Standing at the crossroads | International Solidarity | Honouring Rita O’Hare | Remembering Bobby Sands

Standing at the crossroadsSinn Féin, but especially, the party in Belfast pulled out all of the stops at the weekend to ensure that the Ard Fheis was a huge success. The ICC Waterfront Hall was buzzing with republican voices from across our island and beyond talking about the big issues confronting all of us nationally and internationally. The number of young people attending and taking part in the debates was particularly encouraging.There were 167 Motions on the clár for discussion. They ranged across the cost of living crisis, housing, Irish unity, education, health, the climate crisis and our environment, rural Ireland, justice and human rights, and the fraught international situation.International SolidaritySinn Féin believes in international solidarity. Consequently, an important element of our annual Ard Fheis is the many international guests who travel to be with us. This year there were around 60 guests from the ANC in South Africa, EH Bildu in the Basque country, the ERC in Catalonia, from Australia, Kurdistan, France and other comrades.I was especially pleased to meet again with Arab Barghouti, from Ramallah in the west Bank and son of Marwan Barghouti who has been imprisoned for 24 years by Israel. The situation is Gaza continues to be appalling with scores of Palestinians being killed on an almost daily basis, and towns and villages in the west Bank regularly targeted by criminal Israeli gangs of settlers.Honouring Rita O’HareThe next time you go into Áras Uí Chonghaile on Bóthar na bhFál in Belfast go up to the first floor where there is a plaque dedicated to the work of Rita O’Hare, who played a huge part in securing the support of American Trade Unions for the Áras. Last Friday a bunch of us, her family and friends, got together to remember Rita and to unveil a James Connolly bust in her memory. It’s a striking piece of art. It was created by the talented sculptor Steve Finney and Barry O’Neill of Lough Neagh Bronze. The bust was originally donated to the Moore St. Preservation Trust that is campaigning to save the 1916 Battlefield site in Dublin.Remembering Bobby SandsFinally, next Tuesday, 5 May, will be the anniversary of the death on hunger strike of Bobby Sands. He was the first of ten men to die during the six-month hunger strike in 1981.This weekend there will be a number of events to remember Bobby and his comrades and their contribution to the struggle for freedom.·      At 9.30 am on Sunday the Annual Bobby Sands Walk will take place on Divis Mountain.·      At the same time there will be a 12k freedom run meeting at the Bobby statue in Twinbrook.·      At 2pm on Sunday there will be a commemoration and wreath laying at the Bobby Sands statue in Twinbrook.·    And later that evening at 8pm the Annual Bobby Sands Lecture will take place in Andersonstown Social Club.