Manus O'Riordan Dulanty A Spy? "Men Of Much Property?" First Dail And Protests Julianne Herlihy Labour Comment

page 9 page 15 back page IRISH POLITICAL REVIEW February 2008 Vol.23, No.2 ISSN 0790-7672 and Northern Star incorporating Workers' Weekly Vol.22 No.2 ISSN 954-5891

Northern Ireland; Indonesia The Mass Break-out Was It War? From Gaza There is at present a dispute going on about whether there was war in Northern Ireland In recent days, we have witnessed the from the 1970s to the 1990s. extraordinary spectacle of a mass breakout As we recall it, the British Army was deployed in the streets of Derry and Belfast in by Palestinians from their Gaza prison. August 1969 by the Government of the state to take the place of the forces controlled by The breakout was made possible by Hamas the. subordinate Government at Stormont—the RUC and the B Specials. A new IRA blowing up stretches of the Israeli-built came into being in the North during the Winter of 1969-70, the Provisionals, and it border wall between Gaza and Egypt, declared war on Britain in the Summer of 1970. The established IRA of the period before near Rafah, and bulldozing other stretches 1969, the Officials (also known as the Stickies since, as a sign of modernity, t hey replaced of it. the Easter badges that were pinned on the lapel with a badge that could just be stuck on) Over two years ago, a US-backed also declared war on Britain while asserting that its war was different in kind from the agreement between Israel and the Palestin- Provo war. The Officials declared that their war was a National Liberation War against ian Authority (PA) was supposed to Imperialism, while the Provos were engaged in what was in essence a local sectarian war. guarantee a border crossing between Gaza The Stickie argumentation was not entirely groundless. The Provos, in their and Egypt at Rafah, controlled by the PA substance, arose out of the mayhem to which the dysfunctional ‘Northern Ireland and Egypt, and free from Israeli control. state’—in fact the Six County variant of the British state—led in 1969, while the Stickies It never did. Israel always had a veto on were essentially an anti-Treaty group. But the difference, in practice, told in favour of whether the crossing opened. In addition, the Provos. Israel has never permitted commercial The Stickies' anti-Treaty war was conducted in a medium of ideological fantasy and traffic through the crossing in either was unsustainable. It was called off after a series of fiascos. direction. The formal split between the Official and Provisional Republican movements The following describes the agreement occurred on the issue of participating in the Free State Dail. The Sinn Fein leadership and how it has operated, or rather failed to at the Ard Fheis early in 1970 carried a motion to participate and those who dissented operate, in the past two years. withdrew and called themselves the Provisionals. This formal ground of division went against the division of substance that had already AGREEMENT ON MOVEMENT AND ACCESS occurred on the ground in the North. On 15th November 2005, the PA signed an Agreement on Movement and Access The ‘Officials’—to give them their name slightly ahead of time—had been disarming (AMA) with Israel. The previous August, the IRA in 1968-69, and expelling people who dissented from that policy. But in August Israel had withdrawn its settlers and 1969 they issued statements, about what their disarmed army would do, which helped to ground forces from Gaza. At the time, US provoke the Loyalist pogrom, leaving the populace helpless in the face of the pogrom. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said A new military movement then sprang up amongst people who had been on the that the "agreement is intended to give the continued on page 2 continued on page 6

was taken and returned after about ten aside the obvious danger from the Israelis Reflections On Palestine I was always able to honestly answer, yes. Part Six minutes. After that I walked through various doors which opened and closed The gangsterism and banditry which had A Visit To Gaza without me ever again seeing a human previously flourished was nowhere in The checkpoint for peop le entering being. evidence. Hamas had seen to that. Gaza is at Erez on its Northern border. My visit to Gaza was arranged by Irish The Gaza side of Erez is a strip of land Checkpoint comes nowhere near diplomatic staff. I had a gruesome account churned up by tanks and bulldozers. Most describing the place. It is the size of an of the things that were likely to happen to of the buildings have been flattened. Those airport terminal with lots more security me in Gaza delivered to me when I applied that survive are ruins, many of them and without all the shops—so it wasn’t all and when that application was accepted. destroyed while still in the course of being bad! At a security kiosk in the car park I Being kidnapped seemed to be the least of built. At the time I was the only one was asked if I was carrying any weapons. it. On the very large number of times I crossing and that 500 metres or so felt like A bit like “did you pack your own bag, spoke to Arab soldiers there, the first something out of a John le Carre novel. sir”. You don’t even dream of getting question I was always asked, after my You know that the Israelis are watching funny. In the main building my passport nationality, was did I feel safe. Leaving and pointing guns but you cannot see continued on page 4 Lord Eames, to deal with it. C O N T E N T S Britain itself never deals with such Was It War, Northern Ireland; Indonesia. Editorial 1 things. It always 'moves on'. When others The Mass Break-Out From Gaza. David Morrison 1 do dreadful things Britain usually says A Visit To Gaza. Conor Lynch 1 that they must confront the truth about themselves in order to be able to move on. Readers' Letters: Casement And San Ramon. Tim O'Sullivan 3 But in its own affairs Britain knows that Editorial Digest. (Sean Hoey; Ulster/China Exhibition; GAA & DUP; Liberty) 4 confronting the truth about itself would be Trocaire & Gaza. Report 5 disabling and would prevent it from Irish Labour. Mark Langhammer (Report of letter) 7 moving on. So it just moves on. Labour Party Commission On Northern Ireland. Membership 7 During the past five years it has played Shorts from the Long Fellow (Ireland Goes Scandinavian; France Goes Irish; Brits Go a part in wrecking a viable state in which Home; Ireland Should Follow Russians; Where Is Lbour Going?; State We Are In) 8 most people had lived reasonably satis- Commemorating The First Dail. Manus O'Riordan 9 factory lives before war was made on it in Cork Housing Action Committee. Photo from 1969 11 1991, and in which life lived under Brian Hanley, Coolacrease And Related Matters. Jack Lane 11 sanctions between 1991 and 2003 appears Joe Devlin And The Demise Of Redmondism. Joe Keenan (review) 13 good by the standards that have existed since the wrecking of 2003. Three quarters Spies And Lies—Cui Bono?. Julianne Herlihy on Ambassador Dulanty 15 of a million innocent civilians, at a conserv- Fianna Fail—'mafia-like'?. Seán McGouran 18 ative estimate, have been killed as a con- Bias About The Great War. Philip O'Connor (report of letter) 19 sequence of the wrecking. But Britain is Barack Obama On Gaza. Report 21 intent on 'moving on' as usual, and imple- Scribbled Recollections. Tim O'Sullivan (Part 2 of Casement Conference report) 22 menting the Gospel maxim of letting the Connolly's Correspondence. Report of a Book Launch 23 dead bury the dead. Does It Stack Up? Michael Stack (Angelus; Planning Objection; Treason?; The circumstances of a slaughter were Hidden History's Coolacrease; Doorley And The Carmelites; Global Holes) 25 so notorious in one instance that it had to Land Grabbers. Brendan Clifford (Part 3) 26 go to trial. The verdict, delivered in late Thomas Moore And The Moslems. A Poem 28 January, was described as a whitewash by Judges And Democratic Society. Manus O'Riordan (report of letter) 29 survivors, who were 'seeking closure' as we say in these parts. Of course it was a Labour Comment, edited by Pat Maloney: whitewash. That is what courtmartials are "The Men Of Much Property" there for when the reputation of the Army (back page) is at stake. There will be no 'closure' for Iraqi receiving end of the pogrom and who had the Soviet Communist party as its victims of the wilful destruction, by means not until then been connected with the counterpart in Ireland on a par with the of invasion, of the functional Iraqi state. Republican movement, and it was joined Communist Party of Ireland. They looked They will just have to shrug it off while by those who had been expelled or had to Sir Nicolai Ceaucescu of Rumania as a Britain moves on to other things. lapsed from the Republican movement in herald of the future, and were on close 1968-9, and whose outlook was anti- terms with the leaders of North Korea and The matter of Truth and Reconciliation Treatyite. This alliance of old anti-Treaty the German Democratic Republic. When was raised in Parliament a few years ago— Republicans and new Republicans Ceausescu was overthrown and the Soviet and was stamped on by Michael Mates, produced out of the internal realities of the system unravelled in 1989 they remade who had been a Northern Ireland Office Northern Ireland state’ lasted for a number themselves yet again. Minister, and who understood what would of years, after which there was a parting of We don’t know that the Official IRA be involved if it was to be undertaken in the ways, with the formation of Republican was ever disbanded. It was actively threat- earnest. The British State was not going to Sinn Fein. ening people only ten years ago, and strong present itself at a Commission as a guilty representations to politicians who by then party confessing its misdeeds in return for The Stickie motion to enter the Free were disclaiming all connection with it absolution. State Dail, combined with Stickie rejection seemed to have an effect on its conduct. The British State is of course the guilty of Provisionalism (as it was called) on the But who is there to appear and take party in general, and the major guilty ground that it had essentially to do with responsibility for its doing at the Truth party in particular. It made a woeful Northern affairs, and condemnation of the and Reconciliation Commission that cer- arrangement in 1921 for the governing of demand to abolish Stormont (the Stickies tain well-intentioned people seem to be this integral part of itself, and then when it wanted to retain it), ought logically have hell-bent on setting up? took over direct administration in 1972 it led to a disbanding of the Official IRA, organised the terror system that Bradley and a line of development somewhat like Peter Hain, before his fall, "said the and Eames have been given an insight Fianna Fail and Clann n Poblachta. But it government could not tell the people of into—an insight which has shocked them. didn’t. The Stickies were intent on being Northern Ireland how they should deal We were not surprised that Lord Eames revolutionary. So they fought their own with the past. ‘Only the people themselves proved to be an ignorant innocent. That is war in a medium o ideological fantasy for can try to answer that question’, he said" what Anglican Archbishops in Ireland a few years. Then they called it off and (BBC news). But he knew very well that should be. But we were shocked that went through a series of metamorphoses "the people themselves" is only a figure of Denis Bradley was shocked by what he culminating in what we see today as speech without any corresponding reality saw in the glimpse he was given into the Eoghan Harris, Proinnsias de Rossa and in the public affairs of a democratic, or findings of the Stevens Inquiry. Pat Rabbitte. even a pseudo-democratic, society which They built themselves into the structure functions through division. So he set up What seems to be at issue in the dispute of the Free State from the mid-seventies an Independent Consultative Group, co- over whether or not what went on between onwards as the ultimate anti-Provos, while chaired by Denis Bradley and the retired the Provos and the British Army was war at the same time gaining recognition from Protestant Archbishop of Armagh, now is collateral damage. If it was a war, 2 collateral damage must be allowable, but not if it wasn't. And in addition it seems LETTERS TO THE EDITOR · LETTERS TO THE EDITOR· LETTERS TO THE EDITOR· that archaic notions about war persist in Unionist culture. War consists of men in uniforms, drawn up in ranks, shooting at each other—a notion that became obsolete in 1940 at the latest. Casement And San Ramon In the memoirs of a laicised priest who Regarding a letter from Jeff Dudgeon in the Irish Political Review of January 2008 decided to do his bit for Britain in the 2nd which claimed there was no place called San Ramon in the vicinity of Buenos Aires, World War there is an account of how, Argentina I would like to refer to Familia, the journal of the Ulster Historical Foundation having done his basic training in 1940, he (Volume 2, no. 8, 1992) and an article by Pat Nally, Secretary of the Longford- was trained how to creep up behind people Westmeath Argentina Society. The title is Los Irlandeses en la Argentina—the Irish in in the dark and slit their throats with a Argentina. Towards the end he mentions a visit he made in 1991 in the province of knife. That was the British method of Buenos Aires to a cattle auction on the estancia (ranch) San Ramon of the Duggan family warfare in France from June 1940 to June originally from Ballymahon, Co. Longford. 1944. It is not hard to imagine that the Eddy Duggan mentioned in the diary for 24th March 1910 is also of the same family as Thomas Duggan of Ballymahon, who indeed did have The Provo war was a declared war a son called Eduardo or Eddy. The juxtaposition of an association with a place name San carried through to a Ceasefire and a peace Ramon and a lover called Ramon at around the same time in the diary raises interesting settlement. It is argued that the war aims questions. However, one cannot draw any firm conclusions until our knowledge has were not achieved in the peace settlement. been enriched by a lot more careful and multifaceted research. Tim O’Sullivan That is often the case with wars whose character as legitimate wars is never that the SDLP did not have it in it to pursue to Indonesia, Sir Andrew Gilchrist, was disputed. The declared British war aim in a course of action independently of Sinn one of the engineers of the coup. That 1939 was to uphold the integrity and Fein and in opposition to Sinn Fein. We very high-powered trouble-shooting independence of Poland. Although 20 supported it in both instances until it gave Ambassador was posted to Ireland a couple million people were killed in that war, a way in both. of years later, and it is a reasonable pre- peace settlement was made in 1945 without After 1974 all the SDLP represented sumption that he had a hand in the Polish independence. And the territorial was a possibility by which Whitehall could manipulation of Jack Lynch. When Major integrity of 1939 Poland has never been make an oblique deal with Sinn Fein. McDowell of the Irish Times approached restored. That is more or less what happened in 10 Downing Street during the crisis of The SDLP view seems to be that, if it 1998. But the SDLP blew its opportunity 1969, it ws Ambassador Gilchrist who was a war, it was not a necessary war. in the implementation of the deal. was instructed to develop the contact. How many wars are necessary? There was no necessity for the British declaration Whitehall responded to the war as a Gilchrist and Suharto saved South-East of war in 1914, which led to 50,000 Irish war in the first instance by introducing Asia from Communism by killing half a deaths, and which is now being glorified internment, which was a war measure. It million people—so it was said. Suharto by Somme celebrations. Twelve million was later said, by the SDLP amongst then governed Indonesia as one of the free died. And the British war aim of establish- others, that it was internment that caused world’s elder statesmen, and the half- ing universal democracy and upholding the war. that is ideological memory. The million were forgotten as necessary the rights of small nations was not realised. war was on before internment. The SDLP casualties of Progress, with no agonising The first state to discard the British war withdrew from Stormont immediately over the necessity of it. aim at the end of the war was Britain itself, after welcoming Faulkner’s proposal of The end came in May 1998 when— when it ignored the 1918 Election result in Parliamentary Committees—on the "protests against Suharto’s 32 year Ireland and set about governing the country excuse of an Army shooting and intern- old reign became a popular uprising by naked force. ment, even though the responsible body against his corrupt, repressive and The SDLP maintains that what was was Whitehall, not Stormont. It then took family-dominated administration. achieved through war could have been part in the anti-Internment agitation, with Indonesia had been crippled by an achieved long ago without war. So why its necessary implication of criminalisation. economic crisis sweeping the Asia didn’t the SDLP achieve it? Why did it Pacific region. Its currency… had The Provos, who were the only states- plummeted, banks had collapsed. On not pursue an evolutionary line of men around, knew how to profit both from development in a relationship with willing May 1st government had raise prices of the anti-Internment agitation and the cooking oil and fuel to meet conditions Unionists? Why did it welcome Faulkner’s consequent criminalisation (demanding set by the IMF. This alone made an 1971 offer of development through the restoration of the political status which explosion inevitable." Parliamentary Committees, only to pull was ended by the ending of internment). out of Stormont immediately afterwards? The contention that the war was That's Conor O'Clery in the Irish Times Because it lacked the quality of leadership unnecessary for the achievement of what on 28th January. He does not mention needed for an independent course of action. was achieved by the war is a debating where this economic crisis of the Asian Then in 1974 it had a power-sharing point pitched at a very remote level of Pacific came from. arrangement in the North, and a Council abstraction from actual events. It came from the new surge of globalism of Ireland conditional on withdrawal of made possible by the ending of the Cold the Dublin sovereignty claim. When the GENERAL SUHARTO War. States within the Western sphere Dublin Government said in Court that the General Suharto died in late February. had been given considerable latitude to sovereignty claim stood, there was a surge The Irish Times published a very mild, make protectionist arrangements during of Unionist opposition to the Council. self-effacing comment on the event. the Cold War, but now the US wanted free The SDLP might have saved power- The BBC remarked that up to a million access for its capital everywhere and it sharing by deferring the establishment of of his opponents were killed by his regime. subverted the regime of the biggest of its the Council, but it refused to do so, and the The first half million were killed straight client states—supporting for that purpose entire Sunningdale arrangement fell. off in the coup which brought him to Megawati Soekarno, daughter of the Both of those instances demonstrate power in 1965. The British Ambassador President who was overthrown in 1965. 3 President Mahatir of Malaysia resisted decided to shut down its settlements in demands to open his economy to Western Gaza he promised that he would put down capital. The Irish Times ran its little A Visit To Gaza any opposition in the Strip. witch-hunt against him—supporting the It should be said that although the Israeli agitation against him by the Muslim continued settlements and military areas in Gaza fundamentalist free marketeer Anwar anything. The checkpoint at the Palestinian comprised about a third of the area, they Ibrahim. Mahatir held out. The economic side, welcome as it was, is a sorry looking were never of a kind with those in the crisis sweeping the Asian Pacific region affair. A hut and a wooden barrier which West Bank. They were mostly pre- did not sweep Malasia. And now the Irish you walk around, Well, there’s nothing fabricated houses and their destruction Times forgets. for miles on either side. I was simply took no time at all. Settlements in the waved through and took a taxi to where I West Bank are large towns and cities— General Suharto was a respected states- was staying in Gaza city. the one I am most familiar with near man in the Western media until 1998. Bethlehem has 40,000 residents and is Some time after his fall he visited London. On the journey I was surprised to find building apartments for another 30,000. Jeremy Paxman reported on BBC’s buildings everywhere flying the yellow The Israelis withdrew from Gaza in Newsnight that "that old thug Suharto" flag of Fatah and the red flag of the PFLP. September 2005. Palestinian elections was in town. The green flag of Hamas and the black were held less than four months later, in The dogs know when to bark. flag of Islamic Jihad I expected, but not January 2006. Much to everyone’s the others. Flying a Hamas flag in the surprise, not least the surprise of Hamas, West Bank would get you arrested and Hamas won them. Dahlan began small- very likely shot. Fatah and the PFLP are scale attacks on Hamas until he believed Editorial Digest politically tolerated in Gaza but they are he had a large enough arsenal to take over not supposed to carry weapons in public, Gaza completely. He was accused even SEAN HOEY was acquitted of the Omagh unless they are still in the Palestinian back then of targeting senior Hamas figures bombing on December 20th. He was police. There are tensions but these seldom for Israeli assassination and that he himself also acquitted of 57 other charges. For go beyond the odd fist fight. organised car bomb assassinations— him that should have been the end of the All over Gaza are the portraits of especially the killing of Hamas military matter. But next day the Irish News front martyrs. This was also the case in the leader, Abu Youssef Al Qouqa in March page headline read "Still No Justice". West Bank until a few months ago. But 2006. The rest of the page carried boxes with Abbas and the Americans are determined pictures of all 29 people killed in the to abolish any symbols of the liberation Readers may remember in an early bombing with an extra box in the middle struggle. instalment of this series that I took the saying "Omagh Accused Acquitted". Abbas/Hamas Mecca Agreement on the formation of a coalition government at Most readers of newspapers are left with The takeover of Gaza by Hamas was very much a pre-emptive strike. Strong- face value. Ishmail Haniyeh of Hamas impressions rather than a headful of points had been established by Rashid was Prime Minister. A majority of the detailed facts. Newspapers know this. Abu Shabak’s Preventive Security Service Government were Hamas but with a And the impression given by the Irish which was really under the control of proportional representation of Fatah or News was that Hoey got off or got away Mohammad Dahlan. This force was anyone else. The Finance and Security with it. The IN editorial says: supplied with weapons by America and portfolios were to be given to people "After almost ten years the families Britain, partially via Israel. There were connected with no particular faction. I are no strangers to pain and disappoint- also American and British advisers believed Mohmad Abbas to have been ment but yesterday represented a further attached to it in a compound which a sincere about getting this Government up low. On the basis of the evidence Sean FATAH member laughingly told me they and running, I was wrong. The publicly Hoey has been acquitted. But the called the Dahlan Hotel. I was taken to see available evidence as well as many private authorities are guilty of an abject failure both American and British armoured conversations I have had in Palestine point to provide justice for the victims and to Abbas being determined from the time the ramifications of this damaging cars—vehicles utterly useless against verdict will be felt for some time." Israeli tanks or aircraft, but the perfect of, or immediately after, the Agreement to What sort of impression does this leave? tool against local opposition. destroy the Government and replace it Dahlan was in Tunis after his release with an unelected body with American Lawrence Rushe, whose wife was from prison during the First Intafada and encouragement and support. And most of killed, is quoted in the editorial as saying became close to Arafat’s people, becoming the people I know in Palestine belong to that the police investigation was "a dis- his military chief in 2001. He was soon one wing or other of Fatah. aster". What Mr. Rushe also said was: sacked. When Abbas first became Prime Hamas militias were strongest in Gaza. "I’m stressed but not over-disappointed. Minister in 2003, he appointed Dahlan Haniyeh’s efforts to incorporate them into I wouldn’t have liked the wrong man to Security Minister against Arafat’s wishes. the army/police of the Palestinian be charged." But you’d have to plough Even by the standards of the Palestinian Authority were rebuffed as Dahlan set through pages of IN reports to find that. Authority of the time, which to say the about creating the sort of chaos in Gaza At the time of the least, weren’t all that high, Dahlan was that would give him the excuse for a coup. bombing, and for a good while considered bent. He was also a brutal The Palestinian Prime Minister, Haniyeh, afterwards, there was a widespread man. He has built businesses abroad, ordered the Hamas militias against him at belief that the RUC and/or MI5 were especially in London. The boy from the the end of May 2007 but their success was involved through having infiltrated the Khan Yunis refugee camp did very well limited and they retreated before Israeli RIRA. No one has claimed that it was for himself. airstrikes. These airstrikes, by the way, the RIRA intention to hurt anyone that He was involved in the negotiations at accidentally caused casualties only among day. The best the police could come up Camp David, Oslo, and elsewhere where Dahlan’s men. Unknown to Hamas most with was that the warnings which were he built up a strong rapport with the Israeli of the Preventive Security Service leaders given were confusing. If there is to be military and security apparatus and and all their foreign advisers left Gaza any further investigation the RUC/PSNI especially with the former Israeli Defence shortly after. (This flight almost certainly Minister, Shaul Mofaz. When Israel included Dahlan himself—though Israeli continued on page 25, column 3 4 propaganda says he escaped by sea in the the West Bank. Thousands of people to be Fatah and were in radio contact with final battle.) Hamas attacked again in crowded together and a generation or more the Israelis to let them know I was coming mid-June and destroyed Dahlan’s base from their mostly farming roots. They are and presumably not to shoot. The exit was completely. An amnesty was given to his viewed with some suspicion by other bizarre. This time there were a few other foot soldiers. Palestinians because they don’t belong people leaving. I was ordered from one When I wasn’t alone, I was driven and in case they decide to take a part of the cubicle to another by an indistinct voice around by a member of Fatah. (That I met land that surrounds them—something that over small speakers, having deposited my up with him was chance, but I liked and has never happened. But by now they bags and coat and the contents of my trusted the man.) He was nervous about have well-constructed buildings and pockets as I entered with an Arab man the fact that I was forever stopping and spotless streets and alleyways. They have operating a conveyor belt. For the rest of chatting to Hamas people. "I know they good schools, medical facilities, social the process I was moved only by the won't shoot me but one of them might hit facilities and a reasonable general infra- voices on the speakers. Various scanning me", he said. Well, they didn’t. Most of structure. Often the Israelis come and machines operated in some of the cubicles, them seemed to know him and took the smash things up or lay siege, but the including one that can see you as if you mickey out of him sometimes. Soon he refugees have systems and structures to had no clothes on. relaxed, perhaps too much. Through him cope with this. Supplies from UNWRA I visited more families than would have and other institutions are very good. It is I have not here dealt with Israeli actions been possible on my own. Many homes not a good existence but it is not a terrible against Gaza. That will have to wait for tend to be