Sinn Fein Ard Fheis 1985 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS Gerry Adams
PREAS-RÁITEAS Óráid an Uachtaráin Teach an Ard-Fheis, 1985 Sinn Féin ARD-FHEIS, '85 Mansion House, Dublin, Sunday 3rd November 1985
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS Óráid an Uachtarán Gearoid Mac Ádhaimh MP don 81ú Ard Fheis de Shinn Féin, Presidential address by Gerry Adams MP to the 81st Sinn Fein Ard Fheis, Teach an Árd-Mhéara, Baile Atha Cliath, Domhnach 3ú Samhain 1985 Mansion House, Dublin, Sunday 3rd November 1985
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ON THE DAY before he was executed, South African freedom fighter, Benjamin Moloise, during a last visit by his mother, said: "Tell the world freedom is at hand." The following day he was hanged and, against the background of daily news reports of black people, some of them children, being murdered by the terrorists of South Africa's apartheid regime, Thatcher succeeded in preventing the imposition of sanct- ions against Botha's administration and the British Foreign Secretary called on the African National Congress to re- nounce violence. Thatcher was accused of being 'renounce violence'. We stand the only apologist Dr Botha can shoulder to shoulder with them depend on in the outside world. in their right to develop their She is not. The Dublin govern- struggle by whatever methods ment also refused to impose are forced upon them. We call sanctions. In the first six months upon those responsible for vio- of this year, imports to the lence to renounce its use. We twenty-six counties from South condemn apartheid as immoral. Africa and Namibia totalled We condemn Dublin's refusal over £10 million. Winnie Mandela to enforce immediate and total correctly described the British sanctions and we congratulate government's attitude as an the Dunnes Stores strikers. To insult to her country's black the ANC, we extend our uncon- majority. The Dublin govern- ditional solidarity. To our black ment's attitude on this issue brothers and sisters in struggle is not only an insult to the black we send this simple message majority of South Africa, it is an of support: "Fight on!" insult to the Irish people whose feelings are epitomised by the cou- It is no accident that the Dublin rageous Dunnes Stores strikers. government finds common ground The Dublin government's atti- with Thatcher and Reagan in their tude is disgraceful. Indeed, I attitude to liberation struggles. Dub- have no doubt that Nelson Man- lin's attitude on these issues is but dela, if he were in Portlaoise, an extension of its attitude to the would be speedily extradited by British presence in this country. FitzGerald and his cohorts. The natural and logical place for Ireland is alongside the Palestinians, the Chileans, El Salvadoreans and Nicaraguans. A government which S truly represented the Irish people INN Fein's attitude is would be in opposition to Reagan's straightforward and well- backing of repressive regimes in known. We do not hypo- Central America, in opposition to critically call upon the ANC to Israel's policy of genocide against the Palestinian people, and in oppos- 1
ition to the British partition and occupation of this country. S inn Fein reaffirms its support for those strugg- ling for liberation and an end to exploitation throughout the world. In that regard it could be suggested that our position is not unlike the atti- tude of countless groups, poli- tical and otherwise, who are periodically vocal in the denun- ciations of far-off regimes. This is most certainly not the case. Unlike most of those hypo- critical organisations, we have that fundamental grasp of geography which tells us that Ireland is as much a part of this earth as is Central America. There is an even more funda- mental difference. We aré anti- imperialists and the acid test of one's anti-imperialism and political integrity in this country is in one's attitude to the struggle of national liberation in this country. So in ex- tending solidarity to freedom fight- ers throughout the world, we extend solidarity also to the freedom fighters in our own country. To the men and women soldiers of the Irish Republican Army, mná agus fir Óglaigh na hÉireann, to republican prisoners of war in Free State, US and British prisons, to their families and supporters, from this Ard-Fheis we extend soli- darity and we rededicate ourselves to match their efforts and sacrifices by our continued endeavours to popularise and politicise this strug- gle. 2 Sé an treimhse seo sa troid armtha an tréimhse is faide sa chead seo. Níor eirigh le muintir na hEir- eann ariamh seasamh in eadan riail Shasana in Eirinn an fhaid seo. Spreagann laochas Óglaigh na hEireann agus a lucht tacaíochta sinn uilig. Ba mhaith liom anois treaslú libh as an bhua a rugh Sinn Féin leo sna toghchain eagsula a bhí ann ó bhi muid cruinnithe anseo anuraidh. Ainneoin an méid a dúradh dúinn agus ce go raibh muid cráite ceasta i rith na dtoghchan uilig ba é an toradh a bhi ar na toghcháin soileir go raibh eagraíocht níos cum- asaí againn mar aon le ceannasafo- cht nua áitiúil. Is é an tacaíocht láidin seo a chuireann eagla ar phairtithe an chorais. Tá eagla orthu seo uilig roimh an phobal. Tá praiseach déanta acu sa tír seo agus tá eagla orthu go rachaidh an gnathphobal a chuartú doigheanna eile lena gcuid fadhbanna a réiteach agus go mbeidh na poblachtanaigh abalta na doigh- eanna seo a chur ar fáil. To the women in Armagh Wo- men's Prison who are suffering the torturous indignity of strip- searching, to the victims of mass show-trials and to our heroic com- rades serving sentences in jails in Britain itself, we extend fraternal greetings. On your behalf I extend hearty céad mile fáilte to those re- leased this year from England. To meet ex-POWs, some having served 12 years in English jails, and to find them as determined and as commit- ted as they are is an inspiration. Fáilte abhaile, a chairde
