Battles: of the Bogside and of Hayes Pond

Four new songs. The first three are "Those Lyrics," see this for an explanation. The first two are not my favorites, the last two are really good. The 3rd is a new kind of "Those Lyrics," it's based on a N. Ireland loyalist song.

1. Defenders of the Republic. The IRA in N. Ireland.
2. John McGuffin's Song. Anarchist republicanism in N. Ireland.
3. Battle of Hayes Pond. An armed showdown between American Indians and the KKK in 1958.
4. Battle of the Bogside. The successful repulsion of a massive police attack on a Catholic ghetto in Derry (N. Ireland) in 1969.

I think that's it. The rest of the songs/poems can be found by clicking on the "lyrics" label (there are at least two pages worth of posts, so click on the "older posts" at the bottom of the first page).

"Defenders of the Republic" based on "Defenders Of The Reich" by Final War, original lyrics are here.

1. Of course, in general Volunteers (members of republican paramilitaries) didn't walk around looking like Volunteers, but I have seen footage in a documentary of them walking around during riots, and they would sometimes patrol their neighborhoods during times of calm; there are also other times, possibly including times when they're en route to attacking the British security forces, that they would appear as Volunteers (in the early 70s with the no-go areas it was very common for this to be the case). The line makes enough sense that I'm keeping it.
2. The reference to a phase is a little odd,but it sort of works and I like to change as little as possible.
3. The last brick refers to their willingness to fight (if all they had was a brick , they would throw it at the Brits).
4. Belfast is the capital of N. Ireland.
5. The 3rd line of the 2nd verse is not available on the Internet, and I could barely understand it, so that's not based on the original at all.
**6. 58% of this version is me, 42% is the original.
7. This is not an endorsement of continuing armed struggle after the IRA cease-fire of 1997.
8. I give this song/poem two out of five stars.
9. Considering the original, I should explain what is probably obvious, that Irish pride within N. Ireland is almost always very different from white pride. (I just heard something making me think that it's probably a small minority of northern nationalists that would talk about "Irish pride"; I still feel odd completely re-writing that line, so I'm going to keep it)
10. This is exclusively about the IRA.
11. UPDATE 12/13/10 I just changed the second line of the last verse- I replaced "republican-socialist" with "anti-fascist." The thing is, the original is American, see this for more.
12. UPDATED 2/8/16 Based on what might be called a fairly scientific look, only about .2% of the IRA's operations intentionally resulted in civilian death. 

Walking down the street with your head held high
People know you're a Volunteer as you pass by
Army jacket and mask, you're prepared
Brits Fuck with us if they dare
Volunteer's not a phase, it's a national calling
We'll give the British occupiers a real mauling
Our flags fly high and our banners are unfurled
Anti-Imperialist Volunteers a tradition across the world!

Chorus:
Volunteers-Defenders of the republic
Volunteers- We fight to the last brick
Volunteers-Standing proud and fast
Volunteers-We fight to free Belfast

When we see the Brits commin, we attack without fear
We fight with honor, We're anti-fascist Volunteers
We've been marching and fighting since 1968
Won't be long until the Brits capitulate
Fighting for our class and nation, fighting for our land
And we fight with the winning hand
A glorious battle it will be
A shining bright, republican victory

*****

"John McGuffin's Song" based on "War Machine" by Final War, original lyrics are here.

1. I barely changed this one, but what got my attention was the most important part. The line about flags (colors) was originally "red, white and blue and the red, white and black" the first flag being the American one, the second being the Nazi flag. The line below that required that if I kept with the flag theme, I had to keep the word black, and then it hit me, the red and black of the anarchist flag.
2. John McGuffin was a well known and well-liked Irish anarchist who took part in what I consider the most inspirational event in the Troubles, the Belfast-Derry march by People's Democracy (see this). For more on him, see this (he died in 2002). This is basically about anarchist republicanism, the references to fighting are certainly NOT neccessarily meant to involve arms, and would be mostly non-violent.
3. I give this song/poem four out of five stars.
*4. 5% of this version is me, 95% is the original.
5. Although there are a small hand-full of "National Anarchists," anarchism is very anti-Nazi (I say that because that's the only thing that twists the lyrics, and I wanted to make sure people knew that).
6. UPDATE 3/14/20 I THINK McGuffin was a republican or sorts- an anarchist republican friend of mine didn't say anything critical when I showed him this poem.

