Ireland

Remember, remember the Fifth of November – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the Tory reset, the war against anti-imperialism and unionism’s twilight
Michael Collins: The Irish revolutionary turned counter-revolutionary

On the centenary of Michael Collins' assassination, Chris Bambery sifts through the mythology of a man who played a part in the Irish struggle for independence and then turned against it
Ireland: Is unity on the cards? - video

Chris Bambery on the history of British imperialism in Ireland, recent developments on both sides of the border and the prospects for Irish unity
Wee little children: The DUP and Boris Johnson’s tantrums in Northern Ireland

Following Sinn Féin becoming the largest party in Northern Ireland, the DUP and the Tories are undermining the Good Friday Agreement with cynical games, writes Chris Bambery
The Tower Hamlets revolt explodes the election stalemate – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the hidden lessons of 5 May
Union blues as Sinn Fein heads to victory

Chris Bambery looks at the remarkable success of the Irish nationalist party and considers what it means for politics north and south of Ireland
The deepening decay of unionism in Northern Ireland

Following the resignation of Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Chris Bambery explains what’s behind the growing political crisis in the six counties
Ulysses at 100: the politics of James Joyce

On the centenary of the publication of Ulysses, John McInally looks at the politics of James Joyce and the society around him that set the background for the iconic novel
The Road to Derry

Michael Lavalette introduces Seamus Heaney's poem commemorating the victims of the Bloody Sunday massacre on the 50th anniversary
Shoot to kill: the British army on Bloody Sunday

50 years on from the Bloody Sunday massacre, Chris Bambery recounts the deliberate decision by the British state to murder unarmed protesters in Derry
Sinn Féin and the crises in both Irelands

Chris Bambery assesses the contradictory nature of the rise in support for Sinn Féin
The Making of the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985: A Memoir - book review

A memoir by a senior civil servant on the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement opens a window on how the establishment rules, finds Chris Bambery
The 8th: The Movement for Abortion Rights in Ireland - review

The 8^this a moving and powerful film showing how mass activism is the route to achieving change, argues Lucy Nichols
The anti-Irish racism rooted in Scotland's elite

As Orange Lodges prepare to march, we repost Chris Bambery's analysis of the roots of anti-Irish racism in Scotland's ruling institutions
Northern Ireland: Donaldson and the DUP in disarray

The growing crisis in Northern Ireland can be seen in the escalating infighting in the DUP, writes Chris Bambery
32 Counties: The Failure of Partition and the Case for a United Ireland - book review

In 32 Counties, Kieran Allen shows that Irish unity is back on the agenda, if an anti-sectarian socialist politics can transform south and north, finds Chris Bambery
How the Irish trade union movement is building solidarity with Palestine - interview

Jim Clarke spoke to Eamon McMahon, the Northern Secretary of Trade Union Friends of Palestine, Ireland, about how trade unionists are showing solidarity with Palestine
‘Arm the Protestants’: a state born in sectarian violence

One hundred years since the partition of Ireland into north and south, Chris Bambery looks at the determination by government, police and big business to hold on to a part of Britain’s fading empire
Good night Arlene

Chris Bambery on the significance of Arlene Foster's resignation as head of the DUP and Northern Ireland's First Minister
Loyalist riots: is the long Good Friday coming to an end?

The combination of sectarianism, poverty and repression is an explosive mix argues Chris Bambery
Bobby Sands and the political prisoners who changed Ireland

On the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the 1981 Hunger Strike, Chris Bambery looks at the legacy of the struggle and its heroic leader
The sectarian roots of Orange rule

In the second part of his article on Ireland, partition and the Troubles, Chris Bambery spells out the economic and political reasons for the division of Britain's oldest colony
Is Britain breaking up? Socialists and the national question - video

With the growing division within the union, Vladimir Unkovski-Korica discusses how socialists should relate to national independence struggles
Armoured cars and tanks and guns: the real story of the Irish troubles

Chris Bambery looks at the history of the Northern Ireland state - and the violence Britain was prepared to use to maintain it
Ready to die for Ireland one way or another: the rebel Countess

Constance Markievicz, a clarion figure in both anti-imperialism and women’s liberation, is remembered by Chris Bambery
International law and Britain’s colony in Ireland

Don’t be fooled by outrage over the latest Brexit proposals from the Tories. International law hasn’t stopped them in the past, argue Reuben Bard-Rosenberg and Martin Hall
Labour adrift while the second wave builds - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on faux opposition, media sickness and Britain’s oldest colony
Ernie O'Malley's On Another Man's Wound: books that made me a socialist

