Past & Present, 1916: A 2nd Event? A Tale Of Two Countries Prof. Walker & Gerard Murphy Manus O'Riordan Labour Comment Brendan Clifford page 25 page 20 back page IRISH POLITICAL REVIEW February 2011 Vol.26, No.2 ISSN 0790-7672 and Northern Star incorporating Workers' Weekly Vol.25 No.2 ISSN 954-5891

Melting Down Ireland? Sarkozy Puts the Boot in..... The Opposition parties have been gifted with the opportunity to win the Election and There are some benefits to the present save the economy, which has already been saved by the discredited Government. That's Euro crisis—reality keeps breaking out. democracy. In his demand that the Irish get rid of its corporate tax rate Mr. Sarkozy has driven Having saved the economy the discredited Government consolidated its arrangements another nail in the Lisbon Treaty coffin. with . a Finance Bill, which the Opposition Parties disagree with and oppose. But the That legal concoction, with all its protocols Opposition Parties are facilitating the passage of the Finance Bill through the Dail, while and promises and which is supposed to be voting against it. They might have subjected the Bill to a thorough scrutiny in the the centrepiece of the EU, is in tatters. Its ordinary way, dwelling on the grounds of their opposition to it with a view to amending great defenders such as Pat Cox and Brigid it, or even defeating it. Laffan are silent and what a great addi- They chose instead to facilitate the rushed passage of the Bill through the Dail while tional benefit that is. voting against it for the record. They did not want the Bill which they opposed, and which Mr. Sarkozy is a great admirer of the they think (or say) is bad for the country, to be defeated. They did not want the country virtues of Anglo Saxon competition but to be saved from a Finance Bill which they say is damaging to it. The wanted the Bill for some reason that admiration does not passed, with them voting against it, so that it would be an accomplished fact before they apply in this tax area. What Ireland has is won the election and became the Government. That's democracy. a competitive corporate tax rate. He could Why have they acted like this? Because subjecting the Bill to proper Dail scrutiny lower the French rate if he wishes. would have delayed the Election for a few weeks, and they had the nightmare vision of "Mr Sarkozy also reiterated his call for the Election victory slipping away from them if they clarified the basis of their common 'European economic governance'. disagreement with it by mounting serious opposition to it. "'We cannot share the same currency while having different economic strate- The Fourth Estate (which in Ireland consists of the Irish Times) laid it down months gies. It doesn't work'…"(Irish Times, 14 ago that Fianna Fail—a corrupt, incompetent, irresponsible party—must be allowed by January 2011). the Opposition to put the country back on a sound footing before being brought down, A call for more economic governance and destroyed if possible. And what could the Opposition do but obey? in the EU is quite logical—if we were in It is said that Cowen "didn't do perception", meaning that he was careless of how the a real Union. But, if there are very different Irish Times perceived him. The Opposition Parties are all perception. They are a gleam economic needs and imperatives, which in the eye of the Irish Times. They were told that Fianna Fail must be allowed to save there clearly are, then different strategies the economy before being destroyed, and what could they do but obey? are needed and are in fact vital. continued on page 2 continued on page 6

Remember Milton Friedman? Chancellor Merkel, like former Prime monetary theorist when Mrs. Thatcher His view was that, if the physical supply Minister Thatcher, likes to extol the came to power and she took his message of money circulating was reduced, infla- economics of the Dickensian housewife: to heart. His nugget of wisdom was that tion would disappear. In 1976 he got a a country should not spend above its inflation in the West was caused by an Nobel prize for this. The citation noted means—a doctrine that is both true and excess of monetary supply, too much cash "his achievements in the fields of consump- false. As Keynes demonstrated, a capitalist was floating around. States were over- tion analysis, monetary history and theory country has to spend above its apparent stimulating their economies by creating and for his demonstration of the complexity means if it is to escape chronic slumps. too much money. (In fact the inflation of stabilization policy". (Incidentally, The main thing is to make the best use of derived from the USA printing money to America is exporting more devalued resources within a country, with labour at finance the Vietnam War and exporting dollars than ever.) the top of the list. its devalued dollars around the world, This was the era when Western Milton Friedman was the great bringing inflation wherever they went.) continued on page 8 As Bernard Shaw's capitalist in Major Barbara said: "Give me deeper darkness: money is not made in the light". And the C O N T E N T S Irish Times, as the effective Irish Fourth Page Estate, is in the happy position of bringing Melting Down Ireland. Editorial 1 things to light or losing them in mark as its Sarkozy Puts The Boot In. Jack Lane 1 interests suggest. Remember Milton Freedman. Angela Clifford 1 Its object now is to use a passing econ- Readers' Letters: Islandmagee and 1641. Stephen Richards 3 omic crisis as a means of throwing the What Germany Really Thinks. Philip O'Connor 7 State into the melting-pot. It editorial on Israel No Democracy. Philip O'Connor (Report) 9 January 11th was a manifesto of Shorts from the Long Fellow (Base & Superstructure; Ideological Superstructure; dissolution: Alternative Narrative; Emigration; Employment; Performance; Politics)10 "Last year is dead, they seem to say, Pay And Europe. ETUC (Report) 11 Begin afresh, afresh, afresh. Gerry And The Hunger Strikers. Seán McGouran 12 …The Trees, Philip Larkin When Hacks Catch Hindsight. Wilson J. Haire 13 "… The Missing Middle In Ireland. Jack Lane 15 "The sense of helplessness that gripped Ireland in the last months of 2010 was not Psywars. Wilson John Haire (Poem) 15 irrational… The EU/IMF rescue package Es Ahora. Julianne Herlihy (Culture Ireland And Fintan O'Toole; Roberts undoubtedly involved a loss of sovereignty & Co; Callaghan; Mario Vargas Llosa) 16 … Events seemed to spiral beyond our Casement: Forgery Or Fact? Jeff Dudgeon (Letter) 18 collective capacity to… influence them… What Is The Cost Of Academic Freedom In Ireland. Editorial 19 We now know the worst about ourselves. The Second Greatest Event Of 1916? Manus O'Riordan 20 The things we have feared most have Naval Warfare. Pat Walsh (Part 7) 23 come to pass… The IMF has come in. Our cherished institutions of Church and Protestants In Cork In The Early Twenties. Niall Meehan (Report) 24 State have disgraced themselves. There Past And Present, Prof. Walker and Gerard Murphy. Brendan Clifford 25 is little more the new decade has to teach Biteback: Was It For This…? Eugene McEldowney (Unpublished Letter) 28 us about Irish venality, cronyism and "For It Is Written . . . Ruairí Ó Domhnaill on the Swiss Constitution 28 amorality… Having now fully absorbed It Won't Be the PIIGS Who Ruin The EU. Nick Folley (Report) 30 the shock of the crash, we have the oppor- Does It Stack Up? Michael Stack (Celtic Tiger; Academic Jobs) 31 tunity to ask the question: who and what are we as a people? One of the exciting things about the present moment is that Labour Comment, edited by Pat Maloney: more and more people are talking… about A Tale Of Twho Countries that question. It is the topic of the dinner (back page) table… Almost a century ago, in a time of similar ferment, W.B. Yeats wrote that 'there is a moment in the history of every nation when it is plastic, when it is like wax, when it is ready to hold for gener- According to the latest figures the Irish The crisis was international. In dealing ations the shape that is given to it. Ireland economy is set for modest growth in 2011, with the crisis, the country was thrown is now plastic and will be for a few years while the British economy is shrinking. back on its own resources. And it was the to come…' He was right… It is now fluid So the time is ripe for destroying Fianna resourcefulness of Fianna Fail—the only again. The form it will take for the next Fail. That's democracy. substantial political party in the state— generation will be decided in the coming decade. That is a large responsibility…" The economic crisis is being used as an that stabilised the situation. But the Irish Times is eager to take on opportunity for creating a sense of Constit- The Irish Times—the purpose of whose the responsibility of determining the shape utional crisis and demanding a new Con- existence in recent decades has been to of our future for us. And one of the worst stitution. But the crisis had nothing what- destroy Fianna Fail—did not avail of the things we need to know about ourselves is ever to do with the Constitution—at least crisis in the first instance to attempt to that we allowed a situation to be brought not with the Irish Constitution. It is a crisis give the coup de grace to Fianna Fail. The about in which the Irish Times can say of globalist finance capitalism, and of a Irish Times personnel and its backers are "we" in these matters without being European Union that has lost its bearings among the wealthiest people in the country. laughed out of court. through random expansion, merging with In modern times wealth cannot be saved the offensive militarism of born-again up, as in olden times. It must be invested "The ferment has yet to find concrete NATO, and descending into free-market at a profit in order to be saved. And the forms, but there is every reason to believe capitalism under British influence. wealth of the Irish Times and its clientele that it will feed into a revival of our Ireland threw itself into this free-wheeling, was in the banks that, left to their own democracy." If it is acknowledged— globalist, post-Cold War capitalism—and devices, under the British influences that other than for the sake of argument—that came to grief with it. It lost control of itself led them on, would have failed. But the we ever had a democracy, and if this by doing so. It is hard to see how it could Irish Times knew very well that there was democracy is to be "revived", then the have kept control of itself while participat- only one competent governing party in new will be much like the old in its essen- ing in this globalist binge, and profiting the state. Fine Gael and Labour were to it tials. Democracy is conservative—though from it. And, while it was profiting from only a means of subverting Fianna Fail. perhaps not quite as conservative as the it, we do not recall the Opposition Parties So they were instructed to let Fianna Fail trees which, "afresh, afresh, afresh", begin urging the country to hold back and hang sort out the economy before being brought every new year to reproduce themselves onto the ideals of De Valera's Ireland. down. exactly as they were last year. 2 But that is not what the Irish Times wants at all—any more than a hundred LETTERS TO THE EDITOR · LETTERS TO THE EDITOR· LETTERS TO THE EDITOR· years ago it wanted the shape that it now affects to lament the passing of, as a means of ensuring the passing. Islandmagee And 1641 How did this old Ireland—the demo- I'm not surprised that the Irish Times declined to publish Pat Muldowney's letter to the cratic Ireland of "venality, cronyism and paper, reproduced in your December issue, in which he repeats the assertion of Thomas amorality" that all of a sudden we now Moore ("Captain Rock") that there was a massacre of three thousand Catholics in the cherish—come about? Through the Home Islandmagee peninsula—a small area on the east coast of County Antrim—which Rule conflict that came to the brink of predated the massacres of settlers in different parts of Ulster in 1641. war; through deluded participation in the What amazes me is that the myth of the Islandmagee massacre continues to be presented as historical fact. It's especially disturbing that it should find a place in the Great War, also known as The War That columns of Irish Political Review which has been so relentless in its pursuit of historical Will End War; through the 1916 rebellion shoddiness in other quarters. And, at a purely human level, is Irish history so short of real which the Irish Times saw as the expression life terrible violence that we have to go about perpetuating the memory of imaginary of a cancer that needed cutting out of the massacres? body politic; through the electoral rebel- Now for some facts: Moore's source was an anonymous pamphlet with the initials lion of 1918, which the Irish Times saw as "R.S." appended, which was circulated in London in 1662. Depositions in the east a joke in poor taste; through Britain's war Antrim area that were taken within ten years of the alleged massacre failed to mention against the electoral rebellion; through it. Nor was it referred to in the Remonstrance presented to the King's Commissioners at the 'Treaty' imposed at the point of a gun; Trim in March 1642, when one would have thought it would be a burning issue. through the 'Civil War' that Britain insisted The total number of settlers killed all over the Ulster counties in late October and early the Treatyites should fight and supplied November 1641 was probably no more than about four thousand, in what was undoubtedly a very violent passage. The numbers were later exaggerated, not just for propaganda with the means of fighting; through years purposes, but because of the general panic, mayhem and homelessness that ensued. And when the Treatyite authorities sought to we're expected to believe that in a remote corner of County Antrim, with a population exclude the large and rapidly-growing that was probably around fifteen hundred a couple of centuries later, there were three Anti-Treaty electoral movement from the thousand peaceable Catholics thrown over the cliffs at the Gobbins. This was surely a Dail by means of the British Oath; through massacre on an industrial scale. the Anti-Treaty electoral victory of 1932 When is this supposed to have happened? Pat thinks it was carried out by way of and the Treatyite lurch into Fascism in retaliation for a massacre that hadn't (yet) taken place, so it was a case of the settlers or response to it; through the long series of whoever getting their retaliation in first. That must place it at a date before late October Fianna Fail victories by which the Fascist 1641. Very conveniently, Moore dates it to 13th October 1641, but the in the other movement was worn down and the references by those writers who have argued for the historicity of the massacre the dates Parliamentary system founded; through are early November 1641, or, in the alternative, 8th January 1642. The next question is, who was responsible? The proponents of the January 1642 date the Economic War of the 1930s that ended tend to blame the Scottish troops under Munro. But whatever date we go for, Munro has British occupation of the Irish Ports; and an alibi, because the Scots didn't cross over until late April 1642. Pat hedges his bets through the neutrality in Britain's Second somewhat by referring to the "Protestant settlers and soldiers from Scotland". If we take World War of the 20th century, which is the Scots out of the equation then we have a simple massacre of Catholics by Protestants now condemned by the best people. without any context or explanation. Pat tries to place it in the context of the Solemn League and Covenant, with its And where was the Irish Times in that expressed intention to extirpate Popery, prelacy etc. etc. in the three kingdoms. The snag long series of conflicts with Britain through with this is that the Solemn League and Covenant dates from 1643. It was basically a deal which sovereignty and democracy were done between the desperate English Parliamentarian forces and the as yet undefeated established? Scots. It was a deal the English didn't quite deliver on, but that's another story. Pat has In order to encourage the idea that the made the mistake of conflating the Solemn League and Covenant with the original (and best?) Scottish National Covenant of late 1637, which had in view the restoration of State is in Constitutional melt-down, the worship in the Scottish church to its primitive purity of around 1580. paper fosters Utopian notions of demo- Some of the accounts of the Islandmagee massacre mention the involvement of men cracy. Ten years ago, when Professor from Ballymena among the culprits, which is interesting, in that the numbers had to be Foster was cock of the academic walk, he bolstered somehow, but again there is a lack of any attempt to explain these movements, regularly dismissed the independence let alone why the apparently huge Catholic population of Islandmagee had become so policy of Sinn Fein as "visionary", meaning offensive to their Protestant neighbours. that it was inherently impossible—mad. If something happened in Islandmagee in the late autumn of 1641 it certainly wasn't But all that stood in the way of it was the Thomas Moore/Pat Muldowney story, which is really just an example of tribal British militarism. Now, however, the propaganda. I'm persuaded that something did happen, but it was something completely Irish Times is encouraging a visionary different. I'm indebted to local historian Felix McKillop for an alternative account, mentality in earnest. which has the merit of internal coherence, and a beginning, a middle and end. It's an exciting story too, ranging from the Hebridean island of Islay to Ballycastle, through the Its corruption expert, Elaine Byrne, Antrim hills, and ultimately Islandmagee. According to McKillop thirty of the Ulster quoting Kinsey, proposed a sex test for Gaelic army were killed at the Gobbins. And yes, Scots were involved, but they were politicians, and seemed to be in earnest Gaelic-speaking Hebridean Scots. about it (Jan. 11). She thinks that the By way of postscript, I read somewhere that Father James O'Laverty in his two- young are better at sex and that politics volume Annals of the Dioceses of Down and Connor, first published in the 1880s and should, therefore, be handed over to them. republished in 1987, concludes that only one person was killed at the Gobbins, an elderly She was writing in place of Garret FitzG woman! erald, who was on leave. We don't know Stephen Richards continued on page 4 3 if he returned and commented. the Dáil of former parliamentarians. He save the State, and then return to the An apt comment would be Freud's view also said the National Roads Authority plough—centuries before Rome became that civilisation is founded on sexual inhi- and the Higher Education Authority a prosperous and cultured Empire, and should be back under ministerial control" bition. The context of the free sex activity centuries before the Empire became degen- (Irish Times, 22 January 2010). of the young in very recent years was not erate and was preserved by Christianity. OK Fintan. We're game. Just lead the brought about through free love. It is Fianna Fail having been around since way! probably a symptom of the decline of before Protectionism, and before the (But has your secret Directory approved?) European Christian civilisation in which fashion for Privatisation and Globalisation sexual inhibition played a prominent part. can therefore put these things in perspective —they are policies to serve the nation and A great weakness in this pamphlet, And its Islamophobia is probably soundly if they do not serve that purpose they need which wants us all to stand up and pull based on a sense that, despite its cult of to be changed. Reports of Fianna Fail's down the house, is that it was issued in youth, it is old and is declining in the death might be exaggerated. another house. It is published as a book by presence of a purposefully inhibited youth- the elite English bourgeois publisher, ful civilisation which it failed to crush— Fintan O'Toole has refused to put the Faber & Faber. ("Shall I part my hair But we tried to crush it, didn't we? Irish Times view of things to the electorate behind? / Do I dare to eat a peach? / I by contesting the election. He says he is Remember Gallipoli! shall wear white flannel trousers and walk an opinion-former. He is there to judge upon the beach!") the populace, not to curry favour with it. Coming from that source, who was it Vincent Browne joined in the mostly But he says that he put fifty ideas on the likely to influence? The Financial Times. inane Irish Times constitution-mongering, Internet and that it would be a good idea Wolfgang Münchau of the FT is one of the for instance proposing on 19th November for people to get together in groups and handful of writers quoted in it. The FT that it should be made unconstitutional to discuss them. We have not heard so far of policy for the finance crisis in Ireland was 'whip' party members into line for Dail any Fintan-Groups being formed. default. And, as far as we could grasp, votes, and proposing that a third of the But Fintan has published a rebellious O'Toole's policy too was for a default. Dail should be able to prolong parliament- pamphlet, Enough Is Enough. How To And this FT editorial of January 23rd ary debates indefinitely. As though the Build A New Republic. On the cover it has might have been inspired by O'Toole's Dail and individual TDs could have averted a picture of the old order overthrown bookish pamphlet: outside the Dail and the Financial Services the international crisis of finance capital- Centre, and Kathleen Ni Houlihain trampl- "IRISH MELTDOWN "Ireland’s coalition has become the ism, in which Ireland is caught as a small ing over them with a Harp in one hand and first eurozone government to fall as a cog. a Tricolour in the other. However, he redeemed himself to some result of Europe's debt crisis. That is The pamphlet consists of Five Myths, unsurprising. Yet, the justifiable anger of extent on 26th January with the following Five Decencies, and Fifty Ideas For Action. Irish voters at being saddled with the crisp analysis: Three of the Myths are that Ireland is a debts of their reckless bankers cannot "The fact is that Fianna Fáil has bought Republic, that it has a representative itself explain the extraordinary implosion into the neoliberal consensus: that the Government,and that it is a Parliamentary of Fianna Fáil, the party that has long state has no place in the economy, that democracy: dominated Irish politics. economic growth is paramount and free "Irish people believe they live in a "Brian Cowen, the prime minister, was markets are the engine of growth, that parliamentary democracy. Until they forced into calling early elections on monetary incentives are indispensable to grasp the rather obvious fact that they Thursday, to resign as party leader on economic success, and too bad about don't, they have no hope of creating a Saturday, all after winning a confidence inequality but we will do our best to deal republican system of government" (p61). vote from his parliamentary party on with consistent poverty! So too, incident- "A new realism has to begin with the Tuesday. His discredited leadership had ally, has Fine Gael and the Labour Party reality that the economic disaster has been challenged after undisclosed meet- bought into that consensus, however deep roots in Irish political and institution- ings with Sean FitzPatrick, the banker at much the latter may now protest this is al culture. Nothing will change unless the heart of the financial crisis, came to not so…" politics are reinvented. That reinvention light. What followed was utterly cynical. He might have said that any alternative begins with the realisation that five "Six members of the cabinet resigned to the Cowen-led Government will underlying truths of Irish politics are not and Mr Cowen tried to give an electoral probably increase the neo-liberal bias, true at all" (p10). leg-up to lesser-known Fianna Fáil MPs with scattergun offers of ministerial with the exception of a Sinn Fein-led Three of these false truths have been administration. portfolios. This reshuffle—and eventual- given. The others are the Myth of Charity, ly the government itself—was scuttled But Fianna Fail is ultimately flexible which is the belief that there are no rights, by the party's Green coalition partners, on such matters. What it bought into, it only gifts from the Church; and the Myth leaving Fianna Fáil in meltdown and mutiny. might sell off again. Listen to what Ray of Wealth, which is a belief that the country "These factional antics, as Ireland faces MacSharry had to say recently: was wealthy a few years ago. arguably the worst crisis in its history as an independent nation, could turn the "Mr MacSharry, dubbed 'Mac the Four of the Five Decencies are conven- expected Fianna Fáil rout at the polls into Knife' because of his sharp cuts of public tional. We should have Security, Health, expenditure in the 1980s, gave the Gov- electoral annihilation. Education and Equality. But the fifth, ernment 'two' out of 10 for its handling of "That may be richly deserved. This is, health and warned that the HSE [Health which is the means of achieving the other after all, the party that through its crony- Services Executive] which controlled four, is novel. It is Citizenship, to be ism and incompetence artificially pro- one-third of the entire budget, had to be achieved through Ethical Austerity. So longed the boom of the 1990s into the taken back under ministerial control. 'I bring back De Valera? Not at all. Dev's credit and property bubble of the past would never allow a situation where €15 austerity was Catholic. What O'Toole decade, and then gave a blanket guarantee billion or €16 billion of taxpayers' money seems to have in mind is something like to its banker friends that has ended in the would be handed over to an organisation the stoical austerity of the collective humiliation of Ireland becoming a ward to spend in whatever way they like. That republic of ancient Rome, in the days of the European Central Bank and the is wrong, it’s not democratic and it will when Cincinnatus could be called from International Monetary Fund. have to be changed', he told a seminar in the plough to be Dictator for a season, "Fianna Fáil will almost certainly be 4 replaced by a coalition of the centre-right is not practicable on that basis. And its stint in office. In order to get it, they have Fine Gael and centre-left Labour parties. weakness in Ireland is that the workers are set policy aside completely, relying on But it will be vacating a lot of political space, not present in it as an effectively organised Fianna Fail having sorted out the crisis some of which will be taken up by popul- vested interest. with measures that they opposed. ists, including the Republicans of Sinn Féin, They also hope that Fianna Fail has now poised for a breakthrough in the south. If the nature of the Constitution contri- been scotched and will self-destruct. That buted to a worsening of the effects of the "It is thus vitally important that the cam- is certainly a possibility. Instead of going paign now opening properly addresses the international crisis, the fault did not lie in to the country as the Government that issues of governance and accountability the formal official structure as laid down managed the crisis, and making the case raised by the crisis. Whether creditors of in the book called The Constitution, but in for itself, it is running away from itself the banks should share the pain of the bail- the de facto political system, the arrange- out with taxpayers will—and should —be under a new leader chosen to please the ment of political parties. Irish Times. So it could be that the Right/ a dominant theme, and the mainstream The Proportional Representation sys- Left coalition will this time be governing parties must take ownership of this and tem of political representation, imposed not leave the field to the populists. without a strong Opposition. And it could by the Treaty, was intended to weaken the be that there will be four parties of more or "This should also be the occasion for State by preventing strong government. less equal size elected, along with a welter the independent voices clamouring for a De Valera understood that when reforming new politics in Ireland to come forward of Independents—which is what PR was the Free State system in the 1930s, but he intended to bring about in the first place. and lay out their stalls. Irish voters, and reckoned that, if he had included a reform the future of the republic, need no less." of PR in the new Constitution, that would The Greens dissgraced themselves at The call by the Financial Times editorial probably have caused the whole Constitu- tion to be lost. the end, and we assume that they will for the independent voice to join the suffer for it. Neither Fine Gael nor Labour electoral fray can only have been directed Subsequent attempts to reform PR by stands for anything much, apart from not to Fintan O'Toole, who has profitably referendum were lost because of a vested interest in it by the Opposition parties. being Fianna Fail. Fianna Fail was making made himself the voice of Ireland to the historical nonsense of itself long before it international world of papers and broad- Fine Gael and Labour presented reform of was overtaken by the bank crisis and des- casting. On January 29th, after a week of PR as an attempt by Fianna Fail to establish itself in dominance. But it had already erves a shock, whether it collapses or not. silence, he spoke again, to say that he Bertie Ahern made some awful speeches would not come forth and lead the people. established itself in dominance despite on important occasions. Micheál Martin He had given the matter serious thought, PR, and De Valera's purpose was clearly to encourage the development of an effect- wrote a history of the party in Cork and as one should after a call from the City of accepted Peter Hart as his authority. Brian London, before deciding not to. He gives ive two-party system, in place of the system of one and two halve. His concern was for Lenihan lauded the same discredited guru a bunch of reasons, which can only be in his Beal na Blath oration. described as lame excuses in the light of the viability of the State of which he was what he has been preaching. There is, for in great part the creator, but that was not The only party with a sense of purpose example, the difficulty of finding a party admissible in the heat of party conflict. So that is not mere scrambling for office is to join, after offending them all. How PR remained, and Fianna Fail continued Sinn Fein. It is a historic name, which could he even have thought of joining one to be in office most of the time. counts for something. It was the name of of the parties of the bogus and bankrupt What made the ending of PR unaccept- Fianna Fail and Fine Gael before they system he has been denouncing? He should able to the two half-parties of the Opposi- became what they are. It is capable of have presented himself as the leader of a tion was that it would have encouraged putting a scare into Europe, which is badly campaign of righteous renewal which the growth of one of them at the expense in need of a scare. It is itself, and not a would sweep all those compromises aside of the other. By retaining PR, the two mere reflection of 'focus groups'. And it —as the O'Connell of a new dispensation. half-parties guaranteed themselves their has grown despite the general hostility of Having refused the call, can he now niche half-lives, but made certain that the media. We can think of no better resume his lavisly-rewarded career as neither of them could of itself become the outcome, in the circumstances, than a prophet with a safe job, in the midst of the Opposition with the prospect of winning very strong vote for Sinn Fein. catastrophe and corruption that he preaches an election. The country cannot lose itself in Europe —a timid, self-serving Savanorola? A two-party Opposition is necessarily ineffective, particularly when one of them —which was the fashionable expectation To conclude, we assert the realities which is to the Right of the governing party and a few years ago. Europe is losing itself, so O'Toole denies. Ireland remains a republic, the other is to the Left. Ireland has no alternative but to be itself. despite O'Toole's hankering for the Common- PS As we go to press it is announced that wealth residue of the British Empire. It When the logic of PR caught up with Democracy Now!, a secret group led by Fintan has representative government. It is a Fianna Fail, and it was no longer able to O'Toole, Eamon Dunphy, David McWilliams, Parliamentary democracy. Its elected form a single-party Government, the com- and Elaine Byrne, had intended to contest the Government has coped remarkably well plexion of its Coalitions was going to be election but did not do so, allegedly because it with a crisis for which its main responsibil- determined to some extent by the party it was caused at such short notice. It seems to us ity was that it participated willingly in the was in Coalition with. Being the national that these commentators were glad to have an excuse to deprive the electorate of a chance to globalist economy according to inter- party, it was made up of a broad spectrum national standards. reject them. After all, these were the very of opinion, from Right to Left, and was people who insisted that a March election was Democracy is not some general prin- capable of making a consistent Coalition a denial of democracy—presumably because ciple of harmonious government. It is a with a party on either side of it. The Labour they feared that Fianna Fail would have time to highly artificial system of conflict, arrived Party refused Coalition with it, except for mount a defence that would recover at least at through particular historical develop- one brief period which was ended by the some of its lost support. A Fianna Fail ment in certain situations. It is a system of Irish Times. Fianna Fail Coalitions have meltdown is what they wanted. egoism, made functional by the combin- therefore been with the Right. These media personalities are a froth on the ation of individual interests into collective It seems that the two half-parties of the substance of political life—it is not surprising traditional Opposition, who cover up their that the bubbles burst when it was time for vested interests. In ideal, it is an individual- practical application. This was the moment for ist system in which each competes against disagreement with each other in the hope the media pundits to show what they were all in a medium of perfect equality. But it of gaining office, are about to have their made of—and they have. 5 create 'independent' countries which are a unity because he had a concept and purpose virtue unto themselves. In all this Mr. for Europe. That vision no longer exists. Sarkozy Sarkozy inadvertently poses the question Therefore we have the current economic continued of what the EU is at this time. He has made problems. "I deeply respect our Irish friends' his political vision for it clear enough so independence and we have done far—its integration into NATO, full, active ....AND BARROSO LOSES IT! everything to help them. But they cannot co-operation and integration with the EU Commission President Barroso lost continue to say 'come and help us' while USUK view of the world. And Obama has his temper when responding to Joe Higgins keeping a tax on company profits that is awarded him the prize of 'closest ally' for in the European Parliament. Higgins half [that of other countries]…" (ibid.) his efforts. And now he wishes to have a accused the EU of being responsible for I understood that the 'help' is a loan that collection of 'independent' states in the the austerity programme that is the will be paid back and that the 'help' was EU, each keeping its fiscal house strictly condition of the EU/IMF bailout. The given whether we liked it or not. It was in order. It is impossible to imagine an EU attitude that Barroso betrayed is more 'given' for the benefit and survival of the without a leading role for France—but, if significant than most things that are Euro. That is its only justification. That is this is what France has to offer, it means happening in Irish politics at the moment. the gain for the pain. nothing but disaster for the EU as a political He said: project. The Eurozone authorities stress-tested "To the distinguished member of this the Irish banks a few months ago and they parliament that comes from Ireland, who passed the tests. Then these same authori- ...... AND MERKEL HAS A PLAN...... asked a question suggesting that the ties panicked in the face of the demands Merkel's new plan is called 'Eurozone problems of Ireland were created by and threats from the bondholders and 2.0' and it is reported that: Europe, let me tell you: the problems of Ireland were created by the irresponsible Ireland was to be the sacrificial lamb to "What Berlin sees as necessary is con- financial behaviour of some Irish institu- tained in the draft policy paper: wide- show how a Eurozone country could be tions and by the lack of supervision in the ranging harmonisation measures within made to behave for the benefit of these Irish market… two years, even if these changes require markets. It was done 'pour encourager les "Europe is now part of the solution; it treaty change. 