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British people would welcome a No vote

The Connolly Association delivered letters to the Irish Ambassador in London and No 10 Downing Street praising the Irish constitution for allowing for a referendum on the Lisbon constitutional treaty and urging prime minister Gordon Brown to reconsider his government's position not to hold a vote in Britain

2009-09-28 15:37:21

Letter: Ken Keable

Ken Keable points out the hypocrisy surrounding the demand for Libya to compensate the IRA’s victims

2009-09-09 08:42:02

Letter: Jim McConalogue

Jim McConalogue of the European Foundation argues that the EU summit strategy dealing with Ireland’s referendum was little more than a cover-up for getting round the previous No vote

2009-09-08 15:04:43

Sainted before his time

Donal Kennedy continues his Dissing the Famous series, directing his fire this time at the Irish journalist Fergal Keane

2009-09-08 14:12:39

IALC Irish unity conference statement

Statement made by Irish-American Labor Coalition president Joe Jamison to the Conference on United Ireland held at the 
Hilton Hotel, New York on 13 June 2009

2009-09-07 16:22:51

The genius of Father Ted

Donal Kennedy continues to lament the death of the actor Dermot Morgan, whose portrayal of the venal priest Ted Crilly in the Father Ted series lives on in the annals of television comedy history

2009-08-31 22:14:47

Sinn Féin in fresh unity call

Theo Russell reports on a meeting in London at which Sinn Féin's Pat Doherty spoke on the theme of'Ireland and Britain after 2010' and the British launch of a new Sinn Féin Irish unity initiative

2009-08-31 19:07:23

Three cheers for the information age

Pangloss muses on the arrest of Lt.Col. Owen McNally in Kabul in an age when technological advances have meant that we no longer need we live in ignorance of how our fellow men, women and children live, or die.

2009-08-31 18:58:13

Loyalist decommissioning announcement welcomed

Statement issued by the Connolly Association on 18 June 2009 in response to decommissioning moves by loyalist paramilitaries.

2009-08-31 18:50:43

Shaming the Devil

Donal Kennedy argues that publications like the Irish Democrat can still play a vital role in challenging the lies and distortions of the media on both sides of the Irish Sea

2009-06-11 09:27:44

Favoured scribe of the right

Donal Kennedy continues his ‘Dissing the Famouus’ column with a swipe the right-wing, anti-Irish republican journalist Kevin Myers

2009-06-05 11:10:51

Schools of violence

Donal Kennedy takes issue with those commentators who view the main characteristic of Christian Brothers educators as a penchant for personal violence and its approval for nationalist ends

2009-06-04 11:45:44

Letter: Donal Kennedy

Donal Kennedy advocates the sacking of Labour's Northern Ireland secretary Shaun Woodward

2009-05-13 17:10:04

ICJ report draws lessons from Northern Ireland

The Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) welcomes the publication of a major international report by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) on counter-terrorism and human rights. The report draws heavily on the organisation's own findings published in 2008

2009-04-30 11:16:42

British parties set to muddy Good Friday waters

David Granville explains why recent developments involving both the Conservative Party and the British Labour Party could harm the reconciliation process in Northern Ireland

2009-04-29 22:43:52

Sinn Fein continues to look left

David Granville examines the latest developments in Sinn Féin's efforts to forge a progressive alliance of the left in Ireland

2009-04-29 22:19:21

Humbug, hypocrisy and the art of the smear

In the second of his new series ‘Dissing the famous’ Irish Democrat correspondent takes aim at the London Times

2009-04-14 15:16:48

Run it up the flagpole

Citizen Smith recounts a chance encounter with a fellow Irishman outside the South African embassy in Trafalgar Square

2009-04-13 16:28:25

British policy a 'recruiting sergeant' for dissidents

David Granville warns that Britain's response to the threat posed by ‘dissident’ republicans is both anti-democratic and a potential threat to the Good Friday process

2009-04-13 15:43:22

Dissing the Famous:

Donal Kennedy begins a new series in which he takes aim at leading figures on both sides of the Irish Sea, exposing hypocrisy and humbug along the way. He begins the series with Gay Mitchell MEP

2009-04-13 15:30:23

Ballymurphy 11 bring justice campaign to England

Mary Pearson of the Troops Out Movement reports on the recent visit of relatives of two of the 11 innocent and unarmed civilians killed by the British army during the first three days of internment in 1971

