Wear an Easter Lily *Merger*

PomBear

Sorry if this is this the wrong forum

Easter is the most important time in the Irish Republican calendar; it's a time when we remember the sacrifice of the men and women of 1916 and every decade since.


It was Cumann na mBan who presented the Easter lily in 1925 and it was Constance Markievicz that popularised the wearing of the Easter lily in 1926.

The design was inspired by the traditional flower of Easter which adorns so many Churches and homes in remembrance of Christ's death and resurrection.

Often called the “white-robed apostles of hope” lilies were found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane after Christ’s agony. Tradition has it that beautiful white lilies sprung up where drops of Christ’s sweat fell to the ground in his final hours of sorrow and deep distress.



The lily is a symbol of hope, unity and love.It's also a symbol of the great resurrection and in our case the resurrection of the Irish nation and its desire to be free.

Since the 1930s, successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments attempted to suppress sales of the Easter lily

After the split the stickies got their nickname because of the new way in which they attached their Easter lily, the Republican Movement stayed with the traditional paper and pin.

Republicans continue to honour the heroic sacrifice made in 1916, when republican revolutionaries, outnumbered and ill-equipped, took on the might of the British Empire and asserted in arms Ireland’s right to freedom.

Irish republicans wear the Easter lily to honour all those who have given their lives in the cause of Irish freedom in 1916 and in every decade since.

Every Irish person, regardless of their party political allegiances, should show their pride in our founding fathers by wearing this little badge.

No matter what their party affiliations may be everyone can, and should wear an Easter lily

irishgrover

..the problem is that whatever the original intentions and symbolism of the Easter Lilly, because of historical reasons, for the majority of people it has become associated with direct support for armed resistance to the existence of NI as part of the UK. As such a lot of people would be unwilling to wear it.

It's a bit like the Irish flag and unionists. Originally, in theory, a symbol of peace and unity between the orange and green traditions, but over time, more directly associated with people trying to kill them..

PomBear

irishgrover wrote: »

..the problem is that whatever the original intentions and symbolism of the Easter Lilly, because of historical reasons, for the majority of people it has become associated with direct support for armed resistance to the existence of NI as part of the UK. As such a lot of people would be unwilling to wear it.

It's a bit like the Irish flag and unionists. Originally, in theory, a symbol of peace and unity between the orange and green traditions, but over time, more directly associated with people trying to kill them..

Cheers for the smart reply instead of the usual 'bleh, terrorists wear it' response.

True enough, it has been taken on by a republican movement but it's no reason imo, that one cannot give respect for the people who gave their lives for our Freedom and Independance

Judgement Day

Good post PomBear - seriously - but where does it leave someone of my political allegiance as a unionist who grew up on the wrong side of an artificial border? My only political allegiance, in the Republic, is to the woeful Green party - I have a real problem.

PomBear

Judgement Day wrote: »

Good post PomBear - seriously - but where does it leave someone of my political allegiance as a unionist who grew up on the wrong side of an artificial border? My only political allegiance, in the Republic, is to the woeful Green party - I have a real problem.

Well to a unionist, it should be respected that an independance and freedom was gained from a suppression of our country. We give a small time of the year to respect those who gave their lives to do this. We would ask them to respect this and that is all we can do, after all, the fight was against the british forces and not against unionists as they're as much a citizen as you or me

ronano

Where do the funds from the easter lily go to?

Joey the lips

ronano wrote: »

Where do the funds from the easter lily go to?

If you have a problem with the "Funds" you can wear a real lilly.

I wear and easter lilly every year. My father did and my grandfather did. My mother always buys a real lilly.

BearsyBoo

Ive often found it hard to find somehwere to buy one!

PomBear

wardy32 wrote: »

Ive often found it hard to find somehwere to buy one!

I'm guessing you're from ROI, if you are, you can buy a real one from your local florist or local sinn féin office, by the way before it's asked, sf give the proceeds to the Easter commemoration

uch

I wear mine every year with pride, you can get a nice little enamel one online for about 5 yoyo's

PomBear

ronano wrote: »

Where do the funds from the easter lily go to?

As I said in previous posts, all political partys that sell it donate to your local Easter commeration and I think some goes to the National Graves association

paky

Im thinking of wearing the Easter Lilly this year although I have never done it before. I think it is a good way to commemorate not only the men of 1916 but all of Irelands war dead. Do you think its right to wear the Easter Lilly to commemorate Irelands war dead or should it just be used to commemorate the men of 1916?

