In Ireland today especially the North there are no shortage of Republican groupings to choose from. A veritable plethora of radical republican groupings exist today and for the anthropologically strange political visitor it often appears to be a maze of mostly three letter & four letter organisations. Hopefully, in this article I will be able to de-mystify this first impression & provide a little clarity to the politically curious.

Provisonal Sinn Fein are by far the largest grouping & it would be fair to say that the 'pedigrees' of all factions or parties active today originated from the major split in the Irish Republican movement circa 1969. The more traditional physical force largely Northern faction of the I.R.A (Irish Republican Army) split from the Cathal Goulding leadership who were steering the movement in a distinctly Stalinist 'stageist' direction. The more traditionalist faction became known as the Provisonal IRA aka 'Provos' & the Goulding faction became known as the Official IRA aka the 'Stickies' because of their penchant for using adhesive easter lily badges as opposed to the Provisionals pin fastened 'lillies' (Easter lilly badges are worn in Republican areas during the annual commemorations of the Easter 1916 Rising.) Sinn Fein , the IRA's political 'wing' split along the same lines; the Sticky's taking on the nomenclature Official Sinn Fein & the other faction Provisional Sinn Fein. Though both factions roughly subscribed to the same goal of a 32 county Socialist Republic there was no love lost between the two factions & internecine feuding was common even after the Stickies called their permanent ceasefire in the early 1970's.

The Irish Republican Socialist Party & its military 'wing' the INLA (Irish National Liberation Army) was formed from the more militant elements within the Stickies centred around the highly respected activist Seamus Costello. Radical Civil Rights leaders Bernadette McAliskey nee Devlin, Eamonn Mccann were among the founding members of the I.R.S.P as was the late Dublin independent socialist T.D (southern MP) Tony Gregory. The Stickies attempted to strangle the more radical IRSP/INLA grouping at birth as the Official IRA were unforgiving of their most able militant activists deserting the largely discredited Goulding faction. Costello was viewed as the most accomplished Republican activist of his generation as he was able to combine radical politics with traditional Republican values , his antecedents were beyond repute & highly impressive unfortunately the Stickies assasinated Seamus in broad daylight in 1977.

In the 1980's a faction which originated within the IRSP/INLA tried to destroy them from without .They were known as the IPLO (Irish Peoples Liberation Organisation) who many saw as a 'counter-gang' encouraged by British intelligence agencies. The IPLO were associated with internecine attacks on IRSP members, sectarian attacks & were rumoured to be funding their 'armed campaign' through drug dealing. They were eventually 'stood down' (put out of business) by the intervention of the much larger PIRA in a 'Night of the Long knives' 24 hour period of attacks on the IPLO leadership. The IRSP/INLA survived this period of turmoil but they were very much weakened at the time.

Meanwhile the Officials (OIRA) experienced mixed fortunes over this past 35 years. The Stickies went through a whole series of transmogrifications since their 1974 ceasefire. Politically Official Sinn fein morphed into "Official Sinn Fein/The Workers Party then later they dropped the 'O.S.F' moniker becoming simply 'The Workers Party.' They went to great lengths to revise their IRA past denying for years the OIRA existed though those living in working-class areas of the North knew different. Nicknamed the 'rusty guns' they were involved in widespread racketeering, collusion with Loyalist reactionary gangs & sided with the security forces against their old enemies the PIRA & the INLA. Their ceasefire with the British government won them slightly 'favoured status' within the North's security apparatus & a blind eye was turned to their more nefarious activities. The highly respected author & film producer Paul Larkin in his excellent book 'A Very British Jihad' confirms that the RUC (the North's paramilitary police force) worked closely the Stickies encouraging them to inform on the activities in return for personal weapons permits and their drinking shebeens being immune from prosecution. The Workers Party , a crypto-Stalinist construct proved popular with the electorate in the southern 26 county elections to the Dail (Southern parliament) at one stage they had 5 T.Ds (southern equivalent of M.Ps) & were wrongly as it happens viewed as a radical alternative to the Labour Party. Their partial successes crashed round them when their long denied links to the Official IRA became very public. The Stickies split into two 'parties' - The Democratic Left (mostly southern,social democratic & with no link to the OIRA) and of course the remaining rump retaining the Workers Party name (Crypto-Stalinist,mostly Northern with OIRA links.) The Democratic Left faction included most of the elected Dail reps but have since merged with the southern Labour Party (a social-democratic party.) The 'Workers Party' then through internal divisions reportedly over funding & OIRA business spit again with the more 'militant' element morphing into the 'Official Republican Movement (O.R.M.) The O.R.M faction are strongest in Newry,County Down & have some minute support in Belfast where they maintain 'party' offices. The Workers Party remain a shadow of their former selves, though there have been political growth spurts in local elections in the South. There are no elected W.P reps in the North though they have a 'Senator' (the revisionist journalist Eoighan Harris) in the South.