2009-04-13 15:12:05

Irish democracy and its enemies

Donal Kennedy points out that the enemies of Irish democracy from the time of Wolfe Tone to the present have been both persistent and plentiful

2009-04-13 14:46:29

New Finucane enquiry call

The 12th of February 2009 marked the 20th anniversary of the murder by loyalist gunmen, working in collusion with British security forces, of the Belfast human-rights solicitor Patrick Finucane, David Granville explains why the Finucane family and human-rights campaigners continue to demand an independent inquiry

2009-03-21 07:12:40

Sheffield Irish Festival event is a family affair

Father and son Al and Ruan O'Donnell, the former an Irish folk legend, the latter one of Ireland's most prominent historians, are set to educate and entertain Irish festival goers in Sheffield on Monday 16th March

2009-03-12 10:03:10

Connolly Association press statement

Connolly Association press statement on issued on Monday 9 March 2009 on the deployment of the British army Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) and the attack on the British army barracks in Antrim on Sunday 8 March

2009-03-12 07:23:06

Gagging for a Royal visit

Citizen Smith comments on a campaign that has been developing in Dublin to hasten a state visit by the British monarch

2009-02-03 20:58:42

Obituary: Bob Doyle 1916 - 2009

Robert Griffiths and others pay their respects to the Irish patriot, Communist and international brigader who died recently

2009-01-27 09:48:34

Tatchell calls for Maguire repatriation

British human-rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has recently written to the Irish justice minister Dermor Ahern calling upon him to support the repatriation of republican prisoner Nope Maguire, convicted in 2003 of involvement in a real IRA bombing campaign in England

2009-01-26 17:35:35

Letter: Donal Kennedy

Donal Kennedy writes in concerning Ruairi O Domhnaill's review of ‘John Redmond – the Parnellite’

2009-01-26 16:42:43

Academics call for EU/Israel links cut

Over 145 Irish academics today issued a call for the EU to cut links with Israel. We publish the story here along with their letter to the Irish Times

2009-01-23 18:44:55

Ireland still matters

David Granville believes it's time for progressives and democrats in Britain to start talking about Irish politics again

2009-01-23 13:17:13

Let Tommy Sing

David Granville argues that Channel 4's recent censorship of a rendition of ‘The Fields of Athenry’ highlights both the muddle-headed thinking behind some recent attempts to combat sectarianism in Scotland and demonstrates a worrying trend towards the censorship of songs with political content

2009-01-23 12:32:44

The Pedigree of a Porky

Domhnall O'Cinneide explains how shoddy journalism, political bias and deliberate misinformation get dressed up as indisputable ‘fact’ in the columns of the British press and can take on a life of their own

2009-01-23 11:30:51

News 2009

News and comment publish by the Irish Democrat in 2009

2009-01-23 10:41:43

Breandan MacLua, 1935 - 2009

Domhnall O’Cinneide pays tribute to campaigning Irish journalist Breandan MacLua who died earlier this month

2009-01-23 10:32:06

CA civil-rights conference report

Ken Keable reports on a special conference held in London in November to mark the 70th anniversary year of the Connolly Association's contribution to the fight for Irish unity and independence (Apologies for the late posting of this report which was due to technical difficulties experienced towards the end of last year)

2009-01-01 14:09:01

The 1918 election - setting the record straight

Donal Kennedy challenges the attempts by British commentators to undermine Sinn Fein's victory at the 1918 General Election and berates those Irish politicians, journalists and academics who have adopted such spurious arguments as their own

2008-12-11 18:56:37

McBride family express concern at British army march

The family of Peter McBride, the Belfast teenager murdered by Irish guardsmen Wright and Fisher, speaks out against British army parade due to take place in Belfast tomorrow

2008-11-01 23:46:27

Protests planned over controversial British army march

Fears that a controversial British army march through Belfast tomorrow will end in violent confrontation have not been dispelled by concilaitory gestures on behalf of mainstream republicanism and the MoD

2008-11-01 22:19:19

"Derry today is a different place" - McGuinness

Speech delivered by Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness on 4 October at an event in Derry marking the 40th anniversary Northern Ireland civil rights struggle

