Independent Media Centre Ireland     http://www.indymedia.ie

Young Republican Jailed for painting a Post Box!

category tyrone | miscellaneous | news report author Monday March 27, 2006 23:51author by Ógra B - Ógra Shinn Féin

A member of Ógra Shinn Féin from west Tyrone had been jailed for 3 days in the past week.

Danny Turnbull from Omagh was held in Maghaberry jail in Co. Antrim from Monday 20th until Thursday 23rd. He was jailed after he refused to pay a fine relating to the greening of a number of post-boxes in the Tyrone area.

In 2005 Danny was arrested alongside a member of west Tyrone Ógra Shinn Féin on the main street of Fintona, Co. Tyrone. The two men had been in the process of painting post-boxes from red to green.

Ógra Shinn Féin claimed that it was a part of a campaign launched by the youth movement ‘to highlight the folly of partition’.

Speaking on the jailing of an Ógra activist 6 county organiser of Ógra Shinn Féin, Barry McColgan said:

“It’s a disgraceful to see an Ógra Shinn Féin member jailed for his part in a campaign to highlight the folly of partition.

"Ógra Shinn Féin will continue this campaign as a method of asserting our national rights in a manner of our choosing. No amount of harassment and intimidation will deter us from the path of promoting and securing the cause of freedom in Ireland."

Related Link: http://www.osf.pro.ie

Comments (23 of 23)

 
author by radical jonnypublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 09:48author address author phone

I'll agree that three days in jail for what, at most, constituted graffiti is excessive. But I also find it laughable that the ogras are trying to paint (sorry...) the act as some sort of political mission or bold act of direct action.

One postbox closer to a 32-county Republic?

Come on, lads...

author by Rorypublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 10:28author address author phone

A vandal was caught commiting a crime - defacing property (whether it is public or private). The law took its course. What is the big deal? Why dont the Shinners refrain from petty vandalism and concentrate on LEGAL political methods to spread their propaganda.

author by Gay Georipublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:20author address author phone

... for the black shamrock caper....

author by nerrawpublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:26author address author phone

haha, that's made my day.

Good old armchair republicans, fighting the oppression, it won't be long before Ireland is united, thanks to these brave men and their paint brushes.

author by Gemmapublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:40author address author phone

I think the post box campaign is a very imaginative campaign, a bita craic and very very noticeable campaign.

Every area has a post box and if every area had their local postbox painted green over night then it is something which everybody would be speaking about in the morning.

I live in Strabane and last year over night - every and i mean every post box in the town of Strabane was painted green - Ógra Shinn Féin later claimed responsibility in one of the local papers after a Sunday paper did an exposé on it.

I don't see what all the negativity is about this campaign - its not like its the only thing that Ógra is active in - and from the statement released at that time - i think all the whingers and keyboard republicans needa prise themselves from the comfort of their computer screen and paint their local post box green.

author by John - dunaree2000publication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 12:53author address author phone

You can't have every asshole going out painting post boxes whatever colour he wants. If republicans paint every post box in republican areas green, then it won't be long before loyalists start painting post boxes in loyalist areas orange and probably with portraits of King Billy and Queen Elizabeth for good measure. The best solution of course would be to privatise and liberalise the whole industry. Let there be lots of private firms collecting and distributing mail. Not only would it be more efficient, each one could paint its post boxes any colour it likes.

author by .publication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 13:36author address author phone

The kerbstones are painted in tribal colours, why not the post boxes. Reminds me of a dog going around peeing everywhere to mark out his territory.

author by Patriciapublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 13:44author address author phone

In Ireland we have green post boxes - the north of Ireland may be occupied but it is still Ireland - therefore the Post Boxes should be green.

Seems to me like Ógra Shinn Féin are just saving An Post a job when Ireland is free!

