More on 'if Lynch Remembering PRSI Under Threat had attacked Britain 1969 Labour Comment

page 16 page 13 back page IRISH POLITICAL REVIEW November 2009 Vol.24, No.11 ISSN 0790-7672 and Northern Star incorporating Workers' Weekly Vol.23 No.11 ISSN 954- 5891

A Watershed Obama Bows To Israel When the Irish electorate voted for the Lisbon Treaty, it voted for a probable Blair The Obama administration has capitul- Presidency in a Great Power Europe in which little countries must toe the line. The ated to Israel's demand that there should Taoiseach seemed to acknowledge this fact by initially declaring his support for the chief be no pre-conditions for the opening of warmonger of our time, Tony Blair, as President. But something caused him to recoil negotiations with Palestinians. In parti- from . Blair and transfer his support to the low key ex-Taoiseach and ex-EU Ambassador cular, the freezing of all settlement activity, to the USA, John Bruton. What caused him to change his mind? Could it be the which seemed to be a US pre-condition "underhand diplomacy of bloggers and pygmy politicians" on which John Water (ex- Dancing At The Cross-Roads) pronounced anathema in his Irish Times column on until recently, has been abandoned. October 30s (Only Blair Has The Right Stuff For Top EU Position). This capitulation flies in the face of the terms of the internationally approved Road "Blair has the skills and personality to communicate a renovated message about the Map for these negotiations. This was put nature of community, to nurture relations between Europe and the rest of the world, and to speak authoritatively about issues such as climate change, immigration and new forward by the self-appointed Middle East models of economy. The danger is this perhaps final chance for the EU to become a Quartet (US, EU, Russia and the UN genuine political organism may be scuppered by the underhand diplomacy of bloggers Secretary General) in 2003 and accepted and pygmy politicians…" by Israel and the PLO—and endorsed by the Security Council. It laid down several What new model of economy does Blair stand for? What he stood for during his ten pre-conditions for negotiations (of which years as Prime Minister was globalist uniformity under the direction of the USA, with more later), including that Israel freeze all Britain holding the position of agent of the USA. What "relations between Europe and the rest of the world" does Blair stand for? The settlement activity. subordination of the rest of the world to a Europe guided by Britain acting as agent of the The Obama administration had assured USA. the PLO that this time negotiations would The British Labour Party was suspicious of the European Union during the 1970s and be under the terms of the Road Map. The 1980s, seeing the "social market" ideal as an obstacle to the full-blooded socialism which PLO has made it clear from the outset that it was committed to establishing in Britain. Blair came to power as a committed it wouldn't enter into negotiations unless European and his Party, overwhelmed by charisma, followed him. He appointed an this was so, its bottom line being that ultra-leftist of the mid-1980s as Minister for Europe—or was it Minister for Competition in Europe? Kim Howells was a die-hard Scargillite ideologue in the suicidal strike into Israel must freeze all settlement activity. which Scargill pushed the National Union of Mineworkers. When he became Blair's Minister, Howells' job was to destroy the socialist element of European Christian BLUNTNESS MELTS AWAY Democracy, which was an obstacle to free globalist capitalism. At the outset, both the President and his continued on page 2 continued on page 5

Report . . . and some fell on dry land: the imperviousness of Dublin's Academic Economists to interventionist Economics A seminar in Dublin was held on 2nd advises the British Government in various of prematurely reading the results of the November under the auspices of the capacities, but particularly on the issue of stimulus inputs as the end of the recession "Dublin Economic s Workshop". This is a employment policy. He spoke on the theme itself, leading it to ease those inputs. As a circle of Dublin-based Economics "What Should Be Done About Rising result in 1937 the US plunged into a academics, and the workshop received Unemployment?". He argued that the second trough of recession (the famous high profile billing in the media. So I went financial crisis is deeper than anything we "W" effect), only finally being freed from along. have seen since the 1930s. He stated that it by the economics of war production in Chaired by John Fitzgerald of ESRI, the 1930s Depression in the US was the early 1940s. He warned that we were the "workshop" was treated to a lecture by neutralised by the New Deal, a package of agai n at a "1937 moment". David Blanchflower, an academic histor- massive stimulus measures, but that the Evidence showed that the easing of the ian at Dartmouth University who also US Government at the time made the error current recession, and the much trumpeted continued on page 4 If Obama bin Laden plotted the WTC C O N T E N T S event with a view to driving Ameranglia Page crazy, he succeeded brilliantly in the case A Watershed. Editorial 1 of John Waters. The idea of the world as a systematic Obama Bows To Israel. David Morrison 1 hierarchy run by the White House was a Impervious Academic Economists. Philip O'Connor 1 delusion of the early 1990s. The closer it came to realisation, the less practicable it Readers' Letters: Insidious History-Telling. Philip O'Connor 3 became because of the forces of resistance Shorts from the Long Fellow (Irish Health System Improves; Media Problem; that arose in opposition to its wild brutality. National Guilt; Yorkshire Ripper; Back Lash; Harris Licks His Wounds; Protestant Schools; O'Keeffe Self-Defence; Political Reaction) 7 Waters looks to Blair as a Hero for our On Press Suppression Of The Unpalatable. Manus O'Riordan 9 time: "If the EU is to shake off the sense of Cologne To Ballinloch. Review 10 disconnection that has rendered it Constitutional Change. Feargus O Raghallaigh 11 culturally moribund, what is required in the new job is a leader who can define the Remembering 1969. Malachi Lawless (Report of Hanley meeting) 13 presidency outside the bureaucratic Reviews. Jack Lane, Bill Blum (Manus O'Riordan on J.J. O'Kelly; Micheál framework already established by EU institutions, signalling to the citizens of Martin on Cork Politics. On Afghanistan) 14 Europe and the wider world the EU is at Turncoat. Wilson John Haire (Poem) 16 last becoming a community of peoples…" More On 'What If' Lynch Had Attacked Britain. Edward Longwill 16 A "community of peoples" is what the Biteback: Let's Stick To Facts. Jack Lane 18 EU was under its bureaucratic institutions, and what it is unlikely to remain under the Casement 2008. Tim O'Sullivan (Part 2) 19 new arrangements. The Commission, the Comments On A Criticism. Brendan Clifford replies to B. Ó Ceallaigh 22 rotating Presidency, and the consensual mode of decision-making were what made Does It Stack Up? Michael Stack (Global Warming; Carbon Taxes; The Moon the Six a community, and carried over a And The USA; Nobel Peace Prize & President Obama) 25 sense of community to the Thirteen. But Benedict Chifley, PM Of Australia 1945-49. Patrick O'Beirne 25 the Commission has been emasculated— with Irish PD Liberal Pat Cox acting as War Guilt & Other Nonsense. Seán McGouran 27 catspaw in the matter. The Presidency will no longer rotate. And majority rule is Labour Comment, by Pat Maloney: on the way. The Great PRSI Swindle Judge Barrington was surprisingly frank about this when championing Lisbon in a (back page) Radio Eireann debate with Joe HIggins. He said that the greater States must have a greater say in the running of the EU, and Blair's "new model of economy" was Toland, who grew up speaking Irish in that the EU must have the military power only Thatcher's model. Thatcher acknow- Donegal, converted to the fanatical English to defend—and everyone should now ledged him as her successor. She gave variety of state-oriented Protestantism in know what that means—to defend its him her seal of approval right at the start. Derry in the 1680s, and evolved after interests in the world. She had done the heavy lifting. All he had 1688 into a skilful pamphleteer in the Under the rotating Presidency, every to to do was carry on privatising and service of the Whig gentry. little State had its moment when all the deregulating, carrying the message to parts The strategy was to prevent Europe other States had to look to it, and when it she could not reach. from being consolidated into a political could show what it was made of. The Irish Globalism can be presented in ideology power. England set out to keep Europe Presidency under Charles Haughey was a as egalitarian meritocracy—a universal "balanced" , or in conflict, by allying itself nodal point on the way to the Celtic Tiger. struggle of each against all, in which each with the weaker Powers against the Power Ireland was from that moment a force in has an equal chance of doing down his which might have made a hegemonic European affairs, and the view of it as an neighbour to his neighbour as everyone settlement in Europe as Britain itself did appendage of Britain fell away. else has. But it cannot be realised in that in the 'British Isles'. Britain itself was Lisbon arranges that such aberrations form. And those in power who preach it never in the balance. It stood outside the will happen no more. m ost fervently know that it can't. Global- balance and manipulated it. ism is necessarily hierarchical. It is real- That was the English view of the world Under the old 'bureaucratic' arrange- isable only as a world hierarchy with for close on three centuries. It fell into ment, Europe was federal in substance gradations downwards from the control- confusion when the British Empire fell because of the requirement that decision- ling influence of the United States. apart as a result of its second War on making should be unanimous. That federal Germany, but it was not specifically Europe has now been displaced (in prin- The English bid for world domination rejected until Blair took office and declar- ciple at least) by a Europe of Great Power began with the victory at the Battle of the ed for a unipolar world—a single world dominance. Boyne—which we are now officially power structure under the dominance of The Irish voters voted for this Great obliged to celebrate—and the subsequent the US, with Britain as No. 2. In that Power Europe because of the threat that it conquest and subjugation of Ireland by conception the world was Ameranglia and would be punished if it refused to do so. the Glorious Revolution. The European its hinterland. And John Waters signed up The threat was issued by the German strategy of the bid was the balance-of- for it enthusiastically, fanatically, under representative in Ireland. At about the power. The first ideologue of English the impact of the destruction of the World same time Germany wiped out a village in balance-of-power strategy was John Trade Centre. Afghanistan. That is to say that, acting in 2 a moral capacity, it called down an air- strike on an Afghan village. It was reminis- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR · LETTERS TO THE EDITOR· LETTERS TO THE EDITOR· cent of mediaeval times, when the Church called on the secular power to deal with heretics. Germany fingered the villagers Insidious History-Telling and America wiped them out. Chancellor Merkel disclaimed respon- I was amazed when Eoghan Harris appeared in an excellent TG4 documentary on the sibility. There will be no German compen- life and games of Christy Ring. He told a long yarn about Christy pulling up a young sation for survivors, or for relatives of the player for moping about an ankle injury which ruled him out of a major game (All- victims. And she was right. Germany has Ireland). The story, Harris alleged, had been told to him by that young player. He didn't handed its conscience into the keeping of name him as far as I recall. The whole thing sounded like his usual invented tale the USA. It own moral posturing is unencumbered by mere "factism". spurious. The lesson it learned from the Harris also appeared in a TG4 programme celebrating the 125th anniversary of the carpet bombing of Hamburg, Dresden, GAA (1st November), which featured the life of Sam Maguire, and had Eoghan Harris etc. by the Ameranglian air force in 1944- and Ian Paisley commenting on him. Peter Hart was also in the credits.programme. 5 is that it must never again commit Seeing Harris and Peter Hart come up as historical consultants on the history of the atrocities on its own account, and that, so GAA is telling. There seems to be a new tactic underway—making themselves central long as it acts at the behest of Ameranglia, to Irish history-telling. Harris has been on TV numerous times in the last two years— it will be physically secure and therefore more than in the previous 20 years I'd imagine—speaking "as Gaeilge" (except where morally in the right. he had a point to make, e.g. about the 60,000 Protestants he alleged had been "run out" But we are not Germans. We do not of Ireland in the early 1920s, which he made a point of saying in English in the middle need to render ourselves mindless out of a of his contribution in Irish on the RTE programme on Dunmanway (Cork's Bloody sense of ancient guilt. And the least we Secret, 5th October, RTE TV). John A. Murphy was also on (introduced as a "historian can do in response to the 'good German' and writer"). extermination of an Afghan village is to One has to wonder whether the GAA is being targeted at the moment for special strike Lidice out of the catalogue of war treatment. A lavishly illustrated book—"The GAA—A People's History"—has just crimes. The action against Lidice was a appeared (Collins Press). It is written by Mike Cronin, Mark Duncan and Paul Rouse (the reprisal. And the assassination of the latter a "historical researcher" on the discredited RTÉ Coolacrease film—he's also a German Governor of the Czech Protector- regular contributor to the GAA website An fear rua). On the 1914-18 period the book ate that was organised by Britain in states: furtherance of its policy of "setting Europe "Thousands of GAA members followed this call [from Redmond] and fought at the ablaze" by acts of terror. This was after Western Front, in Italy and in the Dardanelles. Their story has largely been forgotten in declaring war on Germany, losing the the history of the GAA, but so great was their number that GAA clubs were left struggling battle, and refusing to make a settlement. in their absence... Various counties even considered lifting the ban on membership of the The Czechs had given in to British GAA for British soldiers, at least for the course of the war. This proposal never gathered intimidation in the Autumn of 1938 and momentum... A small minority of volunteers split from the Redmondites and founded their own volunteer movement. They united with James Connolly's Irish Citizen Army handed the defensible Sudetenland over and staged a rebellion against British rule at Easter 1916... Estimates of the numbers of to Germany. Hungary and Poland then GAA members involved in the fighting run to around 350. This is about one fifth of the took other parts of the artificial Czecho- total number of rebels out on Easter Week. Five of the men executed after the Rising had slovak state, and the Slovaks declared a GAA connection...." (pp149-151) independence. The Czech remnant was "Attempts by the British government to introduce military conscription to Ireland in then made a German Protectorate without 1918 saw a fresh wave of political unrest... Increased unrest led to the British government, Czech resistance, or any action by Britain, in July 1918, prohibiting the holding of any public meetings in Ireland except under in March 1939. The Czechs began to official permit. The GAA chose to defy the prohibition and organised a mass protest for settle down as a Protectorate. They did Sunday 4 August. County Boards across the country were instructed to stage marches not launch a resistance, even after Britain without permits at 3 p.m. In Dublin alone, twenty-four matches were played at different in an apparently capricious change of venues... It was a major act of defiance, and one which linked the GAA to the gathering policy, decided to make war on Germany momentum of radical nationalism which led to the election victory of Sinn Féin in 1918. —or at least to declare war on it and get The electoral success of Sinn Féin led, in turn, to the establishment of the First Dáil and others to fight it. Britain therefore dropped the initiation of the War of Independence in 1919. The GAA was involved in the in an assassination squad to kill the emergence of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and particular IRA leaders... most likely Governor, making it appear to be a Czech made use of their GAA connections to recruit... (pp. 151-4). action. A number of Lidice villagers were So, the GAA enlisted en masse in the WW1 British Army; 1916 was a revolt by a executed in reprisal—which was not illegal "small minority of volunteers", who "founded their own volunteer movement"; and only under the 'laws of war'—and the village one-fifth of 1916 rebels had GAA connections. A 1918 protest in defiance of a British was razed. ban on public assembly—which were occasioned by "increased unrest"—led to The German-inspired action against the GAA matches being played at 24 locations "in Dublin alone". The electoral victory of Afghan villagers was, by comparison, a Sinn Fein led to the 1st Dail and to "the initiation of the War of Independence". wanton act of destruction. And if that was OK, let us strike Lidice from the list of The comments on GAA players in the British Army in WW1 as contrasted with 1916 horrendous atrocities. are odious. Also, the 4th August 1918 games played in defiance of the British ban in fact—according to Paddy Heaney, Coolacrease, p. 72-3—saw over 1,000 matches We have become decadent, says Waters, being played "illegally" at locations nationwide (and not just 24 in "Dublin alone"). as a consequence of "six decades of Philip O'Connor tranquillity, interrupted momentarily by 9/11. At the core of this culture is the idea 'Bambi', which of course delighted us, but for survival in an age in which charismatic that peace is natural". was camouflage for— vacuity was prized over everything, and We were saved from drowning in the "a deep seriousness that counterpoints to guard his deeper thoughts and talents swamp of pacifist decadence when Blair his superstar image… Blair seemed until he was able to put them to what he made his appearance in the image of instinctively to know what was necessary regarded as their proper use… And while 3 it is true that the situation in Iraq since Iraq back into its constituent elements, ing: the Irish economy has still been much 2003 has gone from bad to appalling to setting Shia, Sunni and Kurd against each too small, and too dependent on globalist better and, right at this moment, back to other. flows, to undertake such an extreme appalling, none of that should be the Keynesian measure on its own. So, in the measure of the morality of the cause… The amount of killing done by the referendum, the electorate played the tune Tony Blair was motivated well in advance Saddam regime in the course of hammer- that was paid for. of the invasion by a desire to rid the world ing the disparate social elements into an of its ugliest dictator. There are few who, Iraqi body politic is grossly exaggerated when the argument is couched in these by the invasion propaganda. It is some- terms, can argue convincingly he was times put at unspecified "millions". Most Economists wrong. But the well of popular opinion has become so contaminated on this issue of that killing occurred in war against continued it is almost impossible to be heard in Iran—which was actively supported by Blair's defence…" the West for the purpose of containing the "green shoots" now being detected, were Islamic enthusiasm of the Iranian revolu- almost entirely the result of temporary —except of course in Britain's newspaper tion. Amnesty International estimated the stimulus measures. But the "green shoots" for the Irish. internal killing for the purpose of main- of renewed "growth" at present in the US, (The Irish Times is on the verge of taining the regime at "hundreds" in 2000, Germany etc. are the result of public, not bankruptcy. Those in the know are "scores" in 2001, and again "scores" in private, stimuli (i.e. business activity). Of convinced that it will go out of business 2002 (see Amnesty website at http:// the up to 150 economic sectors in the US within the next few months, and wonder web.amnesty.org). only one—healthcare—is showing any what they will do without it. If it does go How many have been killed within Iraq actual organic growth. There is no evidence out of business, then it will, of course, since 2003? And to what actual purpose. of any other private sector stimulus making cease to be Britain's newspaper for the Saddam's regime was a secular welfare any showing at all. Cuts in public wages Irish, and the aberration of the past 20 state, in which women had begun to behave or in employment deep in a recession, he years will possibly be rectified.) in the European manner. A separation of said, would be "a big mistake" and would Church and State—without the oppression only deepen the recession and if pushed Blair went up a mountain in Spain and of religion, but restricting of Islam to the too far tip the economy "over the cliff" he came down with a message from God private sphere—is considered to be into a protracted Depression. telling him to make war on Iraq. That's oppression. what he said, in his own disarming way to Irish businessmen traded freely with Blanchflower also noted that British John Lloyd of the Financial Times. At Saddam's Iraq, and Irish nurses felt at ease "quantitative easing"—i.e. currency that moment Ireland had its brief moment in it. deflation [printing money]—was being of prominence in world affairs, with The Irish Government facilitated the carried out ruthlessly at the expense of the Buggins turn as Chairman of the Security war on Iraq for trivial reasons. The Irish Euro Zone economies—and was parti- Council. Brien Cowen gave it as his voters authorised the formation of a new cularly hurting Germany, France and opinion that an invasion of Iraq was allow- Great Power Europe for vital reasons, but Ireland. ed for by resolutions for a different reasons which had nothing to do with the Blanchflower's argument is very similar purpose, adopted a dozen years earlier. actual purpose of Lisbon. to that being promoted by the ICTU in its The British Foreign Secretary of the time * 10-point Plan for Economic Recovery, disagreed, as we recall, on the ground that Bertie, at his book launch by Charlie published the same morning as the Work- Iraq—disabled and impoverished by McCreevy (8th October), boasted that shop. Needless to say there were no takers sanctions, and closely supervised—did Ireland was in safe hands when he and for that perspective at the "Workshop". not constitute any threat to international McCreevy were running it. But the depth ICTU argues that the four-year recovery peace. But Blair decided to make war, and of the crisis was brought about by the way period permitted to Ireland by the EU is when he could not get a fresh UN he ran it. We do not say he was wrong not too short, particularly as the EU is demand- Resolution, he covered himself with the to curb the Celtic Tiger. In order to do so, ing deflationary measures to provide a Irish agreement. And Ireland played its he would have needed an Opposition type of negative stimulus for recovery of little part in the War—urged on by Waters, demanding that it be curbed,and the general the export economy. This, Congress has Kevin Myers, and Eoghan Harris. demand was to make hay while the sun argued, is mistaken on two counts—firstly, War was right because Saddam was a shone. But the suggestion that the crisis as deflation at the trough of an economy dictator, Waters says. Is that not a view happened because he was ousted is absurd. could push the economy over the edge from the swamp of democratic decadence (It is not surprising, however, as we into Depression; and, secondly as there is which cannot face the realities of world repeatedly described him as having the no basis for believing in a revival of world affairs. world-view of a huxter.) trade to a level that would cause a resur- Iraq was a state haphazardly thrown The Celtic Tiger had illusions about gence of Ireland's export economy. ICTU together on the spur of the moment by the itself which we did not share—hence our seeks an easing of financial cuts and the British conquest of the Middle East in Winnie the Pooh variation of Tigger. It spreading of a recovery strategy (combined 1918-19 so as to secure the source of oil, was created by Charles Haughey, which it with internal economic and direct employ- which had become vital to it in the course repudiated and blackguarded. In its ment stimulus measures) over a longer of the Great War. It never had a democratic collapse the hope of a resurgence of period—to 2013. This makes sense, and it election. Its first election was openly tigerishness is maintained by Brian Leni- is only unfortunate that no political party rigged by Britain, which kidnapped and han in the face of general opposition and seems willing to abandon the neo-liberal deported the rival candidate. It was only ridicule, and an element of bad faith. Let consensus at the heart of current Irish under Saddam's long dictatorship that us hope that the experience will have a de- "recovery" policy thinking and actually representatives of the disparate elements Anglicising influence on him. support the ICTU perspective. were drawn together into something like a Anyhow, the decision to run the econ- functional Iraqi body politic sustaining a omy on the basis of future property prices That wretched consensus was well in regime. The 2003 invasion deliberately in the hope that those prices will be realised evidence at the event at which Blanch- broke up that body politic. It sought a in the future is a bold venture. flower was speaking. While he was treated semblance of internal support by throwing It depends on ultimate European fund- with politeness and respect by the 100- 4 plus largely academic audience at the repeat of the Annapolis process, which seminar, not a single voice was raised in began without any of the Road Map support of his neo-Keynesian arguments. Israel conditions being fulfilled and got nowhere. John Fitzgerald of ESRI defended his own continued As Saeb Erakat of the PLO said on 1st theory of the need for downward wage November 2009, in response to the US "adjustments", based on the dogma that it Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, made capitulation: would act as a stimulus to a recovery of unusually blunt demands of Israel that "Israel has signaled its rejection of any international trade upon which Ireland settlement building should cease. For serious discussions on permanent status depended. The nearest thing to an applause example, on 27th May 2009, Clinton laid issues like Jerusalem, recognition of the Blanchflower received was when he stated down the law in the following terms: 1967 borders, refugees or settlements. If —in response to George Lee TD—that America cannot get Israel to implement a "With respect to settlements, the settlement freeze, what chance do Pales- the best thing that could happen for Ireland President was very clear when Prime would be for Germany to leave the Euro, tinians have of reaching agreement with Minister Netanyahu was here. He wants Israel on permanent status issues?" [4] thus allowing "quantitative easing" in to see a stop to settlements—not some Ireland's interest without exposing it to settlements, not outposts, not natural At the time of writing, the PLO is the vagaries of an independent currency! growth exceptions. … That is our refusing the US demand that it enter Various other academics put forward position." [1: note all references can be negotiations without Israel fulfilling the their invariably neo-liberal pet theories. A found at the web address at the end of this Road Map pre-conditions. Colm Harmon of UCD predictably used article.] American behavioural studies to explain However, the US never applied any THE ROAD MAP the value of pre-school education, while sanctions to Israel to ensure that it obeyed, The Road Map requires Israel to take a downplaying the value of technical and nor stated bluntly that there would be no number of well-defined steps prior to the vocational education and on-the-job train- negotiations unless it obeyed. And as start of negotiations (see A performance- ing. Blanchflower called for a return to time went by, the administration's blunt- based roadmap to a permanent two-state massive investment in general, rather than ness melted away. solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict trade-specific, education, given that the By September, the President was [5]). These include: jobs of the future were still an unknown commending Israel for having "discussed quantity, and targeting this at the young (a) "Israeli leadership issues unequivocal important steps to restrain settlement act- unemployed