2008-11-01 17:17:51

MacAnespie family welcomes HET report

The family of Aidan McAnespie, who was shot and fatally wounded by a British soldier in 1988, recently issued the following statement through the independent Derry-based human rights centr the Pat Finucane Centre

2008-10-31 15:36:27

Protesters call for prisoner repatriation

Earlier this month, protesters gathered in Dublin’s O’Connell Street to put pressure on the Dublin and London governments to live up to their obligations to prisoners as laid down by the European Union. The protest was organised by éirígí, an Irish socialist republican party. We reproduce this report, which first appeared on éirígí's website, for information

2008-07-23 12:12:47

Civil Rights commemorative website launched

Veterans of the civil rights struggle in the six counties have launched a 40th anniversary commemorative website

2008-07-11 13:09:24

British urged to allow access to atrocity documents

Justice For the Forgotten, which represents victims and survivors of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, today welcomed the all-party support in the Dáil for a motion urging the British government “to allow access by an independent, international judicial figure to all original documents held by the British government relating to the atrocities”.

2008-07-10 16:05:32

Relative of collusion victim tours England

The issue of collusiom between loyalist paramilitaries and British state forces came to the fore during the recent visit to England, at the invitation of the Troops Out Movement, of collusion victim relative Robert McClenaghan. We reproduce here for information a report of Robert McClenaghan's supplied by TOM

2008-07-03 10:40:15

Strathaven Martyr remembered

Report of the 1820 Society annual commemoration in honourof the Scottish radical leader James Wilson, which took palce was held on 14 June in Strathaven, Scotland

2008-07-02 11:39:57

Bloomsday in Northampton

To celebrate Bloomsday (June 16) 2008, the Irish Community Arts Project presented their annual Bloomsday event at the graveside of Anna Lucia Joyce, daughter of James and Nora Joyce, at Kingsthorpe Cemetery in Northampton. Short report and pictures.

2008-07-01 14:06:56

Towards Irish unity

Speaking at the London Irish Centre in Camden, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams gave a progress report on the Good Friday and St Andrews agreements and emphasised the need to mobilise support in Britain for Irish unity. We publish here an edited version of his speech.

2008-06-30 12:32:02

Paisley forced to bow out

David Granville comments on the recent announcemnet by DUP leader Ian Paisley that he is to stand down as party leader and Stormont first minister in May

2008-03-13 18:26:40

Civil rights commemoration planned

Work is underway to stage events throughout the six counties to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Northern Ireland's civil rights stuggle

2008-03-11 14:44:50

Still fighting for truth on collusion

Theo Russell reports on the recent Bloody Sunday commemoration event in London

2008-02-04 13:10:05

News 2008

News and comment from the Irish Democrat 2008

2008-01-21 13:00:56

More support needed for Irish in Britain

A report published by a committee of the Irish-Britisn Inter-Parliamentary Body highlights the need for greater support for Irish community living in Britain

2007-11-27 14:06:50

Giuliani angers Irish-America

US Republican Party presidential hopeful Rudi Giuliani's recent acceptance of the Margaret Thatcher ‘Medal of Honour’ has not gone down well with Irish-Americans

2007-11-15 11:17:11

New light shed on IRA's Border Campaign

Irish historian Ruan O'Donnell to shed new light on the IRA's Border Campaign at a meeting in London on 14 November organised by the Four Provinces Bookshop

2007-11-13 13:30:08

Signs of re-alignment in the unionist camp

David Granville suggests that the honeymoon in the north could soon be over as tensions and divisions mount within the unionist/loyalist camp and the need for decisions in key policy areas approaches

2007-10-05 13:47:03

Call for Aegis' expulsion from Iraq

David Granville looks at how the mother of murdered Belfast teenager Peter McBride has top mercenary Tim Spicer in her sights

2007-10-05 13:21:07

Re-assessing the 50s Border Campaign

John Murphy praises a fresh look at the IRA's border campaign of the late 1950s

2007-10-05 12:51:13

House Resolution 740

In May 2006, the US Congress passed a resolution condemning the 2005 Enquiries Act, a rare example of the US Congress formally criticising a British act of parliament. The full text of that resolution is reproduced here for reference purposes

2007-07-31 12:04:35

Debating the peace process

Theo Russell reports on a recent cross-party meeting on the Irish peace process hosted by the Islinton North branch of the Labour Party