 

                                         End of Part One

                                     (Continued Below)

© Iskra 30/10/09 http://iskras-blog.blogspot.com/

The next significant fissure within Republicanism was when the ultra traditionalist Ruari O'Bradaigh split with the Provisional movement in 1986 following the Adamsite faction's victory at their annual Ard Fheis (annual conference) in changing Provisonal Sinn fein's policy of abstaining from taking seats in the Southern 26 county partitionist parliament. O'Bradaigh shortly after founded 'Republican Sinn Fein' which today is viewed by many as being the political wing of the C.I.R.A (Continuity IRA - branded as 'dissadents' by the Provisional movement because of their opposition to the PIRA's longstanding ceasefire of the 1990's.) RSF not unsurprisingly see themselves as the true voice of traditional Republicanism and they received the endorsement of the last living member of the only all Ireland Dail Eireann (Irish parliament) , Dan Keating . Traditionally Irish Republicans recognize the first Dail that was formed following the 1919 elections as the only truly democratic institution in the country's troubled political history , as it was formed based on the only democratic All-Ireland elections that have ever been held (since then the electorate has been artificially partitioned into North/South parliaments where a gerrymandered majority in the North East aka Northern Ireland were given an unfair veto on unification.)

Following the PIRA ceasefires of the 1990's another large grouping split from the Provos & PSF , known later as the '32 County Sovereignty Movement' this political movement is thought to be close to the R.I.R.A (the 'Real' IRA - opposed to the direction the Provisional movement was travelling in post-ceasefire. The RIRA were held responsible for the Omagh tragedy but recent revelations during court hearings have suggested British security force involvement in the tragedy.) The 32CSM are strongly opposed to the Provisionals administering British rule at the 6 county Stormont assembly. They have a growing membership in Derry, Armagh,Fermanagh,Cavan & other areas . The 32CSM's political orientation would be militant traditional Republican not dissimilar to the Provos pre-ceasefire.

In contemporary Irish Republicanism there is a wealth of choice to suit every political persuasion , PSF who have 28 M.L.A's (Stormont reps,) 5 elected Westminster MPs (which they abstain from taking part in ) in the North, 242 local councillors North & South ,1 M.E.P ,(EU Parliament) 1 Senator in the upper house of the Dail's bi-cameral parliament & 4 T.Ds are by far the largest Party.Their military wing the PIRA is reportedly moribund having decommissioned the majority of its ordinance though some believe it may be still in existence albeit with a 'skeleton staff.' If their version of reformist slightly left of centre Republicanism is not to your taste then there are many other parties/groupings to choose from. These include:

R.S.F (Republican Sinn Fein) as mentioned above are traditionalist Republicans centred round the veteran republican Ruari O'Bradaigh. Central to RSF policy is their belief in 'Abstentionism' ie they would never sit in the Southern parliament let alone Westminster. The policy document 'Eire Nua' which advocates a federal structure along Provincial lines in a unified Ireland is central to their politics. They do not participate in the IRFU(Irish Republican Forum for Unity) which is a broad front arrangement between some anti-GFA republican groupings.They oppose PSF's recent backing of the RUC/PSNI (the North's paramilitary police force) and the Provisional's sitting on local policing bodies.They are alleged to be linked to the CIRA which shot a member of the RUC/PSNI dead this year.They are strongly opposed to the GFA (Good Friday Agreement-the basis of the partitionist Stormont assembly,seeing it as copperfastening the undemocratic partition of Ireland.) They are not observing a ceasefire. Their stated goal is a democratic socialist Ireland.