'It can't be the case that the autres'. It was not Ireland that panicked is trying to support Ireland. But it was not slowest dictate the pace, nor is it about Europe that created this fiscally irrespon- and moved the goal posts. But it is paying doing everything in a mediocre fashion', sible situation and this financially ir- for their moving by the Eurozone authorities. said Dr. Merkel of her plans. 'Instead responsible behaviour. Europe is trying Clearly, Sarkozy does not see it that every state should become more finan- to support Ireland. It is important to know cially stable and economically com- way and in his view Ireland is paying a where the responsibility lies. And this is petitive—for itself and for Europe.' The price for its own misbehaviour and is why it is important that those of us and Berlin plan is not about 'levelling' going through this austerity for no greater this are clearly the majority, who believe differences, officials say, but about in European ideals, that we are able, as purpose than punishment for its sins. 'removing large discrepancies'. In recent much as possible to have a common Mr. Sarkozy's regards it all as an issue off-the-record briefings, the German response" (IT, January 20, 2011). of balancing of the books in public leader has shown an unusual determin- finances: "'I want a constitutional rule ation for the task she has set herself." The European Commission is the that will demand a return to balance of (Irish Times, 19 March 2011). institution that is supposed to be the our public finances'…" (ibid). This harmonisation gels very well and mediating element of the EU project, the The behaviour of the banks disappears is no doubt already agreed with Sarkozy institution that does not take sides in inter- from sight—but the major problem is a and his vision of competing, 'independent' national issues. Every issue, even if it is of banking problem, not a public finance states within Europe. Competition is a consequence to only one State, must be an problem, and it is a blatant distortion of very unusual form of harmonisation and, EU issue in its eyes. It should also be the the situation to treat it as he does. Ireland's if words are to retain their meaning, it is element that is objective about the other public finances were in better shape than the opposite of harmonisation. In 'competi- EU institutions. But now, it is clearly a most and by themselves would not have tion' someone usually wins and someone body that has been sidelined in the caused the current crisis. usually loses and a draw usually means a corridors of the EU and no longer has that replay. That's fine in sport but relations overarching role to play. It is inevitable Sarkozy outlines his vision: between nations within a political union therefore that its President would get "'French people wouldn't want France are not (or rather should not be) like sport. frustrated in this situation. Members States to face the situation that some European partners are facing, wondering at the It's a bit like players in a team deciding to and the ECB [European Central Bank] beginning of each week if they are able to play against each other rather than playing have done their own thing and behaved pay their bills', Mr Sarkozy said. France the other team—and it's not usually erratically in recent months—and they must be independent, cut spending, cut possible to do both at the same time. have done nothing to keep the Commission the deficit and pay back some of its If Helmut Kohl had taken this attitude in the loop. Like the Parliament, it is now debt"(ibid). to the unification of the two German states, merely an afterthought in the minds of the So his Europe will be a collection of how long would he have to wait for movers and shakers in Europe. 'independent' countries, each with its books harmonisation, never mind unity? Kohl It is not the role of the President of the neatly balanced. If this is the economic broke every law known to economics in Commission to counterpose the behaviour governance he has in mind, it is just an the interests of German unity and it has of 'Europe' to the behaviour of any Member accountant's dream. The obvious question been a great political success followed in State—even if that state had made mistakes is what the 'added value' for Governments turn by a great economic success. Kohl in any area. Until a new European polity is and their electorates could be if that is all knew what was primary in these matters. created, no Member State can be judged to there is to it. And where is the added value He was also prepared to break every be irresponsible by 'Europe', even if that of a political 'Union', if the object is to economic law for the sake of European were technically true—which it is not in 6 this case. Ireland followed the EU rules to that German history has been one long the D-Mark (and that any such project the letter and its banking system was tragic mistake, that can be remedied only would be vastly more costly than one declared satisfactory at regular intervals. through a full and contriteful submission ensuring the survival of the Euro). This The Irish banking system was an integral to the will of the 'West'. Its original Editor, interview brought the Spiegel charge on part of the European banking system and Rudolf Augstein (who lasted in the post the issue to a shuddering halt. its behaviour was known to the ECB— until about a decade ago), regularly prod- To give a flavour of what Germany and, if it was not, then it is the fault of its uced personalised columns expressing this really thinks, here is a tough front page Governors and Directors. The movement position, especially when liberal opinion FAZ editorial from 18th December 2010— of billions of Euro cannot really be hidden believed the state had disgraced itself again complete with a few uncompromising from a Central Bank and, if it had been so by some slip-up on the "brown" question. swipes at Ireland—commenting on the hidden, then that Central Bank is not fit for Der Spiegel continues constantly to warn December EU Summit: purpose. the Germans (and the world) about their If Barroso gets away with his blame nation's deep flawed instincts, against "EU Summit game and with this counterposing of which the state must be ever watchful. "Bending and flexing 'Europe' to a Member State, it is the death This is a general German liberal line, and 'The Euro is to be saved by bending, knell of the EU project. It is nothing short a key message repeated ad nauseam by breaking and twisting the rules. And at of disastrous for the EU project. Juergen Habermas. The Spiegel will the expense of those countries that have largely kept to them. In the EU there is no Jack Lane indulge any theory, the more sensationalist lack of solidarity, but of discipline. The the better. Its current pet project is basic remedy can only be a common promoting opinion in favour of scrapping economic policy. the Euro. But in the real world of political/ By Berthold Kohler What Germany economic interest there are few if any 18th December 2010 Really Thinks proponents of such a strategy, and Spiegel "The EU Member States shun treaty commentaries to the contrary should be changes like the devil avoids holy water— Der Spiegel is a fabulous magazine, too cumbersome, too risky, too dependent taken with a grain of salt. providing plenty of useful information, on Ireland. But now, tormented by the now also available in its English-language Euro-crisis, the European Union is set to Many newspapers/magazines were set online edition. This at least offers some take this step, albeit in a 'slimmed down' up in the late 1940s in a similar way to Der form, to get around Irish stubbornness in different angles in the new global press, Spiegel. Boards of Directors and Editors these matters. By 2013, a permanent which is otherwise uniquely dominated were appointed directly by the Military rescue umbrella is to be cast over the euro by the Anglo-Saxon world view, through Government press chiefs. The discredited zone. The scrapping of the basic principle The Economist, Financial Times and New that in the Monetary Union each member British press baron, Robert Maxwell, was York Times. But as a source for the state should only have to pay for its own the British Military press officer who direction of things in the German and the debt, is now to be institutionalised. The 'organised' the setting up of the Berliner German mind, Der Spiegel should be original sin was committed, however, Tagespiegel as the mouthpiece of the when the rules of the Stability Pact were treated with caution. Western powers in Berlin in the run in to allowed to be breached. Some date it Among political forces in Germany no the 1946 elections which it (very sub- even earlier: that it was wrong to establish one takes it too seriously, except when it stantially) helped ensure the SPD would a monetary union at all without first acts as an outlet for exposures of political having a common economic and fiscal win in the city. In the 1950s and 1960s this wrong doing or corruption. It was estab- policy in place. new press was often disparagingly called lished in 1949 in Hamburg, a careful con- "Today's politicians, who stand by the populace the "licensed press" struction of the British Military Govern- accused when creating that shambles of {lizenzpresse}. not being driven by the same vision as the ment. Its purpose was to develop Anglo- There are some exceptions. One is the founding fathers of the Union, now have phile sentiment and to scold Germans for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Frank- little time to reason things out what should their awfulness (sound familiar?). It furt, for starters, was in the US Zone, have been done differently in the first regularly features lengthy articles implicat- place. They have enough on their plate which was spared the excesses of the ing ever greater numbers of the general trying to secure the system of monetary social/cultural engineering inflicted by the population in the crimes of the Hitler era, union against speculative attack. Because zealous Brits. The US authorities knew often to the point of absurdity (an article a the failure of the single currency—and they would need the Germans for purpose- on this there is an unusually high level of few years ago examined the complicity of ful activity in seeing off the Soviet threat. consensus—would represent the worst German youth in the Holocaust), To do that they needed some real press, setback in the history of European accompanied by editorials on Germany's and so the old Frankfurter Zeitung which integration. unique guilt. Die Zeit, another Hamburg had continued in existence throughout the Solidarity without solidity journal of similar provenance, adopts a Third Reich was reborn with minimal "They, and not the sinners, are now the similar approach, though at least tries to change of personnel, though some old ones being singled out for moral pressure. make it politically functional, which is not national liberals who had 'retired' in 1933 The chancellor was right to counter this a concern of Der Spiegel. Die Zeit is a were brought back into its editorial by stating that solidarity could not story in itself, for another time, but one of leadership. Since then it has functioned as continue to be demanded without solidity its Editors (and still guest columnist) is being created. Additional transfer the organ of the deep state in Germany. Helmut Schmidt, the long-time SPD payments (such as joint bonds) to [Social Democratic Party] Chancellor. On 29th December 2010 the FAZ economically weak, but high-consuming EU member states must lead in Germany The Spiegel was the standard bearer for published an interview with the head of to either increases in taxes, reductions in Fritz Fischer's tendentious theories the Bundesbank in which he categorically state benefits or to even more debt. All so telescoping the Hitler Reich with previous stated that German interests were incom- that the party can continue elsewhere? regimes, and generally propounds the view patible with populist notions of a return to This could only be a recipe for smashing 7 the {European} community. supply those needs which find a market heavily committed to it. It takes a strong "In the EU there is no lack of solidarity, expression. Not only that, capital is drawn understanding and an unusual political but of discipline. The only real remedy is to the ventures which offer the greatest strength of character to stand out against a the creation of a common economic, fiscal profit. There is a disconnect between the trend which is promoted by the Great and and social policy. But according to whose ideas should this be created: England’s, market and social need. They exist in the Good of all one's trading partners. Germany’s, Greece’s? Compared to 100- different realms of reality. Perhaps a De Valera or a Haughey might year project sketched out by the That is in accord with the law of have done it. Certainly no one in the Irish Chancellor, the amending of the Lisbon maximising return on capital, which means political establishment was aware of the Treaty that was agreed is a mere trifle." the markets must deprive even sound deeper reality of the new Finance whirligig. Philip O'Connor economic investments in the real economy Brown describes something of what of capital. The result of the new policies happened, but draws no conclusions, of liberating finance has been to cause the beyond suggesting that Bank bonuses be Milton Friedman wrong sort of developments to occur and curbed: in other words, let the merry-go- continued to deprive society of the right kind of round start swinging again. He advocates development. "Wrong" and "Right" is ever more Free Trade and Efficiency as capitalism used Keynesian supply-side here seen in the context of what does and solutions. Thus he remains part of the economics to build social infrastructure, does not meet social need. Obviously, problem, rather than the solution. and were able to maintain expansive within the terms of market liberalism, economies with approaching full 'Wrong' and 'Right' are what maximises But the conclusion that suggests itself employment. Internationally it maintained profit. And this process has got more and is that private credit creation cannot be President Roosevelt's hard-won financial more hectic. expected to behave in a conservative regulation, set in place after the prolonged Ex-Prime Minister Gordon Brown— manner or to meet social objectives. series of crises which continued for many who played the Thatcher game with gusto A rampant market can only operate on years and are collectively known as the while in power—has belatedly understood a herd instinct, taking the path of least Wall Street Crash of the 1930s. some of this. He writes: resistance. The gadarene swine will all As a result of Friedman-type economics, "A new and largely unregulated global feed in a frenzy and they will all jump off State capital investment has declined financial system developed in the 20 years the cliff in the same way. substantially and there has been an before the crisis and, in a risk-laden world In Ireland, over the past 5-6 years, this explosion of individual Credit Card debt, in which excessive financial remuneration has meant a flood of money—from home which has only limited social benefits. It was at the expense of the equity capital and abroad—streaming into speculative appears that there has been very little that banks needed, we had created a property investment. This has not been regulation of this type of debt, with no wholly new economic phenomenon: entirely wasted. There are some fine effective limit on the number of Credit capitalism without capital. "If I had said in 1990 that global flows buildings and developments which will Cards an individual may hold. The of money, which were then around $0.6tn stand the test of time. European Union has now, belatedly, (£382bn) a day, would double as the But we also have the down-side results understood how potent an instrument world economy grew, people might have of herd-capitalism. Worthwhile credit creation in private hands is and has believed me, but if I had said these flows investment—such as in broadband by a issued the Electronic Money Institutions would rise by more than 2,000%, few privatised Eircom—has been neglected. Directive (no. 2009/110/EC). This means would have thought it possible. In fact And now the economy is taking heavy that Electronic Money Institutions must something much bigger happened: a 6,600% increase in global financial flows, hits. obtain authorisation from the national so that by April 2010 these were flows of Central Bank "in order to issue electronic $4tn a day. Along with Friedman monetarism came money" (advertisement Irish Times, "Submerged beneath the surface was an assault on the State as an entity develop- 21.1.11). Whether this Directive is a an unseen, unregulated shadow banking ing social forces. Finance capitalism prelude to an attempt to turn the monetarist network that grew in volume to become demanded total freedom in which to clock back remains to be seen. more than half the entire system, and operate. Even at the moment the financial operated far outside normal rules and crisis hit, regulators were being pressured procedures. Up to the 1980s it was the State which to cut back even further on the controls "Those practices then spread to the created credit for the most part. There was mainstream banks, and soon everybody they exerted over banks. This was not some private credit creation—largely knew the priority was, in the famous merely happening in Ireland. It was through the Banking system—but it was words of Citibank boss Chuck Prince, 'to happening all around the West, with a constrained and restrained. keep dancing' as long as the music was very few exceptions. Relying on Friedman economics, Prime playing. In these circumstances, to suggest that Minister Thatcher changed all that—and "The reason governments had to step the Irish crisis was made in Ireland, which in during October 2008 was not because America followed suit. The State cut back has been the general conclusion of various government action had itself caused the on building infrastructure, and even problem but because the music stopped. reports, is to be totally unreal. The argu- privatised some of the social stock. The It was one of those moments when ment used to be whether Ireland was more market knew best and would provide for markets did not automatically come to a Boston than Berlin. The truth is that, not economic expansion and the health of the safe equilibrium in the manner the familiar only was Ireland switching more and more economy. old textbooks suggest" (Guardian to Boston mode—Berlin has been doing Private enterprise institutions were 7.12.10). so too. And, in those instances in which given their head. The theory was that they Those who blame Fianna Fail and Irish Berlin was too slow to swing to monetarist would do even better than the State in Governments should ponder Brown's jazz, there was the European Court of providing for social needs. Unfortunately, words. There was a new economic ortho- Justice to hand down decisions to hasten however, market enterprise can only doxy and most Western countries became the break-up of old State economic 8 institutions, which were impeding the particular enough about what was being Bangladesh can expect some of the financial whirligig by retaining some social done with the money they were loaning 'Irish' treatment—money on the loose, objectives. out. coming in for a fast buck; rising property It is generally accepted that the savings market, speculative investments, and the There is facile talk about Irish Govern- of countries such as Germany—rather than rest. ments failing to regulate the banking sector being content with modest returns on offer During the Celtic Tigger years, Ireland sufficiently. But this was an international, within their own economies—went to was looked to as a role-model by aspiring not a national problem. It was British fuelling the international speculative book. countries in Eastern Europe and elsewhere. banks who introduced madcap banking There were other sources of capital too. Now that reality has struck, surely it should onto the Irish scene. The only way in Private Pension Funds, for instance. Part go back and explain where it all went which Ireland could have remained apart of the Thatcher counter-revolution was to wrong and warn others of the pitfalls of from the financial wizardry coming from force savings for pensions out of the hands monetary laxity and the perils of London was to exclude foreign banks of the State and onto the market. While entertaining Brits bearing gifts. from operating in its markets—or at least the State looked after nearly all pension Angela Clifford to heavily curb their business activities. provision, current surpluses could be used This would have been against the rules of to build infrastructure and generate the the World Trade Organisation and of the expansion needed to fund pay-as-you-go European Union. Ireland would also have pensions. Privatising pension provision The following letter was submitted to been punished by financial markets for diverted money instead to the quick-buck the Irish Examiner on 29th January daring to stand out against the prevailing merchants. way of doing business. If we are looking for causes of the Israel No Democracy There would also have to have been a financial crisis, we surely must not forget The Israeli Ambassador writes that willingness in Ireland to forego the luxury the creditor countries and institutions. life-style that came with a heated-up "Israel is the only democracy in the Middle economy. There was no such thing at the With European countries like Ireland East"; (Examiner, 19 January). Is it really? time. And, even now, in the midst of the now out of the frame for the speculators, How can Israel be described as a downturn, there is no acceptance that the roving capital is looking further afield, to democracy when it has ruled over millions answer lies in returning to traditional countries that might not yet have learned of Palestinians for over 40 years in the values—the policy is not being advocated the hard financial facts of life and the need territories it has occupied illegally and by in mainstream politics. The hope is that for self-protection—countries in Asia and force since 1967, without according them there can be a return to a scaled-down Africa. City AM (London) noted on 22nd any democratic rights, not least the right version of the Tigger. December that 2010 saw a 16% rise of to vote? This alone demonstrates a unique It is true that a couple of Governments "global mergers and acquisition activity" contempt for democracy which makes a in the world did protect their financial in "developing countries". The Lex mockery of the claims of the Ambassador. system. The Canadian Government Column in the Financial Times noted in a While these 5 million people live prevented banks from speculating with piece called Jeux Sans Frontiéres (Game without civil rights of the most basic kind, depositors' money. And the then President with no frontiers, a pun on the globalist the over half million Jews who live in the of Malaysia, Mr. Mahathir—who got aid organisation, Medecins sans illegal settlements in the occupied West nothing but a bad press in Ireland, and Frontiéres) that the money men are eyeing Bank can vote in elections to the Knesset particularly in the Irish Times, for his countries like Bangladesh, seen as a (the Israeli parliament), while Palestinians pains—put in place an excellent raft of "frontier" market! It is attractive because living in the West Bank can't. This is a provisions to check the speculative of "low yields and low growth in developed selective discriminatory regime worse than incursions of foreign capital. economies, combined with plentiful the voting system that operated in apartheid liquidity [i.e. cash surpluses]": South Africa. Gordon Brown mentions the high "Take Bangladesh, where foreign Isn't it time for one person, one vote to velocity of money—that is the speed with investors own just 5 per cent of the stock operate for elections to the Knesset for which it circulates in the modern era. But, market, compared with about a third in everybody who lives between the Jordan even though virtual money moves faster South Korea or Thailand… But its vast and the Sea and is governed from the these days, there still has to be a core of pool of cheap, young labour means that it Knesset? Then Israel might have a claim actual money which forms its base in stands a good chance of replicating its to be a genuine democracy, but not until success in clothing in other light manu- reality. The financial wizardry cannot go facturing and service sectors. Over the then. on, unless there is a modicum of 'real' past 30 years, for example, Bangladesh Philip O'Connor money in the system. And it can be argued has built from scratch the world's biggest that this 'real money' is just as much to ship-breaking business. Unlike south- blame for the present financial crisis as east Asia in the early 90s or India today, the gambling speculators. The savers its transition to a middle-income country may have assumed that the institutions is entirely unreliant on foreign financing or portfolio flows… Bangladesh's Tell us about they were depositing in were conservative, inclusion in Goldman Sachs' 'next 11'… upcoming events like themselves. But the institutions in seems merited. On a fundamental long- question have been forced not to be. term view, frontier markets like this seem The Athol Books site now features a Ultimately, therefore, the holders of the a lot like emerging markets a generation Notice Board to which readers are invited 'real money' lent it to the speculators, ago: under-owned, under-researched and to feature forthcoming events. Go to: attracted by the rates of return. In a way, generally under-appreciated." it can be said that the careful holders of Under-owned! Not sufficiently http://www.atholbooks.org/notice.php real money caused the crisis by not being penetrated by Western capital? 9 British and Redmondite tendency in Irish The narrative of the ideological super- society. structure, which includes the media, is that the State has ‘failed’. The Irish Shorts FIANNA FAIL AND THE SUPERSTRUCTURE bourgeoisie is irredeemably ‘corrupt’ and we as a nation are ‘incapable’ of running from But it was the anti Treatyites in the form of Fianna Fail who were to become our own affairs. Selective use of economic the Long Fellow the dominant political force in Irish society. indicators such as Unemployment and However, although anti-Imperialism bec- Emigration statistics are used to support THE BASE AND SUPERSTRUCTURE ame the dominant ideology, Fianna Fáil the thesis. What is the relationship between the failed to seize the commanding heights of It might be said that a critique of the economy, politics and the media or cultural the superstructure. The Universities national bourgeoisie is in the interests of outlets? It is sometimes mistakenly said remained Redmondite or pro-British. In Socialism, but nothing could be further that Marx believed that the economy 1931 the Irish Press was founded to coun- from the current conjuncture of political determined politics and culture. That is a teract The Irish Times and Irish Independ- forces. The alternative to the native control simplistic interpretation. ent but it was not until the 1960s that a of banking is foreign control of banking. The Bible tells us that in the beginning native bourgeoisie had emerged to chal- This is the policy of the current Central there was the Word. Marx (and Goethe) lenge the dominance of the Anglo-Irish in Bank Governor Patrick Honohan. By believed that first there was the Deed. The the Banking, Accounting and Insurance undermining the democratic State, the so- economic base or structure of society is sectors of the economy. Traditional called Left is disabling it from implement- determined by politics or the outcome of elements within Fianna Fáil disliked this ing socialist policies. For example, Fintan the class struggle. The ruling class, through new development; others saw it as a logical O’Toole advocates rule by a technocratic the State, arrange for the superstructure outcome of the national revolution. elite which would be insulated from (media and cultural outlets) to support the The outbreak of war in Northern Ireland democratic accountability. He suggested economic base. The superstructure gives caused a crisis within Fianna Fáil. Jack that Michael Somers (former head of the an ideological or distorted view of reality Lynch capitulated to the British and National Treasury Management Agency), (in particular social relations) in order to instituted legal proceedings against his Niall FitzGerald (former head of Unilever) serve the interests of the ruling class and political opponents within Fianna Fáil. and Mary Robinson (a former President the economic base. That is also a simplistic Fianna Fáil continued to dominate Irish who cut short her term for careerist interpretation of Marxism, but it is much politics, but there was a collapse in its reasons) should have negotiated with the closer to the truth than the economic ideological superstructure. After a long IMF [International Monetary Fund]. determinist view. period of decline the Irish Press expired The moral denunciations of Fianna Fáil in 1995. But the newspaper had long ceased by the Labour Party and Sinn Fein have THE AUTONOMY OF THE SUPERSTRUCTURE to be the paper of the national revolution. nothing to do with Socialism. Even in the most organised of societies From 1970 onwards Fianna Fáil survived the superstructure (media and cultural by adapting to the ideological super- AN ALTERNATIVE NARRATIVE outlets) is not purely determined by the structure rather than attempting to The weakness of the media narrative is economic base. It is relatively autonomous. challenge it. The disconnect between the that it has very little to do with reality. However, in Ireland it could be said that ideological superstructure and the original When it is considered that the new Irish the superstructure is almost completely Fianna Fáil vision has been cumulative. It State inherited from the British a legacy of autonomous. This particular characteristic is illustrated by two of the leading contend- famine, debt (from the Land purchase of Irish society arose from the nature of ers to succeed Brian Cowen quoting scheme) and some of the worst slums in the national revolution. approvingly from the discredited, revision- Europe, it is difficult to see how the sub- In the early 20th century a native bour- ist historian Peter Hart. sequent development of the Irish State can geoisie was beginning to emerge. Under be said to have been a failure. The Pro- the leadership of John Redmond and the THE IDEOLOGICAL SUPERSTRUCTURE Treaty element largely eliminated Red- Irish Parliamentary Party it was making In last month's Irish Political Review mondite corruption in Local Government an accommodation with British Imperial- Desmond Fennell described the media in in the early years of the State. Reform was ism in exchange for some very limited this country as displaying “no political continued by its Anti-Treaty successors. political autonomy. This presented a pluralism”. In this respect it resembled dilemma for the British ruling class. On the media in a “communist regime or one EMIGRATION the one hand Redmondism promised a party dictatorship”. However, in other The population of the 26 Counties since final resolution of the Irish Question on respects the media in this country is the the First Dáil in 1919 has increased from favourable terms for British Imperialism; complete opposite to its counterpart in a 3 million to 4.5 million. Practically, all of on the other it involved betraying the one-party dictatorship. In this country the that increase was in the last 40 years when Anglo-Irish and, more important, Northern media acts to subvert the State and the national bourgeoisie was beginning to Unionists. undermine the national bourgeoisie. assert itself with the help of Fianna Fáil. However, there was a dramatic rupture Since the ideological collapse of Fianna The Irish Times began an article (8.1.11) of this line of development in 1916, which Fáil the superstructure has returned to its with the statement that emigration had was confirmed by the 1918 Election. A default position before the national “returned with a vengeance”. There new young, anti-Imperialist political class revolution: it is Redmondite (RTE and the followed heart-rending descriptions of emerged which had no economic power. Irish Independent); and openly pro-British tearful departures at Dublin Airport. But a The Treaty split represented a setback for (The Irish Times). The distinction relates look at the figures suggests a more nuanced this new class because the pro-Treaty to the source rather than suggesting any picture. element became dependent on the pro- difference between the two positions. The 1980s are generally perceived to 10 be a difficult period for the Irish economy. range of between 4 and 4.5%: in effect full at State level. The political party, in For just over half of that period the Fine employment. particular Fianna Fáil, is the means by Gael/Labour coalition was in power. By In 1997 Fine Gael had been in govern- which the policies of the State are mediated 1989 the economy had entered a period of ment for only 2.5 years. The last time that to the people (and by which the people “jobless growth”. So while the economy party had served almost a full term was in exert an influence on Government). It is was growing there was only a marginal 1987 when the Unemployment Rate an essential function of a democracy. In increase in employment, which was not reached 16.8% and the level of Employ- the absence of a coherent and vibrant enough to absorb the increasing popula- ment was at 1.09 million. political party political discourse is tion. Accordingly, in1989 emigration had mediated through an unaccountable media. peaked at 70k in the 26 counties. This If the leadership of Fianna Fáil fails to RECENT ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE compares to the 12 months to April 2010 The recent economic performance has mobilise the party to transmit its own when emigration reached 65k. But the been poor in terms of consumption. narrative of its period in Government, it comparison is misleading. However, the productive capacity of the will deserve to fail. Of the 65k that emigrated in the year to economy has not diminished. Most of the April 2010 only 27.5k were native Irish. increase in Unemployment has been from So the balance were people returning to the building industry and the retail sector. ETUC Statement: their own country, which hardly represents Manufacturing output increased by 14.2% ETUC says EU Commission must a national tragedy. But how can we be in the year to November 2010. This certain that even the 27.5k native Irish clarify ‘intervention’ in Irish labour compares with a Euro zone average of market who emigrated can be categorised as 7.4%. “forced emigration”? Unlike other countries on the European In the year to April 2006, when the periphery we have returned to a Balance Pay And Europe economic boom was at its height and there of Payments surplus on the current account. The European Trade Union was a shortage of labour, emigration by The current Budget Deficit was about the native Irish amounted to 15.3k. So, of Confederation (ETUC) has requested 1.5 billion euros less than target for the 11 an urgent meeting with EU the 27.5k who emigrated in April 2010 months to November 2010. Most of the only 12.2k could conceivably be accounted Commissioner Olli Rehn following improvement was in the latter half of the reports that Commission officials are for by a deterioration in the economy. year which indicates a positive trend. It should also be said that in the 12 ‘intervening directly’ to cut wages and There is no doubt that calling in the change agreed systems of pay month period to April 2010 Immigration IMF was very damaging for the Govern- did not cease. 