2007-07-25 14:25:36

Stepping stone to unity

Far from being the ‘final settlement’ suggested by British ministers, the restoration of the Good Friday institutions represents a further move towards British withdrawal and the reunification of Ireland, and presents new challenges and opportunities for the left in Britain, argues Ken Keable

2007-07-21 13:29:51

Over there comes over here

David Granville looks at some recent examples of how the British presence in Ireland continues to have consequences for democracy in Britain

2007-06-04 10:13:52

Equality fault-line opens

David Granvillle argues that measures designed to tackle inequality are already proving to be a source of division between unionists and nationalists at Stormont

2007-06-04 09:54:54

The 'teflon' taoiseach does it again

David Granville provides some initial thoughts on the 2007 twenty-six county General Election results

2007-05-28 18:13:12

Irish women trade union pioneers

To mark International Women’s Day (March 8) in 2007, the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) and SIPTU, have produced a pack of postcards depicting some of the women ‘pioneers’ of the labour and trade union movement.

2007-05-17 16:36:48

Loughall: 20 years on

Photographer Louise Jefferson recently attended events marking the 20th anniversary of the Loughall massacre and here provides a moving personal account of her visit

2007-05-17 13:26:46

Unity: closer than anyone thinks

Connolly Association president Moya St Leger argues that Irish citizens remain unprepared for unity

2007-05-17 10:11:05

The dawning of a new era?

Writing a few days before the re-establishment of the Stormont assembly, David Granville looks towards the resumption of the Good Friday process

2007-05-17 09:58:14

US labour organisations back Connolly film

Two US labour groups, the Irish-American Labor Coalition (IALC) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, have announced that they are each to make a $10,000 investment in the forthcoming film about the life of James Connolly

2007-03-27 17:25:26

Flanagan must go - for all our sakes

David Granville argues that the presence of Ronnie Flanagan as head of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Police in England and Wales is another example of how the legacy of the British state's counter-insurgency activities in Ireland continues to cast a murky shadow over everyone in Britain

2007-03-13 10:22:18

Hain rules out deadline extension

British secretary of state Peter Hain warns rules out any extension of the 25 deadline on establishing a power-sharing executive (IAIS agency report)

2007-02-16 12:22:39

Another step on the road back to civil rights approach

David Granville argues that the British government needs to come to the aid of unionists by persuading them that their best interests lie in an accomodation with nationalists on the basis of the Good Friday and St Andrews agreements – and ultimately within a united Ireland

2007-02-15 18:59:18

When is a deadline not a deadline?

Originally published in December 2006, David Granville argues that the countdown towards Blair's departure from Number 10 well underway, the British prime minister remains keen to ensure that failure in Ireland is not added to a legacy which is already set to be dominated by the catastophy resulting from the invasion and occupation of Iraq

2007-01-30 14:50:05

Hain and NIO officials accused over appointment

Direct rule minister Petet Hain and NIO officials came under fire in December after a High Court judge ruled that the appointment of Bertha McDougall as Interm Victim Commissioner had been motivated by “improper political purpose”

2007-01-30 13:52:16

Local government - reform or embryonic repartition?

Although posing a danger of further entrenching sectarian divisions, local government reforms give Sinn Féin an opportunity to demonstrate a better model of governance in Ireland, writes Tommy McKearney

2007-01-30 13:33:22

Collusion - a conspiracy of silence

The British media's coverage and treatment of events in the north treatment reveal where their press priorities lie, writes Mick Hall

2007-01-30 11:34:09

The battle for rights

Progressives are taking an inclusive approach towards drafting an enforceable Bill of Rights in the North. But their focus on giving the legislation a robust social and economic dimension has irked reactionary unionism and alarmed the NIO, writes Deasúin Ó Donghaile

2007-01-30 08:00:10

Fresh investigation into Fullerton murder

Police ombudsman Nuala O'Loan is investigating part of the circumstances surrounding the 1991 murder of Co Donegal Sinn Fein councillor Eddie Fullerton. In a separate case, the families of six men murdered by the Ulster Volunteer Force recently lobbied Westminster MPs to press for an investigation into the claims

2007-01-29 23:02:19

New MI5 base to monitor both sides of Irish Sea

A new MI5 intelligence-gathering base in Belfast destroys the new beginning envisaged in the Good Friday Agreement, writes Fr Joe McVeigh

2007-01-29 20:52:29

Peaceful Road to a united Ireland

Sinn Féin's ‘civil rights’ strategy is the only way forward for republicans and should be complimented by increased lobbying of MPs in Britain, argues John Murphy

2007-01-29 18:32:22

Republicans need to retain critical perspective on policing

Sinn Féin acknowledges that the PSNI as a policing agency will not weaken republicanism, so long as its agenda for change is not compromised, writes Féilim Ó hAdhmaill

2007-01-29 18:00:50

Sutton Hoo!