in courtyards and behind com- one either. another article. pound walls. The impression I got was The existence in the refugee camps in Conor Lynch one of a tense boredom and sheer poverty. Gaza IS a terrible one. Structures that Cigarettes cost more than they do in have not been destroyed or damaged are Trocaire Press Release On Gaza London and they are as necessary as bread falling down for want of the means to keep them in repair. Rusting corrugated iron is Justin Kilcullen, Director of aid agency to most Gazans. I met many people in Trocaire, said after a recent visit to Gaza: their thirties who were never outside this everywhere. There are many buildings, small concentration camp in their lives. (I and in one case a whole new city, which "Because of Israel's military occupation 80% of Gaza’s population hope that most of them had the chance to are standing uncompleted because of the blockade on materials by the US, the EU rely on food aid from the outside world. visit Egypt recently!) Sweets were a huge To prevent this aid from entering Gaza luxury. But the absence of money was the and Israel. One small city was completed by one of the Gulf States and is quite is an intolerable act of punishment. The big problem. Inflation itself is only a Israeli government must immediately problem if you have any money at all. beautiful. Gazans don’t like living in lift the humanitarian blockade on the Most people sat all day outside their homes dilapidation and are, like most Arabs, Gaza Strip.” doing nothing. I asked about reading to excellent builders. But they have nothing "Israel’s decision to cut-off this most literate of people. I was told that to build with. (By contrast, even swanky electricity supplies to Gaza has driven concentrating on a book was impossible. areas in Tel Aviv look like slums, and no people to take desperate measures. one seems to care—certainly no one in Cutting off electricity means people (I remembered that when in jail, though authority.) don’t have clean drinking water, proper I read a lot, it took about ten times as long sewage facilities and hospitals can’t function properly. Recently people to read a book as it normally does. I’m I said I was alone entering the place. No Arab is allowed in or out. There are haven’t even been able to safely bury now sure that this is a form of depression. their dead because of a shortage in And these people had the added problem supposed to be exceptions for medical materials." reasons. I saw no sick people coming or of never knowing when they might become Justin Kilcullen met with Minister “collateral Damage”. One man said: “if going though I was told that a few get Dermot Ahern this week to present the the Israelis want to kill someone and know through. But many do not. And some have died at the border. Government with a petition signed by where he is, it doesn’t matter if he is over 3,000 people calling on the Irish visiting a children’s hospital, they’ll still But even tighter than the border at Erez Government to take a more active role in fire a rocket”.) was the border and former crossing point the Middle East. The petition was the Motor transport is beyond the means of manned by the Egyptians at Rafah. result of a public awareness campaign run most people and the donkey is everywhere. (Happily that was recently breached, if by Trocaire last year to highlight the impact I was surprised by how fertile Gaza is. only for the moment.) This is a great of 40 years of Israeli occupation of The whole area is very flat, very over- puzzle to Gazans. Rafah is the largest city Palestine. crowded, by the sea, yet covered in in Gaza and spans the border. Families "The Irish government has supported ploughed fields or fields full of crops. I have been divided. Fiances were unable to marry. While I was there Egyptian the EU’s policy of boycotting Hamas. hope that Arabs like cabbage, because This is a failed strategy, which is there seemed to be an awful lot of it about! border guards fired on some African isolating the people of Gaza and There was an unexpectedly large number refugees trying to enter Israel “proper”. urgently needs to be reversed. Without of trees though any woods within a mile of So they are even guarding Israel’s border inclusion of all parties including Hamas, the Israelis had been cut down by them. for the Israelis. in the Annapolis peace process attempts Yet there are rich people in Gaza. David Morrison tells me that there is resolve the crisis in Gaza are certain to Nowhere like as many as in the West some kind of EU police force which can fail," Justin Kilcullen said. Bank, but plenty. They assembled in the operate at Rafah and let people and goods "here are 1.5 million Palestinians beautiful garden of the Marna Hotel, and through. That was news to me and I heard squeezed into an area half the size of county Wexford. For almost seven years similar places, each evening, dining fairly no one in Gaza mention it, Such a Force has taken some trouble to make itself they have been caged into Gaza with well and smoking hubble bubble. Some very few chances to leave. of them drove very nice cars. I tried to unknown and has certainly not turned up "…Israel’s collective punishment of keep my inherited class prejudices under in Rafah. civilians, …is a flagrant breach of control as they are completely irrelevant international law." I left Gaza again through Erez. This in the Middle East. Full story at: http://trocaire.org/news/ time I was checked on the Palestinian side story.php?id=1223 I have visited several refugee camps in by men in civilian clothes who appeared 5 The Mass Break-out On goods, the AMA says: The EU Ambassador to Israel, Ramiro "Rafah will also be used for export Cibrian, was quoted in the Jerusalem Post From Gaza of goods to Egypt." on 28th June 2007 as saying that "the legal basis for the deployment of the EU force to ccontinued In fact, although Rafah has a functional Rafah was the agreement on movement Palestinian people freedom to move, to terminal for handling commercial traffic, and access from November 2005, which trade, to live ordinary lives" [1]. no commercial traffic has passed through clearly stipulated that the Presidential The six points in the AMA were as Rafah to Egypt. The AMA [access agree- Guard would control the crossing" [3]. follows in Rice's words: ment] does not allow the import of goods And, since a few weeks earlier, Mahmoud "First, for the first time since 1967, through Rafah: Israel refused to agree to Abbas' Presidential Guard had left Gaza, Palestinians will gain control over entry this, since Rafah isn't under its direct and exit from their territory. This will when it came under the control of Hamas control, and it doesn't trust Egypt and the forces, the EU couldn’t allow its monitors be through an international crossing at PA to prevent the importation of arms. Rafah … ." to take up their post. In fact, you will "Second, Israel and the Palestinians These facts about the AMA give the lie search in vain in the AMA to find any will upgrade and expand other crossings to Rice's assertion that "Palestinians will mention of the Presidential Guard control- for people and cargo between Israel, gain control over entry and exit from their ling the crossing, so that reason doesn’t Gaza and the West Bank. … territory" at Rafah. stand up. "Third, Palestinians will be able to move between Gaza and the West Bank; ISRAELI VETO ON OPENING specifically, bus convoys are to begin If there were an AMA requirement to In addition to these restrictions built that effect, it could account for why the about a month from now and truck into the AMA, Israel is in a position to convoys are to start a month after that. EU monitors haven't taken up their post at "Fourth, the parties will reduce close the Rafah crossing at will, just as it Rafah, and why the crossing hasn’t been obstacles to movement within the West can and does close the four crossings open, since Hamas took control of Gaza in Bank. … between Gaza and Israel itself (Karni, June 2007. But, it doesn't stand up as a "Fifth, construction of a Palestinian Erez, Sufa and Kerem Shalom). reason why the EU monitors did Israel’s seaport can begin. The Rafah model This has come about because there is a bidding and refused to take up their post will provide a basis for planned 3rd party to the AMA, with the following on nearly 90% of the days in the previous operations. duties defined in the AMA itself: 12 months, when the Presidential Guard "Sixth, the parties agree on the importance of the airport. Israel recog- "The 3rd party will have the authority was available to man the crossing, and the nizes that the Palestinian Authority will to ensure that the PA complies with all crossing wasn’t open. want to resume construction on the applicable rules and regulations airport." concerning the Rafah crossing point B'Tselem, the Israeli human rights and the terms of this agreement. In case group, gives other explanations of why Virtually nothing of this has been of non-compliance, the 3rd party has the EU monitors fail to turn up at the the authority to order the re-examination crossing when Israel wants the crossing realised in practice. and reassessment of any passenger, luggage, vehicle or goods. While the closed [4]:- RESTRICTIONS ON PEOPLE AND GOODS request is being processed, the person, (a) The EU takes the position that Contrary to what Rice said, the Rafah luggage, vehicle or cargo in question the AMA does not permit them to open crossing was never under Palestinian will not be allowed to leave the premises the crossing when one of the parties to control. Israel was always in a position to of the Rafah crossing point." the agreement is opposed to doing so. prevent its opening. Furthermore, the AMA [access agreement] itself placed In other words, the 3rd party is a proxy (b) Israel is in a position to physically restrictions on the movement of people for Israel, making sure that the PA does prevent the EU monitors getting to the crossing, because the monitors reside and of commercial goods. what Israel wants. The EU is that proxy. It has a force of around 70 EU monitors, in Ashkelon in Israel and cannot reach On people, the AMA says: their post without going through the "Use of the Rafah crossing will be mostly policemen, on hand to do the job (grandly titled the EU Border Assistance Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom restricted to Palestinian ID card holders crossing into Gaza. and others by exception in agreed Mission for the Rafah Crossing Point, or categories with prior notification to the EU BAM Rafah). It's difficult to take (b) seriously since, GoI [Government of Israel] and In addition to the EU monitors, who are if the EU wanted to avoid being physically approval of senior PA leadership." [2] physically present at the crossing, Israeli prevented by Israel from reaching the security forces monitor activity at the crossing, the EU monitors could be The Palestinian Authority has to notify crossing remotely via CCTV and are in a stationed in Egypt or Gaza. (a) is nearer Israel 48 hours in advance about the position to acquire a complete record of the mark—it seems like a convenient EU crossing of those in the exceptional the individuals passing through the interpretation of the AMA that justifies it categories (diplomats, foreign investors, crossing. doing Israel’s bidding. There is nothing in foreign representatives of recognized the AMA that I can see to warrant such an international organizations and EU MONITORS INACTION interpretation. humanitarian cases) and, although Israel doesn’t have a veto on an individual When Israel decides that the Rafah AMA PROGRESS REPORT crossing (except by closing the crossing crossing shouldn’t open, it doesn’t open. altogether), the PA has to give Israel a It doesn’t open because, in those The UN Office for the Coordination of reason for overriding any Israeli objection. circumstances, the EU monitors do not Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the take up their post at the crossing, and, Occupied Palestinian Territory compiles In addition, under the AMA, Israel is under the AMA, without their presence detailed statistics about many aspects of allowed to request that the PA ban the crossing isn’t allowed to open. life for Palestinians in the West Bank and nominated Palestinian ID card holders Gaza. It is an invaluable source of inform- from using the crossing and the PA was I have been unable to find an official EU reason for this refusal to allow its ation about the opening of crossings, about obliged to consult with Israel (and the EU checkpoints in the West Bank and much monitors, of which more later), in the monitors to take up their post, when Israel else besides. See its website [5]. event of it refusing an Israeli request. doesn’t want the crossing open. 6 It compiles fortnightly reports on the the siege conditions in Gaza that obtained implementation of the AMA. Its report before the breakout. Irish Labour for 14-27 November 2007 states that the The following letter was submitted to the Rafah crossing had been closed to To that end, Hamas has called for "a Irish News on 28th December Palestinian ID card holders since 9 June new Palestinian-Egyptian arrangement As a member of the (Irish) Labour 2007, a few days before Hamas forces for Rafah" (Beirut Daily Star, 28 January Party I was surprised to see myself took control of Gaza. It is still closed. For 2008 [6]). Hamas is not ruling out the mistakenly described by your corres- the previous 12 months, after an Israeli involvement of President Abbas and Fatah pondent, Valerie Robinson, as a "British soldier was captured by Palestinians on in such an arrangement. A Hamas Labour Party representative" (Irish News 25th June 2006, the crossing was closed spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, is quoted as 28 December 2007). I am not. nearly 90% of the time. The crossing first saying: I am Chair of the (Irish) Labour Party's opened under the AMA [access agreement] "Hamas wishes to confirm that it Northern Ireland Branch and served, until arrangements on 25th November 2005 refuses to return to the [previous] recently, on the National Executive of the and operated fairly satisfactorily (almost agreement on the Rafah crossing. Party. The Labour Party now accepts into daily) until 25th June 2006. [Hamas] demands that it be an Egyptian- membership from those resident in On other aspects of the AMA, this UN Palestinian crossing in accordance with Northern Ireland. Whilst on the National Humanitarian Office report makes the new arrangements, either agreed to in Executive, I pressed the Labour Party to following points, which are worth noting: three-way talks between Hamas, Fatah, go further, and contest elections in North- and Cairo, or two-way talks with Cairo ern Ireland. The formal position, agreed at if President Mahmoud Abbas continues *Obstacles to movement in the West our recent Wexford conference, is that a Bank number 563, which represents an to refuse dialogue with the Hamas movement." Labour Party Commission will be set up increase of 185 obstacles, or 49.7%, to consider contesting elections in North- over the baseline figure of August 2005. Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas—the ern Ireland. This Commission will be set Palestinian Authority Prime Minister * Convoys between the Gaza Strip up soon and will report well in advance of illegally deposed by President Abbas under the local and European elections in 2009. and the West Bank: Truck convoys— US pressure—is quoted as saying that the implementation now 22 months It is the case that the Labour Party, with existing arrangements for Rafah must be over 6000 members, is bigger than either overdue (since mid-January 2006); Bus replaced with a procedure that excludes convoys—implementation now 23 Sinn Fein or the DUP, and has more months overdue (since mid-December Israel. "We don't accept a continued Israeli Parliamentary representatives (at state 2005). veto", he said. level Parliaments) than either. Labour is also the only governmental party of scale * Ports: Seaport—awaiting GoI If Gaza is to be immune from strangul- on the island of Ireland that can conceiv- [Israel] assurance of non-interference ation by Israel in the future, not only must ably attract votes across all communities. with seaport operation; Airport— Israel be unable to prevent the opening of Neither Fianna Fail, nor Fine Gael, could awaiting commencement of discussions the Rafah crossing, the crossing must also since November 2005. have similar appeal nor—for that matter— cater for commercial traffic into Gaza, would a British Labour Party in full neo- which is banned under the present access liberal and global imperialist mode. THE MASS BREAKOUT agreement. It’s difficult to believe that Ms Robinson's confusion may lie in the Israel has kept the Rafah crossing closed this would ever be acceptable to the US or since June 2007. But, in recent weeks, inclusive manner in which the Labour Israel, since it increases the chances of Party has allowed for dual membership. Israel also closed the Gaza-Israel Hamas and other groups obtaining arms crossings, so that very few supplies have Labour Party members in Northern Ireland from the outside world. The difficulty for also retain membership of any other P E S. been getting into Gaza. This strangulation the US and Israel is that the present of Gaza produced a few mutterings of The Party of European Socialists includes situation, with large gaps in the border both the SDLP and British Labour. disapproval from official circles in the wall and imperfect control by Egypt of West about Israel’s treatment of the Those wishing to join the Labour Party what passes through the gaps, is even should do so at www.labour.ie/ Palestinians in Gaza—and there were large more conducive to arms reaching Gaza. demonstrations in the Arab world. northernireland Israel may yet decide to retake control Mark Langhammer of the Gaza/Egypt border militarily. In these circumstances, Hamas decided (Labour Party) to facilitate a breakout for Palestinians Ireland has played a passive role in the Labour Party Commission from their Gaza prison into Egypt— EU over all this, as have other Govern- blowing up stretches of the border wall ments which say they are opposed to the on Northern Ireland between Gaza and Egypt, near Rafah, and way the Palestinians have been treated. It At its November conference, the Labour bulldozing other stretches. Hamas chose seems that the national interest requires Party agreed to establish a Commission its time well, since it was very difficult for subservience to the policies of the Great on Northern Ireland that would make the Egyptian Government to turn back the Powers. And the populace acquiesces. recommendations about standing candi- hordes of Palestinians crossing over into And then people wonder why there's dates there. The makeup of the Commis- Egypt to obtain the essentials of life denied terrorism? sion has now been approved by the party's them by the Israeli siege of Gaza. Heavy- David Morrison National Executive Committee. Its mem- handed tactics might well have provoked 29 January 2008 bers are as follows:- popular anger in Egypt. www.david-morrison.org.uk Ruairi Quinn, the former party leader, References: is the Chair of the Commission, which WHAT NOW? [1] www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2005/ also includes two members of the Northern Egypt is now being urged by the US 56890.htm Ireland Labour Forum, Mark and Israel to re-establish control of the [2] See www.mfa.gov.il Langhammer and Mary McMahon. The border, but it’s difficult for it to do that [3] See www.jpost.com other members are: without the co-operation of Hamas— [4] www.btselem.org/english/Gaza_Strip/ Rafah_Crossing.asp Anne Gallagher, who stood for the which would not find favour in the US or [5] www.ochaopt.org party in Connaught-Ulster in the last Israel. For its part, Hamas is not going to [6] www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?editi European election co-operate, if there is no prospect of lifting on_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=88446 continued on page 8, col. 1 7 of Sartre's mouth in an exhibition at the IRISH ACADEMICS MUST TRY HARDER Bibliotheque Nationale. That was Now that the documentary The Killings censorship. Now they've extended at Coolacrease has been revealed as a Shorts censorship to the cafes." piece of anti-national propaganda some And the Director of Les Deux Magots academics have trailed in on the coat tails from had already implemented the smoking of the non-academic historians who have ban 11 months before it was legally exposed its lies. the Long Fellow required because: In the excellent History Ireland "More and more of our American (January-February 2008) NUI Maynooth clientele demanded non-smoking lecturer Brian Hanley acknowledges that IRELAND GOES SCANDINAVIAN seating". the executions were not motivated by Carol Coulter, the Legal Editor of The sectarian malice, a land grab or ethnic Oh-la-la! Irish Times gave some interesting statistics cleansing. He also deals competently with on crime (4.1.07). Quoting from the the question of the legitimacy of the War BRITS GO HOME Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, of Independence. But he concludes rather Ireland has the second lowest rate of Garbled and one-sided reports in The condescendingly: prisoners in custody in Europe. On an Guardian and the Irish Independent (18.1.08) indicate that the Russians aren't "Our aim should be to encourage average day in 2006 we had an imprison- more research and more discussion, not ment rate of 72 per 100,000 of the too keen on the British Council. British to shout each other down in pursuit of population. Only Norway has a lower rate Foreign Secretary, David Milliband present-day agendas." accused the Russians of "blatant intimi- at 66 per 100,000. But if ordinary people, most particularly The US, by contrast, imprisons 700 per ation". The intimidation consisted of enquiries into the health of elderly relat- Pat Muldowney of the Irish Political 100,000 of the population, almost 10 times Review, were not "shouting", the propa- ives, family pets and threats of tax audits. the Irish rate. ganda would have been accepted by Europe in general is far behind the US. Accordingly, the British Council has "suspended operations" in St. Petersburg default. And where were the professional The countries with the highest rate of historians when this debate was taking and Yekaterinburg. imprisonment in the EU are the UK and place? The Long Fellow is aware of only Spain with 147 per 100,000 or twice the Apparently, British diplomats are one professional historian, Fr. Brian rate of the Irish. talking to European and US allies to Murphy, who participated in the debate. All of this might not be of much implement a range of punitive actions The rest acquiesced to the pro-British consolation to the victims of crime in this such as suspending Russian membership ideological viewpoint. country, but for the rest of us it helps to get of the WTO and refusing admission to the OECD. things in perspective. WHERE IS LABOUR GOING? The British Council is obviously consid- And where is the Labour Party in all FRANCE GOES IRISH ered an important arm of the British State this? The answer would appear to be in the The Long Fellow was saddened to see for such measures to be considered! heart of the revisionist camp. In the August that the French have followed the Irish in It is only at the end of the reports that 2007 of the Irish Political Review the respect of the smoking.ban. Even in Saint- we learn that the British Council was Long Fellow noticed that Limerick Labour Germain-des-Prés—synonymous with breaking Russian laws and insisted on Party Councillor Kieran Walsh had Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, continuing to flout its laws. Konstantin initiated a move to reinstate posthumously cigarettes and coffee – the barbarians have Kosachyov, head of the foreign relations Lord Dunraven as the Freeman of the city. breached the gates (The Irish Times, committee of Russia's parliament, is Dunraven had been stripped of this honour 12.1.08). reported as saying that the British Council in 1918 because of his support for the But it seems that the battle was lost long was free to resume its work once its status recruitment of Irishmen into the British before the French Government implement- complied with the law. army during the First World War. ed the ban on 2nd January this year. A More recently Labour Party Councillor waiter at Les Deux Magots, one of Sartre's IRELAND SHOULD FOLLOW THE RUSSIANS Tom Kelleher has successfully initiated a haunts, said to Irish Times journalist Lara Perhaps the Irish State should take a motion calling on Fingal County Council Marlowe: closer look at the British Council here, to create a memorial to Tom Kettle who "They airbrushed the cigarette out whose main function seems to be to was killed in the Somme in 1916 and was advocate the celebration of the blood sacri- one of the most enthusiastic British Army fice of Irishmen in the interests of British recruiters (The Irish Times, 16.1.08). LP Commission continued imperialism. This, of course, is in direct In most countries the Left supports the conflict with the founding principles of Pat Magner, former party National revolution but in Ireland it troops in behind this State. Organiser the counter-revolution. Ronan Farren, a member of the The Irish State should also follow the SDLP in Northern Ireland and of the example of the Russians in regard to the THE STATE WE ARE IN Labour Party in Dublin teaching of history. After the dark days of Mary O' Rourke's accusation of treason Mike Allen, the party General Secretary the Yeltsin era the Russian State has decid- against the leaders of the Opposition was ed to restore some self respect. President quite reasonable. The most senior politi- Both Ruairi Quinn and Ronan Farren Vladimir Putin told a group of history cian in the State was representing the spoke in the debate last November, when teachers last October that it was their duty interests of the State abroad and meanwhile the party agreed to establish the Commis- to make schoolchildren "proud of their back at home the opposition was calling sion, and both made clear their opinion motherland" (The Guardian, 2.11.07). for his resignation. What were Ahern's that the Labour Party shouldn’t "interfere" Unfortunately, our own State, in hosts to make of all this? in the SDLP’s area of operation. Both are particular the State Broadcasting Service, But Fintan O'Toole finds O'Rourke's therefore unequivocally opposed to the seems only to be interested in denigrating criticism "good for a laugh" (The Irish Labour Party standing for election in our own "great patriotic war" of 1919- Times, 22.1.08). And he considers Fianna Northern Ireland. 1921. Fail to be the epitome of "banana 8 republicanism". The Long Fellow disagrees with O' Toole but must concede that The Irish Commemorating The First Dail Times columnist is being logical and consistent. If the most successful political The 90th anniversary of the First Dáil night the Committee held a mass rally party in the State is the "epitome of banana will take place on the 21st of January at the GPO and expressed their republicanism" it is difficult to see how 2009. Why mention that date so early in determination to continue their the State itself can be legitimate. And it 2008? Because, for one, despite being campaign. 