Margaret Thatcher That Rising Sun! Jim Larkin Editorial Wilson John Haire Labour Comment

page 4 page 5 back page IRISH POLITICAL REVIEW May 2013 Vol.28, No.5 ISSN 0790-7672 and Northern Star incorporating Workers' Weekly Vol.27 No.5 ISSN 954-5891

Social Partnership EU The Ruins Of Croke Park 'Treaty Change': In our last issue we wrote of the drift towards a rejection by Trade Union members of the big red herrngi Croke Park II, the proposed deal for curbing the public sector pay bill: Cameron's plans for a renegotiated EU "Union ballots have now to follow and there is a strong force pulling members of the received a serious setback when Germany sectional Unions towards rejection. But, as the IMPACT National Executive decision and and France (followed by Ireland) declined the stance of the SIPTU leadership have shown, this is not the political mood in the broader to participate in his plans on the very valid Trade Union movement, and it is on the politics of it rather than, to paraphrase Keynes, grounds that this was a domestic UK "the animal spirits of labour", that many Union members will vote" (Promissory Notes, affair. Cameron then went on a charm Croke Park and the Euro, Irish Political Review editorial, March 2013). offensive with a get-together of his and And so it was to be. The politics of it changed in the two weeks up to the announcement Merkel's family at the Chancellor's official of the results of the SIPTU ballot. guest residence, Schloss Meseberg, in the The wall-to-wall coverage of the anti-Agreement Teacher Union Conferences in the Brandenburg countryside. One result was week after Easter (in contrast to the slight attention Irish Congress of Trade Union that afterwards "she was willing to pursue Conferences receive), and the early decisions by traditionally inveterate Agreement- the option of treaty change". opponents, such as UNITE and some craft Unions, created a climate of inevitability This must have been music to Camer- about rejection of the deal. Clear direction was required and for this all eyes were on on's ears, as it effectively reversed the SIPTU. earlier German decision not to engage in When the SIPTU National Executive met on 14th March, it seems that its public his so-called "renegotiations". service representatives (representing a third of SIPTU membership) overwhelmingly 'Treaty change' is code for Cameron's urged acceptance of the Agreement in the interests of low-paid workers. The deal determination to change the EU—another negotiated put an end to substantive threats of outsourcing, ruled out compulsory way of accepting his 'renegotiation' plans. redundancies and ring-fenced wages and salaries under a €65,000 ceiling. There were painful concessions on working time, deferral of increments and options of flexible This position was echoed and spelt out working. But on balance the SIPTU National Executive put the case for the Agreement, in more detail at a Dublin meeting: arguing that "the best way Public Service Workers can protect their interests is through "Germany laid down a big barrier on a single centralised Agreement", and stating that it was "the best that could be obtained the fast track to European banking union, through negotiation". And then . . . it left its members to make up their own minds (i.e. insisting a revision of EU treaties is take their leadership from the "the politics of it", i.e. the general public debate). necessary to create a single authority to continued on page 2 continued on page 3

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legacy of the Ahern and Cowen years. grim legacy of the Ahern and Cowen Spot the Party Line! But is a humbled Fianna Fáil really on the years. But is a humbled Fianna Fáil really cusp of a comeback?" on the cusp of a comeback?" In the 26th April edition of The Irish Times, Arthur Beesley began his piece on Later that day (5.41pm) Mary Wilson Wilson did not tell her listeners that she the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis as follows: introduced a piece on RTE radio's was quoting almost verbatim from The Drivetime as follows: Irish Times. "Fianna Fáil’s ardfheis opens tonight in Dublin, the second since the party’s "The Fianna Fáil ard fheis opens at the It is difficult to know whether it has RDS in Dublin this evening. The abject defeat in the 2011 election. The become the natural, unconscious instinct gathering comes amid resurgence in the gathering comes amid a revival in the polls, raising hope within the party that it opinion polls raising hopes within the of RTE presenters to parrot The Irish can eventually overcome the dismal party that it can eventually overcome the Times line. ment, a welfare state, and full employment C O N T E N T S through Social Partnership. Page Throughout the years of the Celtic Tiger The Ruins Of Croke Park. Editorial on Social Partnership 1 the Labour Party adopted an irrational refusal to enter coalitions with Fianna EU 'Treaty Change'. Jack Lane 1 Fáil. In 1987 it had virulently denounced Spot The Party Line! Report 1 Trade Union negotiations with the Fianna Readers' Letters: Fáil Government on a 'Programme for Germany's Rethink On Blame For Irish Bank Bailout. Philip O'Connor 3 National Recovery', the historic first Partnership Agreement, and subsequently Margaret Thatcher. Editorial 4 was never again to come to terms with the What's Left. Wilson John Haire (Poem) 5 Unions. Labour collapsed its short-lived That Rising Sun! Wilson John Haire 5 coalition with FF in 1994 for no discernible reason other than visceral hostility to its Shorts from the Long Fellow (Italy; The Lowry Tape; A Free Press; coalition partner and personal pique, thus Fiona Muldoon) 8 leaving FF reliant on the PDs in shaping The Irish Bulletin And The Academy. Brendan Clifford (Part One) 9 the prosperity of the years that followed, An Irish Anti-Fascist Volunteer And Some Other Soldier. in agreement with the Trade Union Manus O'Riordan (Part 6) 14 movement. Biteback: Graves Vandalised. Tom Cooper (Unpublished Letter) 17 The Trade Unions had to learn to deal Eddie Linden, A Maverick Poet. Seán McGouran (Review) 20 directly with the State in the interests of their members without the vehicle of a Does It Stack Up? Michael Stack (Farming; National Commemorations labour party that cared much for them. Programme; Walter Macken; IASIL; Syria 21 Taking their cue from Larkin jnr. they All That Glitters. Wilson John Haire 22 were spectacularly successful in this for many decades. But, in the current moment Labour Comment, edited by Pat Maloney: of crisis on securing a national agreement Jim Larkin for the public service, the Trade Unions by proved incapable of offering a clear Patrick Kavanagh perspective to their members. In recent years the ICTU established a think tank— the Nevin Economic Research Institute Trade Union Notes (NERI). Unfortunately this has been (back page) stocked with pure and simple economists, and to create a profile and rationale for itself has naturally gone down the road of That was the end of the Agreement. Sinn Féin can be excused for adopting developing an "alternative economic Over the following two weeks as SIPTU an unremitting hostility to the Irish State— strategy" that last refuge of a stranded members pondered their options, the media after all that State has been consistently Left. This has taken the form of rejecting was awash with anti-Agreement argument. seeking to destroy it for many decades. "austerity" and promoting the cause of Mary Lou MacDonald (SF) denounced But, if it wants to become anything in the "stimulus led growth" to be financed by the agreement in the Dáil as a "sell out by State, it is going to have to develop out of boosting consumer spending and increas- the Union leaders", while right-wing that rejectionism, or be left far behind by ing taxes further. This has proven to have commentators like Eddie Hobbs com- a revived Fianna Fáil, as its excellent as much credibility with the public as the mended Unions that were rejecting the candidate Martin McGuinness already economic imaginings of Sinn Féin. proposed Agreement. SIPTU members discovered during the late Presidential ultimately rejected the deal, by a close election. Michael Taft, research officer with enough margin of less than 10%. UNITE, claimed on RTE radio after the Sinn Féin has generated an "ideolog- The inability of the Labour Party to rejection of Croke Park II that "austerity" ical" position for its political advance in handle the State and its social elements assumed that "if you cut, the economy will the Republic based on a leftist rejectionism has a long track record. When yet another grow". This is a travesty. "Austerity" is the of the State and all its works. It has taken coalition in which it failed to develop a term of abuse applied to a strategy of its economic policy—such as it is—off convincing developmental policy collaps- 'sound money', which is what must the shelf of the failed British Left and ed in rancour with the Trade Union underpin the Euro. The "alternative repackaged it in the belief that it was movement in 1957, its greatest leader economic strategy" necessarily means ready-made to appeal to southern urban which it never had—James Larkin jnr.— denouncing the Troika programme in working class discontent. Its basic text is left the sorry mess of Irish Labour politics favour of the type of illusory alternative of the book by its economic advisor, Eoin O to concentrate on the far more real business confrontation with Europe promoted for Broin, Sinn Féin and the Politics of Left of Trade Unionism, to develop it as the Ireland by The Financial Times, the organ Republicanism, published by the house substantial force for working class advance of the City of London. publisher of the old British Left, Pluto in the State and society. His perspective Trade Union leaders who made the Press, in London. This trend was observed set the movement on the course of national case for Croke Park lacked credibility with disquiet by the late Pat Murphy, and bargaining, embracing the EEC and because they rejected the adjustment he has been proved right. ultimately delivering industrial develop- programme on which the logic of the pay 2 agreement was based. Trade Union mem- bers considering their vote on the deal saw LETTERS TO THE EDITOR · LETTERS TO THE EDITOR· LETTERS TO THE EDITOR· themselves being asked to accept an agreement which was based on an understanding of the crisis which the ICTU Germany's Rethink On Blame leaders themselves rejected. The essential basis of the successful Partnership For Irish Bank Bailout Agreements of the 1990s had, after all and crucially, been a negotiated, shared view Germany has been thinking again about where responsibility lies for Irish Banks of the nature of the then economic crisis getting into serious difficulties towards the end of the last decade. Current thinking can and how to develop out of it. be summarised as follows: 1. Most investments in Irish banks pre-crisis were not from the eurozone but from the The politicians of the Labour Party UK, US and offshore locations (though some of this may