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> Address by Sinn Fein Vice President and Assembly member for
> West Tyrone Pat Doherty at the annual Wolfe Tone Commemoration
> in Bodenstown yesterday (Sunday).
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>
>
> Ta failte romhaibh a chairde agus a chomradaithe, failte go Baile
> Buadan. We gather here today, as we do every year, to remember
> and honour Theobald Wolfe Tone, the founding father of Irish
> republicanism.
>
> This is one of the few republican gatherings which instil a sense
> of reflection in us. Gathered here, standing before the memory
> of Wolfe Tone, we are compelled to examine and reaffirm our
> actions, of what we are about and where we stand.
>
> In this, the first Wolfe Tone commemoration of the 21st Century,
> it is fitting that we not only look at where we stand today but
> look to the future, to where we are going.
>
> I would like to begin by paying tribute to two men who died
> during the past week - Terence 'Cleeky' Clarke of Belfast and
> Matt Merrigan of Dublin.
>
>
> Thousands of republicans from across Ireland and beyond gathered
> in Belfast on Friday to bury one of our finest and most dedicated
> comrades. 'Cleeky' Clarke was known and loved by republicans
> across this island. He spent more than 21 years in prison but he
> never deviated from the republican cause. Cleeky's personal
> courage in his long battle against cancer was a mark of his deep
> inner strength and a source of great inspiration to us all.
>
> To Cleeky's family, and especially his wife Mary and children
> Seamus and Marie, I want to extend the heartfelt condolences of
> republicans everywhere.
>
> The past week also saw the passing of another republican and
> labour activist with the death at a union conference in Dublin of
> Matt Merrigan. A life-long trade unionist, Mattie was a tireless
> campaigner for civil rights and social justice throughout Ireland
> and the world. His strong advocacy of national sovereignty as an
> intrinsic part of republican and labour ideology and his work on
> behalf of those marginalised in our society will never be
> forgotten.
>
> To his daughter Olga and son Matt, and his friends and comrades,
> we offer our condolences.
>
> The past year has been one of enormous change, both in terms of
> the peace process and in terms of the development of Sinn Fein as
> a real force in Irish politics. We saw Cathal Crumley become
> Sinn Fein mayor of Derry. while Alex Maskey narrowly miss out on
> this post in Belfast. In Sligo, Sean MacManus holds the post of
> deputy mayor. Councillor Brian McKenna will take the chair of
> Monaghan County Council next month, the first Sinn Fein
> chairperson of that Council in a hundred years of local
> government.
>
> Sinn Fein has had a number of significant electoral successes at
> council level in the Six Counties - in Omagh, Erne West and
> Toome. And where we have not won we have seen significant
> increases in our vote. We have much to be proud of, but with the
> possibility of three electoral contests over the next 12 months
> we have a lot of work to do.
>
> With your ongoing commitment we will see an increase in Sinn
> Fein's representation in Leinster House and we will increase on
> our success in the Westminster elections.
>
> Since we last assembled here 12 months ago, there have been many
> highs and lows in the peace process. After 18 months of unionist
> stalling and bad faith we finally saw the establishment of the
> political institutions, including the all-Ireland bodies. But as
> you all know, after less than three months, at the behest of
> unionism, Peter Mandelson made a terrible miscalculation and
> collapsed the institutions.
>
> However. we did not let our disappointment and anger at the
> British Government's actions in February deflect us from our
> task. We again re-focused and worked tirelessly to ensure that
> those rejectionists buoyed up by the collapse of the political
> institutions would not succeed in their stated aims of
> undermining and scuppering entirely the whole Good Friday
> Agreement and the potential of change contained within it.
>
> During the negotiations leading up to the Good Friday Agreement,
> and the subsequent rounds of talks which took place at
> Hillsborough Castle, we fought tooth and nail over issues such as
> equality, emblems and symbols, policing and all-Ireland bodies.
>
> Looking to the future we will continue to move forward with our
> republican agenda. The battle for republicans has not ended with
> the re-establishment of the political institutions. We want to
> see Northern representation in Leinster House as soon as
> possible. We want to see the British Government remove all of
> its forces from our country and we look forward to the day when
> all of the guns are taken out of the politics of our island.
>
> I realise that there have been some steps taken by the republican
> leadership in the past year which may not rest well with some of
> you. This is understandable.
