“What The Proclamation
Means To Me”
By Roger Cole (Peace And Neutrality Alliance)
My family were
supporters of Fianna Fáil, while at the same time very supportive of Dr.
Noel Browne, so you could say I came from the progressive section of the
broad coalition that is Fianna Fáil. In 1966 I was 18 years old and the
State's celebration of the 50th anniversary meant that the Rising, it's
Proclamation and it's consequence had a profound impact on me. The goal of
achieving a 32 county Irish Republic has been central to my politics ever
since, but as a consequence of reading the Proclamation and other writings,
in particular, those by James Connolly, I believed the Fianna Fáil Party was
not the institution through which it could be achieved, so I joined the
Labour Party which he helped to found, at the time was going through one of
it's more radical periods. Experience however has thought me however that
the radicalism of the Labour Party is only skin deep (if that), and it's
only in the last 10 years through the Peace & Neutrality Alliance that I
feel that I am really making a difference, really trying to achieve the
Irish Republic.
The Proclamation makes it clear that building up a national organisation
preceded the Proclamation, and that organisation was a broad based alliance
that drew support from the radical Republican and Labour traditions. I am
convinced that the same need to build up a similar organisation, a similar
alliance remains as valid today.
The Proclamation also makes it clear that the right of the Irish people to
the ownership of Ireland, and the unfettered control of Irish destinies
remains sovereign and indefeasible except the Irish people are destroyed.
Therefore I have always opposed the transfer of more and more power away
from the Irish people to the emerging EU Superstate.
One of the key statements for me in the Proclamation is that the Republic is
entitled to, and hereby claims, the allegiance of every Irishman and
Irishwoman. That is because my mother was from Portugal. She made it clear
to me however (not that I needed much convincing) that my loyalty was to the
Irish Republic. I believe strongly that the Republic is entitled to that
allegiance from all Irish people living in Ireland, including the hundreds
of thousands that have recently come to live in our country on the clear
understanding that all are guaranteed religious and civil liberty, equal
rights and equal opportunity.
The Proclamation that established the Provisional Government of Irish
Republic was declared at a time when virtually the entire political/media
was actively supporting an Imperialist war. Now 90 years later, virtually
the entire political/media elite supports another Imperialist War. I am
convinced that as they drag us deeper and deeper into this war that the
broad anti-imperialist alliance that has its roots deeply embedded in our
history will re-emerge. I am convinced that there are clear signs that this
is happening as can be seen from recent public opinion polls on attitudes
towards the war and from the success of the film The Wind that Shakes the
Barley. The people are becoming more and more disillusioned with the
political/media elite but as yet no broad based anti-imperialist alliance
has emerged, despite the best efforts of PANA. But I am convinced it will
happen.
The Irish Peace Process is not about stopping Irish Protestants and Irish
Catholics from killing each other, so they can unite and go and kill
Muslims. It is and ought to be about establishing an Irish Republic based on
the Proclamation.
Finally, it was in 1790 that Tone wrote his pamphlet on the Spanish War in
which he first advocated Irish Independence and Irish Neutrality, which is
why the Proclamation makes it clear that those of us who are Irish
Republicans are just part of long and deep rooted Irish tradition. Our
struggle will never be over. There will always be gombeenmen, there will
always be supporters of Imperialism who will never give their allegiance to
the Republic. We must seek however to establish and consolidate the values
enshrined in the Proclamation. Not having enough to do will never be an
option.
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