have originated in the now "find themselves sitting in the ruins of eurozone); Croke Park II watching a false dawn 2. There was no pressure from Europe leading to the Irish decision to introduce the breaking on the horizon—where Fianna Guarantee; Fáil are encamped" (Victoria White, Irish Examiner, 25 April 2013). Fianna Fáil 3. Lenihan's decision was the only option he could see; politicians, including Micheál Martin, 4. German banks were "liberalised" and encouraged to play the global game by the have been warming to the Unions, con- government of the Blair-acolyte, Social Democrat Gerhard Schröder. The new boys on demning the Government for its failed the block, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, were viewed as "useful idiots strategy of "divide and rule" towards by many Wall St veterans". The Finance Minister implementing deregulation under "public sector workers". The previous Schroeder was Peer Steinbruck, now leader of the Social Democrats, and his deputy comebacks of FF in 1957, 1977 and 1987 was Jörg Asmussen, now a German Government representative on the European from political defeat were all preceded by Central Bank. Both now accept that deregulation was a disaster. The deregulation has that party engaging with the Trade Union been substantially reversed by the Christian Democrat Merkel Government. movement to develop a shared view of the 5. Eurozone bailout conditions have been partly driven by the intent to protect pension main issues and how to return to planned funds. economic development. No doubt we will see similar moves in the near future. This analysis first appeared in Die Zeit and was reported in the Irish Times. See: http:/ The Unions should ensure, as in 1984 /www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/germany-s-rethink-on-just-where-the-blame-lies-for-the-irish- ("Confronting the Jobs Crisis"), that it is bank-bailout-1.1339854?page=2 their initiative that sets the scene. Philip O'Connor

Treaty Change Euro. The first step in that direction was the Single Market. For them it is to be a Single Market with two currencies and continued the Fiscal Treaty and that should be built on as soon as possible. with a series of opt-outs that give one wind up banks, even if it took several This is the Treaty that needs to be member (guess who?) clear competitive years to accomplish. Wolfgang Schäuble, developed and, as it is an inter- market advantages within this market. It the German finance minister, strongly Governmental Treaty, it cannot be is a logical absurdity. voiced his legal concerns at an informal accommodated within an EU Treaty no meeting of EU finance ministers in Dublin The significance of this is that Germany over the weekend. His comments point to matter how modified. It is a case of apples the high political stakes involved in and pears. has a disorientated political position on forging a common institution to shut down the future of the Euro. A currency needs troubled financial groups" (Financial The FT reporter appreciated the obvious to be based on a political entity that Times, 15 April). implications of Schäuble's position: corresponds to its remit. That is ABC. While the UK is in the EU and determin- The banking union is necessary to "By throwing his weight behind the need for a treaty revision in the medium edly not in the Euro, there will be an sustain and develop the Euro. The Euro term, Mr Schäuble also raised Britain's unbridgeable fault-line in the European now has an existence and a life independ- hopes of opening a path to an eventual project. That fault-line must be removed ent of the EU. Mr. Schäuble still seems to repatriation of powers from the EU. or it will undermine the Euro—and what see the two as one and the same, if we are George Osborne, the UK finance minister, is left of the EU. to believe the Financial Times. But what made clear that Britain's backing for treaty is good for the EU is not necessarily good change would come at a price. “That sent Germany seems determined not to see for the Euro. The interest of the two could a chill around”, said one person in the fault-line because it does not yet have attendance." coincide, were it not for the UK which the political confidence to face up to the blatantly uses the EU and an alleged con- Schäuble is handing the UK a stick fact that it must provide the political cern for its structures as a stick to beat off with which to beat the Euro—all in the leadership to guide the Euro. That means any real plans for the Euro's development. name of the EU! having the confidence to face down The existing EU legal structures no Britain's chicanery. These recent state- longer correspond to the new realities and The UK demands would also make a ments from Merkel and Schäuble do not cannot be made to do so. A new legal joke of the EU as any sort of Union worthy give much hope that such confidence reality has to be created, based on main- of the name. It would also make ridiculous exists. taining and developing the position of the the much-proclaimed British concern for Jack Lane 3 that for many unemployment became an acceptable way of life. It was Thatcher who came close to making it so. At a Margaret Thatcher certain point during her administration the managers of Labour Exchanges were Margaret Thatcher was awarded eight of the Soviet Union, directing it towards instructed to interview their customers— pages of obituary notices in the Irish the delusion of making the EU a globalist for she made customers of the unemployed Independent on April 9th, and six in the Super-Power by means that ensured that it —and try to sort out those who really Irish Times. Despite that, her major would never happen. wanted to get back to work from those achievement was not mentioned. The Eurozone may or may not survive who were only making a decent pretence What else that she did bears comparison, as a viable body. Britain has gambled on that they did, and to help the former and let in its ongoing consequences, with her its not surviving, and on the EU falling the latter be. effective subversion of the European apart into hostile states. The fact that that Union? is worth a gamble is Thatcher's heritage. Thatcher is credited with having broken The London Times, before her arrival the Trade Union movement as a major in Downing St, felt that the end was night Another of Thatcher's achievements participant in the political life of the state for England's historic balance-of-power not commented on is the enormous trans- by her treatment of the last great Miners' policy towards Europe. By her actions formation and expansion of the Welfare Strike. But that was really Arthur Scargill's she reversed the tendency that was leading State system. The attempt being made at achievement. He took over the leadership towards that end. There is now an even present in Britain to cut back on welfare of the National Union of Miners from Joe chance that within ten years Britain will spending is an attempt to get back to the Gormley and tried to use it as a revolu- again have Europe where it wants it—as austerity welfare system as it was before tionary instrument. Gormley was an old- an arena of States in conflict which it can Thatcher got her hands on it. fashioned Labour socialist who was skilled manipulate to its advantage. The Welfare system projected by in Trade Union affairs and knew the Europe gained a degree of collective Beveridge during the 2nd World War, and possibilities and limitations of Trade Union awareness through the 2nd World War. implemented by a Labour Government activity. He prepared the ground for Christian Democracy in Germany and Italy after it, provided for the upkeep of the strikes, ended them with advantageous combined with Gaullism in France in unemployed on a minimal standard in a compromises, and enhanced the presence understanding the catastrophic part that Poor Law atmosphere intended to humil- of the Union in national political life. Britain had played in Europe's affairs, and iate and deter. It was thought that anything Scargill, who had little experience in being determined that it must not happen more humane would undermine labour negotiations, launched a strike without again. They did not disable themselves by discipline. The book setting out means- preparation, either within the Union or raking over and dwelling upon all the tested entitlements to what was then cal- with relation to the economy. And, urged kinds of dreadfulness that had happened led National Assistance was a State secret. on by the Communist Party (of which he during the War. They treated the War as Applicants for relief did not know what was not a member), he refused to ballot a learning experience. They formed a they were entitled to, nor, for the most the members, and he refused an advantag- Union and kept Britain out of it, knowing part, did the workers in the Spartan eous compromise when it was on offer. that Britain's interest was to manipulate National Assistance Offices. Certain mini- He insisted on carrying on to the bitter them towards another war. De Gaulle put mal payments became known by the front- end, mobilising all the instincts of class it crisply. Britain was maritime and insular. line office staff. Everything else was solidarity in support of an "all or nothing" The leopard doesn't change its spots. referred to consultation by the hierarchy conflict, leaving the Union, its industry, behind the scenes. And payments, how- and the general Labour movement all That generation of European leaders, ever small, were conditional on regular weakened and demoralised at the end. who had been through the destructive 'home visits' by a kind of policing staff. With an enemy like that she couldn't lose. Versailles 'Peace' and Britain's malevolent Thatcher brushed all of that aside. She And Scargill, the leader who didn't handling of it, passed away. Britain got a published the book of entitlements. People know how to win, is now suing the remnant disarming leader who seemed in earnest became aware that they were entitled to of the Union which he wrecked because it about making it a European state. The all sorts of things they had never thought wants to discontinue paying for a luxury wisdom of those who had experienced of. Things that had been treated as luxuries flat in the Barbican for him. British perfidy towards Europe passed became necessities. Payments in addition with them, now they were no longer there to the basic Unemployment Insurance A couple of the obituarists half- to insist. And, Is fearr ciall ceannuithe na became routine. And the policing of the acknwledged that she lost her war with the ciall an muinteoire.