Republican Youth confronts British Secretary of State over prisoners

Members of Sinn Féin and SF Republican Youth confronted British Secretary of State Owen Paterson as he left the Institute of International and European Affairs. Protesters called for the release of Marian Price and Martin Corey, both of whom have been imprisoned without trial on the word of Paterson.

Armagh SFRY campaign on youth unemployment and emigration

Members of Sinn Féin Republican Youth (SFRY) in Armagh recently held a leaflet drop in Armagh City to highlight the lack of opportunity for young people in the area. Their activism is part of Sinn Féin Republican Youth’s new national campaign entitled "No Jobs, No Future, No Way!"

Members of Armagh SFRY

Urging young republicans to make their voices heard and to join in with the campaign chair of SFRY in Armagh, Blaine McCartney, said: “Armagh, like other places across Ireland, has been badly affected by rising youth unemployment and also by high levels of emigration of young people to countries such as Australia and Canada.

“The next few weeks will see many people graduating from Irish Universities and it is a sad prospect that many of these highly skilled and educated young people will have no option but to go abroad to look for work.

“Armagh has suffered economically recently with the closure of HCL Technologies Call Centre which employed hundreds of people from across Armagh city and district. This major blow, coupled with the closure of three retail shops within recent weeks has led me to call on all young people to get involved with this campaign to help beat rising youth unemployed and emigration and have your voice heard!”

SFRY across the country and in Armagh want to raise the profile of youth issues such as emigration and to create new job opportunities and to put an end to the possibility of losing a generation of talented young people.

For more information on Sinn Féin Republican Youth or the “No Jobs, No Future, No Way Campaign go to www.republicanyouth.ie or contact Armagh Sinn Féin on 028 37511797

East and South Tyrone launch National Youth Campaign - "No Jobs, No Future, NO WAY!"

East and South Tyrone members of Sinn Féin Óige Phoblachtach launched the National Campaign “No Jobs, No Future, NO WAY!” recently. The youth wing of Sinn Féin have been campaigning and raising awareness of the very important issue of youth unemployment and emigration and launched their campaign in Stormont last week. This campaign will continue to be rolled out amongst the 32 counties in the following weeks and will involve online engagement, public surveys, leaflet handouts and lobbying of local councillors and MLA’s.

Members of Sinn Féin Óige Phoblachtach with Michelle O'Neill MLA, Bronwyn McGahan MLA, and local councillors Mickey Gillespie and Pádraig Quinn.

Sinn Féin National Youth Committee member, Álanna Campbell said, “Youth unemployment is a major concern at the moment and it can affect any person, regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender and so on. It is widespread throughout our 32 counties and we have to do something about it. Sinn Féin Óige Phoblachtach recognises this as a problem which is especially relevant to young people and we feel that it is important to not only raise awareness of this issue, but to actively campaign for changes and to make a difference. In East and South Tyrone, Sinn Féin Óige Phoblachtach will be working alongside our local public representatives in order to make that difference. Launching the campaign is not the end of our work, Sinn Féin and Sinn Féin Óige Phoblachtach will be tirelessly working to achieve job creation and changes in policy which will help this. Sinn Féin is a party for the people, and now, the people need jobs, so this is exactly what we will strive to achive! A whole generation should not have to suffer and youth issues and job creation should be at the forefront of the clár in both the Dáil and Stormont.”

Remembering Joe McDonnell

This coming Sunday (July 8th) will mark the 31st anniversary of IRA volunteer Joe McDonnell. A series of commemorative events have been organised by the Lenadoon Commemoration Committee to take place this weekend.

Urging young republicans to attend, chair of the Máiread Farrell youth committee Eoin McShane Said;

“The story of Joe McDonnell is one of a highly-politicised republican revolutionary soldier who valued his commitment to oppose the occupying armed forces of Britain more than his own life. On May 9th 1981 Joe became the fourth IRA volunteer to join the hunger-strike for political status – replacing his close friend and comrade Bobby Sands. Like myself Joe was born and reared in the Falls Road area of West Belfast before moving to Andersonstown with his wife Goretti where they lived in a house in the lower Lenadoon area.