>
> As we have often said, we believe that we have stretched the
> republican community to its limits. But the steps which we have
> taken were necessary in order to bring about real change, and
> change suits us - we should not fear it, we are the party of
> change. The only groups which have to fear change are the
> conservative and reactionary elements who wish to see the status
> quo upheld on this island.
>
> We have seen this fear of change swell among the ranks of
> unionism. This manifested itself in not only the ranks of the
> 'NO' unionists but also among some of those in the 'YES' camp who
> continue to throw obstacles in the way of progress.
>
> We have seen the decommissioning argument come and go at various
> phases only to be replaced with the demand for the RUC name to be
> kept when the issue of policing was beginning to be addressed. We
> know that there are those within unionism who will continue to
> throw up such barriers in order to halt the tide of change.
>
> There are those among the unionist 'YES' camp who are opposed to
> change - who saw and, indeed continue to see, the Good Friday
> Agreement and the Six-County Assembly as a way of taming
> republicans, a way of 'house-training' us. I can assure you -
> and them - that this is not going to happen. We know where we
> stand, we are confident of our analysis and our aims. We are
> there to make change happen, to revolutionise society.
>
> The unionist opposition to change has its roots in one of the
> major blights on our society - sectarianism. Sectarianism is the
> antithesis of everything Tone stood for. He worked to unite
> Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter; the British Government and
> their agents in Ireland worked to divide them. It is from Tone
> that we take our lead and try to unite and respect all cultures
> and creeds.
>
>
> The sectarianism which was used to attack the United Irishmen is
> the same sectarianism which has laid siege to the people of the
> Garvaghy Road for over 700 days. This siege continues with
> ever-increasing threats of violence coming from the leaders of
> the Orange Order. It is the same sectarianism which
> triumphantly tramples over the rights of the nationalist people
> in areas such as the Lower Ormeau Road and the Springfield Road.
> It is the same sectarianism which we witnessed in Lurgan
> yesterday when the Parades Commission allowed an Orange Parade to
> march through a nationalist area.
>
> The days of the Ulster Unionists' one-party Orange state are
> over. But the unionists have taken heart from the lack of
> backbone shown by the British Government, by their repeated
> failure to stand up to the unionists. And the British
> Government's lack of resolve in implementing the Agreement - an
> Agreement which the vast majority of the people on this island
> voted for - casts a shadow over the whole process.
>
> When the people of Ireland are looking forward to a new
> beginning, some unionists are looking back to the days when they
> ruled unchallenged and they would like to keep it like that, and
> the British Government tries to look the other way.
>
> The days of the British Government allowing the unionists to
> lurch us all from one crisis to another must end.
>
> Republicans should be under no illusions. There are elements
> within the British Establishment who are trying to do politically
> what they could not do militarily - defeat the IRA. In the
> back-rooms there are still those securocrats who want to see us
> 'house-trained' to their standards.
>
> Yes, we have seen some demilitarisation in the Six Counties and
> we welcome this But only as a useful first step. Such moves are
> long overdue under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement and,
> indeed were minuscule when we look at the size of the British
> military presence in Ireland. In South Armagh in particular, the
> community still has no respite from British military occupation.
>
> The British Government is continually stalling the process by
> refusing to implement the Patten report in full. And remember,
> the Patten Report is not a report that republicans could endorse
> in the first place. For nationalists and republicans policing is
> a touchstone issue and an acid test of the peace process and of
> the British governments commitment to the Good Friday Agreement.
>
> However at the last count there were over 75 deviations from
> Patten in the Police Bill and yet the SDLP voted for this. I
> want to say clearly today that the Policing Bill is not
> acceptable and we cannot and will not advocate membership of or
> support for the police force envisaged in such legislation.. The
> new beginning that we want does not include a repackaged RUC. We
> are working and campaigning for real and radical change. We have
> only one chance to get this right. We are interested in creating
> the sort of policing service which can enjoy real support from
> within the nationalist and republican community.
>
> But Patten is only the first stage in this process. Other areas
> not dealt with by Patten need to be addressed. We must see an
> end to repressive legislation, an end to the use of plastic
> bullets and a complete overhaul of the criminal justice system.
> That is the context in which republicans will feel able to join
> any new police service.