* So they let Britain system was cut down drastically. IRA. This was a sort of reversal of her in. And Heath was discarded and replaced conflict with Scargill. She might have by Thatcher. Then Thatcher said she Thatcher did this by appointing a Social- defused the Hunger Strike situation by wouldn't have this and she wouldn't have ist, Reg Prentice, as her Minister for Labour some tangible concession when Britain that and they could like it or lump it. and apparently giving him a free hand. Hughes called off the first Strike. She Gradually the situation came about that Prentice, an old-fashioned Labour MP preferred to claim victory and suggest that Britain was at the heart of the European in East London, was de-selected when the Provos had deceived themselves into decision-making process, shaping it to its mindless revolutionary socialists got believing that they had been promised own advantage—exempting itself from control of his Constituency organisation. something. (Ed Moloney et al continue to arrangements it didn't like, and encourag- He stood as an Independent and held the say that there had been no such promise.) ing random expansion after the collapse seat. And Thatcher gave him the Ministry This only brought her up against the of Labour to run. inflexible will of Bobby Sands, and his * Sense Bought Is Better Than Sense Taught The present Tory Government declares wily accomplice, Gerry Adams, and the 4 transfer of the momentum of the War into increasingly nationalist in outlook from ster that it will not become British. And politics. this point on. that means, of course, that it must become Anglophile Commonwealth man, This journal had been arguing for many something else. Garret FitzGerald, was horrified. He had years that the only way to bring about The assertion that it is as British as never stopped for a minute to ask himself 'normal' politics in the North was to bring Finchley and the decisive action taken to what Northern Ireland was, and how it it within the political normality of the prevent it from becoming so happened was that a war could be fought within it. state. We had been making this case to the under Thatcher. Whether one thought it good or evil, the Labour Party for ten years, with little Olivia O'Leary (a British/Irish journal- War was an amazing fact that should have result. In 1985, with the Unionists reeling ist) asks in the Irish Independent: been thought about. Fitz Gerald gave no in shock from the impact of the Agreement, thought to how it was possible. He had we made the case to the Tory Party where "How could you agree with anyone only one fixed idea—how to keep the it met with an immediate response. People who said there was no such thing as society, only an economy?" community that supported the War voting close to Thatcher saw that the exclusion of for the SDLP that condemned it. He made the North from British political life made What we recall Thatcher as saying is suggestions to Thatcher about changes nonsense of her statement that Belfast that there was only individuals and their that would help the SDLP. She said Out, was as British as Finchley. This was put families. And then she put the skids under Out, Out! The Anglophile element of the to her but she closed her mind to it. the family. It was in her time that we first 'Constitutional nationalist' Establishment However the issue remained alive in the heard it said that the natural unit of society in Dublin was horrified. The bumbling Tory Party for a couple of years. At one was the single-person household. FitzGerald was their ideal of a nice man point Nicholas Scott, Under-Secretary at She acted to bring about the single- and she had slapped him in the face. It the time and Secretary of State soon after, person household as the norm. But in wouldn't do! They wouldn't stand for it! tried to stop discussion with an article in doing so she only facilitated a well- Something too awful to contemplate would the Daily Telegraph, but it did no more established tendency in British society to happen if she didn't change her mind. than evade the issue. dissolve itself into atomised components So she changed her mind. In the 1985 That campaign ended in failure in 1990, of the state. Agreement she gave Dublin a consultative but in the course of failing it generated a She also restored war as the normal role in the governing of the North. A joint lot of discussion in all quarters of Britain activity of the state when that was in Dublin/Belfast Secretariat was set up in and Northern Ireland, and demonstrated danger of being forgotten. Her heir, Tony Belfast. It had no power but it drove the the extent to which Northern Ireland is not Blair, defined Britain as a "war-fighting Unionists crazy thinking about it. It was British, and the determination at Westmin- state". like a dart that the picador inserts in the neck of the bull that might be doing no real damage to the bull but that drives him into a frenzy in his efforts to shake it off. That Rising Sun! This concession naturally did not lead to a decline in the Provos. Nominally it The first thing I was asked as a teenager ideology removed. was a concession to the Dublin Govern- at my first meeting of the Young Worker's ment and the SDLP, so that they might League in Belfast was: had I read The The copy I read would have been an claim to be achieving by negotiation part Ragged Trousered Philanthropist which abridged edition but it still retained its of the aims he shared with the Provos. But was written by Robert Noonan, a Dubliner Marxist flavour. The book was also everybody knew that it was the War that living in Hastings, England. He wrote published in Canada and the USA in 1914, caused the concession. under the nom-de-plume Robert Tressell. the Soviet Union in 1920 and in Germany A strange thing happened in connection He was a house painter who advocated a in 1925. with this turn of events. FitzGerald, the socialist society. The book is based on lifelong Commonwealth man, became house which he and his workmates were In 1955, what was said to be the original refurbishing. manuscript was published by Lawrence WHAT'S LEFT and Wishart. They claimed to have re- I had already been reading but it was instated Noonan's original ending which Once more an exercise in Englishness, mostly war memoirs from WW2 and the wasn't one of despair and suicide but quite marching soldiers, gun-carriage for the dead, survivor stories from the Concentration a sunny one. It reminded me of a banner (Imperial sister on her bridal bed) Camps. The War had just ended four years which the CPGB (Communist Party of in England the wrong protest made them less, previously. I was loaned a copy of the Great Britain) once carried in demon- no culture 'cept Chopin's Funeral March, book there and then when I said I had strations. It was of workers holding ham- the perennial patriots line the route, never heard of it. This copy ends in despair mers and sickles and advancing into a white England's day with no racial impute, and suicide. The original copy was said to rising sun, the rising sun of socialism. The bayonets, bibles, bishops overarch, be 1,600 pages handwritten, which he world was of course one third red at that you cannot tell them not to celebrate, completed in 1910. Noonan died of time and social democracy reigned in were Attlee and Bevin England-mute, tuberculosis in 1911. His work had been England. (but don't mention the colonies). did not colonial boots trod till late rejected by three publishers and he thought I was highly suspicious of the new as they set up the NHS en route, of burning it but his daughter saved it and unabridged edition and I was especially forcing through the welfare state did not brake it was published in 1914 in an abridged suspicious of the new ending. I was even those future peace missions with bloody shoots. form and in an even more abridged form more suspicious when it was reported that Wilson John Haire in 1918—90,000 words from the original Noonan's manuscript had been found in a 19th April, 2013 250,000 words: with much of the socialist basement in Bayswater, London. 5 Lawrence and Wishart was the party's communists from real communist coun- moved to Yorkshire when he was 14 years publisher. tries and you sometimes went home with old. The young Len became a miner at the They still survive today, calling them- a bag of literature depicting that Embassy's Thurcroft pit. His interest in literature selves an independent radical publisher, country. Chinese literature was the most attracted him towards the Party's Yorkshire and are also under the name of Central emotional and violent, written extremely District Cultural Committee. Soon after Books, a once Party outlet for the selling well, though again all problems were Len found himself being mentored by the of books of the Left. To paraphrase Gerry overcome at the end and the sun rose to same Professor Arnold Kettle. This result- Adams—`They never went away, you shine for a better future. ed in his novel of a coal miner's life and know.' That is, the spirit of the CPGB, the existence of the CP as a powerful which still lives in the body of Lawrence During the Kenyan colonial period I influence in the pits being published in and Wishart, though the physical demise was horrified about what Britain was doing 1955 by Lawrence and Wishart. It was of the party took place in 1991. When you to the Gikuya tribes people, who were mostly read by the party faithful and see the work of Eric Hobsbawn still on leading the struggle for independence. sections of the miner community—who sale, then you know they are in the land They were being hanged in Britain's Hola were said to be not too pleased about the that time forgot. (To quote an old film Camp in public as a method of traumatising Party's prominence in the novel. title.) the prisoners. Staid English women were I found myself, as a militant Trade being recruited in Britain as camp warders. Unionist in the building industry, that the Culture was a very strong element also They carried walking sticks to beat the work force will go along with you when in the CPNI (Communist Party of Northern women prisoners. I wrote what I felt was you are acquiring better conditions and Ireland) and its youth wing the YWL an epic poem on the situation and sent it to pay rises for them but that doesn't mean (Young Worker's League). the YWL paper Challenge. After a time I they will ever join the Party or even be met with Professor Arnold Kettle, head of fellow travellers. On those occasions when The emphasis was on good literature, a Party Cultural Committee, who said I there was a coup d'état by a more right- classical music, theatre, and good film. was a gloomy and not very optimistic wing setup, you were sacrificed and had to The Lagan Film Unit was set up by the young man. He said at least give us some go down the road and on to a black list set CPNI and films were imported from resolution at the end. I interpreted this as up by Moral Rearmament and the Eastern Europe. Most of them were to mean: 'Give me the sun, the rising sun employers . extremely good, like the Hungarian Kuski of optimism.' I could see no optimism in about post-War Hungary and its roaming the Kenyan situation and as far as I know A second novel followed in 1957 called gangs of orphaned feral children who the sun has never risen there to this very The Man Beneath. Professor Kettle and murdered on a daily basis. For a time you day. I didn't alter the poem. In fact I tore it Lawrence and Wishart were trying to could ignore what you were living under