Dissident republican group Saoradh undeterred by criticism of marches

Members of Saoradh marching on Barrack St, Cork, yesterday. The group held marches in Dublin and Cork at the weekend. Picture: Howard Crowdy

Dissident republican group Saoradh has come in for renewed criticism after lauding the “success” of its widely condemned Easter marches.

The group, the political wing of the New IRA, refused to call off its Easter Saturday commemoration march in Dublin and Sunday march in Cork even though a similar event was cancelled in Derry because of the murder of journalist Lyra McKee.

But despite criticism from politicians and the public for going ahead with the events, the group was unrepentant, tweeting yesterday that it “saluted” the “thousands who attended” the Dublin march. The claim that thousands attended met with ridicule on social media as photographs show the footpaths largely devoid of supporters as the uniformed marchers walked by, with those stopping to have a look appearing to be mainly tourists and shoppers.

Later, the group’s Facebook site showed that of 2,128 people invited by the organisers to attend, 567 had expressed an interest and 292 said they attended. But anger was also expressed at the military-style outfits worn by the participants and their decision to march in military formation.

Marchers refused to engage with journalists and members of the public who asked questions and those who persisted were physically blocked by other men.

It is a criminal offence to wear an imitation defence forces uniform but the bar for prosecution is set high so that the imitation must look very like the real thing and there must be a deliberate attempt to deceive.

The banners carried by the group make clear they were representing Saoradh. Saoradh was contacted for comment but no response was received.

Gardaí said while they had received no prior notice of the event from the organisers, they were aware it was to take place and “appropriate policing arrangements were put in place”.

They noted: “There is no statutory permit or licence required for groups to assemble in public places.” They said the event went off peacefully. “No incidents were reported to Gardaí during or following the march.”

Saoradh stems from the merger of dissident paramilitaries to form the New IRA in 2012. The all-island group, chaired by Dubliner Brian Kenna, opposes the Good Friday Agreement and seeks an end to all UK involvement in Northern Ireland.

Addressing the event in Dublin, one of the group’s more prominent members, Damien ‘Dee’ Fennell, said: “I do not, will not and can not speak for the IRA.”

But he added: “However, what most republicans agree on is that when Britain maintains her illegal occupation of the six counties, when she maintains partition and when she infringes upon Irish sovereignty, there will be some form of armed resistance.”