Cairde Na hEireann
Encyclopedia
Cairde na hÉireann is a republican
organisation in Scotland
best known for the annual James Connolly
march through the streets of Edinburgh
and for the Bloody Sunday
march each January in Glasgow
, both of which no longer take place. Since then the organisation has focused more in its anti-racism campaign and its other stated aims.
The stated aims of Cairde na hÉireann are to :
The group in a submission to the Scottish Executive
estimated in 2005 that it represents around 1,000 people, including 300 from the James Connolly society and a number of flute bands with between 20 and 50 members each. 2,000 people had attended their recent marches in Coatbridge
.
Their former national organiser Jim Slaven is also secretary of the Edinburgh
-based James Connolly Society. Slavin was an active campaigner on behalf of the three IRA suspects sentenced in their absence to 17 years for aiding terrorists in Colombia - the Colombia Three
. He was fined £350 and jailed for 14 days after refusing to pay after conviction for inciting people to attack police officers and resisting arrest in 1993 at an illegal march.
Slavin resigned from the organisation in December 2007 to pursue other opportunities outside politics.
Cairde na hÉireann split from the West of Scotland Band Alliance
(WoSBA) in 2006. The WoSBA are now considered as a Dissident Irish Republican Supporters and it is not a recognised organisation in the eyes of Sinn Féin, The Republican Party of Ireland.
In their first official statement to An Phoblacht
(Republican News, Sinn Féin's official monthly press release) Cairde na hÉireann have said that their main aim is to concentrate on building a political base that would prove itself in the Scottish Parliament
.
They are organised throughout Scotland and northern England
. They have demonstrations and marches all over Scotland and use these events as a platform to spread their pro-Irish nationalist message.
A Cairde na hÉireann march in Glasgow on 21 January 2006 attracted police criticism. The parade was delayed for 30 minutes "as, contrary to permission conditions, there were groups dressed in paramilitary
-style clothing". In addition, concerning protests during the parade, Strathclyde Police
stated "Many of those taking part in the procession clearly antagonised the protesters" .
In October 2006, a Cairde na hÉireann march was banned from going through Ayr
by South Ayrshire Council after police complaints. It was reported the march was banned after last year’s procession when marchers produced banners declaring “justice for Peter McBride”, in reference to a man killed in Northern Ireland
by Ayr soldier James Fisher. They also distributed posters informing the people of Ayr they should be ashamed to have a murderer living among them. Ayr MSP Phil Gallie
, who opposed the march, said: “I feel that justice has been done here because this group basically lied to the police last year and therefore cannot be trusted. We simply can’t have people slating our own servicemen and women on their own doorstep .”
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
organisation in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
best known for the annual James Connolly
James Connolly
James Connolly was an Irish republican and socialist leader. He was born in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh, Scotland, to Irish immigrant parents and spoke with a Scottish accent throughout his life. He left school for working life at the age of 11, but became one of the leading Marxist theorists of...
march through the streets of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and for the Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday (1972)
Bloody Sunday —sometimes called the Bogside Massacre—was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in which twenty-six unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army...
march each January in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, both of which no longer take place. Since then the organisation has focused more in its anti-racism campaign and its other stated aims.
Background
Membership of Cairde na hÉireann is open to anyone regardless of faith, race, sex, sexuality, or nationality.The stated aims of Cairde na hÉireann are to :
- campaign for a united Ireland;
- support sister organisations in Ireland;
- promote a new Ireland based on the principles of justice and equality;
- support initiatives aimed at improving the material conditions of the Irish community in Scotland
- campaign against racism and sectarianism.
The group in a submission to the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
estimated in 2005 that it represents around 1,000 people, including 300 from the James Connolly society and a number of flute bands with between 20 and 50 members each. 2,000 people had attended their recent marches in Coatbridge
Coatbridge
Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...
.
Their former national organiser Jim Slaven is also secretary of the Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
-based James Connolly Society. Slavin was an active campaigner on behalf of the three IRA suspects sentenced in their absence to 17 years for aiding terrorists in Colombia - the Colombia Three
Colombia Three
The Colombia Three are three individuals – Niall Connolly, James Monaghan and Martin McCauley – who are currently living in the Republic of Ireland, having fled from Colombia, where they were sentenced to prison terms of seventeen years for training FARC rebels.-Arrest:The three came to...
. He was fined £350 and jailed for 14 days after refusing to pay after conviction for inciting people to attack police officers and resisting arrest in 1993 at an illegal march.
Slavin resigned from the organisation in December 2007 to pursue other opportunities outside politics.
Cairde na hÉireann split from the West of Scotland Band Alliance
West Of Scotland Band Alliance
The West of Scotland Band Alliance', are the oldest Republican marching organisation in Scotland formed in 1979. They march to promote the establishment of a 32 County Socialist Republic of Ireland. The band alliance regularly organise events to commemorate Irish republicans who have died in the...
(WoSBA) in 2006. The WoSBA are now considered as a Dissident Irish Republican Supporters and it is not a recognised organisation in the eyes of Sinn Féin, The Republican Party of Ireland.
In their first official statement to An Phoblacht
An Phoblacht
An Phoblacht is the official newspaper of Sinn Féin in Ireland. It is published once a month, and according to its website sells an average of up to 15,000 copies every month and was the first Irish paper to provide an edition online and currently having in excess of 100,000 website hits per...
(Republican News, Sinn Féin's official monthly press release) Cairde na hÉireann have said that their main aim is to concentrate on building a political base that would prove itself in the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
.
They are organised throughout Scotland and northern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. They have demonstrations and marches all over Scotland and use these events as a platform to spread their pro-Irish nationalist message.
Marches
The organisation has been involved in discussions with the Scottish Executive over proposals to restrict and regulate marches in Scotland. Slavin was quoted as saying "I think vetoes and banning marches is not the solution, I think dialogue is a solution and coming to an understanding" .A Cairde na hÉireann march in Glasgow on 21 January 2006 attracted police criticism. The parade was delayed for 30 minutes "as, contrary to permission conditions, there were groups dressed in paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
-style clothing". In addition, concerning protests during the parade, Strathclyde Police
Strathclyde Police
Strathclyde Police is the territorial police force responsible for the Scottish council areas of Argyll and Bute, City of Glasgow, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and West...
stated "Many of those taking part in the procession clearly antagonised the protesters" .
In October 2006, a Cairde na hÉireann march was banned from going through Ayr
Ayr
Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...
by South Ayrshire Council after police complaints. It was reported the march was banned after last year’s procession when marchers produced banners declaring “justice for Peter McBride”, in reference to a man killed in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
by Ayr soldier James Fisher. They also distributed posters informing the people of Ayr they should be ashamed to have a murderer living among them. Ayr MSP Phil Gallie
Phil Gallie
Philip Roy Gallie was a British politician who served as a Conservative Member of Parliament for Ayr from 1992 to 1997 and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the South of Scotland region from 1999 to 2007...
, who opposed the march, said: “I feel that justice has been done here because this group basically lied to the police last year and therefore cannot be trusted. We simply can’t have people slating our own servicemen and women on their own doorstep .”