and the low skilled employed. statement affirming its commitment to ivity" [2]. As we will see later, these This directly contravenes the thinking of the two-state vision of an independent, "important steps" don't amount to a hill of the hard core proposals of the McCarthy viable, sovereign Palestinian state beans. Nevertheless, on 31st October Report, which held that such training living in peace and security alongside 2009, standing beside Prime Minister should be left to the market. Israel" Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Clinton described (b) "GOI [Government of Israel] immedi- Harmon supported the proposals of these "important steps" as "unprecedented": ately dismantles settlement outposts McCarthy in all areas except one—the "What the prime minister has offered erected since March 2001", and proposal to radically reduce state subsidis- in specifics of a restraint on the policy of (c) "Consistent with the Mitchell Report, ation of PhD studies! This is of course settlements, which he has just described— GOI freezes all settlement activity (inc- pure academic self-serving. Blanchflower no new starts, for example—is unprec- luding natural growth of settlements)". on the other hand regarded such investment edented in the context of the prior two as of little value from a state employment negotiations." [3] On 25th May 2003, the Israeli Govern- ment, headed by Ariel Sharon, approved investment perspective. There, she was drawing attention to the the Road Map by 12 votes to 7, but entered fact that there was no freeze on settlement Blanchflower argued that the focus of 14 reservations [6]. However, these activity, or even Israeli "restraint" on investment should be on the "young". reservations did not relate to points (a), (b) settlement activity, prior to the Camp While not entirely convincing, he did have or (c). The PLO accepted the Road Map David talks in 2000 and the Annapolis a case. High rates of unskilled youth without reservations. process which began in November 2007. unemployment—as is currently being The Road Map was endorsed unan- On those two occasions, settlement activity experienced in Ireland particularly—could imously by the UN Security Council in was an issue within the negotiations, not a devastate a generation. Particularly as un- resolution 1515, passed on 19th November pre-condition of the negotiations beginning. skilled work would be the least available 2003, which called: So, her earlier demand for "a stop to type of work in the future or in any recovery settlements—not some settlements, not out- "on the parties to fulfil their obligations scenario. He argued that state policy should under the Roadmap in cooperation with posts, not natural growth exceptions" has focus on cutting the "supply" of "unskilled the Quartet and to achieve the vision of been satisfied by Netanyahu's "restraint". unemployed" precisely by investing to two States living side by side in peace turn the "unskilled unemployed" into and security;" [7] What is more, she made it clear that the "skilled employable" workers. He also US now accepted Israel's position that argued for using whatever resources exist- ISRAEL FLUNKS ANY PRE-CONDITION negotiations should be without pre- ed in the state sector to provide opportun- Israel hasn't fulfilled any of the pre- conditions. True, when a journalist asked ities for the integration of young unem- conditions laid down in the Road Map, her "if both sides should re-launch the ployed people back into the workforce. and shows no sign of doing so. It hasn't peace process without any preconditions", dismantled the settlement outposts erected The present writer was pleasantly she refused to express an opinion "as to since March 2001, nor frozen all settlement surprised to hear Joan Burton TD intervene whether or not there should be conditions". activity. It hasn't even agreed to the to propose precisely such a scheme of However, she added: ultimate objective of the Road Map—the subsidised employment opportunities "The important thing, as the prime establishment of "an independent, viable, throughout the public sector, and so could minister just said, is to get into the sovereign Palestinian state". finally leave the 'true blue' "workshop" in negotiations. … I think the best way to Netanyahu made it crystal clear, in his determine the way forward is, as the a more pleasant mood than the atmosphere speech on 14 June 2009 [8], that the prime minister said, get on the path." up to that point would have allowed. Palestinian "state" he envisaged would be Philip O'Connor What the US is now proposing is a neither independent, viable or sovereign. 5 The security needs of Israel demanded, he plans. Freezing both of these stages is makes the same demands, most recently said, "clear commitments" from the US entirely within the government of Israel's in resolution 63/97 passed on 18th that "in a future peace agreement, the authority, but that is not what has been December 2008, which reiterated its territory controlled by the Palestinians done. demand will be demilitarized", by which he meant: "Instead, we have in place a sort of "for the immediate and complete "without an army, without control of passive freeze—one that applies only to cessation of all Israeli settlement activities its airspace, and with effective security new planning, while permitting a huge in all of the Occupied Palestinian measures to prevent weapons smuggling amount of new construction to go ahead, Territory, including East Jerusalem, and into the territory—real monitoring, and since there is a backlog of plans that have in the occupied Syrian Golan, and calls in not what occurs in Gaza today. And already been approved but not yet imple- this regard for the full implementation of obviously, the Palestinians will not be mented. Indeed, according to an official the relevant Security Council resolutions, able to forge military pacts. Without this, report of the Ministry of Defense, including resolution 465 (1980)". sooner or later, these territories will published in Ha'aretz newspaper (the Spiegel Report) [10], the settlements have This resolution was passed by 171 votes become another Hamastan [i.e. a Hamas to 6, the only opponents being Israel and state]." the theoretical potential to build 40,000 new housing units—units that are already the US, plus Marshall Islands, Micronesia, On 24th September 2009, a Quartet in the pipeline in the context of plans that Nauru and Palau. Ireland and other EU statement called were previously approved." [11] states voted for the resolution. "on Israel and the Palestinians to act on This article also presents evidence that their previous agreements and obligations in preparation for a possible freeze on the The International Court of Justice (ICJ) --in particular adherence to the Roadmap, planning of settlement construction a new has also declared Israel's settlement build- irrespective of reciprocity--to create the "fast track" mechanism is being operated ing contrary to Article 49 of the Fourth conditions for the resumption of Geneva Convention in its Advisory Opin- negotiations in the near term." [9] to ensure that lots of construction is planned in advance of any freeze on planning: ion on the construction of the Wall [14] (paragraph 120). A few weeks later, the US is attempting "A few weeks ago we obtained a letter to pressurise Palestinians into negotiations written by a key figure in one of the (The Rome Statute [15] defines the without Israel fulfilling any of the Road regional settlement councils, in which he offences—genocide, crimes against hum- Map pre-conditions. Just imagine if the refers to a new 'fast track' offered by the anity and war crimes—for which the boot were on the other foot, if Palestinians council for initiating new settlement con- International Criminal Court (ICC) may, were refusing to abide by previous struction. This new fast track shortens in certain circumstances, prosecute indivi- agreements and obligations. Just imagine and expedites the process necessary for duals. Article 8.2(b)(viii) of the Statute the opprobrium that would be heaped on starting new construction by letting defines their heads. people obtain a permit to dig and lay "the transfer, directly or indirectly, by foundations, rather than begin construct- the Occupying Power of parts of its own civilian population into the territory it NETANYAHU'S 'RESTRAINT' ion on the building itself. This is not What does the "restraint" with regard business as usual. Normally when a occupies" to settlement building amount to? Here's building permit is granted, that permit as a war crime. It would seem that there is how he described it in his press conference applies to everything—the structure and a strong prima facie case that Israel's with Clinton on 31st October 2009: its foundations. Getting such a permit is settlement building programme is a war not a quick process, since applicants must crime. "I said we would not build new settle- satisfy a series of planning, safety and ments, [would] not expropriate land for Like the US and others (for example, bureaucratic requirements. The new 'fast addition for the existing settlements, and Sudan), Israel has not signed up to the ICC track' is clearly designed to circumvent that we were prepared to adopt a policy of and accepted its jurisdiction, so the ICC this longer process. Why? Simply stated: restraint on the existing settlements, but cannot prosecute it for this. so that settlers can get as much activity also one that would still enable normal Theoretically, the Security Council going on the ground as possible, in the life for the residents who are living there." could refer matters in the Occupied Pales- hopes that if/when a settlement freeze is [4] tinian Territories to the International declared, anything that is already under- Criminal Court, as it did the situation in First of all, this "restraint" only applies way will be exempted from the freeze." Darfur in March 2005. Then, Israelis [11] to the West Bank, not to East Jerusalem, could be prosecuted by the ICC for settle- which Israel regards as an integral part of So Netanyahu's "restraint" doesn't amount ment building carried out since 1st July Israel. to a hill of beans. 2002, when the Rome Statute came into Second, all that Netanyahu is proposing force. Needless to say, the US would is a temporary halt to the planning of new ALL SETTLEMENT BUILDING ILLEGITIMATE wield its veto on the Security Council to settlement construction in the West Bank. prevent that happening.) He's not proposing any restriction on con- In his speech in Cairo on 4th June 2009, Obama said that "the United States does struction that is already "planned". What not accept the legitimacy of continued Since 1967, Israel has transferred does this mean? An article by Hagit Ofran around 500,000 Jews into the Palestinian of Peace Now in The Huffington Post on Israeli settlements" [12]. But, it is not just future settlement territories it occupies, contrary to Article 28th October 2009 explains: building that is illegitimate. All settlement 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. It "… there are two stages to the approval building in the West Bank, including East has ignored demands from the UN Security process for settlement construction: Jerusalem, is contrary to Article 49 of the Council and General Assembly that this approval of plans and approval of actual Fourth Geneva Convention, which forbids transfer cease and be reversed. And the construction. If you want to build in a US is not even prepared to force it to cease settlement, you have to get your plans an Occupying Power to "transfer parts of its own civilian population into the this transfer—on a temporary basis—to approved, and then, when you are ready facilitate negotiations with Palestinians. to implement the plans, you have to get territory it occupies" [13]. the actual construction approved. A real The Security Council has endorsed this settlement freeze would have to apply to view—in resolutions 446, 452 and 465— David Morrison both of these stages—no new plans and demanded that settlement building 3 November 2009 approved, and no new construction cease and existing settlements be removed. www.david-morrison.org.uk/palestine/ approved, even under already-approved Every year, the UN General Assembly obama-capitulates-to-israel.htm 6 external inspiration. The unique character NATIONAL GUILT of The Irish Times has been well docu- The independence of the media mented in this magazine. translates into contempt for the society Shorts A third reason for the media's position and its traditions. In recent times there has from is that other forces within the society do been an attempt to dredge up long forgotten not exert an influence on it. The national incidents in our history in order to portray the Long Fellow bourgeoisie is of recent origin and does our Republican tradition in an unflattering not appear to have acquired the necessary light. The Aubane Historical Society found IRISH HEALTH SYSTEM IMPROVES political skills. Perhaps that will change if it necessary to produce a book to counteract The Long Fellow is fortunate not to Denis O'Brien obtains control of Independ- the lies and propaganda of RTE's have too much experience of the Irish ent newspapers. Also, the preponderant Coolacrease documentary. Health system and so his impressions of it middle class outlook of journalists ensures It was inevitable that RTE would want are from personal anecdotes and media that the Trade Unions are marginalised. to broadcast a programme on the April reporting. The media view is that the As an example, Manus O'Riordan, a 1922 killings of 13 Protestants in West system is disastrous and incapable of research officer representing the largest Cork. The documentary was entitled reform. However, a report by the Euro Trade Union in the country, had to compete Cork's Bloody Secret and was broadcast Health Consumer Index shows that we with members of a studio audience to as part of a series on crime investigations. rank 13th of 28 European countries make a point on Pat Kenny's new television But how could an event that was discussed surveyed. The UK ranks 14th. When the show (22.9.09). Manus was also on RTE in the Dáil and condemned by such survey was inaugurated three years ago radio's Late Debate programme (28.9.09). National figures as de Valera, Arthur we ranked 28 out of 29. So it appears there Other participants were two elected Griffith, Michael Collins and Erskine has been a dramatic improvement. politicians, as well as Lise Hand of the Childers, be considered a secret? It might It might be thought that such a report Irish Independent and Moore McDowell, also be objected that this was no crime would warrant front page news, but the a professional economist. The Chair- investigation since no attempt was made Irish media doesn't like good news stories. woman was Rachel English. It has now to identify the culprits. But such an The Irish Times had the report tucked been established that the hosts of these objection would be to misunderstand away in its Health supplement, while there shows are not just facilitators, but are RTE's anti-national project. was minimal reporting in the Independent entitled to participate in such debates. The The guilty had already been decided Group and Broadcasting media. three participants, who represented upon: they were we the Irish people. And Foreign observers of this country must something—Manus and the two politicians our guilt could not be expiated by the be perplexed by the tendency to denigrate. —were treated with the usual contempt condemnations of our Republican political The EHCI director Dr Arne Bjornberg put by the other people, who represented leaders. it diplomatically: nothing. Since the culprits had been established "Ireland has been climbing steadily in The practice might have some justifi- a priori, the collection of evidence or the the EHCI. However, the Irish healthcare cation if the unrepresentative participants further investigation of the crime was system seems to have a domestic had something interesting to say, but Lise superfluous. According to Eoghan Harris 'marketing' problem." Hand made an inane remark about Bernie our guilt had its origins in the Penal Laws. The Long Fellow thinks that it is not a Madoff going to jail and no one in Ireland Had we provoked the English into such "marketing problem"; it is a "media receiving the same treatment. To which measures?! And the killing of the 13 problem". Michael Mulcahy, the Fianna Fail polit- Protestants was but a symptom of a greater ician, made the obvious point about due crime: the forcible expulsion of 60,000 ("a conservative estimate") Protestants. MEDIA PROBLEM process. The problem is that the media here There is absolutely no comparison exists separately from the society and THE YORKSHIRE RIPPPER between what Madoff did and what, say, But our murderous seed could not be therefore can pursue its own agenda. Sean FitzPatrick is alleged to have done. confined to this country. At the end of the Indeed, it could be said that the media here Fitzpatrick's operation was at least a Cork's Bloody Secret programme RTE exists in an antagonistic relationship with business employing hundreds of people. promised that it would investigate the the society. This is certainly not the case in From the time he was Chief Executive in Irish origin of the "Yorkshire Ripper". other countries. In Britain the BBC is an 1986 the Bank generated high returns for The following week the Irish connection organ of the State. While this institution is its shareholders during most of that period. was revealed. At the beginning of this not monolithic, the conflicts and divisions Madoff's operation, on the other hand, programme we learned that the Yorkshire within it are a reflection of those within was just a vehicle for financing his family's Ripper's mother had an Irish name the Party system. Every so often a journalist lavish lifestyle. If anyone outside the (Clonan). There followed some or even a Director General believes the Madoff family benefited it was at the speculation that she might have come BBC's own propaganda and acts as if the expense of other investors in the criminal from Connemara. Later it was revealed institution really is independent. It appears enterprise. This is not to say that there was that the Ripper, after his conviction, had that Greg Dyke was surprised when he no wrong doing at Anglo-Irish, only that changed his name from Sutcliff to Clonan. was dismissed from his position as Director the comparison is odious. Was he acknowledging his Irish essence?! General for acting against the interests of Moore McDowell exposed his political It was only at the end of the programme the State. prejudice when he said the Government that the true extent of the Ripper's Irishness In this country the political parties was warned by the Opposition parties of was revealed. The name Clonan came believe that the national broadcaster should the impending recession. If they did, they from his mother's grandparents who be independent. They might interfere in did not take their own advice. All the emigrated from Ireland in the 1870s! cases where they perceive that there has Opposition parties accepted the low tax The Yorkshire Ripper must be one of been bias against them but they will never policies of the Government. Indeed Fine the few people in England who is not act to protect the overall interests of the Gael wanted to go further and lower the eligible to play for the Irish soccer team! State. When was the last time an RTE top rate to 40%. FG also took a completely Director General was sacked? opportunistic line with regard to Stamp THE BACK LASH A second particularity is that an influen- Duty (calling for its abolition without any It appears that the tolerance of Irish tial component of the Irish media has an alternative property tax). people for this orgy of self-flagellation 7 has its limits. Following the Aubane exposing Harris's faulty facts! But Harris receive the same capitation grant as non- Historical Society's dismantling of the has never acknowledged or apologised for fee-paying schools. This is greater than the Coolacrease documentary's theses, the them. He just stops repeating them when grant for fee-paying Catholic schools. The programme was denounced by History they can no longer be sustained. amount of extra grants that Protestant fee- Ireland. However, most of the prominent Of course, Harris's supporters—if not paying schools obtain by being part of the academics who participated in that docu- Harris himself—participate on these free education scheme is €6.5 million. This mentary maintained their silence in the political websites as well and their mode of preferential treatment will remain in place. face of the withering attacks. reasoning is remarkably similar to that of The justification for this is that poorer Perhaps because he was the only acade- their hero. Following John A. Murphy's Protestants are not able to avail of non fee- mic who participated in the much milder letters in The Irish Times, a pro-Harris paying schools in their neighbourhood Cork's Bloody Secret documentary, Profes- blogger was incapable of dealing with the because there are fewer such schools with sor John A. Murphy felt obliged to speak issues raised but preferred to suggest that a Protestant ethos. But does this logic apply out. He quite effectively exposed the flimsy Murphy's criticism was motivated by in urban centres such as Dublin? basis of Harris's outrageous assertion that personal animosity towards Harris. 60,000 Protestants were driven out of this A failure to deal with political points on Also, it would be interesting to compare country. At least as serious for Harris was their merits is a sign of political bankruptcy, the incomes of, say, the poorest 10% of the intervention of Dr Andy Bielenberg in but it must be admitted that there might be parents of children in a fee-paying Protest- the Letters' pages of The Irish Times. The an element of truth in the blogger's remarks. ant school with the corresponding parents latter made the point that the maximum Murphy would be less than human if he did in fee-paying Catholic schools. Unfortun- figure of involuntary Protestant emigration not bear a personal animus against the ately, such information may not be easy for between 1919 and 1923 was 41,000. But political revisionists. the State to come by. Once the State hands this figure included: In 2004 he dissented from some of the over the extra €6.5 million, it is disbursed more extravagant views of the Reform by a committee consisting of - emigration for ideological reasons "representatives from the Church of Ireland, - emigration because less jobs available in Movement—which includes Eoghan Harris Presbyterian and Methodist churches, and Landed estates among its supporters and whose main policy - emigration because of intimidation or seems to be to return Ireland to the the Society of Friends". fear of intimidation Commonwealth. Another supporter, Bruce If ever there is a radical reforming Minister for Education who has a policy of So only a part of the 41,000 can be Arnold, responded to Murphy in the following sectarian terms: expanding the non-fee paying sector, he explained by involuntary emigration. Even will find it prohibitively expensive if the if it could be established what proportion "I am tempted to call his 'free-thinking link in funding of non fee-paying schools mentality' flabbiness when it fails to of this figure was "involuntary", the task of and fee-paying Protestant schools is not recognise the difference between what- the researcher would not be completed. He broken. would then have to determine what "part ever it is that he means and the more rigorous discipline of the Protestant mind" of the part" of the 41,000 could be explained POLITICAL REACTION by the emigrants being loyalist participants (The Irish Times, 28.10.04). Surprisingly the Catholic Church appears in the War who happened to be Protestant to be sympathetic to the Protestant cause. and what part of the part was purely because PROTESTANT SCHOOLS David Quinn in the Irish Independent wrote they were Protestant. The Duke of Wellington is reputed to that O'Keefe's modest reform was an attack It is likely that the number who were have said at the Battle of Waterloo that his on all denominational education. Arch- intimidated purely because they were soldiers may not frighten the enemy, but bishop Martin on Morning Ireland defended Protestant was insignificant, otherwise it they frightened the life out of him. There the "pluralist" role of the Protestant schools. would be difficult to explain the partici- must be many Protestants who feel the The reaction of the Opposition parties pation of so many Protestants in leadership same about Harris and other Sunday was muted. Enda Kenny lived up to Sean positions on the Republican side of the Independent writers who are supporting Lemass's description of Fine Gael as the War of Independence. the subsidy to Protestant schools. "irresponsible party" by suggesting that The Protestant schools may or may not the Department of Education was taking HARRIS LICKS HIS WOUNDS have a case, but no self respecting State can After the rout of Harris and his revenge on the Protestant schools because concede to demands on the basis that it has of losing a High Court case against them. supporters, the polemicist chose to remain been "sectarian". silent on the issue in his Sunday Independ- This was an outrageous slur on the profes- ent column of 18th October. But, when he O'KEEFE DEFENDS POLICY sionalism of the Department. Kenny does raised it again the following week, his The Sunday Independent accorded the not have any concept of the overall interests words sounded more like the cries of a Minister of Education Batt O'Keefe a right of the State. Last year he sought to embar- wounded animal than someone engaged in of reply in the most demeaning form rass the Minister for Finance by publicising serious debate. He did not deal with the imaginable. His article (11.10.09) was in the Dáil some gossip to the effect that the points raised by Murphy or Bielenberg, surrounded by antagonistic quotes from, British Finance Minister had made but instead emitted the following among other sources, The Irish Times. It numerous phone calls to Lenihan when the whimpering squeal: appears that the traditional rivalry between latter proposed the Bank Guarantee scheme. "The political websites are packed with Abbey Street and the Old lady of d'Olier It was a pity that Kenny didn't give the tribal patrollers who pour out pure poison Street (now tottering in Tara Street) has details of the relevant High Court case once after every attempt to address what been consigned to the past. he had raised it. Last year the Department happened to southern Protestants in the O'Keefe made a reasonable case, but the of Education attempted to place teachers period 1919-22. Each incident, be it the reader of the article might wonder at the from city centre schools, which had closed, Coolacrease killings, the burning of preferential treatment that Protestant into nearby Protestant schools. The Clifden orphanage, or the Dunmanway schools still retain. Protestant schools refused to accept these Murders, is subjected to tribal scrutiny. If All O'Keefe has done is withdraw in last unemployed teachers on the grounds that it a single fact is found faulty, the experience year's budget a €2.8 million grant for would compromise the ethos and as a whole is deemed not to exist. Protestant fee-paying schools employing independence of such schools. They brought "Phoenix strongly supports this caretakers and secretaries. This grant was their case before the High Court and won. punctillious (sic) approach." not available to Catholic fee paying schools. So much for the "pluralism" of Protestant How sad! Even the tribal patrollers are Protestant fee-paying schools also schools! 