Friday, May 08, 2009

RADIO REBEL GAEL's Musical Brother of Another Mother

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RADIO REBEL GAEL PaddyCast # 37 -- Musical Brother of Another Mother

This PaddyCast is dedicated to music from all over the world, whose music has been infuenced by Irish music, or Irish artists whose tunes have been influenced by music whose origins stem from locations far from the shores of Ireland, showing the International nature of Celtic diddly dee !

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DUE TO TECHINICAL ISSUES with Server, you’ll have to listen to the show directly at the link below:

  • Radio Rebel Gael



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    Featuring all of the finest Irish Rebel Rhythm, Paddy Punk, Celtic Hip Hop and Celtic Rock & Reel by the Zyde Punks, The Tossers, Dancin’ Knuckles, Black 47, Seanchai & The Unity Squad, The Bare Knuckle Boxers, No Good Nix, Bible Code Sundays, The Popes, JD & The Longfellows, Neck, The Ballymun Bootboys, The Gentlemen, Collie, Rob Kelly, The Greenland Whalefishers and much more !

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  • Radio Rebel Gael



  • yeah hes

  • Radio Rebel Gael


  • And to download the Show for your I-Pod , just go to this archives page and click on the link there:


  • Radio Rebel Gael

  • Report of 14th Annual FlanneryAwards Dinner

    2009 Michael Flannery Testimonial Awards Dinner Report

    http://irishfreedom.net/




    The 14th Annual Michael Flannery Testimonial Awards Dinner, held by Cumann Na Saoirse Náisíunta (National Irish Freedom Committee) on Saturday, April 25th at Connolly’s Restaurant, was a great success. Attendees enjoyed a fine evening of traditional Irish music, plentiful hot hors d'oeuvres, open bar (including at least 15 beers on tap), a delicious buffet dinner plus inspiring speeches and lively conversation. The evening was enhanced by fabulous warm and sunny weather and a Times Square Manhattan location.

    Traditional Irish music was provided by the always incredible Mary Courtney on vocals and guitar, along with Pio Ryan on banjo and Gerry Enright on bodhrán. The trio entertained the packed room with a great mix of lively reels, jigs and ballads which was enjoyed by young and old alike.

    Master of Ceremonies Brian Mór Ó Baoighill gave the official welcome to the crowd. He gave get well wishes to a recuperating John McDonagh, who is typically Brian’s co-MC. Brian also spoke of Republicans who passed away during the past year and asked for a moment of silence in their honor.

    Brian then introduced Darryl Levey, who read a statement from the Republican prisoners in Maghaberry Prison:

    “We, the Republican Prisoners in Maghaberry Gaol wish to express our gratitude for your support over the past number of years.

    Since the signing of the Stormont Agreement our former comrades in the Provos have ensured that we are denied the right to be recognised as political prisoners. This refusal has been fought for tooth and nail by Republican Prisoners, both past and present.

    In 2003 Republican prisoners endured a dirty protest for segregation and political status. Segregation was eventually gained, much to the annoyance of the Prison Officers' Association in the Six Counties and the British administration. Again in 2006 Republican prisoners embarked upon a protest for better conditions. This protest was suspended in 2007 after successfully securing a number of changes.

    After the protest was suspended we made it clear that the status quo would not be tolerated for another three years. With suspending the protest, we made it clear that our protest could be reactivated at a time of our choosing.

    With this in mind we must ask you, the people of the United States, to continue the good work which you have conducted on our behalf to highlight our plight to the outside world. Without you – the true inheritors of the Republican ideal – the voice of the Prisoners would go unheard.

    You have been a great inspiration to us all, and we send our thanks and appreciation for your work”

    Mike Costello then spoke briefly about an ardent supporter, Martin Griffin, who has been a prolific contributor to our website with essays and book reviews. Martin has been ill recently and unfortunately was not able to attend the dinner. Mike thanked Martin for his hard work and commended his indomitable spirit. Martin will be presented with an official tribute from the organization in the near future.

    Tiokasin Ghosthorse of the Lakota Nation spoke of the historic connection between the Gael and the Native American, mentioning the support given to the people of Ireland by the Lakota people during the great starvation. Tiokasin gave a blessing of the food in his native tongue and played a native tune on the flute.

    After dinner, Jane Enright introduced Pat Sullivan who spoke passionately about our late member and friend John Costelloe, who passed away last December. Pat spoke of his long friendship and FDNY working relationship with John. He told the crowd that John was the first fireman he met on the job who was not only aware of James Connolly but could quote passages from Connolly’s Labour in Irish History. Pat spoke of John’s commitment to socialism, social justice and republicanism. It was a touching tribute to John. Pat and Jane presented a memorial plaque to John’s father, Michael Costelloe, on behalf of Cumann Na Saoirse Náısıúnta.