'We intend to continue our persistently corrected by Jack Lane, RTE's protests against Denis Dennehy's follows that if the State is not legitimate, imprisonment and against housing it cannot have legitimate interests. Joe Duffy repeatedly blustered on his conditions in Dublin', two leading Liveline show on the 6th of November members declared …" 2007 that—during the War of Independence ICELAND AND THE —"there wasn't a constituted [Irish] GREATEST CHESS PLAYER Under the heading of Day Of Marching Government] as such… the Government And Noisy Protesting, the front page's For a few years in the early seventies of Ireland was the British Government… second story further elaborated: the world was captivated by the game of whether you like it or not!" And because, Chess. The match between Bobby Fischer "From early morning yesterday as Brendan Clifford observed in the members of the Dublin Housing Action and Boris Spassky in 1972 was considered October 2007 issue of Irish Political Committee paraded the streets and a metaphor for the Cold War. The stakes Review, were it not for the pressure exerted staged protests at strategic points against were so high that it took many months on Taoiseach Jack Lynch by Máire Mac the imprisonment in Mountjoy Jail of before Iceland was agreed as an approp- Swiney Brugha forty years ago—at a time Mr. Denis Dennehy. He was sent to jail riately neutral venue. when the media was not yet drowning in for failing to comply with a High Court In the early seventies Fischer was a Duffyite ignorance—the State would even order to leave a house in Mountjoy Square, where he had been squatting virulent anti-communist. But following have failed to mark the 50th anniversary of that most democratic manifestation of with his wife and two children. the ending of the Cold War he became Hundreds of police patrolled the streets, "anti-American". In a discussion on the national self-determination. As Brendan and particularly the entrance to Dawson Off the Ball radio programme on Newstalk Clifford also pointed out, the resulting Street where the first Dáil celebrations 106 (22.1.08) his anti-Americanism was 50th anniversary commemoration was were taking place in the Mansion House. presented as evidence of his madness. itself no less dramatic, due to the leadership Later a protest meeting held outside the given by Denis Dennehy of the Irish General Post Office by members of the The programme broadcast a recording Communist Organisation to the Dublin Dublin Housing Action Committee was of Fischer being interviewed on Philippine Housing Action Committee, for which followed by a parade to Mountjoy Radio as the 911 attacks were taking place. agitation he was imprisoned and on hunger Prison, where a sit-down protest was Fischer expressed the view that America strike during the course of that commemor- staged. Mrs. Denis Dennehy was among had brought this upon herself. Perhaps ation. In the August 2006 issue of Irish the protestors… At the Mansion House that was an injudicious sentiment, but outdoor meeting there were constant Political Review I further recalled a chants of 'occupy, occupy, occupy' from hardly evidence of insanity. There must meeting in my own family home that had have been many people who wondered if some people in the crowd as Dublin been convened in order to prevail upon Housing Action Committee stewards the US could continue to disrupt the world the 1916 hero Joe Clarke to make a most without any consequences for herself. linked arms and stood five deep before effective intervention on Denis Dennehy's the doors of the building. A debate Fischer then raised a very pertinent quest- behalf. about whether or not they should occupy ion as the 911 events were unfolding. He So it was that the lead story of the Irish the Mansion House continued… News wondered how the US intelligence services Times on the 22nd January 1969 carried of the action by the Cork Housing Action could not know about this in advance the following headline: President's Call Committee was received with cheers… when there must have been hundreds of In Day Of Unrest: Veteran's Protest At There were still more calls to move into people involved. the Mansion House as the Committee's Assembly To Commemorate First Dáil. treasurer, Mr. Michael O'Riordan, said But Fischer's greatest sin was to The paper reported that: that the shooting of the two policemen participate in a re-match with Spassky in "at both civil and religious cere- at Soloheadbeg started a revolution. Yugoslavia in 1992, which was a breach monies in the city, there were disturb- They did not want to shoot policemen of an embargo against that country. ances and protests. In the Mansion but they did want to start a revolution." America could not forgive her famous son House, a veteran Republican, Mr. who had brought glory to her 20 years Joseph Clarke, was carried out after he On page 11 of the Irish Times the before. No obstacle to the destruction of had protested about the imprisonment heading of Nine Men Arrested In Cork Yugoslavia could be tolerated. of Mr. Denis Dennehy, a leading was given to the news that had been so member of the Dublin Housing Action enthusiastically cheered in Dublin: For the rest of his life the American Committee, for squatting in a house in State pursued him around the world. In Mountjoy Square. 'This is a mockery', "Nine men were arrested last night 2004 he was discovered in Japan and the shouted Mr. Clarke, survivor of the shortly after they took over the council Japanese were about to hand him over [1916] battle of Mount Street Bridge, chamber of the Cork City Hall. The when Iceland intervened. as ushers took him outside. At a Mass to group of men, who called themselves celebrate the anniversary in the Pro- the Provisional Council of Cork, forced The people of Iceland remembered how Cathedral in Marlboro Street a few their way into the City Hall and then the eyes of the world were on her in 1972: hours earlier, four people were arrested barricaded themselves in with desks, a country with a population of a quarter of after a woman had shouted: 'Release iron bars and ropes … A statement a million. And then they thought of their Denis Dennehy'. And at the Custom signed by Pádraic Ó Siulleabháin, old friend, that extraordinary American. House, eight members of the Dublin chairman, and Conchúir Ó Loingsigh He was an outcast in his native land but Housing Action Committee were [Conor Lynch], secretary of the Cork Iceland gave Fischer a warm welcome. arrested where they took part in a sit- Housing Action Committee, was issued: And it was in that cold country that the down demonstration… For two hours 'On this day, January 21st, 1969, the 50th anniversary of the first sitting of greatest chess player found his final resting during the day five members of the Dublin Housing Action Committee An Chéad Dáil Éireann, we, the place. picketed the General Post Office… Last members of the Cork Housing Action 9 Committee, proclaim ourselves the "President de Valera addresses the general election, the first Irish Provisional Council of Cork City. This gathering. His speech is briefly Parliament to sit since the Act of Union." action has been taken because of the interrupted by veteran Republican "Their task was prodigious: to rule a obvious incompetency on the part of Joseph Clarke, who protests about the country without control of the admin- the present Cork Corporation, and jailing of Denis Dennehy, a member of istration. It must have seemed to the particularly because of the utter dis- the Dublin Housing Action Committee, authorities in Dublin Castle a mere regard for the present housing crisis in for squatting in a house in Mountjoy rhetorical flourish; but in the next few Cork City. The Cork Corporation, which Square." years a working alternative to the British builds a mere 78 houses where 2,500 Government in Ireland did in fact are urgently needed, cannot possibly be Under the stewardship of its then editor, operate. Its writ ran where the official serving the interests of the people'…" Douglas Gageby, the Irish Times had administration was powerless." [See photograph on page 11.] indeed functioned very effectively as a "Once fighting broke out, the Dáil paper of record in respect of a 50th anni- had to function in secret; but it func- Back on the Irish Times front page, versary commemoration that proved to be tioned. The impossible took place; and the judgements of the Dáil courts were under the somewhat tongue-in-cheek of historic significance in its own right. heading of Solemn Tone To Historic respected. People who wanted justice But it was also all the more effective in country places found that it was more Ceremony, Liam MacGabhann provided because of Gageby's own acute appreci- a very vivid account of Joe Clarke's practicable to resort to these courts ation of the historic significance of the where the British courts were powerless interruption of President de Valera's original event that was itself been com- to enforce their decrees… Our hope for address to the Mansion House Joint Sitting memorated. Lessons Of Remembrance the fiftieth anniversary of that first Dáil of both Dáil and Seanad. MacGabhann was the title of the introductory article in is that those who compose the present related: the special First Dáil Commemorative Dáil may ask themselves if they are "During that time, there were two Supplement published by the Irish Times honestly attempting to fulfil the promise interruptions, one completely out of on the 21st of January, 1969, which said, of those who attempted to build our order and one properly in Senate State …" business. The first came just as Mr. De inter alia: Valera was involved in his first sentence. "We in Ireland are much given to Joseph Clarke survivor of the Easter remembering. Orangemen in particular Douglas Gageby had loyally served Rising 'Thermopylae', the Battle of have long memories and parade their that same State as an Irish Army Intelli- Mount Street Bridge, was among the symbols of the past year by year… gence officer during the Second World distinguished visitors, and leaning on Three years ago the nation commemor- War. It was for the type of perspective his crutches, interjected the following ated the fiftieth anniversary of the 1916 represented by his First Dáil editorial that into the staid proceedings hitherto Rising, today a ceremony in the Gageby would be denounced to the British carried out in Gaelic: 'The Programme Mansion House marks the fiftieth Ambassador to Ireland as "a white nigger" anniversary of the first Dáil… Today of the Old Dáil had never been by Irish Times Managing Director Major implemented . This is a mockery. There we publish a deliberately more discursive series of papers, based Tom McDowell, formerly of British are people on hunger strike in Mountjoy. Intelligence. For Gageby also had the The housing of the people…' Dáil loosely on the Democratic Programme Éireann ushers grappled with the read to that first Dáil. The text of that audacity to reproduce in full the First disabled veteran. They moved him to programme is set out… as is the draft Dáil's own Declaration of Independence the outer door. There, it transpires, they programme drawn up by Tom Johnson that underscored the democratic mandate gave him his crutches and released him. and William O'Brien. The socialism of retrospectively—but quite unambiguously (Paradoxically, Joe Clarke was usher- the latter was watered down in the final —given to the 1916 Rising by the same in-charge at the first Dáil). Nearest document read out by Richard Mulcahy, December 1918 General Election that had spectators to this event were the but the spirit of it seems very much brought Dáil Éireann into being: Cardinal, the two Archbishops of alive today. For there has been in the Dublin and some of the Ministers' wives. years since 1916 was celebrated a "Whereas the Irish Republic was The Diplomatic Corps watched it from sudden rush of social conscience in the proclaimed in Dublin on Easter the balcony. Mr. De Valera carried on political world—civil rights, education Monday, 1916, by the Irish Republican as if unhearing …" and health services, housing. Outside Army acting on behalf of the Irish "The second interruption— events have had their influences, but people; …and Whereas at the threshold procedural, as the Senate was in session the Government itself, in its sudden of a new era in history the Irish electorate —came from a senator just after Mr. dam-bursting attack on education, led has in the General Election of December Lynch, the Taoiseach, had concluded and inspired by Donogh O'Malley, may 1918, seized the first occasion to declare his speech in Irish… Senator Owen have helped to set off a reaction which by an overwhelming majority its firm Sheehy Skeffington told the Cathaoir- it finds difficult to cope with …" allegiance to the Irish Republic; Now, leach: 'A Chinn Chomhairle, I rise to therefore, we the elected Represent- ask the Taoiseach, arising out of his In his editorial for that day, simply atives of the ancient Irish people in speech, whether he sees the likelihood entitled The First Dáil, Gageby penned a National Parliament assembled, do, in of the Democratic Programme of the brief but to-the-point history lesson that the name of the Irish nation, ratify the First Dáil being implemented in the contrasts so sharply with Joe Duffy's cult establishment of the Irish Republic and foreseeable future, or does he feel that of ignorance: pledge ourselves and our people to make it will continue to remain largely a dead this declaration effective by every "Our supplement today commem- means at our command." letter'… Worthy of mention is that both orates the first meeting of the Dáil in 'interrupters', Mr. Clarke and Senator the Mansion House, Dublin, fifty years Given Gageby's own reverence for that Skeffington, have associations with the ago. The meeting (some of the deputies 1916 insurrection. The senator's father were in prison and unable to attend) First Dáil it is not surprising that he would was shot then by a firing squad…" was not proscribed, although it was to have had mixed feelings about the disrupt- be in the days ahead". ion of the 50th anniversary commemor- Readers can now view archive footage "The Dáil's membership was ative ceremonies. But in a further editorial of the TV coverage of Joe Clarke's First composed of those who had been entitled March Of Time, and published on Dáil commemorative demonstration on returned to sit for their constituencies the following day of the 22nd of January, the RTE website at www.rte.ie/laweb/ll/ in Westminster, but following the Gageby proved more than capable of rising ll_t09c.html for which the following prescription for Sinn Féin as written by to the occasion: explanatory note is also provided: Arthur Griffith, (then in prison), they met in a National Assembly after a "It would have been fitting if a truce 10 had been called on a day which was to commemorate a significant landmark in the history of this country and to pay Brian Hanley, Coolacrease tribute to a brave generation of Irishmen and women. But, from another point of And Related Matters view, it is better to bring discontent out into the open. Parliamentary democracy Brian Hanley did a review of the RTE Election is the source of modern Irish is today under fire, perhaps largely Programme on Coolacrease in the current democracy. The only result of the war was because it has failed to adapt itself— History Ireland (Jan-Feb 2008). death and destruction. War was a not and that was one element in the He was like a reporter arriving on a necessary pre-condition for a successful demonstrations which erupted in Dublin battlefield after the battle is over and telling Irish democracy. Britain decided on war yesterday. Thus it was unlikely that the celebrations would pass off without us who won. He knows, as does anyone to destroy the Irish democracy and public protests from the various groups else who followed this story that Pat succeeded in delaying the consolidation which have been so active in past Muldowney, Paddy Heaney and Philip of the new state by also orchestrating civil months. The men of 1919 were practised McConway in Offaly have won the war as a continuation of the initial war at outdoor politics too, and perhaps it arguments on this. But Hanley cannot say against the democracy. This two phased irked some of them less than it did the so with good grace. The amateurs just war delayed and stifled the democracy for average Dubliner whose bus was an cannot be credited by this professional nearly two decades. The war of 1919-21 hour late". that they showed him and his colleagues was a British war to suppress democracy— "It is a long time since so many how history should be recorded and not an Irish war to establish it. Let's keep gardaí have been seen in concentration written. He castigates them for 'posing that war in proper perspective. in this city, and even the most detached citizen will be glad that the official and histrionics' and behaving just like ceremonies were able to go off relatively their opponents, but everyone knows that Then we have Hanley's double think on smoothly, and that the skirmishes were these characteristics were confined sectarianism. relatively unbloody. There are specific exclusively to the makers and proponents We are told that "There was no attempt grievances as well as the more general of the Hidden History programme which at 'genocide' perpetrated against malaise… When party advantage, occasioned the controversy. He says the Protestants during the revolution, nor was however, is subtracted, there still debate generated more heat than light but there any 'ethnic cleansing'" and then on remains the fact that there could be the dogs in the streets know that the heat the other hand he tells us that "we should little agitation if Dublin had enough was all with Eoghan Harris, Niamh accept the fact that there was undoubtedly houses… The Government… may take Sammon and their supporters and the light an element of sectarian conflict during a sanguine view of the hail of party papers that shower down from Fine was from Muldowney and colleagues. the revolution and that some people were Gael and Labour; it should regard as targeted for sectarian reasons". This is top priority the removal as fast as He goes on to give us back to front having your cake and eating it and gets us possible of the major grievances of the history: "… the modern Irish Republic precisely nowhere. marchers—and by solving the problem …is the result of the armed campaign rather than resorting to repressive waged between 1919 and 1921". It is not. There is only way to deal with this kind measures..." It is the result of the 1918 Election. The of pointless pontificating and equivocation Irish Republic existed before the war. It —deal with the actual events—just like To have successfully forced that issue did not need a war to establish it. The war Muldowney and company have done over of the housing crisis to the fore of the First is the result of the first democratic House Coolacrease. Thanks to them that has Dáil commemorations had indeed been of Commons' rejection of that democratic been shown to have shown to be a strictly Denis Dennehy's own historic achievement. result and the attempt to crush its new military incident pure and simple. And Manus O'Riordan democratic structures by terror. The 1918 not even a major one.

Members of the Cork Housing Action Committee outside the Courthouse during the trial of those who occupied the City Hall. Jack Lane (with megaphone), to his right, Pat Horgan and Brian Girvin (Irish Press) 11 DUNMANWAY diary list and other documents—the every townland he reckoned. But there When dealing with sectarianism in the 'Dunmanway find'—left behind by the were only four informants named in the war the devil is in the detail (some might Auxiliaries when they pulled out is very diary and none of these were suspected say, quite literally). And the details have strong and this counters the accusations of then or since as informants by the IRA— to be dealt with. The elephant in the parlour sectarianism. Meda Ryan in her excellent though they then knew of several others on this issue is not Coolacrease but the research—which proves conclusively that who were not listed. He sums it up "..the 'Dunmanway killings' of 27-28 April 1922 Hart is charlatan—provided crucial names of four informers are given in the when 10 Protestants were shot dead. How information that supports this case. book, four unknown informers, with no does Mr. Hanley's approach cope with Nobody has written more knowledgably mention at all of those that were known. that? on all this and she certainly does not put it Did those four and the 'regular' informers Was there or was there not sectarianism down to Republicans. However, non- whose names are known to us supply all involved? I suggest Mr Hanley tells us. If spies were also killed and, combined with that is contained in the book? It is hard to he explains that incident convincingly he the fact that all were Protestants, this think they could do so" (27.11.1971). will establish credentials as a historian at makes the sectarian accusation seem Naturally enough in such documents least as good as those of Muldowney and plausible. informants are listed by some sort of code his colleagues. Surely he could do that which was probably the case here. But very easily with the resources available in But the mysteries persist. Those non- why disclose the surnames of just four the ivory towers of Maynooth? informers who were killed bore the same innocent Protestants only? Why did they So, being ever helpful, I would like to surnames as the informers who were killed. get such special treatment? And these outline some of the mysteries about this And this is very significant. Surnames in then get executed? Does it not look like a event, a piece of genuinely 'Hidden rural Ireland are a hopeless guide to set up? I have come across such lists in History' that Mr Hanley might address personal identity. In fact they can be totally other contexts and the codes can be quite and make his name by solving. meaningless and absolutely misleading. amusing. Who exactly did it? There is no evidence People were and are identified by a string Crowley asks himself the obvious of any local or Republican involvement. of first names which identify people very question if this document was left behind If locals and/or republicans carried out precisely across at least three generations. "…whether it was through carelessness such a well executed mini-massacre it And if that is not sufficient a nickname or haste or pure design" (S.S, 23 Oct. would be well-known locally who did it. can be thrown in for good measure to aid 1971). And he was certainly no conspiracy It was not an amateurish operation. These identification—and to add a little theorist—writing decades before Mr. Hart people were executed 'properly' unlike piquancy. (I grew up with neighbours came on the scene. And Mr. Hart makes the Pearsons at Coolacrease. who were known as, e.g., Mikie Pat Mick, no reference at all to this document or There could be no hiding of those who Johnny Big Jack, Con Con Tim, Jer Big others in the 'Dunmanway find' or the did such a thing in a local rural community. Dan, Dan Sean Maire, Hugh Connie Hugh, articles by Crowley? How odd of our Everything is known in such places. Even Jack twenty one, Con the pound, Jack the intrepid researcher who even went to the 'ordinary' one-off murders and crimes are shop, etc., etc and I did not find out their other world to interview and research but discussed thoroughly in great detail and surnames for years.) apparently missed out on several quite agreement soon reached on who did what IRA intelligence knew all this very important issues of the Southern Star? and why. 'The law' and all officialdom well. There is no case of Volunteers killing may as well be on another planet as to anyone during the War because he And why did the killers say, according what they can know or say or do about happened to have the same surname as a to an eye-witness, and as Hart repeated a such things. But the only thing all are known informer. However, British forces couple of times: "Take that, you Free agreed on in this case is that nobody inevitably placed far more emphasis on Stater". Would a Republican have said knows. surnames, and made several errors that to a loyalist spy in April 1922? This Plenty theories have been put forward arresting or shooting people with the same was in the period leading up the Collins- to deal with it—was it a spate of revenge surnames as those they wanted. That raises de Valera Pact, months before civil war for what was happening in the North at the another possible motive—deliberate hostilities broke out. Republican and Free time? Was it a drunken spree? Was it just provocation to initiate a sectarian war? Staters were not then at war and if this was an execution of spies? But none convince true it would have been the first shots of completely. And further mysteries persist: how the Civil War. Was it not sufficient for the Mr. Hanley is fan of Professor Peter could the Auxiliaries happen to 'forget' victim to be a loyalist for an alleged Repub- Hart who made a big issue of Dunmanway documents containing such critical lican executioner? At that time it was but how come he did not discover the information? Full information on local certainly more damnable than being a answer as to who did it? He must surely spies? And in Dunmanway/Bandon of all Free Stater—which was then just a strong have tried hard and even in his most places. These are usually the first docu- difference of opinion, with many neutrals creative mode he did not come up with ments to be destroyed as they hold the especially in Cork which actually had an answers. Kevin Myers tried to help with most sensitive information of all. And the officially neutral IRA.. All this makes no names—but Peter said thanks but no Auxiliaries were professionals. Nothing sense whatever but has all the signs of a thanks. He did not believe him. All his like this list of spies has been found stupid and crude attempt to implicate much acclaimed research and interviews elsewhere. The full provenance of the Republicans. with the living and the dead were for documents is not yet clear. The method used, doorstep shooting, nought on this issue? Hart would have Flor Crowley has provided the most was not an IRA method and they always thrilled no doubt to be able to name names detailed information on the diary list took the opportunity to 'debrief' informers but he could not. This is therefore that was left behind in four long items in before execution. Why did this not happen unfinished business on Hart's part that Mr. the Southern Star (October-November if Republicans did it? Hanley could usefully complete and do 1971). And his description of the diary his friend a favour. raises more questions as he himself Why did the killings end as suddenly as appreciated. There is a mass of the most they started? And Republicans led by Tom THEORIES detailed information on IRA members Barry rushed immediately to protect The case that they were shot because that must have been collected by a large Protestant homes? Did they kill them one their surnames were listed as spies on a number of informants—at least one in day and protect them the next? 12 Why did the document not contain the and political motives and the means to do salvation, or the means of getting into names of any Catholic informers? And if it. heaven independently of individual merit. the killers were Republicans, why did The other theories about Wilson's Cooney's sermons reject both of these they not shoot Catholic informers whom killing are that Collins forgot to cancel a Evangelical positions: the truth is obtained, they knew? IRA intelligence officers had much earlier order to kill him, which not by reading any written material such obtained the names of many such Catholic seems strange in the case of such a person; as the bible, but by physically hearing the loyalists from other sources by then. Tom or that a one-legged man and his mate preaching of Jesus via an Apostolic Barry had executed more Catholic suddenly got it into their heads one day to Succession, the Cooneyite Preachers informers than Protestants during the war. kill the head of the Imperial General Staff having acquired Apostle Status by means Catholics who informed were considered and go off and do it in broad daylight in of person to person transmission much more despicable than Protestants Eaton Square! originating with Jesus himself. And the who did so. The latter would have been We have to take our pick of these death, or Blood, of Jesus is just that—the regarded as having done so as a matter of theories until Mr. Hanley or one of his blood of a dead man, with no special, principle at least—however misguided. colleagues provides some definitive mystical power to confer Salvation If his troops had done this in these answers. Don't hold your breath. passively. circumstances, shooting informers during These points of difference between Perhaps Muldowney could be persuad- a Truce, I am certain Tom Barry would Cooneyism and Evangelicism are not have executed them or disgraced them ed to move on to Dunmanway? minor theoretical differences; they are the and would do so personally if necessary— Jack Lane defining points of Cooneyism. This is and probably with his bare hands. His PS: Brian Hanley's article says the what put them in violent conflict with all military honour would have demanded it. Cooneyite Pearsons were Evangelical. other Christian denominations with other He publicly disgraced and humiliated As far as I know, Evangelicals rely on Protestants heading the list. people who only robbed a Protestant the direct, written word in the Bible (as Surely a lecturer in Maynooth would rectory during the war as Manus O'Riordan opposed to some intermediate human be expected to make an effort to understand has already described in this magazine. doctrine or interpretation of the Bible these things and not just repeat the usual Tom Barry, Sean O'Hegarty, Tom Hales words), and they believe that the death of meaningless clichés . . . could not figure out who did it and were Jesus is in itself the source of eternal Jack Lane always convinced that it was a provocation by British elements who sought to make the South a mirror image of the North at Pamphlet Review: Joe Devlin: What Now?, His Confrontation of the British the time, make it appear ungovernable by Parliament, After The 1918 Election.Edited by Brendan Clifford. 