8 by Sinn Féin the Workers' Party's first elected TD, who restated that Party's demand for 'the whole of the national territory'. It is regrettable that Eoghan On Press Suppression Of The Unpalatable did not then see fit to support the demo- Lisbon is an issue on which I and Irish on 9th December: cratic stand taken by Jim Kemmy and Political Review commentators on the EU Muriel MacSwiney at such a critical "Dear Manus. It was interesting to talk juncture. ... [But] Muriel's pioneering have agreed to differ. Readers of whatever to you. Having read the piece carefully, I viewpoint may, however, be interested in stand in upholding consent as the essential would suggest that you might cut it by precondition for Irish unity in no way led which pro-EU partisan positions the about a half, if that's possible. Best wishes, her to any revisionist questioning of her Establishment press, from Sir Anthony Aengus." own nation's right to fight for its self- O'Reilly's Sunday Independent to the City I duly complied, submitting the trunca- determination... Muriel herself had of London's Financial Times, remains ted article on 12th December 2005. It written to me: 'We should know our determined to silence. never appeared, nor did I receive any history, especially when all knowledge of It is true that sometimes a different tone communication from Fanning as to what it has been suppressed by a foreign is momentarily tolerated from a resident had happened to what, at that stage, power'." columnist, as in the case of the Sunday amounted to a commissioned article. He "Terence MacSwiney TD became Lord Independent of 20th September, when had obviously been subjected to "Harris- Mayor of Cork in March 1920, after the Marc Coleman wrote: ment", and had knuckled under by RIC murder of Tomás Mac Curtain in "Our gallant allies in the ECB have not suppressing my exposure of the falsehood front of his own family... What Cork was only cut interest rates, easing the pain of of the Harris attempt to feign some kind of to experience at the hands of the RIC tax increases, but by lending to our banks political kinship with Muriel MacSwiney. auxiliaries would afterwards be described are keeping our economy alive... It was I had, inter alia, commented: by their own founding commanding the EU that first gave the Irish language officer General Frank Crozier as 'murder- international recognition and status. The "Conal Creedon's TV documentary The ing and shooting up innocent people' and West-Brit commentators who now Burning of Cork was reviewed by Eoghan nothing less than 'a Fascist dictation oppose Lisbon have always hated the Harris ... in the Sunday Independent of cloaked in righteousness'. The charge Irish language and our native traditions. December 4. In taking issue ... I should against Lord Mayor MacSwiney on his Their vision for us is a pre-1916 one of an first declare an interest. I was privileged arrest in August 1920, of 'being in island called Western Britain, culturally to have met with Muriel, the widow of possession of a resolution pledging the and economically tied to our nearest Cork's martyred Lord Mayor Terence allegiance of Cork Corporation to Dáil neighbour. Padraig Pearse, James MacSwiney ... as a teenager of the 1960s... Éireann', amounted to declaring that to Connolly and Arthur Griffith fought to During the 1970s I also went on to have be a democrat was a 'crime'. And the make Ireland a success story and once a political association with Muriel." pogrom that British forces would unleash this recession is over, it can be." "Eoghan Harris writes that Muriel on Cork in December 1920 not only 'rejected the Redmondite politics' of her involved the murder of the Delaney Coleman did not name the principal Cork merchant prince family, the brothers, it also resulted in the death of a West-Brit commentator from Sir Anth- Murphys. That is both inaccurate and Jewish refugee who had fled the pogroms ony's own stable, but I thought it unfair to Home Ruler John Redmond of her native Tsarist Russia, only to die of worthwhile to do so. While having little or who, prior to his disastrous declaration of a heart attack as the Black and Tan no expectation of having such a letter war on Germany in 1914, had honourably stormtroopers ransacked her Tuckey published by the Sindo, I nonetheless opposed Britain's previous Imperialist Street home. Muriel MacSwiney had emailed one on 24th September and made War in South Africa. The Murphys, indeed been an anti-fascist activist. But it the extra effort of also emailing the however, were totally opposed to any was in struggling against such 'a Fascist following message to Coleman himself: Home Rule. As Muriel herself wrote to dictation' in her own native city that she "Harris might try to have such a letter me: 'All my family, although entirely had first become one." blocked, given his neurotic anti-German Irish by race, were West Britons, English Imperialists.' ... As for Muriel's later Given such a track record of press sup- agenda. Perhaps you might indicate to pression, I was not therefore particularly Fanning that publication would be politics, Eoghan goes on to write, in a surprised, unlike Marc Coleman himself, welcome in the final days of the debate. tone suggesting retrospective approval, It is the only letter to advance Socialist that 'she lived in Germany and France, at Fanning's negative response to Cole- Republican / Larkinite reasons for a Yes became an anti-fascist activist, and later man's overtures in favour of publishing vote!" in life rejected the republican claim on my letter. The following is the text of my Northern Ireland'." letter emailed to the Sunday Independent Coleman immediately emailed back "What she in fact specifically rejected on 24th September, but denied publication: that he was "glad to advance that was the territorial claim of this State argument". He followed with a phone call itself, in Articles 2 and 3 of its Constitu- MARC COLEMAN, 1916 AND EUROPE to confirm that he had now put it to Sindo tion, notwithstanding the objections to While I would often disagree with Marc Editor Aengus Fanning. that claim by a majority of the people of Coleman on economic policy, I Why, then, am I not at all surprised that Northern Ireland. During the last decade nonetheless welcome his invocation of the 1916 Rising in calling for a Yes vote my letter remained suppressed? Because of her life, Muriel pursued that rejection, in common with myself, as a member of on Lisbon and, indeed, his restatement of Fanning has form for being very much the Workers' Association for the Demo- the Proclamation's reference to "our under the political thumbs of his Deputy cratic Settlement of the National Conflict gallant allies in Europe". (Sunday Inde- Editor and wife, Anne Harris, and her ex- in Ireland. It was a rather lonesome pendent, September 20). Marc would, of husband, the Sindo Senator, columnist position to espouse in the face of the course, adhere more to the Irish Volun- and de facto political director, Eoghan nationalist consensus upheld by an unholy teers rationale of Casement and Briscoe Harris. Four years ago, in December 2005, trinity of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the in their championing of such an alliance I wrote a piece on Muriel MacSwiney, Labour Party. But eventually, in June with the Central Powers, while I would with a covering email to Fanning. He 1981, a year before Muriel's own death, rather follow the Citizen Army perspect- promptly phoned me, expressing enthus- one of our members, the late Jim Kemmy, ive of Connolly and Larkin. iastic interest in publishing a shorter was at last elected to the Dáil. He was, It was as heir to the latter's tradition of version, and followed up with this email however, immediately attacked on RTE union leadership that his son, Denis 9 Larkin, went on to champion EEC entry As an Irish and European trade unionist I post-war years 1946-1949. It was in 1972. I myself also voted Yes to Europe have even greater concerns about the job launched during October at meetings in in that referendum, and in every other losses arising from such adverse exchange Liberty Hall, Dublin, at an event hosted one since. As Marc points out, it is thanks rate movements. But what planet does by SIPTU and attended by the German to membership of the EU that Irish-UK the ECB inhabit, if it cannot see the even Ambassador—a replacement of the one trade links no longer have the master- greater economic havoc being caused by who uttered the Lisbon threats—and in slave relationship that they had right up the elephant in the EU's own room? Balla, Co. Mayo, which was attended by to the 1970s. It is also noteworthy that the As of October 14, the dollar's value people who knew Herbert sixty years ago, most coherent critique of the EU has against the euro was 8 percent less than and their children and grand-children. come from the respected Irish Inde- 12 months previously, but the pound The Irish Times carried a comment on pendent columnist and Reform Move- sterling had depreciated against the euro ment pioneer, Bruce Arnold, and that his by as much as 16 percent. The sterling the book on the day of the Dublin launch, No campaign also coincides with his call elephant in the EU room is in fact a rogue taking care to touch all the German 'sore for a debate on Ireland's "return" to the one, persistently undermining any points' which come up in the book, but Commonwealth. coherent and effective EU-wide strategy keeping away from less politically correct Just as Connolly was under no illusion for economic recovery. Over the past 24 matters, like the author's experience of as to the class forces with which he was months the total extent of sterling's liberation by Cossacks in Red Army in in alliance in 1916, I have no illusions competitive devaluation against the euro 1945. about the Yes camp. I am in fact more came to a whopping 25 percent. And the Irish Times is not happy with pro-Lisbon than a lot of them. I have If any other Member State had sought the way Herbert experienced life in that called on the Irish Government to legislate to address its economic problems by awful neutral Ireland—the isolated, for implementation of the Lisbon charter slapping a de facto 25 percent tariff on ignorant, suffocating, xenophobic Ireland on collective bargaining rights, but the imports from the rest of the EU, it would that resulted from the decision not to go to Taoiseach refuses. At least, at the other have been denounced as a rogue state. war: "Remmel's Ireland is undoubtedly end of the Yes spectrum, Labour Party Yet there has not been even a single romanticised", it said. Young Remmel leader Eamon Gilmore promises, if in "verbal intervention" from either the liked it. The modern article of faith is that power, to do so. I also wish that Marc Commission or the ECB on the subject of it was not likeable. Therefore, if he liked Coleman might become more pro- such systematic sabotage of the EU single it, it must be that he projected a romantic German in this respect: while the capitalist market. Small wonder, then, that there is illusion onto it. And yet, what he gives is class attack on Irish workers' living widespread concern among EU citizens a detailed and accurate account of life in standards has resulted in an 8 percent at the possibility that the European rural Ireland during the post-war years. If collapse in consumer spending that is Presidency might be awarded to the there is projected illusion, it is not in driving Ireland ever deeper into recession, former UK Prime Minister responsible Germany, in sharp contrast, is now for sterling's "opt out" from the European Remmel's book. emerging from its own recession, because single currency. Manus O'Riordan, The Irish Times also finds fault with the both jobs and living standards have been SIPTU Chief Economist and Member of translation: "a few things are lost in protected. It is to that Europe that I say the ETUC Economic and Employment translation. The book has several mentions Yes! Manus O'Riordan Committee, Liberty Hall, Dublin of something called Kilmainham 'Goal' (sic) for example". Manus O'Riordan And then there is the issue of Britain's Here is one of those mentions along relationship with the EU. It was UK's with the translation: "New Labour" Prime Minister, Tony Blair, "Mr. Cunningham liebte sein Pint of who forged an alliance with arch-right Cologne To Stout… Unten in der Tyrconnel Road, winger Aznar, the then Prime Minister of Ballinloch gleich gegenüber vom Kilmainham Goal Spain, to try and roll back on the workers' hatte er sein Stamm-Pub, da durfte ich rights achievements of "Social Europe". Herbert Remmel of Cologne was one schon mal mit, musste mich jedoch mit Meanwhile, Blair's Chancellor of the of 400 German children brought to Ireland einer Limonade begnügen" (p65). Exchequer, Gordon Brown, pursued anti- in 1946 from a Germany that was close to "Mr. Cunningham was very fond of his regulation banking and economic policies starvation, and fostered out to Irish families pint of stout… His local was a pub down at variance with EU interests, and this for nearly three years. Herbert lived briefly on the Tyrconnel Road, directly opposite pursuit has become even more blatant with a Dublin family at Inchicore, and Kilmainham Goal, and sometimes I was allowed to go with him, but I had to since he succeeded Blair as Prime Minister. spent the rest of the time on a small farm content myself with a lemonade…" (p89). Brown's Union Jackery went on to in Mayo. He came from a Communist formulate the "British jobs for British family. When, some years after his return So nothing is lost, or changed, in the workers" slogan for the BNP. Brown is to Germany, he was called up for military translation. It says Goal in the German. It not the first Scottish politician wishing to service, he chose to move to East Germany says Goal in the translation. And it said appear more English than the English and serve in the Army of the GDR, the Goal on the jail itself—at least until themselves. "Such a parcel of rogues in a GDR being the state formed by the force comparatively recently. Goal and Gaol nation!" is the name of the song Rabbie that had actually defeated Nazi Germany— were common ways of spelling Jail. Surely Burns penned about the first lot. But the the Soviet Union. the Irish Times should know that. British Establishment does not like rogue Half a century later Herbert wrote a An interesting thing about the Irish behaviour being named for what it is. The book about his wartime experience as a Times review is that it does not mention following is the text of a letter, written in child in Germany and his experiences in the name of the translator or the name of an official Union capacity, which was Ireland, which had chosen not to go to the publisher. emailed to the Financial Times on 15th war. It was published in German in 2006 It did once mention the Aubane Histor- October, but denied publication: under the title Operation Shamrock: Eine ical Society, seeking it out in the remote- STERLING AND THE RISING EURO deutsch-irische Nachkriegs-Kindheit. An ness of North-West Cork in order to Ralph Atkins reports (FT, October 14) English translation, by Angela Clifford, denounce it (22nd March 1997). That that an increasingly concerned ECB has has now been issued by the Aubane denunciation led to an investigation by been moved to escalate its "verbal Historical Society under the title From Aubane of the Irish Times, an exposure of interventions" on the subject of dollar Cologne To Ballinlough: A German and its tax-dodge 'charitable trust', and the weakness. Fair enough, as far as it goes. Irish boyhood in World War II and the discovery of the 'white nigger' letter 10 showing its effective owner, (British literally, to undo the decision made by the Army) Major MacDowell seeking advice Operation Shamrock: people in 1972 to change the then on Irish affairs of state from Whitehall. Constitution to allow the then Government Once bitten——! Now it cannot bring From Cologne to join Ireland in membership of the then itself to name Aubane, even when publish- To Ballinlough EEC. We are also being asked, again ing what is on the whole a favourable literally, to further undo all of the sub- review of an Aubane book. That is a great A German And Irish Boyhood sequent referendum decisions flowing improvement. In WWII and Post-War Years from that (facilitating respective Govern- Herbert Remmel has now told the story by Herbert Remmel. ments' signature to the Single European of his life in Ireland. It is to be hoped that Act (1986) and the Maastricht (1992), he will go on to tell the story of his 172pp. Copious illustrations, including Amsterdam (1997) and Nice (2001) subsequent life in Germany—in the colour. Index. ISBN 1 903497 53 1. Treaties), through the deletion from our Federal Republic, in he Democratic Aubane Historical Society, 2009. present Constitution of the present Republic, and in the unified Germany in subsections 4 to 11 inclusive of section 4 which West Germany colonised the East €16, £12 and part of subsection 3 (relating to the and treated those who co-operated with (postfree in Ireland and Britain) now defunct Coal and Steel Community) the actual liberators of Germany from of Article 29. In so doing, if such is the Nazism as collaborators, Quislings, while Order from addresses on back page or: decision, we will also, through the deletion according honourable continuity of service of Article 29.4.11, remove the to the state to those who served in the https:///www.atholbooks-sales.org constitutional protection given to Euro- Gestapo. pean Community patents, an arcane provision that I could never quite see why it was there in the first place. But then as I recall, it was Dr. Garret FitzGerald who insisted on its insertion. Constitutional Change We are being asked, again literally, to Below is an article submitted by Feargus O Raghallaigh to the Irish Times for possible facilitate the Government through con- publication during the Lisbon Referendum debate. It did not appear. stitutional change, allow it (with the other Following it there are some remarks on the major change wrought in the fourth edition member states) to abolish the present EU of the leading constitutional textbook, The Irish Constitution (Butterworths) by J.M. Kelly. First published by Kelly in 1980, after his death it was updated and to join us (through the insertion of by Gerard Hogan and Gerry Whyte new subsections 4 to 9 in section 4) to a new EU which will be established on LISBON it is about being for (or against) ratification by all member states (should In the midst of the hate-filled 'Lisbon' 'Europe'—and so on. To the extent that they so decide) of the Lisbon Treaty. That whirlwind, both sides, whether for 'yes' or there is any connecting point with Article new EU, should it be established, will 'no', have arguably got it wrong in the 1 in the campaign it is to be found among have as its 'constitution' two treaties, the most fundamental issue, which is that those on the 'no' side who particularly Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the what we are to be asked to do on Friday, 2 emphasise the sovereignty issue. Other- Treaty on the Functioning of the European October is to change—or not—our wise the posters scream abuse down at us, Union (TFEU), based on the Maastricht Constitution, Bunreacht na hÉireann, our the media bombard us. Artists, poets and and Rome Treaties as they have evolved most fundamental document of political sporting heroes among others are and been amended and as proposed to be and civic life. That is the nub of it. And in phalanxed on one side or the other. again amended by the Lisbon Treaty. this regard, the starting point has to be Commentators comment, pundits pund Article 1, which states: and leader-writers anonymously pro- While neither the Government or on "The Irish nation hereby affirms its nounce. And we, individually and this issue, any of its supporting advocates inalienable, indefeasible, and sovereign privately, as citizens responsible for our for a 'yes' vote, have really put it like this, right to choose its own form of Govern- Constitution, must decide on 2nd October, any more than most of the opponents (the ment, to determine its relations with other to change or not to change it. That is what advocates of 'no'), we are being asked nations, and to develop its life, political, we are being asked to do (or not). whether (or not), in determining our economic and cultural, in accordance relations with other nations and developing with its own genius and traditions." Article 1 of the Constitution is described our "life, political, economic and cultural", in that great authority Kelly (3rd ed.), as So we are being asked by our present the Government's proposed course of being (with Articles 2 and 3) "of mixed action is in our view in accordance with Government to decide whether or not we legal and political content" and in this accept that the changes we are being asked our nation's "genius and traditions"; respect Kelly quotes then Chief Justice whether from this standpoint we wish to by it to make conform with Article 1— O'Higgins (in a 1976 judgement), "It is whether the form of Government we are allow for, participate in, finishing off the true that the Constitution is a legal present European Union and to be being asked to endorse or reject (because document, but it is a fundamental one ... it is a simple 'yea' or 'nay') is in conformity members of the new Union that it is and it expresses not only legal norms but proposed to establish on the ratification of (or not) with the project set out in that basic doctrines of political and social Article. Lisbon, should that happen. That, again, is theory ... [it] contains more than legal the nub of what is before us. Neither side in the campaign (our rules: it reflects, in part, aspirations and present Government and its supporters, aims and .... the political theories on which KELLY BOWDLERISED including most of the parliamentary the people acted when they enacted the Opposition; or those opposed to its Constitution"—but also when they (we) A note that may amount to something proposed course of action) has really put are asked to change it and do (or not) do or nothing, but between the 3rd and 4th their arguments in such light. We are told so. editions of Kelly's The Irish Constitution, simplistically that our vote is for (or the well-known legal authority on the against) 'jobs' and 'economic recovery', or On the first Friday of October we are topic, the discussion of Article 1 has for (or against) 'war' and 'militarism'; that being asked to change our Constitution: changed quite significantly as has that 11 generally of Articles 1—3 (The Nation). The 4th edition discussion commences The first was that of the Bolsheviks, Since the author's death in 1991 'Kelly' with an "Historical Background" that starts who established and maintained their post- has been jointly edited by Gerard Hogan with "The Belfast Agreement". There then European rules system for seventy years. and Gerry Whyte, Hogan being a practising follows a highly detailed and heavily The other one, that of the German National SC and both being academic lawyers at annotated discussion of the (new) Article Socialists, had barely got off the ground TCD. 2 and Article 3 including cases, decisions, when it was overthrown by military defeat. In the 3rd edition (and presumably the themes and some criticism of the original earlier editions of 1980 and 1984) Article articles. Most of it revolves around the Nor again, did attempts to replace the 1 receives a somewhat extended treatment. Belfast Agreement. European system with a radically different It is in the discussion of Article 1 that In a work such as 'Kelly' that is all system have to wait until the twentieth Kelly introduces the view that the this necessary: it is after all a legal guide to the century. Such attempts have occurred section, comprising Articles 1 - 3, is— Constitution as it has been amended and throughout the history of European "of mixed legal and political content ... judicially interpreted. But surely it should civilisation since its foundation in western The mixed character of this part of the be something else also: a work in which, Europe in the eleventh century. Constitution (and of some other Articles to the extent necessary, we can see and The first substantial attempt was that of also) led the Supreme Court, in In re come to understand as well, "the political Article 26 and the Criminal Law theories on which the people acted" when the Cathars, in several parts of Europe, in (Jurisdiction) Bill 1975 to say: "It is true enacting and amending (or not) the the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The last notable efforts before the twentieth that the Constitution is a legal document Constitution? but it is also a fundamental one which Feargus O Raghallaigh century were by the Jacobins during the establishes the State and it expresses not French Revolution, and by the Parisian only legal norms but basic doctrines of and other French Communards in 1871. It political and social theory ... The has been reckoned that, in the course of constitution contains more than legal the nineteenth century, roughly four rules: it reflects, in part, aspirations and The Attempts To Replace thousand individuals in Paris alone aims and expresses the political theories formulated projects for a fundamental on which the people acted when they European Civilisation reordering of how society operated, with enacted the Constitution."… " Desmond Fennell replies to John Martin quite a number of them managing to 'Kelly' quotes further at some length mobilise bands of followers. In the September Irish Political Review, from this judgement, which was delivered The recurrent objective of such John Martin disagreed with the signi- by the then Chief Justice O'Higgins, enterprises was a rules system which ficance I give to the West's official dealing with the ideas of 'nation' and 'State' would, on the one hand, be more in accord approval of the Hiroshima massacre. and the national right to unity (a right with reality, and, on the other, better satisfy (Confusingly, he wrote 'genocide'—a word superior to positive law, a reading upheld the needs, and realise the just impulses I have not used about it, and which I never by the Chief Justice); and also adds a and desires, of human beings, or of some use.) detailed footnote outlining the historical section of them. For me, that approval of an act, namely antecedents of this grouping. In the massacre, which European civilisation, in By the twentieth century it had become footnote (fn2, p11, 3rd ed.) the author Europe and America, had declared to be evident that the only way to attempt this states— morally and legally wrong, began a with any chance of lasting success was— "It {Article 1} also echoes earlier rejection of essential rules of that civilis- in imitation of the French Jacobins—to documents significant in Irish political ation which continued through the 1960s acquire the power and resources, or at history: in particular the 1916 and 70s. After the approval of massacre (if least the backing, of an existing powerful Proclamation {[...}; the Sinn Fein done with good intentions), came the state. Better still, if, as in the case of the Manifesto for the 1918 General Election legitimisation of sex outside marriage, Christians in the Roman Empire and the {...}; and the Message from Dail Eireann and of abortion, pornography, homo- left liberals in the USA, the lawful rulers to the Free Nations of the World {...}; of that state could be brought to realise these documents are reproduced in sexuality and single motherhood; an end to the legal precedence of men over that the proposed remaking of the rules Dorothy McArdle, The Irish Republic, would serve their interests. pp 168, 919, 925 respectively." women, the social precedence of age over youth, and the division of work into 'men’s However, for a new rules system to The footnote continues at some further work' and 'women’s work'; and so on, as really replace that of European civilisation, length to set out de Valera's views on we all know. it would need to make lasting sense to the independence (as opposed to Ireland a John Martin was not denying that this great majority of westerners, as European republic), particularly as expressed during general rejection of the rules system of civilisation had done for nearly a thousand the Dail debate on the Republic of Ireland European civilisation has occurred, but years. Making sense to its adherents has Bill 1948, and also the views of Frank merely that approval by the West of the been a basic quality of every civilisation McDermot TD (FG) who claimed of Hiroshima and Nagasaki massacres since history began Article 1 that it enshrined a right that had initiated it. "been claimed and exercised by the Irish However, in my last book and others In my latest Athol book, and in the Free State since its foundation". before it, that initiating role of the second essay now published on my Hiroshima justification was incidental to website, I argue that the new collection of Whether or not all or any of this is my main argument; namely, that the West rules that, for the past forty years has held interesting or useful from the point of is now subscribing to a rules system which sway in the West, does not make sense to view of understanding the Constitution, has replaced that of European civilisation. the peoples it has been presented to for in particular what the provisions on The As a development, that is not so outlandish adoption. I illustrate how this is the case. Nation were encapsulating in the spirit of as it might seem. The West's state-assisted, Consequently, the current rules system the day ("the political theories on which left-liberal replacement of the European is not a new civilisation. Rather, like the the people acted when they enacted the rules system, originating in the United Soviet experiment before it, it is a utopian Constitution"), it has all disappeared from States, is merely one of three big efforts to scheme whose life span is limited by its the 4th edition (which is to say between replace it which occurred in the twentieth senselessness. 1994 and 2003). century. 