There is a saying that generals always fight the last war. They plan for future wars based on the tactics of the previous wars. Only when war commences and changes in technology etc. become evident are tactics adjusted to take account of the new situation. That saying came to mind […]
Previous Articles
A story of global terrorism
12 January 2019: The US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, writes to companies involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, urging them to stop working on the project and threatening them with sanctions if they continue. 2019: The RAND Corporation (an American think tank), in a report […]
Boom or bust?
In Ireland the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and more people are falling into poverty every day. The Central Statistics Office is the statistical agency responsible for gathering information relating to economic, social and general activities and conditions. It collects and “analyses” this type of information […]
British Army Memorials in Killester
Dear Editor, I refer to plans to build British Army Memorials in 2023, for example in our area, Killester, on Dublin’s north side. Many well-meaning people in this country see no harm in the numerous British War Memorials, thinking that they are just remembering the past glories of the British […]
Alex Saab and the Death of Diplomacy
Dear friends, Two years ago, we started the campaign to release Alex Saab, a Venezuelan diplomat incarcerated in a United States federal prison in Miami. Venezuela’s Special Envoy to Iran was arrested on June 12, 2020, when his plane was forced to stop in Cape Verde to refuel, local authorities […]
Poem & Tanka
“Gan Teideal” (Untitled) is an Irish-language transcreation of a poem by Marius Mason, who describes himself as a transgender anarchist, environmentalist, and animal-rights prisoner. His activities were reported to the authorities by his husband, and he was sentenced to twenty-two years’ imprisonment. Marius—a father of two—who has worked as a […]
The Banshees of Inisherin
International film awards are by no means a good film guide. And this applies to The Banshees of Inisherin as much as to the rest of them. The story is set in 1923 on an island off the west coast of Ireland (“Inisherin”—Inis Éireann), filmed in fact on Achill island […]
Dublin Communities Against Racism
On January 28th 2023 concerned about a rise in anti-refugee protests across the country, long-standing community and political activists in Dublin gathered at Leinster House under the banner of ‘Dublin Communities Against Racism’ to condemn the policies of the present and previous governments that have brought about conflict and division […]
CPI Trade Union Political School
On Saturday 21 January comrades from around Ireland gathered in Dublin to analyse their involvement in trade unions. The day was an enjoyable one, with a well-arranged programme of events and stimulating talks. Some people ask, “What have the unions done for me?” It is important to list briefly what […]
Robert Navan RIP
In the first week of January 2023, Mount Jerome crematorium was packed to capacity as activists from around Ireland gathered to pay their respects on the passing of Robert Navan. Our country and progressive causes have lost a principled and committed anti-imperialist activist in Robert. Robert began his political engagement […]
Republicans, Marxist-Leninists, and class fighters: The CPI in the 1930s
“The CPI . . . has connected the economic struggles of the workers with the national struggle, drawing militant trade unionists into the national struggle and revolutionary national fighters into the economic struggles.”—An Appeal to IRA Volunteers, published in the Irish Communist, 1934 The Communist Party of Ireland managed to […]
Red Books Day
A group of working men assembled in a bar in London but for a different reason: they were in a hurry to put together a programme for their organisation, the Communist League, which consisted mostly of German migrant workers. They delegated Marx and Engels to carry out the task. The […]
How the Travelling community are treated at work
Travellers, or Mincéirí, are a minority ethnic group indigenous to Ireland who have a shared language and culture. The biggest blight on “modern” Ireland, without question, is the treatment of the Travelling community. It is a continuing shame on the state and on society more generally. Traditional Traveller occupations, such […]
Access for all
Access for All Ireland is an advocacy group that highlights the difficulties faced by anyone in Ireland with mobility issues. I sat with Brendan Mulvaney, co-founder of the group, to discuss what the organisation’s goals are, how Ireland ranks internationally, and how politics intersects with the issue of accessibility. A: […]
Crisis is brought about by the endless quest for profit
As we begin a new year we remain static in the progress of society, entrapped in the system of capitalism. 2022 ended with many people from the Cost of Living Coalition taking part in a protest outside the Dáil on the 17th of December. The protest was against Leo Varadkar […]
Right-wing threat requires united response
How serious is the far-right threat in Ireland today? The question is being widely discussed because of a series of high-profile protests. At first these were outside asylum-seekers’ accommodation, and more recently they targeted Sinn Féin TDs. Prominent members of fascist organisations have taken part in these demonstrations. It is […]