(Below: attendees arriving 15 minutes before the launch)
The event MC was Gerry O'Boyle of Land League West and the launch was preceded by an all-day picket at the constituency offices of Enda Kenny. The picket remained peaceful and good humoured throughout the day. Introducing the Mayo Land League at the launch, Mr O'Boyle highlighted the distance between government and the local communites in Mayo particularly around the area of mortgage arrears, evictions and homelessness. Mr O'Boyle announced that drop in clinics will be opening throughout the county in January 2015 and encouraged the people of Mayo to become involved in any way they can.
Speakers at the launch included Neil MacThréamhlámh of the Hub-Ireland, a lay-litigancy service catering for those in trouble with their banks. Neil spoke of his own experiences of mortgage arrears, the development of the Hub, and the work they do. The Hub has opened a branch in Dublin and Galway. Neil McThréamhlámh spoke of the shared goals of the Hub and The Land League and offerred the League their support into the future.
Paul Scannell, from Meath Anti-eviction Ireland, explained the role of his group "We are here for the emergency work you know, if its a case that a family has the Sheriff coming to evict them in the morning, if they haven't defended themselves in the courts, then that's when we step in. We will blockade the home from possession by the Sheriff, bailiffs and hired security firms. We will also negotiate with them whilst the Land League and the Hub get paperwork into the courts as an obstacle to the eviction. Our work is very much frontline stuff but we prefer that people don't have to go through that and so we encourage people to seek help in defending themselves at an early stage." Mr Scannell also spoke of the importance of the Land League as an over-arching network of groups sharing the aim of ending evictions in Ireland and bringing the banking conglomerates to heel.
Dr. Finbar Markey spoke on behalf of the Provisional National Committee of the Land League itself and summarised the strategy of the League over the following year, saying "Our strategy involves a two-pronged approach, namely assisting people with their administrative work in an effort to keep people in their homes for as long as possible. On the other-hand, while the courts are being neutralised, we build a nationwide civic campaign across the country bringing an end to mass evictions and an across the board write-down of mortgages associated with the family home."
Attendees were very enthusiastic as the speakers announced that Land League branches have set up all over the country (Armagh/Down; Monaghan; Louth; Meath; Westmeath; North Dublin/Balbriggan; Wicklow/Kildare; Roscommon and now Mayo). There are plans to set up more Land League branches across the country. There was rapturous applause as speaker after speaker from the floor, those who had come to support the launch, spoke with passion and profoundity about the rebirth of the Land League and the moral and economic rot that has set in in Ireland. One gentleman in particular bravely spoke about his own family's experiences of mortgage arrears and the impact it has on familial relationships, and physical health. He emphasised the association between cancer and the stress of mortgage debt. Another young mother spoke of how she is left with no choice but to emigrate to the United States in January.
James Miller of the Banking Forum was also in the audience and briefly explained their work on developing a new public banking system in Ireland and expectations that the first "people's" bank could be open into the near future. A member of the Right2water campaign highlighted the shared goals of the Land League and the national anti-water charge campaigns throughout the country. James Devenny, an active Land League member and retired Detective, was in the audience and recounted..."I think its important that people remember that it was this night 135 years ago that Michael Davitt convened one of the first meetings of the Land League in Mayo, a meeting that sparked the establishement of the Mayo branch and then the National Land League in 1879".
RTE Morning Ireland had a reporter recording the launch for their popular morning radio show. The reporter had been accompanying Land League West throughout the day as they picketed Enda Kenny's office in the rain. A number of speakers from the floor addressed the reporter to highlight how RTE have been unfairly covering not only the mortgage crisis but news in general over the last number of years. There was a call from one attendee for a vote on expelling the RTE reporter from the room. Dr Markey of the national committee spoke up and pointed out that over 50 press invitations had been sent out and that RTE morning Ireland were the only journalists in attendance. Dr Markey suggested that the room permit the reporter to stay and that the League can decide on continued cooperation with RTE on the basis of how they report the launch. This was suppported by the mass majority in the room.
The 03rd of December 2014 will indeed be remembered in Mayo. It will be remembered as a night when the people of Mayo walked soundly and suredly in the steps of their forefathers to resist the oppression of their communites. The launch of the Mayo branch of the League ended with the formation of a provisional local committee responsible for the development of the League over the coming months. The crowds did not disperse from outside the meeting room for over an hour after the end of the launch as the people of Mayo talked excitedly about the potentials of the Land League to create real change in the lives of our communities. Guaging from the Mayo launch it would appear that the West is well and truly awake.....
The next meeting of the Mayo Land League takes place in the McWilliam Hotel, Claremorris on December 17th at 8.30pm.....
For further information on the National Land League please call 0894740811, calling outside of Ireland please drop the first "0" and add the prefix 00353.....
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