12 that they didn't exist in August 1969. Hanley said the IRA was active on Report: Greaves Summer School, 23 September 2009 August 13th, 14th, and 15th 1969 in Belfast. The Unionists were not wrong to see their hand in the organized diversionary Remembering 1969 tactics from the desperate situation in History & Memory: Brian Hanley (Lecturer in History at Queen's University, Belfast) Derry. Catholics did originate violence over this period. Hanley suggested that HANLEY that NICRA [NI Civil Rights Association] the Split of 1970 has coloured our The Communist Party of Ireland are to would reform the North not abolish it. interpretation of 1969. Part of the fall-out be congratulated on organizing the above Hanley said all this is wrong: the Official from that moment of truth was Eoghan meeting as part of their Greaves Summer IRA wasn't Marxist and believed it was Harris's pathetic attempt to create Cathal School in the Pearse Museum, Pearse St, overthrowing the North, not reforming it. Goulding as a plaster saint. Goulding was Dublin. Participating in the packed An Phoblacht, the IRA newspaper of anything but. He was for military action in meeting were about 150 veterans of all the 1969. In 1970 he asserted that IRA arms various Republican/Socialist splits, mostly the time, tells a different story to the Leftie view. There was a militaristic view, not a were used in 1969. (In the 1980s he denied footsoldiers, but a few of the officer class/ this: his assertions then were coloured by advisors, such as Roy Johnston, Anthony social one. Military activity continued in 1965-70, albeit at a low level—skirmishing the Split and sectarianism. The IRA was Coughlan and Tomas McGiolla. Some of not being run down in the 1960s but in the the associates of the 'Boy General'— which should not be compared with the all-out war of the 1970s. In 1967,the IRA 1980s the Officials played down their Seamus Costello were there too. military role in the 1960s.) With Scott Millar, Brian Hanley is the agreed to rearm, militarise and turn against author of the recently published The Lost the lefties within their ranks: and base OTHER SPEAKERS Revolution, The story of the official IRA themselves on Papal Encyclicals, not Mick Ryan said it was good to see and The Workers Party (reviewed in the Marxist dogma. The military men who Bobby McNight in the audience: along October issue of Irish Political Review). decided this route were to be the Officials with his comrades, he defended his area in The meeting was chaired by Mick Ryan in the Split of 1970. Belfast in 1969. [Quartermaster, IRA, 1950, 60s]. The politics of the late 1960s in the Then Roy Johnston spoke, rather Brian Hanley attempted to disentangle North were more fluid than the myth tetchily, to the effect that the RUC had fact from myth about events in Belfast makers are prepared to admit—especially been informing the British Government around the defence or not of Catholic within the IRA, where the traditional core since 1966 of the possibility of an IRA areas in August 1969. He suggested that a aims remained and all else was Pretence uprising. They wanted to encourage that layer of myth had grown up, which had and Leftist Delusion. Actual republican- myth so as to keep the unionists myth live! become entangled in the subsequent ism in the North was not for equal Fergus Whelan (ICTU) said he was eventful and bitter split which gave birth citizenship. It was always for a United there in Belfast in August 1969. Jim to the Provisional IRA in 1970. Hanley Ireland, even in NICRA. The dynamic of Sullivan was in charge of the defence of said he actually had never seen any visual Civil Rights was not in fact 'civil rights' the Falls at that time. Harris tended to gild evidence of the much hyped "IRA…I RAN for all, but 'national rights' for Catholics. the lily to distance himself from the Provos. AWAY". slogan, reputedly graffitied on The Civil Rights people—some of them— Brian Haddon asked, did Brian Hanley Belfast walls after 1969. The Lost were for National Rights. Burntollet is find that Captain Kelly offered money to Revolution went into the matter in more supposed to be the year zero, the point of eliminate Cathal Goulding—a story depth. no return, over the brink: it occurred when originated by Johnny White. It was obvious that those present were, Republicans infiltrated the civil rights Hanley replied that Captain Kelly was if not happy, then pleased to see someone movement. Amongst the leadership only sincere in his involvement. He couldn't from academia make an honest effort at Eamon McCann was concerned about confirm any such story getting the record straight, separating fact alienating Prods: but that wasn't a high Mick Ryan, the Chairman, said that from myth: and giving some recognition priority amongst NICRA leadership. Cathal Goulding was one of the great to the fact that the Officials did not run influences on him. He was attempting to away when the heat came on; they just Hanley said the IRA wasn't extinct in do a lot with an organization that was all hadn't got enough guns on the ground. the south but it was in no position to but defeated. There wasn't an organization Hanley outlined the myth about the overthrow the State in the 1960s. Fianna after that. But they did defend areas in IRA in the 60s, "I Ran Away ", which he Fail wanted to split the IRA and so hyped- Belfast in 1969. But in 1962 IRA resources attributed in the main to Tim Pat Coogan's up the Leftie conspiracy. Fianna Fail didn't were exhausted. In 1967 there was only Irish Press editorials, as well as to other set up the Provos: they would have resources for one major operation. From academics who claimed there was no IRA emerged anyway. The IRA was discussed 1964 Goulding went to the USA for guns. in 1969—that it had become demoralised by the Government. Communism was a He was told he wouldn't get any until by failure and socialism. This was a smear used successfully in Southern something concrete existed in Ireland, a socialism grafted onto the IRA by Roy politics against the Labour Party. FF used chicken and egg situation. Ryan added: Johnston/Anthony Coughlan and their this smear in the 1969 General Election. "We thought violence comes first, then willing student Cahal Goulding. Hanley said FF were afraid of losing politics comes after the people give their contact with their working class base to support. The myth now accepted as "fact" was Sinn Fein's social campaigning methods "In the 1966 period, things were so bad that Goulding was trying to take the gun in rural and urban working class centres. that we had to look for the odd 100 pound out of republican politics and was a convert The IRA role in the EI bus burning strike to do things …we borrowed 100 pounds to Socialism; that IRA members had in Shannon worried the Government, for from Donal O Connor of the Castle Hotel become woolly radicals and not serious example. FF smeared the IRA with for funds.We had no money. The spirit revolutionaries by 1969—thus failing in Communism. Then the Irish Press (Editor, was good but we had no resources. August 1969. The myth says Goulding Tim Pat Coogan) said loudly that the IRA Hundreds of us were only lately out of and Co. didn't want a United Ireland but a was active in Belfast in 1969—.the same jail with no support. I was a late convert united working class; that they wanted Tim Pat Coogan who later in his so-called to the path of Cathal Goulding in the and end to military struggle, believing academic tomes said the IRA ran away , 1960s." 13 Tony Hayden (Walkinstown) said that they were not clear about classes as cross community. Goulding told him in the 60s that the Marxists are. "There are no normal classes Scott Millar (co-author): Conspiracies 'Northern thing was only a minor squabble in Ireland". He quoted Tomas McGiolla— existed on the Protestant side too. "We …that he wanted to sort out the World who was in the audience with his wife— need to find out what was going on there. first…' saying in 1969 that Republicanism and There is no real debate in the South." The Sean O Hare (Belfast) said: Socialism were the same thing. This was Workers' Party were at least back then "“I was there in August 1969 and I not so, he commented. Bennett also quoted trying to break that stifling consensus. He didn't know what was going to happen.” McGiolla from the same period saying believed that the Southern Partnership It was all “isms” but no defence. Hanley "Socialist partition is more dangerous than said there was going to be a split anyway, arrangements are a product of that real Partition". Bennett said the Officials consensus. but that wasn't true. West Belfast was a used social questions to retreat from the Hibernian, not a Republican, area. Belfast national question, which contributed to Hanley stressed in conclusion that his was defended. “We only needed a few the Split. Northerners asked themselves and Scott Millar's book was not the last more guns ….not a lot more guns what these Southerners were talking word on the subject, nor the best—but it …because they would only have been about—fantasy politics. "Goulding pushed was a start. He was continuing to talk to used to attack prods—not defend our Socialism in a fantasy way to us people and he thanked those present who areas—and bring more pogroms down Northerners". had already done spoken to him. on our heads”. Hibernian/nationalists Malachi Lawless infiltrated the Republican forces and were Mary McMillan asked whether, if the in control. There would not have been a IRA had been better armed in August 1969, would that have made the situation Split without Southern interference, in Book reviews: the shape of bringing in massive amounts worse. of weapons. It was that promise that led She didn't get a clear answer.. to the split. What actually happened in Hanley: The Workers' Party in the August 69 was about defence not politics." 1980s played down totally their role in Giving A Redmondite August 1969 in Belfast—as if they weren't Full Credit! Hanley: Ruairi O Bradaigh would have active.This was untrue. They were active. "Irish Solidarity with Cuba Libre—a split on the grounds on the grounds of He wanted to stress that he wasn't a Marxist. He didn't see it as a science: it Fenian eyewitness account of the First Abstention and Sean McStiofain would Cuban War of Independence" edited by have split on the grounds of 'collaboration could be a guide. Even Marx said he wasn't a Marxist. It wasn't the case that all Manus O'Riordan, published by SIPTU, with Commies'. They split when they did 2009, €15 (ISBN 978 0 9555823 1 9) but it would have happened anyway over Provos were sectarian bigots. Some were ideology. Socialists who believed in a defence of This is an account of the life of J.J. Peader O Brien (Dublin): The split their areas. They were certainly not O'Kelly the Home Rule MP for Ros- was planned in Dublin. It was instigated fascists. common North for many decades up to by Daithi O Connell and the 'Rosary 1916. He was unusual in that he was a Brigade' at Bodenstown. It was inspired Tomas McGiolla rose to speak. He committed and active anti-Imperialist by Neil Blaney, who organized a teacher's said he came determined not to speak and outside Ireland and recognised inter- job in Donegal for him. he wouldn't be entering into any debate nationally as such. O Connor Lysaght: Goulding was with a Provo about Socialism. However Manus O'Riordan does a good job in riding two horses in 1969 he thanked Brian Hanley for his book: he giving a detailed account of O'Kelly's Roy Johnston: As regards civil rights was genuinely surprised at its objectivity. long career as a champion of anti-Slavery and armed struggle—"We wanted to run He attacked the press consensus and he and for the rights of African and Cuban down the armed struggle in the 20th was delighted with the book breaking that peoples. He also details his relationships Century republican epoch because in that consensus. McGiolla stressed that RTE with Parnell, Devoy, Davitt, and other era there was a political structure to still had a Censorship Board: mention of Fenians and with the Marxist movement. operate within which could be reformed." Michelle Smith's 4 gold medals for The main body of the book reproduces his Armed struggle was appropriate from the swimming in the Olympics was censored, reports on the first Cuban War of Independ- 1840s and 60s 70s 80s, when there was no airbrushed out of the country's memory. ence which played a major role in making other viable option. But, he stressed, guns Mick Mc Carthy was persona non grata. his reputation. These won sympathy for were a 'rightist' option—as evidenced in So was Tomas McGiolla. Roy Keane was Cuban aspirations and were reprinted by the Larne gun-running thing {coup d'etat} censored. That's what you had to break Castro in 1968 to commemorate the against Home Rule. The armed approach through in this country. He thanked Brian centenary of that War. was becoming obsolete even then. The Hanley for debunking "I Ran Away", which This is an unusual book in that it is by Brits wanted a split in the Volunteers and was an extraordinary insult to Malachy a well-known anti-revisionist who never- to keep an armed struggle going to achieve McGurran, Joe McCann, etc.They were theless does full justice to a member of the that and prevent unity with Prods in the all out that night. Tim Pat Coogan had political opponents of the Irish revolution Republican tradition—which Prods been pushing the I Ran Away line. But, he in 1916: O'Kelly played an iconic role in themselves had invented. The hard core asked, who was arrested after August Irish history, in that it was his seat that Unionists preferred to keep the IRA in 69?—Jim Sullivan, Billy Mc Millan etc, taken by Sinn Fein in the pivotal existence so as to keep the Unionists united. i.e. the Official IRA: that was the answer Roscommon by-election of 1917, an event He always felt this Unionist conspiracy to I Ran Away. The split in the IRA came that confirmed the arrival of Sinn Fein as existed. in October 1969. It didn't happen in Sinn the new representative force in Irish Hanley stressed that the Split had Fein until 1970. Jim "Solo" Sullivan was politics. nuances were not being faced up to … in charge in his area on 13th August. Billy Why bother to write about someone Eoin Bennett (former Provo): he was McMillan was O/C in Belfast overall. who was so dramatically consigned to the not around in 1969, he.used to write for An Eoin O Hare: "At the moment the two proverbial dustbin of history? This is not Phoblacht but commented: "we disliked communities are sharing power but there just hidden history—in fact it is unknown political action because the Officials' is benign apartheid, separate develop- history. At a personal level it is the honour- politics were dubious and confusing". The ment". He would say to 20 year olds now: able and decent thing to give full credit to Officials in the late 60s were not Marxist: don't join any political party unless it is anyone who did great work in any area, 14 despite other misgivings one may have inheritors of those that made the revolution. Labour came top of the poll. (He does about them. The other useful thing that Instead they tended towards hubris about nothing to show why such a strong Labour O'Kelly's career highlights is the fact that the achievement of the revolution. The vote existed in Cork where there was no a person of such substance being 'left by result was that the revolution came to look Connolly or Larkin.) But then Labour the wayside' helps to put into perspective like something inevitable and pre- goes downhill and the Republicans slowly the enormity of the change that occurred ordained. Its context was removed and but surely gain support despite all that was in Ireland post-1916. soon its heroes become simple icons. Icons thrown at them and out of them comes And O'Riordan does this very well in of persons or events are fragile things and Fianna Fail. And Labour did not become giving a detailed account of O'Kelly's so it proved in this case when the revisionist less Labour in the same period. But all he long career as a champion of anti-Slavery assault began a couple of decades ago. does is state the facts—not explain them: and for the rights of African and Cuban "The origins of Fianna Fail are to be peoples. He also details his relationships found in the disorganised, abstentionist with Parnell, Devoy, Davitt, and other Party Politics, 1918-32 and intransigent anti-Treaty groups, a Fenians and with the Marxist movement. "Freedom to choose—Cork & Party group whose political and electoral The main body of the book reproduces his Politics in Ireland 1918-32" prospects seemed pretty grim in 1922" reports on the first Cuban War of Independ- by Micheál Martin (The Collins Press). (p75). It is the national issue without the ence which played a major role in making This book was written by 'Micheál commas that explains this but Martin his reputation and gaining sympathy for Martin' who is described as 'Minister' for clearly finds it very difficult to relate to the war. They was reprinted by Castro in Foreign Affairs in the 'Irish' Government. that. 1968 to commemorate the centenary of This is a factually correct statement but it that war. As readers will know Peter Hart would clearly be more correct without the specifically denies the legitimacy of the The other useful thing that O'Kelly's inverted commas. They introduce a weird career highlights is the the enormity of the Irish Independence movement as he made element into the facts: 'Micheál Martin', very clear in the Irish Times: change that occurred in Ireland post 1916. 'Minister' and 'Irish' become somewhat "…the Dail had no legal standing and The fact that a person of such substance questionable, somewhat doubtful, some- was 'left by the wayside' helps to put into was never recognised by any foreign thing disparaging is introduced. There is a government. Nor did the IRA, as a perspective the nature of the advance that query introduced over who and what he was made. guerrilla force acting without uniforms really is. and depending on their civilian status for Yet this is how Mr. Martin introduces secrecy, meet the requirements of O'Kelly, while being an effective the national issue in his book. Some parliamentarian, also had the traditional international law. The British government examples: "In the Cork City Borough was therefore within its rights to give Fenian perspective as regards Irish free- constituency, 'national' issues also courts-martial the power to order dom, i.e. that it was most likely to be only predominated." (p3). "On the other hand executions."(Irish Times, 23 June 1998). possible in the context of a scenario of it must be accepted that the victory of the 'England's difficulty being Ireland's 'national issue' over all other issues in And furthermore: opportunity'. The interesting question then 1918 foreshadows much of what was to "Nor were members of the IRA is why O'Kelly did not put that principle follow..." (p7). "For its part, Sinn Fein protected by the Hague Convention, the into practice when the opportunity arose made apologies for declaring the 'national basis for the law of war on land. The in 1914: most Fenians appreciated the issue' to be paramount..." (p24). British government and its forces were opportunity had arrived and took full If Mr. Martin was writing about Pales- not at war in this sense. To be recognised as belligerent soldiers, the guerillas would advantage of it by organising the Rising tine today I wonder would he put the and these included some of O'Kelly's life- have had to be fighting for a responsible national issue there in inverted commas? established state, wear a recognisable long associates. Is there another issue bursting to come The usual explanations of opportunism, uniform or emblem, carry their arms forth but held by back by the diversion of openly, and not disguise themselves as naivety, moral cowardice etc., applicable the struggle against Israel? to some of the Redmondites and Home civilians. None of these conditions The implication of his inverted commas applied. It is of course true that inter- Rulers, do not ring true in his case. Being is that the Irish national issue itself was in an original piece of work this is also a national law favours established states, some way extraneous, that there was but if any group can claim belligerent seminal piece of work and this is well something as important as, or even more status when using political violence, then illustrated when O'Riordan explains that important than, that issue in the context of so can the INLA or the LVF. The there was an interesting and understand- the period. This attitude gives an unreal Oklahoma bombers would also able, if misguided reason, for O'Kelly air to the book. This is further confirmed conceivably have a right to POW status" acting as he did over WWI and supporting when he explains that he effectively uses (Irish Times, 22 July 1998). that war. only Free State sources, such as Liam de I am sure Mr. Martin reads the Irish Buy the book to find out what the Róiste, The Cork Examiner, and Bishop Times. reason was! Coholan who is quoted regularly and It is not to be expected that the victors approvingly. In addition our old friend The whole thing was therefore a wanton in a revolution will write positive accounts Peter Hart is invited to give his views (and criminal affair according to Hart—yet of those they defeated. The victors in the "at length") as an authority. On the other Minister Martin introduces him as an Irish Revolution were no different and hand, Martin explains that he did not authority to 'observe' the 1918 Election this is understandable. Originally sufficient consult the de Valera papers and he regrets for us: "..each side looked on the other as of the defeated were around: highlighting this. What other sources he did not consult a mob of armed hoodlums, and themselves their merits would not make political sense is not clear but the Republican view is as the upholders of decency. Both saw the for the victors as it would give succour to glaring by its omission. 'rabble' and corner-boys as being on the the defeated, thus strengthening continuing And, without that view, the whole other side" (p16). This leaves little doubt enemies of the revolution. Objectivity is period becomes meaningless, especially as to what he thinks of the whole thing. the job of the inheritors of the revolution, as the Republican position did dominate Martin introduces Hart again to explain not the makers of it. It is unfortunate that in the end. For example, Mr. Martin the 1922 Election result: "Bands, tar such a review of the immediate past was emphasises the bad showing of the barrels and faction fights returned to the not conducted in Ireland by the immediate Republicans in the 1922 Election where welcoming streets of Cork. The guerrillas 15 tampered extensively with the vote but, indicated that Washington might be losing unable to disassociate themselves from the like guns and sticks, the attempted theft of patience with the pace of Germany's submission image of Nazi murderers and monsters. traditional seats was a traditional part of to the empire's needs. Germany declined to Will there come the day when the Taliban the game which had many expert players." send troops to Iraq and sent only non-combat and Iraqi insurgents will be mocked by "the forces to Afghanistan, not quite good enough Free World" for living in peace? The same attitude of contempt for the for the Pentagon warriors and their NATO whole thing is again evident, as for the The Anti-Empire Report allies. Germany's leading news magazine, Der September 29th, 2009 1918 Election, even when the Republicans Spiegel, reported the following: lost heavily! Who exactly were not by William Blum "At a meeting in Washington, Bush www.killinghope.org guerrillas in 1922? Both sides could be administration officials, speaking in the described as such and proud of being so context of Afghanistan, berated Karsten described. Voigt, German government representative Hart goes on "..in the city and West for German-American relations: "You TURNCOAT Cork, the mantle of William O'Brien passed concentrate on rebuilding and on to Mick Collins—whose electoral coat- peacekeeping, but the unpleasant things Why must religion and politics mix, tails, as it turned out were almost as long" you leave to us." ... "The Germans have to changing politics when changing religion. (p75) This is plain wrong. William learn to kill." Both sides of the divide chant derision, O'Brien's supporters became Sinn Fein A German officer at NATO headquarters rising from frankincense smoke a phoenix, supporters, explicitly, in 1918 and went was told by a British officer: "Every weekend freed from ongoing persecution, on the become Fianna Fail supporters and we send home two metal coffins, while you while those smiles of welcome are hesitant. O'Brien was invited to stand for Fianna Germans distribute crayons and woollen It is Catholic into Protestant. blankets." Bruce George, the head of the British Maybe a taunt too much brought Fail in 1927. Defence Committee, said "some drink tea and disillusion. The fact that Hart—with his stated beer and others risk their lives". A NATO colleague from Canada Now Nationalist into Unionist. contempt for the founding efforts of this They do not bring their grievances with state and sheer misinformation—is an remarked that it was about time that "the Germans left their sleeping quarters and them. authority for the Minister for Foreign Sectarianism they all condemn Affairs of the State is an extraordinary learned how to kill the Taliban". And in Quebec, a Canadian official told a while claiming their own as illuminist. fact. Inevitably, and in short, this is an German official: "We have the dead, you drink Here lies smouldering Britain’s Ulstergate, awful book that explains nothing despite beer." ( Der Spiegel (Germany), November blood, democracy, cannot coagulate. it being a most interesting topic. It is 20, 2006, p.24). normal for victors to write history but here Wilson John Haire. we have an inheritor of the victors who Ironically, in many other contexts since the 18th October, 2009. cannot write his own political history. A end of World War II the Germans have been sorry state of affairs. Jack Lane Review of If Lynch Had Invaded. Broadcast 1 Sept. 2009. Getting people ready for killing A Doubleband Films production for RTE. Picture the scene: Afghanistan, two hijacked tankers filled with highly inflammable fuel, More On 'What If' Lynch Had Attacked Britain surrounded by a crowd of Afghans eager to siphon off some for free ... What's the last thing PART ONE mobilised on their own initiative and an you want to do? Right—drop bombs on the The programme opened with the estimated 600 came out on the night/ tankers. That's what a German military statement: morning of 13/14 August. However they commander signalled an American drone "This documentary includes recon- did not receive official mobilisation orders airplane to do September 4th. Kaboom!! At structions based on actual events. It also until 14th August. Narration from Clonan least 100 human beings incinerated. This features dramatised sequences that have stated "some began to blame Lynch incident has led to a lot of controversy in used factual sources to illustrate one claiming he was fanning the flames of Germany, for Article 26 of Germany's post- version of what may have happened had war Grundgesetz (Basic Law/Constitution) sectarian hatred". Why didn't the narration an invasion of Northern Ireland taken states: "Acts tending to and undertaken with address this assertion rather than accept it intent to disturb the peaceful relations between place." at face value? This implied Lynch's speech nations, especially to prepare for a war of If one invades, one does so with the caused further unrest in Northern Ireland. aggression, shall be unconstitutional. They intention "to enter another state's territory On the contrary, requests by the NICRA shall be made a criminal offence." with military forces in order to conquer [NI Civil Rights Association] for protests it". Not one member of the Irish Cabinet across the North (in order to tie down But NATO (aka the United States) can take RUC resources) spread the violence. satisfaction in the fact that the Germans have ever envisaged an invasion. Neil Blaney put their silly pacifism aside and acted like suggested an "incursion", i.e. "an act of Tony Benn, interviewee, stated the Irish 'real men', trained military killers. While, prior entering the territory of another state, Government didn't want to "take over an to this incident, the Germans had engaged in without the authorisation or permission angry North with a Protestant majority"; some aerial and ground combat, there hadn't of that state". He believed this would he used the phrase "intervention", i.e. "to been such a dramatic and publicized taking of have achieved international attention and enter a dispute between two other parties". civilian lives. Deutschland now has more than guaranteed UN attention—not necessarily Benn alluded to the fact that the Irish 4,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, the third largest successful UN intervention. The Government considered intervening contingent in the country after the US and documentary failed to distinguish between Britain, and at home they've just finished between nationalists and RUC/ B Specials building a monument to fallen members of the an invasion and an incursion. who sought to attack them. Why does the Bundeswehr (Federal Armed Forces), founded narrative continue to claim the Irish in 1955; 38 members (so far) have surrendered Narration from Tom Clonan claimed Government considered an invasion? their young lives in Afghanistan. "that night {13 Aug.