up. It wasn't going to be published develop Socialist Realism in the novel in N.I., with our contacts with radical anywhere in colonist Britain. and other arts. I don't suppose you could Iranian and Sudanese students who were blame them for that: it was a world-wide studying at Queen's University and with I began to wonder if I had irked this trend at the time. Then they decided to pull two lecturers who were members of the man on the subject of British colonialism. the plug on a venture the public weren't French Communist Party. I once asked another party official intel- interested in. Socialist Realism was the lectual about the future of the colonies, Life was lived in those optimistic days norm in the communist countries and the should Britain turn communist. Would around the Party bookshop in Church Lane, public had no choice. the colonies be let go? No, he said, we'll Belfast. Some of us as teenagers got the hold on to them and radicalise them, much idea of writing something and so we did Doherty wrote a third novel called The like the Soviet Union turned the Tsarist for the World Federation of Democratic Good Lion. This time it was published by colonies into independent republics. But Youth magazine: short stories about our MacGibbon and Kee. This time it was said it would be done through peace and social- industrial workplaces would be translated to be a favourite read in Sheffield and with ism. I could only think this might mean into dozens of languages. Somehow we the mining communities. It concerned life yet another blood bath. English com- had to end on a sunny note of optimism, no in a steel mill and the domestic problems munists were hostile to Catholic Ireland matter how grim our workplace. This of some of its workers. and I thought that they could call for a re- would never lead to the development of conquering of that part of Ireland that had the would-be writer. Most gave up their Doherty then got a job as a journalist on achieved independence. ambitions. At 17 and 18 you might want to Sheffield's The Star and was said to have see your workplace blown up or set on fire done well. In 1983 he committed suicide. But I soldiered on and wrote yet another and the bodies of the supervising staff There was no sunny ending to his life. A poem about the execution of the Rosen- thrown in the flames. But don't try to theme in his A Miner's Son was about a bergs. This time I didn't send it to any of express that, though it would be a passing miner who finds his life too much in the the Party publications. I couldn't find a phase, to be grown out of. pits and thinks of suicide. A Party organiser sun anywhere as an end attachment. helps to change his mind. Sheffield today In the London of 1954 most workers commemorates Len Doherty. In the Party with its emphasis on culture were badly paid, food was poor, while there were always those who wanted to accommodation was pretty rough and hard Once upon a time you could call write, and they were encouraged to do so to find. At that time there was a certain Sheffield the beating heart of socialist but had to be prepared to take plenty of amount of glamour in being in the CPGB England. A number of us in the YWL advice. and the YCL. (Young Communist League.) went there to train as cadres. Picasso Communist Embassies held a Saturday Len Doherty fell into that category. thought it worth his while to go there in night dance in which you got to meet real Born in Glasgow about 1929, the family 1950 to attend the Second World Peace 6 Congress. There is famous photo of him and his country. The Party always had his could have been progressive. Unity there with Hewlett Johnson, the Dean of idea that there were dissatisfied elements Theatre, under CPGB control, did do Canterbury, nicknamed the Red Dean of within the armed forces. At that time in Allan McClelland's one half of Ulysses as Canterbury—the only canon that can't be the early 1950s the youth of the YWL Bloomsday. It turned out to be a portrayal fired. All-in-all an exciting time. were being told, ordered even, to do their of Ireland as anti-Semitic. Brendan two-year National Service. The Party Clifford points out a line in Ulysses in It was possible to be at a social when decided a conscript army was much more which one of the characters states he wasn't Paul Robeson, the black bass singer and volatile than a professional one. It didn't anti-Semitic: "Because we didn't let them dubbed the most perfect human musical quite work out like that, for most of the in"—Ireland being under British occupa- instrument on earth, would fly in, before English youth did their time with relish tion would have had no say in the matter. his passport was taken by the US Govern- and boasted about it later. The more ment. it was possible to send a play to John obstreperous Scots were a different matter, Bloomsday got attention in the national Howard Lawson, the blacklisted Holly- nevertheless they heeded Party dictates. press, which was unusual as Unity was wood screenwriter, and get a reply. Even One Glasgow YCL branch had a number beyond the pale with its left-wing agenda. when he was doing his year in prison of its members sent to the Korean War in That version of Joyce made the future during the McCarthy period for communist 1950 after only six weeks training where career of a number of actors. One in activities. His book: Theory and Technique they died at the hands of the Chinese particular got a place in university in of Playwrighting was hard going in its People's Army. Prague to study theatre, another become a demands for the young writer to adopt household name, and the Belfast man, Socialist Realism while he was being Kipling I couldn't agree with. He was Allan McClelland, got twelve and a half generous with George Bernard Shaw, England speaking to England. He was thousand pounds for his script back in calling him: "The most important English- allowed some criticism within English 1962 which later became a film. speaking dramatist of the period following boundaries. Kipling speaks to no one but Ibsen." He was certainly knowledgeable England. Finding no Irish literature that could about European theatre of the 18th Cen- yield hidden nuggets of truism that could tury, was conversant with Kant, with So we waded through 19th Century and have fitted Party policy, the cultural com- Diderot and Carlo Goldoni, with Moliere 20th Century literature in search of nuggets mittee decided there was no literature in and Goethe and Schiller. It is still inter- of truth which author had buried under a Ireland. So it was back trawling the British esting stuff if you read it carefully. Fine foot of dross. We simply read too much literary waters. The Heart Of Midlothian for these writers to fully express them- into every book, every film we watched, did turn up something about common folk selves but not for you who was expected every theatre we visited. Samuel Butler's coming out at times of crisis in a to don the straightjacket of Socialist The Way Of All Flesh yielded one line revolutionary fashion and when something Realism. about a visit to a farm labourer's cottage had been achieved disappearing again and the glimpse the author gets of the into anonymity. This attitude now makes No doubt the revolutionary communist inside of it and the impression he gets of me think of the pits being closed down in countries needed that forced form of the anguished faces of the farm labourer's England, Scotland and Wales and coal expression as Cuba today needs a one- family—something that caused the French being imported from Poland and China. party state as a way of keeping out the Revolution. The CPGB and their intellectuals turned USA. Straightjackets were being offered A single line was sufficient for the people like Len Doherty towards Socialist by Howard Fast, the one-time American adoration of the author. The modern author Realism and when the British public leftist writer, or Ralph Fox in his book The of the period was also examined. Graham rejected it they abandoned him while at Novel And The People. Fox was one of the Greene was out. Thoroughly decadent, the same time going on with their univer- founders of the CPGB after he had visited especially his Brighton Rock. I think the sity careers and their sinecures from the the Soviet Union in 1920. He was to die in real reason was that he had been a member Soviet Union, China and Eastern Europe. the Battle of Lopera for the International of the CPGB during the 1930s and was Brigade in December 1936. I read some of This way of looking at literature and now considered a renegade. I read him his work previous to him becoming a the arts was lectured time and time again anyway and found something interesting communist and I felt it was superior to his in Marx House in Holborn until it became about his novel The Ugly American. Their later work. His death was no doubt a tragic the thinking of the average Party member. lack of forgiveness made them miss many loss to the literary world and the CPGB, so It took you out of your isolation I suppose. nuggets of truth and wisdom in his work. I found it hard to dismiss his theories on Later, when the communist movement You just ignored the convert Catholic the novel. But I did. disintegrated, this fantasy ceased: former enthusiasm part of him. Party members had to face cold reality. Not being able to satisfactorily develop One favourite quote from George The excitement had gone out of life. The literary adherents to Socialist Realism— Bernard Shaw heard in these cultural People were not a hostage to a reactionary or at least developing one like Len Doherty, committees was on his visit to the Soviet Government, they in fact voted for that but finding no reading public—the search Union when he said: "I have seen the Government. Most of the arts were on the began for some truisms in the bourgeois future and it works." Sean O'Casey was side of the Establishment. They were not world of literature. Rudyard Kipling's work already a member of the CPGB so he sending out secretive message in their came in for examination by the various wasn't going to be as important as say a work while remaining covert until the sun Party cultural committees. His poem (or suspected fellow traveller who might come rose, the sun of socialism and peace. How ballad) Tommy seemed to fit the bill—a over and whom they were flattering in the dull life became in the aftermath, for a semi-illiterate soldier of the lower ranks Daily Worker, later The Morning Star. time. lambasts the English public for his being The work of James Joyce wasn't consider- Wilson John Haire treated badly after he had fought for them ed to have any nuggets suggesting he 26 April 2013 7 of the Christian Democrats, but the oppos- to say that Sam Smyth cannot write about ite. An incoherent populism filled the O'Brien because he is "under legal siege vacuum, which undermined Italy's largest from you-know-who". Elaine Byrne, "a Shorts party. heroine of free speech", is quoted as saying: The results of the most recent Election "the Sword of Damocles has a marginal- from are further evidence of