Oglach Ronán MacLochlainn 2025

The following oration was delivered today at the 27th anniversary commemoration for Irish Republican Army volunteer Ronán MacLochlainn who was murdered by free state forces on May 1st 1998. The oration was read by John Murphy of Cork 32CSM.

Our patriot dead belong to all generations. The ultimate reward for their heroic sacrifice is the establishment of the Irish Republic they themselves struggled to realise. IRA Volunteer Ronan McLoughlin gave his life whilst engaged in armed struggle, just as those from other generations did before him.

     They were equal in life, in justification, in outlook and now, buried here together in the Republican Plot, they are equal in death.

      All generations of our people have the inalienable right to exercise their sovereignty in the face of the circumstances in which they live. And equally, all generations of Irish republicans have a right and duty to articulate their voice so that those generations take notice of it.

     They will not hear our voice if we offer nothing more than ritual rhetoric. We cannot reduce the rich depths of Irish republicanism to a slogan, and we cannot advance the breadth of republicanism if we abandon the ability to think for ourselves. 

     Life and circumstances evolve, so too must the language and actions of struggle. Irish republicans must be aware of our people’s national mindset and political trends, and however different or ill-informed they may be concerning the view of Irish republicanism, their views were formed by their life’s experiences and cannot be simply dismissed.

     The burning question remains: how can we make Irish republicanism relevant to this generation? In preparing ourselves to address this question we need to first fully understand that the old formulas are no longer sufficient to carry out this task. We must also recognise that we cannot win this struggle on our own. And in accepting this clear fact we cannot engage in activities that are self-isolating and redundant.

     At a recent 1916 commemoration in Arbour Hill cemetery the following observation was made;

     “Our first task is to liberate Irish republicanism itself. We have mired it so deeply in the past that we have strangled any relevance it can have today. We have surrendered its future to historical decisions that were noble and relevant to their time but are, nonetheless, done and receding.”

     In short this means that we cannot wave about the Proclamation as some sort of general panacea to convince our people as to the justness of our cause. Our people are deserving of a proper and insightful republican analysis as are any and all political and social movements whom we must make common cause with.

     We must take Irish republicanism into the modern era or forever surrender it to history and the graveyard. None of our patriot dead made the ultimate sacrifice for glory or praise. Their deaths were an event to advance our struggle, and each republican commemoration should be a critical accounting as to how that advancement is proceeding. 

     So as we leave Ronan’s graveside today let each of us match his commitment by committing ourselves to advancing the republican struggle and to stand here in a years’ time truthfully knowing that such a commitment, and the activity resulting from it, is the greatest honour we can pay to Ronan. 

     Beir Bua!