An Phoblacht Republican News, Iml. 1, Uimh. 38
| Date: | 20th October 1979 |
|---|---|
| Organisation: | Sinn Féin |
| Publication: | An Phoblacht Republican News |
| Issue: | Volume 1, Number 38 |
| Type: | Publication Issue |
| View: | View Document |
| Discuss: | Comments on this document |
| Subjects: |
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Commentary From The Cedar Lounge Revolution
26th December 2022
This copy of An Phoblacht/Republican News joins other editions in the Archive. This one from 1979 bridges the gap between the mid-1970s and the mid-1980s.
The front page article argues that:
‘SURPRISING’, ‘SHOCKING’ and ‘EMBARRASSING’ is how most of the Irish newspapers and political commentators described a survey which shows that 72% of people in the Free State are in favour of a unilateral British withdrawal, that 21% of the people are in support of I RA activities and ’42°/o sympathise with their motives! The slavish mentality of the establishment was ex pressed best by the Irish Press which was worried about the consternation it would cause loyalists and that it would prejudice British opinion!
Another piece states:
THE IRA’s ambush of two British soldiers in plain-clothes at the bottom of Belfast’s Whiterock Road a week last Monday was a double success. Not only was it a technical military success in undoubtedly curbing the activities of Brit undercover men – one was killed and one seriously wounded – but also brought immediate political and propaganda pay-offs in encouraging ‘troops out’ sentiment in England.
There are many interesting pieces but of particular interest is one on the Left Press which looks at ‘Irish Socialist’, ‘Starry Plough’, ‘Socialist Republic’, ‘Militant’ and ‘United Irishman’. It also looks at ‘Comment’ from the British and Irish Communist Organisation. Of this latter it says.
COMMENT is the fortnightly magazine of th British and Irish Communist Organisation (BICO) who are the main proponents of the two-nations theory. As the BICO support the British occupation of the north • a basis for the advance of Socialism, they have earned themselves the same sort of respect that is due to the Flat Earth Society.
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You can join this discussion on The Cedar Lounge Revolution
By: entdinglichung Tue, 27 Dec 2022 09:26:20
did AP regularly do reviews on other leftwing groups publications back then?
Reply on the CLR
By: WorldbyStorm Tue, 27 Dec 2022 10:15:00
In reply to entdinglichung.
Not that I’ve seen in copies I’ve read – I always got the impression they ignored a lot of the left – but others would probably have a better sense of it than me.
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By: Colm B Tue, 27 Dec 2022 11:54:44
In reply to WorldbyStorm.
APRN occasionally did wee snippets on the WP/OIRAs shenanigans in the North…gossipy stuff on gangsterism etc. But that, I suspect, was just a hangover from the days of the feuds, when the Officials were still seen as significant rivals. Others on the left were indeed just ignored.
Funny thing is, back in the day, I always enjoyed reading those snippets, existing, as I did, in that peculiar state of suspension… knowing the accusations were probably true and feeling it was evidence that I was in a revolutionary party (cos it did illegal things!) but at the same time denying to all and sundry that these Provo smears were true but…. sort of simultaneously believing that they were just smears against the poor innocent members struggling for Peace and Progress in the North.
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By: WorldbyStorm Tue, 27 Dec 2022 12:44:16
In reply to Colm B.
State of suspension. That’s it precisely ColmB.
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By: Colm B Tue, 27 Dec 2022 13:24:24
In reply to WorldbyStorm.
There’s a psychological term for it but it doesn’t run to me right now?
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By: entdinglichung Tue, 27 Dec 2022 21:15:13
In reply to WorldbyStorm.
btw., when visiting the SF bookshop in Dublin 1993, I was rather impressed by the big variety of non-SF publications they were selling, was a kind of collector back then, got copies of the PD and Red Action papers and of LLB there
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By: roddy Tue, 27 Dec 2022 22:01:37
In reply to Colm B.
The problem was that the Provos knew the Stickies far too well.For a start ,families were split between the 2 outfits,up to and including Gerry Adams’ family for example.Secondly defections from the Sticks to the Provos occured throughout the 70s , during and after the hunger strikes and even in the 90s.I was amazed to see people once connected to the Officials turn up at SF meetings during the heyday of the peace process and enthusiastically urging votes for Martin McGuinness.
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By: WorldbyStorm Tue, 27 Dec 2022 22:25:47
In reply to entdinglichung.
True though in a way there were quite organic links to both those orgs at a bit of a remove.
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