DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
Whereas the Irish people is by right a free people :
And Whereas for seven hundred years the Irish people has never ceased to repudiate and has repeatedly protested in arms against foreign usurpation :
And Whereas English rule in this country is, and always has been, based upon force and fraud and maintained by military occupation against the declared will of the people :
And Whereas the Irish Republic was proclaimed in Dublin on Easter Monday, 1916, by the Irish Republican Army acting on behalf of the Irish people :
And Whereas the Irish people is resolved to secure and maintain its complete independence in order to promote the common weal, to re-establish justice, to provide for future defence, to insure peace at home and goodwill with all nations and to constitute a national polity based upon the people's will with equal right and equal opportunity for every citizen :
And Whereas at the threshold of a new era in history the Irish electorate has in the General Election of December, 1918, seized the first occasion to declare by an overwhelming majority its firm allegiance to the Irish Republic :
Now, therefore, we, the elected Representatives of the ancient Irish people in National Parliament assembled, do, in the name of the Irish nation, ratify the establishment of the Irish Republic and pledge ourselves and our people to make this declaration effective by every means at our command :
We ordain that the elected Representatives of the Irish people alone have power to make laws binding on the people of Ireland, and that the Irish Parliament is the only Parliament to which that people will give its allegiance :
We solemnly declare foreign government in Ireland to be an invasion of our national right which we will never tolerate, and we demand the evacuation of our country by the English Garrison :
We claim for our national independence the recognition and support of every free nation in the world, and we proclaim that independence to be a condition precedent to international peace hereafter :
In the name of the Irish people we humbly commit our destiny to Almighty God who gave our fathers the courage and determination to persevere through long centuries of a ruthless tyranny, and strong in the justice of the cause which they have handed down to us, we ask His divine blessing on this the last stage of the struggle we have pledged ourselves to carry through to Freedom.
A Theachtaí na Dála, tuigfidh sibh ó n-a bhfuil dearbhaighthe annso go bhfuilmíd scartha anois le Sasana. Bíodh a fhios san ag an saoghal, agus ag daoine go mbaineann an scéal leo. Pé nídh a thiocfaidh as a bhfuil ráidhte annso - imirt anma nó bás- tá deire le ré na cainnte in Éirinn, agus má's maith é is mithid é - tá deire le ráiméis.
Tá teachtairí ó fhurmhór a bfhuil de náisiún sa domhan, ag Bhersailles mar seo, agus is é rud a thug ann iad, ar a n-admháil féinidh, ná chum síothcháin do dhéanamh do chiníbh an domhain ionnus ná beadh a thuilleadh gábha le cogadh choidhche arís. Deirimídna leó anois, agus san go dána, má tháid dá ríre, go gcaithfear briseadh do dhéanamh ar an gceangal so idir an dútha so is Sasana. Muna ndéuntar san ní bheidh aon tsíothcháin ann.
Athchuingím orraibh ionntaoibh do bheith agaibh as a chéile. Tá lámh Dé in ár n-obair : is léir san as ar thárla le dhá bhliain anuas. Dhá bhliain is an Cháisc seo d'imthigh tharainn do bunuigheadh Saorstát Éireann. Ní gábha dhúinn anois acht seasamh le chéile, moladh is buidheachas le Dia. Cuirimís le chéile agus ná déineadh éinne sinn do dheighilt, agus ní baoghal dúinn.
Iarraim ar an dTeachta ó Oirthear Chiarraighe cur leis an dtairgsint.
Is mór an onóir damhsa gur iarradh orm cur leis an ndearbhú ar Fhaisnéis Shaorstáit Éireann. Bhí sé d'amhantar agamsa is ag cuid agaibhse a bheith láithreach nuair do bunuigheadh an Saorstát Seachtmhain na Cásca, 1916, agus bhí laochraidhe cródha ann an uair sin - na daoine do rinn gníomh do réir a dtuairme. Ní mhairid na tréinfhir sin indiu: an namhaid do mhairbh iad. Acht na tréinfhir úd b'iad fé ndear sgéal an lae indiu. Acht bíodh gur mór an truagh ná fuilid na laochraidhe sin in ár measc annso is deimhin dúinn go bhfuil spioraid gach n-aon aca annso in ár dteannta ar an nDáil seo, agus le congnamh Dé leanfaimíd an sompla d'fhágadar san in ar gcomhair.
Deireann an Fhaisnéis go gcuirfam chum cinn an Saorstát ar gach slighe atá in ár gcumas. Cialluigheann san gníomh, agus ní bhfaighmíd staonadh ó éingníomhra, is cuma cad is deire dhóibh, príosún nó dortadh fola. Agus tá muinighin ag muinntir na hÉireann asainn-na, agus againn-na asta san. Déanfaidh Dáil Éireann gach éinnídh chum saoirse do bhaint amach agus chum an Fhaisnéis seo do chur chum críche.
Iarraim orraibh éirighe in bhur seasamh agus bréithre na móide seo do rádh im' dhiaidh:-
" Aontuighmíd an Fhaisnéis Neamhspleádhchuis seo agus cuirimíd sinn féin fá gheasaibh ár ndícheall do dhéanamh chum í chur i bhfeidhm ar gach slighe ar ár gcumas. "
Do rinneadh amhlaidh.
