The Management Board of Ireland’s Future condemns in the strongest possible terms the targeting of James Nesbitt after his outstanding speech delivered at our conference in the 3Arena in Dublin on 1 October 2022. James has our unequivocal support and we stand in solidarity with him now and continue to do so in the future.
We are appalled by the abuse he has received and hope that those responsible will be identified and held to account soon. James spoke with great dignity in a spirit of generosity and inclusivity about the present and possible futures. Those who heard his speech on the day or after will not forget it.
We remain deeply appreciative of James’ decision to be part of our ‘Together We Can’ event. We thank James for his thoughtful participation and engagement. These are responsible and necessary discussions that find a secure home in the Good Friday Agreement, they are deliberations that have increased in intensity since Brexit. People must be able to contribute publicly to these democratic debates without fear. Intimidation and threats have no place whatsoever in this society.
As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Agreement, Ireland’s Future believes that these constitutional conversations must continue in the best interests of everyone on this shared island. We therefore urge people locally and globally to join together with us in solidarity to send a clear message of support to James Nesbitt.
Frances Black (Chair)
Gerry Carlile (Chief Executive)
Niall Murphy (Secretary)
Martina Devlin
Brian Feeney
Colin Harvey
Patricia MacBride
Stephen McCann
Andrée Murphy