Irish Republican Socialist Party

The Irish Republican Socialist Party or IRSP (Irish: Páirtí Poblachtach Sóisialach na hÉireann) is a minor communist, Marxist–Leninist and Irish republican party in Ireland. It is often referred to as the "political wing" of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) paramilitary group. It was founded by former members of Official Sinn Féin in 1974 during the Troubles, but claims the legacy of the Irish Socialist Republican Party of 1896–1904.

History

Early years

The Irish Republican Socialist Party was founded at a meeting on 8 December 1974 in the Spa Hotel in Lucan, near Dublin, by former members of Workers' Party (aka 'Official' Sinn Féin), headed by Seamus Costello. According to the IRSP, 80 people were in attendance. A paramilitary wing, the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), was founded the same day, although its existence was intended to be kept hidden until such a time that the INLA could operate effectively. Costello was elected as the party's first chairperson and the Army's first chief of staff. Together, the IRSP and the INLA were referred to as the Irish Republican Socialist Movement (IRSM).

Former Unity MP for Mid-Ulster Bernadette McAliskey served on the executive of the IRSP. She resigned following the failure of a motion to be passed which would have brought the INLA under the control of the IRSP Ard Comhairle (executive committee). This led to the resignation of half the Ard Comhairle, which weakened the party. Tony Gregory, a future Dublin TD, was also a member for a short time. Its poor showing in the 1977 Irish general election, resignations, and the assassination of Seamus Costello weakened the organisation.

Costello had been expelled from the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) following a court-martial, and from Official Sinn Féin on the same basis. Along with other activists, he was dissatisfied with the group's tactics and policies, especially on the issues surrounding the 1972 OIRA ceasefire and his growing belief that the emerging conflict was sectarian.

Clashes with other republicans and the British

On 5 October 1977, Costello was shot dead in his car by a man armed with a shotgun. His supporters blamed the Official IRA for the killing.

Following meetings between the INLA and OIRA leadership in Dublin, a truce was eventually reached, but in one of the first of the INLA's armed operations, Billy McMillen, commanding officer of the OIRA Belfast Battalion, was murdered by Gerard Steenson. In the following years, the IRSP and INLA saw several of their members, including John Turnley, Miriam Daly, Ronnie Bunting and Noel Little killed by Ulster loyalist paramilitaries, most prominently the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). The IRSP have contended that the killings were a result of collusion between loyalists and security forces, even suspecting that some of the killings were carried out by the SAS with responsibility attributed to the UDA.

Three members of the INLA died in the 1981 Irish hunger strike in HM Prison Maze, also known as Long Kesh: Patsy O'Hara, Kevin Lynch, and Michael Devine.

In 1987, the INLA and its political wing, the IRSP came under attack from the Irish People's Liberation Organisation (IPLO), an organisation founded by Gerard Steenson, Jimmy Brown and Martin 'Rook' O'Prey, consisting of people who had resigned or been expelled from the INLA. A political wing, the Republican Socialist Collective (RSC), was also formed by Brown. The IPLO's initial aim was to destroy the IRSM and replace it with their organisation. Five members of the INLA and IRSP were killed by the IPLO, including leaders Ta Power and John O'Reilly. The INLA retaliated with several killings of their own. After the INLA killed the IPLO's leader, Gerard Steenson, a truce was reached. Although severely damaged by the IPLO's attacks, the INLA continued to exist. The IPLO, which was heavily involved in drug dealing, was forcibly disbanded by the Provisional IRA in a large scale operation in 1992.

Recent history

In the 2000s and 2010s, the IRSP has been involved in campaigns and political protests, mainly around Belfast and Derry but also in of parts of the Republic of Ireland as well. Some of these protests included anti-austerity protests, the Right2Water campaign against water charges, opposition to welfare reform and introduction of universal credit, and supporting striking nurses.

