Ireland's OWN: History First Allegiance — A Socialist Republic  —by Bernadette Devlin McAliskey My personal acquaintance and friendship with Seamus Costello began in 1973. Before then I knew him only, as most people in Ireland, by reputation. On hearing of his death, I could find no words of my own to express the deep sense of loss I felt, both personally and as a revolutionary socialist committed to the struggle for Irish freedom. I took therefore the words of a fellow revolutionary on the death of Malcolm X, the black revolutionary champion of black liberation and socialism in the U.S.A.: "Without him, we feel suddenly vulnerable, small and weak, somewhat frightened, not by the prospect of death, but of life and struggle without his contribution, his strength and inspiration." There is no doubt that the struggle continues and its victory or defeat is not measured solely by the number or quality of our fallen comrades individually.  Yet it is equally true that in every generation of struggle the combination of circumstances, history and the nature of the struggle  itself, produces from the ranks of its rebels a few, and a very few individuals who, notwithstanding the fundamental principles of organisation, political correctness and practical ability, common to many, rise head and shoulders above the rest, with a potential for leadership, far beyond the ranks of the already committed. Such a comrade was Seamus Costello. Brutally murdered by petty, small-minded men of no vision whose only place in history is to serve as a warning to others how revolutionaries gone wrong can degenerate into worse than nothingness, Seamus Costello, for all that he was and did in his lifetime, was only at the beginning of his potential contribution to the achievement of national liberation and socialism in this generation. That is not to say that Seamus was above making mistakes or that he was always politically correct. There were many questions on which I disagreed with him, and which I considered crucial to the development of the struggle. These remain unresolved. Nonetheless, in leaving the Official Republican Movement and taking the initiative of forming the IRSP, Seamus Costello proved his ability in practice — once convinced that the approach of the organisation to which he belonged was wrong and could not be altered from within — to take on the daunting, but necessary task of building an organisation capable and willing to carry the struggle forward. The fact that he was capable of it underlined his key position in the struggle, and his recognition of the need to forge a revolutionary force in Ireland from the unification of the republican and labour movements. If I did not accept his arguments on how it could be done, I remained confident that he, again, if he found himself mistaken, would move further in his political analysis to another approach. He did not live to see the test of theory in practice. Much is said of his single mindedness, his ruthlessness and organisational ability. At his hardest, Seamus Costello was never hateful, nor was there a fibre of his being that was petty or personally malicious, and despite the slanders of his enemies, he was neither politically nor religiously sectarian. He owed his first allegiance to an ideal — a 32 county socialist republic. His enemies he defined only as those who consciously strove to suffocate, distort or deny expression to that goal, and prevent its achievement. As an orator, he was brilliant and inspiring. In debate, he was uncompromising, skilled and learned. As an organiser, he was efficient and did not easily tolerate idleness or half-hearted effort. Yet in my mind's eye, when I think of him, I see him laughing. A sense of humour, the ability to laugh at oneself, and the predicament in which we find ourselves, is sadly too rare a quality among revolutionaries. Seamus possessed it in good measure. His single greatest attribute was, however, his ability to relate to the mass of the people. His potential as a leader of mass struggle is not easily replaced. He could inspire not only the dream but the confidence of its achievement, and the commitment to work towards that end. From the ranks of mass struggle, others will come. From the experience of struggle, the political programme, organisation and method of struggle will come. But another Seamus Costello may never come again. When our freedom has been won, let us guard it well, remembering it was paid for in the blood and the lives of those now dead, but whose memory lives forever in the hearts of us who loved them for all that they were and all they might have been, had they been allowed to live. Related Websites: http://www.irsm.org/fallen/costello/  http://www.irsm.org/irsp/costello/  http://www.irsm.org/irsp/costello/bio/  See Also: Bernadette Devlin McAliskey Costello Commemoration 2003 In Memory of Seamus Costello The Legacy of Seamus Costello  Seamus Costello — Revolutionary Socialist Page last updated 4 Aug 2008 Ireland's OWN Logo by Eamann Website Design and Starry Plough Background    by Míchealín Daugherty Copyright © 2008 Ireland's OWN All Rights Reserved.