48pp. 978-1- unleashing a sectarian war, thereby 874158-19-6. A Belfast Magazine No. 32. Oct. 2007. E7, £4.50. discrediting any form of independence and provoking an opportunity to reassert imperial control. Is this credible? Does Joe Devlin And The Demise Of Redmondism not some evidence point that way? If Mr. Hanley wishes he can do us all a favour by In his biographical sketch of John Red- astonished that anybody outside Belfast investigating these possibilities and mond, Nicholas Mansergh commented: should take it seriously" (quoted in Eamon producing a definitive view. "He was moreover by temperament Phoenix, Northern Nationalism, page 10). inclined to underestimate opposition. In That is probably the worst of Devlin. There could even be a Part Two to his the summer of 1913 he was saying that Devlin at his best can be found in a recent investigation and see if there is a the 'argumentative opposition to Home Athol Books publication: Joe Devlin: What connection between two events. I refer to Rule was dead, that all the extravagant action, all the bombastic threats are but Now? The core of this booklet is Joe the killing of the arch conspirator and the indications that the battle is over'. Right Devlin's speech made during the debate ultimate military Imperialist, Field down to 1914 he continued to assure on the King's Speech at the opening of Marshal Sir Henry Wilson, a couple of Asquith that Carson and the Orangeman Parliament in the wake of the 1918 election months later. There is a theory that he was were bluffing." at which the Irish Parliamentary Party was killed on the orders of Sam Maguire, destroyed in Southern Ireland and put on probably one of the most underrated people Going down to the wire with the Third notice in the North. in the War of Independence. Maguire fell Home Rule Bill Joe Devlin was equally That speech was, as Clifford puts it, an out with the Republicans over the Treaty dismissive of the Protestant threat to all open confrontation of the British Parlia- and fell out with the Treatyites over their things bright and beautiful. On 20th ment, in which Devlin asked a series of abandoning of the Republic. So he has no February 1914, just a month or two shy of very pertinent questions of Prime Minister followers to do him justice. Wilson was the Curragh Mutiny and the Larne gun- Lloyd-George to which no one on the the brains behind the setting up of the B running, Devlin delivered a report for the (coalition) government benches felt able Specials but not just for N. Ireland's sake. consideration of the British Cabinet to reply: He would not even deign attend the making it crystal clear that no one had "I have risen for the purpose of asking opening of Stormont despite pleadings anything at all to fear from the straw men the Prime Minister, if he were here, or the from Craig. He wanted all Ireland back in of Carsonia. According to Wee Joe: Leader of the House, if he were here, or the Imperial fold. Would a sectarian war "We have exceptional sources of the Chief Secretary for Ireland, if he were not help prove that any other development information in regard to the Ulster here, or any responsible Minister, high or was not feasible? Volunteer movement, and we are low, great or small, this question: What is Maguire was a Dunmanway Protestant convinced that its danger is grossly the meaning of this passage in the King's who knew the victims personally. He exaggerated. The main ground for this Speech: suspected the reasons they were killed conviction is the fact that, in Belfast, the " 'The position in Ireland causes Me was a provocation orchestrated by Wilson headquarters of the Carsonite movement, great anxiety, but I earnestly hope that and/or his cronies for a wider and renewed where the Catholic and Protestant Home conditions may soon sufficiently improve Rulers would be among the first victims to make it possible to provide a durable war and was in a position to have the of any outbreak among the Orangemen, settlement of this difficult problem.' killing carried out being the top IRB man the Home Rulers regard the whole thing "That is a very enigmatical sentence. in London. He therefore had the personal with absolute contempt, and are It is characteristically Lloyd-Georgian. 13 Why was that paragraph put in the Speech speech would merit extensive annotation Then in May 1916 Lloyd George of the King, unless we had some in a parallel column, like one sometime persuaded Redmond to accept the exclu- explanation of it from the Prime Minister? sees in Bibles but I can't do that here", he sion from Home Rule of the six Northern I waited here and listened to his reply to does in fact very briefly present a counties. While assuring Carson (in the two rather meek and humble speeches significant amount of contextual material. writing) that the exclusion would be from the two leaders of the Opposition. I As well as an introduction and Devlin's permanent he told Redmond that it would waited here and listened with interest to get some explanation as to what that 1919 speech, the booklet contains extracts be temporary, that Irish representation at passage meant. I wanted to know from from the Irish News of Devlin's Election Westminster would be unchanged and him what is the position in Ireland, what Campaign Against Sinn Fein and a chapter that there would be no Northern Parlia- is the Government in Ireland, who are the on William O'Brien. ment. Great disquiet in the Northern Party Government in Ireland, what is going on followed and led to the 'Black Friday' in Ireland, and what you propose to do All of which brings to mind some conference in Belfast's St. Mary's Hall on with Ireland. Do not imagine by your material I have to hand on the development 23rd June 1916. Dissent was greatest in pledge-breaking, by your false promises, of the Home Rule question in Ulster, the west of the six counties so Joe Devlin by your criminal treatment of Ireland, which leads up to another of Devlin's saw to it that the conference was packed that you have rid yourselves of your finest hours (one which only occurs in with his loyal Belfast followers. The vote responsibility when you engage in a conspiracy, which is successful, of driving extemis but nevertheless shows how at the went the leadership's way by a wide margin the constitutional representatives of end of all his manoeuvring to compromise (475 to 265) but Redmond and Devlin Ireland out of public life. For nearly forty even the Irish imperialist par excellence at both had to threaten resignation to carry it years this party, of which there are only a the last stood to a firm line of principle through. Conference voting figures show few of us left, laboured by constitutional beyond which he would not go. that the Party was nigh to death in means to win the great constitutional end Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry City, and of a great constitutional party, namely the John Redmond, Chairman of the Irish on life support in County Derry. right of our people to govern themselves Parliamentary Party from 1900, became According to Eamon Phoenix: on their own soil. We won that great truly its leader in 1914 following on a "…the convention of June 1916 was a reform by the constitutional judgment of disastrous speech in Parliament in which the electorate of this country. We won it watershed in the history of northern because it was a just cause, and because he pledged himself and his colleagues as nationalist politics. As a result of its it was sanctioned by public opinion. We recruiting sergeants for England's war on decision, and the exclusion proposals, won it because it had the moral sanction the world. To begin with the Party's success the nationalist organisation began to of the Colonies. We won it because at raising cannon-fodder was greatest in disintegrate. The accompanying weaken- mankind in every English-speaking Ulster. Then in May 1915 the War ing of support amongst the local branches country in the world was in its favour. Coalition was formed with Carson and of the A.O.H. and the clergy, as seen in the by-elections of 1918, also made way Yet the Gentlemen who from these Bonar Law in the Cabinet (Redmond was benches are now lecturing labour upon for the displacement of the party by Sinn invited but refused). Shortly after that (in Féin" (ibid. page 43). their extreme courses, are the very June I think) senior Catholic clerics and Gentlemen who destroyed the possibility local nationalists met in Omagh, County of that solution and have cast Ireland Then on 22nd. July Lloyd George told again into the melting-pot of agitation Tyrone, in a conference which aimed to Redmond that the exclusion of the Six and discontent" (What Now? pp10-11). oppose any compromising Redmondite Counties would in fact be permanent and attempt to "impose an exclusion scheme that Irish representation at Westminster Clifford's introduction puts the matter on nationalist Ulster" (Phoenix, op. cit. would be greatly reduced. Redmond of Devlin's 1919 speech very succinctly: page 24). From just around that time pledged to fight the Bill all the way down "Devlin was by far the most substantial recruiting was dead in Tyrone. the line. Southern Unionist opposition to and consequential figure in the Home On 3rd June 1915, Michael Fogarty, being marooned in a Southern sea of Home Rule leadership in 1914. The others, Bishop of Killaloe, formerly a supporter Rule scuppered Lloyd George's exclusion whatever their prestige, all belonged to of the IPP wrote to Redmond: plans later that month but they resurfaced the past. They led a Party which was as the Fourth Home Rule Bill which subjectively empty, except for Devlin's "The English have got all they wanted from Ireland, and don't care two pence became the Government of Ireland Act of contribution to it. And in 1918 they were 1920. all brushed aside by the electorate, except about her feelings. Such is our reward for her profuse loyalism and recruiting. The for Devlin, who held West Belfast easily On 13th. February 1920 Devlin, who against de Valera. He went to Parliament people are full of indignation, but are in February 1919, as a remnant of the powerless… was considering attending Westminster great Party, which had served as a "As far as Ireland is concerned, there for the second reading of the Government representative fig-leaf for British is little to choose between Carsonism and of Ireland Bill, wrote to his oldest and government in Ireland, told the members Kaiserism, of the two the latter is a lesser most important ally, Bishop O'Donnell of of the Government that it was they who evil: and it almost makes me cry to think Raphoe (in 1904 O'Donnell had the ban had destroyed the Party that had enabled of the Irish Brigade fighting not for Ireland on the Hibernians as a "secret society" but for Carson and what he stands for— British rule in Ireland to pass muster as removed, just in time for Devlin's take representative, and asked them what they Orange ascendancy here. "Home Rule is dead and buried and over of the organisation at its national intended to do now that the Irish electorate convention in Dublin in July 1905): had voted for independence. Ireland is without a national party or "But for Devlin, that great question national press. The Freeman is but a "This will mean the worst form of about the democracy and national rights government organ and the national party partition and, of course, permanent for which the Great War had allegedly but an imperial instrument. What the partition. Once they have their own been fought would not have been raised future holds in store for us God knows— parliament with all the machinery of in Parliament in a way that demanded an I suppose conscription with a bloody government and administration, I am answer. And it would not have been feud between people and soldiers. I never afraid that anything like subsequent union demonstrated that Parliament had no thought that Asquith would have will be impossible. I propose, if an answer to give, even to one of its own— consented to this humiliation and ruin of opportunity is offered, to attack the Bill, which Devlin undoubtedly was" (ibid, Irish feeling. There is a great revulsion of and to do so from an Ulster point of view, page 5). feeling in Ireland" (from Conflict of giving reasons why we Catholics and Nationality in Modern Ireland, A.C. Nationalists could not, under any Though Clifford says that "Devlin's Hepburn, ed. pp91 -92). circumstances, consent to be placed under 14 the domination of a parliament so skilfully established as to make it impossible for us to be ever other than a permanent Spies and Lies—Cui Bono? minority, with all the sufferings and tyranny of the present day continued, only in a worse form" (quoted Phoenix, Julianne Herlihy takes issue with Manus O'Riordan's views on Ambassador Dulanty ibid. page 76). "Treachery is a problem we will have to live with for a long time, and the nearest we can So at the end of March Devlin went to come to a solution is to recognize the problem for what it is. The man tempted to become a Westminster and spoke against the Bill as traitor will be helped if public opinion keeps it clear before him that treachery is a sordid and a partitionist measure. Bonar Law taunted undignified form of crime. ….. we should abandon all sentimentality in our views of the him with having agreed to the permanent traitor, and recognize him as a thief and a liar. He may be other things; a criminal is very exclusion of the six northern counties rarely simply a criminal. But to a marked degree the traitor is also a thief and a liar." back in 1916. Devlin felt impelled to (The Meaning Of Treason by Rebecca West. The Reprint Society, London, 1952.) explain himself again to his ally O'Donnell, writing to him on 2nd. April 1920: When Eamon de Valera became efficient General Secretary of the National "It was impressed upon me during the President in March, 1932, there were Union of Railwaymen in his time but he controversy about partition, and indeed it underground rumblings about a putsch. was sadly miscast on the diplomatic stage" strongly influenced my action (four) years Many people now see those manoeuvrings (MacManus, p288). The next question ago, that in the absence of any agreement then as somehow treacherous. Though the was one of "the Land Annuities which the about the six counties, a parliament would wild talk had some strong people behind British Government were informed were be set up in Ulster, and I considered that it, especially in the business community— to be withheld from them and banked in it would be the greatest and last of all it eventually died down due in no small the Irish treasury". The Labour calamities…You will, therefore, part to the fact that the hierarchy of the Government of Ramsey MacDonald was understand, that in consenting at the time Irish Catholic Church warned against it worried and sent Mr. J.H. Thomas, the (1916) to the proposals…I thought they would avert the setting-up of an Ulster and Mr. Cosgrave in the end "refused to British Dominions Secretary, and Lord parliament, and, at the same time, create have anything to do with it". The post of Hailsham to Dublin to have talks with the a condition of things that would force Minister of Defence was given to Frank De Valera Government. These failed as Ulster to take the initiative in bringing Aitken who had been Republican Chief of had been expected. The Tories were now about ultimate unity. Indeed, Sir Edward Staff during the final stages of the Civil baying for blood and the Government said Carson has stated repeatedly in the War. So tensions were inevitable— tariffs were to be imposed on imports smoking room of the House of Commons especially as the Army officers had been from Ireland. Dev's reply was to ask for that, if these proposals had been agreed on the other side: "de Valera had made it mediation in the International Court in to, Ireland would now be united. At all clear on coming into office that he had no The Hague but the British refused. They events, by agreeing to them at the time, intention whatever of adopting a "spoils sought for arbitration within the British setting up a parliament for the twenty-six counties, keeping Ulster under the control system" and even if in the Civil Service Commonwealth but Dev knew from the of the Imperial Parliament, with 100 Irish and the Army there were men in key Boundary Commission that everything member, 85 of whom would have been positions who were his personal enemies, was stacked against him there and so Nationalists, still having the same power no official action would be taken against wouldn't hear of it. But. whatever about over governmental and administrative them so long as "they served the State the British jingoistic reaction, there was matters for Ulster as formerly, and loyally". This was to be the pivotal trade raw politics at play for Mr. Cosgrave's recognising that the whole scheme would off. "He believed, with Edmund Burke", denouncement of the Irish policy, and he have been unworkable, my visualisation that "magnanimity in politics is not seldom called Dev's actions a "reckless folly" and is that they would have been glad to come the truest wisdom". So the civil servants he also called on the farmers to likewise to the parliament of the twenty-six and the Army officers retained their posts follow him. Behind the back of the counties to plead for union. On the other hand, if once a parliament were and the governmental machine began to Government Cosgrave also sent his own established in Ulster, with all its function smoothly. Frank Aiken became representative to London, John Mac governmental and administrative an immensely popular Minister for Loughlin, Leader of the Senate, to tell the machinery, and all the vested interests Defence and all danger of a military coup London Government to hold firm against that were bound to be created in disappeared. From now onwards the Dev and thus assure his own return to consequence of its establishment, it would Army was to be the Army of the State, power where these issues would be dealt mean a permanent arrangement. For that not of a Party" (Eamon de Valera by with to the British interests. Two days reason, I believed that what could be M.J. MacManus. Talbot Press, Dublin, later, Cosgrave and his colleague in this done ought to have been done at the time 1944). Mr. MacManus was the Literary intrigue, the former head of the Ministry to prevent such a parliament being brought Editor of the Irish Press and a great friend of Finance, Patrick McGilligan, sent Donal into existence" (quoted Phoenix, ibid, page 82). of de Valera, and his biography of the O'Sullivan, clerk of the Senate, again to latter is a very fine study of his subject. urge the British to stand firm and oppose All of which I think shows that even at Dev's policy. the end of their tether, at the highest Politics is never black and white but conceivable point of their willingness to this period is especially difficult. Ireland Into all this drama came Churchill who compromise with the English, Redmond was operating under The Constitution Of had returned from his tour of the United and Devlin could not bring themselves to The Irish Free State Act, 1922. Dev quickly States, thundering at Plymouth: "We stand agree to and advocate what became the let the British know that the Oath of absolutely on the Treaty. If Mr. de Valera Government of Ireland Act, 1920. Allegiance was to be abolished. So he sent and his Government will repudiate the Standing on their own ground they are a a note to Mr. J.W. Dulanty, the Irish High Treaty they repudiate the title deeds of the standing reproach to those revisionists Commissioner in London, informing him Irish Free State, which becomes an who would have them a willing party to of that fact, which he was to deliver to Mr. anomalous body without a status at all, the dismemberment of their every principle J.H. Thomas, the British Dominions either in or out of the empire." The issue and policy. Only over their dead bodies I Secretary who immediately accused Dev that most concerned the British at this think. of breaking the Treaty in the House of time was actually the Oath which if passed Joe Keenan Commons. Mr. Thomas had been "an might see Ireland weaning itself away 15 from the Commonwealth—"an appalling by them, he was very sure of his ground. p127). But it still was the abolition of the vista" to quote Lord Denning in different In any event the 1926 Agreement doing Oath itself that ignited the most passions circumstances but still to do with Ireland. away with the Boundary Commission had in the usual quarters, especially in the Frank Pakenham, "a scion of a great Anglo- legally absolved the Irish Government Press, and amongst the Churchillian Irish family and a youthful member of the from having to pay a proportion of the politicians who really hated de Valera and Conservative Research Department over British Public Debt and the Irish Land his party. In March, 1932, J.W. Dulanty, which Chamberlain presided", who had Annuities accruing from the Land Acts, acting on Dev's request channelled by J.P. met and interviewed Dev now advised the 1891-1909 by specifically "releasing the Walshe. informed the British Dominions British not to act as advised by Cosgrave Dublin government from any obligation Secretary, James Henry Thomas "that the and the others, as it could just throw to service the British public debt" (Dwyer oath was not mandatory in the Treaty, that Ireland into the IRA and a depression p167). Now Dev was clear that the position it was a relic of medievalism and that its "which might even lead to a revolution. In he had taken up was sound "both in law removal was purely a domestic matter" that event Bolshevism was more likely and justice". ('The Restless Dominion: The Irish Free than surrender". Neville Chamberlain, the Chancellor State And The British Commonwealth of Nations 1921-31 by D.W. Harkness. Gill of the Exchequer, privately admitted that 1 With these fast moving events, Dulanty the Dublin Government had a legal case. and Macmillan, London, 1969). didn't know whether he was coming or However the British badly needed the In a series of quotations, one can easily going. He was trying to assess a situation money, unemployment was soaring, and piece together the bruised egos of the which even the chief participants didn't the National Government of Great Britain Imperialists. know or fully understand. But he held the were determined to get the monies off In her memoirs, Lady Londonderry had line attempting to read Dev and give advice Ireland by piling on the pressure. However which didn't precipitate any rash moves. this to say about the Irish: "Democracy as they had to be careful as South Africa and the British know it is not for Southern For this alone, this diplomat for Ireland Canada were warning them not to give had shown his mettle and had impressed Ireland. They are a different race. They "moral ground" to de Valera. The Wall want firm, wise but powerful control, to Eamon de Valera and even the cabinet. Street Crash and the USA depression were (Read in particular British Policy Towards prevent them from trying to eat each by 1929 and 1930 having an effect on other up". Ireland 1921-1941 by Paul Canning. Britain and by 1932 there was a full- Oxford University Press, 1985.) blown depression in Britain. Ireland was Carson to Linton-Oman (founder, In his book De Valera The Man & The Britain's second best customer, after India, British Union of Fascists.) 1st February 1933: "I hope it may not be necessary to Myths, T. Ryle Dwyer (Poolbeg Press, and Britain was Ireland's best customer. 1991, reprinted in 1995) openly stated So a proposal was made by the British to renew the old fight but of course it entirely that "Cumann na nGaedheal actively impose tariffs on Irish produce so as to depends on the strength or weakness of H.M. Government, which is always an resorted to underhanded and indeed, recover for the Exchequer in London the treacherous, if not treasonous methods" amounts lost by withholding the Land unknown quantity, especially in relation to hamper Dev's bargaining position. But Annuities. But the British kept putting off to Ireland." when Dev himself went to London, a firm decision. Various forms of reprisal Robert Cecil to Edward Wood, 7th January 1927: "Indeed, I don't think "he was accompanied by O'Kelly and against the Free State were considered the secretaries of his two departments, and not proceeded with. Chamberlain Winston takes any interest in public Sean Moynihan and Joseph P. Walshe as sought advice from his Treasury official, affairs unless they involve the possibility well as John Dulanty, the Irish High of bloodshed." S.D. Waley who wrote him: Commissioner in Britain". Baldwin to Crozier, 12th June 1934: "They met with the Prime Minister "We could not well refuse arbitration, but the terms of reference will need to be "There are three people, you know, who Ramsey MacDonald, with Thomas, are impossible to deal with—de Valera, Hailsham and two other senior cabinet carefully framed so as to take into account colleagues—Stanley Baldwin, the the intentions of the government and the Ghandi and Beaverbrook." (All from Conservative Leader and Herbert Samuel, inequities of the case. On the purely legal Canning's book). the Home Secretary." issue de Valera might beat us, if he contends that: (i) the Government of There were two men who were pivotal The meeting didn't go well but it was here Ireland Act 1920 did come into force as for the first time that Dev—while thinking to Dev's success at negotiating with the regards Southern Ireland to the extent of British. One was Mr. J.W. Dulanty, the he was negotiating on the 1926 Agreement, giving away the Land Annuities; (ii) the the so called Ultimate Financial Settlements High Commissioner in London and the release of the Free State from the liability other was Mr. Joseph P. Walshe, Secretary —heard about the secret Agreement signed to contribute to the British 'Public Debt' to the Department of External Affairs by Cosgrave in 1923. must imply a waver of the Land Annuities; When Dev came back, he ordered a (iii) the 1926 Agreement could not of where Dev was also the Minister. Both itself impose a new obligation to pay the search for the 1923 document and as the 1 During The Imperial Conference 1930, the President told the Dail, the Irish copy was Annuities, not having been confirmed by the Free State Parliament…t". Prime Minister of Canada, R. B. Bennett, in very poor condition. "It is literally Conservative Administration, a fierce falling in tatters, half-pages, parts of pages imperialist lashed Thomas who was known not typed, interlineations and so on. Now the British were in a quandary, from then on as 'Jimmy 'Umbug' in Canada and Honestly, I never saw a contract of any but even more perilous legal advice came one Canadian senator wrote to the former with kind presented in such a form. There is not to them from Chamberlain who was this insight: "your method of dealing with the even an Irish signature on it" (Cosgrave relying on his Treasury advisers. In another Irish Spaniard was a stroke of genius. But its had signed the British copy; p166 Ryle memorandum to his colleagues, he pointed political skill would not be apparent to stupid Dwyer). But the British held a copy of the out that "from a purely legal and technical Anglo-Saxons like Jimmy 'Umbug who were trained in the methods of Bill Sykes..." Bennett Agreement signed by Cosgrave and said it point of view" an arbitrator might hold that de Valera was right, and that it would had invited de Valera to the Ottawa Conference was legally binding on the Irish not knowing of course that he would be Government. But they reckoned without seem "most undesirable" to expose President by then. But Thomas got on great Dev's formidable close analysis of any themselves to such a decision when they with Sean Lemass because they both were type of contract. He told the Dail about the were clearly in the right. "The Foreign inveterate gamblers and an inability to pro- Agreement but, since it was not even ever Office shares these misgivings about the nounce the h didn't hinder a good working disclosed to them—not to mind ratified legal validity of the Irish Treaty" (Canning relationship. 