} Chichester-Clark The documentary often made references In January 2007 I wrote in this report about ordered the mobilisation of 8,000 B to the Lynch "no longer stand by" speech. how the US was pushing Germany in this Specials". This is factually inaccurate. On Why is there no mention that, prior to the direction; that circumstances at that time 13th August various B Special platoons speech, the Cabinet had ruled out military 16 intervention and therefore the speech was security context. If Irish troops had crossed into Newry. The narrative claimed it would solely for propaganda? the border on 13th August it would have take place after midnight on 13th August. Clonan stated, regarding the 13th been into Derry, as Blaney suggested, to Clonan stated "within 24 hours of receiving August Cabinet meeting, "some of his intervene between Bogside rioters and the instructions to prepare for an incursion" senior Cabinet Ministers actually RUC and B Specials (many members McKeown summons his senior officers. advocated such an invasion of Northern reported for duty on their own initiative). However: (a) Why does it take 24 hours Ireland". No, Blaney advocated an On 13th August no one in the Cabinet to get senior officers together? They would incursion and Boland supported him. recommended Newry—only Derry. have all been either at the Curragh or else at HQ in Parkgate Dublin. (b) How is it Regarding the use of British troops to British Major-General Julian Thomp- possible for troops to cross the border at restore order, Keelin Shanley stated son, interviewee, stated regarding Irish midnight on 13th August after a Cabinet Stormont was reluctant "handing over troops crossing the border, "the British decision a few hours earlier when it would their law and order powers to Westminster Government would have reacted with get (according to Clonan) take 24 hours to get by calling in the British army". I thought out or else we will come and fight you". senior officers together? Clonan stated this didn't happen until 1972 and this British Lieutenant-General Mike Dewar "within 72 hours of this meeting a company coincided with the prorogation of said it was "absurd" and Ken Bloomfield of 120 men is formed in Dublin to prepare Stormont. The narrative implied the said it was "mad" regarding an Anglo- for the attack on Newry". Why would it deployment of the British army equated to Irish war. Dewar outlined every strategic take 72 hours when on 14th August it only handing over law and order powers. T.K. asset the British army had that the Irish took 12 hours to send 795 men to the Whitaker, interviewee regarding the 13th army didn't. He described the Irish army general areas of Cavan and Dundalk? August Cabinet meeting, said "who was as "tinpot". The narrative misleadingly Clonan stated "at the same time the army for peace and who was for invasion" but claimed that (a) Blaney and Boland sought would have begun working on transport then he says "the strongest personalities an Anglo-Irish war, and (b) they were for the operation, this would have been a were on the side of intervention". Despite ignorant of the Irish army's limitations in difficult task" and spoke of a "Requirement this clear statement that some desired respect to the British army. However to hire buses to move troops North of the "intervention", why did the narrative not Blaney and Boland knew the limitations border". How did 116 men of the 20th define the exact proposals from Blaney of the Irish army and did not want an Battalion, Cork get to Cavan late on the and Boland? Des O'Malley claimed Anglo-Irish war. They wanted an incursion night of 14th August as part of the "Boland was the most vocal, Blaney was to attract world attention and UN interest; deployment? These soldiers didn't need not far behind him". Why did the narrative they did not have military objectives. to commandeer transport. not explain their proposals? Furthermore there is no evidence to suggest Blaney's idea was to send troops into that either Minister even wanted an Shanley stated Lynch would have hoped Derry, provoke international attention and engagement with the British army. that troops crossing the border would result secure UN interest. At no time did Blaney in a UN response rather than a ever envisage the Irish army going head to Shanley stated despite the rundown of confrontation between the Irish and British head with the British army. the Irish army "senior Government armies. Ministers continued to demand a military "But there were problems with such a PART TWO solution to the crisis". No one was naive or strategy, being the aggressor they were Shanley stated that on 13th August deluded enough to think the Irish army not in a strong position to call for evening the Cabinet decided to move 250 could provide a military solution. The peacekeeping forces. Had they done so soldiers up to the border "in the same area objective was international attention and the British Government would simply close to the North". This is a factual error. UN interest. Clonan stated regarding have taken the position… internal British Army logistics reports show that on 13th General McKeown, based on Interim matter that had nothing to do with the August, an infantry group had been Report, "if push came to shove he would Irish Government or the UN." established and deployed in the general have confined it to one company in attack "There would be no UN helmets to Letterkenny and Ballybofey areas. This on the town of Newry". "He would have come before the British and Irish armies." group consisted of 415 military personnel, done so because Newry was the most Blaney and Boland thought if this including three infantry companies, 101 assessable border town for Irish troops happened well then the strategy had failed. command and support troops, and 20 and had an overwhelming nationalist There was no "Plan B" to go head to head nurses. Narration from Shanley narration majority." Extremely inaccurate; the with the British on the battlefield. Clonan claimed that Lynch at the 13th August primary attractiveness of Newry was the said "invasion is about to begin" "they Cabinet meeting faced "men who in effect lack of British soldiers deployed to its seize the northern border checkpoint." were demanding that Ireland go to war general area from 14th August onwards. However in reality the checkpoint was with Britain". Neither Blaney nor Boland Shanley stated Lynch "would have unmanned and rioters from Newry burned ever contemplated a "war" or even an taken the [incursion] decision reluctantly down a nearby customs post on 13th engagement with the British army. They and under duress". More extremely August. Therefore the scenario is factually believed Irish intervention could act as a inaccurate narration. The Cabinet would impossible. propaganda event. have voted on the decision so each Minister Clonan stated the 120 men split into Clonan's narration of the Interim Report would have contributed to the decision. three platoons. "Number one platoon of the Planning Board on Northern Ireland Lynch would not have alone taken the would have staged a lightening assault on Operations (Sept. 1969: referred to decision nor acted under duress. When the RUC station… with their cover of hereafter as the "Interim Report") clearly Shanley's narration dealt with Lynch's darkness and a strong element of surprise stated it was compiled "weeks after" the counter-factual speech, she spoke of "plans they would have been successful in this." 13th August meeting and that it envisaged to invade Northern Ireland". However: This is factually impossible because possible troop movements into Derry and (a) on 13th August there was not a plan— Newry RUC barracks was under siege Newry. There is a serious problem with Blaney had an idea to send troops into from rioters who threw volleys of petrol the documentary's later counter-factual Derry and (b) I have already defined an bombs at it. Clonan said "Number two because the Interim Report was drawn up invasion. platoon would have acted quickly to seize after British deployments in Derry, and in There is a serious problem with the the main junctions here to secure an a vastly different political, military and hypothetical times given for the incursion evacuation corridor south for refugees 17 fleeing the conflict zone. In addition they would have requisitioned buses, trucks, · Biteback · Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback anything to get refugees moving." There were no refugees moving through Newry on 13th August. Even on 14th August, after the Belfast pogroms, most refugees Let's Stick To Facts sought shelter in religious and civilian The following letter appeared in the Irish News, 2nd November 2009 accommodation in the greater Belfast area. Let's stick to the facts when dealing with the narrative of history. Refugees from Belfast didn't cross the Pierce Martin writes that the "Aubane Society's narrative of the west Cork atrocities border until days later. Clonan stated "some is thereby revealed as a grotesque part of the greater malignant tree of the Republic's nationalists who may have come out to national liberation myth" (October 17). support the troops… there would have The Aubane Historical Society has not produced a narrative of those events as there been an eerie calm in the town". In fact is as yet no evidence as to who did them or what the motives were and it has so far proved Newry was in a state of anarchy on 13th impossible to establish the facts regarding either. The first three killings are clear-cut and August because rioters had hijacked lorries acknowledged by all as the execution of those who had killed a local IRA commander. to block access to the town and arsonists The others are a mystery well known for nearly 90 years but still a mystery. attacked public buildings. I had hoped the RTE programme would have investigated and established who did them and why. But it did not even present unfounded allegations of who the killers might Shanley stated "some of his [Lynch] have been. Ministers might have thought, or hoped, It threw out a couple of vague innuendos but left the mystery just as it had found it. this was the start of the end for partition". It could not even find a local rumour attributing responsibility. The silence remains No one thought or hoped that, at the most because nobody in the locality, Protestant or Catholic, has any information about the they hoped for UN mediation. No one was identity—general or particular—of the culprits. naive or deluded enough to think other- Mr Martin mentions the Coolacrease killings: we have indeed produced a full wise. Tony Benn accurately stated "You narrative of that event and I challenge Mr Martin to refute one single line of its 472 pages. don't go to war if you haven't got war We would do the same with the Dunmanway killings if there was similar documentary, aims". Rather then develop a sensible personal and verifiable information available. Hopefully it will emerge. narrative along these lines and examine Apart from the actual killings, Mr Martin refers to one fact concerning them—Willie what might have happened in the UN, the Kingston's leaving of Dunmanway as a result. narrative led us to believe that Blaney was But, typically, we get half the story. Willie returned shortly afterwards, set up a legal naïve and irresponsible enough to think practice in the town, set up the local historical society, was a prominent citizen and lived that the British would just hand Northern a full and active life in the community until he died in his bed in 1965. Ireland over to the Irish Government. On Unlike Mr Martin, Aubane likes to put all the facts on the table. the contrary the narrative should have Anything else is not doing justice to history or to the descendants of the victims of asked what was the most the Irish those killings. Government could have got from the UN? That is our interest in the issue—facts, not rhetoric and bombast. Even if it only achieved the opportunity to Jack Lane, have a public arena to debate what had Aubane, Millstreet, Co. Cork. caused the unrest this still would have achieved a measure of success. troops appear on the scene, just North of defence of Northern nationalists. But for Clonan stated "McKeown tells Lynch their positions." The only possible way the hawks, men like Neil Blaney and his soldiers are consolidating their this could happen is if the first British Kevin Boland… such a withdrawal would positions, preparing for a counter-attack troops wedge themselves between the Irish have been seen as a capitulation to the by British soldiers and a possible air units in Newry and those Irish units closer British. They would have argued that this strike". Why later do we see Irish soldiers to the border. What happened to the Irish was an historical moment, one that could unprepared for the British counter-attack troops in Newry urban area? bring about the end of partition and that and air strike? We see Irish soldiers the Government should stand firm and Shanley stated that the Irish Govern- call the bluff of the British." walking around the perimeter of a field. ment received the withdrawal ultimatum. Wouldn't they have dug bunkers ("a shelter She asked, would the Irish Government However: (a) Wouldn't the "doves" to withstand artillery and small arms fire") "just capitulate and tell the Irish troops to outvote the two "hawks" in Cabinet; and or foxholes ("a hole in the ground used by come home… would they be prepared to (b) why does the narrative insist that infantrymen as a fire position and as call the bluff of the British Government?" Blaney and Boland thought the Irish army shelter from enemy fire")? The answer is the Government would could end partition and face down the Narration tells us about the British withdraw the troops because they would British army? Mike Dewar commented "I ultimatum and British ground and air units know that they had achieved international can't imagine that the Irish Government moving around Newry "this has an attention and perhaps most important, would have been so foolish to allow that to extremely sobering effect on the Cabinet knowing that the focus would now shift to happen… they would have withdrawn members. For some of them perhaps it is the UN, attempt to portray themselves as having made their point… it would have only now that the enormity of what they a responsible concerned Government that been headlines around the world they have undertaken is becoming clear." This had only sought to protect civilians. would have made their point." That is is absurd. It implies that the Cabinet had exactly how Blaney and Boland envisaged not discussed all of the possible British PART THREE things would play out! Yet the narrative responses. Shanley stated: wanted us to believe they thought Clonan stated "Irish army dig in just "the doves within Cabinet would have otherwise. Dewar added "if you are saying south of Newry". I thought "Number One" no doubt argued it was time to withdraw, that a small Irish army… what would have and "Number Two" platoons were in but as a Government they had succeeded happened had they taken on British troops, Newry urban area? Clonan goes on: in drawing international attention to the the answer is an awful lot would have got "Shortly afterwards the men find situation in the North and had been seen killed, captured or wounded." Blaney and themselves outnumbered as the first British to take firm and determined action in Boland knew this as well—despite the 18 constant inference of the narrative. his Government would have been against Irish troops. If the British practic- Clonan said: condemned for unprovoked aggression ally abandoned Belfast and moved troops "you never know who would have won against what was supposed to have been a to the border then the resultant pogroms the argument in the Cabinet room and if friendly neighbour". This implies no would have justified Irish intervention the hawks had prevailed, and if the British condemnation would have arisen for because the Irish Government could deadline for withdrawal had passed, it Britain's supposed one-sided slaughter of accurately claim that Britain had forsaken would have been a catastrophic error of Irish soldiers. Consider the Belgrano its responsibilities under humanitarian law. judgement for which the Irish troops on incident in the Falklands conflict. Clonan the ground would have paid dearly." narrated that "Rivers of blood" would have A counter-factual based on archival We do know who would have won the flowed in Northern Ireland "in a province considerations of the period should read argument because no one in the Cabinet fatally destabilised by invasion the as follows. If the army crossed the border wanted a British-Irish military engage- situation would have been far worse than it would have been at Derry, the Irish ment. Video footage showed Irish troops it was at the height of the Battle of the Government would have accepted Britain's on foot patrol when jets fly over head. I Bogside". However: (a) Violence in withdrawal ultimatum, and as Blaney thought the narrative previously told us Northern Ireland peaked on 14th August, envisaged the focus would then move to they had dug in? Why are Irish soldiers after the Battle of the Bogside ended; (b) the UN. Counter-factualism aside this is running around in an open field allowing Loyalists assaulted Catholic districts of what did happen. On 13th August the Irish themselves to get bombed and strafed? Belfast, burning hundreds of homes, Government decided against using an A more accurate depiction of a British- displacing thousands of civilians and this incursion to internationalise the crisis and Irish engagement, either in Derry (most was without Irish military intervention. provoke UN intervention. As an alternative accurately) or as this documentary The narration implied Irish non- Lynch made his provocative speech and envisaged in Newry, would see British intervention prevented such events. sent the army to (but not over the border) soldiers advancing into a bombed-out in order to create an internationalised urban area under Irish sniper fire. Shanley GENERAL COMMENTS political context which allowed Patrick narrated that General McKeown told the The documentary fails, like most current Hillery, Minister for External Affairs, to Cabinet that even a withdrawal is now out literature, to question how sectarian rioting later address the UN Security Council. of the question because soldiers would get would tie down British troops and prevent Edward Longwill "picked off". Presumably he would have an instant engagement with Irish forces. University of Ulster, PhD: advised the Cabinet of this prior to the The British Government would have "The Irish Army and lapse of the British ultimatum. Why then needed several days to reinforce Belfast State Security Policy, 1956-74." would the Cabinet authorise a stay beyond and Derry before using foot soldiers the deadline if there was no chance of withdrawal unless they wanted a suicide mission? Narration: Casement 2008 "the full enormity of what they had Part 2 of a report of the 12th Annual Roger Casement Symposium, done would now be dawning on the held 8th November 2008 Cabinet… they may have thought they were staging a humanitarian rescue FRANK CONNOLLY Feeney, tasked with ongoing investigation mission for northern nationalists… even This speaker is that rare thing in into Irish public life. Justice Minister persuaded themselves that they were mainstream Irish journalism, a genuine Michael McDowell made a sensational going to face down the British and perhaps investigative journalist. He has worked allegation in the Dáil that Connolly had even reunite the island. But instead they for over a quarter century for a range of consorted with FARC guerrillas in had become responsible for a military media outlets including RTE and a number Colombia. Though the charges were fiasco, Ireland's own Bay of Pigs." of newspapers. He has broken major stories denied the watchdog organisation which exhibited the dark underside of the collapsed. However: (a) What kind of fools do Irish state and its political culture. An The talk which Connolly gave began they think Blaney, Boland or the Cabinet example was his investigation of the finan- with his time as Northern Ireland Editor at would have been: "face down the British cial activities of one time prominent Fianna The Sunday Business Post. This was during and perhaps even reunite the island"? Fáil Minister Ray Burke, which led to the the years leading up to and following the Furthermore: (b) the Bays of Pigs (Cuba setting up of the Flood Tribunal which 1998 Good Friday Agreement. He also 1961) was an invasion to conquer territory later morphed into the Mahon Tribunal. In devoted time to discussing the murkier and overthrow a Government—an Irish its "Mahon" incarnation then Taoiseach side of politics in the Republic in the incursion would have sought to Bertie Ahern was called to give evidence 1990s and the current decade. A lot of internationalise the crisis and ensure UN in regard to his personal financial affairs territory was covered. This account covers intervention. There is no comparison. while Minister for Finance over a decade some of the issues raised. Shanley narrated "news of the war in earlier. This testimony was generally Ireland would have been the big story perceived as incredible. Frank Connolly Collusion between RUC spreading across the globe". A war is a broke a series of revelations concerning and Loyalist Paramilitaries series of battles therefore it would not Ahern's convoluted financial affairs before In February 1989 Pat Finucane was have been a war. According the Clonan's and during the former Taoiseach's tribunal shot dead at this home in Belfast in front narration in a British-Irish engagement appearances. Concerted media pressure of his family. He was killed by a loyalist "the Irish could not have held out for more eventually forced Ahern to resign. assassination team armed with handguns. than an hour or so". A battle is "a prolonged Connolly's revelations on Garda As a solicitor he had represented members engagement between a large numbers of corruption and malpractice in Donegal of the IRA and INLA. Some four weeks opposing troops". So it wouldn't have led to the setting up of the Morris Tribunal. before Finucane was gunned down even been a battle. It would have been an For a time he was Executive Director of Douglas Hogg, then a Junior Minister in engagement, "an exchange of fire between the Centre for Public Inquiry, an inde- the Home Office, speaking in the House opposing forces". pendent body set up under the patronage of Commons, claimed that several solic- Narration claimed: "Jack Lynch and of Irish American philanthropist Chuck itors in the North were acting for the IRA. 19 Clients of Finucane were told by the RUC Port by elements of the Prison Service. approached by a man with an English he would be killed before the shooting In prison the morning of the killing accent who claimed to be called "Tom". took place. Profound suspicions were Fulton had asked other prisoners what had Tom explained that he was interested to raised that the killing was ordered and been on the news. However, they had learn how Republicans felt about the peace planned from within the British security nothing special to report. Fulton's curiosity process. It was to be understood this just establishment and carried out by loyalist in the morning suggested his guilt. amounted to general information. It would paramilitaries. His widow, Geraldine, Contrary to her usual, habit Rosemary be worth £20,000 should the man wish to believes the order came from the highest Nelson did not get into her car till around co-operate. Tom provided a contact level that is from the Joint Intelligence noon time as opposed to early in the number. Committee which meets at Prime Minister- morning. So news reports of the bomb On his return the man contacted Frank ial level and includes senior members of explosion were not broadcast till after Connolly and provided him with the the RUC the British Army, MI5 and MI6. midday. Nobody was charged with the telephone number given to him by "Tom". There has until now been no proper murder. More than a year afterwards Connolly called "Tom" and recorded the effective investigation of the killing. Fulton was found mysteriously hanging subsequent conversation during which in his cell. "Tom" confirmed that he was prepared to In a case that recalls that of Pat Finucane, pay generously for information. Then he Rosemary Nelson was murdered in Martin O'Hagan was the only journalist checked the telephone number to an east Lurgan, Co. Armagh. Like Finucane, she murdered during the Northern Ireland London location which turned out to be an was a solicitor who handled controversial conflict. He was shot dead close to his empty warehouse. The conversation was political cases. It was March 1999 and home in Lurgan, Co. Armagh in September published in the following edition of The almost one year after the Good Friday 2001. He had worked for the northern Sunday Business Post. Agreement. A booby trap device ripped edition of the Sunday World. O'Hagan had through her car just outside her home. The an extensive knowledge of the workings In 2000 journalists from various media "Red Hand Defenders" a cover name for of Loyalist groups and had been investig- outlets in Dublin including RTE were Loyalist militants claimed responsibility ating collusion between them and the RUC. invited to a meeting in the exclusive for the attack. She had represented the He had received death threats from Loyal- Merrion Hotel where they were surprised Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition, an ists. Nobody was charged in relation to his to meet the then Northern Ireland Secretary organisation campaigning for the rerouting killing. He was the person who told Frank Peter Mandelson and his chief handler, of Orange parades in Portadown. She also Connolly about Fulton's release from jail Tom Kelly, seated at the head of a confer- had represented Republican paramilitaries. in the days before Rosemary Nelson was ence table. The assembled press were She led demands for an inquiry into killed and about the prisoner's behaviour informed that the British Government was collusion between the security forces and when he returned to Maghaberry. about to suspend the Northern Assembly. loyalists in relation to the death of Pat A Channel 4 documentary produced by Mandelson asserted that this story was not Finucane. She had received death threats experienced film-maker Sean McPhilemy to be attributed to any British source. from the RUC. The murder was never was shown in 1991. Rosemary Nelson Frank Connolly challenged what properly investigated although a public was McPhilemy's solicitor and adviser. Mandelson expected of them. He asserted inquiry has been underway for more than The programme claimed a conspiracy of he had every right to tell the Irish people a year. RUC officers, Unionist businessmen, that Mandelson was in Dublin and report Rosemary Nelson had a serious investi- politicians and clergy was controlling and what he said. At this Mandelson smiled gative interest in collusion between the running loyalist death squads. They had and Kelly looked upset. But the most RUC and loyalist paramilitaries. She had begun operations in 1989. The organising negative reaction came from the rest of acquired information and names. Frank group was called "The Committee". Mostly the assembled Irish journalists. Connolly was scheduled to meet her in Sinn Féin and IRA activists were targeted. Only The Sunday Business Post late March of 1999. She had come by new Sometimes innocent Catholics were the reported the reality. The headline referred material. For the sake of her security she victims. The film provoked assertions it to Mandelson's Secret Trip to Dublin. wished to meet south of the border. She was a hoax. McPhilemy took a libel case Later that evening, after having met the was due soon to visit the US and to meet against the Sunday Times and in 2000 he media, Mandelson met representatives of with a Committee of the US Congress won his case and received substantial the Irish Government. The earlier meeting where she would present the information damages. with the media had been to try to ensure she had gathered on collusion. Rosemary In 1998 McPhilemy published a book, the subsequent reporting of the Assembly Nelson was killed before Connolly had a also called The Committee, which suspension was in favour of the Northern chance to meet with her and before she developed the theme of the television Ireland Office. The Dublin media, with travelled to the US Congress. programme. In the book he named leading one exception, were happy to be compliant. One of the main suspects for the murder Northern Ireland figures who he claimed was a man named Mark Fulton. He was an were members of "the Committee". The TIM O'SULLIVAN inmate in Maghaberry prison. A police book was the subject of a court injunction, Reviewing noteworthy material relating officer from Britain, Colin Port, had been so it could not be sold in Britain or Ireland. to Roger Casement, the speaker noted the sent to investigate. When told by Connolly It was effectively subject to censorship in production of Prisoner of the Crown by that Fulton had been on temporary release these islands. The Irish Repertory Theatre in New York and had returned to jail on the Sunday Readers were only able to acquire the from May to July 2008. The play was evening prior to the murder which book through online booksellers in the written by an American, Richard F Stock- happened close to midday the following US. The theme of collusion between ton, and originally produced in the Abbey Monday, Port was not inclined to agree. Loyalist paramilitaries and the RUC is a Theatre in Dublin in 1972. It presents On the contrary, Port had been informed theme underplayed by the mainstream Casement in what would today be by the prison