30.8k “deluded” souls determination, in Ireland and Greece. ment. Pat Rabbitte describes the State as The call was made by the head of the arrived on the shores of this “benighted” being “in receivership”. But there are not land. Of the 30.8k, 13.3k were Irish ETUC, Mr. John Monks, who many receivers who would make new citizens. So the net emigration (Emigration denounced reports of “diktat pressures capital available to a debtor. minus Immigration) of the native Irish from Commission officials to cut amounts to 14.2k. minimum wages and pensions, to reduce THE POLITICAL NARRATIVE Notwithstanding the net emigration wage ‘rigidities’ and to make labour figures the population of the country In the 2007 General Election the markets more flexible in Greece and continues to grow, so the emigrants form electorate ignored the media narrative Ireland.” a smaller proportion of the whole society because it was obvious that it did not In a letter to Commissioner Rehn— than they did in the 1980s. accord with reality. However, in the more and copied to other senior The Republic of Ireland is one of the difficult economic conditions of 2011 Commissioners—Mr. Monks pointed most open economies—in terms of both Fianna Fáil has so far failed to give its own out that such policies trampled over labour and capital—in the world. The narrative. “pious Commission statements about statistics do not warrant the hysterical In recent weeks a line has come from the autonomy of social partners, the headlines in the media. the media to the effect that Fianna Fáil has importance of social dialogue and the put the party before the country. An specific exclusion in the EU treaties of example was on Friday 21st on RTE’s a European competence on pay”. THE ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT Drivetime show, when Philip Boucher Under EU treaties, the Commission Fianna Fáil began its current run of Hayes counted the number of times leading has no capacity or competence with unbroken government in 1997. From 1997 Fianna Fáil politicians mentioned the party regard to pay and pay levels in individual to the present the economy has grown by and compared it to the number of times member states. The Lisbon Treaty about 70%. Unfortunately for Fianna Fáil, they mentioned the country. The result specifically rules out any such eaten bread is soon forgotten. In the last 3 was a four to one ratio in favour of the competence. years the economy has contracted by about party. Ergo, we are invited to conclude Full texts can be found on ICTU 11%. However, the overall figure of 70% from this childish word game that Fianna homepage (www.ictu.ie) growth for the last 13 years compares very Fáil leaders neglect the country in favour favourably with an EU average of about of party interests. 20%. In fact the opposite is the case. Fianna On-line sales of books, pam- From 1997 to 2010 the number of people Fáil leaders have acted in the interests of phlets and magazines: Employed rose from 1.38 million to 1.87 the State and completely rejected the million. In the same period the Un- interests of the party. They deserve credit https:// employment rate rose from 10.3% to for this. But the leadership can be criticised www.atholbooks- 13.5%. However for most of this period for not keeping its party members the Unemployment Rate was within a sufficiently aware of what was happening sales.org 11 got smaller over the years. But even these relatively arcane argu- ments do not justify Richard O'Rawe's Gerry and the Hunger Strikers assertion that Adams unilaterally pro- longed the Strike. Gerry Adams "and not The Belfast Telegraph (Wed., This argument about Adams and the Martin McGuinness, Danny Morrison or 29.12.100) allowed Richard O'Rawe a 1981 Hunger Strikers has been around for anyone else…" was given the job by the right of reply to Éamonn McCann. The a while—much of it Richard O'Rawe's Army Council to "advise the prisoners on BT describes O'Rawe as "a former IRA doing. But only an inward-looking Belfast a variety of matters". It may be made prisoner and public relations officer of Republican could make Richard's argu- more explicit in the Afterlives book, but the 1981 hunger strikers". It plugged his ment. Frank McManus (an implicitly this assertion of O'Rawe's is very vague. Afterlives: The Hunger Strike and the Republican 'Independent') took the Ferm- He adds that Adams "was told that the prisoners were to be the final decision Secret Offer That Changed Irish History. anagh and South Tyrone seat in 1971. But makers…" in regard to offers from the UK McCann had written that O'Rawe (like Ed for most the constituency's history "a doggie with a tricolour ribbon" (as The Government. This was not particular to Maloney, presumably in his Secret History the 1981 Strike. Since the Fenian period, Of The IRA) had over-personalised his Man from the Daily Mail, might have put it) would have won any election. It was so Irish Republican prisoners have been an historical account. Gerry Adams was by emphatically a Republican seat that the autonomous element in the overall no means the only "factor in play". The Unionists simply had to tolerate losing it Movement. O'Rawe claims that Adams "ignored that edict". This has to do with BT was not, here, in the business of on a regular basis. the alleged 'fact' that the UK Government enlightening its readers—this was an (In 1958, Westminster gave the Mid- attack on Sinn Féin. The Tele believes in made a solid offer to the Hunger Strikers Ulster seat to the Unionists, despite the which they accepted. Who made this the führerprinzip at least in regard to SF. Republicans having won it in three consec- It has not noticed that a number of credible offer, and on what authority? No evidence utive elections. The notion that Westmin- is put forward. On the other hand, the leaders for SF are on the horizon, should ster could not 'interfere' in Northern Ireland contemptuous attitude by that Government Gerry Adams meet his maker. Whether was dreamed up in the mid-1960s to cover to the previous lot of Hunger Strikers they would lead it with the steadiness and its back, should the place become un- must have been to the forefront of most dedication of Adams, is open to question, governable. It could then off-load respon- participants' minds. And it was they, and but Sinn Féin is not a one-man-band. sibility onto the Unionists — who loved not Adams, who made the decisions. O'Rawe writes about "the suspicion" taking the blame.) And there is the question of whether or that the 1981 Hunger Strike was prolonged not the 'journey into electoral politics' was to "ensure" that Owen Carron would take It is surmised that Gerry Adams thought worthwhile. Gerry Adams has gone on to over the parliamentary seat from Bobby Sinn Féin would have a real fight on its stand for Dáil Éireann, and will probably Sands. "At the heart of the matter was a hands in the constituency. But who does win a seat and form part of a substantial Richard O'Rawe think the fight would British Government offer to settle the bloc of TDs. Eoghan Harris is currently have been with? Frank McManus stood having fits of the vapours at the notion that hunger strike {the use of the lower case is down to allow Bobby Sands a clear run. he may become a Cabinet minister. (If he probably a BT editorial decision—SMcG} There was no other person or party that does, he should demand Michael Mc made… weeks…" prior to the by-election. could credibly have had a chance of taking Dowell's old job as Minister of the Interior.) Surely there must be a question of the UK the seat. While it is true that the 'Nationalist' Government's good faith? The— (as Richard O'Rawe, if he has not been too Richard O'Rawe challenges Gerry ostensible—reason for the 1981 Hunger heavily edited, puts it) vote might have Adams to prove him wrong by agreeing to "participate in a republican inquiry into Strike was the fact that the British Govern- been split. In this article he gives no indication of where such a threat might the hunger strikes". This brings his article ment had reneged on the agreement to a ringing conclusion. But Richard reached to end the previous one. have come from. John Hume had the common sense to tell the SDLP not to knows quite well that he is not going to get Richard O'Rawe claims the Strike was such an inquiry (and the BT would sneer at prolonged because winning the election stand. (Austin Currie wanted to stand against Sinn Féin—and presumably fan- such an inquiry in the event it was set up). was "an important step in Sinn Fein's cied a career in Westminster. Bernadette Richard should have thought twice journey into electoral politics". He writes (Devlin) McAliskey knew by instinct not before submitting an article to the Belfast "the fact that the offer {from the UK to stand.) Telegraph , which is fundamentalist Union- government—SMcG} was spurned ist. It is not in the business of resolving the determined the outcome of the election". The WPI (Worker' Party of Ireland, as ambiguities of the 1981, or any other, This was because "nationalist voters" it had lately become), stood but did very Hunger Strikes (demonstrated by its turned out to vote because they were angry little damage to SF's vote. Given the refusal to spell even 'Republican' with the Workers' Party's increasingly strident anti- about the situation the Hunger Strikers initial letter in the upper case). It is in the Nationalism it might have made a small found themselves in—implicitly because business of destroying Sinn Féin, and it dent in the Unionist vote. Adams may Thatcher, as ever, wanted to 'tough it out'. has no compunction about publishing have had a sort of 'folk memory' about the material by "a former IRA prisoner". Richard O'Rawe is from Ballymurphy, Republican (which tended to mean 'IRA') and has a reasonably strong Republican Richard O'Rawe's background makes victories in west Ulster. However, the his anti-Republicanism appear more background. Gerry Adams has a very Republican Movement re-absorbed SF in strong Republican background. His family credible than if someone from a Unionist 1948. (Apart from any other consideration (in the widest sense) or 'Sticky' background was one of the half dozen who kept Bel- a glance at the results of UK General —or a British 'spook'—had produced it. fast Republicanism from shrivelling up. Elections would tell the same tale. Repub- Richard might object to the term 'anti- (And Adams was always a 'Shinner'— licans piled up scores of thousands of Republicanism', but there is little question interested in the social turn Republicanism votes in places like Fermanagh and Tyrone that Sinn Féin is perceived as authentically made in the 1960s—rather than the ('Mid-Ulster' consisted of the rest of Republican, by its friends—and more to traditional approach of die-hard Northern County Tyrone). In those years Sinn the point, by its enemies. Republicanism.) Féin's vote in Belfast was very small, and Seán McGouran 12 what was happening to the youth on the Falls Road. When Hacks Catch Hindsight The CPNI was Protestant-led, and might be said to have held almost incommuni- Today's UK Guardian (12-10-10) has Catholics. Unfortunately this lad went on cado Sean Murray, a former IRA com- a headline on page 12: RUC Beat Confes- to hang himself when living in England. mandant, and formerly a member of the sions Out Of Us, Say Hundreds Of Terror old—more nationalist—Communist Party Suspects, which is mainly about the Spare Rib, a UK feminist magazine, of Ireland of the 1930s. He was General Castlereagh Interrogation Centre in Belfast made the mistake of protesting at the treat- Secretary by name only. To ask about the and the Strand Road Police Barracks in ment of Republican women prisoners in history of the old party was to be snubbed Derry. It seems The Criminal Cases Rev- Armagh Jail. They were being subjected and even threatened by violence by an iew Commission (CCRC) is investigating to intimate body searches several times a East Belfast crime family who happened the miscarriage of justice resulting from day, which amounted to sexual harassment to be also Communist Party members. I Northern Ireland's non-jury courts, the and psychological torture. Spare Rib soon still don't know why this family was went out of business through withheld Diplock Courts, established in 1973. But allowed membership. subsidies and mischievous propaganda of course the abuse of prisoners had already The Socialist Youth League did turn about it being a lesbian, man-hating jour- begun well before that date. The law was towards nationalism (much to Sean Mur- nal. I don't remember any national news- ray's secret delight) while I was a member, cast aside whenever it was deemed to be papers fighting for their right to free speech. inconvenient. Old RIC methods were car- under the influence of an interesting young ried over into the newly formed Northern Many of us knew during the 1970s Protestant who learnt Irish up the Falls Ireland RUC. about how Republican, Nationalist, and Road and attended the 1916 commemor- Beatings of non-political prisoners for sometimes, just Catholic prisoners, were ations at Milltown. He was eventually to drunkenness and minor assault was being treated at Castlereagh. The British turn Protestant-Protestant when the common. Army began ill-treating civilian prisoners Provisional IRA went on the attack, In the early 1950s, a workmate of mine, as early as 1968. On one occasion a sudden writing a pamphlet protesting against the a Catholic, went to his local police barracks swoop was made on the Communist Party killing of Protestants—even though he on the Falls Road to report the theft of his of Northern Ireland, but mostly on its must have known that they were mostly bicycle. He foolishly went when it was youth wing the Socialist Youth League the RUC or members of the MI5-directed dusk. (All Police Barracks doors closed at (formerly the Young Worker's League). Protestant death squads and the Ulster dusk back then.) He knocked on the door, Most of the members were young Defence Regiment (post-B' Specials) or it was opened by a policeman holding a Protestants, and were also mainly middle- the Ulster Volunteer Force in British .45 revolver. He was quickly punched in class. One of them, whom I knew well, uniforms. Clare Short, the British MP, the face, then kicked as he lay on the floor, contacted me after the event. He told how wrote a preface to this pamphlet. then kicked through the door and into the they had had their heads shaved— Obviously the Guardian can't get into supposedly against lice—and had insect street. He spent a few days in hospital. the atmosphere of a Northern Ireland in repellent powder forced inside their That was the end of the matter. He was time of war, or in time of ceasefire. It does clothes. They were politically aware advised by a Catholic solicitor not to com- have its NI correspondent but he puts out plain in case worse happened to him. This enough to know that this was an attempt to humiliate them. This happened at one of no more than the English correspondent, solicitor was covertly working for the nothing of any worth. RUC, and was also a friend of Harry the army barracks. They did nothing legal Diamond, the corrupt West Belfast Cath- about their treatment. I gather they felt In the British armed forces, I am told, olic Stormont MP. they were being taken seriously and that you cannot refuse an order even if that seemed to be enough. The Guardian treats Northern Ireland order is not to your liking. The advice is to Anyway, they were always aware of as if it has the same rights as the UK, as if carry-out that order and then protest later. the fearful treatment they could receive at it is part of the British political system. It I cannot remember the British media even uses the same hypocritical even- the hands of the RUC due to the political situation there and its frightful history of being concerned about the treatment of handedness when writing of Nationalist prisoners or the miscarriage of justice and Loyalist prisoners being subject to torture and assassination. Most parents during the war period. As a playwright I this miscarriage of justice. back then related their own experiences of the early 1920s and the killing of whole pushed plenty of stuff towards them in the families by RUC death squads. In actual form of plays dealing with Castlereagh Everyone in Northern Ireland knows fact the Socialist Youth League felt they and other obscenities of brutality. Theatre who were in the majority at these centres, had got away with it lightly. managements answered with words like: though, one tragic case concerns two 'Mere speculation'. or 'Quite good but young Protestant teenagers accused of Castlereagh and Strand Road were to after some reflection not for us thank you'. killing a 28-year-old Catholic accountant. be expected. As young communists in the At the National Theatre in London (now At Castlereagh, after being given the full late 1940s we would sometimes be told by called the Royal National Theatre) I did treatment, they confessed to shooting the the more pig-like members of Special manage to get something on by contacting accountant. Many years later the CCRC Branch what they would like to do with finds out that the accountant had been us, come the day. Mostly it was crawling its Artistic Director directly. It was a about beaten for 30 minutes before being shot up the road on our hands and knees like a young Provo and his wedding breakfast by a Loyalist death squad, whereas the dogs, bleeding from every orifice, sans in a derelict house while he's on the run. I boys had confessed to just a shooting. teeth. The seemingly softer side of the wanted to show the normal, everyday life One of the boys' father had kept his son Branch advised us to emigrate to Australia, of these young men and women, and how indoors on the day of this killing because while discussing the latest film and hand- they were just your next door neighbour. his son had been threatened by some ing out the cigarettes. But mostly we The media theatre critic used words like: Protestant youths for being friendly with knew we were having it easy compared to "disgusting, ill-judged" etc., without even 13 mentioning the theme of the play. This to a hotel in order to meet a Home Office streets of Belfast. It would have taken a was in 1978. official who turned out to be a Major in long time for me to explain that to him. Army Intelligence. He had to have a copy Later I was part of delegation from the of the script. If he approved of it, the BBC I had often been told by my agent and now defunct Theatre Writer's Union bent could have army protection for the filming. others not to keep writing about that on getting a fair payment for our work. We The Director and I didn't want any of this. terrible place for nobody here cared. But visited various theatres in London. One in Some scenes were in Catholic areas. We I did notice they cared when something particular had the late Stuart Burges as decided to approach those who controlled anti-Irish appeared as a script, something Artistic Director of the Royal Court the areas for permission to film there. We that showed the Provos as psychopaths. Theatre. He was very sarcastic in his nego- met the UDA and the Provos. Right now there is a play doing the rounds tiations and began using the word 'provi- They welcomed us. Both said the mixed in the UK about Irish terrorists, from what sional' a lot while looking at me. 'Is this a cast of Catholics and Protestants would be they call the Troubles. Quite a number of provisional fee we are looking at? Is this safe in their areas. They controlled these these plays have been produced over the a provisional request?' And so on. areas and were flattered that we recognised last twenty years. It is hard to know what A few years later he died and, on reading that fact. But the British Army and the is worse—these psychopath plays or plays his obituary, I learnt he had been in British RUC said no, they controlled these areas. from Irish dramatists who stay clear of the Army Intelligence, and probably still had BBC Belfast backed down after the political turmoil and even apologise for some connection with the security services. Director had shots fired over his head the odd one they did years ago about I began to feel I was in a curtain-twitching from what he thought was an armoured something real, which they didn't really little country. jeep. I was visited by two Army-types in mean.. civilian clothes, where I was staying and I am writing here about dramatising Theatres in Ireland were no better, warned, in a mock friendly fashion, not to things when they were happening, not though the Abbey did put on something of go out after dark. The damned script was thirty or forty years later, when hindsight mine during the Dublin Theatre Festival nothing revolutionary, merely a study of a and its short memory arrives out of breath. of 1973—about sectarianism, and eventu- Protestant teenage girl, bunking off school, One or two films about the Hunger Strikers ally a pogrom, in a Belfast factory. Irish and wandering the city, bumping into a may be fine, but what about 1981 when it media theatre critics were no kinder than Catholic of her own age and being terrified was happening? their counterparts in London. Later, theatre when the girl suddenly crosses herself Thus the Guardian gets hindsight— there also refused to put anything on about after a bomb goes off in the distance. A what the British Army, the RUC, M15/6 Castlereagh or Strand Road. One theatre story kept simple in order to show the and their surrogates, the Loyalist death Artistic Director even wrote to say: "For sometimes immense differences between squads, did back then. Rake amongst the fuck sake I know all about it! How about Protestant and Catholic though both are ashes, it's over, until the next time. And a comedy." This was when the media was Irish. (I know some Protestants think of what then? Knowing the grotesque Brit- telling us the Provos were criminals, while themselves as just British without the Irish made situation in Northern Ireland, it will he knew differently. handle, unlike the Scots who are both happen again. Those who want to speak I know of a few others who also wrote Scottish and British (though lesser so now), out won't be heard. The media of both stuff on Castlereagh at the time but never or similarly the Welsh. The term 'British' countries will condemn those who fight had it produced in mainstream theatre, nor is just an umbrella title, though it is mostly for the survival of their people by running anything on any other subject because used by the English meaning English. But a yellow press campaign against them. In they had been labelled as comforting the how in Northern Ireland can you hold an thirty or forty years they will be on the side enemy. umbrella and be nothing underneath? of justice again, which mostly amounts to Fringe theatre is no better. Also, fringe The script was eventually filmed at a few quid being handed out here and theatre leads you off the beaten track and BBC studios in London, most of it indoors, there plus some empty words of apology.. very little ever transfers to mainstream part of it with Shepherd's Bush acting as a Do your duty first and complain later, theatre. Mainstream theatre is very import- five-second glimpse of Belfast. One critic much later. ant, as you get national exposure that is wondered why it hadn't been filmed on the Wilson John Haire picked up in the rest of Europe, the US and Australia. TRINITY, ITS WORKS AND POMPS – Writing serious stuff for television is no easier. You write something and they slip in behind your back on a Sunday THE TRINITY ESTATES morning and erase what they don't like. BBC Television Centre in London has a A talk by Jack Lane permanent MI5 office looking at stuff and people. In TV interviews they have from six to eight seconds to erase things you say Sponsored by before going out live. You could even be Church and State Magazine completely eradicated and be replaced by someone sitting near the cameras. In that th six to eight seconds you are a mere Friday, 11 February, 7.30pm recording. In Belfast during 1974 I had a script Teachers Club, Parnell Square that was to be filmed on the streets of the city. The Director and I were summoned All welcome 14 served up an anecdotal social history of moments of Irish experience, which is The Missing Middle in Ireland not the same thing. This smorgasbord is accompanied by many tasty and perceptive asides from some suggestive It upsets Roy Foster when the existence tenants. It seemed that all socio-economic sources" of an Irish middle class is queried. In a life centred on them for centuries. But And he concludes: book review in the Irish Times he vented they were despised by those above them, "But the reader who wants either his feelings: and by those below them as well, and they clarification of the minutiae of class "The old canard that the Irish 'don't ended up despising themselves—and differentiation or the larger picture of have a class system', and indeed have being squeezed out of existence between how an Irish middle class perceives itself even been spared the indignity of posses- the tenants and the Ascendancy: they and enforces its codes, values and sing a middle class at all, has been trotted went into the 'dustbin of history' with the privileges will have to look elsewhere. out by all sorts of authorities over the past Ascendancy, never to be heard of again. "And the cut-off date of 1989 avoids century or so, often in the most self- It is rarely noted that the urban tenants discussing whether the subsequent congratulatory way. Tony Farmar, rightly, of Ireland, involving about a third of the destruction of the country's economic will have none of it. His entertaining population, did not get their ownership reputation by bankers, a supine 'regulator' book continually sets up such allegations and deluded developers may be laid at (the most recent from Ulick O'Connor) rights established until after those in the the door of a privileged 'middle class' and then delightedly knocks them down. countryside had been won after a long and protected by a no-blame culture of mutual Along the way he produces a wide range bitter struggle, and they got their rights support. But the answers to that question of anecdotal and statistical indications of ensured by the leadership who had won lie all too obviously elsewhere." the existence, economics and self-image the Land War and on the back of the tenant Evidently, Mr Farmar's book does not of Ireland's middle class. It is just a pity farmers' success. Therefore an inspiring do what it says on the tin for Foster. He that he never quite defines it". (Mixed up middle class was unlikely to have emerged about the class divide? Irish Times, does not make the Irish middle class January 8, 2011)* from urban Ireland. credible as a class and, as Foster is insistent The Ascendancy left remnants, but not there is such a thing, he is naturally It is odd that the author fails to define a class in any meaningful sense. The Home somewhat frustrated by the book. That is the subject, the core issue, of his book Rulers began to shape up as a new middle understandable, but it is not the author's which is so obvious to him—the existence class but their reign was very brief and fault. He could never really provide a of an Irish middle class. However, Foster before they even got their Home Rule they realistic picture of a chimera. does not define it either. And it seems were destroyed by their misjudgement of As for Foster's comment about the very odd indeed to claim that something the political realities of Westminster. They current economic situation, "that answers exists without being able to define it. were quickly replaced by the Republican to that question lie all too obviously A middle class worthy of the name upheaval of 1916-21. The War of Inde- elsewhere", this is intriguing. Will Foster must have certain very definite character- pendence was not fought by a middle be providing the 'obvious' answers? Rem- istics. The English middle class has them class. It was a people's war initiated and ember he provided the answers of why we and the European bourgeoisie has them. led militarily in 1916 by a Marxist socialist, had the Celtic Tiger era. It was good luck! These consist of a class that has a natural assisted by what any middle class person This was the basis of his book Luck And 'middle' role in the life and history of their would consider social outcasts and misfits The Irish" (1907). May I offer him a societies, between ascendancy and 'lower' —at best. suggestion for the title of his new book: he classes and it is usually urban. It must be could retain the same title except change able to show itself as the historical agent Our commentators moan about our party system and complain that it is not the theme from 'good' to 'bad' luck. and inheritor of the great issues and Obvious, isn't? Just like the Irish middle achievements of its society. It must be left-right and class-based and bemoan that it is a vestige of the war over the Treaty. class. feared by those above it and be a model for Jack Lane those below it. It must not be limited to But our political system being a result of a successful people's war, our political *Privileged Lives: A Social History of Middle- those who happen to be rich but consist of class Ireland 1882-1989, by Tony Farmar, those who are superior in a moral sense. divisions are people-based rather than class A&A Farmar, 368pp. £19.95. A capitalist class can be simply rich, based. Not having read Mr. Farmar's book, I whilst also being socially challenged and PSYWARS transient. A self-conscious, confident have to rely Foster's review to get an idea middle class will be above all that. Russia of the content and what Farmar relies on 'If you believe all you hear you will eat currently has a very rich group of people when assessing the Irish middle class. For all you see'—as the Irish saying goes. acting out a middle-class lifestyle, but the example, Foster tells us that: The US eats imaginary foes, most powerful of them have ended up in "More reliable are Farmar's useful whose hand now manipulates WikiLeaks jail or in exile. There is no Russian middle tables of earnings, housekeeping accounts and records of dietary change; he also has to spread the evil poison of Washington. class, only a tiny make-believe, imitative Could the pen be mightier than the sword one. a sharp eye for sartorial fashion. But the idiosyncratic structure of the book makes if its point is used to have a nation gored Where does an Irish middle class come it difficult to discern actual patterns of and, when writing, to think us simpletons. into all this? The great issues of Irish change or evolution in the practice of The pen as a drone flies to its target. society were the land struggle and the everyday life." The rat-droppings of the informant leads achievement of political independence. It becomes clear that Foster is very to destroyed villages. Tempus fugit The Land War was won by the tenant dissatisfied with the book and does not on the joystick, while great distance impedes farmers and cottiers of the countryside. believe that Farmar has proved anything guilt, as a dying family forfeits. They were not middle class—nor were in particular about the Irish middle calls. But droned from cyberspace a nation bleeds. they peasants. Then there was indeed what Foster continues: might be called a middle class, known "but what any of this means for the Wilson John Haire quite literally as middlemen—who operat- 'middle class' goes by the board. By the ed between the Ascendancy and the last, rather perfunctory section we are 6th December, 2010 15 Indeed on the advice of his people, the dinner party" while in town promoting Taoiseach, Brian Cowen gave President her own—very good memoirs—I must es ahora * Obama a copy of a signed limited edition confess—called Deborah Devonshire: of Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney Memoirs of the Youngest Mitford Sister— much to the furore of the British literary 'Wait for Me! (published by John Murray, London. 