Another step forward, no steps back
we're fully motivated goin' in for the attack
our goals set high, we're prepared to die
success or death is our battle cry
pickin' up the pace, goin' face to face
moving forward fast let's cut to the chase
starring straight ahead, never lookin' behind
we're geared for gain one thing on our minds

Chorus
Like a War Machine into battle we ride
fighting together side by side
unified our strengths become one
like a War Machine- we'll fight 'till we've won

Our minds are focused, our minds are clear
we've got our sight set we have nothing to fear
we're pushing forth, growing strong
keeping motivated, moving right along
we're in this to win to lose would be a sin
our destiny awaits us let the battle begin
all for one and one for all
as a unified movement we can never fall

We're the Green, White and Orange and the Red and Black
these colors don't run they stand and fight back
they're a collaboration of our Nation and our Class
We educate, organize and struggle en masse
let's take another step forward, no steps back
we're fully motivated, goin in for the attack
our goals set high, we're prepared to die
success or death is our battle cry

*****

"Battle of Hayes Pond" based on "Gibraltar" author unknown, version very similar to what I used is here.

1. The Battle of Hayes Pond was in 1958. The Ku Klux Klan had been harrasing an American Indian community in North Carolina. One night the Klan held a rally. All of a sudden they were surrounded by 500 armed Indians, who opened fire. Some of the Klan were wounded, the rest took off. After that the State clamped down on the Klan, and between that and I think the battle itself, until 1984 there was no more white supremacist activity in that area.
2. The battle is sometimes referred to as the Battle of Maxton Field.
3. Strom Thurmond ran for President in 1948 as a segregationist.It's possible I'm slightly exaggerating his position on the Klan, but even if I am, that's reflecting the original lyrics.
4. Robeson is the county the battle took place in.
5. It's not too likely they were going to leave MANY for dead, but it's possible, and they were certainly going to harrass and assault people and destroy property.
6. James W. "Catfish" Cole was the leader of the Klan in South Carolina, which had crossed the state line into NC.
7. Four Klan were wounded, but not seriously.
8. The captured flag was a prized trophy.
9. There were about 50 Klan, 350-500 Lumbee.
**10. 64% of this version is me, 36% is the original.
11. The original is about the Ulster Defense Association (a loyalist paramilitary), which to one degree or another has been connected with British Nazis and racist violence in N. Ireland. Also, my experience has been that there's a fair number of American Indians who have shown a lot of solidarity with the Irish struggle, so this is twisting the original lyrics.
12. "The Blood and the Soil" is a racist phrase.
13. The chronology is off a little, because the original refers to first one event and then a second one, but it seems to work pretty well anyway.
14. I give this song/poem four out of five stars.

There's a place called Maxton Field, well-known as Hayes Pond
The Klan were rallying for hatred and their false racial bond
When along came some warriors, they are America's best
Oppressed people the whole world over were very impressed

Chorus:
And the KKK, were scared away
The Klan didn't return for 25 years after that day

Well, Thurmond, he was angry, for "the Blood and the Soil"
The Klan terror in Robeson, the warriors did foil
For the Klan planned to terorrize and leave many for dead,
But the brave warriors made them run in panic instead

Chorus

That wanker "Catfish" Cole, what a wonderfull sight,
He left his wife and ran away completely in fright,
The mad yellow bigot didn't know what to do,
When faced with native warriors, all so brave and so true.