    Next, Maggie introduced Sandy Boyer and presented him with the 2009 Sr. Sarah Clarke Human Rights Award. Sandy has been a life-long human rights activist. He has lead many campaigns to free Irish political prisoners including the Guildford 4, Birmingham 6, and Róisín McAliskey. He has taught Irish politics and history and has contributed articles on the Irish struggle to publications in Ireland and the U.S. Sandy has been co-host of Radio Free Éireann, along with John McDonagh, on WBAI radio (99.5FM) in New York City for many years.

    Sandy spoke about the plight of Republican prisoners, in particular, mentioning the ongoing cases in America of the Malachy McAllister family and Pól Brennan. Sandy finished by saying “if each of us in the activist community could do just a little more, then next year we will have something to be very proud of.”

    Maggie Trainor then read a statement from Bernadette Devlin McAliskey which included this stirring assessment of Sandy Boyer: “In fact, contrary to the brash egotistical and opportunistic revisionism currently writing the script of Irish- American relationships, the real history of the hard work and shared effort to raise in the USA awareness, consciousness (not the same thing) solidarity and support in the Irish progressive struggle, within the context of international progressive context, within the human rights context, within the context of anti-imperialism, anti-racism and anti-sectarianism cannot be written without Sandy Boyer’s name appearing right through it like a piece of seaside rock.” Regarding all the campaigns on which Sandy has worked, Bernadette said, “…very little happened without his quiet unassuming but steady hand on the backroom business of making it all work.”

    Brian Mór then introduced Mary Costello and presented her with the 2009 Pearl Flannery Humanities Award. Mary was born in Birmingham of Irish parents who were forced to leave Belfast in the 1930’s due to the Orange Order pogroms in the British occupied six Irish counties. Mary has been prominent in the campaign to promote the Eire Nua program and with the distribution of Saoirse in the United States. Mary and her family have also been involved in campaigns to support dependants of Irish political prisoners in Long Kesh and other British prisons.

    Mary spoke eloquently of her family’s experiences facing brutality, sectarianism, and pogroms in the six occupied counties. She closed by accepting her award on behalf of all the Nationalist women in the six counties who, in the face of it all, kept their families together and instilled a great grá in their culture and nation of birth.

    The final award -- the 2009 Michael Flannery Spirit of Freedom Award -- was presented to Liam Ó Murchadha by Brian Mór. Liam is a long time activist in the cause of Irish freedom and is a strong proponent of the Éire Nua federal solution for Ireland. He has written many articles and essays on Irish and Irish American history, specifically, on the role of the Fenian Movement in America. Brian called Liam “the very definition of a Fenian.”

    Liam spoke of his long friendship with Michael Flannery beginning at an Easter commemoration in 1966. He stated that following the Adams led abandonment of republicanism in 1986; Flannery felt it was time for a new organization to preserve -- in America -- the principles of 1916. He convened a meeting of seven men at his house, including the late George Harrison and Joe Stynes, and formed Cumann Na Saoirse Náisíunta. Liam told the crowd that Michael Flannery’s steadfast Republicanism should inspire us all to settle for no less than the full goal of a united and independent Ireland.

    Des Dalton, Vice President of Republican Sinn Fein, addressed the crowd via telephone from Ireland: "Irish history since 1921 has witnessed a series of agreements culminating in the St. Andrews of 2006. The point about this is that none of them have produced a lasting settlement because none of them have addressed the cause of the conflict in Ireland which is the ongoing British occupation. What we have gotten has been a cycle of armed resistance followed by an agreement followed by yet further resistance and yet another agreement. The nature of British rule in Ireland has not changed, be it in the 21st century or in the 20th or 19th or, for that matter, for over 800 years of British occupation of Ireland.”

    Dalton continued: “We believe that there is an alternative to the St Andrews Agreement. We believe that the Eire Nua proposal provides for a viable and realistic framework for building a new Ireland” and “substituting the name of Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter, for the common name of Irish men.”

    He also spoke about the U.S policy of visa denial to proponents of Eire Nua and the current political situation in Ireland including the abusive raids by the RUC/PSNI and the detentions of Republicans who do not support the so-called agreements imposed by the British government. Des ended his remarks by thanking those in America who continue to support true Republicanism.

