Saoradh

Saoradh
Chairperson David Jordan
Vice-chairperson Mandy Duffy
National Secretary Stephen Murney[1]
Founded September 2016[2]
Headquarters Junior McDaid House 14 Chamberlain St, Derry BT48 6LR[3]
Ideology Physical force Irish republicanism
Socialism
Euroscepticism
Anti-imperialism[4]
Political position Far-left
Colors Green
Slogan Unfinished Revolution
Website
saoradh.ie

Saoradh (Irish, meaning "liberation") is an unregistered far-left political party formed by dissident republicans in 2016. They are active in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Saoradh's emblem combines the sunburst flag with the national colours of Ireland, green and orange, the socialist red star and a pike.

History

Foundation

The party was founded in 2016. It held its first ard fheis at the Canal Court Hotel, Newry on 24 September 2016, which was attended by about 150 people. The 12-person national executive of the party sat at the top table under a banner of the signatories of 1916 Proclamation.[5]

The national executive was composed of republican activists, including Nuala Perry (vice-chairperson and former Provisional IRA prisoner), Kevin Murphy (a former Real IRA prisoner), Risteard Ó Murchú,[6] Sharon Rafferty, Dee Fennell, David Jordan, and Mandy Duffy, a sister in law of Colin Duffy. A third of the executive was female, while out of all 150 in attendance, men outnumbered women 10 to 1.[7] Prominent republican dissidents including brothers Colin and Paul Duffy, Sharon Girvan, and Thomas Ashe Mellon, were in attendance. A message of support from veteran republican leader Billy McKee was read out and a statement from New IRA prisoners expressing their support for the party was read out by Mellon.[8]

David Jordan said being elected chairman of the party was "humbling, daunting, intimidating yet empowering".[9] Chair of the Association of Palestinian Communities in Scotland (APCS), Issam Hijjawi, also spoke.[10]

On the same day Saoradh issued the following press release:

Today, Saturday the 24th of September 2016, we a significant collective of Irish Republican activists, who for a number of years have acted autonomously, have after a number of years of debate, consultation and organisation today in Ard Fheis organised, constituted and launched a Revolutionary Irish Republican Party, the Party's name is Saoradh.

Saoradh believes that Ireland should be governed by the Irish People with the wealth and wealth producing mechanisms in the ownership of the Irish People. This can not happen while British imperialism undemocratically retains control of Irish destinies and partitions our nation, this cannot happen while a neo-colonial elite in a subservient supposed indigenous administration sell’s the nation’s labour and natural resources to international capital.

Saoradh does not believe that British imperialism or capitalist exploitation can be confronted in the structures they have created to consolidate their undemocratic control of the Irish nation. As such we believe any assembly claiming to speak for the Irish People without being elected by the united people of the Irish nation to be illegal. Saoradh will seek to organise and work with the Irish People rather than be consumed and usurped by the structures of Ireland’s enemy's,

Standing on a long and proud revolutionary Irish Republican history of resistance, inspired by the actions and words of Tone of Connolly, of Mellows, of Costello and of Sands, upholding the founding documents of our forefathers – the 1916 proclamation, the declaration of independence and the democratic programme of the first Dáil, Saoradh hereby declares its commitment to the unfinished revolution, the liberation of Ireland and the social emancipation of the Irish People.

Reaction

SDLP MLA Nichola Mallon said it was "the first step in a journey that every militant group in the history of the Irish republican tradition has ever taken" and that "they should now take steps two, three and four to avoid unnecessary and unwanted violence that the people of Ireland have rejected at every opportunity."[11]

Democratic Unionist Party MLA Lord Maurice Morrow said that the action showed that dissidents "realise they are failing to gain support in their campaign and have moved into the political sphere." He added that "It will be very interesting to see what, if any, support this new political party will have."[11]

Ulster Unionist Party declared that it welcomed anyone engaging in the political process but that Saoradh have adopted "a tired and outdated abstentionist programme that has failed in the past and will fail again".[11]

Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister said that former IRA members have for years been "lauded as statesmen and elevated to the highest offices in the land after gaining their status off the back of the Provisional IRA terror campaign". He asked "Will Saoradh follow the trajectory of Sinn Féin and gain politically from violence?"[11]

Sinn Féin said that its vision and analysis have won the support of half a million voters and that they "encourage genuine political debate within republicanism."[11]

James McDaid controversy

In November 2016, the wife of IRA volunteer James McDaid (shot dead by the 25th Light Regiment Royal Artillery in 1972) criticised Saoradh after they named their Derry offices on Chamberlain Street after her husband. She said nobody had invited her or told her the branch would be named after him, and added that she didn't know if he would have approved of it.[12][13]

Clashes with PSNI

Alleged mistreatment of children by the police

During a stop and search operation, the 10-year-old daughter of Saoradh member Damhnaic Mac Eochaidh was spoken to by the PSNI. Saoradh claimed the PSNI were "hyper-aggressive and heavily armed". Saoradh was outraged, saying that it was "state-sponsored child abuse" and called upon the commissioner for children and young people to meet with them to discuss the "ongoing abuse of our children at the hands of the state".[14]

Alleged harassment by the police

Since Saoradh's foundation, party members allege they have been subject to regular house raids, stop and search, abuse, vehicle searches, heavy handedness and "theft" of personal items such as kid's Christmas presents and cars. They have called the PSNI draconian.[15]

Policies and ideology

Saoradh seeks to establish a 32 county socialist republic across the island of Ireland,[2] regarding Northern Ireland's status in the UK as an "illegal occupation".[16] It is opposed to the current power-sharing government in Northern Ireland and is highly critical of Sinn Féin, whom the party's chairman David Jordan describes as "false prophets who have been defeated and consumed by the very system they claim to oppose".[5] The party also views the government of the Republic of Ireland as illegitimate as it is not elected by the people of the whole island. As part of this, Saoradh supports the release of all republican prisoners. Saoradh may in the future contest elections, but candidates elected to Dáil Éireann or the Northern Ireland Assembly will not take their seats.[17]

A report in the Sunday Life claimed that Saoradh is linked to the "New IRA", a group formed in 2012 by the merger of the Real Irish Republican Army with several other paramilitary groups. However Jordan has stated that the party is "stand alone" and has no links to any other organisation. Locals in Ardoyne have called the organisation known as the Greater Ardoyne Residents Collective (GARC) a front for the party.[5][18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Saoradh Belfast – Crown Force Oppression Protest". saoradh.ie.
  2. 1 2
  3. ↑ "soaradh.ie - Join Now".
  4. ↑ "About Us". saoradh.ie.
  5. 1 2 3 "New 'revolutionary' republican party Saoradh launched".
  6. ↑ Young, Connla. "Ex-republican prisoner hits out over PSNI stop and search of daughter's schoolbag". irishnews.com. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  7. ↑ "Hardline republicanism shows public face with Saoradh launch at swish hotel". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  8. ↑ "Why lax bail conditions are letting thugs like Damien Fennell laugh at legal system". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  9. ↑ "Tyrone dissidents to the fore of new republican party". ulsterherald.com. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  10. ↑ "Dissident party Saoradh opens office in Belfast". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Saoradh 'follows well trod path'".
  12. ↑ "IRA Volunteer Junior McDaid's wife hurt by Saoradh snub".
  13. ↑ McDaid House will allow us to rebuild: Mellon
  14. ↑ Fitzmaurice, Maurice (23 November 2016). "PSNI defend stop and search op in which child snapped with officer".
  15. ↑ "Crown Forces target Derry Republicans – Saoradh Nuacht". saoradh.ie.
  16. ↑ "Saoradh constitution".
  17. ↑ "Dissident republicans launch new political party". The Irish Times. 25 September 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  18. ↑ "Dissident republican thug Dee Fennell's vodka bender after abusing Fr Gary Donegan - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk".
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