Keep it up! Fair play Ógra - don't let the cynics and the pessimists deter you! Onwards!

author by Réabhlóidpublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 14:20author address author phone

I support Ógra Shinn Féin's post boxes campaign and I would like to encourage them to continue launching imaginative and active campaigns of civil desobedience as a way to keep young people active, involved and educated on struggle and as a way to create positive conscience in favour of a united Ireland. This kind of revolutionary activism is not exclusive of Ireland and you can find it in any other national and social liberation struggles all around the world so I don't understand those who criticize from their comfortable sofas.

All kind of struggles are needed in this conservative and sometimes boring Ireland.

What about starting to squat empty buildings for youth activities or for living as a protest against the lack of spaces for youth and against especulation? This is a good way aswell to build alternatives to the system and capitalism and educate young people on revolutionary stuff and different values.

Keep on! Ádh mór!

author by ian kylepublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 15:44author address author phone

The young republican is being jailed because he refused to pay the fine and not for painting the post box, theres not much else the court can do under the circumstances.

author by P Pearsepublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 16:05author address author phone

but the fools, the fools, the fools, they have never read their Connolly, and while Ireland has such fools, Ireland will remain unfree, nothing will ever change.

author by well_donepublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 16:24author address author phone

cabbages . partition makes perfect sense. there are two distinct peoples that share this island! just as their are a multitude of people that share europe.

author by James Connollypublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 17:17author address author phone

"Whoop it up for liberty!

After Ireland is free, says the patriot who won't touch Socialism, we will protect all classes, and if you won't pay your rent you will be evicted same as now. But the evicting party, under command of the sheriff, will wear green uniforms and the Harp without the Crown, and the warrant turning you out on the roadside will be stamped with the arms of the Irish Republic.

Now, isn't that worth fighting for?

And when you cannot find employment, and, giving up the struggle of life in despair, enter the Poorhouse, the band of the nearest regiment of the Irish army will escort you to the Poorhouse door to the tune of "St. Patrick's Day."

Oh, it will be nice to live in those days!

"With the Green Flag floating o'er us" and an ever-increasing army of unemployed workers walking about under the Green Flag, wishing they had something to eat. Same as now!

Whoop it up for liberty!

Now, my friend, I also am Irish, but I'm a bit more logical. The capitalist, I say, is a parasite on industry; as useless in the present stage of our industrial development as any other parasite in the animal or vegetable world is to the life of the animal or vegetable upon which it feeds.

The working class is the victim of this parasite - this human leech, and it is the duty and interest of the working class to use every means in its power to oust this parasite class from the position which enables it to thus prey upon the vitals of Labour.

Therefore, I say, let us organise as a class to meet our masters and destroy their mastership; organise to drive them from their hold upon public life through their political power; organise to wrench from their robber clutch the land and workshops on and in which they enslave us; organise to cleanse our social life from the stain of social cannibalism, from the preying of man upon his fellow man.

Organise for a full, free and happy life FOR ALL OR FOR NONE. SPEED THE DAY "

Related Link: http://www.socialistparty.net/pub/manifestcomm/workshop.htm
author by geoffpublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 17:33author address author phone

"The best solution of course would be to privatise and liberalise the whole industry. Let there be lots of private firms collecting and distributing mail. Not only would it be more efficient, each one could paint its post boxes any colour it likes."

Now you are being silly. Sometimes you say sensible things, but advocating the privatisation when this public body works fine is just silly, and simply a bourgeois ideological rasping. This advocacy of privatising everything is silly, next thing you know air will be privatised. Apparantly we willl all live happily ever after if a few rich guys own, like, everything. Nonsense.

It is in the interests of the nation's and people's collective pride and confidence that we have a few "sacred cows" that remain in the public domain of ownership. An Post works fine, the last thing I want to see is some cocksure upstart like Michael O' Leary owning our mail. Get real, man.