Joey the lips

The Easter Lily is a badge worn at Easter by Irish republicans as symbol of remembrance for Irish republican combatants who died during or were executed after the 1916 Easter Rising. Depending on the political affiliations of the bearer, it can also commemorate members of the pre-Treaty Irish Republican Army, the post-Treaty Irish Republican Army, and either the Provisional IRA or the Official IRA.

The Provo;s used a pin and the officials used a sticker. Thats why they because know as "The stickies"

fyi. I wear one.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Lily_(badge)

paky

So if your from Ireland (26 counties) where do you get your Easter Lilly? I know some people would wear an Easter Lilly but prefer not to buy it from Sinn Fein.

Joey the lips

my mother wears a real lilly. I buy it from sinn fein.

R.Dub.Fusilier

i bought a metal one about 10 years ago and i always wear that one , i have no problem wearing it and never had any problems while wearing it.

SlabMurphy

Wear one myself. Would buy it from Sinn Fein or indeed Eirigi if they were selling them. Wouldn't really care but would never buy anything from the stickies ( Workers Party ). I rememeber reading in the paper how the guards tried to arrest a Sinn Fein member who was selling them as he did not have a permit to sell them ( an organisation needs an offical permit to sell tickets, badges, whatever ). When told by a guard he did not have a permit the Provo replied " I have a permit since 1916 "


( appearently the SFers would ask for a permit but the guards would refuse to issue one and so when SF went ahead to sell them the guards would then arrest and fine them )

Joey the lips

SlabMurphy wrote: »

Wear one myself. Would buy it from Sinn Fein or indeed Eirigi if they were selling them. Wouldn't really care but would never buy anything from the stickies ( Workers Party ). I rememeber reading in the paper how the guards tried to arrest a Sinn Fein member who was selling them as he did not have a permit to sell them ( an organisation needs an offical permit to sell tickets, badges, whatever ). When told by a guard he did not have a permit the Provo replied " I have a permit since 1916 "


( appearently the SFers would ask for a permit but the guards would refuse to issue one and so when SF went ahead to sell them the guards would then arrest and fine them )

Dont need a permit if you give them away for a donation..;)

also only keep in your box what you can loose.;) Sounds like good advice in many ways.

Hagar

SlabMurphy wrote: »

When told by a guard he did not have a permit the Provo replied " I have a permit since 1916 "

Full marks for that one.

Spanish Eyes

I respect those who do wear a lily at Easter, but for me it's a no no.

Smacks of supporting the IRA. Sorry, I never will for that reason.

Read this

Sorry. Just because I am Irish doesn't mean I should feel obliged to wear the Easter Lilly.

I don't support murdering gits no matter how old they are.

Read this

SlabMurphy wrote: »

Wear one myself. Would buy it from Sinn Fein or indeed Eirigi if they were selling them. Wouldn't really care but would never buy anything from the stickies ( Workers Party ). I rememeber reading in the paper how the guards tried to arrest a Sinn Fein member who was selling them as he did not have a permit to sell them ( an organisation needs an offical permit to sell tickets, badges, whatever ). When told by a guard he did not have a permit the Provo replied " I have a permit since 1916 "


( appearently the SFers would ask for a permit but the guards would refuse to issue one and so when SF went ahead to sell them the guards would then arrest and fine them )

Get over it. There has been another world war since 1916, and a few other things have happened besides. Think about the future.

Damo123

Read this wrote: »

Get over it. There has been another world war since 1916, and a few other things have happened besides. Think about the future.

You know what they say.. those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.

Besides that wasnt our 'world war'... we werent a part off it.... So why forget about our own war in favour of someone elses?

Snickers Man

PomBear wrote: »

After the split the stickies got their nickname because of the new way in which they attached their Easter lily, the Republican Movement stayed with the traditional paper and pin.

And became, for a while, "The Pinnies".

Let's resuscitate that nickname, why don't we?

Read this

Damo123 wrote: »

You know what they say.. those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.

Besides that wasnt our 'world war'... we werent a part off it.... So why forget about our own war in favour of someone elses?