>
> The political juncture at which we stand now is not ideal. We
> have made it clear, time and time again, that the Good Friday
> Agreement was not a republican document. But it does offer an
> opportunity for change. It is not an end in itself. It will
> not create change. Only republicans can provide the dynamic for
> change. If it is left to any of the other parties, change will
> not happen. History tells us this. It will be Sinn Fein which
> will drive the process of change on this island, on the streets,
> in our communities and in elected office.
>
> It will be Sinn Fein who will lead the way towards our ultimate
> goal of unity and independence.
>
> Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the 1981 hunger strike.
> 1981 marked a watershed in modern republicanism. Bobby Sands
> led the way for republicans re-engaging in electoral politics.
> Today we are the fastest-growing party in Ireland. We stand
> with 18 Assembly members, two MPs and one TD. I am confident
> that this number is set to grow.
>
> And we will use our increased political strength to advance our
> policies as a republican and labour party. We will continue to
> campaign for social justice and to ensure that the wealth that is
> being created in our society is used for the benefit of all. We
> will work to stamp out corruption in public life. We will work
> to make communities the length and breath of this island an
> integral part of this process. We will work to bring about the
> type of change which people want - a society based on equality
> and justice.
>
> We all know that the so-called Celtic Tiger economy, like so many
> economic booms both here and abroad, has seen some get rich at
> the expense of others.
>
> There is wealth in this state - but alongside it we see young
> families unable to find a home, we see a crisis in the health
> service, we see the ongoing depopulation of rural Ireland aided
> and abetted by the ongoing withdrawal of essential local
> services.
>
> We have seen a rise in racism and racist attacks on this island.
> But it is important to point out that racism does not grow by
> accident. Everywhere it has taken hold it is because
> unscrupulous people in politics and other spheres of society have
> nurtured it for their own cynical interests. It is up to
> political leaders to make it crystal clear that they will not
> play party politics with the race issue, and that they will not
> tolerate racism in any form in their party. Racism and
> sectarianism are two sides of the same coin. Let me say it
> clearly here today - there is no place for racism or
> sectarianism in our new Ireland. We have also seen the many
> abuses of the planning processes. The almost daily revelations
> at the Flood Tribunal and the Moriarty Tribunal prove what we
> have been saying for years. That is that politics in this state
> have been subverted by a cosy cartel - a golden circle - of
> establishment parties and big business. We stand by our call
> that those found guilty of corruption be compelled to leave
> public office and not just their parties.
>
> There is a possibility of three elections on this island over the
> next 12 months. But now the Irish people have a real choice.
> With our advances across the 32 Counties, Sinn Fein is starting
> to live up to the potential we knew existed.
>
> The tired and worn-out parties of the Establishment, North and
> South, are now looking over their shoulders at Sinn Fein.
>
> They are talking about Sinn Fein making major gains. Well that is
> a matter for the electorate. The one thing we can be sure of now
> is that Caoimhghin O Caolain won't be the only Sinn Fein TD
> walking through the gates of Leinster House after the next
> election and that Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams will not be
> the only Sinn Fein MPs after the Westminster elections. And given
> our recent by-election successes in the Six Counties we expect to
> make major gains at local council level.
>
> How many elected representatives we have is up to you.
>
> We are relying on you and all your friends and family who are not
> here today to make sure you are registered, make sure that you
> all get out and vote and work in support of your Sinn Fein
> candidates, that you help continue the great work republican
> activists are already doing in our communities.
>
> I long for the day when the Republic envisaged by Tone and
> declared by Pearse and Connolly becomes a reality. This dream
> will not become a reality on its own. It can only become a
> reality if everybody here makes it so. So as we remember the
> founding father of Irish republicanism I also ask that we look
> forward to the 20th anniversary of the 1981 hunger strike. How
> can we best honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the
> Irish republican cause?
>
> This is a question which each and every one of us must ask
> ourselves. I believe that the best way to pay tribute to these
> people is to make their dream become a reality. We must create
> the Republic that they desired, the Republic that they died for.
>
> The IRA cessation opened up the possibility of new avenues of
> struggle. It is up to us to redouble our efforts and make the
> most of the opportunities which present themselves.
>
> Wolfe Tone was a man of action. It will be through our own
> actions - whether by organising in our communities streets, towns
> and villages; challenging corruption, protesting, canvassing for
> elections or working as a full-time activist - we will make Wolfe
> Tone's dream become a reality.
>
> The struggle is far from over and there is a place for everyone
> in it, be they Protestant, Catholic or Dissenter.
>
> Beir bua, ta ar la ag teacht.
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________________
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