IRA stands down - Democracy way of true republicans

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern explained yesterday that the Government made it clear to the Sinn Féin leadership that there had to be clarity in further discussions on such matters as decommissioning, paramilitarism, and criminality.

There was no longer any room for ambiguity on the part of Sinn Féin and the IRA. There had been too much prevarication and not enough plain talking.

The Taoiseach and his colleagues deserve credit for biting the figurative bullet by making Sinn Féin and the IRA face reality.

“The unity of Irish people could never be achieved through violence,” the Taoiseach insisted, “and I made it clear you could never build Irish unity on violence and pain.”

His government believes this week’s announcement indicates that the Provisional IRA will adopt exclusively peaceful means in tackling the ongoing problems of the North.

Many people may question the credibility of the IRA and Sinn Féin, but there is nothing to be lost in accepting their promises now, because these will be fully tested in the coming months as part of the verification process.

There is already enormous scepticism, in relation to the IRA statement, about giving up all forms of criminality - especially smuggling and diesel laundering. But most people seem confident that the armed struggle has ended.

Catholic priest Fr Alec Reid, a long-time arbitrator between parties to the Troubles, was categorical that the IRA have ended their campaign because they have deactivated. In the coming months and years, people can debate rationally the validity of Fr Reid’s contention that the physical force tradition throughout Irish history was ill-advised.

He was including the Easter Rebellion of 1916. Some of the initial violence in the North was blamed on the celebrations commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rebellion. In little over a decade we will be commemorating its centenary, so it is important that we not make the same mistakes again.

In the interim, both Sinn Féin and the IRA will have to move further. More than mere words are needed. The IRA is still an illegal organisation until it accepts the constitutional process and abandons its absurd claims to legitimacy.

The Good Friday Agreement has charted the way forward. The people of the whole island have agreed to the legitimacy of Northern Ireland until the people of that area decide otherwise within the democratic process.

This poses the challenge to true republicans - to persuade the unionist and loyalist people to embrace the idea of Irish unity by democratic means.

Pope Benedict XVI has welcomed the IRA’s statement. He has called on all sides to take further steps for peace. And the process deserves the support of all right-minded people.

Ruairí O Brádaigh expressed absurd sentiments on air yesterday in claiming to speak for republicanism, while disparaging the decision of the overwhelming majority of the Irish people, on both sides of the border, to embrace the Good Friday Agreement. His remarks suggested that he does not even know the real meaning of republicanism.

It is time we recognised such vacuous sentiments for the pain they have caused for too long.