Chorus

The nation of these anti-racist warriors, it's called the Lumbee,
Right to Hayes Pond they went to bring the Klan to it's knees
Three hundred fifty guns they were fired and four Klan they got nipped
The Klan's flag was captured and the Invisible Empire was whipped

Chorus

*****

"Battle of the Bogside" based on "Battle of Maxton Field" by Malvina Reynolds (and changed a bit by Pete Seeger) The web-page where I first found this is gone and I can't find the right lyrics on-line. below my version is most of the original, except for the last 1-2 verses which I didn't feel like I could do anything with. (I typed the original lyrics based on the audio of Seeger, not the very original version by Reynolds)

1. For more on the Battle of the Bogside, see this.
2. There are various things indicating racism among the Apprentice Boys (a group comparable to the Orange Order), see the first half of this (the AB members would be largely members of the UUP and the DUP) It's also probably safe to say that they were not sure Irish Catholics are members of the Aryan Race (no thanks, we'll pass).
3. For more on Loyal Orders in N. Ireland, including the Apprentice Boys, see this. That will also explain why it was acceptable for kids to stone the AB parade.
4. Fenian is a derogatory term for republican, although it has been adopted by republicans. It's also a derogatory term for Catholic.
5. In the original 3rd verse about coke and pie, it says girls. I went with men, because there was a very popular civil rights/nationalist/labor politician in the late 1960s and then during the 1970s named Ivan Cooper who was a Protestant and according to the movie "Bloody Sunday" (he's the main character) his girlfriend was Catholic (my version doesn't work pefectly, but it's close).
6. The RUC was the Royal Ulster Constabluary, the police until 2001.
7. The MP was Bernadette Devlin, who is celebtated for her role in encouraging the Bogsiders. There's an amazing mural of her in the Bogside, you can see it here. More information on her is available here.
8. I almost always use the voice of someone I'm not with my songs. In the original, the voice switches from Klan to anti-Klan and back, and in mine, it's the same thing with an Orange or anti-Orange perspective, and since the original anti-klan voice is that of a white ally, I'm also using the voice of a Protestant throughout. (and I guess it's a female in the 3rd verse)
9. The Starry Plough is the flag of republican socialism.
10. Stormont was the sectarian devolved government of N. Ireland.
11. The BA is the British Army. Although they intervened at the end (and in Belfast where something similar but much worse for the Nationalist population was happening, the BA SORT of saved the Nationalists) they did so when the RUC were being beaten, they hadn't stopped the RUC from attacking the Bogside, and there's plenty of reason to think that they were not bothered by the police attacking the Bogside.
12. Interestingly, right before I "wrote" this song, I took a Loyalist song and twisted it into a song about the "Battle of Hayes Pond," the subject of the original of this song (audio for the song "Battle of Maxton Field" can be found here.
**13. 46% of this version is me, 54% is the original, and I ignored 2 verses that it seemed like I couldn't do anything with.
14. With the exception of the vague reference to the IRA of the future, this is not about them, but about a popular act of resistance.
15. UPDATE 5/18/09 Considering this is an addition and not a change in what's already there, I'm not really breaking my rule of only changing lyrics after I publish with a good reason. The last chorus about the BA is new.
When I suggest they're bigots, bear in mind I didn't have a good reason to change the original, and consider this- although poverty was probably a much bigger factor than bigotry in people joining the BA during The Troubles, that line could be meant as referring to those, and there must have been some, who joined BECAUSE of the conflict, and maybe also sort of those who joined, very comfortable with the possibility-liklihood that they would be sent to the North. Also, since I still don't think I can do anything with the last verse (you never know, I might do that at some point), this kind of ruins it for singing along with the original, but if some performer wants to do it, that's not an issue.
16. I give this song/poem four out of five stars.
17. UPDATE 5/8/11 When I finished this years ago, I sent it to a community group called The Museum of Free Derry (I link to them above). I didn't hear back. I asked a friend of mine if he thought any of this poem was offensive, he said "no." I think I figured out what might have offended them. The line where I end with the word "spine." I used that word because it was already RIGHT THERE in the original, and it was pretty close to what I needed to say. I'll see if I can come up with something more appropriate. (UPDATE 7/27/12 I just added the word "more;" does that make it less offensive?)