authorities that Fulton had media in Ireland. considered a traditionally Irish nationalist not been released on compassionate Strange Occurrences light. grounds as Connolly had learned. Two After the first IRA ceasefire in 1994 Another item with an American aspect weeks later Port had to admit that indeed strange things began to happen. A veteran was a letter which appeared in the Sunday Fulton had been out of the prison. There Republican went to a Greek island on Independent of 3rd June 1973. It originated looks to have been an effort to mislead holiday with his wife. In the hotel he was with a James C Heaney, Buffalo, New 20 York State and hit out at the then newly- produced. One matter which jarred was a of Kells. Through its use it was hoped to published Casement biography from Brian portrait of a face claimed to be of Casement learn more about the range of substances Inglis, which was the first freely available which appears at the start of the book. A used to make up the pigments and inks biographical work claiming the Diaries as credible resemblance was lacking. used in decorating the famous book and fully authentic. The headline in the In his review in the Times Literary national treasure. newspaper was Casement diaries 'crude Supplement Prof. Roy Foster of Oxford Later that year this writer managed to talk forgeries'—US lawyer. lavished praise. He was particularly taken with Dr. Bernard Meehan, Keeper of Heaney wrote that he had spent two with what he titled O Síocháin's "Admir- Manuscripts at Trinity College Library. He days in 1967 inspecting the Diaries. They able Appendix", a 20 page addendum at was happy to assure me that Ramon Spectroscopy was not destructive to the were "forgeries, and crude ones at that" the end where he attempted to explain materials under examination. If it were and there was "little or no effort to simulate why he was convinced forgery had played otherwise, he stated, the technology would not the handwriting". He had not read the no part in the provenance of the questioned have been applied to the Book of Kells. Inglis book but he noted that in 1959, Diaries. This material, which takes up Yet in the Giles Report (2002) there is a writing in The Spectator, Inglis had pages 477 to 494, was less than impressive. heading: The examination of inks. Under the claimed that "a few minutes study" of the For instance on page 481 he relies on heading the forensic technique is referred to as original material would be enough to "the results in 2002 of a careful analysis "destructive", as in: "Destructive testing using convince of its authenticity. That such of the disputed documents by Dr Audrey a variety of modern analytical techniques, little study might be sufficient for someone Giles...... which found the diaries to be including Ramon Spectroscopy, may reveal to reach a conclusion Heaney claimed was Casement's work". On page 482 he more consistent differences between the inks". "ridiculous". confidently claims "the results of new And: The letter said the legal grounds given tests ...in 2002 constitute an important "Certainly, preliminary examination of for restricting public availability was faulty milestone in the debate", and the: "Giles the ink entries in these documents [1-5] according to a proper reading of the British tests equally undermine the second forgery showed an enormous variation in the appearance of the deposits. I have Public Records Act. (The Diaries were at model, that of interpolation-cum-rewriting therefore noted the physical difference, that period subject to very restricted public by a forger" (page 483). In fact high-tech appearance and differences between inks access.) The Diaries did not qualify as tests for this very purpose were not as appropriate, leaving the question of "secret documents" under the Act as the employed. possible further destructive analysis to Government had made alleged copies The reality is that he relies on the 2002 be considered further. " available to various persons in the past. Giles Report which itself has been However this reasoning was never discredited by experts James Horan and While the Giles Report referred to tested in a court. Marcel Matley. Though he mentions the Ramon Spectroscopy as "destructive" in Using some creative detective work collection of papers published in 2005 by 2002, in the year 2000 in the professional Tim O'Sullivan contacted a son of James the Royal Irish Academy, Roger Casement Forensic Science literature the technique C Heaney who also happens to live in in Irish and World History, nowhere in his was routinely being referred to as non- Buffalo. He was able to report that his book does he mention the opinion destructive. For example the journal father had founded an organisation The expressed by James J. Horan in that collect- Science and Justice in 2000 carried a American Congress for Irish Freedom in ion which undermines his rosy view of the paper which described the technique as the 1960s. It was a forerunner of Noraid. Giles Report. "non-destructive". He was a dedicated Irish Republican who As well as dealing with unwelcome A new generation of Ramon Spectro- had been born in the United States. He facts by way of evasion O Síocháin is also scopy equipment had been coming on the died in the 1980s. technically naive. He wrote on page 494 market which did not require the When asked how his father had that "Interpolation, though, seems destruction of samples under examination. managed to get access to the Diaries for impossible because of the position in the The professional literature had been two whole days, despite the restrictions in text of many 'contentious' entries...". referring to this from well before the year place—which restricted access to those Apparently he does not realise that in the 2000. One manufacturer was the British who could prove special interest, such as early 20th century it was relatively easy to firm Foster Freeman. dedicated scholars—Heaney junior said erase chosen sections of a block of inked Three letters to Dr. Giles from this he was not surprised. It had been the writing with bleach. Once the page was writer inquired about the strange treatment normal tactic of James C. Heaney to dry one could overwrite. of Ramon Spectroscopy in the 2002 report. employ the law where possible and, if Neither the first two by email nor the last necessary, to threaten to sue. It looks like Another book which appeared in 2008 by registered post elicited any reply. this was a case in point. followed a similar approach to discussing The man who initiated the process which led The speaker suggested that Heaney's the Diaries as the Maynooth academic. to the 2000 Royal Irish Academy Symposium perception of the Diaries as "crude This was Terrible Queer Creatures, on Casement and from there to the 2002 Giles forgeries" may have been a reflection of Homosexuality in Irish History by the Report was one Bertie Ahern. In April 1999, at his passionately held political beliefs. One prominent Archaeologist Dr. Brian Lacey. the Fianna Fail 1916 commemoration at Arbour Lacey is the author of a number of books Hill, the then Taoiseach announced: can argue they are forgeries, but it is not so "in justice to the memory of Roger easy to argue they are crude ones. The and is himself a gay man. One chapter is devoted to Casement. On the last page it is Casement there is now a compelling prima Diaries are freely available to the public facie case for a new and rigorous enquiry since 1994. The question of the legal admitted that the diaries are the primary into the provenance and genuineness of the status of the former restriction on access is evidence for him being described as so-called 'black diaries'. The issue is not now essentially academic. homosexual. At the end he refers to the one of interpretation but of fact. The truth Giles Report as "the forensic tests that ought to be possible to determine, using The long awaited biography by Séamas confirmed beyond reasonable doubt that modern forensic and analytical techniques." O Síocháin, of the Anthropology depart- they were genuine". ment at NUI Maynooth, Roger Casement, Yet, ironically, it was in regard to Imperialist, Rebel, Revolutionary, On June 3rd 2007 an article in the "modern forensic and analytical appeared in 2008. Dr. O Síocháin has Sunday Tribune titled Book of Kells to tell techniques" that the Giles Report, the final trawled through very extensive archival its Secrets revealed that a technology called outcome of the process Ahern had material and the book holds a wealth of Raman Spectroscopy had for an 18 month launched, was at its most bizarre. information. The book was beautifully period been in use in examining the Book Tim O'Sullivan 21 that, if England were ever put in the situation in which Germany was put by Comments On A Criticism the Versailles Treaty, he hoped a man like Hitler would arise to restore it. When he Last month Irish Political Review in other Central European countries, but launched his crusade against Germany in published a criticism by Bernard Ó other features of Polish nationalism pre- the later thirties, it was not because it was Ceallaigh of the views on the 2nd World dominated over it after 1939. The Polish Fascist but because Fascism had restored War expressed by Brendan Clifford and Resistance, without ceasing to be anti- it to strength, and the strongest state in Jack Lane in Elizabeth Bowen's Notes On Semitic, discovered the Extermination Europe was England's enemy, regardless Eire. Ó Ceallaigh wrote: Camps for Jews, secured evidence of them, of its political complexion. "I was horrified to read that you and managed to get that evidence to I know of no evidence that the Nazis consider the Holocaust to be 'an obscure London and Washington. London and wanted to do anything with the Jews before incident in the hinterland of the Washington did not want to know. September 1939 but get them out of German-Soviet War'… The Holocaust Systematic Jewish extermination was Germany because they were an inter- is the defining event of the 20th century carried on for about three years in the nationalist social solvent (whether Com- and its effects are still being witnessed hinterland of the Nazi-Soviet War. Little munist or finance capitalist) on national in the Middle East today. You ignore attention was paid to it. It was obscure— cohesion. Fascism, in opposing Bolshev- the fact that Nazism was virulently or was obscured, if you will. The SS ism, had borrowed methods from anti-Semitic… Nazism displayed wanted to keep it secret and Britain co- Bolshevism. When the reckless British violent eliminationist tendencies well operated in keeping it secret. war policy led to the spread of German before the war had started. Jews were If Ó Ceallaigh has evidence that the SS power in Eastern Europe, the Nazis found purged from German intellectual and had an extermination policy before 1939 themselves with a vastly increased Jewish economic life… before 1939. The he should present it. Anti-Semitism is not problem. And when they found themselves infamous 'Madagascar Plan'… would evidence of exterminationism. Nazi at war with the Bolsheviks, they began to have seen millions of Jews moved from Jewish policy 1933-39 was of a kind with apply systematic Bolshevik methods to continental Europe to a harsh tropical English/British policy towards the Irish the problem. climate… This in itself is inherently for three generations after the Williamite During the past twenty years both exterminationist. Therefore… your Conquest. The Madagascar scheme was Bolshevism and Nazism have been treated point that the Holocaust was 'unimag- of a kind with the Irish policy of the as vast criminal conspiracies. Bolshevism ined even by the most daring spirits of English Republic. What one might take to has been freely described as the greatest the SS in the summer of 1939' is be the implication of a rhetorical turn of criminal conspiracy (which was Chur- incorrect…" speech is not the same thing as a policy. chill's view, reasserted after 1945) and I It seemed to me, from what I could What we are witnessing in the Middle have not noticed much of a public chal- discover, that some leaders of the SS East is not the effect of what Germany did. lenge to that description—even though began to have the daring thought of It is the effect of what Britain did. The former members of the Communist Party applying Dzerzhinski's liquidationist policy of building up a Jewish colony in have been in power in Britain. methods to the Jewish problem. Bolshev- Palestine and marginalising the actual The moral distinction between Bol- ism was the threatening background population of the country as it stood at the shevism and Nazism, which was absolute against which Nazism developed. The moment of the British conquest, was set in in British war propaganda in 1941-1945 existence of a capitalist stratum (bourgeois motion long before the Nazi Party came to (though not in neutral Ireland), was upheld and incipient bourgeois) was a social power, and even before it was founded. to a considerable extent while the Soviet problem for the Bolshevik regime and Anti-Semitism was far from being Union lasted, but was replaced after 1990 was dealt with in large part by direct peculiar to Germany. It was general in the with the view that they were two forms of action. The Jews were a social problem new states of Europe between the World the same thing, and that there was no more for the Nazis. They were seen as a social Wars. This was because the Jews had to be said for the liquidation of classes solvent which exerted a destructive influ- been the middle class of the Hapsburgh than for the liquidation of the Jews. ence on national cohesion. Bolshevism Empire—they were a people of the Empire Perhaps this will change if Putin's was an ideology of international socialism as a whole and could not be the middle Russia consolidates itself as a world Power and Fascism was an ideology of national classes of the new nationalistic States and links up with Bolshevik Russia in the socialism. National Socialism arose as established by Britain and France in 1919. form of Bukharinism. But it has not the effective defence against Bolshevism When Germany expanded Eastwards changed yet. in the elemental chaos brought to Europe from 1939 to 1941, its extreme anti-Semitic (There has recently been a hint that the by Britain's Great War and the catastrophic policies gave it a point of affinity with description of Stalin as a murderer is to be peace imposed at the end of it. local nationalisms. This fact was not made a crime in Russia. In this, Russia publicised during the Cold War, though it Churchill, who knew what Fascism was, only follows the Western example which was never difficult to discover. declared himself a supporter of Mussolini has made discussion of the Holocaust a Popular anti-Semitism was operative as the saviour of European civilisation in crime.) in Polish nationalism between the wars, as the late 1920s, and in the 1930s he said The British policy of Jewish colonis- ation led to strong Palestinian resistance Casement Symposium Justice for Casement under the Lion in 1936 which took a major military effort Buswell's Hotel, Dublin and Unicorn at Langley. to suppress. When it was suppressed "The Prerogative of Grace" Britain was contemplating war with Saturday 28th Paul Cullen Germany (having acted to strengthen it until then) and thought it expedient to November 2009 Irish Unity. publish a White Paper which promised to Mícheál Mac Donncha limit Jewish colonisation to what was TOPICS: agreeable to the Palestinian majority, after What can Forensic Science tell us about All Welcome one final batch of colonists were permitted the Casement Diaries? to enter under Imperial authority. This Kevin Mannerings Free Admission was to deter the Arab world from going 22 into active alliance with Germany. But, an orderly implementation of the UN that Britain, as a final act of grand Imperial after the defeat of Germany, Britain was Resolution, but chose not to do so. It gave authority, should have done the dirty work faced with an all-out Jewish terrorist up on policing the Jews, which was perhaps of clearing out the Arabs, instead of leaving offensive, and surrendered to it. It jetti- the most essential task of government in it to the Jewish colonists to do it piecemeal. soned its own policy, announced that it the circumstances. When the British The Zionist vision had sources deep in would simply cease to govern Palestine in administration returned home in May English Puritanism, which was saturated 1948, referred the matter to the United 1948, a massive Jewish act of ethnic with Old Testament ideology, and had Nations but would not allow it to be put on cleansing was directed against the Arab little to do with actual Judaism. That was the agenda of the Security Council—and population of the region allocated for the the socialist Zionism. It combined with where it would still have had to take some Jewish State, and conquest of the territory the Zionism of Anti-Semitism which was responsibility for what was done. Instead allocated for an Arab State was set in evident in Balfour, Churchill and a host of it had the matter referred to the General motion. others. And these influences operating at Assembly, which had no Executive auth- the centre of the most powerful Empire ority and was unable to implement The UN made no attempt to confine the the world had ever seen brought about the whatever decision it made. In the General Jewish State to the territory it had allocated present condition of the Middle East. Assembly Britain piously abstained from for it. voting. When Britain made war on the Palestine What we see in the Middle East today Arabs in 1936 Germany was still a minor The General Assembly voted to award is the effect of what was done by Britain in military power, and the position of the the greater part of Palestine to the Jewish its act of abdication in the face of Jewish small Jewish minority in Germany was colonist minority for the formation of a terrorism, and by the USA/USSR as an act roughly comparable to that of the Catholic Jewish State. In the territory allocated for of policy in 1947-8. It is hard to see how majority in Ireland under the system of the Jewish State there was a very large Germany bears responsibility for it. Penal Laws established by the Enlighten- Arab population, almost equal to the ment regime of the Glorious Revolution. Jewish population. Britain of course bears the main respon- During the next two years Hitler built up sibility. It deliberately established Zionism German military power with active British When the UN was being formed it was as an organised force in world affairs in collaboration. Responsibility for confin- suggested that it have regional structures. 1917 and helped it to get a grip on world ing Germany within the limits set by In America it had a strong regional Jewry. It did this on the understanding Versailles lay with Britain. The USA had structure. American States which came to that earlier Jewish states in the Middle withdrawn in the face of Anglo-French the UN with a complaint about the USA East during biblical times had been refusal to make a settlement in accordance were told they had to refer the matter to the catastrophic for their neighbours, and with the principles under which President Organisation of American States in the therefore on the condition that it would Wilson had brought the USA into the first instance. The OAS was of course control the Jewish colonial development. Great War. And then Britain had prevented dominated by the USA. But, at the critical moment, it abdicated in France from disabling the German state But, when awarding the greater part of the face of the Jewish terrorist onslaught. after humiliating it. Its great concern was Palestine to the Jewish minority, the UN When the Balfour Declaration was to prevent France from establishing a General Assembly set aside the regional issued in 1917 there was strong Jewish hegemonic position in Central Europe. principle in the most extreme way. Every protest against it. It was argued that, if the Government in the Middle East voted formation of a Jewish State in Palestine It connived at covert breaches of the against the motion to establish a Jewish was set in motion, this would set off a Versailles settlement by the Weimar State in Palestine. regression within Judaism towards the democracy, and then collaborated with The motion was carried by the USA fanatical fundamentalism of the Macca- Hitler in openly breaking the Versailles and its client states, the Soviet Union and bees. The assurance that this would not restrictions. This had the initial purpose its client states, the British Dominions, happen this time was that the Jewish of restoring balance-of-power conditions, and the West European states: Belgium, political development would be British. It but later seemed to go beyond that, with Denmark, France, Iceland, Luxemburg, would serve the British Empire and would the object of establishing Germany in Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden—but be directed by it. hegemonic power directed eastwards not Greece. against a Bolshevik State which had not The membership of the UN then was Zionism became part of the socialist only survived amidst the ocean of peasants, less than half of what it is now. The vision of British socialists who rejected but had organised the peasants into an Palestine motion was carried by the White Bolshevism. Zionist motions were active component of the State in the course world. It was the last major expression of adopted as a matter of course by Labour of an effective process of industrialisation. the 'White Man's Burden'. Party Conferences. When Labour won In the course of the following the 1945 Election and Ernest Bevin In the Autumn of 1938 Britain used its generation, the UN was opened up to unexpectedly became Foreign Secretary, influence to induce France to betray entire world and resolutions hostile to the he saw what would be involved in giving Czechoslovakia and to prevent the Jewish State were carried in the General effect to these motions and he was appalled. activation of the Anglo-Soviet Treaty in Assembly, but were without effect. He did not see what sense there was, at the support of Czechoslovakia. Then it The 'Jewish War of Independence' was end of the war on Fascism, in setting up a browbeat the Czech Government into the successful terrorist war against Britain new state on a religious basis and at the handing over a defensible part of its in 1946-7. When Britain reneged on its expense of the population which inhabited territory to Hitler—territory which had undertakings and obligations, and the the relevant territory. He set up a com- not been part of the German State. Soviet/American lobby carried the motion mission to investigate the matter. He for a Jewish State, the Jewish terrorist assumed that Richard Crossman, the major The neighbouring states had always effort was directed at the Arab population. Labour figure on it, would see things as he regarded Czechoslovakia as an artificial The UN motion was carried in October did. But Crossman came out as a very construction among the new nation-states 1947 and the British administration enthusiastic Zionist. He had only one of 1919. Its submission to the British withdrew in May 1948. Britain had six criticism of the project launched by the requirement that it surrender the best- months in which to make preparations for Balfour Manifesto of 1917. He thought defended part of its territory to Nazi 23 Germany confirmed that view. Poland When France settled, it hoped to gain the and Hungary collaborated with Germany USA as an ally, but it was a groundless The German invasion of the Balkans— in taking it apart. Then the Slovaks hope. Roosevelt encouraged Britain to as I first gathered from a British military declared independence. The German maintain a state of war, for his own historian—followed from a pressing offer remnant was then made a German purposes, by supplying it with obsolescent of British military assistance to Greece in Protectorate without a fight. Benes, who equipment at a high cost, but Japan had its war with Italy, a war in which it was surrendered the Sudetenland on British long been marked down as the main holding its own. General Metaxas rejected demand, urged that German occupation obstacle to American ambition. (A recent the offer. It wasn't needed, and accepting of the Czech remnant should not be American publication confirms that it would, he reckoned, oblige Hitler to join contested—but later suggested that treason Roosevelt was not inhibited by public forces with Mussolini, because it would had caused the Army not to fight. opinion from declaring war on Germany: reduce the Greek/Italian War to an incident he had no wish to do so: Thomas Parrish: in the British/German War—which was The unresisted establishment of the To Keep The British Isles Afloat. FDR's the purpose of the offer of course. Metaxas Czech remnant of the state into a German Man In London, Harper Collins.) died in March 1941 and Britain had its Protectorate was too absurd as a pretext For Britain to keep up a declaration of way with his successor, with catastrophic for war, even for Britain. war, which it had no realistic possibility of consequence for Greece. winning, hardly accords with the doctrine The Danzig issue remained as an of Just War. The only realistic hope was The Yugoslav Government made a authentic German grievance from the that, by keeping Europe on a war footing Treaty with Hitler, giving the German Versailles arrangement. Its transfer to by small-scale activity on the margins, it Army a right of passage, but was over- Germany would not have weakened would prevent the German-Soviet thrown by a Serbian revolt. The Germans Poland, because Polish authority over relationship from settling down, and would were then welcomed as liberators in Danzig was merely notional. And its gain the Bolshevik enemy—against which Croatia, but were resisted by the Serbs. importance in power terms to Germany it had tried to go to war early in 1940—as The Serbs were defeated in positional was slight by comparison with the an ally. warfare but resorted to guerilla warfare. Sudetenland. Early in 1939 Hitler opened When a Communist resistance was formed negotiations with Poland about it. Britain I tried to present an account of events in after the German invasion of Russia, then brought Poland into military alliance time, which is what I take history to be. If Britain went into alliance with it and against Germany with itself and France. this is a misrepresentation, I would be backed it against the Serbs who had The Poles, apparently with the two happy to have it demonstrated so that I obstructed the German march to Greece strongest armies in the world at their could settle down in the Churchillian and delayed the attack on Russia by a few disposal, refused to negotiate. Hitler, myth—a myth spun by Churchillians. But weeks, which may well have prevented caught in a paper military encirclement O Ceallaigh does not demonstrate it. something approaching a German victory but convinced that it was only paper, He says: "Hitler dismembered in Russia before the onset of Winter. Then, struck at Poland. Britain and France left Czechoslovakia in 1938". In fact, Britain, fifty years later at the end of the Cold War, the Poles to fend for themselves. They France, Poland, Hungary and Hitler Britain set about destroying the Yugoslav declared war on Germany but did not dismembered it. regime it had put in power. wage it. Early in 1940 they made prepar- ations to get involved in war against the He dismisses the "'Britain fought alone' Metaxas had in 1915, as Chief of Staff, Soviet Union in Finland. When the Finns brigade". All that is wrong with the supported the King in his rejection of the settled with Russia, Britain prepared to slogan is a slightly inaccurate verb: Britain British demand that he should declare war intervene in neutral Scandinavia, and kept the war going alone while not doing on Turkey. This led to an Anglo-French breached Norwegian neutrality. It was much fighting. It was still the greatest invasion of Greece, the overthrow of the pre-empted by a surprise German move to Empire in the world and did not need to do Government, and the establishment of an Norway, and was still licking its wounds much to maintain the instability and Entente puppet Government, with when Germany responded to the uncertainty of a war condition. disastrous consequences for Greece. I declaration of war against it in May 1940. notice that, in a new book about Anglo- "Hitler absorbed Austria": fair enough. Greek relations, Metaxas is described in Nine months after the declaration of He sauntered across the border, and Austria accordance with the British war propa- war Britain still had no will to fight fell into his hands. There had long been a ganda as a German agent. (P. Dimitrakis: Germany, and France was not going to strong party in Austria seeking unity with Greece And The English: British bear the brunt for a second time of a war Germany after the destruction of the Diplomacy And The Kings Of Greece, into which it had been led by Britain. Hapsburgh state. In the early 1920s the Tauris Academic Studies, 2009.) Britain took the remaining part of its small Austrian democracy sought unity with army home. France made a provisional democratic Germany, but Britain and If "Hitler actively wanted war", then settlement with Germany, pending