As our struggle continues into another year Lasair Dhearg sends revolutionary greetings to our members and supporters across Ireland and further afield. We extend our solidarity to those people across the world who suffer at the hands of capitalism and imperialism, as well as those fighting injustice in pursuit of a better world. Furthermore, we send our support to those imprisoned for their part in this fight, here in Ireland and around the world. In particular this year we have in our thoughts the people of the Middle East, as they continue their resistance to Zionist occupation and genocide which, after 14 months in Palestine and Lebanon, is now threatening to engulf the wider region.
This year has been a pivotal one in the development of Lasair Dhearg. We have experienced substantial growth in membership, fuelled by our ongoing campaigns against both failed states in Ireland, as well as our continued support for anti-imperialist movements throughout the world.
After seven years of consolidation and growth, heavily interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, we reached the point this year where we felt confident in transitioning from a caretaker leadership to a National Executive formally elected by our membership. As such, this October saw Lasair Dhearg hold our inaugural Ard Fheis in Belfast, where our members joined with invited guests and supporters from across Ireland. The structures and policies decided upon by our membership on that day have set the foundations for our continued growth over the coming years.
Among the outcomes of the Ard Fheis was the adoption of our “Immigration, Capitalism & Imperialism in Ireland” policy. As the spectre of fascism once again rears its head here in Ireland and elsewhere, our new policy aims to provide people with evidence of the reality of immigration into Ireland, and how it is used as a tool by the combined forces of Capitalism and Imperialism to manipulate the working class. Our document sets out a comprehensive rebuttal to the right’s mountain of lies around these issues and Lasair Dhearg’s proposals for dealing with them, both in the current capitalist system and in a future Irish Socialist Republic. The culmination of approximately 18 months of research and editing, this is the most substantial work developed by our organisation so far. We believe that within Socialist Republicanism and the wider Irish ‘left’, no other critique has yet been developed that deals with these three intertwined issues in such detail.
Alongside this, our activism continued unabated, driven by our growth in membership. Whether on the streets, at protests, or through direct action, we continued to highlight and oppose the ongoing occupation of our country and those who profit from it. From our action changing road signs welcoming people to ‘Occupied Ireland’ on the Derry-Donegal border to our targeting of Spirit AeroSystems billboards in Belfast, our activism has been seen by more than 5 million people across our social media platforms this year, exposing new audiences to Lasair Dhearg’s Socialist Republican platform.
Unfortunately, the highs of our successful year of activism were brought into perspective by the immense low experienced on the tragic loss of our friend and comrade Dannielle Meighan. A founding member of Lasair Dhearg and a well-known face in the local community, Dannielle was highly respected for her deeply held beliefs and her relentless activism. Despite long struggles with illness, she was among our most active members and helped drive the establishment of ‘Israeli Goods Free Zones’ across many areas of West Belfast as part of the wider campaign against Israeli Genocide.
Like many of us, she was also a passionate anti-fascist and would never give up an opportunity to face them down. Dannielle was given a well-earned and dignified send off in September by her family, friends, neighbours and comrades. The large attendance was testament to the regard in which she was held. As we move into 2025 and beyond, Dannielle will be at the forefront of our thoughts and our activism will be driven by a desire to do her proud.
In the coming year, Lasair Dhearg will build upon the solid foundations that have been put in place. We will continue to face down fascism in our communities across Ireland and eradicate the poison that has infected many of our people. These people have been enabled by those in the Western establishment, including the British government, and European Union and United States imperialists who for so long have exploited our country, culturally, politically and financially. Their landlords, businessmen and politicians across Ireland have driven our people to the edge, so that we now have a situation where to have a secure home is increasingly seen as an unattainable luxury. This cannot be allowed to continue.
Our thoughts can now turn to the task we have been assigned – the rebuilding of Irish Republicanism. The Republican movement finds itself in a quagmire, the likes of which it has not faced for many, many decades. Treacherous constitutional nationalists, hand in hand with their British paymasters, have co-opted the Movement, alongside the knowledge, expertise and resources built up over many years by principled and dedicated Republicans.
While these people bend the knee to our enemies, our generation has instead dedicated itself to learning from the mistakes of the past and once again building, from the ground up, a Movement fit for the future. This process has already begun; we hope that 2025 will see Lasair Dhearg, alongside other like-minded comrades from other organisations and none, make further strides towards this goal.
In building this Movement we will place ourselves at the forefront of opposition to imperialism, British or otherwise. When our task is complete, Ireland will be free from the plough to the stars.
Onwards to the Socialist Republic.
Beirigí bua! Bígí Linn. Join us.
