Irish Left Archive
@ila@leftarchive.ieDigital collection of political material from the Irish Left.
#Ireland #Politics #History #Activism #IrishLeftArchive #SnapshotsOfPoliticalAction
New document:
Socialist Republic, November 1977.
Paper of the Movement for a Socialist Republic.
https://www.leftarchive.ie/document/6414/
#IrishLeft #SocialistRepublic #MovementForASocialistRepublic #Trotskyism #FourthInternational
Socialist Republic, November 1977 (1977) — Movement for a Socialist Republic
Irish Left Archive
Irish Left Archive shared 1 year, 6 months ago
@ILAPodcast@podcast.leftarchive.ieMary Muldowney: Left History
🎙 New episode!
We speak to Dublin City Council historian-in-residence Mary Muldowney about left approaches to history and her work on oral history.
"And Still They Fight To Survive"
An article from Z Magazine in 1989 outlines the history and then status of state restriction of access to contraception.
![A scanned magazine article reading:
And Still They Fight To Survive
The efforts to have contraception methods made legally available in the south started in earnest twenty years ago. Patricia Hegarty wonders if we are any better off today than we were then.
"People's rights as regards contraception weren't given o them - they were won. By people like the Irish Women's Liberation Movement, Mary McGee and the doctors who opened the first family planning clinic. Without them we'd have nothing at all and -what we have at the moment is inadequate.” That's the view of Jon O'Brien, Information and Education Officer of the Irish Family Planning Association.
Under-18s cannot get condoms from their local chemist without a prescription. They can legally be married at the age of sixteen. Some women are prescribed the Pill because their doctor cannot fit the Cap.
Women in rural areas have little access to family planning clinics and have to depend on rural GPs "who would quite often just prescribe the Pill, and not provide proper follow up", according to women attending the Council for the Status of Women’s Health Conference last month.
Abortion is banned [in] the constitution and even the dissemination of information on abortion is unlawful.
Meanwhile, family planning clinics are struggling to survive although they provide a range of services which many doctors cither will not or cannot provide. The Bray clinic is faced with closure from lack of funds and the Cavan group has all but given up looking for premises.
Though providing an essential service the clinics receive no government funding and no state subsidy for their clients on Medical Cards.
Contraception in Ireland can more accurately be characterised by what is lacking than by what is provided. Lack of information, lack of access and lack of choice. But what actually is available today and what did it lake 1o reach this level of provision?
1969: A company called ‘The Fertility Guidance
Company Ltd’ was formed (later to be the IFPA) and opened its first clinic in Merrion Square, Dublin.
1970: The Contraceptive Train - a group of women
from the Irish Women’s Liberation Movement took the train to Belfast o buy condoms and other contraceptives. On their return to Dublin they challenged customs officers at Connolly Station to arrest them for illegal importation. The customs officers allowed them 10 pass.
1971: The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 1971
introduced in the Senate by Mary Robinson, was defeated before it could be published.
1972: Mary McGee was defeated in her High Court
case to prove that the confiscation of her contraceptives by customs was unconstitutional. The confiscation had been carried out under Section 17 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1935, which purported to ban not only the [sale]
of contraceptives within the state, but also the importation of them from outside it.
1973: In November, Mary McGee won her ap[peal]
case in the Supreme Court. This decision made the importation of contraceptives for personal use legal. The bar [on] the sale of contraceptives remained, however, and a second attempt by Senator Mary Robinson to amend the family planning law failed.
1974: The IFPA was now able to import condoms,
diaphragms and creams and distribute them by dona[tion] at the clinics. However, they were charged with the promotion of unnatural methods of contraception in [a] booklet under the 1935 Criminal Law (Amendment) [Act]. The case was dismissed. The coalition government introduced a Bill to regulate the supply of contraceptives.
[The] Bill was defeated when the Taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave, [and] six Fine Gael deputies voted against it.
1976: The IFPA booklet ‘Family Planning’ [was]
banned by the Censorship Board.
1977: The High Court declared the ban null and [void]. An appeal was lodged by the Attorney General and [the] Censorship Board.
1978: The Supreme Court upheld the High Court
decision on the Booklet case. The Minister for Health, Charles J. Haughey, published the Family Planning (Health) Bill.
1979: The Family Planning (Health) Act became [law]. It allowed the sale of all types of contraceptives by pharmacists only - on presentation of a prescription, which
be supplicd only to those who require them for ‘bona fide' family planning purposes.
1983: The so-called "right to life” amendment [was] passed by referendum, placing a constitutional ban on abortion and threatening restrictions on some family planning clinics. Doctor Andrew Rynne was prosecuted under the Family Planning (Health) Act for supplying ten condoms directly to a patient. He was fined £500 but this was dropped on appeal.
1985: Under strong attack from the Catholic Church, Fianna Fail and conservative lobby groups, Barry Desmond introduced the (Health) Family Planning Amendment Bill. The bill, which made contraceptives available to those over the age of 18 without a prescription, was narrowly passed.