16 had been very close to the previous Party Manchester University and he was also eyes, during some of the most important in power and such sympathies were suspect appointed educational adviser to Indian negotiations of his career is beyond belief. to a number of Fianna Fail people. After students studying at English northern And indeed, guided by Dev, and ably all, they owed their positions and careers universities. He also wrote for G.K's served by civil servants like Dulanty and to the Treaty settlement. but Dev dealt Weekly and was on the staff of the Clarion Walshe, and the Government, the very with them honestly, and they respected under Robert Blatchford's editorship. He nature of the relationship between Ireland numbered Shaw and Joyce among his that even if they found the new Anglo- friends and was later guardian to Joyce's and Britain was constitutionally changed Irish policy initially "painful, they bore it grandson. Dulanty had become involved forever. Thus the rather hysterical charge with resignation". In December's issue of in Irish politics and John Redmond had by O'Riordan (IPR December 2007, and the Irish Political Review, there is an appointed him director of the United Irish repeated in January's edition of IPR) that article by Manus O'Riordan titled John League of Great Britain." Dulanty was guilty of "high treason" and Dulanty—High Commissioner for Whom? various definitions thereof left me Some Realities of Betjeman, Bowen and As far back as 1908 when Churchill absolutely stunned. Under the Constitution Anglo-Irish Relations. In the article, there tried to get elected in the North-West of the Irish Free State, our allegiance was is a reference to the fact that had de Valera Manchester seat, Dulanty threw all the as a Dominion "declared to be vested in been aware of certain contents in British UIL might behind him but he lost. That is the King" (Article 51); it was the swearing State papers, he would have Dulanty how his friendship began with Winston of the Oath that Dev declared to be invalid "arrested, charged with high treason and Churchill.2 and eventually he succeeded in getting rid firmly placed behind bars in the interests "In 1917, Churchill asked Dulanty to of it (Article 17). But even in the 1937 of national security". This passionate serve under him at the Ministry of Constitution, Article 39, it was and is held assertion appalled me and is—as far as I Munitions. In 1918, Dulanty was awarded that "Treason shall consist only in levying can ascertain— totally false. a CBE and a CB in 1920 by which time he war against the State…" This liberal O'Riordan seems to source this in Brian had become an assistant secretary at the attitude towards what consists of treason Treasury and was even offered a more Girvin's book The Emergency Neutral is vastly different from Britain. Rebecca prestigious post to do with Ireland but he West in 'The Meaning of Treason' a book Ireland 1939-45 (Macmillan, London, refused and resigned as he didn't agree 2006). I have thoroughly read this book with such a very English mien had no with British Policy. hesitation about the treason of Sir Roger and am at a loss as to how anyone could "He then went into business at a high thus interpret his findings. Diplomacy is level becoming Managing Director of Casement or William Joyce, both which not an exact science nor indeed is Peter Jones Ltd. (the London department she accepted had an Irish dimension. She espionage. Everyone plays the cards that store) and in 1926 he was appointed Irish wrote about trying to decipher the accent are dealt them—some with more consider- Trade Commissioner in London. He of Joyce which "was difficult to identify". able skill than others. Misfortune can be became High Commissioner in 1930, a But there was little doubt about it when parlayed into opportunity but time is of post he held for the extraordinary span of one saw him in the dock. "He had the real twenty years. In 1950, he became Ireland's the essence. In war everything is heighten- Donnybrook air. He was a not very first Ambassador to the Court of St. James. fortunate example of the small, nippy, jig- ed as Bowen herself would later write and After his retirement, he returned to impressions can change within the hour. dancing type of Irish peasant..." (p6) And business and took up Directorships at just in case, Britain also passed The 1940 If a skilful politician or diplomat can seem McBirney's in Dublin and the National to manoeuvre from one position to another Bank." (I was very lucky to be referred to Treachery Act so that every case they without creating or exciting the wrong a book Republicans & Imperialists: wished was covered. During the twentieth reaction—then this is to be applauded. As Anglo-Irish Relations In The 1930s by century "traitors" "who actually did harm Joe Lee noted about these events in his Deirdre McMahon, Yale University Press, to British interests were tried under outstanding history Ireland 1912-1985 1984. Ms. McMahon committed herself Official Secrets or emergency powers Politics and Society (Cambridge to a full investigation of all the sources legislation" or under the above Act— and thus was well able to make her University Press, 1989, p250). "these were aimed at spies and enemy assessment of Mr. Dulanty.) agents: high treason was reserved for "The British approach was vague, those who had taken a political stand chimerical, histrionic—very Irish! The De Valera and Dulanty had many against the state during wartime", Irish response was cold, clinical, meetings in Dublin and according to calculating—very English!" "however futile and, indeed laughable McMahon, the former "would regale de their efforts might be." The response by I found that stereotypical analysis Valera with all the latest political gossip: the state had to be draconian and seen to almost racist—but then Joe had been who was rising, who was falling etc. de be draconian or as Adrian Weale puts it Nicholas Mansergh's pupil in Cambridge Valera thoroughly enjoyed it. Dulanty "brutal and merciless" (Patriot Traitors: and some of the latter's lack of diplomatic quickly gained de Valera's confidence and Roger Casement, John Amery And The finesse had obviously rubbed off. And the length of his appointment testifies to Real Meaning of Treason, Adrian Weale, Lee, the former Irish civil servant, himself the relationship established between the Viking, London, 2001). acknowledged that the profoundly difficult two men" (McMahon p25). So to suggest situation in Anglo-Irish diplomatic affairs that Dev had the wool pulled over his De Valera also met with Dulanty in his of that time was handled well by Dulanty suite at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park and indeed Maffey, the British represent- 2 In King's Counsellor: Abdication And War: Lane when he was passing through London ative to Ireland. The Diaries Of Sir Alan Lascelles, Ed. By Duff en route to Dublin from continental Hart-Davis. Phoenix Paperback, London, 2007, Europe, most usually when he was seeing So who was J.W. Dulanty, the Irish there is a delicious account of the worries of an eye surgeon in Zurich. In Volume V of High Commissioner in London? He never London about the Duke of Windsor who had Documents On Irish Foreign Policy, 1937- lived in Ireland but proposed to travel to Castle Leslie for some 39, (published by Royal Irish Academy, vague political purposes. Shane Leslie of "he was born in Manchester of Irish Dublin, 2006) the Editors published a Castle Leslie was a first cousin of Churchill series of documents that had been found parents. He studied at the Manchester and the wind was up and John Maffey was School of Commerce and also studied ordered back to Dublin and report on any in the autumn of 2005 in the basement of law at Manchester University, later sightings of the foolish Duke, but they the Embassy of Ireland at Grosvenor Place entering the Middle Temple of the London unfortunately never materialised. The Duke in London. law courts. In 1908 he worked as a was strictly monitored by able men like Walter "The Irish High Commissioner in secretary to the Faculty of Technology at Monkton and others. London, John Dulanty, remained the 17 central figure after de Valera in all aspects of British-Irish relations. Twenty one Part 2 of Review of Roy Johnston's Memoirs documents printed below, mainly confidential reports on British-Irish relations written by Dulanty, come from" Fianna Fáil—'mafia-like"? the files found. "An almost complete set of confidential reports covering Dulanty's In a paper On the Problems of Demo- cheek, but it officially looked forward to years as High Commissioner (1930-'49) cratic Unity to a (temporarily resurrected) an Ireland of citizens. And not of self- make up a sizeable portion of this Wolfe Tone Society (WTS) Roy Johnston conscious minorities. It is interesting that collection. Until their discovery few of (RJ) worried at Fianna Fáil's "mafia-like the attempts to get rid of PR are treated as Dulanty's pre-1941 confidential reports control of the working-class". The fact plot to strengthen FF's position. had been located. It was assumed that that FF behaved like a Labour Party may Presumably the most able political they had been destroyed as part of a have had something to do with the matter. formation in the State did not set out to haphazard destruction of material in the Fianna Fáil introduced reforms in the weaken itself. But the notion that a First Department of External Affairs on 25th May 1940 that was undertaken to remove working class interest, and the working Past The Post system would also consolid- sensitive documents in anticipation of an class voted for the party to encourage it to ate a major party of opposition does not imminent German invasion of Ireland." introduce more such reforms. The matter appear to present itself to RJ's mind (or (p.xiv) (I have read these reports and they may not be as crudely simple as the above that of any other any oppositionist), which are riveting but they disprove O'Riordan's but it isn't 'rocket science'. There may speaks volumes about the quality of Irish thesis even more and they deserve wider have been a "convergence of progressive politics. The major oppositionist party analysis than I can give in this article). elements" in the parties of the Left, but FF would probably have been the conservative had been a mass political party for more Fine Gael, with FF as the radical party. The revisionist historians who have than half a century at this point. The paper But it is not writ on stone that the Labour consistently stated that they wanted to was published in The Ripening of Time, Party that would not have won out. Though break the narrative of Irish history have Issue 9, March 1978. Dr. Johnston feels it it is probable that FF would still have been accomplished their aim to a great degree. may have made a bigger impact if it had the radical party in the State. So when large chunks are taken out of been published somewhere other than the context, they then lose all meaning. Then journal of an "ultra-left splinter group" There is a curious aside (p91) about a when somebody's reputation is attacked it (p334). row between JJ, Sir John Keane and Frank is difficult to understand unless one goes The reason for the reconvening of the Aiken (something of a bête noire for JJ— right back to the beginning. It is a laborious WTS was to issue a statement agreeing and other opposition politicians). RJ refers task but it is very necessary. The onslaughts with Jack Lynch's call for "national unity" to an Irish Times poster reading Senator on Dev have become a national sport—his (meaning uniting Ireland). This is really Johnston on Irish Re-union. He seems to own grandson Dr. Eamon de Valera strange as Dr. Johnston takes practically be implying that Aiken censored a speech lamented the latest so-called biography any opportunity that arises to attack Fianna by his father. But there is no record of on him but still the attacks go on. In the Fáil, and anyone contaminated through such a speech in JJ's papers. Despite that London Review of Books, 29th November dealing with it. He identified in his (1978) RJ writes ominously: There is unfinished 2007, Vol, 29, No. 23, there is a review of paper, "the type of parasitic bourgeoisie business here. It could be the relatively a book written by Sir Ian Kershaw (the which is currently (2002) being exposed trivial business of a speech not delivered, Hitler biographer) by R. W. Johnson in in the Tribunals". One assumes that this or a misunderstanding on the part of the which the latter asserts that among the is not a reference to members of the legal Irish Times. (There is also the question of "Fascist dictators" that Hitler had to deal profession who have made fortunes in posters in war time 'Éire'. Was there with "Mussolini, Petain, Franco, Metaxas these Constitutionally-ambiguous variety enough paper to go round for the papers to and Salazer (and perhaps one should add shows, which have 'exposed' very little. have the luxury of posters? RJ surmises de Valera)" and these leaders wanted to The reporting of them, and even their own that these incidents occurred in 1944.) "join forces with the Third Reich and at reports consist of innuendo and hearsay. what price". Now, RW. Johnson was for Politicians (largely Fianna Fáil) have had Aiken is the villain of the piece (p94), twenty years a Fellow of Magdalen their words, and private financial in accusing Senator James Douglas of College, Oxford and has been since 1995, arrangements, 'taken down, twisted round, being 'pro-Blueshirt', RJ's italicised inter- a Director of the Helen Suzman Foundation and used as evidence against' them. The vention reads (in part): "The 'Blueshirt' in Johannesburg but whither such bilge? Tribunals have created a situation where jibe from the Fianna Fail benches confirms In the next issue of the London Review of the democratic process has been made the need for a revaluation of that Books, there was a letter of complaint ancillary to a bogus 'judicial process'. movement. JJ had also been close to from Dr. Donal O'Drisceol, Cork who An obsession with FF's wicked ways Dermot MacManus: part of the Blueshirt lamented this drivel but he couldn't resist runs all through the book, on page 82, intellectual support system." The administering a kick to Dev too, such is Joseph Johnston ('Joe' or JJ—RJ's father) Blueshirts have to be re-evaluated simply the pavlovian reaction to him now. attacked De Valera's attempt to change because the term was used by a FF Minister the PR system of election to a first past the in mid-1945! This implies that the In the next issue of the IPR, I will deal post one. "…[A] Government (meaning Government had no democratic validity. with Manus O'Riordan's claims about Fianna Fáil—SMcG) Senator adduced But FF had a habit of winning elections. Bowen, Betjeman (allegedly "turned" no arguments suggesting that PR was at the The Opposition parties accused FF of less, by the Irish into a double agent) and root of the current state of European calling elections to suit itself. But that is Nicholas Mansergh outed as being some politics. JJ took strong exception to persiflage, the small change of any parlia- kind of deep-throat double agent at the this…" . He suggested that it had prevented mentary system. Suggesting that Frank heart of the British administration! Manus single party government, and it appealed Aiken was particularly evil for throwing did admit that this later claim was a "slim to "the minority". The thrust of RJ's the jibe across the floor is absurd. There possibility" but really! argument is that PR has not prevented is also the small fact that—like almost Julianne Herlihy single party government. JJ's response half the electorate at one point—James NOTE: The research for these two suggests that he did not take FF's Douglas might well have been 'pro- articles are for a forthcoming book on Republicanism seriously. Fianna Fáil may Blueshirt'. Apart from Maurice Manning's Bowen and are copyrighted. well have had its collective tongue in its rather shifty study of the phenomenon, 18 Aubane Historical Society has engaged in reassessing the Blueshirts, over the last · Biteback · Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback fifteen years since the publication of Ned Buckley's poems. Letter by Philip O'Connor from the January-February issue of History Ireland In regard to the 1945 Land Bill, RJ comments: "It is worth remarking that Bias About The Great War this allocation of land individually to As a subscriber and regular reader of History Ireland I was very perturbed by the article landless people is rural areas was the way Brotherhood among Irishmen? The Battle of Wijtschate-Messines Ridge, June 1917 by in which Fianna Fail in the 1930s Tom Burke MBE, chairman of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers Association, which appeared purchased votes using public money, in the September/October issue of History Ireland, and particularly by the loose editorial generating the pathological political standards applied to the printing of it. culture in which subsequent corruption I must take exception to the description by HI of the battle in its editorial lead-in, as has flourished." This has to do with the, "when loyal Ulstermen and Irish nationalists fought side by side for the last time against reasonable, argument that big estates and a common enemy". Since when was Germany an "enemy" of nationalist Ireland? What farms ought to have been made into co- had Germany ever done to Ireland to become its "enemy"? My understanding of German operatives, or worked as 'commercial relations with nationalist Ireland prior to Britain declaring war on it in 1914 was farms'. It may have been better if FF had overwhelmingly positive and friendly. It was German scholars who re-discovered and redistributed the land in the recommended codified the grammatical basis of the Gaelic language. Also, nationalist labour leaders way. It didn't and the results have to be Connolly and Larkin considered Germany socially far in advance of Britain and as the lived and worked with. JJ and similarly progressive power involved in that war. And didn't the 1916 Proclamation refer inclined people could have used Fianna positively to Germany as our "gallant allies in Europe"? Fáil's Irish Press to agitate about co- Mr Burke extols the feats of arms of the southern and Ulster divisions in jointly operatives. fighting the "common enemy" in that appalling imperialist bloodbath. His ecstatic As to the suggestion of FF 'purchasing writings on this common "sacrifice" has led to a well-earned MBE, but what of his votes'. There is no indication of how this statement that "Willie Redmond dreamed of building a new Ireland, a nation at peace was done, or how FF policed these votes!. with itself and its neighbours"? This is historically simply untrue. Redmond was Labour Party agitators in Scotland were wedded to the idea of Ireland as a partner in Britain's world empire and benefiting from wont (when the place was a Tory strong- that arrangement, as well as helping to administer it. The only neighbour with whom he hold), to imply that tweedy types sat wanted Ireland to live in peace was Britain. With all others he would have Ireland at war outside isolated polling stations in the where the exigencies of empire demanded. His vision for Ireland was one of West Highlands counting the people who turned Britain. up to vote and assessing who had not I have no problem commemorating the Irishmen who died in the slaughter of the First voted the 'right way'. 'Kangaroo courts' World War (several relatives of my own were involved). But commemoration is the key were hinted-at, and tenants were chucked word here, and where this becomes a eulogising of the "cause" for which they fought— out of their houses and jobs in revenge. the British Empire—then a line has been crossed where "commemoration" is no longer Did anything of that sort happen in Ireland the issue. In talking of "common cause" and the "common enemy" Tom Burke crosses in the 1930s and '40s? It certainly did not. that line and becomes a partisan in a very bloody enterprise indeed. Dr. Johnston appears not recognise a Finally I would like to take issue with the editorial policy in relation to the publishing class distinction in the followings of FF of photographs accompanying the article. Am I the only one who finds them deeply and FG. The Blueshirts consisted, among offensive? These propaganda photographs of Irish soldiers celebrating victory by others, of big farmers hurt by the 'Econo- playacting in the stolen uniform parts of dead or captured German soldiers are included mic War'. There were also small land- without any editorial comment. I can only imagine the objections that would ensue had holders, and people who were genuinely the photos been of German soldiers celebrating a victory in a similar manner and had they afraid that the 'Civil War' might be been reprinted free of editorial comment putting them in historical perspective for what avenged, or even recommenced. Most they are. small landholders supported FF, a preference their children might have from start. (There is no mention of the not. In December 1947 JJ made the brought into the burgeoning towns with immediate post-war hydroelectric scheme following intervention in the Senate: them. But, as noted above, FF made laws on the river Erne involving partnership "During the past fifteen years the which were of use to working class people. with 'Stormont'.) The industries which Minister's Party has by no means been in Dr. Johnston's seems to think that FF not were not 'well founded' are not named, the the political wilderness—on the contrary being Socialist makes such behaviour sugar industry was pretty successful. it has enjoyed the fruits of office—but invalid. JJ was opposed to the building of a perhaps during much of that time it was in fertiliser factory on the grounds that its a sort of moral wilderness, living on the RJ (p104) quotes JJ on Irish industrial product would be "more expensive than husks of exploded political, economic and development by the end of the War. He imported…" material. This was relatively ideological fantasies. …" There is more (JJ) seems to regret that this was based on shortly after a World War in which both of this truly obscure stuff, which RJ writes the profits made by farmers in the course sides (racist fascism and racist liberal is "worth quoting in full". It seemed to be of WW1. But where else could the capital capitalism) had invaded and bullied small about FF being about to lose an election. be got other than from banks which are (and not so small) states at will. The RJ writes that JJ "complimented the based on profit? (I am assuming, possibly attitude of some Fianna Fáil Ministers Government on taking part in world wrongly, that he was complaining about dealing with JJ may have been rather too conferences and generally acting the good the farmers' tax burden.) He described (in brusque, but they must occasionally have neighbour in regard to European a debate on the Industrial Alcohol thought he was from a different planet. recovery". (Amendment) Bill 1946) on 15thJanuary The implication being that the FF 1947, that some Irish industries were 'well In discussing these matters I am making Government had not done such things founded'. He named the cement and the the—possibly false—assumption that RJ since 1932. But 'De Valera's Ireland' had electricity industries, one was heavily generally agrees with what JJ has said and a distinct foreign policy, based on the use protected, and the other was in State hands written, unless he indicates that he does of the League of Nations (rather than the 19 British Commonwealth, alias 'Empire'). exotically unpleasant. CDG seems to mobilisation, is not mentioned in this text. Despite the realisation that the League have had a proprietorial attitude to the Neither is the fact that the UDA was in had proved useless as a means of keeping Left in Ireland. But he seems not to have place in embryo in the Shankill and the peace of the world, and helping small had an 'instinct' for what was going on in Woodvale 'Defence Associations' by early nations, the person who kept the organis- Irish society, particularly in the 1960s. 1969. The Peoples' Democracy and the ation in being during the War was the (He may have deliberately misinterpreted "IRB military conspiratorial tradition" in Ulster, Protestant, Sinn Féiner, Seán Connolly, but, so far as he was concerned the Republican Movement bear all of the Lester. The League was able to morph Connolly could only be a proto-Leninist.) responsibility for the balloon going up in into the 'United Nations' organisation What frightened the Unionist August. The fact that Ardoyne was under because of his efforts. This sort of thing Establishment in Northern Ireland in the siege from Spring 1969 is not noted. rather knocks the notion that Ireland was 1960s was that the Croppies were In an italicised intervention (p262) RJ 'insular' (which seems to be the import of becoming Brits. They were joining Brit ruminates on who planned the pogrom. what JJ said) on the head. Ireland opened Trade Unions in droves, and were He gets very close to blaming Ruairí Ó out to the world in other ways, not least by fascinated by 'proper' Westminster politics. Bradaigh who seems to have been retailing setting up a national airline. There is no Belfast street intelligence (conceivably doubt that Great Britain was Éire's most RJ writes (ps 231 / 232) "…when NICRA about the violence in and about Ardoyne). important trading partner, but JJ appears [the Northern Ireland Civil Rights The pogrom probably was not planned, in to have been of the opinion that it should Association] demands began to be the sense that there was a central 'command' remain the only one. realised… there was not in existence a who or which gave orders. There were far broad-based non-violent democratic too many groups involved: the Defence There is a slightly strange 'dig' at FF in movement, with an all-Ireland structure Associations, which appear to have been relation to Dev's brainchild the Dublin to take advantage of it. Fianna Fail genuinely spontaneous formations, and Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS), irredentism took over, with a strong the UVF, which according to Gusty where RJ worked in the mid-1950s. Catholic-nationalist flavour, and the basis Spence, was set up by a 'Stormont' Despite Dev, RJ claims that the future of for the armed B-Specials pogroms of Minister, and the 'B-Men'. the Institute was in doubt. The Minister of August 1969 and the subsequent When Robert Porter, Minister of Home Education, Jack Lynch, visited the facility emergence of the Provisionals, was laid." Affairs (in what looked very like a slightly and made a game attempt to understand This is an extremely confusing assertion. sleazy police state), was asked at a press what was going on. (It had to do with RJ mentions 'proto-Provisionals' on a conference after the events of the 14 / 15 high-energy particle physics.) RJ writes number of occasions, people like Jimmy August 1969 how many Specials had been that Lynch appeared to defer to his Israeli Steele and Proinisias MacAirt. They were mobilised he claimed that the did not colleague Gideon Alexander, as the really questioning, not so much the know. The assembled journalists just "'foreign expert'". This clearly still rankles demilitarisation of the IRA, as the high- laughed at him. But it is probable that he with him. handed way it was being done. RJ admits genuinely did not know. The B-Specials that Cathal Goulding was using military (the Ulster Special Constabulary from It is difficult not to have a certain amount authority to push through the politicisation 1968) were in essence a Protestant society. of sympathy with RJ in this matter. He of the movement—and not discussion in In country areas they probably had closer was irritated about his part in the process, democratised structures. It is difficult to connections with the local Orange Lodge and the work of the DIAS, a world leader know what RJ expected from Civil Rights than with the professional police. Forcing in aspects of science, being (apparently) agitation: he writes the he had a different the croppies to lie down was not a matter downgraded. He makes the incident the concept of how to treat the North than that required a great deal of thought source of a generalised condemnation of CDG or Anthony Coughlan. The addiction organisation in the Wee Six. 'the Establishment'. "Slave minded of Catholics in Belfast and Derry and to an deference to Church and foreign expert extent Newry to Brit politics was rather RJ (p263) remarks that "it should have went hand in hand." (The reference to the hard to break. If the Labour Party had been possible to break through to the Church has to do with the row over John extended its organisation to Northern British Government … beginning to be McGahern's sacking from his job as a Ireland in 1969 the Provisional IRA would aware of the RUC and B-Specials National School teacher, as a result his probably have been stillborn. The Union- problem… to pre-empt the pogrom. Why first published novel.) The State, as ever, ists are the authors of their own misfortune did this not happen?" The London in those days did what the Church wanted. in that department, they drove the Brit Government knew all about the RUC and It is moot whether or not Jack Lynch Catholics back into the Taig corral. USC, but they (Labour and Tory) did not deserves this abuse. He was hardly the want to dirty their hands in 'Ulster'. They first Government Minister to truckle to It is dubious to claim the FF was pretended that the place had constitutional the Church. Ten years earlier Seán Mac 'irredentist', or any more so than the other rights, and that 'intervention' was a big Bride had repudiated a Ministerial parties in the Republic: Fine Gael, after step, which was nonsense. The troops colleague (Noel Browne) for attempting all, is the United Ireland party. RJ appears who were 'sent' to Belfast, came all the to do something (which FF did when it not to believe that there is any validity way from Ballykinlar, County Down. won the next election). This was his whatsoever in the 'Northern Ireland' entity, Mother and Child Scheme a modest piece which may be a reason why he objected to of welfare legislation. the 'Civil Rights ' strategy—it might have Fianna Fáil, and in particular Neil consolidated the place. He also appears to Blaney are blamed for the formation of One can't help feeling that RJ was not be implying that the B-Specials had to be the Provisional IRA, though the PIRA in a position to criticise Lynch, or anybody provoked into acting against the Taigs. was a spontaneous growth, which had one else, for deferring to 'foreign experts', But that was their reason for being from gun in October 1969 when it split from the given his own deference to CDG (C. the very early 1920s. 