éirígí Tir Chonaill

The following opinion piece, written by Tommy McKearney, deals with the causes of todays current calamity in the Twenty-Six Counties. Tommy McKearney is a former member of the IRA who now works as an organiser with the Independent Workers Union and as a freelance journalist.

It is the System That's Wrong

(English version follows)

Ciorraithe ar leasa shóisialta, an íosphá íslithe, cúram sláinte laghdaithe agus cánacha cruálacha brúite ar an té is boichte san sochaí, chomh maith le h-ualach pionóis eile curtha ar shaoránaithe mhí-ámharacha na tíre míchothroime seo. Agus an scrios seo go léir déanta ag rialtas éillitheach le híoc ar son rabairneacht agus fiacha cearrbhachais lucht rachmais na tíre. Tháinig siad le chéile: baincéirí atá neamhfhreagrach go coiriúil, amhantraithe cama tithíochta agus aicme rialaithe míchóir, le hÉirinn a laghdú go staid spleáchais eacnamaíochta chomh domhain agus nach bhfacas a leithéid ó d’fhág na Dúchrónaigh.

Tá cathú mór ann an méar a shíniú i dtreo daoine aonaracha agus aird a tharraingt ar liosta éagóraithe atá cionntach as an t-uafas seo a tharraingt anuas ar na daoine. D’fhéadfaidh cás a dhéanamh ar son foirm éigin aisíocaíochta a éileamh ó na caimiléirí agus na bithiúnaigh a ghoid an chéad bhlas ariamh, leis na céadta bliain, a fuair muintir na hÉireann don rathúnas.

Cé gurbh fhurast tuigbhéal go nglacfaidh dearcadh mar sin, bheadh sé mícheart díriú isteach ar na daoine a rinne oiread de dhroch dhamáiste dúinn. Tá an eagla ann, má dhearcann muid ar an fhadhb seo mar fhadhb a rinne daoine aonaracha, in áit dearcadh air mar thoradh dosheachanta an chórais eacnamaíochta Nua-Liobrálach, saormhargaidh, atá fabhtach go domhain, go creidfí gur féidir réiteach a fháil air tré na bithiúnaigh sin a mhalartú leis na ‘daoine cearta’.

Cheana féin tá roinnt daoine ag trácht ar Mhícheál Ó Laoire a chur i gcumhacht, leis an dóchas go bhféadfadh sé ‘tarrtháil a thabhairt ar an gheilleagar’. Tá siad tógtha leis an smaoineadh den Taoiseach Ó Laoire, tá siad den bharúil go mbeadh sé i ann an tír iomlán a iompú thart agus a dhéanamh tairbhiúil dá bharr go bhfuil sé ina bhainisteoir ar aerlíne thairbhiúil. Don am i láthair, níl in seo ach dearcadh an mhionlaigh. Mar sin féin, mar gheall ar an fháilte a chur earnáil gnó na hÉireann roimh an ionsaí a rinneadh ar oibrithe, mar a fógraíodh sa phlean ceithre-bliana, cá bhfios cad a dtabharfaidh siad tacaíocht do má theipeann (agus is cinnte go dteipfidh) ar an chéad rialtas eile na laetha órga nó an Tíogar Cheilteach a thabhairt ar ais?

Is iad na gadaithe sanntacha a thug muintir na hÉireann go dtín géarchéim anróiteach seo bunrúta na faidhbe. Ach, is é an chóras eacnamaíocht, a raibh siad féin i gceannas air, a cheadaigh dóibh na coireanna sin a dhéanamh. Tá sé tábhachtach go leanann muid ag cuir béime go bhfuil freagair ár ndeacrachtaí le fáil in athrú bhunúsach a dhéanamh ar an chóras eacnamaíocht atá againn faoi láthair. An cineál córas eacnamaíochta atá de dhith ar Éirinn nó córas a dhéanann freastail ar riachtanais gach duine sa tír agus ní amháin ar shainnt roinnt bheag daoine pribhléideacha.

Thar gach eile ní, séard atá uainn nó Poblacht Dhaonlathach Shóisialach.

It is the System That's Wrong

Social welfare cuts, the minimum wage reduced, health care diminished and cruel taxes levied upon the poorest in society and a host of other penalties imposed on the unfortunate citizens of this most distressful country. And all of this wrecking done by a degenerate government in order to pay for the extravagances and gambling debts of the country’s elite. Criminally irresponsible bankers, crooked property speculators and a corrupt governing class have combined to reduce Ireland to a state of dependency that we haven’t known since the Black and Tans departed.

It would be very tempting to individualise the problem and point to a list of miscreants who have perpetrated this outrage on the people. A case could certainly be made for demanding some form of retribution from the swindlers and charlatans who have robbed us of the first sight of prosperity the Irish have seen in centuries.

However understandable it might be to adopt this view, it would be wrong to concentrate on the personalities who have damaged us so severely. There is a risk that if we view this problem as the making of individuals as distinct from the inevitable outcome of a deeply flawed, free market, neo-liberal economic system, some may come to believe that a solution lies in replacing the reprobates with the ‘right individual’.

Already some are mooting the idea of electing Michael O’Leary to a position of power in the hope that he could ‘rescue the economy’. They are attracted by the thought of a Taoiseach O’Leary, arguing that since he is managing a profitable airline that he would be able to return the entire country to profitability. For the time being this is very much a minority view. Yet in light of the Irish business sector’s welcome for the assault on workers announced in the four-year economic plan, who knows what they might support if the next government fails (as it most surely will) to restore the glory days of the Celtic Tiger?

The greedy crooks who brought the people of Ireland to the distressful situation they currently find themselves in are the immediate cause of the calamity. It is the economic system over which they presided, though, that allowed them to perpetrate their crimes. It is important that we continue to emphasise that the answer to our difficulties lies in a fundamental change to the present economic system. Ireland’s people require an economy that serves the needs of all and not the greed of a privileged few.


Above all, we need a democratic socialist republic.