On August 9, supporters gathered at the The Gaelic Club in Surry Hills for the Sydney launch of Australian Friends of Irish Unity (AFIU) with guest speakers: Sinn Féin Ireland leaders Pearse Doherty and Matt Carthy and AFIU Joint Presidents Michael Daley MP and former MP Paul Lynch. AFIU is campaigning to build Australian support for Irish unity and was pleased the Australian Labor Party National Conference voted to call on the British and Irish Governments to honour the Good Friday Agreement and “allow all the people of Ireland to democratically decide their future”.
Ireland is now having a positive discussion around Irish unification. Brexit has fast tracked the possibility of unity after 100 years of partition. The time is approaching for a referendum and the AIFU is calling on all Australian citizens and the wider Irish diaspora based in Australia to sign and support the It’s Time statement here.
Look at these great images from the AIFU launch by our photographer Michelle Haywood.