On Saturday 7th March 2026, the 32 County Sovereignty Movement in conjunction with the Ryan family, held a successful event to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of Vincent 'Vinny' Ryan.

Republicans from all over Ireland gathered at Balgriffin Cemetery in Dublin and walked proudly with the Ryan family, led by a traditional piper, to the graveside of Vincent, his Brother Alan and father Martin.

Wreaths were laid by the Sovereignty Movement, Republican SinnFein, RNU and others.

The event was chaired by John Murphy from Cork, the main oration by Gary Donnelly from Derry and a reading by Vincent's brother Dermot.

Main oration:

“Everything begins with an idea.” Ten years ago IRA Volunteer Vincent Ryan was murdered by criminal and drug elements because he was at the vanguard of revolutionary ideas which threatened the very basis of their existence.

Allied with a political class who were desperate to portray Irish republicans as anti-peace and devoid of strategy Vincent and his comrades shattered that illusion on several fronts in both national and international forums.

When elements of the Provisional leadership, in tandem with the British security services, steered the Republican Movement towards an internal settlement opposition to their efforts was not centred around the gun but rather reasoned arguments of history, politics and international law.

Blind loyalties was the very fodder the betrayal feasted on and only through the passage of time those who dined at that table now realise that the reasoned arguments put forward by Vincent and his comrades have been demonstrated as true.

The end of the violation of our sovereignty did not occur in 2016. A so-called Border Poll was not the political panacea it was trumpeted to be and as lucrative political careers become more established the move towards establishment politics becomes more entrenched.

But Irish republicanism cannot itself become entrenched in the politics of opposition it must develop a politics of credible alternatives that removes our arguments from the idealistic and into the realm of the everyday lives of our people and our communities.

In his anti-drugs activism Vincent grasped this reality by engaging with a drug abuse strategy developed by Republicans which called for a radical new approach to this scourge. That initiative was the product of engagement with frontline activists and groups who daily tackle the many impacts of addiction on individuals, families and communities.

That initiative was given its first public airing in Cork city. Republican activists hosted a community rally and invited residents to a meeting to address the issue of drug abuse and view the new republican policy. It was received with great interest and enthusiasm, not least in local and national media who quoted extensively from the text.

From that initial success a national plan was developed to host similar meetings throughout Ireland on a rotating basis so that the experiences of each area would carry through. Derry city was the first area chosen with a host of frontline activists from all over Ireland and I was honoured to be in attendance myself.

The meeting pulled no punches nor engaged in fantasy politics or ideological posturing. It completely trashed tired stereotypes and shallow perceptions and laid bare the extent and devastation of the drug abuse problem and what was needed to address it.

The second venue chosen was Belfast and here the true nefarious colours of the provisional movement were exposed. Having misread the signs from Derry they were determined to scupper any national or community initiative over which they had no control.

There was a wealth of community groups in Belfast who readily accepted an invitation to attend only to be visited by provisional representatives who threatened to remove their funding if they chose to attend. What followed was a smear campaign gleefully endorsed by sections of the media portraying the organisers as mindless gunmen with no alternative strategies. It had the net effect of facilitating continuing drug dealing and abuse in the very communities they claimed to represent.

What this episode demonstrates is the depth of thinking employed by republicans like Vincent who care deeply about their republicanism and its relevance to the Irish people.

And it is this depth of thinking which is required of republicans today. The language of the previous phase of the conflict is redundant. We are now dealing with a generation of which, too many have zero empathy with that struggle because they have no practical experience of it. That wheel cannot be reinvented.

The Republican Movement needs radical reform if its core message is to have any relevance at all. Our inspiration to initiate this reform stems from the sacrifices of republicans like Vincent, his brother Alan and from all those on the Roll of Honour.

To reiterate the opening quote; “Everything begins with an idea.” Let us leave here today and search out those very ideas!

Beir Bua!