2010). The dinner guests included CULTURE IRELAND AND FINTAN O'TOOLE establishment who howled that Heaney Roberts and his wife Susan, Debo Devon- During the Celtic Tiger era, much was was trespassing on their 'old English' shire, Daphne Guinness, the dress designer made of Irish 'culture' and there was an literary heritage. Oscar de la Renta with his wife Annette, attempt to commodify it but the main and the powerful Vogue Editor Anna thing is that an elite core of Dublin's self- THE ENGLISH HISTORIAN, THE ARISTOCRAT, Wintour. The lady-guests all wore beauti- styled intelligentsia made a packet of & A FORMER LABOUR LEADER fully long evening gowns and looked money on it. Indeed some of the now- Andrew Roberts writes popular best- glowingly wonderful according to our man media-scorned-bankers/developers hung selling histories of the British Imperial reporting there. Then he tells his Tatler their corporate walls with Irish paintings past—he has no time for the kind of histor- readers that his book The Storm Of War and bought first edition rare Irish books ian who professionally researches the won the British Army Military Book of on the advice of the now-disgusted-elite. archives to illustrate the actual horrors the Year for 2010 and that another book of The only writer who openly supported that Empire always inflicted on native his featured on the A-level history quest- people. Historians like Nicholas B. Dirks, ion, that he was also a question on Univer- Sean Fitzpatrick—at first—he has now whose mammoth account of India under sity Challenge, which sadly the contestant gone silent, as well he might do so when British rule was called Castes Of Mind got wrong by naming Winston Churchill he realised the financial implications of (published by Princeton University Press as the writer of A History of the English- his confession, was Colm Tobin. He wrote in 2001), or David Anderson, whose Speaking Peoples Since 1900, when in that he got a full mortgage when he had no Histories Of The Hanged: Britain's Dirty fact it was himself though he thought it a money or collateral when he came back to War In Kenya And The End Of Empire "trick question". Dublin from teaching English in Barcelona (published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson For Roberts, the final part of his article —he was practically destitute. Culture in 2005), get nothing but contempt from ended with the acknowledgment that Ireland is a quango run by Eugene Downes Roberts and his fellow Empire-lovers in Margaret Thatcher is very ill which has in the Department of Tourism, Culture the academies and of course in the Estab- brought to the fore an issue among her and Sport, where the Minister is Mary lishment. Robert's latest book—a stomp- friends— ing success and a Sunday Times best- "will she be given a State funeral like Hanafin, TD who is now canvassing for seller is called The Storm Of War and even Nelson and Wellington, Churchill and the leadership of Fianna Fail. But, unlike garnered from Sir Ian Kershaw in The Gladstone or will the Coalition Govern- other Departments which have had Guardian Books of the Year, a blurb quote ment use these present straitened circum- swinging cuts, the budget for Culture praising it as "a marvel of concision in stances to deny her that most magnificent Ireland has been boosted "courtesy of the producing a splendidly written, compre- of national send-offs, especially consider- 'Imagine Ireland' wheeze, which is the hensive new history of the greatest conflict ing the number of Lib-Dem ministers who would have a say in the final deci- title given to a €3 million backed in history", i.e. WW2. Roberts doesn't do irony and in his sion? Some of Lady Thatcher's closest hotchpotch of cultural events in the United friends feel that if the Government does States over the next year". As the Phoenix, Tatler column—February, Vol.306, No.2, indeed refuse to pay for a State funeral 14th January 2011 revealed, Hanafin he writes about interviewing the former for the prime minister who, after all, herself has just been over to New York "to US President George Bush in Dallas about served longer consecutively in that office launch the programme of events although his "superb memoirs", entitled Decision that anyone since 1827, the whole event there was no mention of 'Clowns Without Points. He also tells George that "he's a should simply be privatised. If anyone would appreciate that outcome, she Borders'". The latter have been grant- genuine American aristocrat, descending would." aided to attend South Africa, and in 2009 from a long line of New England grand- But talking about the Dowager Duchess were in Palestine. Their aim is "to bring ees". Roberts said that Bush came "over all modest" when he mentioned this saying, of Devonshire brings to mind her superb laughter to as many children in the world memoirs completed at the grand old age "Well, I wouldn't go that far". In a recent as possible regardless of their race, of ninety. She is in that tradition of never religion or culture". According to their review of Bush's so-called memoirs, in complaining and her frank account of her literature, Clowns Without Borders the London Review of Books, 6th January life and times leave the reader with a involves "circus performers, clowns, 2011, Eliot Weinberger does such a fine respect for someone who for all the grand theatre and street performers, actors and piece of work that Decision Points is titles, and castles had a hard life especially musicians who offer their skills, humour simply left dead in the water. He names with her husband—Andrew Cavendish— and time on a voluntary basis to perform those involved in the writing of the though she doesn't grumble and only shows, teach skills and bring laughter to 'memoir' collaboratively as Team DP: obliquely refers to these sensitive matters. communities in crisis around the world". Chris Michel was the young speechwriter She had a very happy childhood and that seems to have sustained her all through So this is our 'culture', and one can just and devoted acolyte who went to Yale with Bush's daughter Barbara; Sean her life. She—like the trooper she is— imagine its effect. But the money is serious doesn't do misery memoir or as the publish- Desmond, a free lance-editor and the staff as in 2010 alone €1.3 million was disbursed ing trade calls them mis/mems for which "in grants to artistic bodies, individual at Crown Publishing (who reportedly paid the Irish truly cornered the market during artists and assorted pundits—with the most $7 million for the book); a team of a dozen the halcyon days of the Celtic Tiger era. disdainful of them all to all things Fianna researchers; and scores of "trusted There are two very important appen- Fail—The Irish Times' journalist Fintan friends". dices at the end of the book. Appendix 1 is O'Toole receiving €2,000 to travel to But Roberts smoozefests the powerful called President Kennedy's Inauguration, Buenos Aires to 'talk about Irishness'…". and after Dallas, he was off to New York 1961 . But it is Appendix 11, President where the Dowager Duchess of Devon- Kennedy's Funeral, 1963 that is com- It Is Time shire was being given an exclusive "small pelling. The Duchess describes leaving 16 Chatsworth with Andrew and boarding a Roberts says, the end of Empire finds the right winger and was a vociferous sup- Boeing 707 for Washington. Those on rusting relics of past glories and sad illegal porter of nuclear weapons. He was great board included Prince Philip, Harold army deployments of today the reality friends with fellow naval officer President Wilson and the Douglas-Homes. The rather than the propaganda. And, as Gerald Ford. He was succeeded by Tory Prince "kindly invited all of them up to his Private Eye, No. 1279, 7th-20th January leader Margaret Thatcher as Prime seats in the front and invited Prime 2011, does its number crunching, the £39.7 Minister in 1979 and became Lord Minister Wilson to join him for dinner". million paid to civilian MoD staff makes Callaghan dying on 26th March, 2005 on the eve of his 93rd birthday." "I sat next to Wilson with the Prince a mockery of what the poor soldiers are opposite, and Andrew sat with the actually paid. During the troubles in Northern Ireland, Douglas-Homes on the other side of the But back to James Callaghan and what James Callaghan owned a big compound aisle. Warship's International Fleet Review, in Glandore where he holidayed with the "My lot started talking about aeroplanes March 2009 reported about him. Because Jays and others. Beside the former Prime (a safe subject, I suppose) in such an of "a release of 30 year old, previously Ministerial holiday abode was Sir Tony incredible, almost technical, way that it Top Secret Documents by Britain's O'Reilly's own holiday compound in was quite impossible to listen to them National Archives", we find that there is Glandore—well at least he owned it before and I found my mind wandering. Wilson an uncanny likeness to the "precursor of the crash—whether he still owns it or not has such dirty fingernails it put me off the crisis within the UK armed forces of is open to some speculation. dinner. I wished I was with Andrew and today". Back in the late 1970s "a former the Homes but kept thinking how naval officer Prime Minister despaired at extremely odd the company and that I MARIO VARGAS LLOSA the neglect of his nation's defences, but Mario Vargas Llosa won the Nobel ought to be interested, but it was impos- made it clear no more money would be sible to be so. Wilson has a level, grating Prize for literature in 2010. He was the forthcoming to repair the damage". Mike voice and podgy face with a too small first Latin American winner since Octavio nose. After dinner tried to sleep a bit…….. Barlow reports "on the revelations and Paz in 1990, thus ending quite an extra- Landing we were met by a 'mobile lounge', considers the parallels between today and ordinary run of European authors. The a vast bus-like thing with room for many the crisis of 1977 when at least the UK faceless worthies of the Swedish academy more people than we were. Our Ambas- Defence Budget was twice what it is in must have come to realise, according to sador, David Ormsby Gore and his wife 2009". The memo, marked "UK/US Eyes Private Eye, No.1273, 15th October-29th Susan, looked red-eyed and worn out, the Only" and highly restricted, was signed October 2010, that there was an obvious Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, whose off by Prime Minister Callaghan with a bias towards the European region. "Fifteen face was puffed up, and some others note "asking with deep sarcasm, no doubt of the previous 25 winners were from the welcomed us on the tarmac and joined us laced with the traditional black humour of Swedes' home continent—compared to 4 on the bus…….." his beloved Royal Navy: 'I take it someone from Africa, two each from North America, What is interesting is that the Devon- has worked out whether we can defend Asia and Latin America/Caribbean." So shires had a close relationship with the ourselves'…" Mike Barlow as a journalist why Vargas Llosa? Well being a novelist Kennedys, who visited them in Chatsworth stated that: is helpful—from 2001 every winner bar and also Lismore Castle near Cappoquin, "Three decades ago, the Soviet Union's Harold Pinter has been one but being a big superiority in tank and troop numbers in Co. Waterford. But regarding Prime name and widely translated less so (le Minister Wilson's "dirty fingernails", it Europe posed a constant threat to NATO. The 1977 JIC {Joint Intelligence Com- Clezio and Herta Muller were neither wasn't dirt but rather tobacco flake as he mittee} report acknowledged that the before getting the nod). But it is handy that was a constant pipe-smoker—but one can Russians' ability to mount a lethal non- Vargas Llosa is over 70 and produced his get the rather disdainful whiff of the upper- nuclear strike was better than previously best work ages ago as the academy seems class which Deborah's sister Nancy thought, and such an attack would knock inclined to validate the dictum that winning Mitford so cruelly exposed in her famous Britain out of a subsequent wider war terminates careers by picking pooped 1956 book Noblesse Oblige. against NATO. Callaghan learned that in authors whose creative decline makes it the event of a conventional war, there highly unlikely they'll surprise it with a ANOTHER LABOUR LEADER, JAMES CALLAGHAN would be only enough Surface-to-Air post-Nobel masterpiece—this, among As the British mourn the decimation of Missiles (SAM) for one reload and that other factors may explain the shunning of their war-fleet with the decommissioning the army would be overwhelmed." Philip Roth and John Updike. But Vargas of the HMS Ark Royal carrier ship and all Llosa has also sensibly followed the pattern her 40 UK Harrier jets, there is much In a boxed enclosure there is on this of earlier laureates from outside Western displeasure and unquiet in the Royal Navy page of the magazine a heading: "From Europe and Eastern USA (e.g. Wole itself. It is estimated that all of those who Sailor to Lord". It traces James Callaghan's Soyinka, Derek Walcott, Gao Xingjian, served on her and flew her jet fighters will career in the Royal Navy starting with his V.S. Naipaul, Imre Kertesz, J.M. Coetzee, face redundancies despite some weak father as a Chief Petty Officer. Callaghan and Orhan Pamuk), who have all relocated assurances emanating from Prime Minister jnr in 1944 was and/or taken campus jobs in the US—he David Cameron. And the final insult—it "assigned to the Japanese section of has a home in Knightsbridge and currently the Admiralty in Whitehall, where he is the French navy—now "Europe's lead- lectures in Princeton. wrote a service manual for the Royal The Academy is also keen on political ing maritime air power", which will Navy entitled 'The Enemy Japan'. Enter- engagement; either via written work or provide cover to the UK when and if the ing politics in 1945, selected as the Labour need arises. candidate for Cardiff South during a leave personal involvement (typically as victim- Warship's International Fleet Review, period—Lt Callaghan was sent to the Far ised, exiled or censored by a repressive January 2011 pitches its leading article East where he served in the battleship regime) and Vargas Llosa's unsuccessful Farewell to The ARK with a stirring HMS Queen Elizabeth. He returned home campaign against the corrupt Alberto account of its final voyage with stunning and was elected MP in the General Fujimora for the Peruvian Presidency photography of trailing jet vapours and Election that saw Winston Churchill rep- might seem to tick that box too. The the powering of a giant carrier. And not laced by Labour leader Clement Attlee, wording of the obligatory bizarre citation, only does it bid a fond farewell to the Ark the young officer soon rose through the praising his "cartography of the structures but it begs its readers to "save a historic ranks serving as Parliamentary and of power and his images of the individual's submarine" already mothballed "from rust Financial Secretary to the Admiralty in resistance, revolt and defeat", implies as and invading pigeons". Whatever Andrew the early 1950's. He was regarded as a much. But there is a puzzle here as the Eye 17 keenly informs us. The Swedes favour pioneer gay activist and writer, Edward Carpenter's diary entry simply adds to the figures ranging from the moderate to the Carpenter, as to the possibility of Casement circumstantial evidence of Casement's far left, with Naipaul the only manifest being "homogenic" (Carpenter's word), homosexuality which oddly remains at reactionary picked since the 1980s; and may have "been prompted by rumours set issue. "Vargas Llosa is a right-winger who identi- in circulation by Admiral 'Blinker' Hall's The gay venue I started in Belfast in the fied himself with Reagan and Thatcher surreptitious activities?" 1980s was named The Carpenter Club when running for Presidential office of Messages to the Foreign Office from although it could now be called the Case- Peru". This, one hardly needs to remind the British Minister in Christiania (Find- ment Society (or Club), as Brendan Clif- any readers of the Irish Political Review lay) which mentioned Casement's "im- ford writes he once recommended, without was when Reagan ran death-squads proper and unnatural" relations with his offending many Republican or Unionist throughout "his backyard", as he termed Norwegian companion Adler Christen- sensitivities. Except that Casement, unlike the countries of Latin America and where sen were the first record of the Government Carpenter, was no gay icon. he and the likes of Ollie North ruthlessly being aware of this. They began on 29th Another Tim O'Sullivan question was repressed any signs of democracy. So as October 1914 the day Christensen went to whether details of the registration of a motor the Eye queries— the British Legation in Norway's capital bike purchased by Casement for Millar "how did Vargas Llosa slip through? Christiania to sell his secrets. Gordon and so recorded in the diaries What may be significant is that he publicly Blinker Hall (Head of Naval Intel- were forged to link the two as lovers. criticised Israel's invasion of Gaza in ligence) presumably was advised of this This is fanciful. early 2009, thereby aligning himself with as details of Adler's description sent through The diaries tell of Casement grooming the liberal consensus rather than the neo- the Legation had by early 1915 come to Millar from an early age. Whatever else, cons. Can it be coincidence that less than his attention (p.132 'Blinker' Hall: Spymaster by the time of the execution in August two years later the academy chose him, by David Ramsay). However it was not until 1916, Millar and his mother not only having previously let almost three decades definitive proof came his way, not just of knew they had befriended a traitor but that pass since his last acknowledge major Casement's sexual orientation, but of his he was a homosexual. On both counts they novel?" activities with boys and men that he acted. had cause to worry, especially as MI5 was Or is there another explanation alto- This was after the diaries were handed closing in. gether which Private Eye wouldn't be too in on 25th April 1916 by a Mr. W.P. Tim's speculation suggests far too bothered about? As the TLS [Times Germain of Ebury Street where Casement complicated a scenario of MI5 deception Literary Supplement] 17th December 2010 had lodged before the war. That was after when he states, "if a forgery is built around revealed under the block headline: his capture in Kerry. pre-existing circumstances and facts, then Casement in Pentonville, That the authorities, until Casement's these can be used as false corroborative "Mario Vargas Llosa's Nobel Prize arrest, were not searching for, and through, data" . came at a good moment. He had been his belongings in London or Belfast emph- However Millar's full name and address working for some three years on a major asises a certain (non-Soviet) complacency were only provided to London three days novel which was just ready to be in officialdom, and, I would suggest, an before the execution, and no mention was published. The new novel, 'El sueno del indication that London was not intent on made of the young man's sexuality. celta' (The Dream of the Celt) based on using his homosexuality against him. This makes such speculation un- an epic poem of that title written by That is until Blinker Hall in league with supportable. Casement himself in 1898." Basil Thomson, Head of Scotland Yard, The authorities' slight knowledge of And, because Vargas Llosa debased got into full swing, circulating the diaries Millar is confirmed by a letter sent to the wholly the image of this Irish patriot, the or, more accurately, copies of pages from Home Office which read: very Establishment that hung him, in my them. These two were essentially spin "re Casement's diary: I have ascertained own opinion (JH) made sure that the Nobel doctors who did what the Cabinet could that the individual referred to as 'dear Millar' went to the very writer who "holds—it is, not bring themselves to do. in the entries under date May 28th/29th he believes, his 'right as a novelist' that the Hall had earlier indulged in a daft and 1910, May 13th/14th & June 3rd 1911 is a black diaries were written by Casement", fruitless scheme involving the chartering young man named Joseph Millar Gordon of a yacht, the Sayonara (p. 130 Ramsay), aged 26, a clerk in the Donegall Sq. Branch according to David Gallagher who wrote of the Belfast Bank who resides with his the review for the TLS. So we know that in and manning it with false American sea- men. It sailed around Ireland seeking out mother at Carnstroan —Myrtlefield Park the exclusive home of Vargas Llosa in Belfast. We traced him through the Motor London's Knightsbridge there lives a writer Sinn Feiners, although creating more Cycle which Casement gave him. (One who has well earned his Nobel laureate. suspicion than Intelligence leads. Cyril Corbally registered a Triumph Motor Julianne Herlihy. © The voyage was partly prompted by mis- Cycle F3044 in 1910 and in 1911 the number information passed to Findlay by Casement was transferred to J.M. Gordon.) Gordon through Adler, who was by then a triple has not been interviewed but if it was con- sidered advisable to approach him on the Reader's Letter agent. Such a silly enterprise, compounded by Blinker's later mishandling of decrypted subject we could easily arrange to have it Casement: intercepts regarding the Easter Rising, not done discreetly." to mention the Battle of Jutland, suggests Such a "contrived narrative" based on Forgery Or Fact? he was not all he was cracked up to be. the motor bike would only work if Millar Tim O'Sullivan in his Irish Political The fact that Sidney Parry stayed over- had been known to be gay, even if Review article in December 2010 asks me night with Edward Carpenter, an early, Casement never laid a finger on him. a series of questions about Roger Casement indeed the first, English homosexual activ- As I wrote, and the evidence that he was gay. He also ist, suggests Parry was gay too, despite his "If the diaries were forged, military intel- complains that I attempt to explain away later (chaste) marriage to Casement's ligence was now on a wild goose chase the Government's inaction on pursuing cousin Gertrude. which could collide with the truth. For if him on a sodomy charge "in terms of Sidney Parry presumably had some Millar was interrogated and convincingly British gentlemanliness and a certain understanding or notion of Casement's denied any sexual aspect to his relationship incompetence" . nature from their acquaintanceship which with Casement then the whole conspiracy One question he asked was whether led to the 'homogenic' discussion. I doubt could come to grief." Sidney Parry's discussion in 1915 with the Blinker was on their radar in 1915. Edward The official paper trail in 1916 then 18 dies out, leading to a reasonable suppos- accused, Daniel Julian Bailey (Beverley), a it ultimately ineffectual, where it matters ition that, again, the authorities chose not sergeant in the Irish Brigade, who also came most, in Ireland. to be vindictive or ruthless and left Millar off the submarine in Kerry. This British soldier Jeffrey Dudgeon Gordon alone. was simply returned to the ranks and sent abroad despite his weasely responses as to What is the Cost of Margaret O'Callaghan reviewing my what he had not heard on the submarine. Academic Freedom in Ireland? book in History Ireland in 2003 wrote, After the deed was essentially done, Sir "Jeff Dudgeon claims to have discovered Edward Grey, the Foreign Secretary, insisted From time to time the Irish Times publishes the identity of Casement's Belfast that the diaries were to circulate no further, letters from groups promoting causes of one boyfriend. In this he merely reproduces particularly in America. But did the existing sort or another and there is a ruling that such letters contain a sample 6 signatures. It ignored the fairly dubious findings that I have circulation ensure Casement's non-reprieve and are the British to be blamed for so using them? its own rule when publishing a letter on 20th seen on Kv intelligence files [at Kew], January 2010 with signatures from over 150 parts of the case for Casement's homo- As Brendan Clifford reminds us, using the Masaryk example, whether Casement was a academics. They were complaining about the sexuality being cobbled together by Hall dangers to academic freedom from the and others in the six weeks before Case- traitor depends entirely on whose side you were on. But to regard it as inappropriate for implementation of the Croke Park Agreement ment's death…The tracing of a bike to which will consider numbers, efficiencies and Millar Gordon was sufficient in 1916 to the diaries to be used against Casement is to think like much of the Liberal establishment in work conditions of public servants as part of a indicate that he was in fact Casement's London. package to maintain wage levels at a time of lover, and Dudgeon proceeds on the In almost any other country it would retrenchment. Apparently the freedom of our assumption that this is the case. His academics depends on them allocating what corroboration lies in the Black Diaries." have been unthinkable NOT to have used pay, security of employment and retirement them. Homosexuality (buggery) was a benefits they decide to give themselves. Every- This is largely stating the obvious, as crime punishable by life imprisonment, one knows their current freedom makes them we know evidence of Casement's homo- even if many Advanced Liberals of the the best paid in Europe but there is no evidence sexuality, otherwise, comes from Adler time were acquainted with practitioners whatever that they produce anymore and Christensen's statements, and a number of of that criminal vice. anything better than their EU colleagues. There is certainly no comparison with the quality and inferences and reasonable deductions. Clifford in November's Irish Political That the Black Diaries are the core proof quantity of what American Universities produce Review makes play of one fact only, that with very little of the benefits enjoyed by our lot. of Casement's sexual orientation is the the American journalist, Ben Allen, who case, but it should not be a problem for his- We take an interest in the productions of our had been shown some Casement diary academic History Departments (and the leader torians as the evidence therein is enormous documentation in 1916 said, after seeing of the signatories is Tom Garvin). It is our and the surrounding details well corroborated. the diaries themselves in Kew in 1959, considered opinion that the study of Irish history That the Bible carries almost all the that they bore no resemblance to the earlier would be decidedly improved if all our History evidence for Jesus has not made it difficult papers he saw. Departments were closed down tomorrow. for historians to accept his existence, or The items shown around in 1916, parti- The signatories did not quantify exactly for Christians to believe in him for two cularly in America, seem to have been how much their academic freedom is costing the taxpayer at present and whether the existing millennia. photographs of diary pages although at The question is repeated by Tim as to amount was enough to ensure that freedom. least three of the four diaries or journals That would be a useful figure to have. why London did not charge Casement were later typed up by the Home Office. with sodomy (something which was The Higher Education Authority is having Those typescripts ultimately formed the a problem with one University, UCD, at the bruited about at the time), to destroy his basis of Peter Singleton-Gates's 1959 book moment: reputation, not to mention to taint his The Black Diaries. He obtained them from "UCD made unauthorised payments of cause of Irish freedom. Sir Basil Thomson who was ironically to approximately €6 million to staff that will This was a proposition favoured by fall victim, in Hyde Park, to a public sex have to be refunded to the exchequer, the Hall and Thomson. However on grounds charge relating to one Thelma de Lava. chief executive of the Higher Education of taste and fairness, the establishment A part of the early 1903 diary was torn Authority has said. It had previously been was not taken with it. There was also a out, perhaps to show around, but it does thought that the university owed €1.6 million paucity of evidence, the diaries and Adler not sound like what the radical journalist in 'unlawful' allowances paid to senior acad- emic staff. However, the authority's chief Christiansen aside. Getting a treason saw. That he saw something dissimilar to conviction seemed difficult enough in legal executive Tom Boland yesterday told the the known diary versions may have been Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee that terms. an important part of the (weak) case against Although no Old Bailey jury would the figure was far higher. 'We're talking about authenticity but it amounts to little if you €6 million over the period of the unauthor- have acquitted Casement of treason, the get to see the diaries themselves. Their ised payments', he said.... It emerged at a form had still to be gone through. texture and sensation is tellingly authentic. previous meeting of the committee that One Norwegian who claimed to have John Quinn, the Irish-American oil additional allowances were paid over a 10- witnessed sexual activity in a Christiania company lawyer, art collector and friend year period without the approval of the hotel was brought to London but he was of Joseph Conrad and Casement, wrote, authority, despite legislation that stipulates not to be used. Adler did unexpectedly unhappily, after viewing diary copies approval must be sought" (IT, 21 Jan.). reappear, this time at the British consulate (photographed pages), "there was a great The HEA is currently trying to claw back in Philadelphia, offering to give witness resemblance and that if I had there and this 6 million Euro that they say was overpaid against Casement but before his proposal then to give testimony on the subject I by UCD to some of its staff. But they are was considered he bolted. should be compelled to admit the genuine- finding it very difficult. UCD was no doubt exercising its academic freedom in allocating Despite the temptation, London largely ness of the handwriting." restricted its use of the diaries to ensuring this money. Brendan Clifford wrote in November, The minimum that should be done America did not insist on a reprieve. Case- "The 1916 affair is about the British state" immediately is to implement Ray MacSharry's ment's revealed instruction to Berlin to and he is correct, but the great failing of proposal that the HEA be brought back under encourage German-inspired sabotage Irish Republicanism is separation from Ministerial control. This exercise of democratic there, if not Mexican revanchism, had the truth, a failing well-attested to in the responsibility might also be considered by our also rather cooked his goose in the US. last forty years. academics as a barrier to their freedom and it Another example of relative non- begs the question—how much is this academic vindictiveness by London was the dropping of Exaggeration, and denial of the obvious, freedom to cost the taxpayer in terms of his/her the treason charge against Casement's co- ill becomes a cause of substance, rendering money and his/her rights and freedoms? 