a France would not allow it. A patriotic Britain laid it on for him, by one means general conclusion of the war. Britain— Fascist party developed in Austria and after another. And, if that was the case, I with naval dominance, and with Churchill took power. It was supported by Fascist do not know how it can be established probably knowing from breaking the Italy. But Mussolini would not act alone what Hitler wanted. All he said he wanted German codes through the Enigma to prevent the Anschluss, and when he saw was Danzig and a road to connect the two machine (which was kept a tight secret of that Britain would not act to prevent a parts of Germany. If that had been a small inner circle for thirty years after Fascist merger, as it had acted to prevent negotiated, it seems to me that he would the War) that Germany did not plan to a democratic merger, he accepted the have found it very problematical to arrange invade Britain—refused to make a Anschluss as inevitable. And one of the a war for himself. settlement, though it was both unwilling leaders of the patriotic Austrian Fascism, Anyhow, the British policy towards and unable to continue the War with any without being born again ideologically, Germany after March 1939 was never one realistic hope of success. contributed to the British literature of the of containment, or of limited war in support Britain's purpose was to embroil others 'Anti-Fascist War': Prince Starhemberg: of Poland. in a war which it had started in the Between Hitler And Mussolini, London & Brendan Clifford expectation that France would fight it. New York, 1942. To be continued 24 CARBON TAXES climate change. The recent USA space Carbon taxes are all about raising money vandalism could change the orbit of the and not about reducing carbon emissions. moon which in itself could cause Does Keep an eye on the climate change catastrophic global environmental damage It conferences—the next one is in and indeed real climate change. Stack Copenhagen—and you will see the talk is Up all about money and how Governments THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE ? are going to make it off their people's fears AND PRESIDENT OBAMA about global flash-out. Carbon Credits are The Nobel Committee has done it again the next big thing and how these can be GLOBAL WARMING and again. It is just a ghastly laugh at this Newspapers reports are suggesting that traded for a truly global cash bonanza. stage. Al Gore got it for making about 90 Finance Minister Brian Lenihan TD will The Carbon Taxes being talked about will million dollars for his own self talking bring in a Carbon Tax so as to penalise so- raise the prices of retail coal, peat about Climate Change. Just as Al Gore got called Carbon Emissions. This is supposed briquettes, petrol and diesel, but the rise in it for talking, so President Barack Obama to be the Politically Correct thing to do prices will in all probability do nothing to got it for talking and, make no mistake, his because it is said to be "Carbon Emissions" reduce the consumption of these products oratorical powers are phenomenal. The which are causing Global Warming which and so the taxes are unlikely to do anything President delivers—I am convinced at in turn will lead to higher sea levels. There for our climate. What it stacks up to is just this stage—the same speech over and over is no concrete scientific evidence for any more taxation. again with the added mantra "we can do of this global warming guff—it is all based it". But what has he exactly done yet, on pseudo-science and computer- THE MOON AND THE USA besides continuing Bush's wars? He talks generated scenarios fed with improper If the Copenhagen Climate Change now about sending in more troops and data. As we all well know about computers Conference will be really about concern equipment (very important, don't forget —GIGO—garbage in, garbage out. The for our climate, it will pass a severe vote the equipment, good for someone's bank computer-generated scenarios are con- of censure on the USA which recently accounts) to Afghanistan. Iraq is still structed on the basis of false or misleading slammed two probes into the moon to see raging on, with more people dying every assumptions. if a resulting plume of moondust revealed day. He is talking at and threatening Iran Now I have found some interesting any ice crystals. "Identification of water about their nuclear peaceful programmes figures from The History of the Ancient in the ejecta (their word for flying debris) while Israel gets away with every kind of and Present State of Navigation of the would be an important discovery—and wrong-doing. What is the result of all this Port of King's Lyn and of Cambridge by could be a resource for any future human talking? When the President's own staff Thos. Badeslade—published in London, base". There was no sign of the expected heard about him being awarded the Nobel 1725. It is known that work on draining flash or explosion—i.e. no ejecta! The Peace Prize, even they thought it was a the Fens has been done by the Roman thing cost 79 million dollars and it vanished wind-up. And really doesn't that say it all? Army up to 2000 years ago and the work without trace in a crater, and the camera Michael Stack ©. had been continued and kept in various after it! states of repair on and off ever since. If President Barack Obama is serious Specifically, on 26th September 1611, a about conserving resources, he might shut Session of Sewers held at Kings-Lyn down NASA. The guys in NASA are ordered a sluice to be built with its sole or unreal—they announced after the event Benedict Chifley, apron one foot under the low tide level and with the moon experiment that it was "a Prime Minister Of this was done. In August 1723, Thos. success" and that "the team is excited to Badeslade and three other named engineers dive into the data". Anthony Colaprete, a Australia 1945-49 found the sole of the same sluice and project scientist at NASA, stated "luck proved that the low water mark in the has to come to get the ejecta to fly in the Part Two of our occasional series on Ouse was 8 feet 11 inches lower in 1611 way we want it to fly"—read that again Australian leaders than in 1723. The Industrial Revolution in and meditate on it—is Anthony Colaprete England is said to commence in or about proposing to get the results to show what Following the death of John Curtin the 1720. So how could the rise in the tide in he wants? Even the biggest telescopes Australian Labour Party caucus elected the previous one hundred years of nearly saw nothing, yet Colaprete said: "But I am the Treasurer, Ben Chifley, as party leader 9 feet be due to "Carbon Emissions"? That not convinced that we will not see the and Prime Minister. Unlike Curtin, who the tide did rise considerably prior to the ejecta when we look more closely" and "it was, throughout his lifetime, a committed Industrial Revolution is evident from the might be months before the team was socialist, Chifley was less deeply sites of ancient Viking harbour works, ready (sic) to say how much water had committed to that cause for, while he had visible only at low tide whereas, when been detected, if any". Colaprete and the been an active Unionist as an engine driver they were built, they must have been other NASA scientists said before the and had been dismissed for his part in a designed to be useful at the then high tides event that they expected a dust plume 10 strike in 1917 and was not re-employed which indicates a rise in the tides of kilometres high. It would take an explosion until 1925, eight years later, he was well possible 3 or 4 metres in the past thousand to have that effect—would it not? But known for his so-called moderate approach years. NASA said nothing about explosions and to politics. The changes in tides and in climate are nothing happened except the projectile of course always taking place and are and cameras vanished. The 79 million Chifley continued to work actively in much more likely to be caused by fluxions dollars is safe in someone's bank account. the ALP while dismissed from the railways of the sun or by changes in volcanic activity President Barack Obama should carpet and was selected to contest the Federal and unlikely to be caused by any human Anthony Colaprete and his associated seat of Macquarie, based on the Bathurst activity. What is important is that we do scientists. Something doesn't stack up! district in 1925. He failed to win the seat not waste finite resources such as oil and However, the reason the Copenhagen until 1928, three years later. Then, when coal in frenetic and mostly useless jetting Conference should reprove the USA is Joe Lyons led his revolt against the Scullin around the world to "Climate Change" because the moon, twice a day, has much Labor Government and formed a Conferences. more affect on our tides than any supposed conservative breakaway party, he invited 25 Chifley to join him as his Treasurer. against anybody who protested against Australian working people began to Chifley refused the offer and was rewarded the militarization of these sites. experience inflation, brought about by with the position of Minister for Defense Chifley was an enthusiastic supporter shortages of food and other necessities. in Scullin's Government. Then, in 1931, of the US-dominated United Nations and Many workers had held high hopes of an when Lyons defeated Scullin and became Dr. Herb Evatt, his Foreign Minister, was improvement in living and working PM in a new conservative administration elected as the first President of the United conditions once the War was over and the and Chifley lost his scat he was also Nations General Assembly. Although Labor Party made political gains federally, expelled from the engine drivers' Union. many members of Chifley's Cabinet were but they were deeply disappointed. This event probably came about because of Irish descent, they all appear to have Particularly restive were the coal miners, of his close alignment with Scullin and his adopted a particularly hostile attitude who were still suffering very poor condi- active conflict with Jack Lang's breakaway towards the then Irish Free State, for its tions and wages imposed by the mining Labor Party. (Lang, when he was Premier having remained neutral throughout World barons during the brutal battles of the of New South Wales, had attempted to War 2. Arthur Caldwell, Chifley's Minister great depression. The last thing the miners induce Scullin to withhold interest for Immigration, despite the fact that his expected was the blunt refusal by a Labor payments on loans borrowed from the mother was a native of Co. Leitrim, Government to consider any improvement British banks. Lang was deposed from his attempted to exclude Irish people from in their wages and conditions. premiership by the NSW State Governor, emigrating to Australia, a decision that It is true that the Communist Party Sir Philip Game, who represented the was later rescinded, but the Chifley agitated for improvements in the terrible British monarch. He then formed a Government still stood by their racist working conditions and poor pay being breakaway Labor Party which competed "White Australia" Policy, which doled out to many categories of workers, with the "official" ALP. for many years.) discriminated against Asian immigration, but the pretence that the workers' demands Chifley failed to win the seat of but also discriminated against Australia's were motivated solely by communist Macquarie at two subsequent elections, grossly mistreated indigenous population. agitation is both false and cynical. but was appointed by the conservative If Chifley believed he could curry Lyons Government as an independent Soon after Chifley replaced Curtin as favour with the conservative Opposition advisor to the Treasury. Then he won the Prime Minister the British Labour Party by refusing the just demands of workers, seat of Macquarie in 1941 and was won a landslide victory over Winston he was deluding himself and his party, but appointed Federal Treasurer in the Curtin Churchill's Tory Party. However, while that is exactly what was happening As the Government. Curtin later appointed him the British party established what could coal miners' strike progressed and industry to the new portfolio of Minister for Post- have been the basis for a genuine socialist and the public began to experience War Reconstruction following the Labor programme in Britain, the ALP, even after shortages, government and media landslide victory of 1943. scoring yet another sweeping victory over propaganda encouraged people to believe the deeply conservative Liberal/National that communist agitators were indeed the Although Chifley as Prime Minister, Coalition, followed what amounted to a sole cause of all their trouble. implemented, or attempted to implement, Liberal, rather than a socialist policy. Rather than meet the demands of the many of Curtin's policies, he strongly Chifley prolonged rationing of food and workers Chifley decided to use the army supported the Western Allies in the Cold petrol so as to make it possible to export to break the miners' strike. Soldiers were War, as did most of his colleagues. His aid to what he saw as a still-embattled employed to distribute the coal that was decision to establish the Australian Britain. Despite these shortcomings, stockpiled in the mining areas and the Security Intelligence Organisation Chifley continued many of the army commenced to dig coal from the (ASIO), a domestic spying organization, programmes initiated by Curtin. His open-cut mines, of which there were many modelled on Britain's M15, along with the Government set up the Australian National in New South Wales. Chifley also made a Australian Security Intelligence Service University in Canberra and established a promise to the miners that he would meet (ASIS), an external spy organization, system of scholarships at other universities their demands if they returned to work, modelled on Britain's M16, confirmed the as well as providing scholarships and trade but when the troops took over the role he chose for Australia in the Cold training for demobilized military coalmines Chifley quickly withdrew that War. Chifley also "lent" Woomera, a site personnel. The Government consolidated offer. Chifley won the strike and the on the Nullarbor Plains in South Australia, social welfare programmes introduced by defeated miners had no option but to return as a British rocket testing site and nearby Curtin, such as a limited payment of to work under the old conditions. In the Maralinga site as a nuclear testing ground unemployment benefits, sick leave and meantime the Opposition increased their for Britain's nuclear bomb programme. free universal testing for tuberculosis—a attacks on the Government. disease that was then rampant in Australia. People also praise Chifley for his Chifley's attempts to improve the health In the Federal election that was decision to build the massive Snowy services were met with virulent opposition scheduled for the end of 1949 the Chifley Mountains Hydro-Electricity Scheme, but from the medical profession as well as the Government suffered a heavy defeat in neglect to tell the electorate that the real Coalition. Similarly his attempts to the Lower House of parliament, but purpose for this enormous enterprise was nationalize the banking system met with retained its majority in the Senate. not to ensure electric power for Australian serious opposition and accusations that he However this proved to he of little use and industry, nor for the provision of fresh was being influenced by the Communist when the new conservative Government, water for the irrigation of arid agricultural Party, despite the fact that the Labor led by Robert Menzies, introduced laws land, but to ensure a plentiful supply of Government strongly attacked the banning the Communist Party, Chifley water for what was planned to be communists at every possible opportunity. and his party voted in favour of the Australia's nuclear bomb-making Finally, after a prolonged and very legislation. But Menzies had become over- enterprise. The bomb-making project was expensive court case, the High Court of confident. Not content with declaring the eventually ditched by the Americans when Australia ruled that bank nationalization Communist Party illegal he included in they decided to limit the availability of was unconstitutional. The Government the Bill laws by which anybody could be nuclear weapons to a few chosen allies. appealed to the British Privy Council, but, declared to be a communist and therefore Because of the many protests which the the Privy Council supported the decision unfit to hold a position of trust. This was use of the rocket testing and nuclear testing of the Australian High Court. aimed directly at Trade Union leaders. sites engendered, the Chifley Government The onus to prove that one was not a introduced draconian laws to be used Real trouble also arose when the Communist Party member was placed on 26 the person who was so accused. "Our man in Berlin was indeed an anti- The Communist Party appealed to the semite. Bewley had 'gone native', and PRSI continued High Court and hired Herb Evatt, the was a Nazi sympathiser. In 1939 he was Attorney General in the defeated Chifley recalled to Dublin; he didn't appear, was dismissed, and later wound up writing Separately, the document states that a Government, to lead the appeal. When the number of cuts or cost-saving options are High Court declared the legislation propaganda for Goebbels. So Much for Bewley." available to bring down social welfare unconstitutional, Robert Menzies, who expenditure. had a long history of expressing his The last sentence is dismissive, the preceding ones build up a case against De Valera's Ireland, These include abolishing the entitle- admiration for the now defeated German ment to "half-rate" payments for those in Nazi Party and had a long history of and an element of straightforward racism. Bewley is described as 'going native' because receipt of an existing welfare payment. involvement with local extreme right-wing he was anti-Jewish. Germany prior to WW1 This includes the half-rate Jobseeker's groups, decided to test the issue in a had nothing like the UK's Aliens Act (1904) Benefit and Carer's entitlement. referendum. France's Dreyfus affair, or Tsarist Russia's This referendum was rejected by the pogroms. Bewley probably acquired this creed The Social Insurance Fund, meanwhile, electorate. Many groups, including the in the Public School he attended in Edwardian has faced significant deficits before, with Catholic Church campaigned for the England. If Bewley wrote about the 'Jewish problem' in the above terms he was quite the Government making up almost a third banning of the Communist Party, but many of the Fund's contributions during the Catholics ignored the Church and voted wrong. The 'Western democracies' resolutely refused 1980s. against the Bill, especially the clause An actuarial review of the Fund in 2005 placing the onus of proof on the accused. entry to Jewish refugees. They feared the millions of uneducated Jews of eastern Europe, advised that significant increases in contri- Despite many other dirty tricks played not the educated Jews of Germany. Dublin's bution income would be required in future against the communists and the Unions in intellectuals are prepared to engage in analytical years. later years, there the matter has remains to or critical thought about the City of London's The Department, in the documents this day. (many) wars. submitted to McCarthy, suggested build- US President Roosevelt convened a ing a closer relationship between Contribu- Despite rampant inflation and the conference on the Jewish problem (Evian, France, July 1938). He was trying to off-load tion rates and Benefit rates. systematic undoing of most of the At present, for example, significant legislation beneficial to workers, Menzies responsibility for the plight of Europe's Jews onto the UK. They could all go to Palestine. portions of the Fund are not used for won a second election in 1951. By now Social Insurance purposes and are used the ALP was deeply divided over the issue The UK was having problems there and did not want to inflame matters. It had an anti-Semitic for health contributions and a training of communism and while Chifley did not programme. Jews were allowed into Palestine levy. capitulate totally to a violent, right-wing on the assumption that they would constitute a The document says recent contributions faction within the ALP, he could have 'little loyal Ulster' in the region. Jewish refugees to the Health Levy will increase a person's been described as ambivalent. Perhaps his entering the UK between 1933-39 were the PRSI contribution without enhancing their health had become a major problem, for charge of the Jewish community and not 'the right to any particular payment or service. he died of a heart attack in June 1951. He public funds'. See John Smith's Britain, Zionism was replaced by Herbert (Doe) Evatt. So and the Holocaust (ISBN 085034 099 3 Athol "This may have the effect of weakening the overall principle of social insurance ended the ascendancy of the ALP for Books, £4.50)). Mr Murphy tells us about "Ian Kennedy- in the mind of contributors (who may not many years. be aware of the various elements of the Patrick O'Beirne Martin" (Mr Martin does not hyphenate his name). He "came to Dublin" in 1954, "because overall contribution) as the overall it was the cheapest town in Europe for a amount payable will appear very much university education"". (Belfast was as cheap). higher without any changes in benefit War guilt and other nonsense He stayed five years. He "dug up a Donegal entitlement," the document states. granny" to acquire citizenship and a passport. Irish Independent's Review page (04.04.09) He returned to London in 1961. National There is no way that either PRSI or the had Isn't it time we started mentioning the Service had ended. Health Levy should be absorbed into a War? It does not specify which war. Colin Colin Murphy's assertion rather odd "[h]e… single Tax System, both should have been Murphy's subject is World War 2. He is learned that Eamon de Valera had made a ring-fenced 30 years ago, and dedicated unhappy with Ireland's role in that mass condolences visit to the German ambassador towards a proper universal health system slaughter. on the occasion of Hitler's death. It rankled." and not the hotch-potch that currently His first paragraphs contain smear by Quite why it 'rankled' a 'draft dodger' is difficult exists. No doubt this is what Frank Cluskey implication: to fathom. Mr Martin, despite claiming to be had in mind in 1974—it says a lot as to "After the Night of Broken Glass in a 'hack' is a very distinguished television Germany, in November 1938, the Depart- how Labour and the Trade Union move- scriptwriter. His work ranges from Z-Cars and ment has 'advanced' since then. ment of Foreign Affairs sought a report many other series to one-off dramas and from our man in Berlin. Almost 100 Jews adaptations. had been murdered in the Kristallnacht Murphy writes that Martin wanted to write Murphy 2009 scolds. & Irish dramatists for "relent- pogrom and thousands of businesses a stage play. He wanted ""a contained situa- lessly" pursuing the personal. Most drama ransacked. tion"… with a small cast…" and "preferably from 'The North' has been about State power "The tiny Berlin legation was headed by just the one" set. He "stumbled upon a reference for most of the past thirty years. As it is mostly Charles Bewley. to the Irish wartime legation in Berlin: a small about the British State misbehaving it is "His report back made no mention of room, a couple of people, an external threat ignored. Murphy notes "Conall Quinn's The attacks on Jews and Jewish property. Instead (the bombs falling)… potential for internal Death of Harry Leon". he wrote approvingly of measures towards conflict. He had his play." (The innocent- Colin Murphy asks, "…who will take up the "the elimination of the Jewish element from minded reference to "bombs falling" is gauntlet" on tackling "Ireland's role in the the public life of Germany", contrasting interesting. Diplomats discussing the deliberate war". Germany favourably with other European targeting of working class residential areas (as An enterprising writer could produce a countries. opposed to the factories producing weapons of lifetime of dramas on what the UK got up to in ""The method of the 'Western demo- war) by the RAF would have been useful in the course of WW2. Whole series could be cracies' in dealing with the Jewish problem Britain in reference to the war. But 1939-45 written on participation in the war by Taigs has been to deny that the problem exists," was a just, even a Holy War. Nearly all the from Belfast's 'Sailortown'. Readers should he wrote, "and to consider the matter settled critics reviewing Mr Martin's The Berlin- not hold their breath waiting for such an by calling those who think otherwise 'anti- Hanover Express took the opportunity to attack eventuality. Seán McGouran semites'." Ireland's refusal to take part in their war. 27 noting that several other EU countries reaction to the proposal to reinstate rollover PRSI continued have already abolished the tax. The UK relief for Capital Gains Tax where replace- rate is 0.5%. ment land is being purchased by property You have to pay some of the cost of other The Irish Stock Exchange welcomed owners who were subject to a CPO procedures. Those with an income of over the proposal, saying the present stamp (Compulsory Purchase Order). In addition, €65,000 pay somewhat more. duty "is the highest in the Western world". stamp-duty relief is to be retained for Optical: Eye tests for spectacles are Stamp duty on share transactions gener- young farmers. free, although a charge of €22.15 is made ated €406 million in 2006 for the State but On the downside, relief on the CAT for a contact lens test. Standard glasses are is only likely to raise €145 million this (gift and inheritance tax) is to be reduced free while you pay €15 for slightly fancier year. The low take makes it an ideal time from 90% to 75%. Farm representative frames, or can get a benefit of €42.07 to scrap the duty, the commission argues. bodies have hit out at this move, maintain- towards frames or contact lenses of your The Commission also recommends that ing that it will act as a disincentive to the choice, or €83.71 in the case of bifocals. tax on dividends should be reduced to the transfer of holdings to young farmers. Aural: You can claim half the cost of a same rate as the Deposit Interest Retention There was bad news in relation to the hearing aid up to €760 and half the cost of Tax (DIRT) charged on bank deposits, Capital Allowance Tax for farm buildings. any repairs. which is currently 25%. The Commission It has been proposed to reduce the rate at argues that it is wrong to tax people who which the net of grant cost can be written THE TWO BUDGETS contribute to economic investment more against profit from 12.5% to 4%. It's not just that the Income Levy rates than people who leave their money in a The ICMSA welcomed the re- doubled as of May 1st last, but the threshold bank account. introduction of rollover relief on CPOs, was lowered too. If you earn more than Dividends are currently taxed as income but warned that the CAT proposal should €15,028 a year, you're now paying a 2% tax, which means that most shareholders not amount to the re-introduction of "penal levy on all income up to €75,036. After would pay 41% tax on their dividends. death duties". that, it's 4% up to €174,980, and after that The move would cost ¤53 million, it again you're getting hit for 6%. adds. SOCIAL INSURANCE FUND 'SKINT' The Health Levy, which insured "As part of a rational and coherent The Social Insurance Fund, into which workers pay out to fund the health service, approach to the taxation of capital, we every worker pays their PRSI contribution, has doubled to 4% for anyone who earns also conclude that the tax rate on deposit will run out shortly and face a deficit of between €26,000 and €75,036 and 5% interest, on funds, on capital gains and on some €4.4 billion by the end of next year, after that. And finally, the PRSI ceiling dividends received by individuals should according to official projections. has gone up from €52,000 to—you've be the same," the Report says. This contrasts with the findings of a guessed it—€75,036. 