Peace in Ireland
Date:1976 c.
Organisation: Sinn Féin
Author:Gerry Adams
View: View Document
Discuss:Comments on this document
Subjects:

Please note:  The Irish Left Archive is provided as a non-commercial historical resource, open to all, and has reproduced this document as an accessible digital reference. Copyright remains with its original authors. If used on other sites, we would appreciate a link back and reference to The Irish Left Archive, in addition to the original creators. For re-publication, commercial, or other uses, please contact the original owners. If documents provided to The Irish Left Archive have been created for or added to other online archives, please inform us so sources can be credited.

Commentary From The Cedar Lounge Revolution

3rd November 2014

Many thanks to the person who forwarded this to the Archive.

This document, ten pages long, is subtitled ‘A Broad Analysis of the Present Situation’, and notably it notes that it is by Gerry Adams, Long Kesh. Under the introductory heading ‘The Long War’ it notes:

The present war in Ireland has stretched into its seventh year, and the death toll continues to rise. Any student of Irish history could have penned my opining sentence at any time, or period of time, this century or, indeed, many centuries before this.

It notes:

This short essay does not intend to trace the history of the conflict. It is the writer’s view that violence in Ireland finds its roots, regardless of which groups are involved, within the conquest by Britain of Ireland. This conquest has lasted through several stages for many centuries and, whether economic, political, territorial or cultural, it has used violence, coercion, sectarianism and terrorism as its methods, and power as its objective.

It continues:

Violence in Ireland is the result of British Imperialism; of the British connection and the British presence.

And he notes:

It is the writer’s view that only an Irish Republic, free from England and from imperialist influences, controlled by the Irish people on structures decided by themselves and based on socialist principles can solve the many problems besetting Ireland.

He concludes this section by noting that:

This essay will attempt to explain the nature of violence in Ireland and of the possibilities of peace. This is not done from a ‘know-all position’ but simply in an attempt to deepen any understanding the reader may have of the present war situation.

The remainder of the pamphlet addresses various topics, including The Peace Campaign, Fascist Terrorism in the North, Ballymurphy, Orangeism, The Twenty-Six Counties – State Violence and England – It’s Responsibility.

The postscript makes a direct appeal to ‘the English people’ suggesting that:

[They] have a responsibility for Ireland’s British problem. They have the power to persuade their Government to withdraw and freedom-loving people throughout the world have the power to persuade their Governments and their politicians to pressures the British government into dismantling the British system in Ireland.

It also offers a list of books on the conflict, including titles from Jack Bennet, C.D. Greaves, Michael Farrell, Dorothy MacArdle and James Connolly amongst others.

More from Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin in the archive


Comments

Add a Comment

Formatting Help

Comments can be formatted in Markdown format . Use the toolbar to apply the correct syntax to your comment. The basic formats are:

**Bold text**
Bold text

_Italic text_
Italic text

[A link](http://www.example.com)
A link

You can join this discussion on The Cedar Lounge Revolution