As an active republican prior to his arrest in October 1976, Joe was a very popular & respected man who was considered to be a deep-thinking individual with a gentle, happy go-lucky personality. He was regarded as a highly capable Volunteer who did what he had to and never talked about it afterwards.

His sheer determination and commitment to the struggle never altered. This was best demonstrated when he was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment, along with 3 other IRA volunteers, for possession of a single revolver. He joined the blanket protest without question and refused to be criminalised by the prison authorities, seeing his family only after he commenced his hunger strike.

In June 1981, Joe narrowly missed out on election to the Free State government for the Sligo/Leitrim consitiuency, being only 315 votes short of the quota. Despite the disappointment, the impact of the election both inside and outside the H-Blocks was huge.

In the early hours of July 8th 1981, Óglach Joe McDonnell, after 61 agonising days without food, died rather than be criminalised by the british establishment.

31 years on and in the same streets of Belfast where Joe grew up republicanism is as strong as ever. Like myself, hundreds of other young republican activists across Ireland, draw a great deal of inspiration and motivation from great republican revolutionaries like Joe McDonnell”.

Lenadoon Commemoration Committee – Joe McDonnell Weekend of Events

Football & Hurling Juvenile Tournament, Saturday 7th July, 11am – 2pm, Lamb Dhearg GAA Club

8-a-Side Soccer Tournament, 2pm – 5pm, Lenadoon Pitches

Wreath lying ceremony, 7pm @ Roddys. Main Speaker – Raymond McCartney MLA. Followed by a function featuring ‘Killashandra’

White line picket, 1pm @ Connolly House

The Mairéad Farrell Youth Committee would encourage all young republicans to support these events.

Republican Youth calls for immediate release of Marian Price

Members of Republican Youth with Dublin Sinn Féin councillors Anthony Connaghan and Larry O'Toole

Members of Dublin Republican Youth along with Sinn Féin and elected councillors held a picket outside Dublin City Hall earlier today. The picket called on Dublin City Council to support a motion calling for the immediate and unconditional release of seriously ill prisoner Marian Price.

Speaking outside City Hall earlier, Dublin Republican Youth activist Mick Farrell said:

“The continued imprisonment of Marian price is a disgrace. The charges brought against her in May 2011 when she was arrested have been dismissed. She poses no danger to anybody and is in serious ill health.

“It's time Justice Minister David Ford and British Secretary of State Owen Patterson began moves to have her released immediately and unconditionally.”

Marian Price was arrested in May 2011 but all charges were dismissed. She has been granted bail on subsequent charges but British Secretary of State Owen Patterson revoked her license and because of this she remains imprisoned. On 22 May, following pressure from Sinn Féin, she was moved from Hydebank Prison to a Belfast hospital due to deteriorating health.

Members of Dublin Republican Youth at the picket outside City Hall this afternoon

"No Jobs, No Future. No Way!"

  

MLA’s have given a warm welcome to the launch of Sinn Féin Republican Youth’s "No Jobs, No Future, No Way!" campaign. The campaign was launched today at Stormont and will be rolled out over the 32 Counties in the coming weeks. 

Newly appointed MLA for South Armagh, Megan Fearon, who is also the youngest MLA in the assembly said:

"I applaud Republican Youth for launching this campaign. This is an incredibly difficult time to be young in Ireland. It is the touchstone issue for young people, and it’s unfortunately nearly a daily occurrence to hear of someone either losing a job, or heading abroad to look for a job. This is an intolerable situation and Republican Youth are organising a campaign to effect change in national policy, north and south, to put the priorities of young people on the political agenda. As a young person who has seen many of my friends forced to leave their families, their friends and their home country in search of work, I know all too well what a lack of action on youth unemployment can do. Without a serious youth jobs plan we are in danger of losing a generation of talented young people to emigration. We need to make youth unemployment a priority and we need to beat emigration. Sinn Féin has the proposals and the political will to make this a reality.

Members of SFRY outside Stormont with Sinn Féin MLAs

"The campaign will involve on the street demonstrations, online engagement and campaigning and solid concrete proposals from Sinn Fein for a change in policy to address youth unemployment and emigration. I wish Republican Youth every success with the campaign and call on all young people to get involved and play their part."

See also: New youth campaign against unemployment and emigration - An Phoblacht