An anti-imperialist personal account chosen by Chris Bambery
The Easter Rising in words, music and film

Lindsey German rounds up some of the writing, music and film inspired by the revolutionary Easter Rising of 1916
Shamrocks and Oil Slicks - book review

Wilcox’s Shamrocks and Oil Slicks recounts the inspiring resistance in county Mayo against their government and Shell Oil’s collusion to force oil development, finds Ellen Graubart
The Irish election: the centre has not held and the left can win

The result in Ireland represents a seismic shock to the European establishment and can be a step towards radical change, argues Chris Bambery
The ghosts of the union: commemoration event backfires for Varadkar

An ill-judged commemoration of the Royal Irish Constabulary is cancelled as Fine Gael underestimate negative sentiment towards former British occupation, reports Josh Newman
Rebels and Friends: a play by Jacqueline Mulhallen

Drama, art and Irish history come together at Unite the Union’s headquarters, finds Ellen Graubart
Navigating the Zeitgeist: A Story of the Cold War, the New Left, Irish Republicanism, and International Communism - book review

The story of an active life during momentous times from the Cold War to the 1980s turns out to be more personal than resonating with the political, finds Jacqueline Mulhallen
Defending the Indefensible: the British Army in Northern Ireland, 1969

In deploying troops to Derry, Downing Street was propping up the Unionist government to shield itself from blame, argues Chris Bambery
The Battle of the Bogside

Marking its 50th anniversary, Vincent Doherty looks at one of the most significant episodes in modern Irish history
Sinn Fein: tumbling into the centre

After a catastrophe at the ballot box, Vincent Doherty looks at why Sinn Fein did so badly and what's in store if they continue on the same trajectory
Limerick 1919: all power to the Irish soviets

Marking the centenary of its emergence, Sean Ledwith looks at the history of the Limerick soviet
Creggan and the death of Lyra McKee

The republican movement must not revert to futile militarism but build an alternative mass class-based politics fighting for a socialist Ireland, argues Vincent Doherty
Call it by its name: Islamophobia, and it comes from the top – weekly briefing

Capitalism always has a pre-eminent form of racism; it’s our task to identify, locate and defeat it, argues Lindsey German
Bloody Sunday: one prosecution is not justice

The British state would prefer we forget about the cold-blooded murder it sanctioned on Bloody Sunday, we can't let them escape justice, argues Chris Bambery
When Watson and Hodge represent Labour we know we’re in trouble - weekly briefing

Grassroots Momentum needs to re-assert itself to fend off this coup against Jeremy Corbyn, argues Lindsey German
Bloody Sunday: criminal? Yes.

The barbarity of British imperialism must not be brushed under the carpet, argues Chris Bambery
Mass walkout as Irish nurses and midwives stage historic strike

35,000 nurses and midwives joined a 24-hour national strike on Wednesday with more action planned for next week, reports Eóin Ó Murchú
Westminster's first woman, 100 years on

Constance Markievicz was the first woman MP at Westminster - Jacqueline Mulhallen marks the centenary of her election
The time is ripe for Irish unity – on both sides of the sea

The Tories' Brexit deal puts undue focus on the British border in Ireland and is out of step with public opinion, argues Reuben Bard-Rosenberg
Brexit as the organic crisis of the British state

Brexit is exposing the crises inherent in contemporary British and European capitalism, argues Sean Ledwith
EU summit: nothing much happens, but the crisis continues

Little progress was made in the Brexit negotiations, and Tory MPs are losing patience with May, finds Martin Hall
Learnt nothing and forgotten everything: the next crash is coming - weekly briefing

Finance capital is a game for the rich and when it goes wrong it's our side who are expected to pay the price, argues Lindsey German
Taking back the city: direct action amid the Dublin housing emergency

Homelessness is on the rise and the state is siding with the landlords. Josh Newman reports from Dublin
The James Connolly Reader - book review

A collection of the writings of James Connolly, the Irish socialist revolutionary, contains still relevant insights about imperialism and national liberation, argues Kevin Crane
Our NHS: Keep the fight on the streets - Counterfire Freesheet June 2018

Fighting for our NHS, Ireland's abortion rights victory, Grenfell one year on, Dump Trump and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 026, June 2018
After Irish referendum victory, we must fight further to expand women’s rights

This fantastic leap forward was a product of grassroots campaigning, but the battle is far from over, argues Amy O'Donoghue
The bigotry of Arlene Foster won’t stop women on the march - weekly briefing