Oh, have you seen the Apprentice Boys- sectarianism they incite
they marched here in Derry just looking for a fight

"rally 'round you Boys bold In hatred's cold embrace
we'll march on Derry's wall's and save the aryan race"

Chorus
oh the Boys,
oh the Boys
It's only Protestants that they employ
if you are free and Protestant and bigot
and get your courage from a spigot
they be needing reinforcements for to fight the fenian

"Now the Catholics, the Catholics- They are our natural foe
they lure our men with beer and steak and take them to a show"

"they worship the Father and the Son but anyone can see
they are not real Christians- the likes of you and me"

now some kids threw rocks and the police stood in circle brave and fine
as the kids resisted, one MP gave them encouragement and more spine

an Irish youth with steely eyes, as the Starry Plough was flown
she stood fast and encouraged resistance with the megaphone

chorus:
oh the RUC,
oh the RUC
They serve the Protestant bourgeoisie
if you are free and Protestant and bigot
and get your courage from a spigot
they be needing reinforcements, for to fight the fenian

The Battle continued for three days- there was not a moment's rest
As a hundred thousand Bogside kids took on Stormont's best

well maybe not a million quite but surely more than eight
the RUC were retreating- The bogside had won against the state

now the BA they were down the road- they did not lift a gun
they heard the noise, they said the boys, were having a little fun

But when they saw the RUC lads streaming down the road
they knew that something went amiss- the wrong switch had been throwed

Oh the BA
Oh the BA
They thought they would defeat the IRA
If you are free and British and Bigot
And get your courage from a spigot
They'll be needing reinforcements, for to fight the fenian


Original lyrics:

Oh, have you seen the bed-sheet boys the terors of the night
they rallied here at maxton just honin' for a fight

rally around you klansmen bold but do not show your face
we'll burn the fiety cross tonight and save the nordic race

Chorus
oh the Klan,
oh the klan
it calls on every red-blood fighting man
if your are free and white and bigot
and get your courage from a spigot
they be needing reinforcements for to fight the indian

Now the Indians, the Indians They are our natural foe
they lure our girls with coke and pie and take them to a show

they wear blue jeans and leather coats but anyone can see
they are not reall americans the likes of you and me

now the head-lights shone the klansmen stood in circle brave and fine
when suddenly a whoop was heard that curdled every spine

an Indian youth with steely eyes he sauntered in alone
he calmly drew his shooting iron and conked the microphone

chorus

now another shot the lights went out there was a moment's hush
then a hundred thousand lumbee boys came screaming from the brush

well maybe not a million quite but surely more than four
the klansmen shook from head to foot and headed for the door

now the troopers they were down the road they did not lift a gun
they heard the noise, they said the boys were having a little fun

But when they saw the nigh-shirt lads streaming down the road
they knew that something went amiss the wrong switch had been throwed


One last note: Even with the songs that are only about 10% me (and at the upper end, one is 75% me), I have a request, although I don't have strong feelings or expectations about this. First, I want credit for these songs. Second, I'd appreciate it if the notes follow the lyrics around the internet. If you modify the lyrics further, please either make some notes for the changes if you leave some of my changes, or just provide a link to this URL so people can see my version. Although I'm not sure how many people will like what I'm doing with the lyrics, to one degree or another (depending on how much I changed them) I'm proud of these songs- and at the risk of getting a little personal, if people like the songs, I could really use the extra boost of getting credit for them right now (or if you don't like them, they were all written by Sarah Palin- that fascist, what kind of sick person enjoys altering racist lyrics?).

I Owe My Allegiance Only To The Working-Class

Seamus Costello once said the title for this post. He was the founder and primary leader of the Irish Republican Socialist Movement from it's formation in 1974 (partly by people leaving Official Sinn Fein) until his death in 1977.

I'm a republican-socialist in the Irish sense. Does that mean I support the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) and the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA)? Overwhelmingly, today, no. Also, there are tons of republican-socialists in Sinn Fein, and to one degree or another in other republican groups, and there are independent ones. But as a good, if slightly misguided, republican-socialist, I did, in the late 1990s flirt with the IRSP. And I believe that during the period 1974-1982 it was amazing. But I have not supported the RSM since 2000 and this post is about the first several years of the IRSM, not the time since 1982 (some people would advise me to keep that praise about the early years to myself, but after YEARS of thinking about it I am convinced that Seamus Costello was a great republican-socialist).