In November 2016, after a number of raids on members of the party's homes, the IRSP issued a warning saying the PSNI were "playing with fire". IRSP's Lower Falls representative Michael Kelly claimed that “British security forces risk bringing serious conflict onto the streets” and said that “The Irish Republican Socialist Party has been in existence for over 40 years, in that time we have never tolerated attacks on our membership from any quarter,” The comments drew criticism from UUP MLA Doug Beattie and SDLP Alex Attwood.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, the IRSP launched Republican Socialist Aid, which aimed to distribute PPE to healthcare and essential workers in communities across Ireland at risk of exposure to the virus.

In September 2020 the IRSP started a 'Drop The Rents' campaign, requesting landlords and letting agencies in North Belfast and West Belfast to lower their rent prices to local housing benefit levels and protesting against landlords and letting agencies that would not and that issued threats of eviction. The campaign has achieved some level of success.

During the East Wall protests in November 2022, the IRSP opposed the housing of 380 refugees due to the absence of notice given to residents about the move prior to arrival and the feasibility of using the housing there for a large number of refugees. They said the residents were not opposed to refugees, just the lack of notice and uncertainty of feasibility. This differed to the majority of other groups who opposed any housing of refugees, regardless of notice.

Elections

In 1981, party members Gerry Kelly and Sean Flynn won two seats on the Belfast City Council in a joint campaign with the People's Democracy party. Neither councillor served a full term, with one going on the run after being implicated during the supergrass trials.

The IRSP put forward five candidates in Northern Ireland local elections, 2011, its first foray into electoral politics in almost 30 years. They failed to secure any seats. Candidate Paul Gallagher of Strabane missed out on a seat by just a single vote. He was originally elected but after a requested recount by the SDLP his election was overturned.

The IRSP has explained its lack of participation in elections as due to "very limited" resources.

In 2022 for the first time the IRSP fielded candidates for the Northern Ireland Assembly election. Initially their candidates were rejected by the Electoral Commission, but this was eventually corrected. Candidates were fielded in Belfast West (1,103 first preference votes, 2.5%) and Foyle (766 first preference votes, 1.6%).

Policies and ideology

The IRSP are Marxist–Leninist and Irish republican, seeking the establishment of an all-Ireland "worker's republic". As of 2009, the IRSP stated that their objective will only be achieved exclusively through peaceful and political means, and in 2018 they launched the 'Yes For Unity' campaign, to campaign for a Border Poll on Irish Unity.

The IRSP claim the legacy of Connolly and say their policies are of the same tradition of Connolly. The IRSP also see their own modern policies as the "logical development in the twenty-first century of the programme established under Connolly’s leadership by the Irish Socialist Republican Party".

Physical force Irish republicanism

The IRSP opposes both the Good Friday Agreement and the Northern Ireland Peace Process, The party supports a 'No First Strike' policy, allowing people to see the perceived failure of the peace process for themselves without taking military actions.

As of 11 October 2009, the INLA has ordered an end to the armed struggle, because unlike during the Troubles, the current political stance in Ulster allows the IRSP to contest fairly in new campaigns and local elections, as mentioned in their 2009 statement. INLA admitted to "faults and grievous errors" in their prosecution of the armed struggle, stating that "innocent people were killed and injured" and offering "as revolutionaries" a "sincere and heartfelt apology".

European Union

The IRSP supports greater strengthening of Ireland's independence, and although understanding the benefits brought through European Union (EU) membership, it also notes the incompatibility of EU membership with the need for a socialist society. Consequently, the IRSP supports moves towards greater co-operation between European socialist political organisations.

The IRSP supported Brexit and supports the Republic of Ireland leaving the European Union.

NATO and Russia

During the Russo-Ukrainian War, the IRSP publicly declared their support for the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic. It blamed NATO rather than Russia for the conflict and claimed Ukraine was ruled by a "fascist" government. On 25 February 2022, one day after Russia invaded Ukraine, the party re-affirmed its support for the Republics in a social media post in which they called Ukraine a "Nazi regime" and a "NATO puppet". It included a picture of IRSP members posing in front of Free Derry Corner with a Soviet flag and the flag of the Donetsk People's Republic. This was condemned by local SDLP councillors. The party boasted about the INLA's bombing of a radar station on Mount Gabriel, County Cork in 1982, which it said was used by NATO. In August 2022, IRSP members and Russian nationalists staged a protest against the Ukrainian military, outside Dublin's General Post Office. The Irish security services believe the Russian government were involved in organizing the protest.