19 Concert Rooms on 5th September 1911, with Delia Larkin as its first General The Second Greatest Event Of 1916? Secretary. While rousing speeches by Big Jim Larkin and the "Rebel Countess", Introduction: Next April will mark the by Yeats and Spreading the News by Lady Constance Markievicz (later to be that 95th anniversary of the 1916 Rising. Yet Gregory. Union's Honorary President and Vice- this February also sees the 95th anniversary But Fred Ryan also had an intimate President, respectively), were indeed of an event described at the time as "next association with our own Labour Move- mightily cheered, that night laid the found- to the Revolution, the greatest event of ment. Formerly a member of James ations for something else that was quite 1916". What on earth could that have Connolly's Irish Socialist Republican special as well. Speeches at the meeting been? This claim is explored in the follow- Party, Ryan was to spend more than a year were in fact preceded by a piano perform- ing lecture, entitled "Tall Tales of Drama in Cairo serving Egypt's Movement for ance of national airs and songs sung by and Revolution: Liberty Hall and Culture National Independence as Editor of The Cathal O'Byrne. And, following the —the Early Years", which I delivered at Egyptian Standard, before returning to speeches, "Cathal O'Byrne sang and sang the Larkin Hedge School, held in the Dublin to become founding National again". Liberty Hall Theatre, on 12th June 2010. Secretary of the Socialist Party of Ireland Delia Larkin's own "Women Workers' Manus O'Riordan in June 1909, with its Head Office in the Column" reported regularly for The Irish Antient Concert Rooms. Following James Worker on the growing vitality of such "Next to the Revolution, the Greatest Connolly's own return from the United cultural activities. In the issue of 4th Event of 1916". This was how the opening States in July 1910 his first visit was to November 1911, Constance Markievicz of a newly re-furbished theatre in Liberty Ryan's home, resulting in him becoming herself penned an enthusiastic account of Hall was described in February 1916. If the Party's National Organiser. But Ryan, an evening of Song and Dance held by the that description might be considered by conscious of Connolly's need for a living Women Workers' Union in the Antient some to be a bit over the top, who are we wage with which to support his family, Concert Rooms, in celebration of to quarrel with that writer's priorities? For went on to persuade the General Secretary Halloween: it was none other than the architect of the of the Irish Transport and General Workers' "On Thursday evening last, 'All 1916 Rising, James Connolly himself, Union, Big Jim Larkin, to also offer Halloween', the members of the above who attached such importance to Liberty Connolly employment as an official in the Union abandoned all care and anxiety Hall as a cultural centre. Union he had founded only a year previ- and were 'At Home' to all their friends The opening of a new theatre is an ously. Yet Ryan himself was forced by his and sympathisers at the Antient Concert event in itself. In an article entitled "The own economic circumstances to emigrate Rooms. The large concert hall, with its many jets of electric light providing a Abbey Theatre's First Secretary", which once more in 1911, this time to Britain, great contrast to the dismal, monotonous was published in the Irish Independent on where he would become fatally ill and die surrounding of the factory, a strange co- 14th January 1955, Máire Davis provided on 7th April 1913. Big Jim Larkin's tribute incidence happened, inasmuch that while a portrait of the person in question, her was brief and to the point: men and women of the working class own cousin Fred Ryan. She recalled: "Fred Ryan is Dead. A man and a were enjoying themselves in the building, "I must have been approaching the journalist. We could have afforded to the men of the professional class were teen-age when Fred brought me to the lose a hundred of the alleged journalists feeding in one of the smaller apartments. (then) Antient Concert Rooms in Bruns- who pollute the atmosphere if Fred had The magnetic influence of the music wick (now Pearse) Street to see his play, been left a while longer to assist in the compelled some of the latter to stop at the The Laying of the Foundations, copies of work that requires doing." door of the workers' banqueting hall, and one act of which were irretrievably lost the expressions of surprise that escaped Not least among the work that required their lips proved once again that given when the company subsequently toured doing was cultural work. Had The Laying the United States … Then at last came the the opportunity the working class can set Abbey. An old friend of Fred's told me of the Foundations survived in full, it an example that might be followed by recently that he was the first to enter the would undoubtedly have been performed those who consider themselves entitled pit of the new theatre. He was clutching time and time again by the Irish Workers' to all the good things of this world. We his sixpence (the price of admission) in Dramatic Club that had made its debut on noticed amongst the onlookers the new Attorney-General for Ireland. Dancing his hand when the door was eventually the Liberty Hall stage less than four months opened—by Fred Ryan. To add to the commenced sharp at 8pm, the music being previously. What survives of that play provided by Professor Morrison's string anomaly of the situation Fred was wearing gives a central role to a character based on full evening dress for the supper party to band. A most important feature of the be given after the performance to celebrate Connolly himself, in what Yeats described programme was the singing of Miss the long-awaited first night." as "a really astonishing piece of satire … Agnes Tracey, a most brilliant juvenile of a slightly socialistic tinge". But, with vocalist. Her rendering of 'She is Far As Secretary of the Irish National Ryan's departure from Ireland in 1911, the from the Land' was much appreciated and for an encore she gave 'The Last Rose Theatre Society, founded on 9th August impetus to provide the Labour Movement of Summer' (in Irish), and for a further 1902 and presided over by W.B. Yeats, with a cultural life could not remain encore she sang 'Coulin'. Mr. Joe Walsh the Dublin journalist and freethinking dependent on just one man, or indeed on supplied the comic element with his polemicist Fred Ryan had guided the any man at all. rendering, in a style of his own, 'A Smart project through to the securing of a perm- It is indeed Delia Larkin, sister of Big Little Bit of a Man', 'When I Joined the anent home in a building that had formerly Jim, who must now take centre stage as Army' etc. Messrs. Tom Kane, R. Farrell, housed the Mechanics' Institute in Abbey the key figure who spearheaded the emerg- Walter Carpenter and Mrs. Hewson also contributed to the evening's entertain- Street. Now, on this opening night of 27th ence of Liberty Hall as a cultural centre. ment. The catering was in the capable December 1904, in the appropriately re- The inaugural meeting of the ITGWU's hands of Mrs. Wyse Power. All too soon, named Abbey Theatre, the production sister Union, the Irish Women Workers' like all good things, the end came at 1am consisted of two plays, On Baile's Strand Union, had taken place in the Antient by all present singing 'Auld Lang Syne'. 20 Many of those present expressed the hope Connolly and Micheál Ó Maoláin". Irish Workers' Dramatic Society had been that this was only the forerunner of many Further theatrical productions followed brought over for a series of British perform- such functions, and it is to be hoped that on St. Patrick's Day, 1913. There was, ances, commencing at the King's Hall, the women workers will see to it that in however, to be more than one type of Covent Garden, on 8th May, with William the near future—the very near future— that this hope will be realised." dramatic performance staged. In Donal Boyle's Three Act comedy The Building Nevin's monumental work, James Fund and Lady Gregory's The Workhouse This was followed by a New Year's Larkin—Lion of the Fold (1998), James Ward. Delia gave an interview in London, Social and Dance and the announcement Plunkett—author of Big Jim (1954), The which The Irish Worker now reprinted, of the first practice of the Irish Workers' Risen People (1958) and Strumpet City wherein she outlined her cultural Choir to be held on 1st February 1912. (1969)—related: objectives: This choir, composed of members drawn "Larkin himself was persuaded on one "Wages in Dublin are so low that the from the ranks of both the IWWU and the occasion to take the part of the Ballad only place the workers could afford to go ITGWU, and accompanied by the latter Singer in Lady Gregory's play The Rising was the music hall. I do not object to Union's band, made its debut a month later of the Moon. His son, Young Jim Larkin, music halls, but I thought that if it were at a "St. Patrick's Day Concert and Dance" told me about the hilarious outcome. His possible to provide them with a more held before an audience of "several father decided that there was no necessity elevating and interesting form of recreat- thousand" in the Antient Concert Rooms. to learn the lines, because he believed ion it should be done. I started a little elocution class at Liberty Hall and dis- These successes, coupled with the fact that in so fine a play they would come naturally and spontaneously to him in the covered that some of the workers had a that at the end of February 1912 the course of the performance. The outcome natural gift for acting. I trained them ITGWU had acquired the Northumberland was that while he could keep going myself, having a great deal of interest in Hotel in Beresford Place and renamed it through improvisation, the rest were dramatic work, and we produced plays, Liberty Hall, encouraged Delia Larkin to scuppered. His sister, Delia Larkin, was learning our stage craft as we went along, become even more ambitious. In The Irish the prompter, and the performance deteri- and even getting our own scenery painted Worker of 3rd June 1912, she announced orated into an argument in full view of … All the members of my company are victimised workers, and when you find the establishment of the Irish Workers' the audience between prompter and performer about whether the script or that they have enough spirit and courage Dramatic Club to be based at Liberty Hall. Jim Larkin had the correct lines. The to start out on such an undertaking after Her philosophy of life was expressed in audience hailed it as the most entertaining being in a dispute that lasted seven her "Women Workers' Column" on 11th presentation of the season." months—well, it says something for their November 1912, when she reprinted in loyalty and enthusiasm. Some of them Notwithstanding such an occurrence, full James Oppenheim's powerful song had not enough clothes to come away Delia Larkin's pioneering cultural work "Bread and Roses". This song had been properly dressed; they are dock labourers, dovetailed with Big Jim's own philosophy grain workers, girl factory hands …" inspired by the placards carried by women of providing workers and their families strikers in Lawrence, Massachusetts dur- In August 1913 Larkin had also estab- with the widest possible access to the arts. lished Croydon Park as a recreational ing that year's strike of 23,000 mill Indeed, Larkin not only confronted Wil- workers, marking such a milestone in the centre for both cultural and sporting activit- liam Martin Murphy as an employer on ies. Accounts by Emmet Larkin and Seán history of American Labour. Delia Larkin the industrial field; he confronted him on recruited an Abbey Theatre actor, Andrew O'Casey vividly evoke the spirit of those the cultural field as well. When Murphy times. Donal Nevin has also detailed how Patrick Wilson, as Manager and Director opposed the construction of an Art Gallery of the Irish Workers' Dramatic Club. deeply that great Irish working class for the purpose of housing the Lane playwright Seán O'Casey appreciated the Already a committed Larkinite himself, collection of paintings, Larkin emerged who wrote a regular weekly column for monumental achievement of his friend as foremost champion of Sir Hugh Lane. and hero Big Jim in enriching the cultural The Irish Worker over the pen-name of Theatre became a weapon in the "Euchan", Wilson also followed the lives of working class families. In his industrial struggle itself. At the height of 1945 autobiography, Drums Under the example of Fred Ryan in authoring his the 1913 Dublin Lockout, Delia Larkin's own Labour play, entitled Victims. Windows, O'Casey described Larkin as "a re-named Irish Workers' Dramatic Com- man who would put a flower in a vase on Subsequently, during the 1914-15 period pany took over the Gaiety Theatre for the when Wilson had succeeded Lennox a table as well as a loaf on a plate". In a night of 16th December 1913, in order to letter to my own parents, Kay and Micheál Robinson as Manager of the Abbey stage a fund-raiser for the hard-hit workers' Theatre, another of his Labour plays, O'Riordan, dated 5th April 1955, O'Casey families. On that night, two of Lady also wrote: entitled Slough, with the immediacy of Gregory's plays were performed with the being set during the 1913 Dublin Lockout, "The labourer's little lad and the author's permission—Spreading the News labourer's little lass should know the shape was staged by the Abbey itself on 3 and The Workhouse Ward. The Irish of a violin, a piano, and a guitar; should November 1914. Women Workers' Union also staged ano- be in a position to handle them and make Liberty Hall first emerged as a theatrical ther St. Patrick's Night Concert in Liberty them speak—one or the other of them; venue on St. Stephen's Night, 26th Decem- Hall and held a series of weekly Saturday should know something about colour, ber 1912, when the Irish Workers' Drama- line and form in a good picture; and All-Night Dances in the Hall—embracing should be able to read, recite and enjoy tic Club made its debut with four plays, what was described as both "Irish and including Wilson's own One Act drama, Shakespeare, and all the richness of litera- English Dancing"—until the season closed ture which is their heritage as well as the Victims. The leading performer was Delia on 11th April 1914. heritage of all the others. All these things Larkin herself, and repeat performances that Jim Larkin brought into the fight for followed on 28th and 29th December. The fund-raising theatrical campaign bread; the great Jim Larkin; Jim Larkin Liberty Hall was further used as a cultural was also carried across the water. On 2nd with a loaf under his oxter and a rose in venue on 6th January 1913, when a New May 1914 The Irish Worker proclaimed his hand." Year's Concert was staged including that "Delia Larkin and her Irish Players Both of O'Casey's descriptions were "rousing recitations given by Shawn are in London". The once more re-named variations on the "Bread and Roses" theme, 21 first popularised in Ireland by Delia Larkin Connolly announced that the following Play by Madame Markievicz". This prog- in 1912. night, 20th February, would see "the ramme was repeated the following Sunday, While the aftermath of the Dublin opening of the New Theatre in Liberty 9th April . A further week later, Liberty lockout of 1913-14 had primarily taken its Hall" and that "next to the Revolution", it Hall was to be the centre for high drama in toll on the victimised workers themselves, would be "the Greatest Event of 1916". It every sense, both afternoon and evening. as well as their families, both the ITGWU was indeed a Gala Opening. Uncle Pat The Workers' Republic for 15th April and the IWWU had also been severely and The Bishop's Candlesticks were called on readers to assemble outside damaged as organisations, and their leaders performed by the Irish Workers' Dramatic Liberty Hall at "3pm for 4" on Sunday, Big Jim and Delia Larkin rendered thor- Company, while the Workers' Choir sang 16th April, when, accompanied by the oughly strained, drained and exhausted. under the direction of John Rogan. An Fintan Lalor Pipe Band, the Irish Citizen Big Jim set off for New York in October exciting new development was the first Army would enact the "Solemn Ceremony 1914 and Delia left for London in July performance by the Workers' Orchestra of Hoisting the Irish Flag". The Citizen 1915. It was Connolly who, as Acting under the direction of Michael Mallin, an Army in fact mustered a full turn-out for General Secretary of the ITGWU, persu- accomplished flautist and band instructor, that ceremony which was performed aded Helena Molony to re-organise the and second-in-command of the Irish before thousands of onlookers. Irish Women Workers' Union and become Citizen Army under its Commander-in- As regards that evening's entertainment its new General Secretary. Connolly would Chief, James Connolly himself. the advertisement was for Ireland First, a also join Constance Markievicz as one of The following Sunday night, 27th play in Two Acts by P. Kehoe, to be that Union's Vice-Presidents, while Big February, saw the production of Birthright, performed by the Irish Workers' Dramatic Jim Larkin—though remaining on in the a play in Two Acts, and The Lad from Company in the Workers' Concert Hall. It United States—continued as Honorary Largymore, a comedy in One Act, follow- is not,however, clear whether this play President. ed by what was described as "a High was actually supplanted or went on instead As an accomplished Abbey Theatre Class Concert". On this occasion the new to serve as an appetising curtain-raiser for actress herself, Helena Molony also set Liberty Hall Theatre began to be described a more significant event. One way or the about reviving social and cultural activities as the Irish Workers' Concert Hall. On the other, the high-point of that Palm Sunday at Liberty Hall. On 25th September 1915 following Saturday night, March 4th, the evening was the second performance of The Workers' Republic advertised that the programme was repeated as a benefit night James Connolly's own play Under Which following night, Sunday, would see Lib- for two injured members of the Irish Citi- Flag? A capacity audience rose to its feet erty Hall stage the first of a series of zen Army; and one night later, 5th March, as the play came to a close and Seán Concerts and Dramatic Performances saw the IWDC stage a Three Act play Connolly raised centre-stage inside Liberty organised by the Irish Women Workers' entitled The Eloquent Dempsey, which, Hall itself the same Green Flag with golden Union, which would include a perform- once again, was "followed by a High Class harp that had been ceremonially raised ance of Lady Gregory's play Spreading Concert". above the building earlier that afternoon, the News. A fortnight later The Workhouse The Dramatic Company was allowed and as he spoke the closing lines authored Ward was performed. Such dramatic to take a break the following Sunday before by his namesake: "Under this flag only productions became a regular fortnightly returning to stage The Building Fund by will I serve. Under this flag, if need be, event at Liberty Hall, and among other W. Boyle on 1st March. But Connolly's will I die." plays performed was The Recruiting concept of linking Revolution and Theatre Seán Connolly had also been scheduled Officer on 7th November. The Christmas together as the greatest events of 1916 to take the leading role in a Yeats play at 1915 issue of The Workers' Republic was took a further leap forward on Saturday, the Abbey Theatre on Easter Tuesday, to make the following announcement: 26th March, when the Irish Workers' 25th April, but, of course, he was dead by "St. Stephen's Night (Sunday Night) in Dramatic Company staged his own play then. There is indeed an added poignancy Liberty Hall, By Special Request, the Under Which Flag?. This drama was to in reading through The Workers' Republic Workers' Dramatic Company will receive a particularly enthusiastic review for 1916 and knowing how soon after that produce The Building Fund, to be from Francis Sheehy Skeffington in The second performance of James Connolly's followed by a First Class Concert. At 11 Workers' Republic on 8th April. The play as many as four key players in the pm the Hall will be cleared for an All- Night Dance, under the Management of production was also fortunate in having early years of Liberty Hall as a cultural the Irish Citizen Army." the leading role taken by the Abbey Theatre centre would all be dead—both actor and actor, Seán Connolly, who had first graced drama critic in just over a week, and both Such activities at Liberty Hall intensi- the stage of Liberty Hall in the 1913 New musical director and dramatist in less than fied during 1916, and became a weekly Year's Concert and who, as a Commandant a month. event. On Sunday, 9th January, the Irish of the Irish Citizen Army, was now within Workers' Dramatic Company staged both The very last issue of that paper, for 22 a month of acting out the real-life drama The Bishop's Candlesticks and The Lad April, attempted to give some impression of the Easter Rising. The Workers' from Largymore. Sunday, 6th February of business as usual when advertising for Republic for 25th March had advertised saw a production of Uncle Pat, followed a Easter Sunday, 23 April, a Liberty Hall Under Which Flag? as "a New Play, week later, on 13th February, by The production of "Róisín's Robe—an alle- dealing with the '67 Movement, in Three Troth and Spreading the News. gory in One Act by P. Hogan—and The Acts, by James Connolly". The Front Room of Liberty Hall no Leadin' Road—a comedy by S. Mac longer proved adequate for accommod- There could be no quiet normality after Manus". But the real drama was to take ating the huge crowds that were being that. Revolution was now very much in place the following morning, Easter Mon- drawn to enjoy such productions. During the air. A week later, on 1st April, The day, 24th April 1916, when the Irish Citi- that same week the Hall itself was fitted Workers' Republic announced that the next zen Army marched out from Liberty Hall up as a proper theatre. In The Workers' night's production of the One Act Comedy —one contingent led by Commandant Republic, on 19th February 1916, James Uncle Pat would be accompanied by "a James Connolly to seize the General Post 22 Office, another led by Commandant and his actress sister Mrs. Katie Barrett respect to the definition of 'contraband' Michael Mallin to seize the College of who had starred with him in Under Which and also that a port or coast should only be Surgeons, and yet another led by Com- Flag? at Liberty Hall. considered as legally blockaded when the mandant Seán Connolly to seize Dublin's As a pacifist non-combatant, Francis blockade is effective i.e. when a sufficient City Hall. Sheehy Skeffington had, of course, killed fleet is there present to enforce it. nobody at all, and had no intention of ever This latter point was important because Seán Connolly would be the first to kill doing so. Nonetheless he was taken host- it was often the custom of the English in that Rising—shooting Constable James age by the British Army near his Rathmines simply to declare a coast to be 'blockaded', O'Brien as he rushed to close the gate of home the next evening, Easter Tuesday, even when no English ships were in the Dublin Castle against the insurgents. And and was among those murdered inside vicinity. This was the so-called 'paper Seán Connolly himself would also be the Portobello Barracks on the morning of blockade'. Such an approach handily first insurgent to be killed that same Easter 26th April by Captain J.C. Bowen- released the English fleet from all the Monday afternoon. The Abbey Theatre Colthurst, a cousin of writer Elizabeth duties incumbent on the blockading party and Liberty Hall actor was on the balcony Bowen. The two remaining cultural pion- and permitted the Royal Navy to reap all of the City Hall dome raising the very eers whom we have mentioned were the advantages, free of cost, of sustaining same Green Flag that he had raised on condemned to death by a British Army the blockade, like the right of seizure of all stage eight nights' previously, when he Court-Martial, because of their leadership vessels neutral or hostile, whilst not actu- was fatally wounded by a British Army roles in the 1916 Rising. The Director of ally having to enforce it in practice. sniper located in the Tower of Dublin the Liberty Hall Workers' Orchestra, When England was in a desperate Castle. As he lay dying, his head was Michael Mallin, was executed at Kilmain- position in the American War (at war with cradled by his fellow Citizen Army officer ham Jail on 8th May, while the severely- her own colonies and France and Spain), (and fellow Abbey Theatre and Liberty wounded James Connolly was executed she momentarily pretended to accept the Hall colleague) Helena Molony, his blood on 12th May. Recalling, once again, proposals of the League of Armed Neutral- reddening that self-same flag. Peter de Connolly's own description of the opening ity. However, she was biding her time and Rosa was to observe in his 1990 book of a newly refurbished Liberty Hall Theatre continued to seize goods on neutral ships Rebels—the Irish Rising of 1916, that "it as "next to the Revolution, the greatest which, she claimed, were bound for her was a case of Death imitating Art". And event of 1916", the purpose of my talk enemies. When the war with the Thirteen among the Citizen Army garrison com- today has been to commemorate both of Colonies was concluded, England refused manded by Seán Connolly at the City Hall those events. to allow the League to participate in the were his own 15-year old brother Matt Manus O'Riordan peace negotiations so that the rights of neutrals in wartime could be enshrined in treaty and declared the proposals of the League to be null and void in future. During Britain's war on the French Part 7 Republic an attempt was made to revive Naval Warfare the 'armed neutrality' of the 1780s by the In the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) form an 'Armed Neutrality of the Baltic League of the North—in which Russia England set the precedent that not only powers'. The Baltic States had been was joined by Denmark, Sweden, Prussia enemies, but also neutral countries, and particular targets of the Royal Navy in the and Spain. Its requests were moderate and even allies, had to suffer during her wars. British wars of the eighteenth century similar to those exercised in the American Under the pretext of damaging the because they exported wood and England war. enemy, all trade was forbidden with both attempted to cut off the supply of wood in In addition, the League of the North enemy and neutral ports and the Royal wartime, lest it be used by other nations proposed in 1800 that neutral conveys Navy sought to capture every ship that for the building of ships. should self-regulate themselves on issues sailed under a foreign flag. This policy, The nations promoting the idea of of 'contraband'. This would involve con- which was consistently followed, resulted 'Armed Neutrality' demanded that Britain tracting neutrals sailing in convoy and gradually in the eliminating of all neutral give immunity to an enemy's commercial declaring their contents on lists if stopped and hostile shipping and their replacement cargoes carried under the neutral flag and by belligerent men of war. The advantage by the English merchant marine. insisted that 'contraband' be confined to of this would be that it would make it arms and munitions. That would make During the American colonial war Eng- unnecessary for the belligerent man of foodstuffs, and wood used for building land faced a threat to this policy. In the war to individually stop and search each purposes (provided they were not destined 1780s attempts to promote free commerce ship for contraband by taking as valid the for the Government of a belligerent nation), of the seas while England was at war were statement presented by the warship leading safe from capture. They also called for undertaken by Catherine the Great of the neutral convoy. neutral ships to have the right of going to Russia. This was through a policy of For the neutral this presented the the unblockaded ports of a belligerent 'Armed Neutrality'. Its objective was to advantage of not having its trade interrupt- country, and of carrying on trade along its first protect Russian and then other neutral ed by constant stop and search and for the coasts. And lastly they argued that block- shipping from Royal Navy attack during belligerent it meant that they could ades should only be recognized when a the American war of Independence. In concentrate their warships on the enemy. sufficient naval force effectively bars the this it proved relatively successful in isolat- But, whilst other powers were prepared entrance to the blockaded port—rather ing Britain and securing the rights of neut- to accept the proposal of the League of the than being simply declared. ral shipping to trade with belligerents as North, England was not ready to surrender they chose. These demands mirrored closely those its power of stop and search—which it Sweden and Denmark joined Russia to made by the neutral powers in 1914-15 in regarded as part and parcel of the process 23 of war. For Britain, wars were not just and sea until the Danish fleet was sur- the price of her people's blood; and that about defeating the declared enemy. They rendered to the Royal Navy, which took it the claims of the armed neutrality were also involved the opportunity to disrupt off to sea. no other than what were allowed by the David Urquhart was a vocal critic of rules of her marine!' neutral trade and supplant it in the future Q. How did England deal with this with British trade. the 1856 Declaration of Paris in which he believed England had signed away her armed neutrality? British wars were geared toward the A. England made no concession. capture and holding of the world market maritime supremacy by giving neutral shipping rights in wartime. The following Q. Then England continued to seize through the continual disruption of rival enemies' goods in spite of the armed is from Urquhart's Examination on the trading, and stop and search was very neutrality? Right of Search, 1855 and it honestly much part of a war of attrition waged on A. Yes. neutrals, lest they avail of the opportunity describes Britain's policy toward the Q. What was the consequence of Eng- Armed Neutrality of the Northern League: to increase their share of trade. land persevering in this course? The French Republic agreed to respect "Q. WHAT was the armed neutrality? A. The total destruction of the power of this 'armed neutrality' of the neutrals as A. Denmark had a treaty with England, all those who had banded together, and the French Monarchy had earlier done, and Sweden had a similar one—the first, the annulling by every one of them of the viewing it as consistent with French from 1670; and Sweden from 1656, signed maxim they had put forth." maritime practice with regard to the non- in the time of CROMWELL—by which interference with neutral shipping. But the old right was positively specified; The smashing of the Armed Neutrality England declared these demands to be consequently, this treaty was a violation League marked an important development of the existing compact with England, as contradictory to her right to impose order well as of the law of nations. But there are in the assertion of British maritime on the seas in wartime—the order that she circumstances still more remarkable. On ascendancy and her domination of the required to pursue and expand her own the 4th of July, 1788, Denmark had signed world market. It established Britannia's commercial objectives. a convention with England amplifying ruling of the waves against a challenge The League made energetic efforts to the treaty of 1670, in reference to contra- asserting that those who were not involved keep the Baltic and North Seas open for band of war, which had not been suffi- in England's numerous wars should be neutral shipping and, in response to British ciently explicit. In this Convention was allowed to go about their normal business threats, to close the Baltic to British inserted, as additional items, hemp and shipping as long as England did not agree timber, the produce of a neutral Power. without being harassed by the Royal Navy to the demands of the neutral powers. So Four days alone intervened between Den- when Britain went to war. Britain decided to smash the League of mark agreeing to this enlargement of the Britain, however, asserted her right, by the North and re-impose its ruling of the restriction of her neutral trade and her force, to prevent the world from going waves. joining the armed neutrality, which she about its business when England went to did on the 8th July. war. The world had to stop and wait until England took the League of the North's Q. What is the meaning of that? the wars were won and things had been assertion of Armed Neutrality to be a life A. It is this. Russia had found the moment come for stirring up the armed reordered in England's interest by the and death matter for England. Lord Nelson, Royal Navy. speaking in the House of Lords in 1801, neutrality, and had so completely the Pat Walsh put forward the view of it that: Court of Denmark under her influence, that in an hour she made it reverse its "A proposition so monstrous in itself, maxims, its alliances, and its laws. It was The following letter, submitted on so contrary to the Law of Nations, and so the same as regards Sweden. 