The democratic shockwaves of women’s liberation can still create real problems for our rulers, writes Lindsey German
A win for women in Ireland, a reminder of what's holding back the North

After the victory for Yes today, the reactionary politics holding Northern Ireland back is a construct of British imperialism, argues Reuben Bard-Rosenberg
Victory as Ireland votes to repeal the 8th amendment

As the results from the referendum in Ireland come in, it looks as though the Irish people have voted overwhelmingly to repeal draconian anti-abortion laws, Elly Badcock reports
Ireland's opportunity for equality

Friday's referendum is a vital step in the fight for women's equality in Ireland, argues Amy O'Donoghue
The Irish Question, the EU and the debate about borders - weekly briefing

The end of the first phase of Brexit negotiations is neither the restoring of Theresa May's fortunes nor an indication that the Irish situation is stable argues Lindsey German
Will the Irish question bring Theresa May down?

Not for the first time, the issues of Ireland and Europe are causing a massive crisis for the British government
Rosa Luxemburg on the politics of poverty and homelessness

This winter people are dying needlessly. Rosa Luxemburg reminds us that politics is about more than negotiations between competing states.
The many crises of the British state

The British state is enveloped in crisis more than at any point for 30 years. One more push could topple this government, argues Chris Bambery
Who was James Connolly?

In the first of our series looking at significant revolutionary figures, Chris Bambery asks what Irish republican James Connolly can tell us about the link between national liberation struggles and the fight for socialism
May's DUP deal: divisions galore

The Prime Minister's deal with the DUP has significant implications, writes Chris Bambery
May's deal: return of the Irish Question

As Theresa May finalises her deal with the DUP, it will raise fundamental questions about Irish politics, writes Chris Bambery
Is Britain breaking up? - video

With Scottish independence looking more likely, and murmurings in Northern Ireland too, Tom Griffiths looks at the prospects for Britain breaking up
Martin McGuinness and the armed struggle in context

What actually sustained one of the final stages of England’s oldest imperialism, asks Lindsey German
Get your rosaries off my ovaries: thousands march in Dublin for #Strike4Repeal

A new generation of female activists is refuelling Ireland’s reproductive struggles, observes Kara Bryan
Strike 4 Repeal: International Women's Day in Ireland

On International Women's Day, thousands of women in Ireland went on strike and took to the streets reports Amy O'Donoghue
Something rotten in the State of Stormont

As voters go to the polls in Northern Ireland, Sean Ledwith looks at the current state of affairs
James Connolly: a revolutionary remembered

12 May marks the centenary of the state murder of working class hero James Connolly. Chris Bambery reflects
1916: Ireland’s Revolutionary Tradition

Allen’s 1916 shows that the Easter Rising was no pointless sacrifice, but an essential revolutionary trigger to Irish independence, argues Sean Ledwith
Irish Freedom: the 1916 Easter Uprising - documentary

This two-part documentary with Chris Bambery examines the 1916 Easter Rebellion in Ireland, and how it shaped the world we live in today
Ireland’s Guantanamo Granny

Margaretta D’Arcy’s magnificent stand against Ireland’s complicity with US rendition is vividly told in Ireland’s Guantanamo Granny, finds Ellen Graubart
How the Easter Rising changed the world

In the final part of our series, Chris Bambery argues that the Easter Rising relaunched the struggle for independence in Ireland and inspired national liberation movements globally
Bitter Freedom: Ireland in a Revolutionary World

Maurice Walsh’s Bitter Freedom is a revealing exploration of the Irish independence struggle in its international context, after the 1916 Easter Rising, finds Kieran Crowe
A revolt against Empire: the 1916 Easter Rising

In the second part of our 3-part series on the struggle for Irish independence, Chris Bambery looks at the uprising of Easter Monday 1916
Ireland always rising

In the run-up to St Patrick’s Day, Mark Perryman looks at the meaning of the forthcoming Easter Rising centenary for models of Britishness
Big trouble for Ireland's rulers: the election analysed

The radical left finds itself in a stronger position than ever before, but must build on this momentum, argues Rob Winkel
The spirit of rebellion haunts Ireland’s election

As Ireland goes to the polls on Friday, there is a historic opportunity for a new Irish left to be born, writes Sean Ledwith
Home Rule and the roots of the Easter Rising

As the hundredth anniversary of the Easter Rising approaches, Counterfire is running a new 3-part series by Chris Bambery on the struggle for Irish independence
Tide of protest hits the Irish government over water charges