Shortly I'll go into a lot of detail about why I like the IRSP during that period, and then I'll describe why I don't like them today, and then I'll offer some thoughts on the other dissident groups. But first I want to clear something up.

In 2001 I found an archived email to some left-wing list that contained a letter to the editor of the Irish News I had written (it was criticizing Sinn Fein over the NY City St. Patrick's Day Parade). At the top, the person who sent it said I was a member of the IRSP. Although I did come close to joining once, I never even sent in an application. The email was sent 2 years earlier, so I didn't bother issuing a correction to the list I wasn't even on.

More generally, at the time I was significantly closer to SF than to the IRSP. My support for the IRSP included:

1) I was on their N. American email list.
2) When the library of the INLA prisoners was somehow destroyed (it somehow involved a loyalist attack), there was an appeal for good pinko books. I sent a bunch, hopefully all/most were enjoyed.
3) At one point, for sort of stupid reasons, I sent them my copies of two amazing anti-unionist and socialist books.
4) When I sent them a check for some merchandise, after emailing a couple times about not receiving the stuff, I told them to just keep it as a donation (I'm not sure if I even checked if the check was deposited).
5) I put out a small amount of IRSP lit. when I was tabling.

I think that's it. To give you an idea of how I was NOT very close to the IRSP, shortly before I went on my first trip to the North right around Jan. 1st 1999, I was put in touch with the brother of one of the INLA 1981 hunger-strikers, who wanted to hang out with me in Derry. I declined- I didn't want to get in that deep with the IRSP. (In the late 1990s I was closer to supporting Sinn Fein than the IRSP in terms of literature I put out while tabling on campus and bringing speakers to campus)

Two general points before I proceed. Whether it applies to the early period or since 1982, the IRSP is a little bit, perhaps significantly, to the left of me- I don't think you'll find any people in the IRSP who use the term social-democrat (I call myself a democratic Marxist/lefti-wing social democrat). That's got almost nothing to do with why I don't support them today. And if I was politically active during that earlier period, although I would have also expressed some degree of support for SF, I probably would have primarily supported the IRSP.

Here's why I like the Republican Socialist Movement during that earlier period:

1. Electorally, they had the support of about 1% of the Nationalist community, although there were probably many who supported them but, as republicans and as revolutionary socialists weren't voting. Probably most of the 40% of the Nationalist community who supported the IRA also sort of supported the INLA, and probably most of the 40% who sort of supported the IRA kind of, sort of, supported the INLA (the first 40% is based mostly on solid election figures, the second is a pretty reasonable estimate, based largely on what I've heard about support for the hunger-strikers in 1981).

2. They gave their lives disproportionately on hunger-strike in 1981 (well, based on everything I've read, there's no way that INLA members were 30% of republican prisoners at that time, but they were 30% of those who died).

3. From 1978 to 1980 when he was killed, the Chief of Staff (leader) of the INLA was Ronnie Bunting Jr. His father was Ian Paisley's (the notorious anti-Catholic bigot) right hand man who organized attacks on the civil rights movement in the late 1960s.

I give Ronnie Bunting Jr. a lot of extra points for breaking from the sectarianism of his father. Also, and I'm not sure I'd bother saying this if it were just that he was a Protestant, but considering who his father was, I give the Volunteers of the INLA a lot of extra points for accepting his leadership. (that doesn't mean I'm saying that republican groups not led by Protestants are sectarian, but it's not insignificant that he was chief of staff)

4. Bernadette Devlin-McAliskey was Co-Chair of the IRSP for the first year. She left because she felt that too much emphasis was being put on the armed struggle, but she remained friendly with them, and has continued to be in recent years.

5. In 1975 they became one of the two first political parties in Ireland to call for gay rights and possibly the very first to support abortion rights.

6. UPDATE 1/29/09 In the late 1970s, according to Tim Pat Coogan, the Provisonal IRA (now known simply as the IRA), collaborated with the INLA.