Italian political ising effect on your career". A picture of the Long Fellow decline. Eamon Dunphy is shown with his mouth taped. THE LOWRY TAPE The article takes it for granted that an ITALY The Sunday Independent's campaign injustice has been perpetrated. How could Italy's national politics has been a joke against Denis O'Brien continues. The a "heroine of free speech" be wrong! And for some time. Her saving grace is that publication of the Lowry tape is the latest yet it accepts that O'Brien was vindicated she is fortunate to have strong, competent attempt to add fuel to the fire. But the in his recent successful case against the local government. Perhaps Italy does not acres of newsprint devoted to it cannot Daily Mail in which he received 150,000 need her national politics to be purposeful, conceal that the Sindo's story is a damp euro. Why does Smith think O'Brien was but Europe is the poorer for it. squib. As pointed out in last month's justified in suing the Daily Mail, but not From de Gasperi to Andreotti, Italy has column, the content of the tape, if anything, justified in suing Elaine Byrne and Sam made a great contribution to post-War exonerates O'Brien in relation to the Don- Smyth? European politics, but no more it seems, caster investment (Lowry had no involve- Apparently the case against the Mail even if a very capable Italian is the current ment in this). was: "Less chilling because it didn't really head of the European Central Bank. In recent weeks the newspaper has centre on denying the proceedings of a In the first Election after the War there noticed with mounting irritation that Tribunal…" was a stalemate between the Italian Com- nobody else seems to be interested in the The proceedings of the Tribunal must munist Party and the Christian Democrats. story. Could it be that Denis O'Brien has be deemed to be sacrosanct?! The CIA used Italian immigrants in the more influence over media outlets in which US—some of dubious reputation—to tip he does not have a controlling interest There is no doubt that the Tribunals the balance in favour of the Christian (e.g. RTE), than those in which he does have extended journalistic "freedom" (or Democrats. There followed decades of (e.g. the Sunday Independent)?! … Or is irresponsibility). The Tribunals cannot be Christian Democratic-dominated govern- there another more logical explanation? sued for adverse findings made against an ment, with the permanent exclusion of the There are two problems with the tape individual. The corollary of this is that large Italian Communist Party from nation- story: firstly there is nothing of substance journalists cannot be sued for quoting al political power. in the content; secondly, they are of from Tribunal findings. The key question The Italian CP recognised that it could dubious provenance. is: can journalists assert a Tribunal finding never smash the bourgeoisie and was The tapes suggest that Lowry wished to as a fact (without quoting from the prepared to make a "historic compromise" hide a £250k payment. That is not exactly Tribunal) rather than a mere opinion of in the 1970s. The Christian Democratic earth-shattering in its implications. The the judge. leadership, on the other hand, was willing tape does not establish a link between This is the area that editor Michael to accept that a large section of the Italian Lowry and O'Brien. Indeed the opposite is Smith wishes to probe. For example, on electorate could not be permanently ex- the case. page 44 he says: cluded from national state power. The person who made the tape—Kevin "The Tribunal, which O'Brien informed The development was subverted in 1978 Phelan—took advantage of his residency Village was, despite being presided over by the Red Brigades' assassination of Aldo in Northern Ireland to avoid lawyers from by a judge, not 'judicial'; also found that Moro, who had been a Christian Democrat O'Brien or Lowry cross-examining him in O'Brien made two payments to Lowry, in Prime Minister. The Long Fellow always the Moriarty Tribunal's proceedings. 1996 and 1999, totalling approximately wondered in whose interests the Red £500,000, and supported a loan of Apparently, the reason why RTE did not Brigades were acting: certainly not the stg£420,000 given to Lowry in 1999. In run with the story was that Phelan refused Italian working class. his 2,348 page report, Judge Michael to be interviewed by the broadcaster. Moriarty found that the payments from It is also worth noting that both the Phelan is not releasing all recordings O'Brien were 'demonstrably referable to Americans and Soviets were against the the acts and conduct of Mr Lowry' during policy of "historic compromise". The that he has made, only extracts from those the licence process." Americans feared Communist partici- that serve his interests. A media outlet that pation in Government would undermine publicises these partial extracts is allowing It is clear from the above that the article Italy's membership of NATO. The Soviets itself to be manipulated. is quoting from the Tribunal. However, on thought that the accommodation with page 41 he has the same quote in a bold print caption under a picture of a gagged bourgeois politics would weaken their A FREE PRESS influence over the Italian Communist What is a "free press"? Does it mean Eamon Dunphy. But this time the follow- Party. that journalists should be allowed to write ing part is left out: The post-War character of Italian anything about anyone, regardless of the "The Tribunal, which O'Brien informed politics began to unravel following the truth and that any attempt to curtail such Village was, despite being presided over failure of the "historic compromise" 'freedom' is undesirable? That is the by a judge, not 'judicial'; also found that…" development and continued to do so with question that arises from Michael Smith's the implosion of the Soviet bloc when the long article on Denis O'Brien (Village, The effect of leaving out this part of the Communist pillar of the Italian post-War April—May, 2013). first sentence is to give the false impression political structure collapsed. This did not Smith accuses O'Brien of having a that it is a statement of fact rather than a lead to an increase in the political power "chilling effect" on the media. He goes on Judge's opinion. 8 Review Of A 'Review' FIONA MULDOON Media reports suggest that Fiona Mul- Part One doon, the Central Bank's current Director of Credit Institutions and Insurance Super- vision, is likely to succeed Matthew Elder- field as Financial Regulator. Muldoon is The Irish Bulletin And The Academy certainly not shy about giving the banks a well deserved, public kicking. One of the History Ireland, a pop-history magazine If the name in the original is not most remarkable aspects of our banking sponsored by the academy, established Porsunan, what is it? They are the crisis was the complete absence of credit and edited by a former revolutionary academics, the paid experts. control by our lending institutions: a socialist, carried a comment in its March/ As to the way of indicating that we function that even a small business neglects April issue on the Aubane publication of found some words illegible—fashions at its peril. It is only in the last 2 years that the first volume of the Irish Bulletin. It is change. It might be that the way we did it the credit control function has begun to be neither a review nor a criticism of the is not the current academic fashion. If we adequately resourced to cope with the Bulletin. It is almost entirely about a 20 had been producing the book for the massive amount of debt that is outstanding. page Introduction written by me to the academic market—in the foolish expect- And for the most part the banks are still almost 500 pages of the Bulletin. The ation of its being admitted to that market— playing 'catch up'. result was to underplay the insight into the I suppose we would have looked up the Her speech of 11th April was a thought- Independence movement given by the current fashion. But we did not produce it ful exposition of the current state of play. faithful reproduction of this rare journal, for the academic market. We produced it Progress has been made in coming to the ambitious nature of the scheme to because academia—with its vast resources grips with the crisis, but it has been reproduce the whole run of the Irish —had not produced it. painfully slow. There is still plenty of Bulletin, and the mammoth effort made work to be done on mortgage arrears and by the Aubane Historical Society in The expert discovered one mistake. On outstanding Small and Medium Enterprise indexing the work. page 127 Alderman T. Kelly is wrongly (SME) debt. There remains a question identified as Sean T. O'Kelly, a piece of mark over the adequacy of the banks' In the Introduction, to show how the "simple ignorance curable by consulting provisions against bad debts. Bulletin was treated with ignorant the Dictionary of Irish Biography". Although it wasn't in her prepared script, contempt, I quoted from Roy Foster's In my note on Lawrence Ginnell, the her comment that a provision of 50% of the Modern Ireland and from a biography of originator of what became the Bulletin, I total SME debt of 50 billion euro owed to Erskine Childers by a Leonard Piper. remarked that: "He was the only Irish MP domestic banks might need to be made History Ireland (HI) concedes that Piper's who supported women's suffrage at grabbed the media headlines. The Long comment was ignorant. But Piper was Westminster". I said this— Fellow can only hope that she is being "not an academic". It says nothing about "even though William O'Brien (on unduly pessimistic. If there is an existing Foster's ignorant comment, though it has whom Clifford has written in the past) provision of 30% or 15 billion euro, this undoubtedly been read by a hundred times and two associates voted for suffrage in will leave a massive hole amounting to 10 as many people as Piper's. Foster is not the very same divisions". only an academic—whose credentials are billion in this sector alone. In such circum- Now, where did I get the notion that unchallenged even though his Professor- stances another bail-out of the banks cannot only Ginnell had voted for it? Why, in the ship was bought for him by a wealthy be ruled out. Dictionary Of Irish Biography! I wrote capitalist who gave a vast sum of money The level of potential bad debts in the the piece on Ginnell from memory and to a University—but a person who has SME sector suggests that the criticism by from notes I had made over the years. exerted considerable influence on the Employer organisations of the banks' Then I did a quick check to make sure I careerist side of things in academia. So, failure to extend credit is wide of the had got nothing drastically wrong by with regard to Foster's ignorant comment, mark. Muldoon's gloomy prognosis sug- looking up the DIB. It told me that :Ginnell HI observes the rule that silence is golden, gests that, on the contrary, the banks have was the only Irish MP to support the and treats the unfortunate Piper as his been