'United Ireland inevitable,' says TD at Leitrim Easter Rally

Calls for a united Ireland took centre stage at Sinn Féin’s annual Easter Commemoration in Mohill, Co. Leitrim, where Donegal TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn declared that a referendum on Irish unity is not a question of if—but when.

Addressing a large crowd at the graveside of Volunteer Joe O'Beirne, who died during the Selton Hill ambush in 1921, Mac Lochlainn said the referendum should happen before the decade ends—but warned that planning must begin now. “The British Government must live up to its responsibilities under the Good Friday Agreement. But more importantly, the Irish Government must step up and lead,” he urged.

Led by the Kiltubrid Pipe Band, the Easter parade marched from Station Road to the Old Cemetery, with TD Martin Kenny and Sinn Féin councillors Brendan Barry, Róisín Kenny, Cormac Flynn, and Pádraig Fallon among those in attendance.

Lisa Mulligan, Sinn Féin local election candidate, chaired the proceedings, which included a reading of the Proclamation and the laying of wreaths.

In a speech steeped in history, Mac Lochlainn praised Leitrim’s enduring role in the republican struggle—from the Tan War and Selton Hill to the Border Campaign. He hailed the legacy of Leitrim’s John Joe McGirl and the county’s long-standing support for Volunteers.

He also pointed to political shifts in the North: “The days of a Unionist majority are over. The very foundation on which Partition was built has crumbled.”

Describing Irish unity as “the political project of our generation,” he welcomed Leo Varadkar’s recent comments—but said a Sinn Féin-led government is the surest path to achieving it.

The TD also hit out at government plans to dismantle the Triple Lock on military neutrality and urged that any change be put to a public vote. He reaffirmed Sinn Féin’s support for the Occupied Territories Bill and sanctions against Israel, in light of ongoing atrocities in Gaza.

Earlier in the day, Sinn Féin laid a wreath at the grave of Volunteer Owen Greene in Kinlough, honouring his service during Easter Week 1916.

As the speeches echoed through Mohill, one message rang clear: the push for Irish unity is gaining ground—and Leitrim is once again playing its part.

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