Broad Front

The IRSP supports the formation of what it calls the "Broad Front" which would bring together all Irish "anti-imperialist forces" to bring about a United Ireland. This would be formed on the basis of the following demands:

• The United Kingdom must formally renounce all claims of sovereignty in Ireland
• All British forces in Northern Ireland must be withdrawn, all republican and socialist prisoners must be released, a general amnesty must be granted to republicans for offences committed by them during the Troubles and "repressive legislation" must be replaced by a bill of rights
• The United Kingdom "must also agree to compensate the Irish People for the exploitation which has already occurred"

Policing

The IRSP is in favour of an All-Ireland, democratically controlled, unarmed police force.

The IRSP views the reforming of the RUC into the PSNI as a cosmetic exercise and strongly opposes 'political policing' by the PSNI. They demand an immediate cessation of the activities of MI5 in the North and calls for their expulsion from Ireland.

The IRSP does not believe that there is an ‘independent’ judiciary, or an objective judicial system, and that the judiciary both North and South presides over the laws which were enacted by partitionist governments and representing the interests of the ruling class.

Abstentionism

The IRSP are not abstentionist in principle, but they would support abstentionism in certain situations for tactical reasons.

The IRSP will also consider contesting any particular election on the basis of a thorough analysis of the conditions prevailing at the time.

Housing

IRSP believes that the right to a home is a fundamental human right and that the state has a responsibility to deal with homelessness.

Abortion

The party's policy on abortion is that it should be legalised, available on demand and free of charge.

Membership

Party members are often referred to as the "Irps" (pronounced "Erps"). In the late 1970s, Divis Flats in west Belfast became colloquially known as "the planet of the Irps" (a reference to the IRSP and the film Planet of the Apes).

Representation

The party is represented in North America by the Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America.

List of secretaries

• Kevin Morley
• John Martin
• Mick Plunkett

Milestones in the IRSP's history

• 1975: At the IRSP's inaugural convention, it became the first political party in Ireland to support the legalisation of abortion, and equal rights for gays and lesbians.
• May 1981: The IRSP won two seats on Belfast City Council and came close to winning a third.
• June 1981: The IRSP ran two candidates, Kevin Lynch and Tony O'Hara (brother of Patsy O'Hara), in the Irish parliamentary election as Independent Anti H-Block candidates. Neither candidate won, but Lynch received 3,337 votes (7.63%) and came within 300 votes of winning a seat in Waterford, while O'Hara received 3,034 votes (6.49%) in Dublin West.
• 1982: Party member Brigid Makowski won a seat on the Shannon Town Commission.

See also

• Jim Lane
• Sallins Train Robbery

References

Further reading

• Bernard, Margie. Daughter of Derry: The Story of Brigid Sheils Makowski; iUniverse; 20 January 2009; ISBN 978-1440120008

External links

• Irish Republican Socialist Party's official website
• Brief history of the IRSP Archived 6 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine

1. Irish Socialist Republican Party
2. Irish Republican Socialist Movement
3. Socialist Republican Party (Ireland)
4. List of political parties in Northern Ireland
5. Republican movement (Ireland)
6. Jimmy Brown (Irish republican)
7. Republican Socialist Collective
8. Republican Labour Party
9. Socialist Republican Party
10. Irish Republican Army
11. New Irish Republican Army
12. Workers' Party (Ireland)
13. Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America
14. Irish republicanism
15. Official Irish Republican Army
16. Hugh Torney (Irish republican)
17. James Connolly
18. Provisional Irish Republican Army
19. Continuity Irish Republican Army
20. Seamus Costello