    Brian Wardlow then spoke about the importance of continuing to fight against the U.S. visa denial policy. Wardlow stated that “The Eire Nua program was a threat to the status quo because Eire Nua provides for real access to power all the way to the local level. He added that the Irish Republican movement in the U.S. will be shouldered by a new generation, who will seek the guidance of our predecessors in the promotion of Eire Nua.

    Brian Mór thanked Tomas O Coisdealbha for his work with the popular Fenian Graves project that features memorials to former activists who took part in the Irish freedom struggle and who spent some time here in the United States (see www.irishfreedom.net). He also reminded the crowd that this weekend marks the 94th anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian Genocide, which occurred when two million Armenians living in Turkey were eliminated from their historic homeland through forced deportations and massacres resulting in the deaths of at least half a million Armenians.

    Brian wrapped up the evening with a thank you to the crowd for attending the dinner and making it a great success.

    www.irishfreedom.net
    _________________
    Cumann Na Saoirse Náısıúnta
    National Irish Freedom Committee
    http://www.irishfreedom.net/

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    Monday, May 04, 2009

    Chicago Hunger Strike Commemoration Committee, 2009

    Chicago Hunger Strike Commemoration Committee, 2009

    All IRSCNA members are encouraged to attend. The 2009 IRSCNA Ard Fheis
    will be the following day in Chicago. If anyone needs help with
    accommodations, let me know.

    Colm
    ------------ --

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    CONTACT:
    Chicago Hunger Strike Commemoration Committee

    Colm Mistéil - Chairman
    Deirdre Fennessy, Irish Freedom Committee (Chicago Cumann)
    TJ O Conchúir, Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America
    http://www.wemustbe united.com

    CHICAGO, IL – April 20th, 2009


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    Twenty-eight years ago, ten brave men stunned the world by their agonizing
    deaths on Hunger Strike in Long Kesh jail in Ireland. Seven political
    prisoners allied to the Irish Republican Army, and three representing the
    Irish National Liberation Army, sacrificed their lives to expose injustice
    and brutality in British jails and to restore Political Status to their
    imprisoned comrades. These ten martyrs, united in cause and principle
    under different factions of Irish Republicanism, left an unfulfilled
    legacy of strength in unity to Irish Republicans today

    In 2009, the Chicago Hunger Strike Commemoration Committee will again
    gather together in unity to pay homage to the memories of the ten H-Block
    Martyrs, who gave their lives in the fight for political status in the
    H-Blocks of Long Kesh 28 years ago.

    Please join us on Saturday, June 6th at the Abbey Pub, 3420 W Grace,
    Chicago IL. We are pleased welcome Ray Collins, formerly of Belfast, as
    our guest speaker and musical performer. During the Hunger Strikes of 1980
    and 1981 Ray visited the prisoners, played numerous benefit gigs, and
    embarked on speaking tours in Britain and Europe to highlight the struggle
    for Political Status by Irish political prisoners in the H Blocks of Long
    Kesh and Armagh women's prison.

    The Chicago Hunger Strike Commemoration Committee was founded in 2006 to
    commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 1981 H-Block Hunger Strike. In the
    spirit of Theobald Wolfe Tone, who sought to unite “Catholic, Protestant
    and Dissenter”; in acknowledgement of the leadership of the Easter 1916
    Rising, which united disparate Republican forces against the might of
    Britain’s army; and most especially in the memory of the 1981 hunger
    strikers, who died united in protest inside the H-Blocks of Long Kesh; The
    Chicago Hunger Strike Commemoration Committee will do our part in unity to
    pay respectful homage to the legacy of ten brave men who sacrificed all
    for Ireland. We are a diverse group of Republicans from the Irish Freedom
    Committee, Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America, as well
    as independent Republicans. All involved are devoted to the pursuit of a
    United and Sovereign 32 County Socialist Irish Republic, free of British
    military and administrative rule; and to the support of the families of
    Irish Republican political prisoners.

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    For more information call 708-655-2078, 312- 560-9311 or visit our website
    at www.wemustbeunited.com


    --
    Colm Mistéil
    Irish Republican Socialist Movement
    North American Coordinating Committee Member
    Joe McCann Cumann, Chicago
    http://www.irscna. org | colm@irsm.org

    Is míse le meas,
    Tj O Conchúir
    Irish Republican Socialist Movement
    North American Coordinating Committee Member
    Prison Welfare Officer
    Larkin / Gallagher Cumann Coordinator
    PO Box 901479 KC MO 64190
    *******
    The Starry Plough, newspaper of the IRSP
    http://www.starrypl ough.net/
    Chicago Hunger Strike Commemoration Committee
    http://www.wemustbeunited.com


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