2005 review of the Social Insurance Fund, Many workers have already taken pay SEAFARERS ALLOWANCE The Daly Report has also advocated which estimated it would remain in surplus cuts—up to 20% in some cases, and not for the next decade or more. just for those on very high wages—and the abolition of the "Seafarers Allowance". If you are employed on board a ship and The Fund is used to help pay Unemploy- others are working three-day weeks. ment Benefit, State Pensions, Maternity May 1st also saw the early childcare spend at least 161 days in a calendar year at sea travelling to or from foreign ports, Benefit and Redundancy and Insolvency supplement, payable to families with Payments for those who make PRSI children under the age of five, halved to then you may qualify for Seafarers Allowance. The allowance is ¤6,350 and contributions. €41.50 a month before it gets phased out Updated projections from the Depart- at the end of the year. And if you've owned it is an allowance available at your highest rate of tax. ment of Social and Family Affairs indicate a house for more than seven years, your the overall surplus will shrink from €3.4 mortgage interest relief has vanished too. Having destroyed any semblance of a national shipping fleet, I suppose there's a billion last year to €360 million by the end of this year. On the upside for the consumer, there certain logic, however barmy, in wiping out the Sailors' and Seamen's Allowance. It will be exhausted within months and has been a decline in the cost of living so face a significant deficit by the end of dramatic that, according to the Central THE RANCHERS—SMALL AND LARGE 2010. Statistics Office, it is declining at its fastest Farmers have escaped the double The deficit will place pressure on the rate since May, 1933. Government to raise PRSI contributions The annual rate of deflation is now whammy of a possible carbon tax on livestock and Local Authority Rates on from workers, or divert funds from the running at 3.5%, and much of this is exchequer to pay out social insurance thanks to the drop in mortgage rates, from land and buildings in what was a relatively benign assessment by the Commission on benefits. which some—though not all—homeowners The above figures were contained in have been benefiting in recent months and Taxation. However, alterations to the Capital the Department's submission to the Special this could well come to an abrupt end after Group on Public Service Numbers and December. Acquisition Tax (CAT) thresholds might make inheriting farms more expensive, Expenditure Programmes (McCarthy However, the positives brought about Report). by the decline in the cost of living fall well while the removal of stock relief will hit short of balancing out the cuts. those starting out or expanding their operations. The rate of increase on the Live Register The decision to concentrate the carbon- this year and the continuing drop in STOCK EXCHANGE WELCOMES REPORT tax element of the proposals on users of contributions have contributed to the Shareholders face significant changes fossil fuels will come as a major relief to dramatic reduction in the Fund, which has in the way shares are taxed, including farmers given that a tax on livestock had been in surplus throughout the years of the the abolition of Stamp Duty and a cut in been suggested. Celtic Tiger from 1997. dividend tax, under the proposals out- There was more good news with the Minister for Social and Family Affairs lined by the Commission on Taxation. decision to maintain the exemption of Mary Hanafin has said the Exchequer will The commission recommends the agricultural land and buildings from Local make up any gap, but has acknowledged it present 1% Stamp Duty applied to all Authority Rates. will cause greater problems in framing a share transactions should be scrapped, budget. There has been a positive farmer continued on page 27 28 PRSI continued employee share ownership trusts them to pay more tax." (Irish Independent, (ESOTs) should continue. 8.9.2009). * The income tax exemption for works totalled around €66 million per PRSI BENEFITS TO GO? approved share option schemes The McCarthy Report published in July year. (APSOs) should be discontinued. They said treatment benefit, which contributes However, since then, artists earning should also be liable to employee PRSI to the cost of dental, and optical treatment more than €250,000 a year from their and levies. and hearing aids, was "no longer afford- work have been liable for tax. * Continue the income tax exemption The Report said the exemption is of no able" given other pressures on the social for Save As You Earn (SAYE) schemes insurance fund. benefit to artists whose income doesn't but remove the PRSI, health contribution reach the taxable threshold. The scheme, which has been in place levy and income levy exemptions. for decades, allows patients who make "While the tax exemption may have * The income tax exemption for new PRSI contributions to avail of free or created an environment in which the arts shares purchased on issue by employees can flourish, considerations of equity and subsidised dental treatment including a should be discontinued. screening service for oral cancer—which efficiency outweigh this factor and, * The artists' exemption should be accordingly, we recommend that the kills more people in this country than discontinued but consideration given to melanomas and cervical cancers. exemption be discontinued," the Com- introducing income averaging in the mission said in its proposals. McCarthy said some €92 million would taxation of income from creative work. be saved in a full year by the abolition of The Sports Persons' exemption would * The sportsperson's relief should the payment. In the region of €50 million survive—these are payments to such continue but under modified rules. of this is paid out for dental treatments out luminaries as Sonia O'Sullivan and the * The seafarer's allowance should be of more than €8 billion in PRSI loudmouths in the Gaelic Players' Associ- discontinued. contributions. ation. Sport, it would appear has now * Expenses of Oireachtas members Patients are effectively being told that, taken the place of religion as the opiate of should be treated in the same way under despite many years of contributions, they the masses. Before long, the cry must go the tax code as expenses paid to employees are now to be deprived of this scheme. up for the separation of Sport and State. and office holders generally. Workers on the average industrial wage (€33,000) contribute €20 per week in PRSI The restrictions on the use of tax reliefs SINGLE INCOME TAX SYSTEM contributions while higher earners and exemptions by high-earners intro- The Daly Report also says there should contribute up to €53 per week towards duced in 2007 should remain part of the be a single income-tax system that their dental and other welfare benefits. tax code. They should apply to individuals incorporates PRSI and levies. Under the scheme, which is funded by with income of €250,000 or more, rather It states: "There are now four parallel workers paying PRSI, patients are entitled than the existing threshold of €500,000. systems which collect tax on income. These to a dental examination free once a year Restrictions should apply on a graduated are income tax, PRSI, the health levy, and and assistance towards their treatment basis to individuals earning more than the income levy." which included fillings, extractions and €200,000. But the Report points out that each of cleaning. Although it recommends further integ- the four income-tax measures has a The Social Insurance Fund, out of which ration of the tax and welfare systems in different base. This means there are Social Welfare benefits are paid, is general, it says only the health levy should differences in the number and categories expected to run into deficit next year after be fully subsumed into income tax. This to which it applies. many years of running a surplus. With should only happen when the economy The base for the two per cent levy and fewer people paying PRSI, the flow of recovers. Mr Daly said if the recom- the income levy (at 2%, 4% or 6%) are money into the Fund has diminished while mendations on property taxes, carbon taxes both wider than the usual income tax base, the demand for benefits has greatly and the abolition of certain tax reliefs say the Commissioners. increased. It's little wonder than the were implemented, this could be offset by "Our strong view is that there should McCarthy Report suggested a range of lower income tax bills. be a single system which collects tax on measures aimed at reducing the looming incomes." gap between income and expenditure. MAIN POINTS It examined the option of bringing the Have no doubt former PD and Fianna * Income tax relief for trade union two levies into such a single-income tax Fail renegade, Health Minister Harney, subscriptions should be discontinued. system. "We looked at the option of will have the option high on her agenda as * The relief for benefit-in-kind and integrating the health levy on its own into she juggles to balance Social Welfare PRSI exemption for employer-provided the income tax system", says the Report. needs with the inevitably reduced budget public transport travel passes and bicycles But, " …the key imperative is to restore that she is going to have next year. should continue. fiscal balance", and there were likely to The majority of workers making PRSI * The income tax relief for scholarships be significant consequences from any contributions are entitled to these benefits, and fees paid for training courses and rushed amalgamation. It could mean although in certain circumstances the third level education should continue. increased marginal rates of tax and new benefit is scaled down where income * The exemption from income tax of taxation on those on low incomes. It also exceeds €65,000. statutory redundancy payments should admitted it could increase the tax burden Benefits can be claimed in respect of continue, as should the exemption from of those on higher incomes. treatments carried out in any EU member income tax for retraining on redundancy. state. * Continue the income tax exemption "Integrating the four systems into a single system for taxing income would for approved profit-sharing schemes BENEFITS inevitably give rise to an increase in the (APSSs) and remove the PRSI, health Benefits fall into three categories: standard rate of income tax, if the main dental, optical and aural. contribution levy exemptions. personal credits remain at their 2009 * The PRSI exemption for employee levels," the report says. Dental: Routine preventative treatment (unapproved) share options should be "This would reduce the relative value is free—a yearly examination, scaling and discontinued of their personal credits, thus bringing polishing, including mild gum treatment. * The tax treatment which applies to low earners into the tax net, or causing continued on page 28

29 And it says that workers should be making the taxes on couples more PRSI continued subject to PRSI on 'unearned' income, for independent "would produce a positive example money from investments or but small effect on married women's head of the Revenue Commissioners— renting property. This proposal is likely to participation in the labour force". said the 16-month time frame allowed the present huge logistical difficulties, not to Mr. Daly said they struck a balance experts only to concentrate on a "broad mention verification problems. The between the desire to provide incentives reform rather than detailed design". Commission also wants PRSI to apply to to women to participate in the workforce The Government asked it to look at share options. and the "very strong views in this country ways to avoid tax-rate increases or any with regard to childcare choices". proposals that would discourage people Meanwhile, the Commission has harsh He said Individualisation of tax bands from taking up paid employment. things to say about the Government's reli- and credits was a topic that had "got a lot It is now up to the Fianna Fail/Green ance on PRSI as a revenue-raising measure. of airing" during the discussions held by Party Government to decide which of the PRSI is meant to operate as a system the Commission, but it had decided to 230 recommendation it intends to whereby both employers and workers "leave it as it is". implement. make contributions towards an individual's Completing the Individualisation pro- As stated above, Brendan Hayes, Vice- entitlement to various benefits outside the cess, which would require giving a single President of SIPTU, refused to sign the workplace. person the same tax bands and credits as a final report because he does not believe in These include health and dental single-income married couple, would be the low-tax model of the economy. treatment, as well as eligibility for the "hugely costly". At the same time, The Committee believes that in order Contributory State Pension and Unem- reversing the steps made toward partial to plug the hole in the Exchequer finances ployment Benefit. individualisation during the early part of an overall increase in the levels of taxation But Governments have failed to ring- the decade would also be hugely costly. is not needed, but rather a "broader and fence PRSI to pay for the services they are less volatile base". meant to fund, with the Commission IBEC'S POSITION It warned that our relatively narrow complaining that PRSI has "certain "It recommends keeping the same base of current taxation has made us very characteristics of a tax". family unit as the basis of income taxation susceptible—and therefore vulnerable— and suggests maintaining the hybrid to changes in economic conditions. The report says the Health Contribution method announced by Charlie McCreevy. It admitted that while some of the Levy, generally lumped in with PRSI in This will ensure incentives for a partner proposals were "radical" they claimed that pay slips, "does not confer any right or to re-enter the workforce after child they were needed in order to protect Ireland entitlement of benefit" and should be rearing" (David Croughan, Chief from any future economic shocks. abolished "when fiscal conditions improve Economist, IBEC, Ir. Exam, 8.9.2009). But despite recommending income cuts sufficiently" and absorbed into the general that will affect every person in the country, income tax system in the meantime. TRADE UNION SUBS Commission members were well remuner- The Commission recommends that The Daly Report also called for an end ated for their work. PRSI should apply to more workers "in to tax relief for Trade Union subscriptions The members were paid €700 per view of the burden on the Exchequer" suggesting that membership is more likely meeting, with the exception of Brendan during the current financial crisis. to be a condition of employment rather Hayes of SIPTU who waived his fee. Having a wider range of people than taken for ¤70 tax credit purposes. However, the Chairman, Mr. Daly, was contributing to PRSI would help keep the As part of the Commission's wide- paid €1,000 for turning up at each meeting, rate of contributions low all round, reaching blueprint for the reform of bringing the bill per day to over €12,000. according to the advice. PAYE workers Ireland's tax framework it also proposes It is understood they met an average of and the self-employed should pay the same the discontinuation of PRSI exemption twice a month. rate of charge. for employee Share Options. The rate of PRSI for a PAYE worker is The Commission said, however, that ABOLITION OF PRSI CEILING 6% (4% plus a 2% health levy), up to a the tax-free status of Employee Share The Commission on Taxation recom- ceiling of ¤50,700 after which only the Ownership Trusts (ESOTs) should remain, mends that the employee cut-off point for Health Levy becomes payable. on account that they "play a role in the PRSI should be scrapped. The employer's rate, in respect of each modernisation and privatisation of State- This means that PRSI would apply employee, is 10.75%. controlled businesses." across the board on all income, draining Workers on the minimum wage should further cash from take-home pay packets. continue to be exempt from income tax On the subject of Employee Tax Credits This would hit those workers earning and PRSI, it said. (ETCs), or the PAYE Tax Credit, the more than ¤50,700 a year—the current Commission has concluded that it should ceiling for payment of the pay-related be extended to the self-employed, rather social insurance. TAX INDIVIDUALISATION The Commission also concludes that, than just PAYE workers mainly on account The balance of income being taken up on balance, the controversial system of of the self-employed having to pay by PRSI contributions would effectively Individualisation should stay. This policy preliminary tax for a year of assessment triple beyond this mark. has meant that single-income couples pay before the end of that year and are likely to The only reprieve would be a possible proportionately more income tax than have higher compliance costs than the reduction in the general PRSI rate as a double-income couples as a result of majority of the PAYE sector. consequence of its wider application to reduced tax credits. Meanwhile, the Commission concluded PAYE workers. The Commission believes there is an that the Government could net upwards of The Employers' ceiling has meanwhile incentive in persuading spouses to enter €70 million a year in tax if it were to totally already been scrapped, and the Commis- the labour market and both earn incomes, discontinue its artists' exemption rule. sion advises against its reintroduction. rather than encouraging them to stay at That forecasted figure is largely based But the report does recommend that home. on most recent estimates, from 2006, which companies should be given the option of On Individualisation, the Commission calculated that the amount of income tax offsetting R&D tax credits against says there is evidence to suggest that waived from money earned from artistic employer PRSI costs. continued on page 29 30 * The taxing of child benefit with a Commission, contained as an annex to the PRSI continued credit to be given to low-income Report, said if its recommendations were families. implemented they would not change our Governments to tackle the failure of full * A windfall tax from land re-zonings unfair society. and fair payment of tax in general by a and a tax for sitting on land banks. He said he believed couples earning substantial element of the population. The * Making workers pay PRSI on all their about €70,000 would be the worst-hit. wealthy, the speculators and the tax income. "The State pretends to provide social evaders must be tackled, there is no other * Scrapping a range of tax reliefs availed infrastructure, and we pretend to pay for way to relieve the growing burden on the of by workers. it," he said. PAYE sector. Within Government circles, the Carbon "We need to ask what kind of society Workers are not intrinsically opposed Tax and PRSI changes are seen as strong we want, what public services we want to paying PRSI! What galls them is that and are we prepared to pay the taxes to prospects for inclusion in Finance Minister they get shag all in return while substantial have them?" Brian Lenihan's December Budget— elements in the community who pay little although both measures would be gradu- The Director of Social Justice Ireland, or no tax, get all the benefits. ally phased in over a number of years. Father Sean Healy, said there was "no There are a significant number of justification" for the Commission's conclu- A Commission on Social Welfare was recommendations on personal taxes and sion that the total tax-take should not rise. set up in 1983, this is what it said about in the PRSI area. PRSI would be extended "Eurostat, the European Union's Social Insurance (PRSI): to share-based payments, the employee statistical body, states that a country is a "The Commission favoured the reten- PRSI ceiling would be phased out, social low-tax economy if its total tax-take is tion of the Social Insurance system. The welfare payments would be taxable below 35% of GDP. Ireland's total-tax raison d'etre of social insurance has never take is likely to be less than 29% of GDP been sufficiently articulated in Ireland. (possibly including child benefit), and the artists' exemption would be abolished in 2009. For this reason, the Commission emphas- "“This is far below the Eurostat ised that social insurance was an an (although the sports persons' exemption would survive). benchmark for a low-tax economy and is expression of social solidarity and citizen- also far below the percentage of GDP ship in which the risks, costs and benefits that Ireland has taken in tax for many are spread as widely as possible in the LONE VOICE years”, he said. Top earners will not be hit with higher community. "Social Justice Ireland believes that "Furthermore, in the Commission's taxes under the new tax recommendations, Ireland should remain a low-tax economy, view, social insurance contributions the Vice-President of SIPTU, Brendan but should set a target of 34.9% of GDP create a sense of entitlement to benefit Hayes has warned. for total tax-take. and generate support among the com- In a letter issued to the Chairman, Mr. "“This can be done without increasing munity for these benefits. Daly, he said that the manner in which the income tax rates. A first step in the right "The Commission recommended that policy is applied to the economy is direction would be to eliminate the tax all income earners should therefore "fundamentally flawed and is inhibiting breaks that litter Ireland's tax system”, contribute to and benefit where approp- economic growth". Fr. Healy added.' riate from social insurance." He believes the current system is exacerbating social and economic THE COMMISSION ON TAXATION COMMISSION ON TAXATION inequality and inequitably distributing the The 18 member Commission on Tax- The 550-page report of the Commission tax burden. ation was established in February 2008 by on Taxation, chaired by Mr. Frank Daly, Brendan Hayes, declined to sign the then Finance Minister Brian Cowen to which was published on 7th September final report because of "serious review the "structure, efficiency and 2009, focuses on a huge range of subjects, reservations", said people earning more appropriateness of the Irish taxation and its 230 recommendations have the than €200,000 would not have to pay any system". potential to impact on every taxpayer in more tax. The terms of reference were also crucial the country. He said although this affected a to the outcome. The first of these set the The Report recommends €3 billions relatively small number of people, a tone of the report: "…to keep the overall worth of sweeping tax changes. significant amount of money was involved. tax burden low". Is it not the low tax "However, despite its stated aim of Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, regime created here since 1997 that got us spreading taxes more evenly, middle- Mr. Hayes said the distribution of income into so much trouble and caused the deep income earners with children will take in this country was "totally skewed". inequalities that now characterise our the heaviest hit. An average family of He said the way the Tax Commission's society? four would end up paying around €4,000 proposals for a third tax band had been "Of the 18 members of the commission, a year more, if all the recommendations constructed meant a new tax band could 10 were financiers or tax consultants or are implemented" (Ir. Indep, 8.9.2009). fall between 20% and 41%, or below accountants or members of a business The new tax hikes would come on top 20%, but no higher rate of tax could be lobby or the head of the stock exchange of the €5,000 in additional taxes and levies introduced. (the latter resigned during the course of in the two Budgets in the past 12 months. The Commission's Chairman, Frank the commission's work, but surely she The contentious recommendations of Daly, declined to specify whether a third can claim credit for the extraordinary the Commission include: rate should apply above the current proposal to remove the 1% stamp duty on marginal rate of 41% or in between the share transactions" (Vincent Browne, * New domestic water charges phased current standard rate of 20% and the Irish Times, 9.9.2009). in over a five-year period. marginal rate. However, he said a three- As the economic crisis deepened, the * Annual property tax on homes based rate structure would allow for greater on market value. work of the Commission took on a new equity and flexibility. "We're not urgency. * Abolition of stamp duty. prescribing what the third rate should be, * A third rate of income tax It is the first detailed examination of we're simply saying that the Government Ireland's tax system in a quarter century. * A carbon tax on petrol, diesel, coal, has options there." briquettes and home heating oil. Chairman Frank Daly—who is a former Mr Hayes, who wrote a letter to the continued on page 30 31 VOLUME 27 No. 11 CORK ISSN 0790-1712

The Great PRSI Swindle The McCarthy Report (Special Group That same budget in 1994 compelled sod", a real "Dublin character" but whose on Public Expenditure Programmes), all new public service employees to pay vision of Labour and the working people which reported last July and the Daly the full rate of PRSI from April 1995. would be limited to the monotonous old Report (Commission on Taxation) Those already in the public service at that demands of social welfare or social insur- presented in September set out time were not affected by the new increase. ance or a free health system. proposals to the Government for The Social Insurance schemes are finan- Frank looked for the bread first, the consideration in next month's Budget. ced from PRSI contributions from employ- roses could come after. McCarthy proposes €5.3 billion in cuts, ees and employers, with the state making He was anything but narrow in his including 17,000 jobs in the public sector, good any deficit on out-goings from vision as he proved over Dublin Gas and whilst Daly's new tax plan would leave an general taxation. The financing of Social the Anglo-Irish Agreement—he had more average family of four paying near €4,000 Assistance schemes (non-contributory) is Socialism and common sense in his small a year more. from general taxation. The contribution finger than that possessed by the entire A common thread throughout the two from workers and employers go into a clique of gauleiters who hang around the Reports is a call for the elimination of Social Insurance Fund. Labour Party at the present time. PRSI (Pay Related Social Insurance), in Both Cowen and Lenihan have pooh- And, when the Coalition collapsed at effect, retaining the payments but abolish- poohed the Property Tax proposal in the the polls four years later in 1977, he was ing the benefits. This article will focus on one of the few Ministers to emerge with the PRSI question. short term, but you can bet there will be no reluctance to go in 'boots and all' with the credibility, for, he had proven to be the A huge onus now rests on the entire PRSI proposals. right man in the right place when he became labour movement to concentrate on the virtually Minister for Social Welfare. PRSI and Health Levy issues, there can be When the Coalition Government was elected in 1973, Frank Cluskey was He had the complete trust of his leader, no surrender on this principle—it is a appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Brendan Corish, and had fought hard to basic bread and butter issue and should be ensure that the Coalition's commitments fought for tooth and nail. Down the years, Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Brendan Corish, the Labour Party leader. on social welfare would be honoured. He it has been used and abused by administrat- The Pay-Related Benefit system was regarded his time in the Social Welfare ions of every political hue, to such an Department as the most enjoyable period extent that even some workers would be introduced with Frank Cluskey's Act of 1974. Over the years, Cluskey has been of his political career (Irish Independent, happy to see PRSI abolished. Woe the 8.5.1989). day, the benefits will be abolished but the personified by the trendy elements within the Labour Party as a well-meaning "old "It was the most enjoyable and the payments will be absorbed into general most productive. We brought in pay- taxation—what a sorry pass for organised Subscribers to the magazine are regularly related benefits, deserted wives' allow- labour if this happens. offered special rates on other publications ances, unmarried mothers' allowances, brought down the pension age from 70 to HISTORY REPEATS Irish Political Review is published by 66 and organised that children's allow- "All social welfare payments including the IPR Group: write to— ances be paid directly to the mother," he child benefit should be subject to taxation 1 Sutton Villas, Lower Dargle Road said in the 1986 article. as a general rule, the Commission on Bray, Co. Wicklow or In 1974, Frank Cluskey introduced a Taxation has recommended. PO Box 339, Belfast BT12 4GQ or "The Commission recommends the system of insurance which guaranteed introduction of a single system of PO Box 6589, London, N7 6SG, or that if things went wrong and you were out collecting income tax rather than the Labour Comment, of a job, at least for 15 months, your Pay present four-strand system which C/O Shandon St. P.O., Cork City. Related Benefit ensured that you had incorporates income tax, PRSI something more than the basic benefit. In contributions as well as Health and Subscription by Post: 1994, Labour along with Fianna Fail 12 issues: £20, UK; dismantled and destroyed that benefit. At Income levies." (Irish Examiner, € 30, Ireland; € 35, Europe. 8.9.2009). a time, when workers were never in greater Electronic Subscription: need for such a system—and here it is all In 1994, the Fianna Fail/Labour over again, in 2009, with almost half a coalition wiped out the PRSI payment for € 15 / £12 for 12 issues (or € 1.30 / £1.10 per issue) million on the exchange. Unemployment Benefit and on top of that Any debate on taxation or PRSI must taxed the new £61 personal rate of You can also order both postal and electronic subscriptions from: be qualified by the serious refusal of Irish Unemployment Benefit. www.atholbooks.org continued on page 31