Labhair Í agus Mairfidh Sí

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• By: Klassenkampf Treehugger Mon, 28 Mar 2022 17:49:07

  In reply to banjoagbeanjoe.

  PbP currently 2% in the Lucid Talk polling in the North. But yes, the SWP’s republican-supporting position has something to do with edging out Éirígí, I guess.

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• By: mal Mon, 28 Mar 2022 19:06:56

  In reply to Klassenkampf Treehugger.

  I think they’re pretty rotten as well but at least office workers (probably) aren’t getting paid minimum wage. And you can at least wear a suit to a wedding or a funeral, whereas if you rock up to your cousin’s wedding in a Supermac’s uniform she might never speak to you again.

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• By: Klassenkampf Treehugger Mon, 28 Mar 2022 19:12:16

  In reply to mal.

  Lol – that’s true enough. I only use my old office/interview clothes for funerals these days.

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• By: roddy Mon, 28 Mar 2022 19:12:56

  McCotter was regarded as a “cert” for a council seat in 2014, bigged up by “anybody but SF” media outlets on the basis he polled 1400 in 2011. However Carroll PBP outpolled McCotter’s decreased vote of 1000 and took a seat instead.The “anybody but SF” “Republicans” then stuck with Carroll and left Eirigi irrelevant.

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• By: Dr Nightdub Mon, 28 Mar 2022 21:53:21

  In reply to banjoagbeanjoe.

  I vaguely recall an Éirígí councillor throwing paint at/over Mary Harney at some sod-turning ceremony in Cherry Orchard a good few years back.

  I’m guessing SF/PbP have since hoovered up the votes of that section of my fellow-voters who were not in the least bit appalled.

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• By: Sam Tue, 29 Mar 2022 09:31:49

  In reply to Dr Nightdub.

  Eirigi do seem to be growing again at the moment after a slowish period.

  I don’t think they would be described as splits but some of their members did leave to launch other groups (with very similar politics)

  Anti Imperialist Action Ireland emerged in 2017 from ex Eirigi people mainly in Dublin and Leinster
  https://anti-imperialist-action-ireland.com/

  Lasair Dhearg emerged in 2018 from ex Eirigi people mainly in Belfast

  Home

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• By: Aonrud ⚘ Tue, 29 Mar 2022 10:09:10

  In reply to Sam.

  That’s interesting – I hadn’t realised either had Éirígí connections.

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• By: Gearóid Clár Tue, 29 Mar 2022 10:52:23

  In reply to Sam.

  When you say ’emerged’, was it that these groups were founded after éirígí went quiet, or were they splits?

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• By: Sam Tue, 29 Mar 2022 12:39:23

  In reply to Gearóid Clár.

  I really don’t know the ins and out and it’s also not really my place to say to put labels on things.

  But I think it’s fairly well understood that key Éirigi members in Belfast and Dublin/Leinster had issues with the organisation and left to establish new groups.

  Spokespeople Pádraic MacCoitir and Pól Torbóid of Lasair Dhearg Belfast were both previously members of Éirigi. That’s public and on the record.

  Some key Anti Imperialist Action Ireland activists were also previously involved with Éirigi.

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• By: WorldbyStorm Tue, 29 Mar 2022 13:46:41

  In reply to Gearóid Clár.

  Thanks Sam, very handy to know.

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• By: sobriquet90 Tue, 29 Mar 2022 21:40:40

  In reply to Gearóid Clár.

  When you say on the record Sam, do you mean there were statements put out at the time of leaving etc.? Would be interesting to have a look if so.

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• By: sobriquet90 Wed, 30 Mar 2022 03:01:07

  In reply to banjoagbeanjoe.

  I think the issue with PbP is that they have overwhelmingly involved themselves in an electoral project over the last 10 years, and with some success – but are very likely to be squeezed out at the next election with the SF surge in the South. The question has to be asked: what is their base in the community outside of elections, and could their resources have been better used towards building a community base? This is an important question if they are going to be wiped out.

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• By: sobriquet90 Wed, 30 Mar 2022 04:50:47

  In reply to banjoagbeanjoe.

  I think it’s worth putting Eirigi – and all other left groups – in a post 2008-2012 perspective. It was seen as a time for a massive breakthrough for the left, but it never transpired, besides the water tax and household tax campaigns taking hold. Some radical groups fell by the side during this period. But it was good to see Pbp/SP/theleft etc. taking a few seats and holding on to them, but what is their current end-game right now, if they are going to be squeezed out by SF at the next elections. This isn’t just an empty dig at the trots but an open-ended question about how the socialist left will have to re-orient itself in the coming years

  There is a lot of work to be done on the ground to be honest, and I think this work is essential – and is fundamental to having a long-lasting base within communities outside of elections. I’m in my 30’s myself but I do get dewey-eyed thinking about the PCI (Hello Alan M) and other mass organisations from the past which did have a genuine buy-in from their local community. It is a tough, maybe impossible and idealistic act to follow – but we need to try. We do need to try, we need to have a serious look at how we connect people with politics and their community.