extending too much credit to SMEs! women's movement actively". Admittedly, the above analysis is a little whipping-boy. simplistic. On the question of debt, Muldoon History Ireland tells us that the author And, while Piper may not be an remarks that all roads lead to property. of its review, Patrick Maume, "is an academic, I venture to doubt that his During the Celtic Tiger era business owners editorial assistant" with DIB. The present were given more credit than they actually attitude was not influenced by the tense suggests either that a second edition needed. The surplus was invested in prevailing attitude in academia. is being prepared, or that there will be a property. Following the collapse of the continuation volume. So here is something property market, funds generated from HI chooses to say nothing about the for him to correct. And he might also take viable businesses were and are being used content of the Bulletin. Safety first! And a look at the entry on William O'Brien, to pay back property-related debt. The makes only one quibbling criticism of which did not tell me that he had voted for leaking of funds to repay property loans has Aubane's reproduction of it: undermined those businesses. women's suffrage. "(some surnames, such as 'Porsunan' In recent years there have been calls to [p28) look suspicious) and only occa- I suppose I should have known better break the link between sovereign and sionally are there gaps marked by 'words banking debt. There is also a need to break illegible'. It might have been better to than to consult the DIB, because of the connection between property debt and place the editorial notes (signed J.L.') in Maume's entry on D.D. Sheehan, which debt incurred for the purposes of product- footnotes or bold face rather than in records one side of a dispute in the Sheehan ive investment. brackets within the text." family as fact, and does not mention that 9 in the end Sheehan's appeals for time to mull things over again and again, purely destructive force and the First compensation as a Loyalist refugee from deciding which names should be immortal- Word War was entirely caused by a Cork were not found to be credible by the ised and which should not. Simple deliberate British conspiracy to destroy its socially progressive German rival, a British Tribunal in the mid-1920s. oversight of Kathleen McKenna strikes view held at the time by Arthur Griffith me as incredible in such circumstances. and many Germans" Further on the DIB: in my note on HI must have felt likewise. Hence its Kathleen McKenna, who did the physical "inadvertence or misjudgment". —but surely by some others too?! production of the Bulletin, under very I do not recall quoting Griffith about difficult conditions—a fact which I HI attributes to me the view that the War, but I may have done so forty odd appreciated, as somebody who has never "Academic historians of Ireland are years ago. The writers I have quoted been in the position to pay to get such engaged in a neo-colonial conspiracy to within living memory in support of the things done—I said that she was somebody delegitimise the War of Independence and view that British diplomacy brought about whom the Royal Irish Academy and the nationalist project as a whole", and the World War have been James Connolly, Cambridge University did not consider that some of them are "conscious opera- and Roger Casement—who in his career worth a mention in the DIB. HI concedes tives of British intelligence". I don't know as a British diplomat saw where British that this was "an unfortunate omission". where it gets that idea. I have described it diplomacy was heading. And I have But the concession is made in an as having been done in the open. The one reprinted a book by Charles James interesting way: contemporary academic Irish historian for O'Donnell to the same effect. O'Donnell "Clifford assumes that academic whom I had some regard forty years ago, went into the British civil service in India, historians are omniscient beings who Raymond Crotty, lecturer in Statistics in and felt he was doing good in the world already know everything there is to be Trinity College, made a declaration of until Curzon became Viceroy and adopted known about the historical record and bankruptcy of both intellect and will on possess unlimited resources enabling a sectarian policy, setting Muslim against behalf of Irish academia in an article in the them to write it up as they please; hence Hindu. O'Donnell then resigned his London Times (reprinted in Irish Political if (for example) the DIB does not include position, returned to Britain, stood for Review in February 2012). He appealed to an entry on Kathleen Napoli McKenna Parliament, won a seat, and tried to warn (an unfortunate omission), this was not British authority to do the thinking of the the British public about what was being inadvertence or misjudgment but a Irish for them again. It had already begun done in its name in India. The British deliberate attempt to write her out of to do so, but must have been encouraged public paid no heed. But O'Donnell was history…" by Crotty's appeal to redouble its efforts. there near the centre of things while war Crotty in return founded the Irish When this is unravelled it does not say was being prepared. Sovereignty Movement, which amounted that the omission was simple oversight. It in practice to a seconding of the British suggests that it was due to "inadvertence I also quoted some American writers campaign against the European Union. or misjudgment". Inadvertent omission who, in 1914-16, were of the opinion that would mean it was not done on purpose. the reason why Britain brought about the Academic history-writing has, for a Omission by misjudgment would mean it World War was that Germany was helping generation, been done under obvious was done on purpose. It would mean that the Ottoman Empire to modernise its British influence. And it has often been the judgment that she should be omitted infrastructure and defences, thus done by foreigners, as if the Irish Univer- had to be admitted to be ill-founded when obstructing the British plan to carry out sities weren't even up to writing according an issue was made of it. And the difference the next logical expansion of the Empire— to the British pattern themselves. There between this and attempting "to write her from India, through Persia, across Arabia, has been nothing furtive or conspiratorial out of history", in the compiling of a work to Egypt. about it. The Irish academics traipse such as the DIB aspires to be, escapes me. openly to Cambridge or Oxford in order to In all that I have written on the subject be shown what to do. for a number of decades I have distin- About thirty years ago I had occasion to guished between the European War and go to the Royal Irish Academy to look at As to "operatives of British intelli- the World War, as I have distinguished a letter it held. Being entirely without gence": two of the major influences made between Partition and Northern Ireland. academic credentials, I had to make a fuss no secret of the fact that they had been. The assassination at Sarajevo did not begin to be let in. It was also necessary to Nicholas Mansergh, hailed by a recent a World War any more than the decision threaten a row to get into the Trinity Professor of History at Cork as the greatest to hold Six Counties within the British College Library, even though it remains a Irish historian of the century, ran a section state set up the apparatus of Northern British Copyright Library (entitling it to of the British Department of Information Ireland. The authoritative mind in free copies of all books published in the during the 2nd World War, conducted a Ireland—the mind encountered in political UK). The first library I was ever in was subliminal campaign against Irish neutral- and academic authority—will not entertain the Reading Room of the British Museum. ity, and came to Dublin at the height of the that distinction. It is a distinction which I was straight out of the Irish countryside War to deliver a series of propaganda British authority does not wish to be made. but got instant access to it by asking. The lectures at the Queen Alexandra College It is not in the British interest to make it. experience gave me very low tolerance of about the First World War. And the And I assume that is why authority in the coterie libraries in Dublin. Anyway, I Professor of History at the National Uni- Ireland does not make it, even though it made a fuss and the RIC had to let me in versity in Dublin for a long generation appears to me to be very much in the Irish and let me see what I wanted. And I came straight to it from British interest to make it. happened to meet somebody who was Intelligence. working on the DIB, which was not The idea that Britain entered the published until twenty years later. So it The following is also attributed to me: European War and made it into a World wasn't a rushed job. There was plenty of "that Britain has historically been a War is an observation of obvious fact 10 rather than an argument. It can be counter- vast resources at its disposal, not expose they want to fight, and getting together ed only by a determined silence. Argument the falsehoods? And why does HI, as an and agreeing who it is that they want to requiring complicated analysis only arises organ of the academic Establishment fight. The decision for war is taken by a on the question of whether Britain, through which has been dismissive of the Bulletin, political body, which then persuades its diplomatic activity in the ten or fifteen not expose the falsehoods now? people to combine to fight it. Those who years before 1914 (during which it changed went off to fight in Flanders or Gallipoli France and Russia from enemies to allies) I know that HI has something more were recruited by the militaristic jamboree was aiming at bringing about a European profound in mind than factual truth and with which strong States can usually War which it might avail of to take its next falsehood. The sentence, of which I have overwhelm the minds of a large part of the step in the conquest of the world. quoted the first clause, continues after a populace with exciting noise. semi-colon: HI cannot discuss such things. But in " ; any attempt to assess it as shaped Even Francis Ledwidge fell prey to the its monopoly niche as a protectorate of the to influence its intended audience of beat of the drum. Then, being an intel- academic Establishment it can safely toss British liberals—for example, the 1919 lectual, he gave himself the individual out the remark that I take the view of the issues, instead of defending IRA actions purpose of being a Christian on Crusade War held by Griffith and many Germans. as legitimate warfare in defence of the to smite the heathen. But I have not seen Dail government, repeatedly suggest that attacks on Crown forces are staged by it said that he enlisted for that purpose. I don't think it is possible for anybody agents provocateurs to justify And, in any case, he would never have got to look at what Connolly