7. Seamus Costello, who was the primary leader of the IRSP and was Chief of Staff of the INLA, was one of Ireland's three greatest republicans/socialists. That's based on the following:

A: He was on the following bodies when he was killed (they all appear to be in the Republic of Ireland):

Wicklow County Council, County Wicklow Committee of Agriculture, General Council of Committees of Agriculture, Eastern Regional Development Organisation, National Museum Development Committee, Bray Urban District Council, Bray and District Trade Unions Council (of which he was president 1976-77)

B: Nora Connolly O'Brien, daughter of James Connolly (Ireland's greatest socialist/republican) said after Costello's death that of all the people she spoke with who claimed to be followers of Connolly, Costello was the only one who fully understood what he meant.

C: Eamonn McCann wrote highly of him, sometime years after his death.

D: Bernadette Devlin-McAliskey spoke highly of him after his death.

E: Dr. Noel Browne (he was a senior minister in a coalition government in Dublin shortly after world war II) spoke highly of him.

F: Tony Gregory spoke highly of him.

G: His speeches and interviews indicate a very good understanding of the connections between national liberation and socialism. He also believed in anti-imperialist unity and in dialogue with Loyalists. Critically he believed that when talking with loyalists it was important to be honest with them about being republicans and socialists (apparently there was a history of republican and non-loyalist socialists not doing this). Also, at the conference mentioned below, there was at least one loyalist, so he did talk with them at least once.

H: When he attended a conference in America in 1975 to which participants to the conflict were invited, he spoke for three hours as scheduled, and was then later asked to speak for another two hours.

I: UPDATE 1/29/09 Sinn Fein, in at least two ways, indicated their respect for him after he died.


That's it for that period. I chose 1982 as a cut-off point because it's one year after the Hunger-Strike, and one year before Sinn Fein decided they would not share a platform with the IRSP.

Why do I not support them today?

1. If they ran candidates, they'd probably get something like .5% of the Nationalist vote. This causes two problems for me. First, I'm reluctant to support armed organizations with such a low level of support, and second, it makes me wonder if there are some things local people know that I don't- for example, is there a little bit of truth to allegations of for-profit criminality or sectarianism.

2. They're anti-Good Friday Agreement. I could, and might, do an entire post on that, but let me explain why I largely support it- A: it's not that bad and B: about 99% of the nationalist community voted for it. (Here is that post)

3. In the 1980s and 1990s there was a lot of feuding involving the INLA. I won't go into the details but will say that even though it's likely I should not hold this against them, it still generates some concern, when feuding happens.

4. In 1997 the INLA issued a statement. At the time I wasn't too bothered by it, but I have since decided that it represented some degree of stupidity or sectarianism in the INLA. It threatened that the INLA would kill Orange Order (an anti-Catholic organization (see this for more info on why they should not be marching through Catholic areas)) members if their marches were forced through Catholic areas. Now, Orange marchers should stay out of Catholic areas, but I'm not sure if they're so bad that they deserve to be shot in that situation (I think they're only something like 90% as bad as the Klan), and even though I wouldn't call it sectarian, huge numbers of people would interpret it as such. It would have made more sense to threaten the security forces who were forcing the marches through.

5. When Eamonn McCann praised Costello, he said that he wouldn't like today's RSM.

My thoughts on the other main dissident groups:

Republican Sinn Fein and the Continuity IRA: First, and this goes for the next Movement as well, they need to go on cease-fire and stay there (for the foreseeable future). From what I've read, in 1998 no more than about .33% of the Nationalist community supported the continuation of armed struggle, I have no reason to believe that's gone up more than a tiny amount. Second, as far as I can tell, they're fairly socially conservative, whereas SF is very progressive socially.

32 County Sovereignty Movement and the Real IRA: Once again, go on cease-fire. They're probably roughly as left-wing, maybe a little less, than SF.

Eirigi: I'm not too familiar with them, they emerged during the last 4 years when I was only reading about 50 articles a week relevant to the North. I know Bernadette Devlin-McAliskey is friendly to them, so is the Troops Out Movement (A British group that is close to SF). As far as I can tell, a significant part of their disagreement with SF is over policing, which SF generally supports. Also, there's no doubt they're solidly left-wing. They have no connection to an armed group and generally do not support the continuation of armed struggle.

