Momentum around Unity Grows | Sign the Petition for Moore St. | Tá fáilte romhaibh - Féile an Phobail Abú | Seomra Máire Drumm

Momentum around Unity Grows

I want to begin by commending the SDLP for organising last week’s conference – The Future of these Islands: Preparing for Change. It was a well-attended day-long event, held in Belfast, on the issue of Irish Unity. Among those who contributed to the series of discussions was Dublin Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy and others, including leading figures in the SDLP like the party leader Claire Hanna.

Add this to Fine Gael’s announcement that it is planning to publish a blueprint on Irish Unity at its Ard Fheis in November and next Tuesday’s Dáil debate on Sinn Féin’s legislative proposal - “Planning for Constitutional Change Bill 2026” – and it is clear that there is increasing unanimity in the Unity movement that planning for unity is now a priority.

These are significant developments. Sinn Féin has long argued that the cause of Unity is bigger than any one party. It requires the greatest number of citizens, political parties, community and lobby organisations all moving together in the same broad direction and planning for unity. 

Sign the Petition for Moore St.

The 1916 Moore St. Battlefield site in the centre of Dublin is a hugely important historical and cultural location whose significance has been ignored by successive Irish governments for over a century. Currently much of the Moore St. Terrace and adjoining lanes are under threat of demolition by the London based developer Hammerson. The Moore St. Preservation Trust (MSPT), the Relatives of the 1916 Rising Relatives and others groups and individuals have been involved in a long running campaign to save this iconic site.

Early next year the Moore St. Preservation Trust will be in court to judicially review the Hammerson Plan. This is a vital step to preserve this historic area and the Trust is engaged in a campaign to inform, lobby, and win support for its efforts. As part of its campaign the Trust has launched a petition calling on the Irish Government to bring Moore Street into public ownership and build a 1916 historical Cultural Quarter. 

Sínigh an achainí | Sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/save-moore-street-buy-the-terrace 

Tá fáilte romhaibh - Féile an Phobail Abú

I’m looking forward to 25 July when Féile an Phobail – begins its longest and biggest ever summer extravaganza as the largest community festival on the island of Ireland.

The programme was launched last week and is an amazing mix of music, sport, gaeilge, arts exhibitions, literary events, discussions and debates, comedy, film, tours and walks and much more. Over 500 events with something for everyone. And an anticipated 120,000 tourists from outside of west Belfast coming along to join in the celebrations. The programme is available online through this link - https://feilebelfast.com/ 

Seomra Máire Drumm

The conference room in the Sinn Féin Falls Office was dedicated last Friday to Sinn Former Vice –President Máire Drumm by the current Vice President of the party Michelle O’Neill. Máire was assassinated in the Mater Hospital in October 1976.

She was a passionate, gifted and articulate advocate for Ireland and republicanism who frequently faced down armed British soldiers, and RUC officers. The image of Máire leading a river of women into the Falls in the summer of 1970 to break the British Army - imposed curfew, or her protests by women carrying hurling sticks, are iconic moments in the struggle for freedom.