'Stormont' is not Dublin headquarters. RJ claims that by Desmond Greaves) who ran the British blamed for mobilising the force in August 1971 "… Provisionals… seen… as totally Communist Party's Irish front organisa- 1969. Very few people could have been destructive influence on the working class tion, the Connolly Association. English under the impression that such an action unity we had tried to nurture…". This is people are not as 'foreign' in Ireland as would not have dire consequences. as arrogant as the claims made by the PD Israelis, but CDG represented Soviet (Peoples' Democracy) about their own Communism, which was regarded as The UVF, whether of the 1912 or 1966 'revolutionary rôle' in destroying the 20 'Government' of 'Northern Ireland'. The Bill of Rights on Stormont and concedes Fianna Fáil in "helping to arm the actual Government of Northern Ireland enough independence to Stormont to Provisionals" is needed. However, the resides in Westminster. Working class enable it to take its own EEC decision whole Oireachtas was involved in arming unity was the work of decades by the and to deal with Dublin as it wishes. the Catholics in the North in the winter of Trade Unions. It is probably the influence 4. The onus is on Dublin to secularise 1969 / '70. Any chicanery involved was of the Unions that made the workplace, by the Constitution and to provide for an not on the part of the three men mentioned. Irish federal regional structure. and large, neutral ground. (There have 5. Any talks between the reformed The Government and Opposition were been work place killings—but the response Stormont and Dublin to be entirely a intimidated by the British Ambassador has usually been strike action, public matter for the Irish without interference and Diplomatic Corps (see August 1969, protests, or even more direct action. When by Westminster. Ireland's only appeal to the UN, Angela a (Catholic) Council worker in Belfast 6. No internment, whether as part of Clifford). Describing them as a 'caucas' is was shot in the early 1990s, every other a package deal or otherwise. a bit dubious. Boland founded his own employee 'walked off the job'—but not 7. No political settlement involving party Aontacht Éireann, which was not before a handful of Inspectors with UDA re-drawing the border, movements of successful. As Neil Blaney put it, "I didn't 'connections' were told to get out of certain populations, 'Catholic areas' or any leave Fianna Fáil, Fianna Fáil left me", yards—and not come back). Admittedly, principle which questions the Irishness and he remained TD for his Donegal of Protestants." these were 'bottom up' actions, but they do constituency for a quarter of a century demonstrate the depth of Union solidarity. If the above had been put into effect the after the 'Arms Trial'. Haughey went on to civil war which had been raging for a good irritate the Irish Left by becoming RJ puts the above situation in the context year at that point would have become Taoiseach and making Ireland prosperous. of a "Heath-Lynch collusion" to drag us many times worse. The working class Seán McGouran into the EEC, with Ireland being England's were fighting that war, car bombs and (Part One appeared in Irish Political Review, perpetual patsy. This is described a bring- 'civil rights' rather cancel each other out. October 2007) ing Ireland back into "the Empire"—whose The term "Carsonite rebellion" would TO BE CONTINUED empire is not specified. Can RJ and people irritate the least militant Unionist, and like Derry Kelleher and Uinseann Mac disarming "the Orangemen" is much more Eoin have assumed that the UK would ambiguous than the people who drew up Obama On Gaza immediately take over the direction of the this wish-list, realised. It was almost Community? Neither France nor certainly the Order which put a brake on Those who are tempted to sympathise Germany, nor Italy, or even the Benelux 'Orange' violence at this period. Asking with Obama’s candidacy on racial states were particularly fond of Brit Westminster to impose a Bill of Rights on grounds should take warning from the arrogance. They had built the Community Stormont, then scarper, shows that the message below. in spite of rather than because of the authors were not being serious. An inde- Letter from Senator Barack Obama to 'Anglo-Saxons'. It has taken the same pendent Stormont would have had to raise Zalmay Khalilzad, Permanent US 'Anglo-Saxons' decades to destroy the its own finances—unless this is a representative to the United Nations Community / Union. And now it does forerunner of Provisional thinking of the "22 January 2008 have Ireland as a perpetual patsy. The early 1980s: 'Get out of Ireland—but leave "I understand that today the UN latter is largely the destructive work of the the cheque book behind you…'. The first Security Council met regarding the people RJ was allied with in the fight to act of an independent Stormont would be situation in Gaza, and that a resolution or keep Ireland out. Being part of the Euro- to undo any restrictions on Orange parades, statement could be forthcoming from pean Union (a misnomer now that then re-form its own military force. As for the Council in short order. Manchester Liberal policies are the order dealing with Dublin, its preferred method "I urge you to ensure that the Security of the day) has done Ireland nothing but would probably have been machine gun Council issue no statement and pass no good. Haughey (not even mentioned in emplacements, and lots of razor wire. resolution on this matter that does not the Index) was sneered at simply because fully condemn the rocket assault Hamas he was a European figure. The people of the 26 County State has been conducting on civilians in made it clear on a number of occasions southern Israel for over two tears. Practically the last mention of Fianna that they would change their Constitution Fáil in this book has to do with an Open "All of us are concerned about the when they felt like it and a united Ireland impact of closed border crossings on Letter to Jack Lynch, dated August 9 had to come on their terms. (And the 26 1971, here it is: Palestinian families. However, we have County State—despite wishful thinking to understand why Israel is forced to do "1. The claim that civil rights for the by some—is a democracy.) If Westminster Six Counties within the UK constitute this. Gaza is government by Hamas, were paying for the upkeep of the Wee Six which is a terrorist organization sworn the 'Achilles heel' of Unionism stands it would have to be represented at any vindicated. to Israel’s destruction, and Israeli 2. Crude nationalistic statements negotiations on Irish unity. Insisting on civilians are being bombarded by rockets from 26-county political ends (?— the 'Irishness of (Ulster, presumably) on an almost daily basis. That is SMcG) by spokesman close to the Protestants' is an odd demand. What if unacceptable and Israel has a right to Government have helped identify they question it? Or come to the conclusion respond while seeking to minimize any undeservedly the civil rights movement that their 'Irishness' is different from their impact on civilians. with the partition question and to drive neighbours? Would there be a return to "The Security Council should clearly it into the ghettoes, giving rise to the the status quo ante, a re-drawing of the and unequivocally condemn the rocket present danger of civil war in which the border, or would they have take what they attacks against Israel, and should make it prime suffers would be the divided get and like it? working people. clear that Israel has the right to defend 3. The onus is on Westminster to There is no indication that Jack Lynch itself against such actions. If it cannot undo the damage done by the Carsonite read this 'Open Letter'. bring itself to make these common sense rebellion. This is possible if it (a) points, I urge you to ensure that it does abandons all claims to rule Ireland (b) Lynch appears (p 506) to be exonerated not speak at all. announces a programmed disengage- from any involvement in the 'Arms Crisis'. See http://jewishstandard.net// ment (c) disarms the Orangemen and RJ writes that analysis of the role of the content_images/ObamaLetterbig.jpg bans the Orange parades (d) imposes a "Haughey / Blaney / Boland caucas" in 21 Report, 11th Roger Casement Symposium character was invented. The real origin of Ramon, it was claimed, was the ranch San Ramon near Buenos Aires where Casement's friends and supporters, the Scribbled Recollections Part 2 Duggan family, resided. ashore at Banna, perhaps at his own Paul Cullen has been assisted in his A HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPH research by his children Aisling and Shane. TAKEN ON BOARD U19 volition. It is thought that he readily gave information and it is quite possible he was He says he has been in contact with the When Roger Casement left for Ireland all along a spy. It is not clear what became Duggan family in Argentina and has on board a German submarine with two of him afterwards. A Julian Bailey is obtained confirmation from a Luisa members of his Irish Brigade—Robert recorded as having died in late 1916 on the Duggan that indeed Casement met with Monteith and Daniel Julian Bailey (also western front. This could be the same her Uncle Eddy and her father on 24 called Beverley)—they travelled on the man. There was a story circulating in the March 1910. submarine U20 under Captain Sweiger, Limburg area after the War that Bailey the same craft which had sunk the Lusitania returned to Germany to meet up with a SOME FINAL SCRIBBLES the previous year, Pádraig O Cúanacháin local girl he had fallen in love with. At the end of the symposium this explained in his talk to the Foundation. However, she had taken up with another scribbler took it upon himself to make a The U20 developed a problem with its man and distraught, Bailey committed small contribution of his own. rudder and had to return to port. They then suicide. The reality, however, is that the Firstly, as the Congo was the main set out aboard the U19. Before departure fate of this character still remains shrouded theme for the day, he read a section from on U19 a photograph was taken of in mystery. Don Akenson's An Irish History Of Monteith, Bailey (Beverley), Oberleutnant Civilization vol II which served to illustrate Otto Walter, a Roger Casement clean- THE 1910 'BLACK DIARY' – the passion and ingenuity Casement shaven but for a moustache, and the sub's THE ARGENTINE CONNECTION brought to bear to make a reluctant world Captain Raimund Weisbach. Each of these Paul Cullen, speaking at his first take heed of the awful injustices taking men, in different ways, was to experience Casement symposium, gave a provocative place in that country at the beginning of a difficult destiny. and stimulating talk which referenced the last century. Weisbach had been the torpedo officer entries in the 1910 Diary for March of that Then he turned his attention to some on the U20 when the Lusitania was sunk. year. His interest in the subject arose by other matters that came to his attention in The U19 was his first command as captain. accident as a result of research he was the last year. He recounted how had looked In August 1916 he took command of the conducting into a sculpture currently on through the 14th edition of the new U81 which carried out a number of display at the William Harvey Institute, Encyclopaedia Britannica for 1932 to see successful patrols sinking numerous Charterhouse, London, by the well known what it said about Roger Casement. There merchant ships. Walter was first officer sculptor John W Mills. It is titled "The was no mention of any Diaries whatsoever. on this craft. On 1st May 1917 it was Lion and the Unicorn and Digitalis". But there was a reference to his writings torpedoed and sunk by the British sub- This research took him to the Wellcome which were described as "anti-British marine E54 off the west coast of Ireland. Library of the great medical research pamphlets" . The Diaries began to seriously The torpedoing and sinking of a submarine charity The Wellcome Trust. Here he read impinge upon the public consciousness by another submarine is a rarity in naval letters from Roger Casement to the only in the 1950s. warfare. Most of the crew were killed. pharmaceutical magnate after whom the What is also striking about the 1950s is However, Weisbach and Walter survived Trust is named, Sir Henry Wellcome. the way a number of people came together and were taken prisoner. They were held Casement had been a friend of Sir Henry to agitate for the remains to be returned to as POWs in what is now Cobh, known and they had corresponded. Through Ireland and to combat perceived injustice then as Queenstown. In WWII Weisbach pursuing the Wellcome connection he was being done to his memory on account of held a position as an onshore officer in the to discover that Casement had corres- the diary material. Prime movers in this Kiel submarine base. The two men were ponded and been friendly with Thomas were Herbert Mackey, Roger McHugh among a group of surviving former Duggan, a very wealthy Irish immigrant and the English poet and man of letters German naval officers who visited Ireland to Argentina. Alfred Noyes. McHugh and Noyes wrote in 1966 at the government's invitation to Duggan (1838–1913) was a very a play which appeared in the Gaiety theatre take part in the commemorative events of successful rancher. Originally he came on 10th March 1958, simply called Roger that year. from Ballymahon, Co. Longford. He was Casement. The then Taoiseach Eamon de The journey on the submarine was to sympathetic to the cause of Irish repub- Valera attended. Every allegation made prove difficult for Casement because of licanism and funded nationalist causes— against Casement was confronted. A his poor health. The constant noise, stench including that of Parnell and Davitt. review in the Irish Independent suggested and cramped conditions on board made Casement visited his friends the Duggans it was too burdened with the effort to things harder. With Monteith and Bailey at their San Ramon estancia or ranch a make points on historical matters to hit the he left the submarine on a small rowing number of times between 1906 and 1911. target dramatically. boat. Before it reached shore it capsized, On 11th March 1910 Casement arrived Going through the newspapers of the drenching all three. After reaching Banna in Buenos Aires, a city preparing to cele- time an exciting report of a meeting I strand Casement hid out at a secluded area brate the centenary of the "May Revolution came across was from the front page of the near the shore known as McKenna's fort of 1810". As a result many new buildings Irish Times of 15th August 1959. A where he was later captured. and public edifices were under construct- headline, not the main one, said Casement Monteith went on the run. Thanks to ion in the centre of the city. On 12th Diaries Zaid To Be Forged. "The result the help of sympathisers and his own March there is a mention in the Diary of has been obtained by erasure, bleaching ingenuity he eluded capture and eventually "splendid erections", which is actually an out of letters and interpolation" according made it to America. innocent reference to the vista of new to Dr Herbert Mackey. He said how so far The mysterious Bailey also went by the construction that met the eye. he had only seen the 1903 Diary. He had name of Beverley. He had joined the Irish By attaching a tail to the "San" in San examined it using specialist equipment Brigade at the POW camp at Limburg. He Ramon on March 13th "San Ramon" including "a magnifying lens capable of was soon captured by the RIC after coming became "Saw Ramon" and "Ramon" the giving a ten times enlargement". He had 22 announced that he had spent many years REPORT of a Launch whereat I felt very much depressed." studying "calligraphy, the art of "I am enclosing you a money order for handwriting and graphology which is Connolly's fifty cents and I want you for that to send aimed at the detection of forgery". He me Hugo's simplified German Teacher. I claimed in his opinion "the forgeries had Correspondence think there are three books in all, at not been done skilfully". sixpence each. You know the series I am sure. In the department of Singer's There followed a general discussion Dublin's Liberty Hall saw the launch on December 6 of Between Comrades: [Sewing Machine Co.] where I work the about the attitudes of these "forgery majority are Germans, and German is the theorists" of the 1950s and 1960s. Were James Connolly, Letters And Corres- pondence 1889-1916. This 700 page principal language spoken. So I am they what would be called today thinking that I can do a little learning on 'homophobic'? volume has been compiled and edited by the Berlitz system whilst earning my daily A contributor from the floor claimed the Connolly biographer and former bread if I only had a few books to teach this could certainly not be said of Prof. General Secretary of the Irish Congress of me the rudiments." Roger McHugh who wrote a significant Trade Unions, Donal Nevin. The following —James Connolly, Newark, New Jersey article in the magazine Threshold in 1960. are but a small sample of the extremely The language he used was very carefully interesting observations to be found in Francis Sheehy Skeffington, chosen so as not to exhibit an anti-gay this book. Socialist Pacifist, on the War prejudice. His criticism focused on the To Irish Labour leader William O'Brien, idiocy and derangement of the sexual Connolly Dublin, 3rd August 1914: protagonist rather than on his orientation. on Washington and Slavery "Dear O'Brien, This scribbler also referred to the Irish To Daniel O'Brien, Secretary, Irish This war means the end of the British Empire. If Germany wins, that is obvious. Times obituary of Maire Gavan Duffy, Socialist Republicans Party, Dublin, 15th daughter of George Gavan Duffy, a But if Russia wins, Russia will speedily September 1902: turn on India, and end matters that way. I defence counsel at Casement's trial and "…This place I am to-day was am hoping against hope for a German one of the signatories of the Anglo-Irish Washington's Headquarters during the victory; I fear the Germans are hopelessly Treaty. This woman born in 1914 was an War of the Revolution. His house is open ringed in. Yrs. FSS" Irish cultural nationalist and a devout and to visitors, and is stocked with mementoes —Francis Sheehy Skeffington, active Catholic. She worked hard on behalf of the Revolutionary War, and of Rathmines, Dublin of the underprivileged both in Ireland and Washington and his family. One curious farther a field. The obituary reported Máire memento is the Will of Washington's Connolly on Mortality Benefit Held Roger Casement In The Highest mother. Among the items of this Will is and the War one where the old lady leaves to one of To ITGWU official Peter Keely, 25th Regard. her children, 'my Negro wench, Little Bit, Obviously her view of Casement must and all her future increase'. Surely this is February 1915: have been influenced by her father's view a paradox. Here we have the family of the "Dear Keely, of him. Would a devout Catholic hold a greatest patriot of Revolutionary In reference to your letter inquiring if habitual and profligate sexual sinner in America—a patriot passionate with love the death benefit is payable on account of the "highest regard"? Sense and experi- of 'Freedom'—consigning to perpetual members of our Union killed in the war, ence does not encourage such a conclusion. servitude, not only the living Negro I have to inform you that the Mortality benefit of the Union only covers cases in Thus we become inclined to imagine her woman, but all her children yet unborn. It forms another illustration of the necessity Civil Life. Therefore the answer is in the father's picture of Casement must have negative. Yours fraternally, James been one which dismissed the diary for insisting upon a clear definition of the term 'freedom' as of all other terms so Connolly, Acting General Secretary, allegations. This is no cast-iron argument glibly used in political warfare…" Liberty Hall" in favour of forgery, naturally. Nonethe- —James Connolly, Newburgh, New Jersey less, it presents us with food for thought. From Connolly to Winifred Connolly on the Kaiser and Carney, ITGWU, Belfast Lastly, I was able to report on a most the 1905 Russian Revolution "Dear Miss Carney, interesting article from the Sunday Tribune To John Carstairs Matheson, Edin- of 3rd June 2007. The heading was Book ...The authorities are making great burgh, 27th December 1905: parades through the city of the German Of Kells To Tell Its Secrets. A team at "Dear Comrade guns, supposed to be captured, with a Trinity College, Dublin had been ... The Russian Revolution is one thing view to getting recruits. I hear that the investigating the Book Of Kells over the I have great hopes for, if only the Kaiser employers have already sent in their lists past two years in an effort to find the can be persuaded to interfere. If he does of 'eligible' and 'indispensable' men. It is composition of the inks and paints used in not I much fear that the heroic working on the lines I suggested it would be. All the making of the book and their class of Russia will only pull the chestnuts the true blues and sycophants are returned geographical origins. They had consider- out of the fire for the liberal party. Yours as indispensables…" [2 December 1915] able success with a technology known as fraternally, James Connolly" "… How about the Dardanelles now? "Ramon Spectroscopy". This was to ring Was I not correct in my forecast? It looks a bell. Ramon Spectroscopy was described blue for the poor Empire. I fear that Edinburgh-born Connolly on the Ireland will be the only consolation she in the Giles Report on the Casement diaries Edinburgh Derby Scottish Cup will have. We, of course, will remain as being a "destructive" form of testing Final and on learning German with her to the end. I understand that it and thus not suitable for testing the To John Carstairs Matheson, Editor, was by a wholesale use of hospital ships contested diaries. It was odd indeed that it The Socialist [Edinburgh], 17th April as transport that the British troops got off was nonetheless found suitable for Trinity 1906: the Peninsula at all. It is not very College's great ancient treasure. It was "… Send me the paper now and then; creditable, rather discreditable in fact, odder still to read an article in the London- it will keep me posted on things. I am in but it served John Bull's purpose…" [22 published Independent some days later absolute ignorance of what is really going December 1915] which stated that one reason Trinity chose on in the Labour movement. The only "…There are two German submarines this technique was its very non- information I got lately was when a little in Dublin Bay, and all the shipping of the Port has been held up for three days. They destructiveness. Scotchman in the shop told me that 'the Herts were in the final of the Scottish have sunk already nine ships in the Tim O'Sullivan Cup, they knockt hell oot o' tha Hibs', channel. The Mistress of the Seas seems 23 to be neglecting her job…" [29 December Trial of James Connolly, arrival at Dublin Castle they were escorted 1915] 9 May 1916 to Connolly's room. As they entered, "…The submarines were in the Bay, [Statement by James Connolly James turned his head towards them. and the Channel Islands for three days, so (Prisoner Number Ninety) at his trial]: Nora recorded the following last they must have surmounted that difficulty. "… We went out to break the connect- conversation with Lillie: There are all sorts of rumours around ion between this country and the British 'Well, Lillie, I suppose you know what here about the plans for Military Author- Empire and to establish an Irish Republic. this mean?' 'James, James. It's not that— ities for Dublin, and very sinister rumours We believe that the call we thus issued to it's not that,' Mama wailed. 'Yes, Lillie,' they are…" [31 December 1915] the people of Ireland was a nobler call in he said, patting her hand. 'I fell asleep "... According to this morning's press, a holier cause than any call issued to them tonight for the first time. I was awakened the Conscription Act is to apply to Ireland. during this war having any connection at eleven and told I was to be shot at This will surely disorganise a great many with the war. We succeeded in proving dawn.' Mama was kneeling, her head on things, and might mean great changes, that Irishmen are ready to die endeav- the bed, sobbing heart-breakingly. Daddy even in the Transport Union. The submar- ouring to win for Ireland their national laid his hand on her head. 'Don't cry, ines are gone, and everything is again rights which the British Government has Lillie,' he pleaded. 'You'll unman me.' normal…" [3 January 1916] been asking them to die to win for 'But your beautiful life, James,' Mama "… I am presiding at Skeffy's [Francis Belgium…" sobbed. 'Your beautiful life.' 'Hasn't it Sheehy Skeffington] meeting to-night. been a full life, Lillie', he said. 'And isn't The prices of admission are so high that this a good end?' I rather dread a small attendance. But he Execution of James Connolly, James Connolly was executed in is rather popular just now. Would you not 12 May 1916 Kilmainham Jail on 12 May 1916." like to be here where things happen all the "At midnight on Thursday 11 May time? But of course things sometimes 1916, an ambulance arrived at the house happen in Belfast—the Corporation sing where the Connolly family were staying. QUOTATIONS from: 'God Save the King' for instance. Did the An Army Officer said that James Donal Nevin (ed.); author of James Connolly was very weak and wished to Home Rule members sing likewise? It Connolly: A Full Life must have been a great sight…" [4 January see his wife and eldest daughter. On 1916]