IRSP (Irish Republican Socialist Party) as mentioned above are the political wing of the INLA who are on ceasefire as they feel armed struggle as a tactic is inappropriate in today's political climate. They are a Marxist / Leninist / Connollyist revolutionary socialist party . The IRSP are also known as the IRSM (Irish Republican Socialist Movement) usually used in the context of referring to the combination of the IRSP & INLA. They oppose PSF's recent backing of the RUC/PSNI (the North's paramilitary police force) and the Provisional's sitting on local policing bodies. The IRSP are organised on an all-Ireland basis.During the 1981 Hungerstrike 3 of the 10 hungerstrikers who gave their lives were IRSP/INLA members: Vol.Patsy O'Hara, Vol. Kevin Lynch and Vol.Michael Devine. RIP. They are strongly opposed to the GFA (Good Friday Agreement-the basis of the partitionist Stormont assembly,seeing it as copperfastening the undemocratic partition of Ireland.) They are founding partners in the broad front republican body that unites anti-GFA groups known as the IRFU (Irish Republican Forum for Unity.) The IRSP are widely viewed to be inheritors of the republican socialist tradition of James Connolly who took part in the Easter Rising of 1916. Connolly's ICA (Irish Citizen Army) flag the Starry plough is closely associated with the IRSP within the republican community. Following this years annual Seamus Costello commemoration the leadership of the INLA affirmed their commitment to their 1998 ceasefire but re-iterated that there would be no 'decommissioning' of ordinance despite much media speculation. The stated goal of the IRSP is a 32 county socialist Ireland.

Eirigi (Irish for 'let us arise') are a fairly recent offshoot from PSF. They are a 'leftwing' radical republican party though not openly Marxist. They oppose PSF's recent backing of the RUC/PSNI (the North's paramilitary police force) and the Provisional's sitting on local policing bodies. they have several local elected councillors who have defected from PSF though have not fought any elections as yet. They do not participate in the IRFU(Irish Republican Forum for Unity) which is a broad front arrangement between some anti-GFA republican groupings.They are strongly opposed to the GFA (Good Friday Agreement-the basis of the partitionist Stormont assembly,seeing it as copperfastening the undemocratic partition of Ireland.) Their membership is activist based & is reportedly organised on an all-Ireland basis. They have no 'armed wing' and are one of Ireland's youngest parties today. Their stated goal is a 32 county democratic socialist Ireland.

The 32CSM as I pointed out above are reported to be the political wing of the RIRA. The '32's as they are known are not a 'party' as such but describe themselves as a movement. Many leading members of the Provisionals defected to their ranks throughout the years since the PIRA ceasefires. They are strongly opposed to the GFA (Good Friday Agreement-the basis of the partitionist Stormont assembly,seeing it as copperfastening the undemocratic partition of Ireland.)They oppose PSF's recent backing of the RUC/PSNI (the North's paramilitary police force) and the Provisional's sitting on local policing bodies. They would be viewed as radical traditionalist Republicans and organise on an all-Ireland with internationalist support in Italy, USA & elsewhere throughout the Irish diaspora. They are founding partners in the broad front republican body that unites anti-GFA groups known as the IRFU (Irish Republican Forum for Unity.)The 32CSM's stated goal is a 32 county democratic socialist Ireland free from any links to Britain.

The RNU (Republican Network for Unity) are relative 'new kids' on the republican block but are gaining much support within republican areas of Ireland. They seek to unite all strands of anti-GFA republicanism & do not describe themselves as a 'party' as such. They are strongly opposed to the GFA (Good Friday Agreement-the basis of the partitionist Stormont assembly,seeing it as copperfastening the undemocratic partition of Ireland.)They oppose PSF's recent backing of the RUC/PSNI (the North's paramilitary police force) and the Provisional's sitting on local policing bodies. They are founding partners in the broad front republican body that unites anti-GFA groups known as the IRFU (Irish Republican Forum for Unity.) Their ranks include many ex-republican prisoners and they have a large activist base with an inclusive approach to membership. The RNU does not advocate a return to armed struggle nor do they have an armed wing. They enjoy a good working relationship with other older republican groups oopposed to the Stormont assembly. The RNU have recently provided colour parties to localised republican demonstrations & they claim to have the fastest growing membership of any republican grouping. They would be radical socialist republicans and their stated aim would be a democratic socialist unified Irish republic.