wrote from repression—is a continuation of British to Gallipoli as a Crusader if the British had September 1914 onwards and not know propaganda…" not reversed their historic attitude to that he was a strong supporter of Germany Turkey for the purpose of taking Imperial in the War—and that the ground of his If all of that means something, and you possession of the Middle East. support was not the "enemy's enemy" one. know what it is, you're a better man than He argued his support for Germany on I am. The reasons why people joined the socialist grounds. The Introduction to the Bulletin says Republican Volunteer Army were not as that the Bulletin made no pretence of mindless as the reasons why they joined As to "many Germans". Many of them standing impartially between the elected the British Army. There were no drum did not support the German war effort. Government and the Imperial Govern- rolls and no shillings. Individual decisions The revolutionary socialists didn't—the ment, and its object was to influence were taken after reflection on the situation, ones who made such a mess of the opinion abroad in favour of the elected very much more than is usually the case. revolution when it came in 1918-19. Government. The situation was that they had voted to Connolly took no heed of them in the establish independent government and had Workers' Republic. The Germans he took The other criticism is that I say "The to decide what to do when the British notice of were the Right Social Democrats War of independence was entirely a Parliament ignored the vote and authorised who supported the German war effort. politically motivated conflict between continuing British military government in states…" I certainly described it as a Ireland. The fact of Connolly's alignment with conflict between an elected Government Germany in the War is suppressed in the and an unelected Government. That gave What should the Irish have done then? entry on him in the British Dictionary Of the War its character. The "entirely Slunk home and forgotten it? The National Biography, written by Ruth politically motivated" phrase is an Aunt academic Establishment does not approve Dudley Edwards. (He was omitted Sally. There are no homogeneous wholes of what they actually did, and I do not see altogether from the DNB for about 60 in the real world in which each particle is what else was possible. years. He was then included in a Missing identical with every other particle. I was Persons volume in the 1990s, and is working in a Creamery when homogenised Probing the motives of those who included in the 2nd edition of the whole, milk was introduced and that did seem to decided to fight in support of the Govern- published about ten years ago.) And his be of a kind throughout. But in political ment that had been elected, while not alignment with Germany in the War is, of affairs there is no homogeneity per se. mentioning the Election, and assuming course, not mentioned in the Dictionary There is a combination f particles for a that it had no bearing on the decision to Of Irish Biography. purpose. fight, is unrealistic to the point of fantasy. It is what Augesteijn does in his extensive My Introduction to the Bulletin is Joost Augusteijn went around asking study of the period. The Election, which, criticised for saying that it "should be read War of Independence survivors why they prima facie, should be taken in the first as the simple plain truth". I don't know fought. He was not impressed by their instance as a major cause of subsequent where I said that. I did little more than say answers. He did not seek out survivors of conduct, is written out of the narrative as who the people were who produced it. Its the other War, in which people were mown a cause worth mentioning. content is an account, day by day, of what down by the thousand, and ask them why Britain was doing in Ireland in its attempt thy fought. Whatever the purpose of the So I hold the erroneous view that— to govern the country against the will of British Sate was in launching that war on "The War of Independence was entirely the people after losing the Election. (I Germany and Turkey, it was treated as a politically motivated conflict between know that this way of putting it is intensely having bestowed its meaning on the states, with the Dail government irritating to the revisionist mind, but I just individuals who were recruited for it. legitimised by the 1918 election as the can't see how it is inaccurate.) sole representative of the Irish people…" Wars do not come about through If its factual reporting was false, why decisions taken by large numbers of people But I'm sure I did not restrict the role of did the British administration, with the coming to the conclusion individually that he Election to legitimation, but presented 11 it as a major factor in the causation of the it was because of what Munster, and context of the political situation created War. particularly Cork, had been doing in the by the 1918 Election, to discover why one preceding generation. The Home Rule area responded to the British challenge to The academic elite do not seem to need Party was broken in Cork and damaged in democracy more quickly than another. a cause for the War. They follow the the neighbouring Counties in the 1910 The Election is omitted from them. It is dogma of Professor Townshend (Peter Election by the All-For-Ireland League. therefore reasonable to conclude that they Hart's Examiner) that "political violence" The AFIL charged Redmondism with are distractions set up against it. is just what the Irish do. having made the Home Rule Party a Brendan Clifford Catholic sectarian Party, and with That's the English stereotype. Racial obstructing the abolition of landlordism The Genesis Of National Socialism or cultural stereotypes have served the in order to preserve grievance. It appealed by T. Desmond Williams. English State well. It has had to set some to the Protestant landowners, who no Introduction, and Appendixes on of them aside in recent years. But not the longer stood in a position of necessary Neutrality and the Origins of National Irish one. It has got the Irish Universities antagonism with the bulk of the people Socialism by Brendan Clifford. 398pp. writing Irish history in accordance with since the land was taken from them, with Bibliography. Index. 2012. ¤30, £25 the stereotype—which as far as I know handsome compensation, to join as country they used not to do until they were gentlemen in the formation of a liberal Northern Ireland What Is It? Professor persuaded, against all reason, to feel national movement. Its slogan, scorned Mansergh Changes His Mind responsible for the outcome of British by the Home Rule Party, was Conference, by Brendan Clifford. 278pp. Index. government in Northern Ireland, and to Conciliation and Consent. 2011. ¤24, £20 feel guilty about it, and to seek absolution by doing penance in the form of writing The AFIL had also attacked Redmond's Ireland In The Great War, The Irish false history. attitude to the Ulster Protestants as driving Insurrection Of 1916 Set In Its Context the country towards Partition. Of The World War As to the Dail being the "sole by Charles James O’Donnell (1849- representative of the Irish people": it got At the end of the Great War, because of 1934) and Brendan Clifford. 116pp. three quarters of the Irish seats in the what had happened during it, the AFIL Bibliography, Index. 1992. ¤10, £8 Election, and I believe that is not merely a dissolved and joined Sinn Fein. The Home majority but what is called a plurality. Rulers did not contest a single Cork Remembering Gallipoli, President HI comments: constituency in 1918. And, when McAleese's Great War Crusade by Dr. Pat Walsh. 28pp. ¤6, £5 "Any use of social history techniques Westminster treated the Irish Election with to discuss why some fought and others contempt, the Conciliators went to war. did not, why fighting broke out in one Forgotten Aspects Of Ireland's Great place and not another, analysis of The prima facie assumption must be War On Turkey. 1914-24 nationalism or unionism as conditions of that the fact that the region had been by Dr. Pat Walsh. 540pp. Index. diverse groups rather than state-driven 2009. ¤36, £30 monoliths, wilfully distracts attention politically active, outside the demagogic routines of Redmondism, had a bearing from the central political issue— Envoi: Taking Leave Of Roy Foster, on its conduct in 1918-1921. democracy versus imperialism…" reviews of his made up IRISH STORY, by J.Herlihy, B. Clifford, D. Alvey, That is a view that it attributes to me. That possibility is ruled out by academic & B. Murphy osb. authority. It does not suit their script of Index. 204pp. 2006. ¤18, £15 In modern societies it is always the presenting Redmond as something he was case, when armies are raised by volunteer- not; treating the AFIL, when it is men- The ‘Cork Free Press’ In The Context ing, that some will fight and others won't. tioned at all, as "maverick"; and finding Of The Parnell Split, The Restructuring the cause of the War in the Irish habit of Of Ireland, 1890-1910, The West's asleep, the West's asleep. faction-fighting and hunting the wren. Alas, and well may Erin weep by Brendan Clifford. When Connaught lies in slumber deep Aftermath of the Irish Big Bang: It is true I did not present "analysis of Redmondism; Fenians; Clericalism; nationalism or unionism". It did not seem The Land War; Russellites; Land & Why did Munster bear the brunt of the relevant to the period covered by that War while Connacht took longer to become Labour League, and All-For-Ireland volume of the Bulletin. I have done it at League-an Irish pluralist political active? Not because Connacht changed length elsewhere, and no doubt will do so its mind about what it had voted for. That development, originating in County again. But where in academic magazines Cork. 168pp. Index. 1998. ¤15, £12 was shown by subsequent elections held is there a discussion of them? I have never in the midst of the War. come across a discussion of the AFIL with These works are available post-free relation to either Redmondism or Sinn in Britain and Ireland. Military tradition for Irish purposes Fein. And my analysis of Ulster Unionism had been well broken in Irish society by as the expression of a national will, which There is a 20% reduction for Subscribers to this magazine. Put the Cromwellian and Williamite conquests I published in 1969 in an attempt to avert 'Subscriber' in the 'Comments' box and the system of subjugation based on what followed, did not meet with even a when ordering. them. whisper of support from academia. Order from: Why did it revive quicker in Munster in As to "social history techniques", as response to British treatment of the applied by Augusteijn and others to very https://www.atholbooks- Election in Ireland? I have assumed that local affairs: they are not applied in the sales.org 12 ¤36, £30 paperback, ¤55, £45 hardback