20th January, failed to be published injurious to the maritime interests of this Q. What of the other Powers who joined by the Irish Times country, that if the maintenance of it had the armed neutrality? been persisted in, it would have been our A. The next Power that joined was Protestants in Cork duty never to have ceased war with those Prussia—the Government that had just Powers whilst a single man, a single shil- put forward and then withdrawn its In The Early Twenties ling, or a single drop of blood remained in pretensions… The next state is Spain… the country" (The Free Seas in War, p37). Here are Spain, Sweden, France, and I endorse Prof Brian Walker's view that Denmark, swept suddenly round, like so the Irish Times digital archive is a valuable The most notable way Britain challeng- many pieces of machinery. I call your resource (January 19th). So too is the ed Armed Neutrality was by attacking attention to this as showing the complete- Independent archive and that of numerous neutral Denmark in 1801 without bother- ness of Russia in intellectual supremacy. local newspapers. They do indeed reveal ing to issue a declaration of war. A British This happened in the last century, and a "harrowing picture of what many mem- fleet was sent to Copenhagen and it was will prepare you for what we are coming bers of the Protestant community experi- bombarded for days. Lord Nelson declared to presently. You will observe that if enced" in the early 1920s. that he would set fire to captured Danish those Powers had adopted this principle, However, Protestant interpretations of ships with their crews on board if the city it was for them to have asserted it when Protestant experience depend on the time did not surrender. The Danes subsequently England was about to make or renew frame selected: the 1919-21 War of Inde- surrendered with over 2000 dead. treaties. pendence, the Truce period of July 1921 The destruction of Copenhagen and the Q. Did Russia assign any grounds for to Civil War in June 1922, within that the assassination, in the same month, of Czar her course? unstable interregnum period between Treaty Paul of Russia, the principle driving force A. The ground which Russia assigned Split and onset of Civil war (January to June behind the Armed Neutrality, led to the was the liberty of the seas, as a law of 1922), and the Civil War period itself, to collapse of the League of the North. nature and of reason. May 1923. Brian Walker's newspaper Q. Did France accept such a proposi- However, Britain was not finished with citations refer to the later civil war period. tion as this, seeing the maxim she had Partition produced splits in Irish Protest- the Danes. After the French victory at hitherto maintained? ant and unionist opinion. Shifting alliances Jena in 1807, the British fleet under Adm- A. She did. In her declaration she says iral Gambier headed for Copenhagen again that she 'did not hesitate to profess that caused repudiation by southern unionists and an English army under Wellington the war she had undertaken had no other of Ulster unionist sectarianism and also surrounded the city from the land side. object but the liberty of the seas; that she alienation from British counter insurgency Copenhagen was bombarded from land was supporting the rights of neutrality at (see my letter of November 5th 2007). 24 The 1922-23 Anglo-Irish Treaty split and degree of self-reflection and reform. That a use for Northern Ireland as a place apart, Civil War saw unionists who felt betrayed would have been impossible if southern which gave it leverage on the South, so the by Carson and Craig transfer allegiance to Protestants endured experiences remotely paper allowed no expression of my view— the new Free State that emerged victorious comparable to those of Catholics generally and was praised for that by Martin Man- from a brutal Civil War. I believe the in Northern Ireland from 1920 onwards. sergh. So I went my own way. I took little evidence shows that sectarianism could That is why Gerard Murphy's The Year of heed of the latest one-sided discussion be an incidental but not a systematic factor Disappearances, that attempts to make in Southern Protestant experience in that this case for Protestants in Cork and that until Professor Walker's letter appeared, context. initiated this discussion, is a "confusing recommending "an important contempor- It was a harrowing time for various muddle" (review, December 11th). ary source" regarding the condition of the communities. The sectarian legacy of Brit- Without mentioning it, Professor Walker Southern Protestants in the early 1920s: ish rule lived on virulently and unasham- appears to agree with Murphy's view. "I refer to the excellent historical archive edly in a Northern Ireland incapable of However, Professor Walker and I may of the Irish Times". And he gives a number self-reform. It also emerged as confes- debate this out using rolled up archival of dates on which Protestant complaints sional (both Roman Catholic and Protest- copies of the Irish Times as our evidential can be looked up. ant) and conservative management of a weapon of choice. Walker's distinctive view as an acade- southern society that was capable of a Niall Meehan mic Unionist historian is on these lines: "A belief in the great importance of the past or history in Ireland is widespread. Professor Walker and Gerard Murphy The Downing Street Joint Declaration of December 1993 stated that the most urgent need facing the people of Ireland, north Past And Present and south, was to remove the causes of conflict, 'to overcome the legacy of Professor Brian Walker of the Queen's of July 1921:. And about the blending of history' and heal the divisions which have University, Belfast, had a letter in the supposition and ascertainable fact: resulted… The essays in this book chal- Irish Times on January 19th on the subject "Murphy asks what if abductions had lenge such views of the significance of of the killing of Protestants in Cork during occurred… The hypothesis is then treated the past… It is wrong to see our current the War of Independence of 1919-23. It as factual throughout the remainder of conflicts as the result of a long, determinis- followed a letter from Niall Meehan on the book." tic history or to believe that we have a the same subject on January 18th. Meeh- Imagine! an Irish Times reviewer dwel- unique history which ties us in a special way to the remote past" (Dancing To an's letter followed letters from Gerard ling on ordinary truth in the presence of History's Tune, 1996, pvii). Murphy and Mark Charles Nolan by a the higher truth of propaganda in the "History has always been a political longer interval, January 6th and 13th. worthy cause. weapon in Ulster, a powerful sustenance These two letters were comments on a But, having got these quibbles out of to ideological myth, a defence and valida- review by Murphy on December 11th. her system, the reviewer recommends the tion of unities and discontinuities that did book, and she doesn't even mention not exist, and a buttress of divisions and Murphy's book, The Year Of Dis- Murphy's startling assertion that Josephine distinctions that were equally false" (Ulster: An Illustrated History, 1989, p7). appearances. Political Killings In Cork, O'Donoghue was a serial child murderer. "It is a commonplace view… that the 1921-22 (Gill & Macmillan), alleged a present conflict in Northern Ireland has genocidal campaign against Cork Protest- Nevertheless Murphy felt he had been deep roots… The essays in this book ants conducted by Florence O'Donoghue, badly done by. It was not the business of challenge this view of the relevance of Sean O'Hegarty and Martin Corry (later a the Irish Times to raise pedantic obstacles the past in Ireland" (Past And Present, Fianna Fail TD). It was orthodox history, of detail against the higher truth of right- 2000, pix). telling the story as invented by Professor thinking historians. So he wrote a letter to "The idea that the conflict is based on the paper praising his book unreservedly age old hatreds and long term historical Fitzpatrick of Trinity College and his roots is not only incorrect but damaging. and it was published on January 6th. And History Workshop, which is now the In its challenge to the importance of dominant story in Irish history-publishing. on January 13th Mark Charles Nolan's perceived notions of history, this book (Carroll Professor Foster laid it down that letter was published, praising "Gerard asserts the primacy of people to control narrative history is by its nature invented Murphy's meticulously researched book". the making of their own history today" and partakes of the quality of the fairy Then, on January 18th, the paper published (ibid, p x). story. Let those who would dispute that a letter from Niall Meehan in support of It is puzzling, in the light of this, that Trinity history is invented take issue with the review. And, the following day, Walker should engage agitationally in a their trail-blazer, Professor Foster.) Professor Walker's letter appeared, adding current dispute about the past in its bearing its weight to Murphy's side! This had all on the present, do so in support of an The little dispute in the Letters' Column the signs of a letter solicited by the paper. author who seems to revel in myth, and of the Irish Times arose from the fact that And it was what aroused my interest in the present a polemical newspaper archive its reviewer, Caoimhe Nic Dhailbheid, matter. expressing the British view as the source did not hail Murphy's book as a classic as, I was blackballed by the Irish Times of historical truth. for example, Dr. John Paul McCarthy of forty years ago because I started a view of Oxford University did. The reviewer, not things supportive of the Ulster Protestants The idea of a present detached from the properly attuned to the fairy-story mode and suggested that, while Partition lasted, past was something that interested me of revisionist history for Ireland, is finicky the North should be governed within the long ago, in the 1950s. In the backwardness about factual detail, such as the picture of democracy of the British State which held of the rural, half-Gaelic Ireland from which a paranoid O'Donoghue "ordering the it, rather than farmed out to the local we escaped—De Valera's Ireland in which abduction and execution of up to 12 un- majority to act in place of the State. That sturdy youths and comely maidens danced known Protestant civilians after the Truce did not suit the British interest, which had at the crossroads on Sunday afternoons 25 after Mass and courted against the ditches There is an Evelyn Waugh novel in which determined that the world—the USA and on Sunday nights after milking the cows— the hero is lost in the jungle and is saved Britain—shall not conquer it. And, of I tried to imagine a present disconnected by an old man who cannot read but happens course, failure to subordinate China and from the past. I did so with the help of to have the collected works of Dickens. free it from its history is a world-historic Henry Bergson's philosophy and French The hero is consigned to the hell of reading tragedy for the millennarian sense of existentialist novels. (That was the kind Dickens aloud for the rest of his life. Ameranglian destiny. of thing we used to do then, when we Ulysses would have been more excruci- A Polish Hegelian of the late 19th knew no better.) I have been meaning to ating. It might serve as negative therapy century, whose name I forget, secularised write something about it ever since I in the brainwashing process. the Book Of Revelations. That is, he held noticed that Brian Walker was reviving it An individual can of course escape that its future was scientifically, or philo- sophically, knowable. But he only asserted down the road in Belfast at the Institute of from one history by going into another. It this in principle, leaving to others the Irish Studies. (In Belfast everywhere is does not seem that race—for all Joyce's technology of knowing it. And an English just down the road from Athol Street.) ambition to forge its conscience—carries economic guru of Marxist origin, Will And I thank the bias of the Irish Times for social memory with it. But migration Hutton, went on record a few years ago providing the stimulus to do so. from one history to another is not possible that the State Capitalism developing in The existentialists puzzled over the idea for a society that operates a State. The China was an impossibility because Capit- of a free act—an act that did not follow European Union was seen as a haven from alism is not possible without the culture of from the prior history of the individual; an history by an Irish middle class stratum the French Enlightenment. uncaused act. And I recall a novel in looking to escape. But there could be no So, for Hutton, the present is not hap- which the hero, finding himself alone in a escape from Irish history into European, pening. And Walker sometimes seems to railway carriage with a complete stranger, because Europe was a combination of be on the verge of saying that the past did threw the stranger out of the speeding national histories. It had no history of its not happen, or at least that, if the past train on impulse, in what he took to be a own. It was a project of European Christian happened, it was not a determinant of the free act because he had no reason for it. Democracy—which had a degree of present. I don't know how widespread the feeling common history—whose aim was to My problem about seeing a past that is that life within the chain of causation is establish a European structure that would can be counterposed to the present is that intolerable. I only know that it exists, and prevent England from playing its balance- which I see most clearly is a self-reproduc- it is a virtual certainty that people have of-power game against Europe. The Cold ing present. It does not look to the past to done away with themselves because of it. War division of the world disabled Britain give itself content. Existentially it just is. with regard to Europe for about 40 years. And it no sooner is than it was. It is here There is a Joyce tag about history being When the Soviet system collapsed the today and gone tomorrow. But, in the a nightmare from which he was trying to Times reflected in an editorial that it should going, it carries itself with it. That is escape, and another about going into exile be possible to resume the balance-of- called memory. Human existence is not to forge the conscience of his race. I don't power game. That was about 1990. possible without memory, and the present understand either. It seemed to me that he Twenty years later the European project is not possible without the past. went into exile in order to preserve the as been reduced to a shambles by British About forty years ago English Social- nightmare, to save it from historical influence, actively assisted by the Irish ism, in a political situation rich with change. He lived for evermore in middle stratum that sought to lose itself in Europe, possibilities of development, undermined class Home Rule Dublin of the generation e.g., Pat Cox and Brigid Laffan. Now they itself with wild revolutionism. Prominent before the Great War. He preserved that are faced with the prospect of being Irish in that self-indulgent revolutionism was a Dublin forever in a European cult novel again, and they don't know what that is. kind of mad Marxism called Althusserian- which, after decades of fame abroad, ism, which veered between total Determin- The nightmare is not the history. It is became saleable in Ireland, and was made ism and groundless Voluntarism. Out of the escape. the centrepiece of Irish tourist culture and that welter of half-baked notions came the of the official national culture of the The most ambitious brainwashing thought that "social relations are imagin- Universities. It remains the great unread operation ever undertaken—at least since ary", meaning that they are not like the relation of one brick to another in a brick novel of the world—unread at least in the Moses and the forty years in the desert— wall. Out of this came the notion of English-speaking parts of it. A couple of was Mao's Cultural Revolution. Its pur- imaginary nations and invented traditions. years ago I heard a few chatterers on BBC pose was to free China from the Confucian Declan Kiberd (Chair of Anglo-Irish quality radio, who were determined to millennia. Its immediate effect seems to have been to prevent an instant, narrowly- Literature at University College Dublin) read Ulysses before they died and suggest- published a book about Inventing Ireland ing ways of getting through it. And, a based, capitalist development. Its long- term effect seems to be a widely-based quite a while ago, and a Maynooth couple of weeks ago, I heard Kiberd on Professor, R.V.A Comerford, recently Radio Eireann exhorting the Irish to read capitalist development within a Confucian political and cultural mode. published a history of Ireland as an it, and assuring them that it was possible imaginary nation. to read it, especially if you did a lot of Henry Kissinger has recently tried to skipping. It seems that it is important to explain Chinese development to the West The conceits of English socialist intel- have read it, or at least run through it, like as essentially conservative and traditional. lectuals unable to engage with the possibil- Mark Twain in an art gallery. China, a well-conducted and stable state ities of their actual world have been found for millennia, was knocked out of its stride useful in the revisionist project in Ireland, The only way I can see of freeing the briefly by world-conquering Western which aspires to wipe out the Irish past present from the past is by means of a vast militarism. Now, after a brief hiccup of a from the Irish present by means of mass and thorough brainwashing operation. century and a half, it has restored itself. It third-level education. At the moment Ulysses might play a part in that, as a does not want to conquer the world. It is when the great expansion of education representation of the past as nightmare. a danger to the world only in that it is was happening, Raymond Crotty, the 26 founder of the Irish Sovereignty Move- was the 1859 Revival—which was past a taste for kidnapping children and become ment, had an article in the London Times and present all in one. It was a great a child-murderer—is an event which hap- appealing to England to take Ireland in watershed of religious enthusiasm which pened. The formulation of a hypothesis is hand again, because it was unable to think established unity of feeling across old an event in the mind of its author, is it not? for itself. Oxbridge responded to the differences without forgetting them. I seem to recall that Mark Twain wrote an appeal. I am not saying that they did not Walker does not mention it. account of a battle that was not fought, and begin the 'revision' of Irish history—i.e. "The evidence… about the events of thought it important that he should do so. the re-writing of it in the British interest— 1641, 1689 and 1690, and when they Len Deighton, a military historian as before Crotty's appeal. But the appeal become important to Ulster protestants, well as a novelist, wrote about a meeting must have indicated to them the scale on must lead one to question seriously the between Churchill and Hitler in June 1940 which it was possible to attempt it. idea of a continuous sense of unionist with a view to ending the war. The It remains to be seen whether the history, based around these events of the possibility of the event arose in the Diary transplant will be entirely successful— 17th century, coming uninterrupted from of General Sir Edward Speers, who accom- that time to the present" (p12). whether the Irish present can be attached panied Churchill everywhere in that to English history. But it seems that an That of course depends on the meaning period. It lay not in what Spears said but Irish academic without the Oxbridge of "Unionist". Unionism began in Septem- in what he did not say. And that seems to Imprimatur is now seen as a maverick. ber 1798, when the (British) Government be the method of history-writing used by proposed the abolition of the Irish Parliam- Peter Hart and continued by Murphy. Walker is not in the forefront of this ent. Until then the issue was who was to Deighton gave an account of the meet- development. He functions in Belfast, be dominant in the Kingdom of Ireland. ing as fiction—I forget in which novel— and Belfast, having other things on its The Orange Order was a militant opponent but it had considerable "verisimilitude". mind, is the traditional, conservative and of the Act of Union because it looked to That means likeness to the truth, and was sensible part of Ireland in these matters. the Irish Parliament as the bastion of a quality Dublin Castle required of its The populace, in its two great divisions, Protestant Ascendancy—which it was. forgers in 1920. It is what a novel, showing lives actively in the present that emerged But, when the Irish Parliament was abol- action through character, must have. But from the past, and Whitehall, since it took ished and the Catholic populace were it seems that it is no longer needed in over day to day government in 1972, has organised into a political movement for History. had little success in marginalising the past the Repeal of the Union, the Orange Order and creating a vacuous present, despite naturally took up a Unionist position, Murphy writes in a political vacuum. the vast sums it has devoted to the project because the internal balance in Ireland There is a chapter called The Political by way of patronage. had changed. It is only if one trips over Landscape, but there is not a word in it And Walker's denial of the past is much words through slipshod use of them that about the political framework in which ado about nothing. The first chapter of this seems paradoxical or "ironic". the War of Independence happened, and Dancing To History's Tune is 1641, 1689, There is much more of this kind, but without which it seems unlikely that it 1690 And All That. He does not actually that must be left to a future article. would have happened. deny that the memory of the events that The book is about how spies were dealt happened on these dates has exerted a with in Cork City, "a city of spies", in a continuing influence on the conduct of the With regard to Murphy, Walker's com- war without political context. Ulster Protestant community. He says ing to his aid might be described as "ironic" "Cork was in many ways still a loyal little more than that the emphasis on them —because come to his aid he did, even city even as late as 1919… in commemorations shifted this way and though his letter uses no names, because it "'A large percentage of the people in A that over the centuries in the light of is a situation in which context gives mean- Company area had connections with the current affairs. And he concedes that a ing. For Walker the past does not give rise British forces and police; vested interests change of emphasis in commemorations to the present, while for Murphy "the past had been established over the years; did not signify that what was not emphasis- does not go away" (p18). shopkeepers were handling big military contracts; the soldiers and police had ed was forgotten. Murphy's book is frantic stream-of- consciousness reflection on the past/ intermarried with the citizens; in fact During the decade of the Ascendancy 90% of the residents in our area could be present in which all sorts of odds and ends regarded as being pro-British and hostile Volunteers (1782-1793), when it seemed are thrown together timelessly and borne that Ireland under Protestant hegemony to the IRA. Only about one house in along by sheer enthusiasm. He reveals in every hundred could be regarded as pro- was to be an independent partner in the a Preface that it began as a novel, but the IRA'…" (p42. The internal quotation is Empire, there was naturally a change of publisher said it would be better as a from a submission by Sean Healy to the emphasis in commemorations. But that history. She had a point. It does not have Bureau of Military History). project was aborted in 1793 and there was the narrative coherence required for a a turn of events leading to 1798. "Protest- readable novel, or the quality of realism. Cork was such a 'loyal' city that in the ants would soon forget the 1798 rebellion And I suppose that, after a generation of 1918 General Election it replaced the in which many presbyterians participated revisionism, the readers of Irish history- Home Rule Party with Sinn Fein, and as United Irishmen and remember instead books are well trained in the suspension of wasnot contested by the Unionists. But it certain 17th century events" (p4). The disbelief. was a major garrison city which, in parts, Protestant nation aborted, the Catholic He says that the book "is at best a was closely bound up with the British populace, abandoned to its own devices theory or, rather a series of interrelated Army. When Britain, after losing its Home by the Union, became a separate political theories", but at the same time, "all the Rule fig-leaf in 1918, embarked on military force recreating something like the 17th events described here are true". And I rule against the democracy, and sought to century situation, and this was emphasised suppose the supposition that Josephine use its small pockets of support against in commemorations. But 1798 was not O'Donoghue—who had to kidnap her child the populace, certain things followed as a forgotten. I found that it was still well rem- from her fundamentalist Protestant English matter of course when the democracy embered in 1970. It was just not celebrated. parents-in-law after her husband was killed proved, unexpectedly, to be serious about One of the great remembered events in the Great War and might have acquired itself. 27 Walker directs Irish Times readers to the Irish Times Archive (put on the Internet · Biteback · Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback on funds supplied by the Irish Government) for the truth about 1920-21. That, no doubt, is a simple expression of his loyalty. Was It For This That Madam Denied But the Irish Times, like Anglo-Ireland in Publication? general, looked on the 1918 Election and On 18th November last, anIrish Times editorial rhetorically asked “Was it for this?” the Dail as another Irish antic that would and proceeded to elaborate in its first sentence: “It may seem strange to some that be dealt with as many Irish antics had been The Irish Times would ask whether this was what the men of 1916 died for”. It dealt with in the past. There was no need provoked an immediate response the following day from a former News Editor at the to come to terms with the pretentious Irish Times, Eugene McEldowney, but his short letter, reproduced below, was denied democracy because it would soon be dis- publication by that paper. pelled. That was hardly a vantage point from which the substance of the event The line ‘Was it for this’ comes from Yeats's poem, September 1913 and has got could be seen. nothing to do with the Easter rising. It is a response to the lockout of workers by the The IRB [Irish Republican Brotherhood]: Dublin employers led by William Martin Murphy. If anything, it is an attack on the "This was a small cadre of men dedicated grubby, commercial values of the emerging Irish middle class of the time. Ring any to physical force as a means of forcing bells? political change" (Murphy, p61). Its aim, Perhaps you should ask your Literary Editor to cast a cold eye over future editorials. in fact, was Irish independence. That is Eugene McEldowney what it was "dedicated to". The British State ruled Irish independence off the voting agenda. It would be conceded only The Swiss Constitution, Some Observations to superior force. Britain thus put "physical violence" on the Irish agenda by making it "For It Is Written . . ."1 the only means of achieving independence. "Violent action, not political manoeuv- "You know what the fellow said—in the few sources of contention among a erings, was their game", i.e., the IRB's. In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, people of such simple and homogeneous they had warfare, terror, murder and manners; by their joint interest in their fact the IRB did a lot of political manoeuv- bloodshed, but they produced Michel- dependent possessions; by the mutual aid ring and engaged in hardly any violence angelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the they stand in need of, for suppressing for a generation before 1916. Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had insurrections and rebellions, an aid The IRB, "past masters of the art of brotherly love, they had five hundred expressly stipulated and often required putting together structures that of their years of democracy and peace—and what and afforded; and by the necessity of nature depended on secrecy", organised did that produce?—The cuckoo clock!" 2 some regular and permanent provision certain Volunteer units in Cork "on a for accommodating disputes among the 6 need-to-know basis", so that— Millions heard; doubtless, some believ- cantons." "the ordinary Volunteer on the street… ed this travesty of Swiss history3 and was essentially in the dark as to the reason achievement. These contentions were authoritatively supported in 1915: - for his orders. Since the sources of "It is astonishing how little the rest of 7 intelligence were secret and the transmis- the world knows about the way Switzer- "It was only when the Hapsburgs or sion of information was secret, the reasons land runs its politics. Even its next-door the French threatened the Swiss that they for the decision to execute so and so were neighbors in Europe, though vaguely formed any effective union for the defence also secret. As far as the IRA was con- aware that it is a deeply decentralized of the Fatherland. Always at variance in cerned, this was literally blind justice. country, do not really understand the time of peace, the cantons never united Those doing the killing were often told a other, more important part of the Swiss save under the stress of a common danger. story that was quite at odds with the system—the part that could turn out to be The greater the pressure from without, actual background for such executions. a model for everybody's 21st century the closer was the union. That truth has This was necessary, for if someone was 4 5 democracy." been illustrated several times from the caught after a shooting he would not be in age of the legendary Tell down to the a position to give away the reasons behind glorious efforts of 1798. In a word, the THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE it. He had simply been told to shoot a selfsame mountaineers who live disunited SWISS CONFEDERATION 'spy'. What the spy had done to deserve in time of peace, come together and act this fate was not the concern of the In 1787, when arguing for a federal closely together in war, or under threat of gunman… This was a killing system, system in the United States, Madison and war." 8 death by remote control" (p61-2). Hamilton described the contemporary Swiss Confederation: - While acknowledging that the French Here is a sensible description of an "The connection among the Swiss Army functioning as an Army in difficult cantons scarcely amounts to a confeder- encouraged "Helvetic Republic" {1798- 1815} the Swiss historian, William Martin, circumstances, as the agent of a democracy acy; though it is sometimes cited as an described it as "inspired by the mathe- subjected to the military regime of the instance of the stability of such institu- tions. They have no common treasury; no matical concepts of the French most powerful Empire in the world, Revolution".9 concluding with a bizarre leap into the common troops even in war; no common coin; no common judicatory; nor any language of the horror comic. And that is Post-Napoleonic Switzerland became other common mark of sovereignty. They "a new political entity".10 what pretty much of the book is like. are kept together by the peculiarity of Did the British High Command consult In 1914 Dicey, "the founding authority" their topographical position; by their 11 firing squads about the advisability of individual weakness and insignificancy; of the English constitution, described executions? by the fear of powerful neighbors, to one the USA and Switzerland, as "the two Brendan Clifford of which they were formerly subject; by most successful of federal experiments". 28 He wrote of Switzerland: (Updated to 7th March 2010) is organized of their representatives. Members are 17 9"Never was there a country in which it in six "titles", containing 197 Articles. part-timers, expected to earn their livings seemed more difficult to produce national Fundamental rights receive due promin- among their electors. The two councils unity. The Swiss cantons are divided by ence, but in addition, there appear matters are of equal status and form the Swiss difference of race, by difference of lang- which might be expected in exclusive Federal Assembly, which is established uage, by difference of religion. These statutes. For example, Articles 76-80 deal by Article 148 as "…. the supreme distinctions till nearly the middle of the with water: forests: protection of natural authority of the Confederation" {v.p.}. nineteenth century produced a kind of and cultural heritage: fishing and hunting The Assembly makes laws by federal disunion among the Swiss people which in 1914 seems almost incredible. They and protection of animals. Articles 81-87 statutes or ordinances and federal decrees. forbade the existence of a common coin- cover transport—roads, railways and fuel age; they allowed any one canton to duties. Other Articles deal with housing, DIRECT DEMOCRACY AND protect the financial interest of its citizens pension plans, social security, unemploy- "REVISION CLAUSES" against competition by the inhabitants of ment insurance, health protection etc. "{Direct Democracy is} Any system every other canton. In 1847 Sonderbund of government in which all decisions are threatened to destroy the very idea of made by collective choice of the citizens, Swiss unity, Swiss nationality, and Swiss AN ODDITY… and not through representatives. Direct independence. By Article 72.1.& 2. cantons are democracy is contrasted with represent- "Patriots had indeed for generations responsible for the relationship between ative democracy, and it is widely assumed perceived that the federal union of Church and State. With the Confederation, that it is feasible only if the body to be Switzerland afforded the one possible they preserve public peace between the governed is small, and so able to register guarantee for the continued existence of different religious communities. No its preferences by repeated voting. ...Some their country. But attempt after attempt religion is named throughout the Constitu- argue that only in a direct democracy is to secure the unity of Switzerland had tion, which makes Article 72.3 conspicu- there any guarantee that the people are ended in failure. The victory of the Swiss 25 federalists in the Sonderbund war gave ous for both content and brevity:—"The sovereign…." new life to Switzerland: this was the one construction of minarets is prohibited." 