Message to the Free Nations of the World

To the Nations of the World! Greeting.

The Nation of Ireland having proclaimed her national independence, calls through her elected representatives in Parliament, assembed in the Irish Capital on January 21st, 1919, upon every free nation to support the Irish Republic by recognising Ireland’s national status and her right to its vindication at the Peace Congress.

Nationally, the race, the language, the customs and traditions of Ireland are radically distinct from the English. Ireland is one of the most ancient nations in Europe; and she has preserved her national integrity, vigorous and intact, through seven centuries of foreign oppression; she has never relinquished her national rights, and through the long era of English usurpation she has in every generation defiantly proclaimed her inalienable right of nationhood down to her last glorious report to arms in 1916.

Internationally, Ireland is the gateway of the Atlantic. Ireland is the last outpost of Europe towards the West: Ireland is the point upon which great sea routes between East and West converge: her independence is demanded by the Freedom of the Seas: her great harbours are empty and idle solely because English policy is determined to retain Ireland as a barren bulwark for English aggrandisement, and the unique geographical position of this island, far from being a benefit and safeguard to Europe and America, is subjected to the purposes of English policy of world domination.

Ireland today reasserts her historic nationhood the more confidently before the new world emerging from the War. Because she believes in freedom and justice as the fundamental principles of international law, because she believes in a frank co-operation between the people for equal rights against the vested privileges of ancient tyrannies, because the permanent peace of Europe can never be secured by perpetuating military domination for the profit of empire but only by establishing the control of government in every land upon the basis of the free will of a free people, and the existing state of war, between Ireland and England, can never be ended until Ireland is definitely evacuated by the armed forces of England.

For these among other reasons, Ireland – resolutely and irrevocably determined at the dawn of the promised era of self-determination and liberty that she will suffer foreign dominion no longer – calls upon every free nation to uphold her national claim to complete independence as an Irish Republic against the arrogant pretentions of England founded in fraud and sustained only by an overwhelming military occupation, and demands to be confronted publicly with England at the Congress of the Nations, in order that the civilised world, having judged between English wrong and Irish right, may guarantee to Ireland its permanent support for the maintenance of her national independence.

Dáil Éireann, 21 January 1919, Mansion House, Dublin

Article originally published on: Tuesday 21st January 1919

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An Claíomh Solais means "The Sword of Light", and is named after an Irish newspaper originally published around the beginning of the twentieth century. This project is opening a window to that time, not so long ago, and sharing the hopes, dreams and visions of the men and women who founded the modern Irish Republic.

The project will follow in their footsteps along the path laid down by Hyde, O'Conaire, MacNeill, Cusack and many others through sharing news, ideas, articles of Irish cultural interest and more, as well as helping to support Irish language and cultural initiatives. You can find out more about An Claíomh Solais by clicking on the buttons below, or join our team as we begin the great Gaelic restoration!

An interview with Rob Carry

Good afternoon! As part of our ongoing series on rising nationalist stars and voices in Ireland, we're delighted to be able to introduce local community activist, businessman and politician, Rob Carry! 

We've been talking about his amazing work for and with his community, as well as his aspirations and plans for the future. 

ACS: Can you tell us a little about yourself, your background, and where you're coming from?

RC: Sure. So I’m a small business owner (I run a commercial gym, a martial arts club
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An Interview with Gavin from Offgrid Ireland

Good morning and welcome to another in our series of interviews with prominent figures and rising stars in modern Irish nationalism!

Today we're talking to Gavin from a prominent and influential online discussion group, the X SPACES Éire Community. This very active group has at one time or another hosted many well-known nationalist names and continues to grow in both size and influence.

ACS: Can you share with our readers some of your background and a little about who you are?

OI: I am an Offaly man, born and bred, now in my la
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A New Voice For Ireland

We are pleased to introduce a new rising star among Irish nationalists - although she needs no introduction for many of you who have attended Irish Ireland protests recently - Ciara Ní Mhainnín! Her uncompromising voice offers a clear challenge to the establishment and a great example for us all to follow.

Ciara very kindly took the time to join us in an online interview, which we are delighted to publish here.

ACS: What made you decide to get involved with the Irish Ireland cause, was there one particular event or was it more of a process?


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The last address of Thomas MacDonagh

There is not much left to say. The Proclamation of the Irish Republic has been adduced in evidence against me as one of the Signatories. I adhere to every statement in the Proclamation. You think it already a dead and buried letter, but it lives, it lives. From minds alight with Ireland’s vivid intellect it sprang; in hearts aflame with Ireland’s mighty love it was conceived. Such documents do not die.

The British occupation of Ireland has never for more than one hundred years been compelled to confront in the field of fight a Rising so formidable as that which overwhe
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From A Hermitage - DECEMBER 1913

I was once stranded on a desert island with a single companion. When two people are stranded on a desert island they naturally converse. We conversed. We sat on a stony beach and talked for hours. When we had exhausted all the unimportant subjects either of us could think of, we commenced to talk about important subjects. (I have observed that even on a desert island it is not considered good form to talk of important things while unimportant things remain to be discussed.) 

We had very different points of views, and very different temperaments. I was a boy; my companion was
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On Emigration

From An Claidheamh Soluis, July 18, 1903.

In a letter to the Freeman’s Journal of Friday last, the Hon. Secretary of the Anti-Emigration Society directs attention to the grim figures revealed by the latest emigration returns issued by the Board of Trade.

    ‘They show,’ she writes, ‘that 23,401 Irish emigrants left the United Kingdom in the first six months of the current year as against 20,610 in the corresponding period of 1902, and that the outflow has therefore increased by 2,791 for the half year. Over two thousand of this incr
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