IRELAND , JANUARY 15th , 1920 : ELECTIONS .......
.......the British 'Military Services Bill' (the 'Conscription Act') was 'introduced' to Ireland by Westminster in 1918 ; the then leader of the Irish Volunteers , John Dillon , warned the Brits that it would cause further trouble for them in Ireland .....
Two days after Conscription was 'introduced' into Ireland (16th April 1918) , a meeting was held in the Mansion House , in Dublin (on 18th April) , at which representatives of all political opinion (and none) turned up . A statement was issued to the media following that meeting -
- " Denying the right of the British Government to enforce compulsory service in this country , we pledge ourselves solemnly to one another to resist conscription by the most effective means at our disposal . " The 'natives' were stirring ... and 19 days later , the Brits struck back : on the night of 7th May , 1918 , the British 'Lord Lieutenant of Ireland' , Field Marshal 'Lord' French , sent out his armed thugs and 'arrested' the leadership of the then Sinn Fein organisation - 73 people in all .
This 'round-up' by the Brits became known as the 'German Plot' arrests . However - those 'arrests' backfired on Westminster ; Sinn Fein had been 'tipped-off' in advance about them .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
AISLINGI .......
" Padraig Pearse , Roger Casement , Jim Daly - all knew the 'Aisling' , and all had their spirits raised by it . As did James Fintan Lalor , who made the following resolution ....... "
" That of natural right , on the grant of God , the soil of Ireland belongs to the people of Ireland , who therefore have a clear vested right of property in the soil to the extent of full , comfortable , and secure subsistence therefrom , which never could or can be parted with , pass or perish .
And which no power on earth , nor any length of adverse possession can take away , annul , bar , or diminish . That the people of Ireland have for ages been deprived of their natural right to property in their own soil , that their right has been in practical effect , utterly defeated and diverted , and that it now requires to be asserted , enforced and established . "
The all-encircling ocean is the boundary of their heritage . Let the thoughts wander like fleeting cloud-shadows over the land ; they will pause , here and there , above the dust of our illustrious forefathers , and over that of the great men and women of our own time . All are now part of the spirit-world of the Gael , an invisible but potent force . When we think of the past , we think of places like Tara and Clonmacnois ....... "
(MORE LATER).
Communication from BOBBY SANDS , Long Kesh H-Blocks , early December 1978 .......
As published in 'IRIS' magazine , November 1981 .
Re-published here in 6 parts .
(2 of 6).
" At present , and with the coming of Christmas , the prison administration here have set about and are carrying out an escalated and massive torture offensive aimed directly at breaking the blanket protest . Within the past week here the prison administration have claimed that an epidemic of head lice has broken out in H-Block 3 , and using this as an excuse - with the backing of their own medical cronies - they have dragged blanket men from their cells , beat them senseless , threw them into baths of disenfectant , forcibly scrubbed them , cut their hair and shaved their beards off with a razor .
This is simply another blatant brutal attempt to brutalise us into submission ....... "
(MORE LATER).
(Please note - the 'Long Weekend' starts today , Friday , 22nd October - the coming Monday is a Bank Holiday here in the 26 Counties ie the whole State practically shuts down ! Our 'Junior' is off with his 'moth' , so we may or may not be here on the Monday . If not , Tuesday will be business as usual -Sharon ).
