Victory Day

After 37 years, and its longest ever military operation the British Army will be closing down two more bases and returning to a peace time status. In that 37 years the men and women of Oglaigh na h'Eireann fought the best equipped army in Western Europe to a standstill. In that time the British have conceded the principal that following a succesful yes vote in a referendum the 6 Counties then the island of Ireland will be re-united politically, this given the demographics of the six counties is simply a matter of time .

Just as importantly civil and political equal rights for nationalists has been won, with representatives of Sinn Féin in the highest offices in the 6 Counties administration. Also institutional discrimination has been effectively illegalised, the hated RUC disbanded, and the right of unionist mobs to terrorise nationalist communities has been severely curtailed.

This transformation of the 6 counties from a sectarian bigoted statelet with nationalists being the second class citizens to today where it is gradually more and more being integrated into the political, economic and social life of the rest of Ireland , could NOT have occurred without the political progress of the Republican movement in combination with the cutting edge provided by the volunteers of Oglaigh na h'Eireann.

Today is a day that unionist reaction vowed would never happen without the destruction of Irish Republicanism, far from being destroyed Irish Republicans are in government. Can anyone doubt that this seismic shift from 'not wanting a Catholic about the place', to having to share power with Republicans on a basis of equality and mutual respect was primarily the achievement of the nationalist people of the six counties and their unbowed and unbroken army, Oglaigh na h'Eireann.