18 indubitable success directly due to the The only qualification of Federal movements of 1847-48. It is indeed …AND CONTRADICTION? Assembly's sovereignty {above} is that it happy that the victory of the federal armies Article 59 requires every Swiss man to is "subject to the rights of the People and took place before the fall of the French do military {or civilian} service. Those the Cantons".26 Monarchy, and that the Revolution of who evade service are liable to pay a Articles 138 and 139 institute the February, combined with other move- ments which distracted Europe, left the special tax. This conflicts with Article 8, fundamentals of Direct Democracy. Swiss free to manage their own affairs in the guarantee of sexual equality. The Essentially, 100,000 citizens can propose their own way. Swiss patriotism and Federal Courts— a complete or partial revision of the Federal moderation met with their reward. "found that the contradiction between Constitution. Article 140 requires that "Switzerland became master of her the Articles 8 and 59 of the Constitution these amendments must be approved in {sic} own fate. Each step in the sub- is indeed 'real', and therefore constitutes referendum by a majority of the People sequent progress of the new federal state a constitutionally enshrined inequality. and of the Cantons. has been a step along the path leading However, the court also found that this There is a further provision, allowing from confederate union to national inequality does not violate the principle unity."12 of equality before the law, as it considers for popular review of legislation. Article Article 59 to be a 'lex specialis',19 which 141 provides: "If within 100 days of the Discounting the influence of the French takes precedence over the general prin- official publication of the enactment any Revolution on the 1848 constitution, ciple of equality. Therefore, the 50,000 persons eligible to vote or any Martin insisted that its success was primar- constitutionally enshrined inequality eight Cantons request it, the following 20 ily due to its answering the needs of the stands in conformity to the constitution." shall be submitted to a vote of the time and addressing the needs of the future People"—Federal statutes; Federal by the insertion of "revision clauses" 13 in Mitya New opened her chapter on "The Statutes declared urgent with a validity the federal and in all cantonal constitutions. Swiss Army" by saying: "The army is exceeding one year; Federal Decrees to 21 This combination was a Swiss initiative.14 central to Switzerland". It is a conscripted the extent the Constitution of the statute 22 British jurists, who studied the Swiss militia of up to 650,000 men, who serve foresees this; and certain International 23 24 solution of its extreme "racial-religious- until the age of 42 —say 20 years. She Treaties. cultural" problems, might have seen its points to a paradox; in 1994 a study of potential application to "The Irish major Swiss companies and Government CONCLUSIONS Question". Dicey was vehemently against revealed concerns at the costs of officer "No existing society in the West, except Home Rule. training for senior managers; yet this possibly for Switzerland, is a shining training is regarded as an asset in manage- model of a civic society."27 ment. "THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION OF THE Unintended consequences can ensue; SWISS CONFEDERATION" 15 DEMOCRACY for example, in 1993, the military Chief of "A written constitution is a major The National Council is composed of achievement of the democratic state based Staff collected the necessary signatures on the rule of law. It is the highest law of 200 Representatives of the People elected for a referendum to have a moratorium on the state. It states the fundamental values through proportional representation; the military spending.28 (This seems to of the political community, and it also Council of States has 46 representatives constitute insubordination, possibly sets the most important rules, those that of the 26 cantons (including six demi- mutiny, if another serving soldier voted make it possible to live together in free- cantons, which function as full cantons, 16 for the proposal. The Swiss have punished dom, peace, and security." but have one representative each). The senior officers' transgressions.29 ) The Federal Constitution 1999 Cantons determine the rules for the election In a direct democracy, experts "are 29 forced to explain the necessity for change 9 MARTIN, W. Switzerland from the Romans aware of Ireland’s precarious condition, not only to a small number of people to the present. 1971 pp.225-6. Sarkozy would tug away from under our 10 HOBSBAWM, E. J. Nations and National- (members of government and Federal ism since 1780, p.84. feet the one carpet that helps us compete Assembly) but to everybody. This is very 11 KLUG, F., STARMER, K. & WEIR, S. The in an otherwise very un-level playing pitch. helpful to ensure that (almost) everybody three pillars of liberty,1996, p.38. We do not have the mass populations or will understand the need for {and potential 12 DICEY, A.V. Introduction to the study of the heavy industries of either France or effects of} change." 30 law of the constitution, 9th Edn, 1939 p.604. Germany, but Sarkozy, who cares only 13 v.p. The success of the Swiss democracy is 14 Op. cit. about France and an EU superstate and in partly due to its Constitution's "revision 15 There is a persistent tendency among that order, doesn’t even want us to have clauses", its comprehensiveness, and the Anglophones to define "confederation" by that. enthusiastic participation of its citizens.31 contrasting it with "federation" which may Where is the much vaunted "healthy The "impossible" obstacles to the Swiss make this heading appear incongruous e.g. competition" that these acolytes of the SCRUTON R.: A dictionary of political triumph of peace and reason have been thought, 1982, p.86. free market are always baying about? The mentioned, but it is postulated that in 16 KARRER, P.A. Switzerland’s new Federal fine print of the current IMF / EU bailout addition the Constitution's architects had Constitution: Unofficial Translation, 1998. package wants Ireland opened up to even to overcome the potential "tyranny of the [Supplied by The Swiss Embassy, London.] more external competition. Yet he detests 17 majority". The ultimate Swiss genius A translation is available on the Internet. healthy competition among EU countries 18 Since 2009. was the transformation of the country's 19 "lex specialis derogat generali"—specific when it goes against the interest of Sarkozy. greatest liability, its "political geography" law prevails over general law. Thirdly, other EU countries may have in into one of its greatest assets. By 20 Correspondence, 2010: The Swiss Embassy, higher corporation tax rates but they add retaining the independence of cantons and London citing The Federal Office for Gender other sweeteners and packages that make counteracting the huge disparities in Equality. these rates less drastic than they look. 21 NEW, M. Switzerland Unwrapped, 1997, populations (largest 1,242,000: smallest p.120. I didn’t believe these hypocrites when 15,000) through the Council of States and 22 From a 7.1 million population. we were being promised "no interference" in referendums, they achieved a balance 23 Formerly 52. in our corporate tax rate as a sweetener to and avoided what might have been the 24Ibid., p.121 fn1. vote Yes to Lisbon II and time has shown 25 "tyranny of the majority". Scruton, op. cit., p.129. me right. Having bullied and gotten what 26 Emphasis added. 27 SHILS, E. The virtue of civility: selected they wanted I knew they would come after "... A MODEL FOR EVERYBODY'S 21ST essays on liberalism, tradition and civil soci- our corporate tax rate as soon as the dust CENTURY DEMOCRACY" ety. Ed. S. Grosby. 1997, p.97. settled. The Federal Constitution of the Swiss 28 New, op. cit. p.135, fn 8. All this without delivering even a single 29 Confederation is unlikely to be accepted New, op. cit. pp.122-6. of the promised jobs that were supposed 30 JUD, M. G. [Ed.] Geschichte-Schweiz. as an ideal model; ruling élites probably Lucerne, 2004. to flow from Lisbon, apart from some new prefer constitutions which facilitate 31 Ibid. EU official posts. governmental control. 32 MARSHALL, G. The Oxford dictionary of If the EU ever collapses, I suspect it Sociology, 1998 p.147, citing Sale and Dahl: will have a lot more to do with the "In Switzerland, they had brotherly Scruton, op. cit. p.129. megalomania and greed of certain leaders love, they had five hundred years of than the sorry financial state of the democracy and peace—and what did that "PIIGS". produce?" ... Not five hundred years of democracy Nick Folley and peace, merely 162 years, in the centre 17th January of Europe, with enviable prosperity and Report Irish Examiner direct democracy, which experts assert, It won't be the PIIGS was "difficult with in groups larger than 10,000 and impossible in populations who ruin the EU above 50,000".32 It almost made me burn with rage when Ruairí Ó Domhnaill I heard French President Sarkozy’s griping about our "low rate" of corporation tax. Due to pressure of space 1 Matthew 4:10. "Be gone Satan…" With his usual penchant for what could a number of items 2 This was added by Orson Wells to Graham be interpreted as veiled threats, he have been held back. Greene’s "The Third Man" [1949] script. mentioned that Ireland couldn’t keep These include, [Wikipedia.] The Dream Of Sir John Davies, 3 In an English coastal county, [population coming for EU financial assistance while 750,000] the County Library had two books having a tax rate half that of France or in which John Minahane [1951 & 1971] on Swiss history. other EU countries. Let’s be clear about a takes issue with editorial remarks 4 BEEDHAM, B., United Press International, few things — the financial bailout to on Strafford and 1641, which review of Gregory Fossedal's The road to full Ireland is not just about helping our banks, appeared in the December issue; democracy. [2002] Part 3 of 5 Emphasis added. it’s also about helping the rest of the 6 MADISON, J. with HAMILTON, A. The eurozone maintain its stability. Philip O'Connor's Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Were the countries so disparagingly Zionism And De Valera, Preserve the Union. For the Independent Jour- referred to in some circles as PIIGS to which deals with the legacy of Gov- nal. Saturday, December 8, 1787. Federalist collapse, it would bode very ill indeed for ernments stretching fromAiken to Paper No. 19. Haughey; and Ted O'Sullivan's 7 The Habsburgs—to Anglophones "Haps- the whole EU federal project so beloved burgs"—originated in northern Switzerland. of yet another Frenchman of small stature The Inconvenient Roger Casement 8 ROSE J.H. The Development of the European and grand notions. Nations, 1870-1914 (5th ed.) 1915. Secondly, it seems despite being fully 30 got into the property bubble too. Corrupt- frenzy and we had the stark raving mad ion became widespread. Far more Planning sight of Cork University buildings includ- Does Permissions were granted than the needs ing the Glucksman Art Gallery going under It of the population warranted—however water as it was built on the flood plains of Stack much that was falsely projected upwards. the River Lee which nearly always burst Up Flood-plains near every town and village its banks in floods, as it did once more last ? in Ireland were built upon. The people, the year. Engineers? Planners? Really? majority of people with access to bank And even now we still have economists CELTIC TIGER: RISE AND FALL money went mad. So did the bankers who who are ignoring the lessons of the 1929 It was Jack Lynch as Taoiseach, and started borrowing enormous sums of Wall Street Crash which resulted in twenty Martin O'Donoghue as his economic money from the UK, Germany, France, or thirty years of depression. Now it is adviser who did the deed. It was they who and Spain etc. Every bank was borrowing somehow "different" they say. The evid- bought off the voters of this country by from each other across Europe. And the ence says otherwise. The built environment offering to do away with Rates on Private price of houses kept rising. Eventually by is now factually sufficient for the next Housing. Rates were based on the rateable 2004, the bank's auditors joined the merry thirty or forty years. There are much more Value of the house and largely based on throng as if they too were intoxicated. So than enough houses, shops, offices etc. to the cubic capacity—the number of square did the regulators who ceased to regulate last us a lifetime literally. Maybe even for feet in the house and the height of the the banks and the construction companies. a hundred years. But of course that is not The media joined in to extol the new way ceilings. Immediately the Rates were done acknowledging the inherent unstable to get rich—buy property! The media away with—people started building bigger structure of the building work itself carried were being bought in through the vast and more expensive houses. Mortgages out during the Celtic Tiger era. Most of advertising paid for by property develop- got bigger too; 60% mortgages became ers, auctioneers and estate agents and the that highly skilled work was carried out 70%, then 70% became 80% of the value banks. by foreign labourers without skills of any of the house. Eventually mortgages rose The mania had spread throughout the kind and so there are already whole housing to 100%. And then to 110% when the body politic into the wider community. estates that are ghost estates essentially value of carpets and fitted kitchens were Property was good and so property abroad either because they were never finished or taken into account. The bankers woke up was the next big thing—Irish speculators the work was so catastrophically bad that to the enticing prospects and threw caution and developers spread to the UK, France, they can never be used as dwellings. All to the winds: the new market became the Portugal, Spain, Croatia, USA and other the expensive use of scarce resources that 'Property Market'. Commercial and indust- myriad countries. Our developers didn't were imported into this country for these rial loans had to take a back seat; all the think small. They borrowed in hundreds developments will end up being pulled resources of the Irish economy became of millions for golf-courses, luxury hotels, down—there is no other way as not only focussed on 'Property Loans' and 'Car new shopping malls and skyscrapers across are they unsightly but they are very poorly Loans'. Most of the money, sorry, the Ireland and the rest of the world. Our structured and are already falling down finance, went abroad because most of the regulators, politicians, bank directors and and thus likely to cause serious injury or ingredients had to be imported and the bank general managers know all of this— death to our people. wages were hugely paid to Poles and indeed they joined in it, so eager was One example of how our Government— Turks who sent the money home and of everyone for a piece of the action. As did including the Green Party—is still not course Ireland does not make cars. State the troops of economists employed by getting the message is the car scrappage revenue went up—Value Added Tax, banks, trade unions, industry organis- scheme. Ireland imports cars—we do not stamp duties, PAYE taxes, import duties. ations, political parties et al. manufacture them. Why was this kind of The Government had brimming buckets What a useless person is an economist mad scheme adopted? It doesn't stack up of money and it had to be spent on bench- without commonsense. Taoiseach Brian and there is reason to suspect that Fianna marking invisible benches and in funding Cowen has eight advisors—excessively Fail and the Greens have friends who have unnecessary expenses and allowances for remunerated—as is he himself—and all huge car dealerships who are well known TDs, judges, Senators, Ministers, public of them not only watched as Ireland was faces even on our TV screens. These people servants and for all except the self- run into the ground but also, if rumour has do not employ enough workers to make it employed who got nothing except what it correctly, many of them invested in the advantageous to our economy so the ques- they could earn themselves by their own property bubble too. The same with the tion remains—why adopt it? If the Greens former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and his enterprise. So the self-employed put their were serious about the environment— team before him. It all stacks up to a very children into the pubic service and into the they wouldn't hassle the small car owners law or medicine—anything other than lamentable tale. Of what use is an econo- mics degree which provides the skill to of this country into endless test-centres in running a small self-employed business. chart last year's economy but ours didn't order to discriminate against the poorer Even the farmers and fishermen wanted even do that. Neither did they mark the elements of society who cannot afford out: over 50% of them are mainly in numbers that not only suggested but loudly new cars. Importing cars is not environ- PAYE jobs now and the remainder are screamed that we were heading for the mentally friendly because the making of hugely subsidised by the EU and the Irish rocks. Somehow our universities are not them uses huge carbon emissions and State. turning out economists who can actually scarce resources that are leeched from Once the banks started circulating do the job. Even a cursory knowledge of poorer countries. Discriminating against money for bigger and bigger mortgages, the South Sea Bubble and the Dutch Black older cars on the basis of faulty science the house prices started to rise and by Tulip Bubble would have demonstrated and even more faulty economics is literally 1995 and 1996 the rise became a property what economic bubbles are like and could destroying our economy. bubble and house prices ceased to be have shown what was coming down the Now the latest wheeze from our eco- related to construction costs. Urban Plan- tracks straight at us. But then the Univer- warriors is the scheme to sell off Coillte ners and engineers and local Councillors sities themselves went into a building Teoranta which is a State-owned asset— 31 read taxpayer here—which owns about as well as debt-dodging is rumoured to be they like and at the same time—have the 7% of the land of Ireland and most of our involved here. There are many developers right to stay in the job no matter how badly forests—even more important. Trees who transferred some visible assets into they perform—and having some know- absorb carbon dioxide and exude oxygen their wives names but this is apparently a ledge of how academia works—believe and are vital to the health of our people smokescreen to ostensibly keep NAMA me they can perform very badly indeed and economy. Old Fianna Fail brought in and the Courts busy. The really major and that's if some of them actually turn up a scheme where farmers long ago were stuff is well hidden by a specialist army of for their lectures. The actual teaching hours encouraged to plant trees and I remember tax-advisors and solicitors employed by a for those who do teach are minimal— my father doing this—long before any relatively small and elite international though of course no academic wants to be eejit started carping about carbon emis- cohort of accountancy firms and law firms. known for merely teaching—they call it sions. Now carbon credits are being traded NAMA [National Assets Management "lecturing" and they are very sticky on and making millions for Hedge Fund Agency] should never have been estab- this point. They lecture as much as fifteen investors and the like, while countries try lished. It was not necessary for law-abiding or twenty hours a week for as much as to do swaps to falsify their own emissions people. Yes, the depositors should have which dodgy science came up with in the twenty-six weeks a year. They feel fright- been protected by guarantee up to say fully overworked and say their remuneration first place. Plant trees and make it a sustain- €500,000 because it was the Government able living for more and more Irish farmers —what we call wages/salary is too little at by lax regulation which had allowed the that. A librarian gets only €114,000 to to develop into a little cottage industry at situation in September 2008 to happen. €146,000 at UCD [University College first thus gradually building it up to a real The banks should have been told to deal industry with a growing employee base. Dublin] or €85,000 to €110,000 at TCD. with their several situations. Anglo-Irish But no—our Government is actually plan- Last November it was found that sixty Bank should have been allowed to take its ning to sell our Coillte off to the Chinese people working in the education sector who desperately need timber or to a Swiss- course—like Lehman's in the USA and each earned over €150,000 a year! Des based Hedge Fund—both of these have Barclays etc in the UK. And Bank of Fitzgerald, Vice President of UCD is paid put in bids lately. One of the directors of Ireland and AIB could have been preserved €263,602 a year. Dr. John Hegarty, Provost Coillte is none other than Bertie Ahern. —by State ownership if necessary like the of TCD is paid €202,118 a year plus use of You would be hard placed to actually banks in France. There was no apparent a free house at 1, Grafton Street—including make this sort of thing up! Are the Greens need for NAMA. Bank of Ireland and free butler and servants and access to the objecting to the sale? Are they what? AIBplc are experts at getting in their loans. TCD wine cellar all at the tax-payer's They have the expert staff and the inform- So the politicians have let us down, the expense. The Auditor-General questioned ation networks to trace their money and economists have let us down, the bankers the paying of allowances in addition to the their debtors. NAMA has no such expert- have let us down but above all the regula- wages and there was a scandal in Limerick tors have let us down. The regulators were ise. NAMA may try to buy in such expertise where three full Presidential salaries were paid to be our watch-dogs and what did but the banks have it now. Why try to re- simultaneously being paid to the President they do? Patrick Neary, the Financial invent the wheel? Like Martin O' and to two former Presidents plus allow- Regulator watched while we got finan- Donoghue, the TCD [Trinity College ances for several years. cially burned and he was rewarded with a Dublin] economist to Jack Lynch, and the Most of the costs of the Universities are lump sum of €600,000 and a handsome abolition of the Rates we got Peter Bacon paid by us the tax-payers and the Universit- pension. Paul Appleby was the Company the economist who is credited with the ies are now backing a proposal that, in Regulator and he watched while limited invention of NAMA for Minister of addition, the students should also contri- companies became so interlinked that Finance Brian Lenihan TD and Taoiseach bute to the excessive salaries and allow- effectively the ownership was obfuscated of-the-day Brian Cowen. And, just a ances. It is outrageous cheek therefore for to the point of untraceability and bank thought, why does NAMA have to have as over 150 academics led by Professor Tom auditors issued blatantly untrue reports on Chairman Frank Daly who was Chairman Garvin to publish what amounts basically the bank balance sheets. Yes, he neatly of The Revenue Commissioners during to a begging letter in The Irish Times vanished from the scene. Back to London? the Celtic Tiger years? Is it because he did claiming that the proposed implementation Well he vanished and he was not called to a great job as Chairman of the Revenue of the Croke Park Agreement would account and nor were the auditors. Neither Commissioners? We have as Financial interfere with academic freedom (e.g. days the Taoiseach Brian Cowen TD nor any of Regulator now Matthew Elderfield, who off etc.) and the bedrock on which it— his Ministers is calling upon anyone to was previously in Bermuda and was at account or so it seems. Billions of euros academic freedom—rests. These acade- Cambridge University where, incidentally mics have easily the best jobs in Ireland have been robbed from the Irish tax-payers or not—our Finance Minister Brian (not "lost" because "lost" is something and the best pay and conditions, way over Lenihan did his post-graduate work after that happens accidentally, there is nothing their European counterparts or those of Trinity College. The latter sure knows accidental about the billions gone) and of the UK or even those of the US. There is how to pick them! But somehow or another course the billions are still in existence but a minority of statutory lecturers and they are in someone else's pockets abroad. it all stacks up to a "very fine mess" as the professors who are incompetent boozers The billions are now owned by companies old comics Laurel and Hardy used to say. or idlers and deserving dismissal and the registered in places like Shanghai, Ber- majority are doing themselves no favours muda, Seychelles, Jersey, Guernsey, and ACADEMIC JOBS by resisting the implementation of the Isle of Man . . . and there is much rumour The lack of expertise amongst the Croke Park Agreement. Particularly when, to suggest that these tax shelters are har- economists reminds me of the academics. in international tables of competitiveness bouring limited companies beneficially They want jobs for life but they put it more of academic standards, our Universities owned by many of the entrepreneurs and elegantly than that. It is—they say—their compare so unfavourably—a way down developers—who borrowed in Ireland and bedrock of academic freedom—though the scale. who are making a pretence of being how this could be so is unclear. They seek bankrupt in Ireland. Massive tax-dodging the freedom to leave their job whenever Michael Stack © 32 a few days back that he next time he hears very substantial contribution to local and TAX continued somebody going on about the smart national taxation and provide employment Two former Taoisigh, Garrett FitzGerald economy, he will clock them. He is trying for thousands of people outside the US" and John Bruton, have also come out against to operate a business that could certainly be (Irish Independent, 22.10.10). any change. termed 'smart', but he is tearing his hair out "Facebook is another company now Dr. FitzGerald said it was unthinkable that because he has to wait months to get preparing a similar structure that will the IMF would impose such a harsh measure adequate lines installed in his Dublin city send earning from Ireland to the Cayman on the economy when its objective in coming centre office. Islands, according to its filings in the in here is to get the economy and the national "Smart economy indeed!" (Irish Caymans and Ireland" (Irish Independent, finances back on solid ground. Examiner, 1.10.2010). 27.10.2010). Attacking the tax would be counter There is another interesting aspect to FDI! Microsoft has managed to save billions in productive and John Bruton went further Our low corporation tax rate is shackling U.S. taxes by clever use of Irish tax laws. It set pointing out that our low corporate tax regime high technology start-up companies in Ireland. up two subsidiary companies—unlimited, was initiated as far back as 1956 even before In the growth phase, these companies are which means no obligation to file public the EU was founded. pre-profit or revenue, but need to attract and accounts—with registered offices at Dublin The scare around losing the low rate is a retain highly qualified and skilled staff. corporate lawyers Matheson Ormsby Prentice. fresh reminder that we are so heavily dependent Low corporation tax for foreign on foreign companies. Some have argued that multinationals is a subsidy that encourages THE CELTIC TIGER? our reliance on foreign direct investment was these companies to set up in Ireland. As the world entered a new century, Ireland was over done, that we needed a strategy beyond a These significant subsidies are not available the pin-up boy for the gospel of globalisation—a craven reliance on US multinational firms. to the start-ups, who then have to compete with model for all other states to emulate! Some economists have identified that the multinationals' attractive remuneration Charlie McCreevy was even chiding the weakness and point to the significant potential packages which are in effect paid for by the Germans how the might learn from the success still offered by the food sector. subsidy from the State in the form of the low of the Celtic economic model. corporation tax rate. Mickey Kanter, the US Trade Minister INTEL BOSS The availability of such highly competitive described Peter Sutherland as being the father The talk about an educated workforce; packages in a small labour pool is not of globalisation—without whom there would quality of life, etc. is small fry compared the compatible with an industrial policy aspiration have been no W.T.O. tax advantage of working out of Ireland. It is of achieving several indigenous company The Anglo-Saxon economic model was the only reason they are here, as Intel's Craig listings on Nasdaq in a few years. about to fulfil the dreams of Francis Fukuyama Barrett reminded the Farmleigh conference So you can't have it both ways. We either proclaiming the "end of history". Liberal last year. He said of all the reasons why Intel remain addicted to our supply of Foreign Direct democracy and the Anglo-Saxon sociopolitical had located in Ireland in 1989, only one—the Investment and keep the corporation tax rate model had won the day and the Celtic Tiger favourable corporate tax rate—still held true. low, or we wean ourselves off it and focus on was there to prove it. Craig Barrett, the former global head of creating a thriving indigenous industrial base. Intel, one of the jewels in the FDI crown said The former is short-termist, whereas the WHERE NOW? last year that the Irish should look to their own latter offers us self-reliance and forward To build a serious recovery, we must learn skills and ingenuity to start delivering winning planning for the benefit of the nation. from our mistakes. The deregulation and tax- companies in various sectors that can compete cutting of free market fundamentalism gener- globally. (Irish Examiner, 20.11.2010). GOOGLE THE PROFITS AWAY! ated a false boom and a big bust. This discredited Internet giant Google slashed its tax bill by ideology, still dominant in Ireland, is focused FDI BUSINESS FRIENDLY IRELAND? $3.1 billion (€2.6 billion) over the past three on slashing wages, welfare, public services According to some of the country's leading years -- by moving a lot of its profits through and investment. They were so wrong before. economists, Ireland is the best country in Ireland. If we could turn the building sector into 25% Europe for ease of doing business and the Google, the world's most popular search of Irish output in the space of 10 years : is it country has retained "exceptional advantages" engine, cut its tax bill by legally channelling beyond our capacity to drive the indigenous as a location for foreign direct investment, money through Ireland and the Netherlands sector in time up to 50%? despite the economic downturn. and then on to tax haven Bermuda, Bloomberg The indigenous sector was as good as The ease of doing business, being an English- reported yesterday. forgotten during the boom years. speaking country and the low corporation tax The company ended up cutting its corporate Having gone through two years where the rate mean Ireland is still a huge attraction for tax bill to just 2.4%, and tax experts are amazed economic collapse was denied at first and then foreign investment. at how little tax the company has managed to only gradually revealed, isn't it time to look at Traditionally, Ireland has courted the pay overall. the realities and come up with an intelligent Irish solution for a change? multinational sector, often prompting complaints "It's remarkable that Google's effective First of all, rather than standing with our backs by indigenous employers that they were being rate is that low," said Martin Sullivan, a tax to the wall and taking on anybody that dares to overlooked. The report states that 85 per cent of expert who previously worked for the US disagree with us, we should update some of the real total exports are from foreign-owned companies. Treasury. "We know this company operates studies on company taxation throughout Europe. The new Government document, Trading throughout the world mostly in high-tax The Netherlands does not have such a huge and Investing in a Smart Economy, wants to countries where the average corporate rate amount of US investment because they like reduce Ireland's dependence on multinational is well over 20%,'' he added. exports, and boost exports from home-grown their canals, bicycles and tulips. They have indigenous companies by one-third. It has Google used methods that take advantage of built their tax system not just around a headline started off with a simple pretext: which Irish tax laws to legally move profits in and out tax figure. They have introduced lots of countries are we exporting to, and what products of companies here, escaping Ireland's 12.5% conditions that makes it at least as attractive as are we selling them? corporate tax rate. Ireland's when it's all added up. This strategy is known as "Double Irish" "On Tuesday, September 28, 2010, the So why not explore and gradually upgrade under which it shuttled foreign profits through Government launched its latest jobs Ireland's corporation tax system so when the day its Irish operation to Bermuda. strategy. Trading and Investing in a Smart comes when the headline rate has to be changed it Companies that use the "Double Irish" Economy. The report states that 85 per cent will still prove very attractive to foreign investment? arrangement—so named because it relies on of total exports are from foreign-owned We should remember too that once the country two Irish companies—avoid taxes at home and companies. The report has gone back to offered a zero tax rate—and attracted zero abroad. basics: tourism and agriculture. investment—so it's down to more than tax rates. "It is a disappointing document and "In a statement last night, the company In the meantime perhaps we should also find contains an array of aspirational guff that said: 'Google complies completely with the a way where the facilities of the country, paid has been repeated ad nauseam for years. A tax laws of all the countries in which we for by ever-more hard pressed taxpayers, are low-key successful entrepreneur said to me have operations. As a result, we make a not given for nothing to foreign companies.