1986: Judge Hamilton found in favour of SPUC in the High Court and ruled that it was unconstitutional to provide information on abortion. Open Line pregnancy counselling clinic closed down and the Well Women clinics ended their pregnancy counselling service. The advice available to women with unwanted pregnancies was thus restricted.
Under the current legislation, some local chemists sell the barrier methods of contraception: condoms, the sponge, spermicides. Through some local doctors you can get the IUD or coil, Depo-Provera, condoms, vasectomy and advice on natural family planning methods; the Pill is available for those who want it for ‘bona fide family planning purposes, and the Morning-After Pill is available as a post-coital method. Female sterilisation is available mainly from private clinics.
Doctors and chemists arc not obliged to provide this service. Clients can often be sure of a more comprehensive service at family planning clinics - but cannot always get to one, particularly if they live in rural areas.
Twenty years after they first opened their doors the IFPA feel that funds should be provided for:
"research into medical methods of contraception, information leaflets on family planning, and subsidising clinics for medical card clients who cannot afford to pay".
They would like to see:
"female sterilisation being made widely available through public hospitals; greater access to services for rural women; a national programme of sex education in schools, and greater training for GPs in family planning."
Legally, they want:
"clarification of the ‘bona fide’ terms of reference, and removal of the ban on the sale of condoms to under 18s."
But most of all, says Jon O'Brien, “the state should recognise family planning as an integral part of the nation's health care and as a human right. They should provide financial support and assistance lo its greater availability and improvement in standards”.](https://posts.leftarchive.ie/attachments/thumbnails/e6d93480f8aed05ed15355bf8e0293ad0b01bb2ea389880acd06ff1094c61f04/z_mag_contraception.jpeg)
Published #OnThisDay 26th April 1994:
The Downing Street Declaration: New Unionism and the Communities of Resistance
From the Republican Worker Tendency.
The Downing Street Declaration: New Unionism and the Communities of Resistance (1994) — Republican Worker Tendency
Irish Left Archive
New document:
Militant, No. 247.
The final issue of Militant, as they transitioned to The Socialist Party in 1996.
Militant, No. 247 (1996) — Socialist Party
Irish Left Archive
Published #OnThisDay, 20th April 1985:
"Celebrate May Day!" "Farewell Comrade Enver!"
Voice of Revolution, from the Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist-Leninist), on annual May day celebrations and the death of Albanian leader Enver Hoxha, whom the CPIML supported in the Sino-Albanian split.
Voice of Revolution (Marxist-Leninist Weekly), Vol. 9, No. 13 (1985) — Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist-Leninist)
Irish Left Archive
#OnThisDay 19th April 2003, a demonstration was held to oppose the invasion of Iraq and the US military’s use of Shannon Airport in Newbridge, Kildare.
Documents distributed by County Kildare Anti-War Group, Socialist Party and Socialist Workers' Party are collected here as part of the #SnapshotsOfPoliticalAction project: https://www.leftarchive.ie/demonstration/6108/
#OTD #SocialistParty #SocialistWorkersParty #Iraq #Shannon #AntiWar
Political Material from: Anti-War Demonstration, 19th April 2003
Irish Left Archive
A cartoon highlighting church hypocrisy on abortion.
The cartoon accompanied an article asking readers to vote No in the 1983 eighth amendment referendum, from Women's View.
#IrishLeft #IrishHistory #IrishPolitics #WomensView #Repeal #EighthAmendment #AbortionRights
#OnThisDay, 17th April 1966, a huge Republican demonstration in Belfast marked the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising.
On This Day, 17th April
Irish Left Archive
New document: Oráid an Uachtaráin Presidential Address, Tomás Mac Giolla TD, Árd Fheis Annual Conference, 1986, The Workers Party
https://www.leftarchive.ie/document/6399/
#IrishLeftArchive #TheWorkersParty #TomásMacGiolla #IrishPolitics #IrishHistory
Oráid an Uachtaráin Presidential Address, Tomás Mac Giolla TD, Árd Fheis Annual Conference, 1986 (1986) — The Workers' Party
Irish Left Archive
From the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association in 1975: Bill of Rights (Northern Ireland) Act 1975, presented to the people of N. Ireland by N.I.C.R.A.
https://www.leftarchive.ie/document/4589/
#IrishLeftArchive #BillOfRights #NICRA #CivilRights #IrishPolitics #IrishHistory
Bill of Rights (Northern Ireland) Act 1975 (1975) — Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
Irish Left Archive
A cartoon from United Irishman in 1975 on American adoptions of Vietnamese children.
United Irishman was the newspaper of Official Sinn Féin.
#IrishLeftArchive #UnitedIrishman #OfficialSinnFéin #Vietnam
Published #OnThisDay 13th April 1973, a "Special Election Bulletin" from the Democratic Student Front.