also extend congratulations to those who were active in the successful campaign for open visits in Portlaoise and give our encouragement to those who, by their actions, focussed public attention on the plight of the Armagh women. I also take this opportunity to congratulate all of you on our elec- toral successes since the last Ard- Fheis. Contrary to the predictions of our opponents, and despite har- assment in both states — plus new British anti-voting legislation in the six counties and Section 31 in the twenty-six counties — we emerged from the local government elections with a more efficient organisation and with a new middle leadership in the election of 98 local represen- tatives. In the border counties and in Dublin, we made significant break throughs relative to the consistency of our work in these areas, and in a limited contest our vote held, with significant potential being identified in many districts throughout the twenty-six counties. The performance of our coun- cillors on local government bodies in the six counties has totally vindi- cated our decision to take seats on those councils. Not only have our representatives shown their ability to participate in an intelligent and con- sistent manner, even within the restricted powers of the councils, but we have exposed the undemo- cratic nature of unionism and the passivity of the SDLP. SN'T it strange that des- pite a long involvement by the SDLP in the councils there was never any real hulla- baloo until republicans took their seats? Is it any wonder that the nationalist electorate is asking: 'What have the SDLP been doing all those years?' It is also worth recalling John Hume's often repeated assertion that his party would not talk to us. As is now well-known, the May elect- ions were hardly over before SDLP and Sinn Fein representatives were engaging in talks. So much for a party line! We applaud our councillors in the front line in the chambers of Belfast, Craigavon and other little unionist citadels. We thank those who voted for us, whether in the six or twenty- six counties. We congratulate our newly-elected councillors, whether in Dublin, Derry, Monaghan or Done- gal, and we thank all our candi- dates and party workers on their election campaigns. A special word of thanks must go to the stalwart people of Fermanagh. They have built well on Bobby Sands' elect- ion victory, and in that county and in the Omagh district, Sinn Fein now holds the chair of these councils, an achievement equal to Mac Swiney's and MacCurtain's lord mayorships of Cork city. It is this continued consolidation of our base and the obvious poten- tial for further expansion which the British and Irish establishments per- ceive as confirmation of their fears about the political threat which Irish republicanism represents to their interests. HEY are not so much afraid of Sinn Fein as afraid of the inherent 3
2 Proclamation to which all the political parties in this state pay lip service. Little wonder then that the revisionists of Leins- ter House have failed to comm- emorate the events of 1916 and the declaration of an Irish repub- lic. An bhliain seo chugainn, beidh an seachtódú comóradh de Éirí Amaci na Cásca ann. B'fhearr le lucht ceann- ais an tSaor Stáit dearmad a dhean amh de'n chomóradh seo. Ach déan faidh Sinn Féin cinnte de nach ndéanfar dearmad air agus Luan Cásca seo chugainn beidh comoradh caoi ag Sinn Fein i mBaile Atha Cliath. Next year marks the 70th anni- versary of that historic proclam ation and an anniversary which the Irish establishment would prefer to forget. Sinn Fein will ensure that it is not forgotten and on Easter Mon- day next year we will host a fitting 70th Easter commemoration in Dub- lin city. At that time we will remem- ber not only the sacrifices of the men and women of 1916 but the sacrifices of every subsequent genera- tion of Irish republicans, including those freedom fighters who have died in this, the last and conclu- sive phase of our struggle. They, by their sacrifices, have won for themselves an honoured place in this centuries-old struggle. And the membership of this party, victims of British and loyalist murder gangs, will be remembered also alongside the martyred dead of the Irish Republican Army. S INCE the 1984 Ard-Fh- eis, many comrades have died. In that regard we pay tribute to Paddy Brady, murdered solely because he was photographed here at an Ard- Fheis. We recall his name with the names of IRA Volunteers Danny Doherty, Willie Fleming, Sean Mclivenna, Antoine Mac Giolla Bhrighde, Kieran Fleming, Charlie Breslin, Michael and David Devine, and Charlie Eng- lish. We also recall those many veterans who have died since we last assembled here and we recall younger comrades who also died: Francis Hurson, Mick Timothy, Eam- onn Burns, Tony Campbell and Raymond McLaughlin. To their families I extend our condolences and sympathy. To our members who have been wounded in murder attempts I extend our heartiest and best wishes for a speedy recovery. They are all a reminder to us that our successes have been ach- ieved against a background of sacri- fice by both our activists and our supporters. Taispeánann siad duinn gur le fad fhulaingt agus le mor- chuid foighde ar gcuid ball agus ár lucht leanúna atáimid ag déanamh dul chun cinn. Ní iontas ar bith é mar sin go bhfuil ar naimhde déanamh a ndíchill sinn a bhriseadh, agus gur theip glan orthu san iar- racht sin. No other body of men and women in this country have suff- ered so much and yet have emer- ged so resolutely and determinedly as have the republican and nat- ionalist people of this generation. It is little wonder that our enemies are going to such lengths in their efforts to defeat us and little wonder that they have failed to do so. T HE current London-Dub- lin talks are a compli- ment to you all. Never be- 5