  With Eirigi, I think it’s good what they have been doing recently. They pick a campaign, stick with it, and hammer away on it

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• By: Mickey Wed, 30 Mar 2022 07:44:03

  There is a common misperception that at one point Éirígí was “big” and “on the brink of a breakthrough”, this I don’t believe was ever really the case.

  There was certainly a period, for better or worse, that the national media were all over everything we did, but that was a very limited period.

  The party was always focused on activism over electoral politics (There’s a comprehensive party document on the role of elections and how the party engages in them).

  It’s worth noting that Éirígí have never won a council seat, all councillors we ever had were people who defected while sitting councillors – just to put election results in context.

  It would of course be ludicrous to suggest that electoral results weren’t disappointing (but when you have rival candidates from both the centre right and far left telling constituents that our party were a front for RIRA it doesn’t help) – but the reality is we are where we are, and we canvassed and engaged communities on our national campaigns and not on local issues. Elections were only ever used as an opportunity to bring our issues to the doors, so its not hugely surprising that the anti-capitalist socialist republican message doesn’t amount thousands of votes.

  Éirígí certainly did go through a rough period post 2016, after a period of focus on internal structures, the party is growing again, and is close to as big as it ever was. The spread of the party across communities in rural Ireland is a first for us, and plenty of people disillusioned with the lack of activism within SF have been getting involved in areas like Laois, Westmeath, Roscommon, Co.Galway, Sligo etc. Its fair to say our set up in the 6 counties is fairly meagre, with the exception of a few prominent members, but the reality on the ground in the six is always a bit different, with “group hopping” a big part of Republican politics to the left of SF.

  Some of our recent campaigning is really noteworthy, although it doesn’t get any media attention. I would encourage anyone interested to have a look at the Track the Vultures map on our website (www.eirigi.org) , our UP Housing campaign, the campaign around public ownership of renewables etc.

  Our focus has always been on identifying the key topics that expose the contradictions within Irish capitalism, and using plain language to engage our communities on those topics. We’ve had some success as the party has grown in the last 2 years, we are running some fantastic community initiatives that we don’t run under the party name.

  I don’t feel we are particularly squeezed by PBP, we have had a few ex-PBP people join in recent years, I think the rise and rise of SF is no doubt the biggest squeeze. I still firmly believe there is a place for a Republican party to the left of SF, that reject A.S going forward, but are immensely proud of and places itself in that Republican tradition.

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• By: roddy Wed, 30 Mar 2022 08:09:03

  In reply to Mickey.

  Duffy’s membership of Eirigi ensured they would never ammount to anything in the North.

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• By: mal Wed, 30 Mar 2022 20:35:50

  In reply to Sam.

  Judging by some of the stuff they sell on their website, AIA are at the exciting intersection of Maoism, Marxism and supporting Celtic FC…

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• By: benmadigan Thu, 31 Mar 2022 21:16:59

  In reply to sobriquet90.

  Eirigi’s political propaganda, images, slogans etc were truly excellent in its early years.Really innovative and attention-catching
  Haven’t seen much recently but have the impression it’s somewhat fallen off

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• By: benmadigan Thu, 31 Mar 2022 21:22:28

  In reply to Sam.

  Lasair Dhearg Belfast has run some visually stimulating and very original initiatives.They have a real talent for using graphic design to communicate their message

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• By: benmadigan Thu, 31 Mar 2022 21:36:41

  In reply to Mickey.

  “I still firmly believe there is a place for a Republican party to the left of SF,”
  I have no doubt that there is
  To forward the project I suggest establishing friendly contacts (rather than rivalry) with the IRSP, 1916 Societies, Lasair Dearg etc with a view to agreeing on common objectives and reciprocal support for each other’s candidates in various constituencies as local and general elections come up

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• By: banjoagbeanjoe Thu, 31 Mar 2022 22:33:54

  Good discussion on Éirígí and where it might be at.
  Benmadigan mentions the IRSP, 1916 Societies, Lasair Dhearg.
  Anyone any idea on where the IRSP might be at? Something about sending solidarity greetings to the people of Donetsk and Luhansk on their liberation from their Nazi oppressors? Was that a joke? Or is the IRSP a joke?
  And the 1916 Societies? What are they and where might they be at?

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