Yesterday afternoon, (Sunday 31st August) the Republican Network for Unity held a successful and dignified march commemoration in Belfast for Irish Revolutionary; Henry-Joy McCracken (1797-1798). In bright sunshine, hundreds of marchers made their way through North Belfast to honour Henry-Joy on his birthday.
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| Henry-Joy McCracken (1767-1798) |
The march was respectful with lots of encouraging support from the residents of Ardoyne, Oldpark, Cliftonville, New Lodge and Carrickhill. As the march entered Clifton Street, the four Republican Flute Bands accompanying RNU, voluntarily stopped playing tunes as we approached the main Orange Hall and the Indian Community Centre next door.
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| Vile Sectarian Protest (outside Clifton Street Orange Hall) |
Despite the message of hope, freedom, equality between every Irish citizen which epitomised Henry-Joy and the United Irishmen. Loyalists including, a number of elected City Councillors held a protest facing Henry Place. There was a large RUC/PSNI presence within yards of the cemetery, gathering intelligence/footage and photos, that accompanies every Republican Commemoration. As the march made it's way towards the graveyard, Republicans were verbally abused, had items including, a firework thrown at them by Loyalists. Some of the comments shouted, were quite hurtful and hateful. As a matter of fact, they issued death threats against marchers as well as, yelling about child abuse in my family! That were quite indescribable to say the least. The sectarian abuse continued as we entered Henry-Place, except for a few people marching retaliated in a similar vein which was totally wrong.
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| Henry-Joy March, complete with Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter Banner on Clifton St. |
In the cemetery, an introduction was given by former H-Block POW and Republican Network for Unity Political Organiser, Ta Cosgrove, who called on RNU Activist, Sinéad Adams to address the hundreds gathered. Sinéad spoke of the life and progressive contribution to Belfast by Henry-Joy's sister, Mary-Ann who is buried next to her Patriotic brother. The main Speaker was RNU North Belfast Chairperson, Martin Óg Meehan. The text of my speech follows below;
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| RNU's Martin Óg Meehan delivering the 2014 Henry-Joy McCracken Address |
Firstly, I would like to welcome everyone here today on behalf of the Republican Network for Unity. For the past few years, RNU has commemorated Henry-Joy McCracken, one of the founding fathers of Irish Republicanism with dignity and respect. Henry-Joy was an Eighteenth Century Radical who envisioned an Ireland free from British occupation, free from religious discrimination, free from imperialism, free from social, cultural and economic inequality.
Before going any further, I need to put Henry-Joy into his historical context. The American and French Revolutions, greatly influenced Irishmen like Henry-Joy McCracken. The two successful struggles ended centuries of tyrannical dictatorships by Kings and brought democracy to both countries. On October 14th 1791, a small group of Irish Republicans, Theobold Wolfe Tone, Thomas Russell, Henry-Joy McCracken, Samuel Neilson, Thomas Emmet, William Sinclair, Henry Haslett, Thomas McCabe, William Simms, Robert Simms and Thomas Pearce met in Belfast and established the Society of the United Irishmen.
Prior to the formation of the United Irishmen, the British government used religion as a divisive tool to cause conflict. However, the new organisation consisted of Protestant Anglicans, Presbyterian Dissenters and ordinary Catholics alike, as equal members. After Britain declared War with France in 1793, the United Irishmen was treated as subversive and outlawed by the British Government.
In June 1795, McCracken, Tone, Russell, Neilson and Emmet secretly met on Cave Hill, where they agreed an oath. They swore to NEVER DESIST IN OUR EFFORT UNTIL WE SUBVERT ENGLISH AUTHORITY OVER IRELAND AND ASSERT HER INDEPENDENCE. Tone travelled to France and secured military aid to help an Irish Uprising. Napolean gave his full support appointed Tone a General in the Revolutionary Army and also gave him charge of a large expeditionary force. The flotilla filled with thousands of troops and a massive arsenal for Irish rebels failed to reach Ireland due to bad weather. Tone had been in regular contact with his comrades back home and they still anticipated French help.
The United Irish planned the Uprising for 1798. However, due to infiltration Informers notified their British Masters who the Leaders were and when the Rising would take place. Key Revolutionaries were subsequently lifted and imprisoned, leaving most plans in disarray. Another major problem for the United Irishmen was the formation of the sectarian Orange Order who led widespread persecution of Republicans, radicals and in particular, Catholics throughout the North. They were supported in their brutal atrocities by the local Yeomanry and thousands of British Troops.
Despite British and Unionist oppression across the country, the United Irish rose in Counties Waterford, Tipperary, Wexford, Kildare, Kilkenny, Carlow, Dublin, Meath, Antrim, Down and Armagh. Significant battles occurred in Wexford, Down and Antrim but ended in defeat for the Irish. The Republican Army in Antrim was led by Henry-Joy and after some success, they too were beaten. McCracken evaded capture in Antrim town but was arrested later after he was identified by an Informer.
Henry-Joy was offered clemency from the British, if he testified against other leaders. McCracken refused to turn on his comrades and remained faithful to his principles. He was court-martialled at the age of 30 and hanged on 17 July 1798at Corn Market in Belfast on land his grandfather had donated to the city. His remains were reinterred here at Clifton Street Cemetery alongside his sister Mary-Ann. Prior to her own death, his sister also raised Henry-Joy’s daughter, Mary Bodell.
As I said earlier, our Network has honoured Henry-Joy McCracken here in this lonely graveyard for the past few years. Before that, no Republican group felt the need to commemorate a local legend. A person who dedicated himself to ending imperialist oppression in our nation, a patriot that did his best to free Ireland from the centre to the sea!
RNU is a revolutionary Irish Republican Party, committed to building a socialist alternative to the failed politics of the Dublin and Stormont counter-revolutionary Assemblies, which uphold partition and maintain domestic and foreign capitalism in this country.
Our Network provides a political, economic and social vision for Ireland. We desire every Irish person, family and community to have what McCracken and his comrades struggled for EQUALITY, LIBERTY AND FRATERNITY. We actively work towards what the United Irish Society fought for to break the connection with imperialism.
RNU follows the same path as Nora Connolly O’Brien did in her attempts to secure national, social and economic freedom. Our Party advocate the words of Maire Drumm, when she famously said - We will take no steps backwards!
We oppose all the so-called Agreements between disillusioned Irish Representatives and corrupt British Imperialists, including the Belfast Agreement of 1998. As the influential Socialist-Republican, Seamus Costello once stated – the British design Treaties that only perpetuate divisions of Ireland’s national territory and the working-class. RNU do not accept the legitimacy of the Garda Síochána or RUC/PSNI, both organisations are inherently political. Their main objective is not to protect every citizen’s rights but the crushing of revolutionary sentiment, north and south.
We advocate a 32 County Democratic Socialist Republic based on the Irish working-class reclaiming full control of our national territory, resources and decision making processes. Although still a relatively young Party, RNU is determined as Republican Icon, Bobby Sands was to witness the young or old join with him and play their part in the Irish Freedom Struggle.
We must also remember that are Political Prisoners still inside Maghaberry, Portlaoise and Hydebank that number over 100.
Finally, we recall what Liam Mellows said just prior to his execution by the Free State in 1922, "The Republic stands for truth & honour and for all that’s noble. By truth, honour, sacrifice and principle Ireland will be set free!"
Sorry I missed this Martin og nach
ReplyDeleteLá breithe sona go Henry Joy.