Irish Americans and Irish diaspora from all over the Chicago area came together to the Irish American Heritage Center for the latest installment of the Irish Unity People’s Assembly for the Diaspora.
Chicago’s history of connection with Ireland spans generations, from James Conolly organizing and founding the Irish Socialist Federation in Chicago and New York, to the annual hunger strike memorials hosted by Clan na Gael for decades, Chicago is home to one of the largest and most active Irish and Irish American communities in the country.
Pat Cullen MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone made the trip to Chicago. She made stops at the James Connolly memorial and the Haymarket Memorial to learn more and pay respects to the sacrifice and labor of workers around the world. The Haymarket memorial featured messages of solidarity from around the world including a message from the SIPTU with a quote from Jim Larkin: “The great appear great because we are on our knees: Let us rise.”
After these stops it was time to go to the Irish American Heritage Center to deliver the keynote address and help guide the small group discussions about Irish Unity.
She said, “America is a driver for change in Ireland.
“By the 1990’s we had endured almost thirty years of violence. The longest period of continuous conflict in Irish history.
“Thousands died and many more were injured. Over ten thousand Irish Republicans were imprisoned.
“The conflict in Ireland was deemed intractable.
“Irish America saw the potential of a peace process that Gerry Adams was building with Martin McGuinness and John Hume. Irish America acted.
“Calling for the US to get directly engaged in peacebuilding, the issuing of a visa for Gerry Adams, and the appointment of a special envoy.
“President Clinton agreed and broke with 80 years of practice of unquestioningly supporting the British to develop an independent policy for Ireland with achieving peace at its core.
“Gerry Adams travelled to the US to directly brief political and civic leaders. Ceasefires followed.
“Senator George Mitchel was appointed as the envoy and the Good Friday Agreement was reached. A new chapter in our history was written.
“We have enjoyed twenty-seven years of relative peace and progress.
“The Agreement asserts the primacy of politics over conflict, secures the rights of citizens, and lays out the operation of interrelated and co-dependent sets of institutions.
“The Agreement provides for Irish Unity referendums North and South. If the people in both jurisdictions vote for Irish Unity then the British Government is obliged to legislate.
After her address, she was interviewed by event host host, Vincent Casey. They discussed the importance of this moment in Irish history and ways activists can get involved and advance the cause of a new and united Ireland.
The second half of the event put the attendees at the center of the work with small groups forming at tables to dig into discussion questions and topics.
Pat and Ciarán Quinn, Sinn Féin’s Representative to North America, made their way from table to table to join the conversations, answer questions, and be a part of the discussion.
Local activists worked together to identify the key players in local, national, and international politics before crafting plans for action.
At the conclusion of the event, Ciarán Quinn reminded everyone that we all have a role to play and that the time to act is now.
