The Francis Hughes Cumann – A History and a Future
The tradition of active involvement by the Irish community in Scotland in their native country's revolutionary movements is deep and longstanding. In every campaign there has been a significant input by the Irish in Scotland. Several hundred Irishmen armed and readied themselves to take part in the Young Ireland rebellion in 1848. In 1921 when the War of Independence was at its zenith, Sinn Fein had over 70 cumainn (branches) in Scotland. Na Fianna Eireann and Cumann na mBan also had a significant presence at the time. When the Movement split over the Treaty, the vast majority of Republicans in Scotland remained loyal to the Republic and kept the Fenian flame alight in the subsequent decades down to the present day.
As members of the Francis Hughes Cumann of Republican Sinn Fein, we are proud of the support that earlier generations have given to the freedom struggle, and consider ourselves to be the true inheritors of the Republican tradition in Scotland. Our Cumann was originally formed in 1982 due to an upsurge of support for Republicanism among the youth. This was in direct response to the Hunger Strike deaths of the previous year, which inspired many young people of Irish descent and caused a reawakening of Irish identity and national sentiment. Many of them became politically active for the first time in their lives. While a lot of them joined the many Republican flute bands that sprang up, the more politically aware chose to join Sinn Fein.
Until Sinn Fein in Scotland and England was disbanded in 1984 by the Adams faction, the organisation was mainly involved in organising support for the POWs in England, fundraising for the organisation, and selling Republican literature and merchandise. In 1992 several prominent ex members decided to organise in support of Republican Sinn Fein and the Cumann was soon reorganised. It has been very active in a whole range of activities. These have included organising the successful annual 1916 Rising Commemoration in Glasgow, holding speaking tours and fundraising for the prisoners’ dependants fund CABHAIR. The Cumann has organised commemorative marches and ceremonies to honour prominent Republicans of former generations whose graves are in Scotland. One of our most successful activities has been to organise Irish history talks for the Irish community. They have been well attended and have proved to be very educational for the participants. We have a good relationship with the Gaelic League and Comhaltas, and fully support their efforts on behalf of the language and Irish traditional music.
Our political activities have not escaped the notice of the State. Members of the Cumann have been detained under the racist and draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act and members have been approached by the Special Branch and MI5 in attempts to recruit them as informers. This harassment has only succeeded in strengthening our resolve, and nothing will stop us from going about our legitimate political business.
Over the last year in particular, we have experienced significant interest from people that have become disillusioned with the Provisionals and the Good Friday Agreement. We have been able to convince them of the correctness of the Republican analysis. We would expect this trend to continue once it dawns on people that the Provisional organisation is not working to a Republican agenda.
In this the centenary year of our long march to freedom, we are optimistic about our ability to grow in strength and to enhance our standing in the Irish community and progressive political circles.
Republican Sinn Fein- History & Objectives
SINN FÉIN Poblachtach (Republican SINN FÉIN), the last remaining true Republican political party founded in 1905. Reformed in 1986 out of the walkout of the 86 Ard-Fheis by the true Republican leadership, who saw the failure of the new Provisional leaderships's decision to enter into a partitonist assembly of the 26 County Southern Free State. This one day would lead to a larger erosion of Republican principles, to the acceptance of entering a new Stormont and acceptance of British Partition. Republican Sinn Fein uphold the right of the Irish people to oppose continued British occupation in Ireland. We are dealing with state sponsored censorship and are continually demonized in the media, with harassment of our members carried out by the States "Political Police" on both sides of the British imposed Border.
Republicans today are labeled as anti-peace or portrayed militarists. Anyone who becomes arrested for political offenses is now either purposely ignored, demonized in the media, or criminalized. In the north the British have brought back the denial of Political Status, 17 years after the 1981 hunger strikes. In 1981 Bobby Sands and nine other republican POWs died in the cell blocks of Long Kesh on hunger strike to win POW Status for all Republican POWs.
In Short the present climate is one in which the Republican Movement finds itself struggling against enormous odds, but like all other times of seeming defeat, retreat, or disillusionment, this too shall pass, for its only noble and righteous ideas which live on. As it has been said, You can Kill - or as today's lessons have taught us, even buy-out the revolutionary, but you cannot kill the Revolution.
Therefore this movement will have to be one built upon a strong and solidly principled foundation, built with planning, organization, and structure with a clear purpose and direction to achieve the end goal of a New Ireland ( Éire Nua ) free of British rule.
Republican Sinn Féin believes that the historic Irish nation is a distinct, coherent unit and is entitled to exercise its own independence. Because of the history of our own country we identify with national liberation struggles around the world.
Join Republican Sinn Fein Francis Hughes Cumann (Glasgow)
If your are interested in joining Republican Sinn Fein Francis Hughes Cumann, please provide the following details and send them to : rsfglasgow@yahoo.co.uk
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