Jail, hunger strikes and mass protest: this is the face of the struggle in Ireland reports Ramona McCartney
Irish water charges and the growth of anti-austerity politics

Ireland is facing mounting anger over controversial moves to introduce water charges, with widespread street protests reports Rob Winkel
Give the Orange bigots their marching orders with a Yes vote

As the Orange Order takes to the streets of Edinburgh in defence of the Union, Chris Bambery looks at the roots of anti-Catholic sectarianism

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Ireland

Ireland

Lindsey German on the Tory reset, the war against anti-imperialism and unionism’s twilight

On the centenary of Michael Collins' assassination, Chris Bambery sifts through the mythology of a man who played a part in the Irish struggle for independence and then turned against it

Chris Bambery on the history of British imperialism in Ireland, recent developments on both sides of the border and the prospects for Irish unity

Following Sinn Féin becoming the largest party in Northern Ireland, the DUP and the Tories are undermining the Good Friday Agreement with cynical games, writes Chris Bambery

Lindsey German on the hidden lessons of 5 May

Chris Bambery looks at the remarkable success of the Irish nationalist party and considers what it means for politics north and south of Ireland

Following the resignation of Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Chris Bambery explains what’s behind the growing political crisis in the six counties

On the centenary of the publication of Ulysses, John McInally looks at the politics of James Joyce and the society around him that set the background for the iconic novel

Michael Lavalette introduces Seamus Heaney's poem commemorating the victims of the Bloody Sunday massacre on the 50th anniversary

50 years on from the Bloody Sunday massacre, Chris Bambery recounts the deliberate decision by the British state to murder unarmed protesters in Derry

Chris Bambery assesses the contradictory nature of the rise in support for Sinn Féin

A memoir by a senior civil servant on the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement opens a window on how the establishment rules, finds Chris Bambery

The 8this a moving and powerful film showing how mass activism is the route to achieving change, argues Lucy Nichols

As Orange Lodges prepare to march, we repost Chris Bambery's analysis of the roots of anti-Irish racism in Scotland's ruling institutions

The growing crisis in Northern Ireland can be seen in the escalating infighting in the DUP, writes Chris Bambery

In 32 Counties, Kieran Allen shows that Irish unity is back on the agenda, if an anti-sectarian socialist politics can transform south and north, finds Chris Bambery

Jim Clarke spoke to Eamon McMahon, the Northern Secretary of Trade Union Friends of Palestine, Ireland, about how trade unionists are showing solidarity with Palestine

One hundred years since the partition of Ireland into north and south, Chris Bambery looks at the determination by government, police and big business to hold on to a part of Britain’s fading empire

Chris Bambery on the significance of Arlene Foster's resignation as head of the DUP and Northern Ireland's First Minister

The combination of sectarianism, poverty and repression is an explosive mix argues Chris Bambery

On the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the 1981 Hunger Strike, Chris Bambery looks at the legacy of the struggle and its heroic leader

In the second part of his article on Ireland, partition and the Troubles, Chris Bambery spells out the economic and political reasons for the division of Britain's oldest colony

With the growing division within the union, Vladimir Unkovski-Korica discusses how socialists should relate to national independence struggles

Chris Bambery looks at the history of the Northern Ireland state - and the violence Britain was prepared to use to maintain it

Constance Markievicz, a clarion figure in both anti-imperialism and women’s liberation, is remembered by Chris Bambery

Don’t be fooled by outrage over the latest Brexit proposals from the Tories. International law hasn’t stopped them in the past, argue Reuben Bard-Rosenberg and Martin Hall

Lindsey German on faux opposition, media sickness and Britain’s oldest colony

An anti-imperialist personal account chosen by Chris Bambery

Lindsey German rounds up some of the writing, music and film inspired by the revolutionary Easter Rising of 1916

Wilcox’s Shamrocks and Oil Slicks recounts the inspiring resistance in county Mayo against their government and Shell Oil’s collusion to force oil development, finds Ellen Graubart

The result in Ireland represents a seismic shock to the European establishment and can be a step towards radical change, argues Chris Bambery

An ill-judged commemoration of the Royal Irish Constabulary is cancelled as Fine Gael underestimate negative sentiment towards former British occupation, reports Josh Newman

Drama, art and Irish history come together at Unite the Union’s headquarters, finds Ellen Graubart

The story of an active life during momentous times from the Cold War to the 1980s turns out to be more personal than resonating with the political, finds Jacqueline Mulhallen

In deploying troops to Derry, Downing Street was propping up the Unionist government to shield itself from blame, argues Chris Bambery

