Thursday, July 26, 2007

Óglaigh na hÉireann

This may seem like a trivial matter, but to me, this is an extremely important issue. The name 'Óglaigh na hÉireann' is usually translated as the 'Volunteers Of Ireland' or more literally 'Warriors Of Ireland'. The name was originally used by the Irish Volunteers (the men and women who orchestrated the 1916 Rising) and later on by the Irish Republican Army(IRA) during the Tan War and subsequently in the Civil War between the IRA and the Free-Staters.

Unfortunately with the help of their British buddies' guns and weapons, the Free Staters won this war and drove the IRA underground. After securing the 26 county Free-State (and abandoning our people in the 6 counties to a violent sectarian regime)the free staters proclaimed themselves the only legitimate army in the 26 counties and, later on, the only true army of the republic by taking the name 'Óglaigh na hÉireann' and designating it to the 26 county 'Defence Forces'. Then, by placing it in the educational system and the history books, embedded it into the mindset of the next generation and so on.
Now this to me is extremely insulting, as the men and women of 1916 surely did not fight and die so their good name could be used by a partitionist and opressive joke of an 'army'.

The recent recruiting campaign by the Free-State army aroused my anger as the name Óglaigh na hÉireann was used so often. The bottom line is that Óglaigh na hÉireann was founded to remove the illegal occupation by the Brits and to establish a 32 county socialist republic as entailed in the 1916 proclaimation and ratified by the first and second Dáils. This is what Óglaigh na hÉireann continues to try and achieve to this day.

To conclude, Óglaigh na hÉireann are actively engaging the British establishment on a daily basis, they are not on a peace keeping mission in the Congo.

3 comments:

Luke Leslie said...

maybe a peace keeping mission in the congo is a good thing?

perhaps?

Dave said...

I never said that peace keeping wasn't a good thing. What I am saying is don't use the name Oglaigh Na hEireann if you're not adhering to the foundations and principles of the name.

Hugo O'Doherty said...

hey dave, good to see you're writing out some thoughts and ideas. i'll add you as a link on mine now. hope vancouver is a barrel o'fun!