FIVE DAYS IN AN IRA TRAINING CAMP .......
From the moment a new recruit enters the Irish Republican Army he or she undergoes a rigorous and intensive training to assess the individual Volunteer's level of commitment , general ability and particular aptitudes . After the initial recruitment lectures , this period includes training in personal security and anti-interrogation , basic intelligence work , political education - and of course training in the use of weapons . In this supplied article , a Volunteer in the IRA's Belfast Brigade describes his experience of taking part in an IRA training camp .
From 'IRIS' magazine , November 1983 , pages 39 , 40 , 41 , 42, 43 , 44 and 45 .
... day 5 ..
Back in the draughty bedroom where we started out from - waiting for the morning and the return journey .
What happens next ? More training camps perhaps . Into an IRA Operational Unit hopefully , to put what we've learned into effect . Our experience of an IRA Training Camp , tiring but enjoyable and completely functional , has made two things clear :
One is that however long the British Army takes to train its mercenary squaddies for combat , they can never be as well-prepared both politically and psychologically , or so highly motivated , as Irish Republican soldiers (and in most cases no better trained in any military sense) .
The other is that for as long as British occupation continues , the IRA will retain the organisational ability and ingenuity to ensure that , no matter how many Republicans are killed or imprisoned , there will never be any shortage of trained Volunteers to spearhead the revolutionary warfare of the IRA !
('1169...' Comment : that "... revolutionary warfare .. " now pretends to manifest itself in British-imposed 'parliaments' on this island - Leinster House and Stormont . And the suits fit even better than the combat fatigues ever did ....)
[END of ' FIVE DAYS IN AN IRA TRAINING CAMP'].
(Tomorrow - ' A ROUGH DEAL' : Tiede Herrema Kidnap).
THE ARMALITE AND THE BALLOT BOX .......
" We have now established a sort of Republican veto . ......"
Michael Farrell interviews Gerry Adams MP , vice-president of Sinn Fein .
From 'MAGILL' magazine , July 1983 , pages 13 , 14 , and 17 .
MICHAEL FARRELL : " Sinn Fein appears to have moved a lot to the Left in recent times and talks a lot about socialism , the working class and the rights of women . What are you doing to put all this into practice ? "
GERRY ADAMS MP : " There have been a number of problems . Republicans , especially in the 26 counties , compartmentalise their activities a lot . I have found many Republicans who have been active trade unionists for years at shop-steward or trades council level but who make a distinction between their trade union activity and for example selling 'An Phoblacht' .
We have established a trade union department which brings Republican trade unionists together and tries to get them to integrate their trade union activities and their Republicanism . We have a lot of trade union members now but we are years behind the Workers' Party in this and have nothing like their position in the unions . But their influence may not be so great in the long run because they have grafted themselves onto the unions , they are not springing up from the bottom of the labour movement .
We have a department of women's affairs going for about two and a half years . It would see its role as politicising women Republicans to fight for their rights as women and politicising male Republicans to support equality for women . It is not a feminist department though there are some strong feminists in it . They are involved in working as Republicans in women's centres , rape crisis centres and so on , North and South .
To be frank , it is only in the last few years that we have begun to treat women's affairs in a political way and we do stand open to criticism on that issue ....... "
(MORE LATER).
SEPARATIST MOVEMENT GROWS IN STRENGTH : analysis of recent General Election in the 26-Counties .......
From 'The United Irishman' newspaper , Aibrean [April] 1957 , page 7.
(IML. IX. UIMHIR 4 - price Tri Pingin [Three Pennies].
Thanks to my late friends Christy and Theresa L. for giving me this 48-year-old newspaper ; this thread published in memory of those two old Fenians ! - John.
There are some grounds for the belief that quite a substantial number of the electorate voted for the party from which the new Government emerges simply because the outgoing government had employed coercive measures against members of the Republican Movement .
The new government has in effect been elected on an anti-government vote ; the electors expressed their objection to the imprisonment of Republicans who deemed it a duty to assist their fellowmen in the Six Counties in their present effort to free themselves from English rule and aggression .
Whilst this block of the electorate recorded it's objection to the arrest and imprisonment of members of the Republican Movement it is not unreasonable to assume that its support was given to the party forming the new Government in the firm belief and in the hope that coercion and imprisonment of Republicans would cease .......
(MORE LATER).
( ' Pagdorf ' - Thank you for the visit : your heart is definately in the right place , as are you - a potential unknown 'virus' in that body area you mentioned could prove invaluable , as you said . Hopefully it won't come to that , but it is comforting to know that there are those in your position that understand . Slan go foill , a Chara : stay in touch if you can . Sharon . )
