Ireland

For workers' unity and a democratic united Ireland

This year marks the centenary of the partition of Ireland and the creation of the Northern Ireland (NI) state. It comes after a rare period of relative peace in the territory, and Unionists might have hoped that the celebrations could have been less contentious than previously. In fact the stability of both NI and Unionism have been thrown into question by the emerging impact of Brexit. The imposition of a customs border in the sea between Britain and NI, in flat contradiction to explicit promises made by Boris Johnson, has become a flashpoint for loyalist insecurity and anger. Street rioting...

Marxism and Irish politics: Rayner Lysaght and Sean Matgamna debate and discussion

In November 2018, the longtime Irish-based Trotskyist Rayner Lysaght debated with Sean Matgamna, a founding member of Workers’ Liberty, on Marxist perspectives on Irish history and the Irish revolution. The following day they had an extended discussion on related topics. This has been recorded and released as nine videos.

Starmer's wretched support for NI Unionism

On 10 July, towards the end of a two day visit to Northern Ireland (NI), Labour leader Keir Starmer was asked, in an interview by BBC NI, what he would do in the event of a future border poll on a United Ireland. At first he dodged the question by insisting that such a poll was not an imminent possibility and it would be up to the people of NI to decide. When pressed by the interviewer though, he said that he “believed in the United Kingdom” and would campaign for the union and against a united Ireland. "I personally, as leader of the Labour Party, believe in the United Kingdom strongly”, he...

Rayner Lysaght, 1941-2021

Rayner Lysaght died in Dublin on 2 July 2021, at the age of 80. He was one of the earliest and longest serving members of the Mandelite Trotskyist organisation in Ireland, from 1971.

Northern Ireland: why Poots fell

On 17 June, after less than three weeks in the role, Edwin Poots stepped down as leader of the main Unionist Party in Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), and requested a new leadership election. Prior to Poots, the DUP had been ruled by only three leaders in its 50-year history and by one leader (Ian Paisley) for the first 37 of those years. The party’s current inability to settle on a leader is a symptom of a much broader failure to come to terms with the changing society in which it operates. The immediate cause of Poots' downfall was his apparent agreement to have an...

Women's Fightback: Trans woman’s rights breached, rules judge

Requiring a trans woman to show she suffered from a “disorder” is an unnecessary affront to her dignity, the Northern Ireland High Court has ruled. The obligation required in order to secure official recognition of her preferred identity is incompatible with human rights, said the ruling. Judicial review proceedings brought against the Government Equalities Office (GEA) focused on the terms of the Gender Recognition Act 2004. The woman, who has chosen to stay anonymous, began her transition more than 20 years ago, and took legal action in a bid to obtain a new birth certificate. In order to...

Loyalist violence means advance?

When loyalist violence erupted in Northern Ireland in April, the Morning Star responded with an article (15 April) by one Lynda Walker that concluded: “The cause of the problems which the unionist and loyalist communities have cited, the border and policing, must be solved politically. In addition to those orchestrating the violence, the British and Irish governments, the EU and the DUP should be held responsible for this situation.” The words “statement” and “bleedin’ obvious” spring to mind. At least Walker’s article includes the British government in its roll-call of those to blame. Back in...

Irish Republicanism: theory, debate, history

See also Ireland: theory, debate, history for articles on related issues. Series: What is Irish Republicanism? by John O' Mahony (Sean Matgamna) Part one Part two Part three Part four What is Irish Republicanism? continued (various authors): Where is Republicanism going? What happened when The CPI calls for civil war The Comintern on the Treaty The fifth congress Trotsky on worker-peasant parties Series: the history of Irish Republicanism by Thomas Carolan (Sean Matgamna) Part 1: The past, present and future of Irish republicanism Part 2: The gunmen in power Part 3: The IRA's all-time low Part...

This website uses cookies, you can find out more and set your preferences here.
By continuing to use this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.