There were still more Irishmen who fought in the First World War for their own country than there were Irishmen who took part in the 1916 Rebellion; so which war are you talking about? and why would the motives of one Irishman be any more noble than the next?

If you were more cynical like me, you would realise that its all about indoctrination and self-interest. When are ginger haired people going to have self-determination?

Yes, it appears we never learn from history.

MarchDub

Read this wrote: »

Yes, it appears we never learn from history.

And some people who never learn history...

Read this

MarchDub wrote: »

And some people who never learn history...

And I suppose you have the monopoly on it?

Hagar

Do we have to got through this rigmaroll every time? :rolleyes:

It's very simple:

• Wear a lily if you want.
• Don't wear a lily if you don't want to.

Keep you petty squabbles to yourself, live and let live.

uch

Read this wrote: »

Sorry. Just because I am Irish doesn't mean I should feel obliged to wear the Easter Lilly.

I don't support murdering gits no matter how old they are.

If you dont bother to read the posts, dont bother commenting.

paky

Read this wrote: »

There were still more Irishmen who fought in the First World War for their own country than there were Irishmen who took part in the 1916 Rebellion; so which war are you talking about? and why would the motives of one Irishman be any more noble than the next?

If you were more cynical like me, you would realise that its all about indoctrination and self-interest. When are ginger haired people going to have self-determination?

Yes, it appears we never learn from history.

Ya but which war achieved more? Irish men who were slaughtered in there thousands in europe or the Fiftheen hundred Irish men in dublin who changed the course of Irish history in just a week.

Read this

paky wrote: »

Ya but which war achieved more? Irish men who were slaughtered in there thousands in europe or the Fiftheen hundred Irish men in dublin who changed the course of Irish history in just a week.

WW1 changed the world order (not saying for the better). The Easter Rising failed. Revolution came through the 1918 elections by "popular" vote. I place the words in brackets because less than 50% of the adult population voted, and less than 50% of those voted for Sinn Fein.

Freedom can never come through the bomb or the bullet - because the people who use it continue to think that it is a legitimate tool AFTER they achieve power. You can check out any African or Asian "freedom fighter" leader to see what I mean.

Bigdeadlydave

Read this wrote: »

WW1 changed the world order (not saying for the better). The Easter Rising failed. Revolution came through the 1918 elections by "popular" vote. I place the words in brackets because less than 50% of the adult population voted, and less than 50% of those voted for Sinn Fein.

Freedom can never come through the bomb or the bullet - because the people who use it continue to think that it is a legitimate tool AFTER they achieve power. You can check out any African or Asian "freedom fighter" leader to see what I mean.

The rising worked.


Blood Sacrifice.

baldbear

Are the liy badges sold in alot of places?
I can't think of anywhere to get one! I'm not near any Sinn Fein offices and probably would't buy one from them any way. Any ideas?

Capt'n Midnight

Jack Charlton made the Tricolour respectable again.

Sad to say but IMHO it's true.

Yes it would be nice to wear a white lilly but my feelings towards SF are best interpreted by the words 'proxy bomb'

When the Old IRA are recognised as being distinct to to the cyber squatters then it will be easier for me.

Read this

uch wrote: »

If you dont bother to read the posts, dont bother commenting.

What? am I off topic?

MarchDub

Long time ago - when I was in my late teens, I was privileged to work alongside a number of the Old IRA generation who had fought for Irish independence. They were a great generation, [men and women] who were proud of their achievements with a great sense of decency, goodwill and national pride.

Joyce criticised the Irish for our lack of national self appreciation [especially the way the Irish turned quickly on Parnell] "Ireland is an old sow who eats her young" Joyce lamented. I am proud to wear an Easter Lily for that old generation, long gone now.

DublinWriter

Oh yes, we do love our symbolism in this country as it seems to act as some get-out-of-jail card for actually studying our history.

1922 and 1948 were far more significant years in the shaping of this country's history and it's subsequent independence, yet we still cling onto the twin mythologies of blood-sacrifice and noble-failure.

MarchDub

DublinWriter wrote: »

Oh yes, we do love our symbolism in this country as it seems to act as some get-out-of-jail card for actually studying our history.

1922 and 1948 were far more significant years in the shaping of this country's history and it's subsequent independence, yet we still cling onto the twin mythologies of blood-sacrifice and noble-failure.

But you see 1922 and 1948 would not have happened without the prior events. Those years grew out of what had gone before.

