Speech
Speech by Taoiseach Simon Harris at the Ivy Day Commemoration of Charles Stewart Parnell
From Department of the Taoiseach
By: Taoiseach; Simon Harris
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of the Taoiseach
By: Taoiseach; Simon Harris
Published on
Last updated on
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Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great honour to be here today for the Ivy Day Commemoration of a true Irish hero and a great Wicklow man, Charles Stewart Parnell. I thank the Parnell Society for inviting me.
133 years may have passed since the life of Charles Stewart Parnell was cut short, but his message endures.
Parnell’s courage in standing up for the rights of others, his unwavering belief in the power of democracy, and his refusal to bow to the forces of injustice serves as a powerful inspiration.
Parnell’s legacy calls us to action, to keep fighting for what is right, and to never lose faith in the power of people working together to build a better tomorrow.
The genius of Parnell was the way he was able to find new ways to solve ancient problems, in the pursuit of land, liberty and national self-determination.
In doing so he defied the odds and redefined what could be achieved by working together in a common cause.
By teaching us that no boundary could be fixed on the aspirations of a people, Parnell helped inspire the march of the Irish nation to independence and freedom.
Today that same message resonates around the world as other nations strive to find their own paths.
Despite the tragedy of his early death, and the bitter circumstances behind it, we are reminded that even in the face of defeats and setbacks, we must persist with the courage of our convictions.
Parnell was the lost leader who has been found by every new generation. His political strategies are referenced in the unlikeliest of places.
In the earliest days of the peace process, when it was hard to find a way forward, Parnell’s New Departure was successfully invoked as a way of trying to persuade the IRA to consider an alternative to the path of violence.
Parnell is also the hero of some of the most unlikely people. When Nigel Farage was an MEP he famously kept a picture of Parnell on his office door, because he admired him as the great disruptor.
John Hume, on the other hand, admired Parnell as the champion of conciliation and reconciliation, and saw in Europe the greatest opportunity to make those principles a lasting settlement.
It is interesting that Hume, who has often been hailed as the greatest Irishman since Parnell, understood that true progress and peace came not from division, but from dialogue and cooperation.
Hume’s vision, rooted in Parnell’s belief in self-determination, saw Europe as a means of transcending historical conflicts, creating a space where Ireland, North and South, could find common ground. For Hume, Europe represented the possibility of healing old wounds and forging a future based on mutual respect, shared values, and enduring peace - principles that Parnell, in his heart, would have understood and championed.
Parnell’s great genius was his ability to unify seemingly disparate forces, creating a broad coalition of support that transcended party and ideology. He entered Westminster as a disruptor, forcing politicians to sit up and pay attention to Irish issues for the first time in decades.
But Parnell also understood that real change requires more than opposition - it requires bringing people together under a common cause.
When Parnell entered politics in the 1870s, Ireland was still reeling from the scars of the Great Famine. The land question loomed large, with countless Irish families trapped in a cycle of poverty and subsistence farming.
Parnell understood that the key to Ireland’s future lay in addressing these deep-seated inequalities. His leadership in the Irish Parliamentary Party and his establishment of the Land League transformed Irish politics.
He brought together constitutional nationalists, agrarian activists, and militant republicans, uniting them in the cause of land reform and Home Rule. His ability to galvanize such a broad movement was nothing short of remarkable.
The Land League’s campaign under Parnell’s leadership was a turning point for Irish nationalism. It was about more than land – it was about justice, dignity, and the right of the Irish people to determine their own fate.
Imprisonment did not diminish his influence. Instead, it only strengthened his resolve. Thanks to his unrivalled political skills, he was able to turn even imprisonment into a strategic victory.
The lesson I take from Parnell is that leadership is about much more than winning power. It is about forging unity and driving real change for those who need it most.
Parnell’s vision for Ireland was one of self-determination – of a country free from the constraints of foreign rule, where people could live in dignity on their own land.
Today, our vision is to build a country where people can live in dignity in their own home. To offer all our people the security of a fair economy, the promise of equal opportunity, and the confidence to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
Today’s Land Question is Housing and it is my top priority.
Parnell reminds us that we have to be bold and decisive, and we can’t be afraid to take action and that is what we are doing.
This year, the government is on track to surpass its housing targets, as we head towards 40,000 new homes. We expect this to include at least 8,000 direct-build social homes – the highest number built since the 1970s.
We have just delivered the highest housing budget in the history of the State and chosen to invest the proceeds of the sale of AIB shares in housing and the vital water and energy infrastructure required to support its development.
500 individuals or couples have been enabled to purchase their first homes every week, the largest figure in 16 years.
The First Home Scheme has already assisted 4,800 people in bridging the gap between deposits, mortgages, and the price of their new homes.
Looking ahead, I have committed to building at least 250,000 homes by 2030 and we will be publishing even more ambitious housing target in the coming weeks.
Our new departure is the creation of a secure housing future.
We will accelerate the delivery of the different types of housing supply needed by students, by renters, by all those wishing to own their own home.
We need the same kind of decisive, all-action approach that Parnell pioneered in tackling our housing crisis.
I believe we must use all the State’s resources to create a modern, inclusive Ireland where everyone can have a home and a secure future.
Parnell’s advocacy for Home Rule, which culminated in the introduction of the First Home Rule Bill in 1886, was the pinnacle of his political career. Though the bill was defeated, it marked the first serious attempt to grant Ireland the autonomy we had dreamt about for so long.
It was a dream deferred, not denied completely. Ireland did achieve its freedom, and in the end no one was able to stop the march of the Irish nation.
Today I also want to pay tribute to other members of the Parnell family who are often overlooked. His sister, Anna Parnell, was a visionary who wanted decisive action to ensure Ireland controlled its own destiny.
For too long her work – and the work the Ladies Land League - has been relegated to the margins of Irish history, seen as a support act, and tucked away in the background. In reality, these women travelled the country in the 1880s, setting up branches and rallying tenants to safeguard their families. Anna’s resilience was unmatched. She was even hailed as ‘Joan of Arc’ by some of the disposed tenants she met.
With other women, she travelled to remote areas in difficult conditions, offering practical help to evicted tenants while the men focused on speeches.
They embodied the relentless pursuit of justice, setting an inspiring example of what can be achieved through courage and determination.
Last week we lost a remarkable woman who played a significant role in public life, including as a Minister - Mary O’Rourke.
Mary wrote about Anna Parnell in The Irish Times a few years ago and praised the Ladies Land League for achieving ‘so much in a realistic, practical sense for the tenants of Ireland’. And she reminded us that we need to ensure that this history needs to be taught and remembered.
Today we should also remember the women who have contributed so much to Irish life, both heralded and unheralded.
Charles Stewart Parnell was a great political leader. He is also a symbol of what can be achieved through unity, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to justice.
His legacy is one of hope - hope that a suffering people can rise above their circumstances, that they can come together to fight for their rights, and that they can achieve the impossible.
Parnell reminds us that the pursuit of justice, equality, and national self-determination presents a set of challenges that each new generation must take up.
I believe that no idea is too big or too small when it comes to solving the greatest challenges of our time. I think Parnell would have agreed. He was a man who believed that no challenge was insurmountable, that no boundary could be fixed to the progress of a nation.
Parnell reminds us that leadership is not about personal gain, it’s about the service of a greater cause.
It is about bringing people together, even in the face of adversity, and working tirelessly to build a better future for all. As we tackle the challenges ahead, let us carry forward the spirit of Parnell - the spirit of unity, determination, and hope.
Thank you.