Cathal Fleming, with a piece observing the malaise evident in contemporary Republicanism

As the cordite settled in Doire on Maundy Thursday, no one could have foreseen that a poorly organised operation would culminate in a potentially monumental shift in opinion within the Nationalist community. News filtered out of the city that a young woman had been shot, a civilian. The repulsion was clear to be seen, vented across social media from across the spectrum. Very few moved to defend the actions, short of sycophantic narcissists scattered across the globe, far removed from the reality “on the ground” as they so often put it.

Footage leaked that showed a “Republican Volunteer” firing blindly, in the direction of several PSNI vehicles, seemingly equally oblivious of the fact that he was seriously ill equipped, dangerously untrained and that he was putting the crowd gathered close to the vehicle in grave danger. Anti-treaty Republicans expressed anger at the fact that this operation was given the green light.

A point of clarity here. Anti-treaty Republicans opposed the Good Friday Agreement and were in opposition long before 2012. Dissident Republicans dissented from the Sinn Féin narrative, as opposed to opposing it, having implemented it for as long as they did. No doubt that the latter will lack the self-awareness to recognise this distinction.

As the dawn broke in Doire, it became clear that the life of a young Belfast woman had been taken away. The piercing screams of a terrified woman in the video previously released almost as shrill as those of the banshee. Lyra McKee, twenty-nine years of age, passed away, dying from a head wound she received. As a stone creates a ripple when thrown into a pond, the death of Lyra had a ripple effect through out the wider nationalist community. Not only was her life gone, her family and partner are ruined. Her friends devastated.

On the other side of this, two young volunteers lives have been destroyed. The responsibility lies with their officer commanding, as much as this might cause rancour. The tragedy spills out still. The pain and suffering that some will feel has yet to manifest, so as a people we need to tread carefully. In a country where the scars of a Civil War are still visible when the protagonists are long dead, some wounds will never heal.

As the unease still settles in Doire after her funeral, one recalls that there is an old Ulster proverb, to paraphrase, “it is easy to sleep on another man’s wound”. It seems almost cliché to use this proverb with relation to the actions of certain sections of the community in the aftermath of Lyra’s passing. To describe her as a rising star seems apt, however many of those clambering to use her death for political advantage had little to no interest in the girl beforehand.

Parties and populists have almost fought to eulogise. It was sickening to see the DUP condemning the men who had taken her life in such a violent and incompetent manner, when the DUP were only too happy to deny Lyra, and many more like her, their human rights to the express of love in a much more professional and competent manner.

The hilarity of the crocodile tears was matched only by the humour of the shock on the collective faces of the great and the good as the presiding Sagart turned on them as opposed to the masked men of the Creggan. It put in memory to me when a sagart I had the misfortune of knowing would use any grievance to attack myself in the school room, on one occasion throwing a chair. The berating they took, I'd suggest they got off lightly.

So as the sun rises again in Doire, what is the future for Republicanism? Well, its dead in its current form. The New IRA have clearly set out their stall to attempt to do what the provisional IRA did on a smaller scale, with less volunteers, less equipment and completely outstripped technologically, bereft of support “on the ground”, depending on pseudo-support online from sycophants from Glasgow to New Jersey.

Our own people here are seemingly more impressed with self-aggrandising bodhráns and gaudy wedding cakes as opposed to developing a real potential change within the Republican dialectic. Tacky tattoos depicting our martyr dead show a complete and utter lack of understanding of our struggle.

Dissident Republicanism continues to rely on a Celtic centric culture, turning a blind eye to the rampart sub-culture of cocaine abuse brought here by unvetted Scottish flute bands. It pushes women to the front yet fails to tackle the inherently flawed patriarchal structure that Republican groups have followed for the last century, a throw back to when the likes of Dev were air brushing women out of existence. Such was the desperation that one prisoner group clung to the case of a mentally ill woman, an attempt to have a female Republican prisoner. It would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic.

The operation in Doire was the militaristic manifestation of the current malaise that exists within the Republican community. The reason for this is because there has yet to be a chance for the Republican community to recover and rebuild. The devastation of thirty years of war is seen in the general apathy of the districts to general Republicanism. The suicide rate in North Belfast alone is a stark indication that the community there is trying to rationalise the struggle.

Republicans point to the community constantly, failing to realise that the community barely exists anymore, due in no small part to capitalism, globalism and the development of technology. The reasons for the death of communities and the apathy towards Republicanism are numerous, but one thing is completely sure is that we, as a people, can not tackle them whilst a certain section fights a pseudo war.

The nationalist community has turned on Republicanism. For the Real IRA, the water shed was Danny McGurk. For the Continuity IRA, it was the double murder in Belfast in 2009. Both limped on after, both never recovering a foothold in Belfast. The New IRA continues to limp on in such a fashion. The death of a journalist, at the hands of the dissidents, has turned the nationalist community against Anti-treaty Republicanism. The only question I can see to ask, is this their purpose?

⏩Cathal Fleming is a Belfast republican

Republican Repulsion


Cathal Fleming, with a piece observing the malaise evident in contemporary Republicanism

As the cordite settled in Doire on Maundy Thursday, no one could have foreseen that a poorly organised operation would culminate in a potentially monumental shift in opinion within the Nationalist community. News filtered out of the city that a young woman had been shot, a civilian. The repulsion was clear to be seen, vented across social media from across the spectrum. Very few moved to defend the actions, short of sycophantic narcissists scattered across the globe, far removed from the reality “on the ground” as they so often put it.