Winty

I would like to show my support for the dead, but a wearing a Lilly looks like you support Sinn Fein / IRA.

So a big NO from me

Manach

I'd compromise by wearing an emblem supporting the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and Women, who I seem to remember sold such during charity drives.

dlofnep

I've a metal lilly. Always wear it.

Winty

To wear a lilly is to label yourself sinn fein / IRA

No Thanks I want Peace

grenache

Winty wrote: »

To wear a lilly is to label yourself sinn fein / IRA

No it is not. I'm a FG supporter and i shall wear the lilly in rememberence of those who died so we could live in a sovereign independent state. Its nothing to do with Sinn Féin in my eyes. The men who were killed or executed were mostly IRB or Volunteers.

brianthebard

Mergerific.

Winty

grenache wrote: »

No it is not. I'm a FG supporter and i shall wear the lilly in rememberence of those who died so we could live in a sovereign independent state. Its nothing to do with Sinn Féin in my eyes. The men who were killed or executed were mostly IRB or Volunteers.

You understand history so you know the truth behind the Lilly, the average punter in the pub thinks IRA and money to the "boys" so for that reason NO.
Its the same as the british poppy, thousands of brave Irish died for freedom in WW1 and WW11 but Irish people as a large dont wear a red poppy as its linked to the British Army

We cant even remember the dead

brianthebard

At some point you have to stop worrying about what others think. To effect change you have to face up to the preconceptions and bias of others, and break that down.

Lauder

Unfortunately, the same people (not all of them!!) who wear a easter lily would oppose the wearing of the Poppy. The association with Sinn Fein/Republicanism is probably the biggest hurdle to face in the promotion of Easter Commemorations.

SlabMurphy

Read this wrote: »

WW1 changed the world order (not saying for the better). The Easter Rising failed. Revolution came through the 1918 elections by "popular" vote. I place the words in brackets because less than 50% of the adult population voted, and less than 50% of those voted for Sinn Fein.

Only a born again unionist could try and say that when a political party that won 73 seats to 22 unionists and 6 for the Redmondites is not a legitmate vote :rolleyes: Most of Sinn Fein's vote in the west and south was in uncontetsted constituency's because the Remondites knew they were on to a hammering and so didn't contest the constituency. Hence the actual numbers who did vote for SF was less than would have voted in contested consituency's where Sinn Fein would have routed the IPP.

Sinn Fein won a landslide victory despite widespread intimadation and thuggery from the British of course. They invented the so called " German plot " ( saying SF were conspiring to help the Germans invade Ireland ) in order to impose mass intenment against the nationalists. Quiet a lot of SF's candidates were imprisioned during the election, not to mention arrests, threats and harrassment of SF supporters by the RIC and Brit army etc

Freedom can never come through the bomb or the bullet - because the people who use it continue to think that it is a legitimate tool AFTER they achieve power. You can check out any African or Asian "freedom fighter" leader to see what I mean.

Servile, sheepish gombeenism as usual :rolleyes:

R.Dub.Fusilier

Lauder wrote: »

Unfortunately, the same people (not all of them!!) who wear a easter lily would oppose the wearing of the Poppy. The association with Sinn Fein/Republicanism is probably the biggest hurdle to face in the promotion of Easter Commemorations.

what you say is true. i will be wearing a lilly in rememberance of those who gave their lives for this country at the start of the revolution in 1916. i would not wear a poppy myself but am not against those who wear them , if there was a symbol to remember those Irish who fought in WW1 i would wear one of those .

Rebelheart

Lauder wrote: »

Unfortunately, the same people (not all of them!!) who wear a easter lily would oppose the wearing of the Poppy.

And why, pray tell, should somebody who is commemorating Irish freedom commemorate those who fought for the very same Empire which has for centuries fought against Irish freedom and the freedom of the Irish people to enjoy things like their own land, language and legal system?

It would be totally irrational regardless of all the superficial "right-on" comments we have had as a result of the Peace Process.

If I were to commemorate a public figure or event, it would be a person or an event that I agreed with. Simple as. It is bizarre to expect any ethical Irishman to commemorate those who partook in the barbarism of British imperialism.

Rebelheart

Winty wrote: »

the average punter in the pub thinks IRA and money to the "boys"

And your source for this amazing comment is what, precisely?