Irish Republican Socialist Party

The Starry Plough is often used as a symbol to represent the Irish Republican Socialist Party, its armed wing the Irish National Liberation Army, and other Irish republican socialist groups

The Irish Republican Socialist Party was founded at a meeting on 8 December 1974 in the Spa Hotel in Lucan, near Dublin, by former members of Workers' Party (aka 'Official' Sinn Féin), headed by Seamus Costello. According to the IRSP, 80 people were in attendance.[5] A paramilitary wing, the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), was founded the same day, although its existence was intended to be kept hidden until such a time that the INLA could operate effectively. Costello was elected as the party's first chairperson and the Army's first chief of staff. Together, the IRSP and the INLA were referred to as the Irish Republican Socialist Movement (IRSM).[6]

Former Unity MP for Mid-Ulster Bernadette McAliskey served on the executive of the IRSP.[7] She resigned following the failure of a motion to be passed which would have brought the INLA under the control of the IRSP Ard Comhairle (executive committee). This led to the resignation of half the Ard Comhairle, which weakened the party. Tony Gregory, a future Dublin TD, was also a member for a short time.[8] Its poor showing in the 1977 Irish general election, and the assassination of Seamus Costello, weakened the organisation.

Costello had been expelled from the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) following a court-martial, and from Official Sinn Féin on the same basis. Along with other activists, he was dissatisfied with the group's tactics and policies, especially on the issues surrounding the 1972 OIRA ceasefire and his growing belief that the emerging conflict was sectarian.

On 5 October 1977, Costello was shot dead in his car by a man armed with a shotgun. His supporters blamed the Official IRA for the killing.[9][10]

Following meetings between the INLA and OIRA leadership in Dublin, a truce was eventually reached, but in one of the first of the INLA's armed operations, Billy McMillen, commanding officer of the OIRA Belfast Battalion, was murdered by Gerard Steenson. In the following years, the IRSP and INLA saw several of their members, including Miriam Daly, Ronnie Bunting and Noel Little killed by Ulster loyalist paramilitaries, most prominently the Ulster Defence Association (UDA).[11]

Three members of the INLA died in the 1981 Irish hunger strike in HM Prison Maze, also known as Long Kesh: Patsy O'Hara, Kevin Lynch, and Michael Devine.

In 1987, the INLA and its political wing, the IRSP came under attack from the Irish People's Liberation Organisation (IPLO), an organisation founded by people who had resigned or been expelled from the INLA. The IPLO's initial aim was to destroy the IRSM and replace it with their organisation. Five members of the INLA and IRSP were killed by the IPLO, including leaders Ta Power and John O'Reilly. The INLA retaliated with several killings of their own. After the INLA killed the IPLO's leader, Gerard Steenson, a truce was reached. Although severely damaged by the IPLO's attacks, the INLA continued to exist. The IPLO, which was heavily involved in drug dealing, was forcibly disbanded by the Provisional IRA in a large scale operation in 1992.

In the 2000s and 2010s, the IRSP has been involved in campaigns and political protests, mainly around Belfast and Derry but also in of parts of the Republic of Ireland as well. Some of these protests included the opposition to austerity measures,[12] the Right2Water campaign against water charges,[13] and striking nurses. [14]

In November 2016, after a number of raids on members of the party's homes, the IRSP issued a warning saying the PSNI were "playing with fire". IRSP's Lower Falls representative Michael Kelly claimed that “British security forces risk bringing serious conflict onto the streets” and said that “The Irish Republican Socialist Party has been in existence for over 40 years, in that time we have never tolerated attacks on our membership from any quarter,” The comments drew criticism from UUP MLA Doug Beattie and SDLP Alex Attwood.[15]

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, the IRSP launched Republican Socialist Aid, which aimed to distribute PPE to healthcare and essential workers in communities across Ireland at risk of exposure to the virus.[16]

In September 2020 the IRSP started a 'Drop The Rents' campaign,[17] requesting landlords and letting agencies in North Belfast and West Belfast to lower their rent prices to local housing benefit levels and protesting against landlords and letting agencies that would not [18] and that issued threats of eviction.[19] The campaign has achieved some level of success.[20]

During the East Wall protests in November 2022, the IRSP opposed the housing of 380 refugees due to the absence of notice given to residents about the move prior to arrival and the feasibility of using the housing there for a large number of refugees. They said the residents were not opposed to refugees, just the lack of notice and uncertainty of feasibility.[21] This differed to the majority of other groups who opposed any housing of refugees, regardless of notice.[22]

The IRSP opposes both the Good Friday Agreement and the Northern Ireland Peace Process, The party supports a 'No First Strike' policy, allowing people to see the perceived failure of the peace process for themselves without taking military actions.[28]

As of 11 October 2009, the INLA has ordered an end to the armed struggle,[4] because unlike during the Troubles, the current political stance in Ulster allows the IRSP to contest fairly in new campaigns and local elections, as mentioned in their 2009 statement. INLA admitted to "faults and grievous errors" in their prosecution of the armed struggle, stating that "innocent people were killed and injured" and offering "as revolutionaries" a "sincere and heartfelt apology".[4]

The IRSP supported Brexit and supports the Republic of Ireland leaving the European Union.[29]

During the Russo-Ukrainian War, the IRSP publicly declared their support for the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic. It blamed NATO rather than Russia for the conflict and claimed Ukraine was ruled by a "fascist" government. On 25 February 2022, one day after Russia invaded Ukraine, the party re-affirmed its support for the Republics in a social media post in which they called Ukraine a "Nazi regime" and a "NATO puppet". It included a picture of IRSP members posing in front of Free Derry Corner with a Soviet flag and the flag of the Donetsk People's Republic. This was condemned by local SDLP councillors.[30] The party boasted about the INLA's bombing of a radar station on Mount Gabriel, County Cork in 1982, which it said was used by NATO.[31] In August 2022, IRSP members and Russian nationalists staged a protest against the Ukrainian military, outside Dublin's General Post Office. The Irish security services believe the Russian government were involved in organizing the protest.[32]

The IRSP supports the formation of what it calls the "Broad Front" which would oppose British occupation and imperialism in Ireland. Policies would include:

• UK must denounce all claims of sovereignty over the island
• Withdrawal of all UK troops and release of all republican prisoners
• UK to compensate the Irish people for the exploitation that has occurred throughout Ireland.[2]

The IRSP is in favour of an All-Ireland, democratically controlled, unarmed police force.[2]

The IRSP are not abstentionist in principle but they would support abstentionism in certain situations for tactical reasons.[33]

IRSP believes that the right to a home is a fundamental human right and that the state has a responsibility to deal with homelessness.[5]

The party's policy on abortion is that it should be legalised, available on demand and free of charge.[5]