Statement issued by Commandant- Does generosity, the Hardimans—social General James Connolly, Army of the ethicists that they are—have said they Irish Republic (Dublin Command), It wouldn't object and indeed "would Headquarters, 28 April 1916 Stack welcome" Fr. Daly provided he built on "TO SOLDIERS their side of the road. This is the fifth day of the establishment Up? of the Irish Republic, and the flag of our Treason? Fianna Fail TD Mary O'Rourke country still floats from the most Angelus? RTE 1 is reclaiming ever more has been advised to consult a dictionary important buildings in Dublin, and is by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny after she gallantly protected by the officers and of its now outed proud commitment to Irish soldiers in arms throughout the secularism. Completely funded by the tax accused the latter of "an act of treason". country. Not a day passes without seeing payer, it has quietly jettisoned one of its Given the topicality of this it seems there fresh postings of Irish soldiers eager to do more iconic images since broadcasting is a lot of treason running about. O'Rourke battle for the old cause. Despite the utmost began. The Angelus has disappeared. Not rounded on Kenny after he attacked (yes I vigilance of the enemy, we have been entirely, mind you—just the word, it has know "attacked by Kenny" seems an able to get information telling us how the now been rebranded 'RTE Religious'. And oxymoron given the mild nature of the manhood of Ireland, inspired by our as the Bell sounds, the various video clips man) but the latter hurled insults at Bertie splendid action, are gathering to offer up of people reels on with only an elderly Ahern just as he was off being a statesman their lives, if necessary, in the same holy person ever blessing themselves. The non- in South Africa. Now O'Rourke and Kenny cause. We are hemmed in, because the as parliamentarians should know better. It enemy feels that in this building is to be so-subtle message is of course that this is found the heart and inspiration of our relevant to the elderly and will pass away is the Constitution that should have been great movement. as the quaint custom it is, as soon as they consulted—specifically Article 39. But Let us remind you what you have too pass on. never mind, the headlines and phone lines done. For the first time in seven hundred made a meal of it and it vented the spite of years the flag of a free Ireland floats Planning Objection. Staying with the the media to a glorious degree. triumphantly in Dublin city. The British Catholic Church, the local curate Father army, whose exploits we are forever Philip Daly in a County Donegal parish Hidden History's Coolacrease. Now having dinned into our ears, which boasts wants to build a retirement home at 'History Ireland' is totally financed by the of having stormed the Dardanelles and Lacknagh, Portnoo. He has served the taxpayers of this country as it should be as the German lines on the Marne, behind their artillery and machine guns, are afraid parish for seven years and wants to live the academic forum for historical debate. to advance in the attack or storm any out his remaining years in the area. But his But when it came to the most debated positions held by our forces. The slaughter plans have hit a big time glitch. The high historical event in the last number of years they suffered in the first few days has flying and powerful couple, Justice Adrian - whither its stance in its latest edition totally unnerved them, and they dare not Hardiman and his wife, Judge Yvonne January/February 2008? Firstly the Editor, attempt again an infantry attack on our Murphy, have a holiday home there (and Mr. Tommy Graham, while congratulating positions. Our commandants around us one also in Spain) and have written in with the makers of the programme for "textbook are holding their own …" four other objectors to An Bord Pleanala (and brilliant) media spin", thought the "… (We have every confidence that opposing the priest's home as it "would response was "predictably ill-informed our Allies in Germany and kinsmen in destroy scenic views" between their villa and emotive". Then he gave space to a Mr. America are straining every nerve to Brian Hanley under the title Fear And hasten matters on our behalf). As you and the sea if Father Daly went ahead. A know, I was wounded twice yesterday, local councillor, Enda Bonner has got Loathing At Coolacrease. Mr.Hanley took and am unable to move about, but have stuck into the row and said that the "issue with RTE's Hidden History got my bed moved into the firing line, and objectors have only holiday homes in the documentary, The Killing at Coolacrease with the assistance of your officers, will region whereas Fr. Daly's home would be —but also with its critics". Don't you just be as useful to you as ever". his only place to live. In a spirit of some love that twinning? Suffice it to say the 24 article contributed nothing but with the for as usual. I love the fact that Al Gore's idea that somehow it was saying bank balance jumped from $10 million something. when he was just an ordinary Vice Editorial Digest continued Mr. Hanley is a history lecturer at NUI President and professor to $70 million as are certainly not competent to carry it Maynooth according to the footnotes and a crusading global warmer. But whatever when I asked around why he wrote so happened to the 'hole in the ozone layer' out. They have even lost the ability to badly, I was told he wanted to get on in the over the Antarctic? Some years ago we fit someone up. academic community—which explained were told it was opening up at a rate of The judge at the trial accused Detective everything. knots and we'd all be boiled to death by the Chief Inspector Philip Marshall and Then at the end of the magazine we rays of the sun. They told us it was caused Detective Constable Fiona Cooper of came to 'Bookworm' who was very upfront by CFC's from fridges and by propellant lying. No one has yet been charged with stating Bookworm had: gases used in aerosols—such as in hair- perjury. These two police have merely "no intention of getting embroiled in sprays etc. They even predicted sunbathing been called before the new ombudsman. the controversy connected with the in Australia was not on any more—too No one at all seems to be inquiring into recent RTE 'Hidden History' many UV rays were getting through the the man who led the investigation, Chief documentary about the killings on 30 'Hole'—skin cancers were going to go Superintendent Norman Baxter, June 1921 by the IRA of the Pearson through the roof. Whole scientific careers according to himself. And the overall brothers at Coolacrease., Co. Offaly… were made on the back of the 'Hole in the except to mention the re-publication boss at the time, Ronnie Flanagan, has (third edition) of the book that inspired Ozone'. Papers were written, lecture tours been promoted. it, Alan Stanley's I met murder on the were laid on, grants of money were extracted from governments, politically BELFAST CITY LIBRARY is currently way—the story of the Pearsons of displaying an exhibition called Embassy Coolacrease (Alan Stanley, Quinagh, correct politicians were afraid to criticise Carlo, 109 pp hb). the scaremongering scientists and environ- to China 1792-1794. The Ambassador The author then instructed his readers mentalists. A lot of money was made and was George Macartney from a landed to check out indymedia for a "counter- then—it all went magically quiet. While family near Ballymoney, Co. Antrim. interpretation", adding— the hot air was being generated below, He was paid the then huge sum of "Whatever the rights and wrongs of something miraculous had occurred—the .£16,500. His was a joint mission on his account, Alan Stanley had done a Hole had closed up and no one speaks of behalf of Prime Minister Pitt and the great service by rescuing the story of it any more. East India Company. He had been the Pearsons from obscurity". After a lot of scrambling, something Ambassador to Russia and Chief else had to be found and step forth— Secretary in Ireland. His number two Doorley And The Carmelites. Every global warming was the new 'hole'. Well was George Leonard Staunton, of Saturday in the Irish Times magazine, a that is what they sometimes call it but on Galway, whom he met in the West Indies Tom Doorley has a column titled Eating a freezing cold day in Washington DC, or where Staunton had been secretary to Out. It is the usual run-of-the-mill stuff Paris or Moscow, the people were now a the Governor of Dominica. And where, but it lacks the acerbic wit of the great bit sceptical—but once they renamed it as the Library delicately put it, he had Helen Lucy Burke or the Sunday Times' "Climate change" things were on the up. estates. He owned slave camps. A.A. Gill. They know and write well Now whenever the weather does generate Staunton wrote an account of the about good food but Mr. Doorley comes news, as it did always—perhaps now journey : "An authentic account of an across as quite the amateur really. He generating more—'climate change' is the embassy from the King of Great Britain doesn't go far from the beaten track and, cause and its high priests/priestesses are to the emperor of China…" in 1797. having never worked in a kitchen/ well paid to tell us how bad it is going to Macartney refused to kow-tow to the restaurant (which neither of the others has get, if we don't change from using our Emperor because this would be beneath done either but they have a superb palate incandescent light bulbs for example. That his dignity. He was then invited to the and a sense of style in their writings), mercury is in the new ones—well one has Forbidden City where a letter awaited makes heavy going of his reviews. He to pay small prices for saving the planet. him telling him to get lost. As we know recently wrote a piece on Capella Castle- That these latter lights are already causing other more forceful tactics were used martyr, Co. Cork, a new hotel sited where huge problems, especially for migraine later. the Carmelite Order ran a secondary school sufferers with the resultant lost work The Library's version of imperialism and seminary until they had to close their days—well for The Cause there is always is interesting: doors in our new celtic-tiger Ireland. pain . . . for somebody else. John "By the late eighteenth century Doorley appeared "a bit bemused by the Britain was becoming a major imperial Gormley of the Green Party started his power with ambitions to extend it announcement" that the highly upmarket days as a global warrior warning about the group Capella should have put "Castle- diplomatic and trading relationships new Ice Age—well with these kinds of throughout the known world. The East martyr on its list". He then went on to prophets my motto hasn't changed. Live denounce "the 18th-century house, India Company was already trading in life and enjoy it and don't be conned too Macau and wanted to expand further destroyed by decades of religious much. into China." institutional use"—he elided the c word, Michael Stack but anyone reading his fare would know THE BELFAST NEWS LETTER has immediately what he meant. Well I can decided to resume its coverage of Gaelic games following the attendance of assure Mr. Doorley, that both before and Look Up after the takeover, I had the immense Athol Books Culture Minister, Edwin Poots, at a match honour of attending there and there was on the Internet. between Down and Donegal in Newry. little or no destruction and what there was It had stopped coverage four years ago of it certainly didn't come from the great You will find plenty to read and without explanation. Other DUP Carmelite Order whose loss the town still you can view the Catalogue on line politicians have also been attending GAA mourns as many others do. and order too: matches. But the practice is to turn up five or ten minutes late to avoid having Global Holes! The global warriors are www.atholbooks.org to stand for the National Anthem! out in force and are quickly setting an agenda for us which we will end up paying continued overleaf, column 1 25 It was then that I first heard of the new, philosophically perfected, Marxism. Lord Land Grabbers Bew told me about it. He insisted that I Part Three should familiarise myself with it. I did so. And I decided if that was what Marxism Terence Dooley, a history lecturer at Here is his bold step backwards to the was to be henceforth I would have nothing Maynooth, authenticated RTE's 'land grab' future: to do with it. explanation of the War of Independence "The intellectual escape from the that followed the British refusal to accept futility of this prescriptive approach is The "Ideological State Apparatus" was an Irish election result. I found this puzzl- summarised in the title of Benedict one of the categories of the New Left (or ing in the light of one good book written Anderson's celebrated book, Imagined Althusserian) Marxism of those years. I by Dooley on the period and a couple of Communities, with its implication that forget what the other Apparatuses of the books that were not bad. He acknowledged the nation is a “construct” and not a state were in that scheme. The Ideological “given”" (p1). a particular debt to the influence of his State Apparatus was held to be the vulnerable segment in the system of the Professor, R.V. Comerford. So I looked So here we are back in the future. The up Comerford in search of enlightenment imperialist state. So the way to make the New Left, rigorously and scientifically revolution was to get a job in it and advance —and found myself transported back Marxist—all dressed up with nowhere to across thirty years to New Left Marxism your career in it. Whether the University go amidst the disorderly order of the two- lecturers and professors would then erode at the end of its tether. party system of the British state which His book Ireland (Oxford University the imperialist state gradually or overthrow gobbles up revolutionaries for breakfast it in a revolution I cannot say. I didn't pay Press, 2003) begins: and could hardly keep going without them. "Just as preparing to circumnavigate enough attention to it to find out whether So what is the poor (correction, rich) there was an agreed position or a conflict the globe implies a negation of flat- earnest, scientific revolutionary to do? earth theory, so the no less challenging of gradualness and revolution. It was the proposition of writing on the invention Sell out? Mature? as so many who went Legal Marxism of Tsarist Russia, or the of a nation implies a rejection of the before them did. They are too know- Catheder Marxism is Germany, all over essentialist view of Irish nationality." ledgeable for that. Too scientific. Too again, though with less thought and more structured. Too inhibited from opportun- pretension. Columbus staked his life on his belief ism by scientific knowledge of the illusory that the earth was round. I don't know nature of all that pertains to the "category English academia was dominated by what Professor Comerford thought he was of the subject". Marxists of one kind and another by then. staking when he set out to write a history But along comes Northern Ireland in The Communist Party was academically of Ireland as an invented nation, but he 1968—a “revolutionary situation" within entrenched. (One of its members was clearly thinks he is striking out boldly into the British state! Master of Balliol. I don't know what that uncharted regions. Looking back on it all, Lord Bew said is but it was obviously a very prestigious he wished he had stayed in bed instead of position because of the way it was Alas, he is only inventing the wheel. going on the Burntollet march. Well, I did proclaimed.) And the various Trotskyist The general notion of nation-invention is stay in bed, while the New Left Marxists organisations were making their way up. old hat and the notion that the Irish nation played at revolution in Britain's Six And Irish academia was, of course, is an invention is older still—old but ever Counties. following the English fashion. And by the new: what else was Carroll Professor late 1970s Althusserian jargon was Foster's Irish Story about. (I'm getting In a sense I was wrong and they were everywhere. Only Trevor-Roper, amongst over my comprehensive ignorance of right. The Stormont system, against all established historians, seemed to be free educational matters very slowly. I now probability, did wreck itself on the trivial of it. understand that an adjective Professor is "one man, one vote" issue in local not a real Professor: he just has a job government. At a certain point I began to hear about amidst the University buildings bought social relations being imaginary. I think for him by a millionaire. I take it that The "one man, one vote" demand was "Social Relations Are Imaginary" was the Comerford's Professorship is non- conceded in the Summer of 1969 as far as title of a pamphlet by one of the high- adjectival, and is real in the sense that it is I recall, but the concession was scarcely powered Althusserian academics in the a reward of time served within the closed- noticed. By then the "revolutionary situat- mid-1970s. shop, or profession.) ion", that one of the New Left managers had tried to persuade me of and get me As I read Althusser's book I was sure involved in, had been precipitated. The that, for all the philosophical name- Editorial Digest concluded "Northern Ireland state" had been thrown dropping, he could not have taken on into flux. Revolution was on! board what Kant had to say about these LIBERTY, the journal of SIPTU, had the things. After he (Althusser, not Kant) following interesting comment to make And what did the New Left do in this strangled his wife in an act of altruistic on "green" fuels in its December 2007 revolutionary situation which it had helped suicide, he wrote his autobiography in the issue: to bring about? It produced a revolutionary quiet of a sanatorium—the French are the "The headlong rush to develop pamphlet called Explosion In Ulster which only civilised people in these matters— biofuels is taking place with little or no was sold up and down the Falls Rd, and I and confirmed that he had not read Marx, regard for its impact on local people or or indeed any of the others. He had just indeed the long-term impact on the suppose in Ardoyne, though I never saw it planet… In a nutshell what is beginning there. And then, mission completed, it picked up hints from hearing them to happen in many parts of the world— went home, leaving the revolution to look discussed. From which I infer that those especially the poorer areas—is that after itself, and turned its mind to other from whom he had picked up the hints had increasingly land is being cultivated to things. When the war started in earnest, in not bothered their heads much about Kant produce bio-fuels rather than food. This 1971, it was no longer there. And by 1972 either. And why should they? France is has a two-fold impact on the local one needed to have an incorrigible memory style, and what has style got to do with all people—creating both shortages and to know it had ever been there as an active that workmanlike but obscure German higher prices for food." component of the situation. philosophy? 26 Kant took the world to bits and then put grasp of the situation in which they acted. the Professor chooses to notice in the most it together again in working order. But in Reality must be imagined in order to be important paragraph of his book—his following him in the doing of this one effectively subjected to purposeful action. display paragraph. does not really come back to where one Who were these essentialists who in started. One of the things you become Between the figures of three and four the 1970s and 1980s noisily propounded aware of is that the world becomes known and a half million that I mention there lies the idea that the population of Ireland by imagining it. The interaction between a difference in the meaning of "imaginary". consisted of two nationalities rather than the individual and the world doesn't work The former was the population of Northern one? We are not told. if the individual cannot imagine the world. Ireland, the latter of the Six Counties. The Obviously I cannot be one of them. I The Althusserian who was overcome nation of four and a half million was certainly wrote about there being two with the realisation that social relations imaginary in a dysfunctional way. It nations in Ireland, and Partition having a are imaginary must until then have taken could not be handled in accordance with basis in national division. But in the relations between people to have been of the purposes of those who imagined it, course of doing so I said what I took a a kind with relations between billiard balls. whereas the three millions could. In nation to be—which was about as far from The big-wig New Left Marxist back in between the two there was the half-million "essentialism" as one could get. I took the 1970s was Perry Anderson. At a in the North which could not be handled two works on nationality as expressing moment when the socialist movement was purposefully within the imaginary world what I took a nation to be. Both described going badly astray he published big books of the million, for lack of certain public nations in terms of what is now called about far-fetched subjects. The New Left fictions which are required for civil contingency. And in reading parts of publisher, Verso, established a world government in what we call the democratic Comerford's book I felt I was reading market for itself for books of that kind, era. myself from forty years ago, when I was and I believe it gained a degree of control I described the imagined nation of four getting to grips with the issue. over Penguin Books. The last I heard of and a half million as being imaginary in The two books I cited were both called Perry, he was a Professor in California. the sense in which the word is ordinarily What Is A Nation? one was by Ernest used, and said there was a national division Renan, a bourgeois French literary man of Northern Ireland was a playground for between the one million and the three and the late 19th century, and the other was a these revolutionaries, until they succeeded a half, even though half a million of the Russian Bolshevik Social Democrat, in bringing about something resembling a three and a half were detached from the Joseph Stalin. Both took the subjective revolutionary situation. Then, when things other three. conviction of nationality to be a necessary became dangerous, they moved on into feature of its existence. Renan said that the Ideological State Apparatuses. Here is the opening paragraph of national existence was something that had Professor Comerford's book: to be confirmed by daily referendum—I But now, more than thirty years later, a "Just as preparing to circumnavigate think it was daily. Stalin went into the bit of New Left nonsense comes as a the globe implies a negation of flat- conditions tending to bring about the revelation to a Maynooth Professor of earth theory, so the no less challenging subjective condition of national belonging, proposition of writing on the invention History: nations are imaginary. of a nation implies a rejection of the and he summed them up as the creation of essentialist view of nationality. The the national market for capitalism, and Benedict Anderson, Perry's brother, essentialist assumption incorporates the said that nations were a phenomenon of dashed off Imaginary Communities around belief that nations are individually capitalism. Although it was Renan who 1980. I don't recall very much was made prescribed by nature or by some divine was the bourgeois, I do not recall that he of it at the time. There is in fact very little plan, that each has its own personality, related the nation to capitalism. But neither in it in the way of an exposition of the idea and a naturally defined (and thus was his account of nationalism in the title. That idea is merely that obvious) membership and extent, and incompatible with Stalin's. nations are imaginary because no member that each has about it some kind of Stalin's pamphlet on nationality became of a nation can know all the other members informing spirit, reminiscent of the part of Leninism, but was rejected by Platonic soul. That this outlook has lost of it personally. its intellectual punch is consistent with Rosa Luxemburg who refused to take The Irish nation of three, or four and a the demise in Ireland during the 1990s nations as being real for the purpose of half, millions, was—as far as each member of the old debate, particularly noisy in political action. of it was concerned—an imaginary body, the 1970s and 1980s, about the “two Fifty or sixty years after that the big- because no individual in it could ever nations”. The controversy was wigs of bourgeois academic theory, know all the others individually.—But if premised on the assumption that nations Kedourie and Gellner, rehashed that old one is to play that game, I don't see how are individually mandated by some dispute within Marxism without mention- knowing them all individually would natural or divine law, and at issue was ing that it had all been gone over before. whether or not unionists in Northern render their existence as a nation less (The bourgeois academia which emerged imaginary. Their existence as a nation Ireland participated in British nationhood and were thus entitled to at the end of the Cold War seemed to live would not lie in their individuality but in opt out of an all-Ireland polity. Most off crumbs from the Communist table.) something they had in common, and that participants in the debate, not Gellner took up Stalin's view and Kedourie common attribute, being social, would surprisingly, came to conclusions that Rosa Luxemburg's. (See Envoi: Taking ipso facto be imaginary. And every supported their prior political Leave Of Roy Foster, Aubane Historical structure maintaining an imaginary preferences: unionist sympathisers Society 2006.) collective body is itself imaginary. The advocating the case for the presence of professions are imaginary. The law is two nations on the island and It was evident to me in 1969 that the imaginary. The market, whether free or nationalists proclaiming “one land one population of Ireland was not, for practical nation”. The well-disposed neutral restricted, is imaginary. political purposes, held in a consensus of Back in 1971 a particularly daring participant [neutral and a participant!] might contrive a one-and-a-half nation national sentiment. I pointed out what escapade by a group of new Republicans theory" (p1). was as clear to everybody as the Emperor's was explained to me by an old Republican new clothes, and said that Irish politics on the grounds that they lacked I suppose the last remark is a piece of could only proceed on the basis of a imagination. They acted as they did smart alecry to indicate that the whole recognition of national division, which because they had not got an imaginative thing is too absurd to notice. Yet it is what might make rapprochement possible. 27 If there is national division, does that who stood for the electoral mandate were mean that there are two nations, or should rebels. And that Britain created two we say, like Professor Smart Alec, that the "entities", conceding "effective Thomas Moore Ulster Protestants are only a half-nation? independence to one of them". However, What is a half-nation? The Ulster "Substance was one thing, form was And The Moslems Catholic community might be meaning- another". The form of a republic was fully described as a sixth-nation, being denied and became the "catch-cry" of roughly that proportion of Ireland which opponents of the treaty. But: "Even those LETTER VI shared a sense of nationality. But what who had accepted the Treaty and fought meaning is there in an Ulster Protestant to have it enforced were eager to remove From Abdallah in London half-nation? the constraints it imposed". So what was to Mohassan in Ispahan substance and what was form? And is I doubt that much could be found in the effective independence with imposed way of two-nations publications in the constraints conceivable? Whilst thou, Mohassan (happy thou!) 1970s that was not written by me. And Dost daily bend thy loyal brow nothing that I wrote found expression in Nothing whatever is said about the Before our King—our Asia's treasure! the broadcast or printed media. (Martin strange "polity" imposed on the other Nutmeg of Comfort! Rose of Pleasure!— Mansergh has recently praised the Irish entity. And bear'st as many kicks and bruises Times for not allowing the two-nations As the said Rose and Nutmeg chooses;- view to be mentioned in its columns.) It is Themes 2,3, and 5 are Origins, Religion Thy head still near the bowstring's borders, true that about 10,000 copies of The and Literature respectively. The 1859 And but left on till further orders! Economics Of Partition were sold, but it Revival is not even mentioned in either Through London streets with turban fair, was never reviewed and only a few Origins or Religion, even though it is And caftan floating to the air, bookshops in the island stocked it. So I fundamental in the affairs of the Ulster I saunter on—the admiration wonder what "old debate" the Professor is Protestant community in both respects, Of this short-coated population— talking about. I suspect he is inventing. both in its internal development and in This sewed-up race—this buttoned Invention is another of his gimmicks, distinguishing it from Protestantism in the nation— following Eric Hobsbawn's Invention Of South. Anglican clergymen from the Who. While they boast their laws so free, Tradition. But, while he soon explains South—hard-line Protestants—went to Leave not one limb at liberty, away that invention as rhetorical observe it and were bewildered. But But live, with all their lordly speeches, exaggeration, the noisy debate between Protestant Ulster has been marked by it The slaves of buttons and tight breeches. the esssentialist two-nationists and ever since—an experienced event which orthodox nationalists is pure invention. is ongoing, rather than a proclaimed 'myth'. Yet, though they thus their knee-pans The explaining away is done on page 2: They have different ways with these things. fetter "…that is not to say that it [the And it struck me forty years ago that their (They’re Christians, and they know no nation] is imagined into existence way would prove more durable than ours. better), without rhyme, reason or pattern. To In somethings they're a thinking nation, say that it is invented is not to suggest The great Veto Controversy within And on Religious Toleration, that the nation is for that reason less real Catholicism that went on for a generation I own I like their notions quite, or less meaningful. Invention can have after 1808 and determined that the Catholic They are so Persian and so right! overtones of deceit or fraud, but these Church in Ireland should be under the You know our Sunnites, hateful dogs! are not at issue here. Neither should the Whom every pious Shiite flogs, concept of invention, as applied to a direct rule of Rome, and which had the nation, convey a suggestion of creation consequence of Irish Catholicism being Or longs to flog—'tis true, they pray from nothing, of something drawn on a re-made into a new, extreme, brittle, To God, but in an ill-bred way; blank sheet. Rather there are overtones Romanism, should have been included With neither arms, nor legs, nor faces of the Latin invenire, meaning 'to find' under all three Themes, but it is not Stuck in their right, canonic places! or 'to discover', for nations are defined mentioned at all in the book. 