In Belfast especially, observers of political graffitti that grace many of the walls in republican working-class districts will have noticed hitherto unknown monikers such as eg, 'O.N.H' , IRLA & 'Saor Uladh' appearing from time to time. The 'O.n.H refers to Oglaigh na hEireann (literally translates as Irish Volunteers , its historical origins are from the Irish Volunteers who took part in the Easter Rising which was later the alternate name adopted by the post-1916 'IRA'.) However although both the CIRA & RIRA and indeed the Provos refer to themselves as Oglaigh na hEireann in official communications , it is widely believed that the O.N.H referred to in recent graffitti is an offshoot of the RIRA. The IRLA (Irish Republican Liberation Army) graffitti reportedly refers to a split from the Belfast CIRA (though not much is known of them except their alleged involvement in local punishent attacks on criminals & 2 civilian deaths reportedly due to an internal dispute.) 'Saor Uladh' was originally a mainly Tyrone based offshoot from the post-WW2 IRA founded by Liam Kelly who basically kickstarted the abortive Republican 'border campaign' of the id 1960's. Contemporary 'Saor Uladh' graffitti is reported to refer to a very small militant republican group based in Belfast though little is known of this secretive parailitary group.

As a parting shot (no pun intended) hopefully this has added to our understanding of modern Irish Republican politics and demystified the numerous groups , their 3 & 4 letter abbreviations that we see regularly in the media . Personally speaking I see no inclination by the greater republican community for a return to armed struggle though that may change in generations to come if the national liberation project remains incomplete. There is no love lost between Provisional Sinn Fein and its various offshoots today. Anti-GFA Republicans view Adams & PSF as hopelessly reformist professional politicians.The various 'Loyalist' pro-British paramilitary groupings origins, raison d'etre & current direction warrant a seperate examination as they are a significant factor in Irish politics in the North East of the country. An outbreak of internecine violence (such as what occurred during & after the 'Provo / Official' parting of the ways ) has not occurred within Republicanism thankfully, no doubt partly due to the 'mediation network' reportedly staffed in part by members of the Clonard Redemptorist Order. One thing is for certain we are entering an interesting time in Irish politics and I would not like to predict the political vista in the next 20 years. For what it is worth I have studiously tried to avoid the term 'Dissadent Republicans' in this article as it is being used as an emotive misnomer by sections of the media & a 'catch-all' term by the security forces North & South to somehow label genuine republicans as bloodthirsty belligerents which from my examination of the issues involved seems innacurate. So the next time you hear the dastardly 'D-word' in the media you may well ponder whom exactly they refer to....

© Iskra 30/10/09 http://iskras-blog.blogspot.com/

Below is the Proclamation of Easter 1916 which all Irish Republican groups revere and adhere to as the founding principles of a unitary Irish Republic. All the signatories of the Proclamation were executed by the British following the Easter Rising .

The Proclamation of Poblacht na h-Éireann

The Provisional Government of the Irish Republic

To the People of Ireland


Irishmen and Irishwomen: In the name of God and of the dead generations from which she receives her old tradition of nationhood, Ireland, through us, summons her children to her flag and strikes for her freedom. Having organised and trained her manhood through her secret revolutionary organisation, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and through her open military organisations, the Irish Volunteers, and the Irish Citizen Army, having patiently perfected her discipline, having resolutely waited for the right moment to reveal itself, she now seizes that moment, and, supported by her exiled children in America and by gallant allies in Europe, but relying in the first on her own strength, she strikes in full confidence of victory.

We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible. The long usurpation of that right by a foreign people and government has not extinguished the right, nor can it ever be extinguished except by the destruction of the Irish people. In every generation the Irish people have asserted their right to national freedom and sovereignty; six times during the past three hundred years they have asserted it in arms. Standing on that fundamental right and again asserting it in arms in the face of the world, we hereby proclaim the Irish republic as a sovereign independent state, and we pledge our lives and the lives of our comrades-in-arms to the cause of its freedom, of its welfare, and of its exaltation among the nations.

The Irish republic is entitled to, and hereby claims, the allegiance of every Irishman and Irishwoman. The republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all the children of the nation equally, and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past.

Until our arms have brought the opportune moment for the establishment of a permanent national government, representative of the whole people of Ireland, and elected by the suffrages of all her men and women, the Provisional Government, hereby constituted, will administer the civil and military affairs of the republic in trust for the people. We place the cause of the Irish republic under the protection of the Most High God, whose blessing we invoke upon our arms, and we pray that no one who serves that cause will dishonour it by cowardice, inhumanity, or rapine. In this supreme hour the Irish nation must, by its valour and discipline, and by the readiness of its children to sacrifice themselves for the common good, prove itself worthy of the august destiny to which it is called.


Signed on behalf of the provisional government,

THOMAS J CLARKE, SEAN MACDIARMADA, THOMAS MACDONAGH, P H PEARSE, EAMONN CEANNT, JAMES CONNOLLY, JOSEPH PLUNKETT.