Footage leaked that showed a “Republican Volunteer” firing blindly, in the direction of several PSNI vehicles, seemingly equally oblivious of the fact that he was seriously ill equipped, dangerously untrained and that he was putting the crowd gathered close to the vehicle in grave danger. Anti-treaty Republicans expressed anger at the fact that this operation was given the green light.

A point of clarity here. Anti-treaty Republicans opposed the Good Friday Agreement and were in opposition long before 2012. Dissident Republicans dissented from the Sinn Féin narrative, as opposed to opposing it, having implemented it for as long as they did. No doubt that the latter will lack the self-awareness to recognise this distinction.

As the dawn broke in Doire, it became clear that the life of a young Belfast woman had been taken away. The piercing screams of a terrified woman in the video previously released almost as shrill as those of the banshee. Lyra McKee, twenty-nine years of age, passed away, dying from a head wound she received. As a stone creates a ripple when thrown into a pond, the death of Lyra had a ripple effect through out the wider nationalist community. Not only was her life gone, her family and partner are ruined. Her friends devastated.

On the other side of this, two young volunteers lives have been destroyed. The responsibility lies with their officer commanding, as much as this might cause rancour. The tragedy spills out still. The pain and suffering that some will feel has yet to manifest, so as a people we need to tread carefully. In a country where the scars of a Civil War are still visible when the protagonists are long dead, some wounds will never heal.

As the unease still settles in Doire after her funeral, one recalls that there is an old Ulster proverb, to paraphrase, “it is easy to sleep on another man’s wound”. It seems almost cliché to use this proverb with relation to the actions of certain sections of the community in the aftermath of Lyra’s passing. To describe her as a rising star seems apt, however many of those clambering to use her death for political advantage had little to no interest in the girl beforehand.

Parties and populists have almost fought to eulogise. It was sickening to see the DUP condemning the men who had taken her life in such a violent and incompetent manner, when the DUP were only too happy to deny Lyra, and many more like her, their human rights to the express of love in a much more professional and competent manner.

The hilarity of the crocodile tears was matched only by the humour of the shock on the collective faces of the great and the good as the presiding Sagart turned on them as opposed to the masked men of the Creggan. It put in memory to me when a sagart I had the misfortune of knowing would use any grievance to attack myself in the school room, on one occasion throwing a chair. The berating they took, I'd suggest they got off lightly.

So as the sun rises again in Doire, what is the future for Republicanism? Well, its dead in its current form. The New IRA have clearly set out their stall to attempt to do what the provisional IRA did on a smaller scale, with less volunteers, less equipment and completely outstripped technologically, bereft of support “on the ground”, depending on pseudo-support online from sycophants from Glasgow to New Jersey.

Our own people here are seemingly more impressed with self-aggrandising bodhráns and gaudy wedding cakes as opposed to developing a real potential change within the Republican dialectic. Tacky tattoos depicting our martyr dead show a complete and utter lack of understanding of our struggle.

Dissident Republicanism continues to rely on a Celtic centric culture, turning a blind eye to the rampart sub-culture of cocaine abuse brought here by unvetted Scottish flute bands. It pushes women to the front yet fails to tackle the inherently flawed patriarchal structure that Republican groups have followed for the last century, a throw back to when the likes of Dev were air brushing women out of existence. Such was the desperation that one prisoner group clung to the case of a mentally ill woman, an attempt to have a female Republican prisoner. It would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic.

The operation in Doire was the militaristic manifestation of the current malaise that exists within the Republican community. The reason for this is because there has yet to be a chance for the Republican community to recover and rebuild. The devastation of thirty years of war is seen in the general apathy of the districts to general Republicanism. The suicide rate in North Belfast alone is a stark indication that the community there is trying to rationalise the struggle.

Republicans point to the community constantly, failing to realise that the community barely exists anymore, due in no small part to capitalism, globalism and the development of technology. The reasons for the death of communities and the apathy towards Republicanism are numerous, but one thing is completely sure is that we, as a people, can not tackle them whilst a certain section fights a pseudo war.

The nationalist community has turned on Republicanism. For the Real IRA, the water shed was Danny McGurk. For the Continuity IRA, it was the double murder in Belfast in 2009. Both limped on after, both never recovering a foothold in Belfast. The New IRA continues to limp on in such a fashion. The death of a journalist, at the hands of the dissidents, has turned the nationalist community against Anti-treaty Republicanism. The only question I can see to ask, is this their purpose?

⏩Cathal Fleming is a Belfast republican

4 comments:

  1. Cathal - welcome to TPQ and what a fine start.

    Lot of good stuff in the piece which will probably be ignored where it is most in need of being heard.

    Interesting point about the dissenting rather than opposing. How some can defend armed activities when they stuck it out with the Shinners fo so long is something that has never been convincingly explained.

    Even if you don't come back here, you should keep writing and disseminating your ideas.

    ReplyDelete
  2. A cutting and insightful article.

    ReplyDelete