'Tis true, they worship Ali’s name— and developed largely on the basis of Their heaven and ours are just the same— what is already there. That aspect of the Canon Sheehan was the most popular (A Persian’s heaven is easily made, essentialist viewpoint has validity. and influential novelist there has ever 'Tis but—black eyes and lemonade). What is no longer defensible in the been in Ireland. He should have been Yet, though we’ve tried for centuries back, current state of understanding is the We can’t persuade the stubborn pack, essentialist view that 'what is already mentioned in all four categories, but is not there' prescribes or determines what mentioned at all. Nor is William O'Brien, By bastinadoes, screws, or nippers, happens next. Rather, what is now who organised the successful land To wear the established pea-green slippers! generally understood is that choices are purchase agitation along with the leader Then—only think—the libertines! continually being made, and initiatives of the Ulster Protestant tenant-farmers, They wash their toes, they comb their being taken." T.W. Russell; who waged a Conciliationist chins, campaign against the 3rd Home Rule Bill; With many more such deadly sins! So the Maynooth Professor is a Stalinist! and who subverted the Home Rule Party And (what's the worst, thought last I rank And the other carry on was much ado in Munster on the ground that it had become it) about nothing? Or hocus pocus as cover a Catholic Ascendancy party. Believe the chapter of the Blanket! for prestidigitation? The book (which is part of an Oxford These things should be looked at in Yet, spite of tenets so flagitious, series on 'Inventing The Nation') is not more detail. For the moment I will only (Which must at bottom be seditious written as a historical narrative (as others say that I saw nothing in Professor As no man living would refuse I have looked at are) but is organised in Comerford's book that could have Green slippers, but from treasonous views; Themes. encouraged Terence Dooley to Nor wash his toes, but with intent To overturn the government!) In Theme I, Politics, the 1918 Election characterise the War of Independence as a Such is our mild and tolerant way, is skimmed over in a quarter of a paragraph Land Grab. We only curse them twice a-day (p42). On page 43 we are told that those Brendan Clifford 28 (According to a form that’s set), a relatively fair tax. And, far from torturing, only let PROPERTY continued "It is a tax which is paid by a very All orthodox believers beat 'em, small portion of taxpayers each year. And twitch their beards, whene’er they Once first-time buyers had been meet 'em. Whelan goes on to separate "the spin removed from the stamp duty net, stamp duty became a tax on relatively from the substance"! wealthier homeowners which was As to the rest, they’re free to do "The narrow community of interests payable at a time when they had made Whate’er their fancy prompts them to, which wields most influence over a windfall on the other property they Provided they make nothing of it policy-making in this country includes were selling. Towards rank or honour, power or profit; many who have a vested interest in the "Cowen estimated this week that the Which things, we naturally expect, property boom. changes will costs €200 million per Belong to us, the Established sect, "Much of the print media relies on annum. Who disbelieve (the Lord be thanked) lavish property supplements for a large "Cowen announced a substantial portion of its advertising revenue. Most The aforesaid Chapter of the Blanket. increase in funding for social and economic commentators, politicians affordable housing in this week's The same mild view of Toleration and higher civil servants, if and when Inspire, I find, this buttoned nation, Budget. It was open to him to add this buying houses, are more likely to be in €200 million to that Budget line. Whose Papists (full as given to rogue, the market for larger and more "In his Budget speech he also And only Sunnites with a brogue) expensive properties, and so will benefit announced an intention to establish a Fare just as well, with all their fuss most from these stamp duty changes. Commission on Taxation which, among As rascal Sunnites do with us. "A very hefty portion of the political other things, will be charged with donations received by the larger exploring the possibility of introducing (From, The Twopenny Post Bag, 1814; political parties and by many individual a carbon tax. in The Life And Poems Of Thomas Moore, politicians comes from donors in the "This commission should also be construction and property sector. Athol Books, p75.) asked to take a look at how our tax "The disproportionate influence and system could be made more equitable power which the property sector wields by more effectively taxing asset wealth, REPORT explains the prominence of, and support particularly property" (Irish Times, for, the calls for reductions in stamp 8.12.2007). duty received in the media during the Judges And election campaign. ****************************************************************** "It also goes far in explaining the "Even as house prices drop, developers peculiar consensus in favour of reducing Democratic Society stamp duty which has emerged across are hoarding huge banks of land worth The following letter appeared in the the political spectrum, which even at least €15 billion in Dublin city and Sunday Independent (13.1.1970) includes supposed left-wing parties like county alone." (Evening Herald, In his interview with Jody Corcoran Labour and the Greens. 21.1.2007). [January 6] the democratically-elected "We are a nation obsessed with home ****************************************************************** Taoiseach argued that if Government ownership, and so the property boom Ministers were to be denied their which we have experienced until recent Since joining the EU in 1973 Ireland democratic right to say anything negative months has been a phenomenal bonanza has received over €17 billion in EU about Judge Mahon's Tribunal, "then we for the overwhelming majority of Irish Structural and Cohesion Funds support people. (to end 2003). Under the programming are living in an era of the Star Chamber". "While investors have been the main The Taoiseach was not the first to highlight beneficiaries of the boom, hundreds of period 2000-2006, Ireland received €3.35 tensions between a functioning democratic thousands of average citizens have also billion from the Structural Funds. The society and judicial processes that were seen the value of the asset which is their Cohesion Fund contributed €586m during overstepping their remit. In June 1934 the home soar. the period 2000-2003. Secretary of the Department of Justice, "Notwithstanding this increase in Stephen Roche, expressed the view that property values, Ireland is almost unique Could somebody explain how a state de Valera's election victory of 1933 in western societies in still having no that spent €10 billion on overseas property signalled that the country wanted "a strong annualised tax on domestic properties. in 2006 could still be entitled to EU Executive" that would not be "hampered In Northern Ireland and Britain the subsidies? average householder pays hefty bills and humiliated at every step in the Courts". for domestic rates, which, depending He believed: "The Courts have been given on house size and location, can run to As Labour Comment goes to press, the or have assumed a position in our civic thousands of pounds, whereas south of Sunday Independent (27.1.2008) has society to which they are not entitled. the Border we have not had domestic declared all-out war on Ahern and Cowen There was a time in England when the rates for more than a quarter of a century. calling for an end to Stamp Duty altogether Judges' job was to save the people from an "Bitten by the backlash which and further reductions in personal taxes to irresponsible Executive; it may be greeted proposals for a land tax in the 'save the country'. Marc Coleman, their necessary, in turn, for a responsible 1980s and proposals for a property tax latest signing from the Irish Times is in the Executive to save the people from in the 1990s, our politicians have shied vanguard of this call. He recently launched irresponsible judges." This statement can away from even discussing the a book titled The Best Is Yet To Come— introduction of any type of tax on unleashing Ireland's potential. be found in the recently published book, property. This absence of taxes on the "The Making of the Irish Constitution ownership of property is the reason 1937", by Dermot Keogh and Andrew why our exchequer had been happy to It is hard to believe that it could get any McCarthy. Manus O'Riordan rely instead on stamp duty which, of better for Mr. Ganly, the speculators, and course, is a tax on the acquisition of Sir A.J.F. O'Reilly but why should they NOTE property. stop now? And who will stop them? If DUE TO PRESSURE OF SPACE A NUMBER OF "There was some merit in the Fianna Fail don't—nobody will! ITEMS HAVE BEEN HELD OVER, INCLUDING criticism of the previous system of A LETTER FROM DICK KENNY AND AN graded rates of stamp duty as being You can never tell a glutton to stop unfair, but overall stamp duty is actually ARTICLE BY MARK LANGHAMMER ON THE eating! 'ELEVEN PLUS' IN NORTHERN IRELAND. 29 PROPERTY continued weekend. The guy simply had ruled out Environment. The Stamp Duty bill on this Stamp Duty reform for weeks and property is more than €24,000, under the months and then introduces these new regime, compared with €35,531 under Revenue (i.e. to the ordinary taxpayer). reforms. But, while there is a cautious the old Stamp Duty regime. This represents The details will not be known until the welcome to the reforms it remains to be a reduction of €11,119, or 31 per cent. Finance Bill is passed because it is probable seen whether it will restore confidence'" The equivalent property outside the (Sunday Independent, 9.12.2007). that a lot of lobbying has and continues to capital is currently valued at €369,837. be done by various property interests. "The present writer found the reaction of David Begg, the General The Stamp Duty saving on this property Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade stands at 23 per cent under the new regime. It will be a rare event if the Revenue or Unions, to the Budget very strange. The Stamp Duty liability following the the Minister forego taxes without Begg claimed the Trade Union new changes amounts to €17,1390. recovering them somewhere else. Don't movement had understood that This would have amounted to €22,190 look too far! mortgage interest relief would not be prior to the Budget 2008. restricted to first-time buyers. If this is Again, a victory for those who proclaim true, it shows that the Trade Union The Stamp Duty reform package has that property has only rights and no duties! movement has lost touch with its been estimated to cost the Exchequer €190 working class origins. There is no good socialist reason why extra tax relief million. The Minister's Stamp Duty ****************************************************************************** receipts were down 14 per cent in the first "The changes in stamp duty on should be given to home owners, particularly in a country that does not nine months of 2007 due to a dramatic residential property mean at long last, have property taxation" (Irish Political decrease in the number of transactions, we have finality on the rate of stamp Review , January, 2008). and it is thought, this reform will increase duty applicable. The new measures are the number of transactions, and therefore clearer and end any speculation on the STAMP DUTY: THE CHANGES! receipts. stamp duty costs on acquiring Budget 2008 Stamp Duty reforms, will residential property. Stamp duty can no see savings on Stamp Duty liabilities of The Stamp Duty reform in Budget 2008, longer be held as a reason for the up to 37 per cent for non-first-time house only applies to non-first-time buyers as slowdown on the sale of houses." (John purchasers. Stamp Duty was abolished for first-time O'Flynn, Irish Examiner, 7.12.07) Minister Cowen increased mortgage buyers following the General Election in ****************************************************************************** interest relief, but surprised most May, 2007. The changes do not affect economists and property commentators newly built schemes—purchasers, both THE LABOUR MOVEMENT when he introduced sweeping changes to first-time and second-hand, are exempt AND STAMP DUTY the current Stamp Duty regime, along from Stamp Duty on properties under 125 Although described as a reform of with increased owner occupier reliefs. square metres in size in newly built Stamp Duty, what the Minister announced Under the new simplified system, an developments. was above all else a reduction in Stamp exemption of €125,000 has been Duty—and a substantial reduction at that. introduced with two rate bands instead of ****************************************************************************** the existing six rate bands. "Last year the record construction of Moreover, it is a reduction which will Non-first-time buyers will, under the almost 90,000 homes yielded more than be of considerably more benefit to the new reforms, be exempt from Stamp Duty €9 billion in tax revenue for the wealthier sectors of society then it will be on the first €125,000 of the cost of a house. government. If that number were to to average house-buyers. A rate of seven per cent will apply between halve next year, tax receipts could €125,000 and €1 million and a rate of nine tumble much further. The decision to The impact of the changes is such that per cent will apply on the balance above reform stamp duty was most likely a a person buying a house worth €285,000 €1 million. result of this scenario" (Sunday will benefit to the tune of just over €3,000, The changes will result in a Stamp Business Post, 9.12.2007). while a person buying a house worth €1.7 Duty saving of €10,750 on a typical ****************************************************************************** million will benefit to the tune of over second-hand house valued at €400,000. €30,000. Also, new rules have been introduced to NOEL WHELAN: encourage first-time buyers of second- "SPIN FROM THE SUBSTANCE" Despite this, no voices were heard to hand homes. Noel Whelan's remarks on the Stamp question the wisdom of a tax change which As part of the abolition of Stamp Duty Duty debate stands out 'head and shoulders' is so unequal in its impact. All of the for first-time buyers after the General above every other commentator : it wasn't commentary centred on whether Cowen Election 2007, the rules were that the a reform move at all, it mainly benefits the has been too late in making these exemption would be lost if the first-time rich. Had Noel been a Labour man, one reductions and not on whether reducing buyer rented out or sold the house within would have felt proud but he is a Fianna Stamp Duty is, in itself, a good idea. five years. This period has now been cut to Fail man. He worked as a political two years, recognising that many people organiser at Fianna Fail headquarters and It also goes far in explaining the peculiar seek to move on quickly from their first then as an adviser to the Minister of State consensus in favour of reducing Stamp home. at the Department of An Taoiseach. Duty which has emerged across the political spectrum, which even includes The latest Permanent TSB/ ESRI house In two newspaper polls this month, supposed left-wing parties like Labour price index showed a 4.7 per cent fall in support for the Labour Party has dropped and the Greens. national house prices over the last 12 three per cent to 10%. In the middle of the "The Opposition said that while the months, from October 2006 to October greatest economic crisis in a decade, the reforms were welcome, it was all 'too 2007. Labour Party and the Trade Unions are little, too late'. The Labour party's The value of an average property in finance spokeswoman, Joan Burton, speechless—they don't know what to say. T.D. said: 'It's no surprise that he did the Dublin currently stands at €473,749, Both of course, are in full support of the U-turn given the woeful shortfall in the according to the housing statistics Lisbon Treaty or will be by polling day. tax-take which was announced last published by the Department of the continued on page 29

30 PROPERTY continued dire state of the housing market. "The fact that a number of employees "Mr Cowen had consistently refused of the paper—including Anne and to touch stamp duty in the weeks ahead Eoghan Harris and Jody Corcoran— service the average new mortgage. of the Budget but was forced to relent were having problems selling their own Sky-high property prices also pushed when his department announced the homes at the time may not of course, tax shortfall. have been entirely coincidental." (Irish up rents. This in turn also pushed up "This weekend, officially, both the Mail on Sunday, 18.11.2007). prices, particularly services prices, as Taoiseach and the Tanaiste said that the shops, pubs, restaurants all increased plan to reform stamp duty had been in ****************************************************************************** their prices to help pay these very high place for several months and both denied "In 10 years, the price of a new house rents. that it was a last-minute addition to the rose by 153 per cent, but building costs Caught in this vice of higher wages and Budget. rose by only 41 per cent." (Irish Times, rents, Irish services prices are now rising "Friends First chief economist Jim 20.10.2007). Power said: 'I don't believe that at the at 7.8 per cent a year as against an annual ****************************************************************************** average increase in the price of physical beginning of last week Brian Cowen goods of just 2.1 per cent. As we get was going to touch stamp duty. It was a panic move after the exchequer VAT RULES ON PROPERTY richer, we tend to spend proportionately borrowings which were announced last Ganly made no mention of Minister more of our incomes on services and less weekend. Mr Cowen would not have Cowen's proposed VAT rules on property. on physical goods so, overall, Irish touched it except for the dire results These will become effective from 1st July inflation now stands at 4.8 per cent, also that came out last weekend.'" 2008, and are a most significant develop- by far the highest in the eurozone. "The Sunday Independent revealed ment as in many cases, it will result in a three weeks ago that Mr Cowen had substantial change in the VAT treatment Falling house prices would help break met a number of the country's leading of property. this vicious circle. Firstly, it would mean developers who lobbied him for change. They said at that stage that he dismissed A major review of the VAT on property that homeowners would not have to pay regime was instigated in May, 2005 by the such a high proportion of their incomes on their calls and reform was unlikely. "Upon that refusal, calls were made Revenue Commissioners. mortgage repayments. Lower prices would to the Taoiseach to intervene. The Currently, the builder pays VAT on the also make houses affordable for those Sunday Independent understands that am priced out of the market. at that time Mr Ahern appeared ount he gets for the building at a rate of With the average Dublin house price unwilling to step in, however as the 13.5%. He owes the 13.5% to the Revenue still over €470,000, even after the recent poor November tax-take became clear but in paying it, the builder is allowed to price drops, the Central Bank estimates he insisted that stamp duty reforms be deduct the VAT (mostly at 21%) which he that just two out of every five households included in the Budget. himself paid for materials used in the "Robert Ganly, president of the Irish would qualify for a mortgage at current building. house prices. Auctioneers and Valuers' Institute Tenants would also pay less in rent, (IAVI) said that while he welcomed the 'surprise reforms' but that they are not The buyer has paid VAT at 13.5% to which would ease the upward pressure on enough. the builder in addition to the price of the wages. And lower rents would help reduce "He said: 'The reforms are positive building. inflation on services as publicans, but he made a mistake in not including restaurateurs and other services providers commercial property in his reforms. If the buyer is a "Registered Person" for would no longer have to cope with ever Even with the changes, Irish stamp VAT, he/she or it (if a Limited company) increasing rents. duty rates are still far higher than can claim the 13.5% as a deduction against While lower house prices would reduce elsewhere in Europe. They are still far VAT due on sales of goods or services if homeowners' paper wealth—which isn't too high.'" (Sunday Independent, 9.12.2007). the building is used in the Registered real—they would also help reduce the person's business. cost of moving house and the prices they Mr. Ganly and the auctioneers argue pay as consumers for all kinds of services, If the buyer is not a "Registered Person" which are very real indeed. that the nine per cent duty on commercial transactions has forced the majority of the 13.5% cannot be claimed as a deduction Irish speculators to invest overseas. An or otherwise. Insurance companies and SIR ANTHONY THINKS . . . incredible €12 billion was invested by pension funds are not Registered Persons At a time when the media assume the and so they cannot claim back the 13.5% role of the 'First Estate', without the Irish people in commercial property last year, but only €1.5 billion was spent in VAT, and they are exempt from paying responsibility, of course, the following VAT on their own income. makes interesting reading: Ireland. These people argue that the nine per cent top rate of Stamp Duty on Very many developed buildings are "Taoiseach Bertie Ahern insisted commercial transactions is a major factor owned by Insurance companies or Pension Tanaiste and Finance Minister Brian in this. funds. Cowen introduce last-minute stamp 'Greedy' Ganly and his Auctioneer duty reforms ahead of the Budget Up to now where a building is leased announced last Wednesday (5.12. butties can never get enough, a more parasitic caste has never been imposed on for over ten years it is almost as if the 2007). "The Sunday Independent building is disposed of, because VAT is to understands that the call to reform the a people. Ganly and the speculators are property tax came in the wake of the living in a 'property paradise', the only be charged and paid to the revenue on the disastrous November exchequer returns country in the European Union without capitalised value of the lease. (€1.75bn tax shortfall), which were some form of property taxation. announced last weekend. Independent News and Media, the This VAT, it is proposed, will not be "Mr Ahern and Mr Cowen are said O'Reilly family paper has been in the payable in future on leases over ten years, to have held key discussions over last forefront of the forces seeking to hold the unless both tenant and lessor agree. weekend about the Budget. It is believed property market at its current exorbitant This innovation will be a huge cash that during these discussions, Mr Ahern level, it has even descended to an almost flow benefit to the owners of rented convinced Mr Cowen that further stamp buildings and will be a similar loss to the duty reforms were necessary given the personal level at this stage: continued on page 30

31 VOLUME 26 No. 2 CORK ISSN 0790-1712

"The Men Of Much Property"

Fianna Fail was once the party that For nearly two decades, the property For the majority of homeowners, the defended the home-owner and those who speculators and their entourage of hangers- value of their house is academic—it's a strived for a home of their own : not any on have had the field for themselves : they home, not an item of property at all—we'll longer. Fianna Fail is now the defender of have creamed it! Here at last was an live in it for the most our lives, no matter the property-owner! opportunity for the 'men of no property' what : property crash or otherwise! Twelve months ago, we praised Brian to obtain their own home. Old Fianna Anyone who bought their house before Cowen for taking a principled stand against Fail would certainly have grasped this the turn of the century has seen their the PD leader, Michael McDowell who phenomenon! wealth increase exponentially as house claimed that "the government could do ****************************************************************** prices soared. On paper anyway. The without the €2.6bn in stamp duty". Cowen "It is interesting that no political party problem with the huge wealth created by Calls The Shots we titled the article but thinks that a property crash would be a rising house prices was that it wasn't real. warned that this was only a battle—the good thing. And yet the same political If someone who already owned a house speculators, the auctioneers, the solicitors, parties bemoan the fact that young wanted to move to a bigger house, the gap the construction industry along with their people can't afford to buy a house. Time between what they could expect to receive newspaper cohorts would sustain an and again it has been proven that when for their own home and what they would unrelenting campaign to change the Stamp the interests of existing owners are in have to pay for their new home just kept Duty charges in favour of a climate to conflict with prospective owners the getting wider and wider. uphold the exorbitant price of housing. interests of the former take precedence." With falling house prices, this process McDowell may have lost his Dail seat (Irish Political Review, page 4, goes into reverse. Although someone but he must be having a right old chuckle January, 2008). moving house would get less for their at the manner in which Cowen has ****************************************************************** existing house, they would also be paying implemented a serious plank of PD less for their new home. ideology and at a time when the PD party An even bigger problem for home- FALLING HOUSE PRICES itself is in death throes. All of the coverage of falling house owners was that the huge increase in their prices has so far focused on the 'losers' : paper wealth generated by the increased ****************************************************************** the bankers, builders, auctioneers, etc. value of their home was largely illusory. "Minister for Housing, Noel Ahern, Though you might find it difficult to Unless they emigrated from the country, T.D. warned that people who trade in believe, far more people are likely to gain homeowners couldn't extract this increased houses and apartments or buy land to than lose from falling house prices. value. If they did borrow more money sell on to developers should be 'taxed against the increased value of their home, out of existence'. (30.8.2006). homeowners were confronted with sharply ****************************************************************** Subscribers to the magazine are regularly -increased mortgage repayments, which offered special rates on other publications were very real indeed. MARKET FORCES Irish Political Review is published by For years now, we have listened to the IPR Group: write to— The doubling of interest rates over the Government Ministers laud the wisdom past two years has driven up the cost of 14 New Comen Court, North Strand, of not interfering in the property market, Dublin 3, or servicing these extra loans even further. yet, in the one single situation where such PO Box 339, Belfast BT12 4GQ or As a percentage of national output, Irish advice might accrue to the advantage of PO Box 6589, London, N7 6SG, or private sector borrowing is now by far the struggling citizens and especially, highest in any country using the Euro. families—the fall in house prices—where Labour Comment, at last they could obtain a home of their C/O Shandon St. P.O., Cork City. Also very real were the increased costs own at an affordable price—Ahern and Subscription by Post: generated by our sky-high property prices. Cowen 'mullack' their way through a 12 issues: £20, UK; Have you ever wondered why prices of Stamp Duty 'reform'. € 30, Ireland; € 35, Europe. Irish goods and services are up to 25 per Surely anyone with a concern for the Electronic Subscription: cent more than the eurozone average? family, indeed the social fabric of the € 15 / £12 for 12 issues State would be only delighted to see house (or € 1.30 / £1.10 per issue) Bank of Ireland economist Dan prices fall to some realistic level from the You can also order both postal and McLaughlin estimates that it now takes 38 current exorbitant and extortionate price electronic subscriptions from: per cent of the average pre-tax income to prevailing? www.atholbooks.org continued on page 31