Marking its 50th anniversary, Vincent Doherty looks at one of the most significant episodes in modern Irish history

After a catastrophe at the ballot box, Vincent Doherty looks at why Sinn Fein did so badly and what's in store if they continue on the same trajectory

Marking the centenary of its emergence, Sean Ledwith looks at the history of the Limerick soviet

The republican movement must not revert to futile militarism but build an alternative mass class-based politics fighting for a socialist Ireland, argues Vincent Doherty

Capitalism always has a pre-eminent form of racism; it’s our task to identify, locate and defeat it, argues Lindsey German

The British state would prefer we forget about the cold-blooded murder it sanctioned on Bloody Sunday, we can't let them escape justice, argues Chris Bambery

Grassroots Momentum needs to re-assert itself to fend off this coup against Jeremy Corbyn, argues Lindsey German

The barbarity of British imperialism must not be brushed under the carpet, argues Chris Bambery

35,000 nurses and midwives joined a 24-hour national strike on Wednesday with more action planned for next week, reports Eóin Ó Murchú

Constance Markievicz was the first woman MP at Westminster - Jacqueline Mulhallen marks the centenary of her election

The Tories' Brexit deal puts undue focus on the British border in Ireland and is out of step with public opinion, argues Reuben Bard-Rosenberg

Brexit is exposing the crises inherent in contemporary British and European capitalism, argues Sean Ledwith

Little progress was made in the Brexit negotiations, and Tory MPs are losing patience with May, finds Martin Hall

Finance capital is a game for the rich and when it goes wrong it's our side who are expected to pay the price, argues Lindsey German

Homelessness is on the rise and the state is siding with the landlords. Josh Newman reports from Dublin

A collection of the writings of James Connolly, the Irish socialist revolutionary, contains still relevant insights about imperialism and national liberation, argues Kevin Crane

Fighting for our NHS, Ireland's abortion rights victory, Grenfell one year on, Dump Trump and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 026, June 2018

This fantastic leap forward was a product of grassroots campaigning, but the battle is far from over, argues Amy O'Donoghue

The democratic shockwaves of women’s liberation can still create real problems for our rulers, writes Lindsey German

After the victory for Yes today, the reactionary politics holding Northern Ireland back is a construct of British imperialism, argues Reuben Bard-Rosenberg

As the results from the referendum in Ireland come in, it looks as though the Irish people have voted overwhelmingly to repeal draconian anti-abortion laws, Elly Badcock reports

Friday's referendum is a vital step in the fight for women's equality in Ireland, argues Amy O'Donoghue

The end of the first phase of Brexit negotiations is neither the restoring of Theresa May's fortunes nor an indication that the Irish situation is stable argues Lindsey German

Not for the first time, the issues of Ireland and Europe are causing a massive crisis for the British government

This winter people are dying needlessly. Rosa Luxemburg reminds us that politics is about more than negotiations between competing states.

The British state is enveloped in crisis more than at any point for 30 years. One more push could topple this government, argues Chris Bambery

In the first of our series looking at significant revolutionary figures, Chris Bambery asks what Irish republican James Connolly can tell us about the link between national liberation struggles and the fight for socialism

The Prime Minister's deal with the DUP has significant implications, writes Chris Bambery

As Theresa May finalises her deal with the DUP, it will raise fundamental questions about Irish politics, writes Chris Bambery

With Scottish independence looking more likely, and murmurings in Northern Ireland too, Tom Griffiths looks at the prospects for Britain breaking up

What actually sustained one of the final stages of England’s oldest imperialism, asks Lindsey German

A new generation of female activists is refuelling Ireland’s reproductive struggles, observes Kara Bryan

On International Women's Day, thousands of women in Ireland went on strike and took to the streets reports Amy O'Donoghue

As voters go to the polls in Northern Ireland, Sean Ledwith looks at the current state of affairs

12 May marks the centenary of the state murder of working class hero James Connolly. Chris Bambery reflects

Allen’s 1916 shows that the Easter Rising was no pointless sacrifice, but an essential revolutionary trigger to Irish independence, argues Sean Ledwith

This two-part documentary with Chris Bambery examines the 1916 Easter Rebellion in Ireland, and how it shaped the world we live in today

Margaretta D’Arcy’s magnificent stand against Ireland’s complicity with US rendition is vividly told in Ireland’s Guantanamo Granny, finds Ellen Graubart

The 8^this a moving and powerful film showing how mass activism is the route to achieving change, argues Lucy Nichols