West Belfast Sinn Féin Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Cuige Uladh AGM takes place in Felons Club

Published: 17 January, 2009

In his address to the Cuige Uladh AGM on Saturday 17 January, Sean Murray, the Cuige chairperson, urged the hundreds of party activists gathered in the Felons Club, West Belfast to recognise that the cutting edge of the struggle is now located in the party.

Murray, who was re-elected to the post of Cuige chair, emphasised that the ''key challenge for us is to build a party capable of winning this struggle, a party which remains relevant to and in touch with our people, a party which is radical enough and with the essential competence, skills, professionalism and capacity to deliver freedom, justice and equality for the Irish people''.

The West Belfast republican, who was brought up in the Clonard area and who witnessed the pogroms of 1969 at first hand, reminded delegates that this year, 2009, sees the 40th anniversary of events which saw the nationalist population of the Six Counties challenge unionist domination.

''In July and August of this year we will witness the 40th Anniversary of events which defined the Orange State's response to nationalist demands for basic civil rights and which triggered the genesis of our current phase of struggle, namely the brutalisation of nationalists in Dungiven, Armagh, Coalisland, Dungannon and other towns throughout the North.

''This unionist brutality culminated in the Battle of the Bogside and the subsequent pogroms waged against the people of Clonard, the Falls and Ardoyne.''

''These are important historical and political events'', stressed Murray, ''so the Cuige will be mobilising, in conjunction with the Comhairle Ceantairs, around these events to ensure that they are commemorated while at the same time providing us with an opportunity, especially the younger generation, to reflect upon and learn the lessons of history.

''This Wednesday, 21 January, also sees the party marking the 90th Anniversary of the First Dail, a date which shares it's political significance with the first armed action carried out by the IRA against the crown forces at Soloheadbeg in County Tipperary.''

Given that party development was a core theme of his speech, Murray focused on the need for efficient internal communications and the need for an integrated strategic approach to our political objective.

''Good internal communication is a prerequisite in our efforts to build the party. Good communication is a skill, involving a two-way process of engagement aimed at disseminating information as well as allowing for feedback.''

With the forthcoming European Election very much to the fore of party activity the Cuige chair outlined the importance of ''getting the preparatory work right for the election on 4 June and starting to crank up the electoral machine.''

Concluding, Murray called on the activists present to ''collectively reflect on what we have achieved and the suffering we have endured to deliver those achievements.

''Let us rise together to meet the challenges ahead, as we build political strength as the mechanism to deliver a free, united, independent and socialist Ireland.''