33 announcing plans to do so. However, according to IDA Ireland TAX continued Experience has shown the Government that spokesman Thomas McEvoy the figures don't raising the Irish VAT rate can carry negative have a huge impact on the overall foreign against an EU average of 21.5% with consequences. The rate was raised by half a per investment picture for Ireland. Luxembourg highest at 27%. cent to 21.5% in 2008 but subsequently reduced He added that the entire FDI activity—on a For tax on capital, Ireland's 15.7% is the again after an outflow of consumer spending to worldwide basis—has fallen by as much as third lowest in the EU against an average of the North, where the VAT rate was 15%t. The 30% over the past 12 months; due to the global 26% with Britain the highest at 46%. UK has since introduced a 17.5% rate. recession . ****************************************************************************** "Next year, the numbers will look much "The CSO figures reflect three main different," said Mr. Campbell. elements—equity capital, re-invested earn- FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT: "We fully expect to see numerous ings and other capital like inter- company INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE fluctuations as many economies around the loans. FDI is a measure of foreign ownership of world announce indirect tax changes" (Irish "The economic downturn has made the productive assets, such as factories, mines and Times, 16.10.2010). climate for inter-company lending very land. Increasing foreign investment can be volatile and as falling profitability has used as one measure of growing economic FDI INFLOWS; FDI OUTFLOWS become more commonplace, profits made globalisation. The largest flows of foreign In the discussion on FDI in this country, the in Ireland being re-invested in operations investment occur between the industrialised emphasis is all on FDI Inflows, little attention here have lessened in terms of re-invested countries (North America, Western Europe is paid to outflow, that is Irish investment in earnings and that has been a major and Japan). But flows to non-industrialised other countries (CRH, Kerry Group, Glanbia, contributory factor in the fall", he said. countries are increasing sharply. etc. including foreign companies registered in Indeed, there was a €6 billion n reduction in The United States is the world's largest Ireland). Alone in the United States as the level of foreign company re-invested recipient of FDI. More than $325.3 billion in mentioned above: earnings, down to €175.4 billion; together FDI flowed into the United States in 2008, "Irish companies directly employ an with an increase of €11.5 billion—to €54.5 which is a 37% increase from 2007. The $2.1 estimated 82,000 within 227 companies at billion—in outflows of other capital. trillion stock of FDI in the United States at the over 2,600 locations, in all 50 States across end of 2008 is the equivalent of approximately the USA. The cumulative stock of Irish THE P.D.POSITION—"YES" 16% of US gross domestic product (GDP). foreign direct investment (FDI) in the US Ireland's low corporation taxes will not be Starting from a baseline of less than $19 stood at $34 billion in 2008. (American increased, Minister for Health Mary Harney billion just 20 years ago, FDI in China has Chamber) has said, while she pointed out that the country grown to over $300 billion in the first 10 years. "U.S. firms have invested more in Ireland is becoming competitive again because wages China has continued its massive growth and is than in Brazil, China, India and Russia are falling. the leader among all developing nations in combined, says Joanne Richardson, CEO terms of FDI. Even though there was a slight Speaking to a Trinity College Dublin of the American Chamber of Commerce" dip in FDI in 2009 as a result of the global event in London, Mary Harney, Minister (Reuters, 25.11.2010). slowdown, 2010 has again seen investments for Health said she wanted to offer "a increase. Just for fun, we'll throw another statistic in: well-grounded and reasoned confidence In the CIA World Factbook for 2009, the "The Prime Minister, Hon. David and hope" about Ireland's prospects. United States is the largest net receiver of FDI. Cameron: My hon. Friend makes an "We will certainly not increase the cost France, UK and Germany follow. Ireland is extremely good point. Not only that, but of corporation tax in Ireland—the 12.5% ranked 21st. Ireland is an enormously important trading rate is here to stay. It is an embedded part FDI is a measure of growing economic partner for Britain. It is a fact that we export of the business environment in Ireland; globalisation. The mantra by Irish political more to Ireland than to Brazil, Russia, India and economic commentators that if the rest of as embedded as the soil and sun in France and China combined. That is a rebuke to us, that produces superb wine; the centuries- the EU is unhappy with Ireland's inordinate because we have to do better with those low FDI rate, then they too can reduce their old tradition of excellent design and style other countries, but Ireland is an extremely in Italy; and the Mittelstand engineering rate to 12.5%. This is precisely the goal the important trading partner, and stability and tradition in Germany," she said. globalisers yearn for. It further increases the success in the Irish economy is very much growing gain of capital over labour throughout in Britain's interests" (Hansard, British Almost as Finchley as Crossmaglen! the world. Parliament, 15.11.2010). A real irony here is that since the Partnership "Ireland had let labour costs get too high, Agreements from 1987 which stabilised The overall value of FDI in Ireland fell by she said: "We did let them get un- Industrial Relations, and made Ireland even nearly €18 billion to €120.9 billion last year, competitive, but the direction is good now— more attractive to the Multi-Nationals. The according to figures published yesterday we are getting more competitive. Trade Union movement has little or no (28.11.2009) by the CSO. "Ireland is the only country in the Euro membership in most of these FDI companies, The new set of figures—which combine area in which unit labour costs are falling— particularly amongst the US corporations. existing and new investment—also show that last year there was an improvement of nearly As capital's share of wealth grows that of the amount invested abroad, by companies 7% in those costs relative to the Euro area," labour decreases. FDI is a major example of based here, grew from €101.9 billion to €123.3 she said. this. billion last year. "Discounting the pessimism held abroad Corporation Tax rates are falling around the Subtracting one from the other means about Ireland, she said Ireland is a €160 world, while sales taxes are are increasing, Ireland's net total FDI asset position stood at billion-a-year economy that had once with both trends likely to be maintained, a new €2.4 billion, as of the end of last December. headed €190 billion 'but that was built on an report from KPMG has found. The growth in outbound investment by excessive amount of construction'". The research shows that the Republic's companies based here was driven by businesses "We've had a permanent contraction. Still, Corporation Tax rate of 12.5% is among the investing more in their mainland European a €160 billion economy from four million lowest in Europe, where the average rate is operations—investing in Europe grew by 22% people is significant, and by any standards, 21.5%, down from 21.7% a year ago. over the year. is among the wealthiest in the world. On the other hand, the average European Investment from Ireland to regions like "This economy is not about to disappear", indirect tax rate is 19.67%, compared to the Britain, Luxembourg and North and Central she said. (Irish Times, 23.10.2010). main Irish VAT rate of 21%. The European America all grew last year. average last year was 19.29%. In terms of sectoral breakdown, just over "HOW DO YOU BUY KILLARNEY?" KPMG judges that indirect taxes will 60% of Ireland's foreign direct investment Professor Colm McCarthy said foreign continue to rise while corporation taxes will stock for last year was accounted for by the investment in Ireland has been linked with our fall, with more than 17 countries having services sector—with the monetary inter- low corporate tax rate for decades. It is part of changed either tax rates since last year, or mediation and the insurance services sector the deal, he said. the largest components. continued on page 33 34 The Irish rate is much more competitive was increased to 15 or 16% Ireland would still TAX continued than that of France, where companies pay a be competitive, and thus attractive… rate of 33% despite France being the world's Companies are taxed at more than 40% in the particularly outside Dublin, and to gain higher second largest beneficiary from FDI Inflow United States, so Ireland's tax rate of 12.5% is skilled employment. following the US. Paris has long accused a huge attraction for US firms" (IT, 23.10.2010). By 2001, it has sponsored 1,300 companies, Dublin of "fiscal dumping", or unfairly ***************************************************************************** of which 500 were from the U.S. With a total attracting investment, by keeping it so low. "The IDA head [Barry O'Leary] says employment of 125,000. It gives grants to Mr Cowen's comments came amid growing foreign direct investment was responsible firms of approx. €132,000,000 a year (2001 expectations that the 5.7% interest rate on for €110 billion Euros of Ireland's €159 bn. figures). the average cost per job declined bailout loans of €67.5 billion could be cut. in exports last year" (Reuters, 25.11.2010). from €41,000 in 1987 to just over €12,500 in Indeed, according to a Government report of 1999. FDI BY ANOTHER NAME September, 2010—"Trading and Investing in Mr. Batt O'Keeffe, Enterprise Minister said There were 41,700 people employed in a Smart Economy", 85% of total exports are "that commitment is protected in an EU context international and financial services in 2000, from foreign-owned companies. by the principle of unanimity in taxation with 69,000 in electronics and engineering. This is a dismal reflection of our failure to matters. And it is further enhanced by the develop indigenous exports. Despite the billions insertion of a legal guarantee in the Lisbon GLAXO LONDON (29.11.2010) that have gone into education, training, etc.— Treaty." He said "foreign direct investment to Commenting on the proposals, GSK CEO Is this the best we can do? Ireland is now back at investment levels not Andrew Witty said: During the Euro election in 2009, Pat 'The seen since 2005/2006". "For too long, while great inventions and Cope' Gallagher, M.P., estimated that Ireland Mr O'Keeffe told the Dáil that "some discoveries have been made in this country, received €63 billion in subsidies, etc. from the countries have high nominal rates of downstream economic activity in develop- European Union. The bulk of which went to corporation tax but much lower effective rates ment and manufacturing, and associated the farming sector. due to the use of various base-narrowing employment, have been attracted to other Ireland is still a net beneficiary from the EU devices. This is not the case in Ireland—our countries which have more favourable annual budget. system is relatively simple. Corporation tax corporation tax regimes. In one stroke, the According 'The Cope' Gallagher: receipts in Ireland represent about the average introduction of the UK patent box will help to collected by such taxes across the OECD" "we contributed €1.7 billion towards the change this dynamic" (Glaxo web site, London). (Irish Times, 24.11.2010). EU budget and we received €2.16 billion from the EU under the common agricultural SIPTU RESPONSE US INVESTMENT IN IRELAND policy, the European social fund, research Cork-based SIPTU executive Alan O'Leary The health of the multinational sector is a and technology funding and for cross-border said the decision by Britain to reduce bright spot in the economy, and is generating development initiatives. This mean that corporation tax for industries involved in jobs and spending in local economies across Ireland is a net beneficiary from the EU to research and development and related Ireland. Multinationals account for €19 billion the value of €460 million a year. In overall manufacturing was 'a threat to future investment in direct expenditure and €7 billion in payroll terms, we have received €62 billion since in Cork and Ireland'. costs, as well as contributing 55% of the joining the EU and we have contributed Currently, Cork is the base for between 39 corporate tax take in the Irish economy. €21 billion towards the EU budget over the and 40% of the pharmaceutical sector in this past 36 years. This means Ireland has country. "Today, approximately 100,000 people secured €41 billion from Europe in net "Mr. O'Leary said he believed the British are directly employed in over 600 US firms transfers since joining the EEC. It will be a plan had to be seen as a threat to what has in Ireland accounting for 70% of all IDA number of years yet before Ireland becomes been a 'hugely attractive Irish package, that supported employment. a net contributor to the EU budget" (Irish offers good quality and an educated "Collectively US companies have a Examiner, 27.7.2009). workforce.'" (Eve. Echo, Cork, 11.12.2010). US$146 billion (approx. ¤105 billion) foreign direct investment (FDI) in Ireland. Even the Marshall Plan signed by the first OLLI REHN This represents 8% of all US investment in Inter-Party Government in 1948 with the USA "It's a fact of life that after what has happened, the EU and 4.6% worldwide. This equates to allow aid of £47 million pounds, shades in Ireland will not continue as a low-tax country to more than the total invested in the much comparison. but it will rather be a normal tax country in the hyped BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, WALES IS WATCHING! European context", said EU Economic and India, China). "Ireland has a 'freakishly low' corporation Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn "The US accounted for 65% of Ireland's tax rate which confers a 'semi-tax haven speaking in mid-November. He made his remarks inward investment in 2008. status' on the country, former Welsh first after the Government disclosed that the bailout "Analysed at a sector level, Ireland is the minister Rhodri Morgan has complained. of the banks would cost a massive €50 billion. No. 2 location worldwide for US FDI in the "Because of this, he claimed, Wales could However, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan information sector and fifth worldwide in not even get on the shortlist for investment promptly rejected the Commissioner's comments. chemicals. by foreign multinationals over the last Mr. Lenihan made it clear that the Corpora- "Irish companies directly employ an decade. tion Tax rate will remain at 12.5%, adding that estimated 82,000 within 227 companies at "Mr. Morgan urged Ireland to raise its it was a "cornerstone of the Irish industrial over 2,600 locations, in all 50 States across tax rate for its own needs. 'What, after all, policy". Our Corporation Tax Rate is untouchable. the USA. The cumulative stock of Irish would happen if the whole of Europe went foreign direct investment (FDI) in the US for a 12.5 per cent tax rate? Where would PRESIDENT SARKOZY stood at $34 billion in 2008. the tax receipts come from to bail out Taoiseach Brian Cowen insisted he would "In 2009, US firms contributed €3 billion Ireland?' he asked: (IT, 27.11.2010). continue to defend Ireland's low Corporation to the Irish Exchequer in taxes (including Tax rate from outside attacks. approximately 35% of total corporate tax More than 7,800 workers are employed by Mr. Cowen said the 12.5% rate was the take) and contributed €15 billion in expend- 106 British firms in Ireland, making it the cornerstone of the country's industrial policy, iture to the Irish economy in terms of pay- largest source of FDI after the United States. as well as an essential feature of its growth rolls, goods and services employed in their ****************************************************************************** strategy. operations." (Amer. Chamber of Commerce Ireland has the third lowest tax takes on "He argued there was no evidence that of Ireland web site). labour—combining social contributions and imposing a higher rate would result in larger ****************************************************************************** income tax of about 25% before the income revenues for the State. French President US certified public accountant and former and pension levies were imposed. The EU Nicolas Sarkozy recently said Ireland should chairman of Integra International, Donald average is 34% with Belgium highest at 42%. not be allowed to access the EU/IMF bailout DeGrazia, said: "If corporate tax was 25 to Ireland's consumption taxes including VAT while maintaining a low corporation tax 30% it would have a big impact on those rate is the ninth highest in the EU at 22.9% rate" (Irish Independent, 20.1.2011). considering investing in Ireland. However, if it continued on page 34 35 VOLUME 29 No. 2 CORK ISSN 0790-1712

A Tale of Two Countries It would be difficult to come across a ation, in Newry, that the Republic's low munism and the bureaucracy inherited from more accurate or succinct account of Corporation Tax regime is living on the Austro-Hungarian empire" (ibid.). Ireland's economic plight than the following borrowed time. article written by a Reuters reporter last LISBON TREATY "Sounding a provocative note, Mr. Brad- November, 2010. "Although Ireland may try to resist the ley added that the shelving of the 12.5% "Country A is drowning. A catastrophic outside calls to raise its corporation tax rate rate would be no bad thing. As he put it: 'It for as long as possible, we wouldn't be recession has thrown a tenth of its workforce is time that we threw away this crutch'…" out of jobs in just two years. Firms are surprised to see the rate pushed up to around (Irish Examiner, 26.10.2010). 17.5% at some stage over the next four shutting, banks are barely solvent and the "He warned his audience that a low IMF has been called in to bail out the years as part of the fiscal consolidation company tax rate would not be a panacea plan", Bloxham said. government from crushing debt. The stand- for their problems. ard of living is eroding, taxes are being "We would be best advised to plan for a At this stage Ireland has the lowest CPT hiked, state spending is being slashed, and future without the current low tax rate." (Corporate Profit Tax) in the European Union the deeply unpopular government is being except for Bulgaria and Cyprus, which apply a forced into an election it is certain to lose. Ireland can cope without 'this wasting 10% rate of tax on business profits. "Country B has a huge and growing trade asset' which, he argues, has allowed the From an Irish perspective any moves to surplus. It is attracting a flood of inter- Government to duck a lot of other competi- force a change in the tax rate for business national investment from global firms, tiveness issues. would be seen by the Government as a breach building thriving hi-tech export industries. "'We are rediscovering the virtues of the of the promises given at the time of the Lisbon Exports grew this year by 6% and now indigenous sector.' Treaty. amount to more than $50,000 per person. "Perhaps, the removal of the low rate is At that critical time for Europe Ireland was Taxes are low and staying low, and the inevitable, even desirable, but to subject given a commitment that, if it voted Yes to English-speaking population is highly our economy to its withdrawal within five Lisbon, it would be allowed to retain its highly skilled. years would well be a gamble not worth competitive CPT rate at 12.5%, despite the "Both countries are Ireland. And therein taking, assuming that the Government is moves to create a harmonised rate across the lies a tale, or rather two tales: of a domestic left with any alternative by our increasingly EU in the interest of fair competition for economy that is in tatters, side by side with impatient partners in Europe" (ibid) . overseas investment. a global export economy in the rudest of "Mr. Bradley, these days, is a senior BRITISH THREAT health. advisor to governments in Eastern Europe. Fears are being expressed in industry that "In some respects, the success of Ireland's He is in a good position to assess these possible alterations to the British tax code export economy obscures just how thor- emerging economies. In his view, what is could lure foreign direct investment to the UK oughly ruined its domestic economy has holding them back is the legacy of com- rather than Ireland. been by the bursting of its property bubble Britain has proposed changes to the taxation in 2008. Subscribers to the magazine are regularly of income from intellectual property and foreign "Whole industries have completely van- offered special rates on other publications profits. ished in a matter of months. Since govern- Pressure is also growing in the North to ment revenue depends mainly on domestic Irish Political Review is published by reduce Corporation Taxes to the rates in the economic activity, the sudden fall in output the IPR Group: write to— Republic which could draw investment north has blown apart what were once exemplary of the Border. public finances. 1 Sutton Villas, Lower Dargle Road Bray, Co. Wicklow or "Foreign firms are not frightened off GLAXO SMITHKLINE by the chaos in the domestic economy, PO Box 339, Belfast BT12 4GQ or "Glaxo SmithKline (GSK) has confirmed which does not really affect them since PO Box 6589, London, N7 6SG, or a €50 million investment for Britain. It comes in the wake of the disclosure that the they don't rely on Ireland's domestic Labour Comment, demand for customers or on its financial British Government is to lower its corpora- C/O Shandon St. P.O., Cork City. tion tax rate for industries involved in system for funding. TEL: 021-4676029 "Ireland has such a strong track record of research and development and related manu- companies operating here and they are not Subscription by Post: facturing" (Eve. Echo, Cork, 1.12.2010). caught up in the domestic financial system" 12 issues: £20, UK; € 30, Ireland; € 35, Europe. GSK has a long established plant in (Reuters, Peter Graff, 25.11.2010). Ringaskiddy, Cork. There have been significant Electronic Subscription: cuts in jobs in recent years. A further 100 THE FDI CRUTCH workers are now being laid off. The company Last October 2010, former senior ESRI € 15 / £12 for 12 issues (or € 1.30 / £1.10 per issue) says it has no plans for further redundancies or economist, John Bradley, managed to hold a shutdown. his listeners' attention as he warned the You can also order from: The Industrial Development Agency was Annual Conference of the Irish Associ- https://www.atholbooks-sales.org set up to encourage foreign investment, continued on page 35