For What Died the Sons and Daughters of Róisín?

This article will briefly set out the prevailing political conditions in Ireland today. It will also begin a discussion on the key tasks for socialist republicans.

The conditions in Ireland Today
Since 1169, when the ruling class of Britain first invaded Ireland, our country has been a colony. Throughout our history, the people of Ireland have been exploited and our nations wealth and resources have been plundered by various ruling elites. Despite the passage of time- more then 800 years, the situation in Ireland remains much the same.

Today Ireland is still a colony. The national territory of Ireland is divided into two colonial states. The six most north eastern counties are illegally occupied by Britain. The rest of Ireland, the Twenty Six county state, was since the partition of the country in 1920, a neo- colonial British state. However, in recent times this neo- colonialism has been replaced by full blown European imperialism. Today, the Twenty Six Counties finds itself under the imperial rule of the EU/ IMF/ ECB 'Trokia'.

The Six County State
The British imperial occupation of the Six County state is an obvious one. It is maintained by coercion and the force of arms. Today, Britain's military Garrison in Ireland is made up of:

• 5,000 Full Combat Troops
• 9,000 Paramilitary Police
• Hundreds of MI5/MI6 spies and agents.

Despite generations of a war for national liberation, today the British occupation may seem as strong as ever. This requires a short explanation. In 1998, the British dealt a crushing blow to the struggle for national liberation and socialism in Ireland with the signing of a new Anglo- Irish Treaty, the Good Friday Agreement [GFA]. This defeat lay in the success the British had in persuading former republicans to administer British rule in Ireland.

The 1998 Treaty set the republican struggle back for almost a decade. Thankfully today, the republican movement is steadily rebuilding and reorganising. This time it is unashamedly demanding an Irish Socialist Republic.

The Twenty Six County State
On the face of it, the Twenty Six Counties is a functioning liberal democracy. However lifting the thin veil of this disguise, the picture becomes alot clearer. The limited sovereignty of the parliament at Leinster House, granted by the British in 1920, has been completely eroded. The EU/IMF/ECB Troika are in total control of governing policy in the 26 counties. Under their command the Irish ruling class are engaging in an unprecedented attack on the Irish Working Class.

Living Standards and conditions which have been hard fought for by workers organisations over the past 100 years in the firing line. Mass unemployment and emigration are widespread. Funding for health, education, social welfare and other vital public and community services have suffered 'slash and burn' cuts to facilitate the bailout of the private banking sector.

In an effort to pay for that bailout, the Twenty Six County state is facing into it's 6th austerity budget. Austerity has hit the working class and our communities hardest. The ruling elite are attempting to make workers, their families and communities pay for a crisis they did not create.

Despite all this, Ireland remains one of the wealthiest nations in the world. The wealth is just in the wrong hands! Just 1% of the population owns 34% of the wealth. Our natural resources including Ireland's Oil and Gas reserves have been sold of to the highest bidder and are being raped by multi-  national corporations such as Royal Dutch Shell.

For what died the sons and daughters of Róisín? Was it Greed?

Key Tasks for Socialist Republicans
This is the situation facing Irish Socialist Republicans today. The situation as outlined above presents us with many difficulties which must be overcome. These prevailing conditions also present the revolutionary movement with fantastic opportunity. Our message is potentially reaching very fertile ground.

Some of the key tasks facing Irish Socialist Republicans in this time include:

• Highlighting the nature of the British occupation of the Six Counties and the nature of  European Imperial control over the Twenty Six Counties and opposing them.
• Rebuilding a socialist republican movement capable of successfully challenging British Imperialism and domestic capitalism.
• Becoming relevant to the Irish Working Class.
• Agitate, Educate and Organise around issues which are effecting their every day lives.
•  Build a mass movement with organic roots in working class communities the length and breath of Ireland.
• Make socialist republicanism the engine of the peoples resistance.
• Organise the people to empower their communities and popularise the demand for a socialist republic in the process.

In the coming months we will expand on these key tasks and identify and discuss more.

The most pressing task for all socialist republicans is to get active in your community and start building the resistance! By building locally, radicalising our communities and winning people to the idea of a socialist republic a solid lasting base for the revolutionary movement can be established.

Forward to the socialist republic!

Beirígí Bua!