In a 2007 survey, only 2% of Catholics said the GFA was a bad thing.

So, if you decide to ignore the opinion of roughly 98% of the Nationalist community that either supports the GFA or who think it doesn't matter (21% of those surveyed), not to mention the 55% that support SF and the (likely) 75% of the poorest half of the Nationalist community that supports SF, and support dissidents, I strongly recommend you go with either the IRSP or Eirigi.

Also, what are my current feelings about the RSM?

1. I hope that their members are neither arrested nor killed (same for all dissidents).
2. I would support political status for their POWs (same for all dissidents).
3. The INLA, as far as I can tell, have been on a VERY solid cease-fire since shortly after the Good Friday Agreement, in respect of the fact that there is almost no popular support for armed struggle.
4. I assume that some majority of their members maintain the politics of Seamus Costello.

I want to say something about the killing of Seamus Costello. He was killed by the Official IRA. I could do an entire post on them, but I'll keep this brief. They, and currently they're represented politically by the Workers Party, are horrible. They had absolutely ZERO justification for attacking the RSM when a bunch of Official IRA and Official SF (the Officials were the other side of the split in late 1969/early 1970 that produced the Provisionals, now known simply as SF and the IRA) followed Seamus Costello to form the RSM. Including Costello, four IRSP members were killed. Although Costello was a military leader, he was also a civilian leader of the IRSP and held many positions in public or semi-public bodies, and was not a legitimate target.

Lastly, I leave you with a song and lyrics, by Ray Collins.. The YouTube video is here, the lyrics, preceded by some notes, are below:

1. As far as I can tell, like most republican songs, there are multiple versions- these lyrics should be about 99% accurate.
2. "Saoirse Go Deo" means "Forever Free."
3. The reference to Airey Neave. In general I don't approve of killing elected politicians, but Neave was almost 100% horrible- he was a Thatcherite Tory, may have been involved with dirty tricks against political opponents, and was calling for harsher measures in Northern Ireland, and was on the verge of becoming NI Minister.
4. "The Blanket" refers to a prison protest where republicans were demanding to be treated as POWs instead of as criminals.
5. Towards the end it refers to four of the 1981 hunger-strikers who died as part of the protest against criminalization. Patsy O'Hara said, as his last words, "let the fight go on."
6. When I sing this song it's dedicated to the early period of the INLA.
7. The Starry Plough is the flag of republican-socialism.

I'll sing you of an army brave
Who fights from the cradle to the grave
The people will be no longer slaves
With the INLA freedom fighters

Followers of Connolly
They fight to bring us liberty
Socialism we might see
With the INLA Freedom Fighters

Saorsie Go Deo is our cry
The Starry Plough, our flag flys high
England's tyranny we defy
We're the INLA freedom fighters

Rising throughtout the land
Connolly in head, gun in hand
The working class will take a stand
With the INLA freedom fighters

Fighting for the working-class
The priest condemns us at the Mass
That will not turn us from our task
As INLA freedom fighters

To make the Tory tyrants grieve
A Volunteer a bomb did leave
To kill Imperial Airey Neave
Twas they- the freedom fighters

Murder, torture, imprisonment
Our movement is still not spent
We vow to make our foes relent
We're the INLA freedom fighters

The Brits try to criminalize
Our comrades who on The Blanket lie
We'll make sure the struggle does not subside
We're the INLA freedom fighters

Captured guerrillas to prison are sent
As prisoners of war their time is spent
With heads unbowed and knees unbent
UNBROKEN Freedom Fighters

The news in 1981
A hunger-Strike for rights begun
A hollow victory was won
For ALL the Freedom Fighters

At British hands died Booby Sands
McCreesh and Hughes for the Five Demands
O'Hara's death, our symbol stands
We're INLA Freedom Fighters

Aye on beneath our banners high
To avenge our comrades who have died
"Let the fight go on" as Patsy said
We're the INLA freedom fighters

Bernadette Devlin-McAliskey

This is my first blog. Not sure exactly what I 'll be doing, basically offering my thoughts on various political issues, some history, etc. I'm an American democratic socialist (democratic marxist/left-wing social-democratic), and more or less an Irish Republican (I largely support Sinn Fein).

