Éirígí
Encyclopedia
Éirígí (ˈeːɾʲiːɟiː or ˈaɪɾʲiːɟiː) is a socialist
republican
political party in Ireland
. It was formed by a small group of former Sinn Féin
activists in Dublin in April 2006 as a political campaigns group. On 12 May 2007, at the party's first Ardfheis (conference), its members voted to become a full-fledged political party, and at its 2009 conference passed a motion to register as a political party in the Republic of Ireland
. Since March 2010, the party has been registered to contest local elections only. The party Chairman is currently Brian Leeson. Breandán Mac Cionnaith
was elected General Secretary in May 2009.
The party name, "Éirígí", means "rise" in the second person plural imperative in Irish
and is a reference to a quote from the Irish trade union
leader, Jim Larkin
: "The great appear great to us only because we are on our knees; let us rise!" It also refers to the Irish for 'Easter Rising' (Éirí Amach na Cásca). In 2009, it gained its first local councillors when two former Sinn Féin
councillors, Dungannon
councillor Barry Monteith and Dublin city councillor
Louise Minihan, joined the organisation.
withdrawal from Northern Ireland
and the establishment of a 32-county
republic
based on democratic socialist
principles. Established in 2006, shortly before the 90th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising
, Éirígí was originally set up as a Dublin-based campaigns group. Éirígí has participated in a range of campaigns including Shell to Sea
and Reclaim the Republic which involved the organisation distributing 60,000 1916 Proclamations nationwide.
The twentieth Independent Monitoring Commission
report said the group was "a small political grouping based on revolutionary socialist principles". While it continues to be a political association, albeit with aggressive protest activities, it was not seen as paramilitary in nature.
for Belfast City Council
, the party stood in the Lower Falls and Upper Falls electoral areas
, receiving over 2,000 first preference votes (10% plus). No councillors were elected there however. Barry Monteith was re-elected to Dungannon council, topping the poll.
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
republican
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...
political party in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It was formed by a small group of former Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
activists in Dublin in April 2006 as a political campaigns group. On 12 May 2007, at the party's first Ardfheis (conference), its members voted to become a full-fledged political party, and at its 2009 conference passed a motion to register as a political party in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Since March 2010, the party has been registered to contest local elections only. The party Chairman is currently Brian Leeson. Breandán Mac Cionnaith
Brendan McKenna
Brendan McKenna is an Irish politician and a prominent residents' group leader. He is the General Secretary of éirígí, a socialist republican party, and was previously an adviser to Sinn Féin members of the Northern Ireland Assembly...
was elected General Secretary in May 2009.
The party name, "Éirígí", means "rise" in the second person plural imperative in Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
and is a reference to a quote from the Irish trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
leader, Jim Larkin
James Larkin
James Larkin was an Irish trade union leader and socialist activist, born to Irish parents in Liverpool, England. He and his family later moved to a small cottage in Burren, southern County Down. Growing up in poverty, he received little formal education and began working in a variety of jobs...
: "The great appear great to us only because we are on our knees; let us rise!" It also refers to the Irish for 'Easter Rising' (Éirí Amach na Cásca). In 2009, it gained its first local councillors when two former Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
councillors, Dungannon
Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council
Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council is a local council in Northern Ireland. Its main town is Dungannon, where the council is headquartered. The council area covers the southern part of County Tyrone and has a population of nearly 48,000...
councillor Barry Monteith and Dublin city councillor
Dublin City Council
Dublin City Council is the local authority for the city of Dublin in Ireland. It has 52 members and is the largest local authority in Ireland. Until 2001, it was known as Dublin Corporation.-Legal status:...
Louise Minihan, joined the organisation.
Aims
The party seeks a BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
withdrawal from 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...
and the establishment of a 32-county
United Ireland
A united Ireland is the term used to refer to the idea of a sovereign state which covers all of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. The island of Ireland includes the territory of two independent sovereign states: the Republic of Ireland, which covers 26 counties of the island, and the...
republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
based on democratic socialist
Democratic socialism
Democratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation...
principles. Established in 2006, shortly before the 90th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
, Éirígí was originally set up as a Dublin-based campaigns group. Éirígí has participated in a range of campaigns including Shell to Sea
Shell to Sea
Shell to Sea is a campaign based in Cill Chomáin parish, Erris, County Mayo, Ireland which opposes the proposed construction of a natural gas pipeline through the parish and the ongoing construction by Royal Dutch Shell, Statoil and Vermilion Energy Trust of a refinery at Bellanaboy intended to...
and Reclaim the Republic which involved the organisation distributing 60,000 1916 Proclamations nationwide.
The twentieth Independent Monitoring Commission
Independent Monitoring Commission
The Independent Monitoring Commission was an organization founded on 7 January 2004, by an agreement between the British and Irish governments, signed in Dublin on 25 November 2003...
report said the group was "a small political grouping based on revolutionary socialist principles". While it continues to be a political association, albeit with aggressive protest activities, it was not seen as paramilitary in nature.
Emblem
For its emblem, the party uses a green star as it incorporates both the national colour of Ireland and the international symbol of socialist struggle. The full national colours of the Irish state are achieved when the green star is combined with the word éirígí in the colour orange (signifying the cultural identity of some of Ireland's Protestants) set on to a white background.Elections
In the May 2011 electionsNorthern Ireland local elections, 2011
The most recent Northern Ireland local government elections took place on Thursday 5 May 2011.European Union and Commonwealth citizens who were aged 18 or over on election day were entitled to vote...
for Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
, the party stood in the Lower Falls and Upper Falls electoral areas
Electoral wards of Belfast
The electoral wards of Belfast are subdivisions of the city, used primarily for statistics and elections. Belfast has had 51 wards since May 1973, which were revised in May 1985 and again in May 1993...
, receiving over 2,000 first preference votes (10% plus). No councillors were elected there however. Barry Monteith was re-elected to Dungannon council, topping the poll.