éirígí: For A Socialist Republic

Campaigns // Reclaim The Republic/Athshealbhaígí an Phoblacht

Picture copyright Robert Ballagh

Campaign Update

Launched in May 2006, to mark the ninetieth anniversary of the 1916 Rising, the “Reclaim the Republic/Athshealbhaígí an Phoblacht” campaign has been universally well received. The first element of the campaign involves the distribution, on a not for profit basis, of poster-size, full colour copies of the 1916 Proclamation of The Irish Republic. By October 2006 over 45,000 homes across Dublin had received a copy of The 1916 Proclamation with an additional 15,000 homes scheduled to receive a copy by the years end.

The second major element of the campaign was launched in late Oct 2006. This consists of a collection of writings on the theme of “What the Proclamation means to me”. Contributors with a background in the Arts, Journalism, Trade Unionism, Political and Community Activism have already submitted their contributions. Click on the link below to view these contributions. éirígí is inviting individuals to add their own views on what the 1916 Proclamation means to them by e-mailing a short written contribution (preferably no more then 500 words) to whattheproclamationmeanstome@eirigi.org

Click here to view
“What The Proclamation Means To Me”

Reclaim The Republic/Athshealbhaígí an Phoblacht
The 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic shook the British Empire to its very core. This document did not only echo the centuries old demand for British withdrawal from Ireland. It also contained a glimpse of a future that so terrified the British ruling class and their friends in Ireland that they crushed the Rising without mercy.

In 2006, the 90th anniversary of the Easter Rising, certain questions must be asked:

Has the vision contained in the 1916 Proclamation been realised?
Do we the people have ownership of Ireland?
Has Britain withdrawn from our country?
Are all the children of the nation cherished equally, or do those with money and power get preferential treatment?
What is the unfinished business to be completed before the Republic envisioned in the Proclamation can be established?

éirígí activists distributing Proclamation posters at a screening of 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley'. In short, it is very apparent that we are living in an Ireland where "the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland" is denied. In an Ireland of inequality, the pursuit of "the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation" comes second to the happiness and prosperity of a privileged few.

éirígí believes that the Proclamation needs to be reclaimed by the PEOPLE, on whose behalf it was conceived by those who fought and died in Easter Week 1916. It was drafted by the revolutionary forces of the day as the founding document of a society that would value people and provide for their needs.

The 1916 Proclamation is a document for TODAY. It is in the interests of all that the people reclaim the rights it declared on their behalf.

A copy of the Proclamation should hang with pride in every home, workplace and school in the country, as a visible demand for the establishment of an all-Ireland Republic of the type envisioned by those who died in defence of our freedom.

Reclaim 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
Reclaim the right that the Irish Republic be a Sovereign Independent All-Ireland State
Reclaim the right to religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities for all people
Reclaim the right to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and all of its parts
Reclaim the right that all of the children of the nation be cherished equally

Reclaim The Republic/Athshealbhaígí an Phoblacht

We in éirígí are distributing poster size copies of the 1916 Proclamation of the Republic on a not for profit basis. Financial donations will be used to print further copies for distribution.

As part of it's Reclaim the Republic campaign éirígí is offering Proclamations to individuals and organisations. If you are a member of an organisation, be it a trade union, women's group, residents association, sports club etc and would like to distribute copies of the 1916 Proclamations to members of your group contact us by e-mailing reclaimtherepublic@eirigi.org or by phoning 086 236 7298 or through our Contact Us Section to arrange collection of a batch of posters. We should be able to facilitate all requests, no matter how small or large. Similarly if you would like to distribute Proclamations within your workplace or local area contact us to arrange for collection of posters

Download a copy of the 1916 Proclamation in any of the languages below by clicking on the relevant flag:

éirígí Proclamation Poster, as Gaeilge // 200kb