I'm not sure it was the best idea to name the blog after a living person (thank god she's still with us!!) (it was originally named after Bernadette devlin-McAliskey) and I'll change it if she requessts it, but my ultimate favorite hero is Bernadette Devlin-McAliskey, whose politics largely (not totally) reflect what this blog will be about- socialism, republicanism, and opposition to bigotry (we disagree about SF and the GFA and I doubt she uses the term "social democrat" to describe herself and there's probably some more disagreements when you get into the details and/or look around the world).

the Wikipedia page about her is here.

She was a major leader of the Civil Rights Movement in Northern Ireland, and was with the Peoples' Democracy, a student, militant and left-wing section of the CRM. She took part in the 1969 Belfast-Derry march by PD (there's more about that in the first 3rd of this), which was based on the Selma-Montgomery march in the American South. Over 3-4 days they were repeatedly attacked by loyalist/unionist (Protestant/pro-British) militants and given a hero's welcome in Derry.

In April 1969, she was elected as a Unity candidate to the Westminster Parliament from Mid-Ulster. In Aug. of 1969, when the police, followed by a loyalist mob, tried invading the Catholic Bogside neighborhood in Derry, they were repulsed by local youth, with Devlin providing great encouragement. She ended up serving a brief jail sentence for her role.

She remained an active leader of the civil rights movement and was present at the Bloody Sunday shootings in Jan. 1972. The next day, in Parliament, when she wasn't allowed to speak despite having witnessed the event under discussion and a British Minister justified the shootings, she hit him.

She lost her seat in the 1974 Westmisnter election (she stood as an Independent Socialist) when the Social Democratic and Labour Party ran a candidate and split the anti-Unionist vote, allowing a Unionist to win.

In 1974 she helped found the Irish Republican Socialist Party with Seamus Costello. She left a year later when she felt that the armed wing, the Irish National Liberation Army, was being given priority. However she spoke fondly of Costello when he was killed in 1977.

In 1979 she ran for the European Parliament, largely as a supporter of IRA and INLA prisoners who were demanding status as prisoners of war. In 1981, largely because of her work in support of the prisoners, loyalist paramilitaries almost killed her and her husband (she was one of very top leaders of the movement to support the prisoners). For more on the prisoners issue, see the middle third of this.

In 1988, when a coalition of people who had been involved in the civil rights movement in the late sixties organized to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the civil rights movement, she wrote and narrated a documentary called "OFF OUR KNEES: 1968-1988 From Civil Rights to National Liberation."

More recently she has become fairly (or perhaps very) critical of Sinn Fein and is an opponent, on republican and socialist, not militarist grounds, of the Good Friday Agreement. She continues to be active in various efforts of republican, socialist, and generally progressive causes (anti-raccism, feminism, gay rights, etc.). (I largely support SF and the GFA, but she does not).

In addition to the above, what I also greatly admire about her is that when she first came to the United States (and on subsequent visits) she continued to support progressive causes. Most importantly, even though her first visit involved fund-raising (mostly) from Irish-Americans in 1969, she stood up against racism consistently. For example, when she was given the key to the city of New York, she passed it on to the Black Panther Party. On another trip here, in 1971, she met with Angela Davis in jail. In 2003 the Bush administration had her deported, because, as Anthony McIntyre put it, she knew too much and said it too well.

UPDATE 6/2/14 I left out two other examples: 1) at an event in Boston on her first trip here, there was some disturbance caused by opponents of integration in America and she made it clear how she felt about that, and 2) when speaking in Washington DC on her first trip, she pointed out to the audience that there was a huge disconnect between how black the district was and how white the audience was. (there are more examples on the wikipedia page, which is probably accurate)

Anyway, that's a good intro to one of Ireland's top 3 republican-socialists ever. Like I said, I named the blog after her because it will mostly reflect her politics.