Outgoing National Organiser's Report - Barry McColgan

I would like to thank everyone for travelling to the 2009 Ógra Shinn Féin National Congress here in the heartland of republican West Belfast, second only to the number one heartland West Tyrone, young republicans from as far away as Cork and the Shortstrand, and I would like to extend the warmest welcome to our International Comrades from the Basque Country.



The young activists of Segi have shown enormous strenght and resilience in the face of brutal torture by the French and Spanish states, they have been outlawed, censored, deemed terrorists, yet they stand here proud with us today.

The occupying forces target them so much, arresting and imprisoning their activists because they fear them, they fear the future, a free egalitarian Basque Country. Welcome comrades.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who I have worked with over the past number of years as National Organiser.

I want to commend all of the cumann and activists who have dedicated so much of their time and effort to build Ógra into the movement it is today, continuing the upward growth, professionalism of the most active youth movement in Ireland.

I want to particularly commend my good friend and comrade Johnny McGibbon who assisted me greatly in my role, and has been a pivotal figure at a national, regional and local level. For being an inspiration, a constant support and dedicated leader and activist within Ógra despite many local responsibilities as a councillor, and Sinn Féin Upper Bann Organiser, while also trying to juggle a university degree and pretend to have a social life.

I have said it many times in the past, if we had more activists, as rounded, not in the physical sense, then we would be free by now. Johnny understandably will be stepping down from the national executive, but will continue to play a key role in the future development of Ógra in Upper Bann and Uladh. At this point, I would like everyone to join me in a buaileadh bos for Johnny.

In my 9 years as an Ógra activist I have met hundreds of young republicans, and have been struck by their dedication, intelligence, majority eager and willing to play their part in freeing our country and creating a better society for all of us.
Many of those young people are now leaders of our struggle.

Toireasa Ferris, Eoin O'Broin, Pearse Doherty, Daithi McKay, Matt Carthy, Charlene O'Hara and David Cullinane, not to mention the many other young republican activists who have cut their teeth in Ógra, and now play a leading role in building the party behind the scenes.
I have been struck by their ability, humility but most importantly comradeship.

Comradeship, friendship, a sense of respect for eachother, for our differences as young people, and difference of opinion. That is what sets us apart from all the other status quo parties, who are driven by ego, individualism, careerism and backstabbing.

Republicans are defined by our comradeship, our openness and honesty, by the close bonds we form, the support we offer one another, and the lifelong friendships that endure.

Ógra provides that necessary forum for Sinn Féin, where young republicans can come together to strike up those lasting friendships, share and debate the ideas that will shape our future, and harnass the activists who will lead us to and in a United Ireland. I believe in this, and have experienced all that is good about Ógra at first hand.

I also believe that for Ógra to continue to grow and prosper, like the recent spurt of growth, with Fermanagh, Coalisland/Clonoe, Kerry and South Tyrone Ógra forming in the space of one week, then activists should continue to play an active role in Ógra as activists as long as they can and thereafter as mentors.

I think this has been a failing of ours in the past, that some activists get to a certain age and feel they are too good, or too important than younger activists, or some simply prioritise other projects deeming the youth project and Ógra as less important.

That attitude is completely wrong, and in my opinion goes against the ethos of republicanism, every activist and cumann should see it as their role to not only recruit but also develop younger activists. Without youth coming through their is no struggle. While some ground has been made in recent times on dismantling this mindset, we need to continually oppose this flawed mentality until it is blown out of the water.

We are a regeneration body for Sinn Féin, and a training ground for activists and future leadership, if each activist prioritise building the youth project, building Ógra and the college cumann, if each activists give that commitment, I believe we would be producing alot more activists.

People like Liam Lappin, Eddie Gallagher, John McDermott, and Colm O'Mordha are examples of activists who where involved in Ógra when I joined and are still utilising their skills, and experience to push Ógra and the colleges forward today.

And me, I'm not going anywhere, with your blessing I will be assuming a national finance role for Ógra and will continue to be an activist until I am 29, and a mentor, supporter and advocate thereafter.

Another common misconception or myth, is that Ógra are somehow a separate body, absolute nonsense. The majority of Ógra activists play an active and leading role in their local cumann, I am chair of Billy Reid Sinn Féin in Omagh, Barry McNally is chair of the Frank Ward Sinn Féin cumann in the centre of the universe, aka Carrickmore and Johnny McGibbon is organiser of Upper Bann, not to mention the many Ógra members who stood in the last 26 County local elections.

Far from being a separate body, we are an integral part of Sinn Féin and very proud of that.

I have been honoured over the past 3 and half years to lead Ógra, and I honestly believe that the team of dedicated activists I have been working with have transformed Ógra as an organisation, making it more fit for purpose, and constantly striving to professionalise our operation, for example the recent drive to put over 100 young activists through child protection, or the innovative online promotion of Ógra, through our many websites, social networks, and YouTube are but an example.

But more importantly and where it matters, on the streets or across the countryside where we have increased our campaigning, providing imaginative and larger displays of solidarity at demonstrations on Palestine, Anti Fees, the Mass Trade Union Protests and Hungerstrike, and leading on issues like Suicide Prevention and Drug and Alcohol Abuse by producing many innovative short films and organising workshops and public talks on these vital issues. And channeling young people into community groups, to play an active role in empowering their peers and community.

The party need to prioritise youth and assist Ógra and the college cumann. The same position we have on opposing the cuts on student fees, because we believe in a knowledge economy and see it as an investment in the future, needs also to be supported and applied internal to Sinn Féin.

Any assistance, resources and finance for Ógra should be seen as a sound investment in the future. The same message we are giving to the Free State government, is the same we need to be enacting internally, less lipservice to youth and more investment.

That is not to negate our responsibility as young people to stand on our own feet, far from it, any drip fed attitude is wrong, we need to fundraise intensively, and if need be look to fund a number of positions, and various projects and events. Everyone needs to weigh in behind fundraising and I would ask that everyone steps up their efforts in the year ahead. We need to get back to basics, be more proactive in fundraising, and remember that we are not going to be able to operate effectively without money.

So clearly I'm not saying that the party alone fund Ógra, but they must play a part in it, and an important one at that.

To conclude my remarks, I would like to wish my successor, Donnchadh O'Laoighaire, a proud Cork muck savage, all the best. Donnchadh is an outstanding activist and individual, and has a proven track record at organisation, playing a key role in last years very successful National Congress in Cork, and building the 3 Ógra cumann in Cork. His dedication, strong republican politics, deep analytical mind and great ability to get on with everyone will keep him and Ógra in good stead and good hands for as long as his tenure. And even though he's not from Tyrone, I have every confidence in Donnchadh that he will take Ógra to another level, and make it the youth movement that we all know it can be.

Again, thanks to everyone for being supportive and working with me over the past number of years, I look forward to plaquing you's all in the year ahead for money, and thanks to everyone for travelling to be here this weekend, lets use this National Congress to assess the past year, to discuss and debate our struggle and plot the course for the year ahead.

In this the 100th Anniversary since the foundation of Na Fianna, let us commit ourselves to a productive and successful year, using the young Fians as inspiration to further growth of Ógra and more progress in our struggle to freedom.

Onwards to the Socialist Republic!