Christy Evans reports on Seachtain na Gaeilge – the global celebration of the Irish language (Irish language article)

2007-01-29 15:35:11

Advance Irish Unity: subscribe or donate now!

The Irish Democart needs to boost its financial resources and circulation if it is to sustain and develop its role in campaigning for a united and independent Ireland and continue to expose the nefarious nature of Britain's involvement

2007-01-25 16:52:27

The Connolly Association was there at the start

John Murphy reminds us that the Connolly Association and the late Desmond Greaves were the first to come up with the idea of a civil rights campaign to undermine reactionary unionism – and that power sharing offers republicans the opportunity to develop creative ways of persuading key sections of unionism that a unitary state is in their best interests

2007-01-25 10:55:02

*Is equality at risk from the St Andrew's deal?

Deasun O Donghaile examines the likely implications for equality in the north of the St Andrew's deal

2007-01-25 10:11:55

*Policing issue will not be last big hurdle to power sharing

Tommy McKearney argues that better options than accepting PSNI policing in its present form exist for republicans

2007-01-25 09:47:57

News 2007

News and comment from the Irish Democrat 2007

2007-01-25 09:38:06

Collusion evidence: trickle becomes a flood

David Granville bemoans the lack of response in Britain to growing evidence of collusion between the state and its agents in acts of violence and murder on both sides of the Irish border

2006-12-30 12:48:33

Getting away with murder

English campaigner Ken Keable argues that mainstream media complicity in British colonial rule has played a significant role in the British public's indifference to news about Northern Ireland and continues to allow the British state to get away with murder

2006-12-30 10:23:42

A step on the road to unity

David Granville asks opponents of the Good Friday and St Andrews agreements to end their fixation on ‘texts’ and concentrate on the ‘process’

2006-12-29 10:12:15

Honorary doctorate for ID columnist

Irish Democrat columnist, historian and novelist Peter Berresford Ellis, is awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Literature by the University of East London

2006-12-27 15:03:07

Keeping us in the dark?

David Granville asks whether the trend to ‘editionalise’ newspapers is being used to keep the British public ignorant of successive governments' responsibility for criminal and anti-democratic acts conducted by state military forces and security agencies throughout the conflict in Ireland

2006-09-29 09:57:29

DUP dismisses November deadline

Paul Donovan reports on an important fringe meeting on the future of the Irish peace process meeting held during the recent British Trades Union Congress

2006-09-21 06:09:30

Garvaghy Road residents renews support call

The Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition is appealing for support, national and international, following the decision of the Parades Commission to allow the Orange Order to march through the nationalist area of Portadown on 23 September in opposition to the wishes of the local community

2006-09-16 09:38:29

Bigotry must be marginalised

As the people of the North of Ireland enter into this summer's matching season, sectarianism will remain a dangerously live issue. The British government and its agencies must be forced to acknowledge the problem fully and challenge it head on, instead of giving it political cover, argues the Irish Democrat

2006-07-05 18:57:53

Thar Slaibh agus Gleann!

Christie Evans reports from the fifth International Festival of the Irish Language, which recently took place in the Isle of Man (Irish language article)

2006-07-05 18:42:39

Socialists and republicans pay tribute to 'Red O'Riordan'

Tributes for a fighter who ‘personified the best’ pour in following the death of veteran communist Michael O'Riordan

2006-07-05 15:24:21

Finucane killer released

The killer of Belfast defence lawyer Pat Finucane has been released from prison under the terms of the Good Friday agreement and is understood to have been moved to a secret location in Britain and given a generous relocation package

2006-07-04 17:05:04

'Inquiry is the issue' insist Finucane family

The family of murdered defense solicitor Pat Finucane insists that the early release of his killer should not be overestimated and that the real focus must be to establish a fully independent, public judicial inquiry

2006-07-04 16:52:14