Republican Network for Unity

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Republican Network for Unity Poblachtáigh do Aontiú
Founded	2007
Ideology	Irish republicanism Socialism
Political position	Left-wing
Website
http://republicannetwork.org/
Politics of Ireland Political parties Elections

The Republican Network for Unity (Irish: Poblachtáigh do Aontiú^[1][2]) is a small Irish republican political party. It was formed in 2007 in opposition to the Sinn Féin special Ard Fheis's vote of support for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

History[]

The organisation was originally known as the "Ex-POWs and Concerned Republicans against RUC/PSNI & MI5". This group was formed by many ex republican prisoners and combatants who were outraged at the decision by Sinn Fein decision to support policing structures and the endorsement of the rebranded RUC into the PSNI. After the inevitable endorsement of the PSNI by Sinn Fein the group decided to continue giving a voice to grassroots republicans. The group re-organized in 2008, changing its name to "Republican Network for Unity". It held its first Ard Fheis in Derry City that year and elected local republican Danny McBrearty as its first national chairman, along with Tony "TC" Catney as a national organiser and Carl Reilly as 6 county c0-ordinater. The party continued to grow and was involved in campaigns including opposition to plans to introduce water meters, anti-political policing and support for republican prisoners and their families.

By late 2011 the group moved into more community-based politics and believed that exploration into electoral politics should be explored. After a motion put forward by the then leadership of the 2012 RNU agreed to reconstitute as a political party and in October 2013, it registered as a political party with the electoral commission NI and moved from being a pressure group. It coincided with the release of their documents "standing outside the peace process" and "revolutionary Republicanism". RNU is opposed to the Good Friday Agreement because it believes that it usurps Irish sovereignty and entrenches Partition. RNU opposes the PSNI, which it sees as an extension of the old RUC and the first stage of protection of an illegal state.

In 2015 a number of senior members of RNU were arrested by both the PSNI and AGS and charged with political charges. The group became less active politically in both parts of Ireland and in mid-2017 a number of members resigned from the failing group. By mid-2018 RNU seemingly began to raise their public profile again and by 2021 were active once again in areas where they once held space. They now look to be involved in trade unionism, helping the homeless and hungry campaigns. They have supported the new campaign around the Craigavon 2 and were seen delivering food hampers and personal protection supplies locally during the covid pandemic.

A number of commentators viewed RNU as the political wing of Óglaigh na hÉireann,^[3] until that organisation called a ceasefire in January 2018, although this was rejected by RNU. A number of prominent republicans lead RNU.

References[]

External links[]

• Official website

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