Republican Sinn Féin Poblachtach - Cork - Easter Commemoration Report -

cork | history and heritage | other press Thursday April 09, 2015 18:32 by Seán Ó Murchú - Republican Sinn Féin Poblachtach - Cork

The 99th Easter 1916 Commemoration took place in St. Finbarrs Cemetery on Sunday 5th April.

The 99th Easter 1916 Commemoration took place in St. Finbarrs Cemetery on Sunday 5th April.

The Commemoration assembled at 2:00pm at Wilton Roundabout where members of Republican Sinn Féin Cork, Cumann na mBan Cork and Cumann na gCailiní Cork lead the commemoration which proceeded to the Republican Plot in St. Finbarrs Cemetery where the proceedings were chaired by Donal Varian. After welcoming everyone Donal called for wreaths to be laid on behalf of the Republican Movement Cork, Republican Sinn Féin Cork, Cumann Na mBan Cork and for all Republican POW’s.

The Chairperson then said a few brief words before asking for the 1916 Proclamation to be read whilst in the background Mise Eire was played.
Donal then spoke about the sacrifice the men and women of 1916 and the generations since have made.
He then introduced Alfie McAvoy, Belfast who gave the Oration.

Speaking at the 99th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising on April 5th 2015 Alfie McAvoy gave the following oration.

A Chairde,
It's a great honour for me to speak here today at the graves of our patriot fallen. Ninety-nine years ago Irish men and women took a courageous and momentous step in declaring the Irish Republic in the face of the might of the British empire. In effect this was the first action of the Irish war of independence - a war which has been fought in phases throughout the intervening years, and continues to this very day.

Along the way there have been betrayals, and always for the same reason - political power replaces national freedom and self-determination as the goal to be achieved. In the wake of each betrayal it has been necessary to rebuild and reorganise and history has shown that this, while no easy task, has been sucessful each time due the dedication and determination of strong men and women of principle, some of who stand here with us today. I see no reason to doubt that this will continue to be the case. Future generations will achieve the freedom and reunification of this country, and in so doing will honour those who have gone before in the best possible way.

Today is a day to remember with pride the people who have sought to bring freedom to this country. Tone and Emmet, the United Irishmen, Pearse, Connolly, and the rest didn't fight for a partitioned country, and they were not prepared to settle for less than the Irish Republic. We remember the names of those promenant republican heroes who stood in open rejection of partition, and for nothing less than a 32 county republic. Men like Cathal Brugha who died at the hands of former comrades who were now fighting for a puppet state under the control of a british governor general and within the british commonwealth. He and other true republicans continued the struggle for freedom through 1922 and 1923 in what has been wrongly dubbed a civil war. Cork has its fair share of men and women who refused to give up their principles and stood firmly for the 32 county republic and against the continued domination of british rule and partition of this country. People such as Liam Lynch in the twenties, Thomas Mc Curtain Jnr and Tom Barry in the thirties, Daithi O'Connell and Gearoid Mc Carthy from the fifties on, to their great credit, standing in front of me, the women of Cork Cumann Na mban, who continue to stand firm in their unswerving commitment to the all-Island Irish Republic. It is for us here present to continue to promote and espouse at every opportunity the ideals and principles we hold dear, and to debate as necessary the logic of learning from the mistakes of the past - namely that we will not achieve national freedom from within the partitionist assemblies. While we continue on this righteous path we are already free in a spiritual and intellectual sense, whereas those who have succumbed to the lure of Leinster House or Stormont have traded freedom for limited political power.
Despite their assertions our former comrades are no longer relevant regarding the re - unification and independence of our country. They are only interested in growing their percentages and seat numbers in the partitionist assemblies, north and south. Our duty to the people of Ireland is to show them that the partitionist approach has been tried numerous times before and failed each time. The only sure way forward is to replace both partitionist assemblies with a single all - Ireland democratic parliament.

As always, we support the right of the Irish people to take up arms when it is necessary and productive to do so in order to establish the Republic and remove British interference in this country. British soldiers still patrol the streets in part of our land, supporting a police force which will always be the enemy while they uphold British rule in Ireland. Changing their name has not changed their allegiance. The PSNI are still a regional force of the British police just as the RUC were before them.

Let us not forget here today that there are still Irish Republican prisoners of war in this country, north and south. Pearse said, "While Ireland holds these graves.....", but I say to you today while Britain and their lackies hold these prisoners there will be no peace. Show your support for the political prisoners as best you can and continue to let them know that their sacrifice will not be in vain.

The austerity measures inflicted on the less well off people in this country are further proof that the vast majority of Irish politicians are self-serving and oblivious to the wishes and needs of their constituents. The USC, the property tax, the water charges are all examples of how the people who already struggle the most are further oppressed and held down by the privileged classes. We must continue to protest, march, and speak out against this austerity. We must continue to destabilise these two assemblies until they eventually break.

Let us remember again the men and women who have given their lives to Ireland for self government independent of any outside influence or dominance, whether they died in action or of natural causes, and let us also remember that we are their voice, a voice of resistance to oppression and partition, and for a 32 county Republic. At the moment it may be a whisper, but as has happened before it will grow to a magnificent roar.

Go raibh ma agat.

The Last Post and Reveille was played and the flags dipped and raised in honour of our dead Patriots.

Donal Varian then spoke about the sacrifice of 1916 and the generations since in their fight for Irish Freedom.
Amhrán na bhFiann was then played and the commemoration was brought to a conclusion and thanked all those in attendance.