or interest in establishing the facts. One exception was ITV documentary Death … Continue reading