Common sense can be your forte a lot of the time, old boy, but this latest idea of yours is a sublinimal infection borrowed from noisy neo-cons from the States!

author by Seán - Ógra Shinn Féinpublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 17:47author address author phone

The Green Postbox campaign is but one of our campaigns - check www.osf.pro.ie to get a better insight into Ógra. We are not a talking shop, but rather about activity, activity, and more activity!

"The cause of Labour is the cause of Ireland,
The cause of Ireland is the cause of Labour!" James Connolly

That is the guiding philosophy of Ógra Shinn Féin - we are Republican Socialists and therefore we want to see true freedom for Ireland - an ireland where the irish people decide the destiny of all its 32 counties. We can not achieve true socialism in Ireland until we evict the imperialist power that occupies the north of our country.

We also want to see the establishment of a Socialist Republic - ours is a community led socialism built on principles of empowerment and participation, where need is placed before the interests of capital, and radical democracy replaces bureaucratic and self- serving liberal democracy.

In Ógra we are active in community politics - the majority of our activists are involved in comunity associations and projects in their locality - that is the key to our strenght - that is why Ógra Shinn Féin continue to recruit and get active while other youth movements dwindle with apathy - we are in touch with the youth and communitees across the 32 counties of Ireland, and so alot of our campaigns are of the people - it is they who guide us on the campaigns.

While Ógra Shinn Féin is part of the oppressed communities North and South and speak in terms that people understand - the ideologists and theorists in the micro lefts squabble, get cynical, talk shite, but never, never, never commit the micro left cardinal sin of ever doing anything useful - a bunch of middle class, howty-towty eejits who wouldn't no reality or dedication, or sacrifice for that matter if it hit them in the face!

I appeal to any genuine activists within them groups to join the only show in town - Ógra Shinn Féin! Onwards with dedication!

Related Link: http://www.osf.pro.ie
author by hmmmmpublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 17:53author address author phone

i am not sure the socialism is a great idea , it's not really working so well in france. To be honest it's a disaster. Any thoughts on how sinn fein ogra's vision of socialism will be different ?

author by Gaz B -(A)-publication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 17:58author address author phone

"i am not sure the socialism is a great idea , it's not really working so well in france"

I'm not one to stick up for SF but the french government isn't socialist. If you think France is socialist then I'd hate to see your idea of a capitalist economy.

author by guydebordisdeadpublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 19:15author address author phone

As an act of solidarity I'm going out to paint all the postboxes around coolock red.

author by pat cpublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 19:25author address author phone

eh, how about red n black? people might get the wrong idea if you just painted em green. to please the ecoheads you could leave a green strip.

author by Gay Georipublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 19:30author address author phone

Black and red would be good - it would appeal to the anarchist/wsm contingent in society. Plus you would only need to paint the ones in Dublin 6 and Dublin 4. Maybe wrap a turban around the top of the ones in Dublin 8.

Or maybe do them Guinness-style - air hostess-like, you know a black box with a blonde top (thanks Podge and Rodge for that one).

author by guydebordpublication date Tue Mar 28, 2006 20:08author address author phone

It still doesn't change the politcal sitatuation.

Busy work for the kids?
Busy work for the kids?

author by pat cpublication date Wed Mar 29, 2006 11:00author address author phone

you forgot the green strip. the eco-heads were spewing muesli and throwing sandals in annoyance at breakfast-time over your slip-up.

author by Paddy Wackpublication date Tue Nov 13, 2012 18:35author email author address author phone

The green Irish post boxes are in fact more historically authentic than the current red ones in Britain.
Most of the early pillar boxes were painted dark bronze green throughout the United Kingdom, but in 1874 the Post Office decided to make pillar boxes more obvious by painting them a striking royal red. With Independence the Irish Post Office changed the colour back to green.


http://www.indymedia.ie/article/75114?condense_comments=true

Indymedia Ireland is a media collective. We are independent volunteer citizen journalists producing and distributing the authentic voices of the people. Indymedia Ireland is an open news project where anyone can post their own news, comment, videos or photos about Ireland or related matters.