Founding Principles

Basic Charter

Conradh na Saoirse Náisiúnta commits itself to the following fundamental principles as a foundation for further programmatic development.

1. The reconstitution of the party

   The basic task of communist movements internationally is the reconstitution of the Communist Party through a decisive struggle against modern revisionism. At present, this is no different in Ireland where the movement can be divided into revisionist, nominally Communist organisations that betrayed the national liberation struggle, or Revolutionary Republicans that focus exclusively on the national struggle, with a lack of a concrete, scientific analysis of the Irish revolution and class-based strategy.

2. The principal contradiction is British imperialism

   The principal contradiction in Ireland is imperialism, that is, the contradiction between the Irish nation and British imperialism, which manifests through partition, the military occupation of the six counties and the semi-colonial domination of the Free State. Whilst the 26-county state may propagate the aesthetics of a sovereign Irish republic, it in fact serves a crucial function in maintaining imperialist domination in Ireland as a semi-colony of British imperialism, serving to maintain partition and represent the interests of foreign finance capital in tandem with the southern comprador bourgeoisie. The position of communists is therefore necessarily to assert its revolutionary leadership over the national liberation struggle and to direct all efforts towards driving out the British forces of occupation by any means necessary. Accomplishing the tasks of Revolutionary Republicanism, that is, national liberation, is the immediate historical task of the Marxist-Leninist movement. As outlined by James Connolly, only the Irish working-class remains capable of carrying this struggle through to its successful conclusion, under the banners of an anti-revisionist communist party, in alliance with the progressive sections of the petty-bourgeoisie.

3. Opportunism in the Irish communist movement

   The failure to grasp the principal contradiction in Ireland has led to the demise of nearly every communist organisation in modern Irish history. It is the essential distinction between Marxism and opportunism on the national question. The apathy, or hostility, of the communist movement has often left the national liberation struggle in the hands of non-Marxist forces prone to capitulation.

4. National self-determination

   The accomplishment of national liberation is not something that can be outsourced to any other body, institution, or parliament. Only the Irish people as a whole can exercise its right to self-determination, and reserves the sole right to achieve this without the interference or approval by any external force. Any such external restrictions or conditionality is a barrier to genuine national liberation and only serves the interests of imperialism.

5. The Marxist-Leninist vanguard party

   We are committed towards the organisation of a disciplined, professional vanguard party composed of full-time revolutionaries equipped with the scientific principles of Marxism-Leninism and basing itself on democratic centralism, with the express purpose of organising and mobilising the masses for the overthrow of the capitalist system and the establishment of socialist relations of production. This necessitates the national liberation of Ireland, recognising that the occupation of the six counties constitutes the primary barrier to the development of socialism. We seek to improve the practice of the organisation through rigorous analysis, comradely criticism and self-criticism, and the consistent application of the mass line, with the aim of identifying the correct path towards liberation.

6. The united front

   The struggle for national liberation must be waged by a united front consisting of all Revolutionary Republican, socialist and communist forces to drive out the British forces of occupation and end all imperialist presence throughout Ireland. This necessarily involves the reconstruction and reunification of the Republican movement, scattered since the capitulation of the Provisional movement. We are committed to working with all progressive, socialist, and Republican organisations within Ireland and internationally to achieve these ends, with the intention of working towards the construction of a 32-county Socialist Republic in the vision of Fintan Lalor, James Connolly, Liam Mellows, and Brendan Hughes.

7. Internationalism

   The struggle in Ireland is part of the wider struggle for national and social liberation internationally. We are committed to the active support of progressive, anti-colonial, and anti-imperialist struggles across the world, as an integral part of the world proletarian revolution. We recognise and support the right of resistance by all means necessary across these struggles in every corner of the world. In doing so, we recognise that a blow against capitalism, imperialism and colonialism struck anywhere in the world, is a blow against the same forces we oppose in Ireland, and is to be considered part of our same struggle. All practicable support and solidarity is to be offered to those imprisoned for their role in such struggles domestically and internationally. Particular attention in practical work is to be given to those who suffer as a result of the collaboration of the Irish bourgeoisie, and the other forces present in Ireland; in other words, those impacted by the use of Shannon and Aldergrove airports, those exploited by Irish capitalists, and those oppressed by British imperialism. These are the peoples whom our struggles will be most intertwined with.

8. Anti-fascism

   We oppose all forms of bigotry, including racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, religious sectarianism and all forms of chauvinism. These serve to divide the working-class and its allies within Ireland, whilst recognising that such ideas are widespread in Irish society due to their material origins in patriarchy and imperialism, and they are to be challenged in a practical manner, striving to advance the cause of women's and LGBT+ liberation in every capacity. This exists alongside a commitment to militantly combat fascism in all manifestations by whatever means are appropriate.

9. Women's liberation

   We place particular recognition onto the oppression of women which is rife throughout Irish society and has resulted in the six counties being the most dangerous place in Europe for women. We recognise that genuine women's liberation is not to be conflated with the freedom of bourgeois women to oppress others or act purely for their own self-interest. Instead, we recognise women's liberation to be freedom of working women. No tolerance is to be given to misogyny and sexism in any form, and we recognise that any organisation which is not safe for women is fundamentally unfit for revolutionary struggle.

10. Decolonisation

    We are committed to achieving the vision espoused by generations of Irish revolutionaries: an Ireland not merely free but Gaelic, and not merely Gaelic but free. Alongside the economic and political liberation of Ireland, is to be the cultural liberation of Ireland. To this end, we maintain a commitment to the restoration of Gaeilge as a national language, the preservation and promotion of Irish culture, and the promotion of the collective culture in contrast to the narrow individualism inherent in capitalist societies, as part of the decolonisation of the country, eliminating reactionary bourgeois or colonial values.