Saoradh

Foundation

The party was founded in 2016. It held its first ard fheis at the Canal Court Hotel, Newry on 24 September 2016, which was attended by about 150 people. The 12-person national executive of the party sat at the top table under a banner of the signatories of 1916 Proclamation. The national executive included Risteard Ó Murchú, Sharon Rafferty, Dee Fennell, Nuala Perry (Vice-chairperson and former Provisional IRA prisoner), David Jordan, Mandy Duffy (sister-in-law of Colin Duffy) and Kevin Murphy, a former Real IRA prisoner. A third of the executive was female, while out of all 150 in attendance, men outnumbered women 10 to 1.Prominent dissidents including Colin Duffy and his brother Paul. Sharon Girvan and Thomas Ashe Mellon were also in attendance. A message of support from veteran republican leader Billy McKee was read out and a statement from New IRA prisoners expressing their support for the party was read out by Mellon. David Jordan said being elected chairman of the party was “humbling, daunting, intimidating yet empowering”. Chair of the Association of Palestinian Communities in Scotland (APCS), Issam Hijjawi, also spoke.

On the same day Saoradh issued the following press release:

Today, Saturday the 24th of September 2016, we a significant collective of Irish Republican activists, who for a number of years have acted autonomously, have after a number of years of debate, consultation and organisation today in Ard Fheis organised, constituted and launched a Revolutionary Irish Republican Party, the Party’s name is Saoradh.

Saoradh believes that Ireland should be governed by the Irish People with the wealth and wealth producing mechanisms in the ownership of the Irish People. This can not happen while British imperialism undemocratically retains control of Irish destinies and partitions our nation, this cannot happen while a neo-colonial elite in a subservient supposed indigenous administration sell’s the nation’s labour and natural resources to international capital.

Saoradh does not believe that British imperialism or capitalist exploitation can be confronted in the structures they have created to consolidate their undemocratic control of the Irish nation. As such we believe any assembly claiming to speak for the Irish People without being elected by the united people of the Irish nation to be illegal. Saoradh will seek to organise and work with the Irish People rather than be consumed and usurped by the structures of Ireland’s enemy’s

Reaction

SDLP MLA Nichola Mallon said it was "the first step in a journey that every militant group in the history of the Irish republican tradition has ever taken" and that "they should now take steps two, three and four to avoid unnecessary and unwanted violence that the people of Ireland have rejected at every opportunity."

Democratic Unionist Party MLA Lord Maurice Morrow said that the action showed that dissidents “realise they are failing to gain support in their campaign and have moved into the political sphere.” He added that “It will be very interesting to see what, if any, support this new political party will have.”

The Ulster Unionist Party claimed it welcomed anyone engaging in the political process and added that Saoradh have adopted “a tired and outdated abstentionist programme that has failed in the past and will fail again”.

Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister said that former IRA members have for years been “lauded as statesmen and elevated to the highest offices in the land after gaining their status off the back of the Provisional IRA terror campaign”. He asked “Will Saoradh follow the trajectory of Sinn Féin and gain politically from violence?”

Sinn Féin said that its vision and analysis have won the support of half a million voters and that they "encourage genuine political debate within republicanism.”

James McDaid controversy

In November 2016, the wife of IRA volunteer James McDaid (shot dead by the 25th Light Regiment Royal Artillery in 1972) criticised Saoradh after they named their Derry offices on Chamberlain Street after her husband. She said nobody had invited her or told her the branch would be named after him, and added that she didn't know if he would have approved of it.

Accusations of child abuse

During a stop and search operation, the 10 year old daughter of Saoradh member Damhnaic Mac Eochaidh was spoken to by the PSNI. Saoradh claimed the PSNI were "hyper-aggressive and heavily armed". Saoradh was outraged, saying that it was "state-sponsored child abuse” and called upon the commissioner for children and young people to meet with them to discuss the "ongoing abuse of our children at the hands of the state."

Accusations of harassment

Saoradh have claimed that since its foundation party members have been subject to a number of house raids, stop and search abuse, vehicle searches, heavy handedness and "theft" of personal items such as kid's Christmas presents and cars. They have called the PSNI draconian.

Policies and Ideology

Saoradh seeks to establish a 32 county socialist republic

The party's constitution says that it may in the future contest elections, though if its candidates are elected to either Dáil Eireann or the Northern Ireland Assembly they will not take their seats.

Northern Ireland

Saoradh views Northern Ireland's membership of the UK as an "illegal occupation" and is opposed to the current power-sharing government in Northern Ireland. It is highly critical of Sinn Féin, whom the party's chairman David Jordan describes as "false prophets who have been defeated and consumed by the very system they claim to oppose". Saoradh supports the release of all republican prisoners.

Republic of Ireland

Saoradh is against water taxation.

Emblem

Soaradh's emblem combines the sunburst flag with the national colours of Ireland, green and orange, the socialist red star and a pike

Wider links

A report in the Sunday Life claimed that Saoradh is linked to the "New IRA", a group formed in 2012 by the merger of the Real Irish Republican Army with several smaller paramilitary groups. However Jordan has stated that the party is "stand alone" and has no links to any other organisation. Locals in Ardoyne have called the organisation known as the Greater Ardoyne Residents Collective (GARC) a front for the party.