The group was formed by the Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist-Leninist) in Trinity College Dublin to contest the student representative council elections.
https://www.leftarchive.ie/document/457/
#IrishLeftArchive #OTD #DemocraticStudentFront #CPIML #Maoism
Special Election Bulletin, 13th April 1973 (1973) — Democratic Student Front
Irish Left Archive
Irish Left Archive shared 1 year, 7 months ago
@juergenklute@digitalcourage.socialHalf a year of feminist revolt in Iran: demands on the EU
Half a year of feminist revolt in Iran: demands on the EU
Medya News
Updates to our bibliography of Irish Left periodicals: https://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/2023/04/10/updated-bibliography-of-irish-left-periodicals/
#IrishLeftArchive #Mastodaoine #IrishLeft #IrishPolitics #Histodon
Updated Bibliography of Irish Left Periodicals
The Cedar Lounge Revolution
New document:
The Socialist, No. 137, 26 November 1999. Newspaper of the Socialist Party (England & Wales).
The Socialist, No. 137 (1999) — Socialist Party [England & Wales]
Irish Left Archive
From 1971, the first issue of Official Sinn Féin's theoretical journal, Teoric.
Teoiric, No. 1 (1971) — Sinn Féin [Official]
Irish Left Archive
A leaflet from the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), which folds out to a Palestinian flag.
Collected at a 2005 Palestine solidarity demonstration during an Ireland-Israel soccer match.
#SnapshotsOfPoliticalAction #Palestine #Israel #IrishPalestineSolidarityCampaign #IPSC #Israel
Irish Left Archive shared 1 year, 7 months ago
@marymcauliffe@mastodon.ieWhat a fun morning filming with French TV in Nearys Pub talking about the pubs campaign led by Nell McCafferty and others in the Irish Women’s Liberation Movement. I think there should be a plaque to them in Nearys - I will be emailing them about it #irishwmnhist #historylife #mastodaoine
From 1969, an article on opposition to the appointment of Charles as Prince of Wales, and the ongoing trial of nine members of the Free Wales Army.
From United Irishman, newspaper of Sinn Féin.
#IrishLeftArchive #FreeWalesArmy #Cymru #Wales #PrinceOfWales
![Scanned newspaper article headlined "Wales Defiled!", with a caricature image of Charles, and reading:
On July 1 as we go to press a representative of the English Crown, the most vicious institution of murder the world has ever known, was installed as "prince" of Wales.
Surrounded by the largest force of police and troops ever mounted in peacetime the English “royals” imposed themselves on the people of Wales. The “royal” occasion did not pass without protest however: bombs exploded in Cardiff, the Welsh Capital, and in Abergele, forty miles from Caernarvon, two men were killed while placing explosives in a government office.
At the same time the marathon trial of members of the Free Wales Army was coming to an end and the verdicts were due to be announced on July 1. Referring to the trial, our Welsh correspondent writes:
Now as the Free Wales Army trial drags to its seemingly interminable close the moment of decision — the “crunch” — arrives. Not only for those patriots in the dock at Swansea. The hour of decision has arrived for the whole movement towards devolution of Government away from the Whitehall tyrannies of the Harold Wilson regime. Sadly, most sadly, one or two signs of the cracking of resolve are to be seen amongst those who took upon themselves the heavy responsibility of putting themselves forward as martyrs in the cause of the struggle to save the lifeblood of the Welsh nation.
The inspiration for the Welsh militant movement sprang — as it was bound to do — from the great examples of the Irish patriots of the time of Ireland’s agony.
But from the example of the martyrs for Irish independence those who are now in doubt — and who can blame them after the ordeal they have undergone in English prisons over the past months? — they, these new martyrs in the cause of Wales, must draw fresh strength.
They must stand firm. One sign of weakness, one indication that one or two may be tempted, fatally, to “crawl out from under” the weight of their responsibility — a responsibility to the generations of new Welshmen and women in the years to come — and the very existence of Wales, as a Nation again, will be equally fatally threatened.
Stand firm, the new martyrs of Wales.
Remember the examples of Pearse, of Connolly, of Ap Griffith, the Welshman him self who inspired in those days of the other struggles for the freedom of Ireland. Stand firm. For the dignity of the Welsh nation.
Only stand fearless before the threats of the London Government hirelings, the Quisling traitors of Wales, who are even now drawing their wages in Saxon gold as drovers of the Welsh cattle out of Wales and to the "Sais“ New Towns, only stand firm now all can be won.
Only stand firm now and as Ireland survived its testing hour, so can Wales today.
A heavy responsibility rests on the shoulders of the men on trial. They must prove themselves worthy of it.
Any sign of weakness, any sign of fear, and the whole movement towards the rennaissance [sic] of the Welsh spirit will be put back a hundred years.
The men on trial at the Inquisition of Swansea have the ability to write themselves into a golden page of Welsh history. Stand firm Welshmen. The heart and soul of a new Wales is with you. The new martyrs of Wales have already been likened to “the tip of the spear” — this one action, this one public martyrdom, and the modern “Siege of The Post Office" in open court can win Wales its freedom after 500 years of insidious and open oppression.
Stand firm and all can be won.
Stand firm for Wales!](https://posts.leftarchive.ie/attachments/thumbnails/b6d1adb099ec226dea248ad681839d48208ef6ddc2e03364aa530e855843429b/UI-Wales-defiled.jpeg)