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13 ities in Ireland to follow his bent I shall be surprised if he has any further cause for Part Six complaint in this regard'. The lead story that day, 3 June 1940, was about Dunkirk." An Irish Anti-Fascist Volunteer (pp57-58). and some other soldiers By 1945, however, Inglis's horizons had been broadened: At the outset of this series I pointed out important niche at last at Strasbourg... "By the time the war ended I was more Although by this time a thorough that I knew of very few Irish volunteers in Irish—in the sense of thinking of myself cosmopolitan, he retains a fairly rich the British armed forces during the Second as Irish—than when it began; too Dublin accent. He is attached to the World War who had been primarily driven indignant with Churchill for his sneers at Council of Europe Secretariat officially to enlist for definite anti-fascist reasons, de Valera in his Victory broadcast to be as 'British', but, so far as I know, he is the appeased by his references to the Irish as distinct from becoming radicalised and only Irish citizen on the staff." anti-fascist during the course of that War volunteers who had won V.C.s; and taking itself. The Cork Communist Republican it for granted, when my demob number In the case of the Protestant RAF came up on New Year's Day, 1946, that and former Curragh Camp internee, Kevin volunteer, Brian Inglis of Malahide, Co. I would be returning to work on the Irish Neville, who volunteered to serve in the Dublin, a shared British allegiance with Times (as its Air Correspondent), and to RAF following Nazi Germany's invasion Smyllie was most definitely involved, as make Dublin my home." (pp67-68). of the USSR, was certainly one such recounted in his admirably frank "Many things were to shake (my) consistently anti-fascist exception that autobiography West Briton (1962): Anglo-Irish preconceptions… Coming proved the rule. His close comrade-in- into the office one day when I was on arms, Connie Green of Derry, who served "It was necessary to think of getting leave towards the end of the war, I had some sort of work after coming down found the editor with a man in the uniform as a British commando in Italy, may also from Oxford in the summer of 1939… of an Irish Army lieutenant; to be have been. In any case, they both emerged There simply were not enough good jobs introduced, to my astonishment, to the from that War with a concept of anti- to go round; for by this time the R.C.s Irish Times' new drama critic (Seamus fascism that led them to become Saor were moving in, securing accounts that Kelly). The idea that anybody in the Irish Uladh volunteers and fire the first shots in had been in Protestant hands for Army, let alone one whose friends called a Republican Border Campaign, with their generations. War or peace, therefore, it him Seamus (though Smyllie persisted in November 1955 attack on Roslea RUC was likely that my career would lie in calling him Jim), should be appointed to England. And with the vague notion of such a job was startling, all the more so Barracks, in which Green was killed in getting a post in the newly-established when it transpired that he came from an action and Neville wounded. British Council … I went out in the Ulster Catholic background that Smyllie What of Robert Reuben Crivon? In summer of 1939 to Grenoble to try to was inclined to shudder at… On his Dark Times, Decent Men—Stories of acquire sufficient fluency in French to demobilisation a few months later Kelly Irishmen in World War II (2012) Neil impress a London selection board. Then (also) became a Public Relations Officer Richardson writes: the Germans invaded Poland; and Dublin for Aer Lingus; in that capacity he had looked inviting… Better go back to much to do with the Irish Times' Air "Irish Jews joined the British forces in Dublin, offer my services in writing and Correspondent; and after a period of order to help stop the Nazis… In 1939 he await a formal invitation… Arriving in advanced mutual distrust—of the kind a (Crivon) travelled to Britain and joined London early on the morning of Sunday, Deep South white might have with a the British Army. By the following year September 3rd, war was by this time Deep South black, if both thrown together he was a second-lieutenant in the imminent… My passport was English. It in business—we had found ourselves Intelligence Corps. During the war, simply had not occurred to me to get one butties under the skin. And with him as a Robert was involved with Operation of those comic-looking passports in Erse. convivial companion it had become much Ironclad—the Allied invasion of Vichy I went straight to Euston to catch the Irish less easy to remain satisfied with Anglo- French-occupied Madagascar which took Mail. The news that war had been declared Irish attitudes." (pp89-90). place on 5 May 1942—after which he came while we were on the train… At served on the staff of the Eighth Army in Holyhead … as the mailboat left, a scatter As far as Smyllie was concerned, any North Africa when Montgomery took of spectators booed us from the jetty. It command in August that year." (p266). references to "joining up" or "the Army" was mildly irritating that they should referred exclusively to the British Army. assume all the passengers were ratting; In the Irish Times on 29th July 1950, unaware that one of them had posted his For a later Irish Times Editor, Douglas writing An Irishman's Diary under his application for a commission to the War Gageby, however, "the Army" referred nom-de-plume of Nichevo, its Irish Office that morning" (pp 36-37). exclusively to the Irish Army. Indeed, Unionist Editor, Bertie Smyllie, had Gageby forbade his journalists to use the suggested a shared British allegiance: In the meantime, Inglis was taken on by qualifying adjective "Irish" at all, main- Smyllie in the Irish Times, until such time taining that it was insulting to this Republic "I met a young Dublin man who is on to suggest that "the Army" could refer to the staff of the Council of Europe. He is as his RAF call-up would come: an old boy of St. Andrew's, named Rueben "On the departure morning, Smyllie anything else but the Defence Forces of (sic) Crivon, who did Classics in Trinity, wrote a couple of kindly au revoir this sovereign State itself. It was, therefore, only to find out afterwards that his real paragraphs in the 'Irishman's Diary'. our own Defence Forces that Kelly and metier was Modern Languages… Joining Already the wartime censorship was Gageby had themselves joined during up during the war, he was appointed to deleting references to Irishmen joining World War Two, "because Dev asked us Military Intelligence, where his quick up in the British forces, so he adopted to", as Gageby himself put it. Yet, in a wit and knowledge of languages came in what was later to become his standard supposed tribute at a Gageby memorial very useful. For a time afterwards he was evasion technique. Mr. Inglis would be Secretary to the Jewish Board of Deputies absent from Ireland, he wrote, 'for an meeting held on 9th July 2004, the in London, worked for the British Institute indefinite period. He has always been reference to Gageby's wartime role in in various parts of Europe, to find an interested in flying but had few opportun- Irish Military Intelligence made by the 14 then Irish Times Editor Geraldine Kennedy rank of lieutenant-colonel in the Intel- the situation'…" (Seán MacBride—A amounted to little better than a calculated ligence service. When the Council of Life, p66). sneer: Europe was set up in 1949, Crivon became one of the first members of the staff of its Yet there is no getting away from the "Like all of us, he had his pet interests; Secretariat, and has been closely … the Army, in which he had served associated with the Council's educational fact of just how timid Keane had been in during the so-called Emergency" (quoted and cultural activities ever since. I under- confronting O'Halpin's non sequiturs: in Andrew Whittaker, ed, Bright Brilliant stand he proposes to return to Dublin, Days: Douglas Gageby and The Irish where, with his wide experience of "It has been suggested that Seán had Times, 2006, p 228). international affairs and his expert made contact with Nazi Germany in the knowledge of modern languages, he hope of obtaining help for the cause. In the Irish Times on 11th June 1979 should be snapped up by some of the Eunan O'Halpin believes that he courted Gageby announced: many Irish concerns interested in German aid… O'Halpin does not mention Common Market developments." when this contact took place, but Seán's "The death occurred in Dublin claim that 1937 was the year of his yesterday of Seamus Brian Kelly, drama Crivon's pioneering work in the Council departure from the IRA absolved him critic of the Irish Times since 1945 and from having to defend his position about of Europe was not in pursuit of a British Quidnunc of 'An Irishman's Diary' since the war." (p64). 1949. Born in Belfast in August 1912 … agenda, but of a specifically Irish one. To his father was a civil servant and a founder return to the biographical entry in Neil There had been a slow build-up to the director of Belfast Celtic AFC… He Richardson's book, with which I began: worked his way through University extremes of O'Halpin's 2008 allegations College Cork, where he read Anglo-Irish "He had been offered the French Légion against MacBride. His 1999 book, literature under Daniel Corkery… He d'Honneur for his wartime services but tentatively queried by Keane, contained joined the Army in October 1940, and had refused to accept it from de Gaulle. the following narrative: was posted as a volunteer gunner before After being discharged from the army, being commissioned to Intelligence on Robert then returned to teaching. "Shortly after becoming IRA chief of the General Staff in September 1941… However, when Irish minister Seán staff (in 1936), he (MacBride) court- In 1972 the German Federal Government MacBride—a close friend—invited him martialled his quartermaster-general Seán invited him to view and review the to help set up the Council of Europe in Russell, an out-and-out militarist who contemporary German theatre, including 1949, Robert Crivon settled in Strasbourg had travelled to America to promote the the Berlin premiere of Sean O'Casey's and served as Director of Cultural Affairs case for a campaign of attacks in Britain… 'The Bishop's Bonfire'… In 1946 he wrote for the organisation. Robert 'Ruby' Crivon MacBride was replaced in the autumn of a short history of the 1916 insurrection…" died in 1968, aged sixty." (pp266-7). 1936 by Tom Barry, and became director of intelligence: ironically in view of his In a more affectionately expressed Puzzled as to what was meant by the de eventual metamorphosis into a patron personal appreciation on 12th June 1979, Gaulle reference, I enquired from Crivon's saint of Irish radicalism and of the international struggle for human rights, Gageby further recalled: nephew, Quentin Crivon, when I met him he then reportedly made 'the first contact' "Seamus first came into the ken of this this January 27th at the Holocaust with agents of Hitler's Germany. In 1938 writer almost 40 years ago as a stalky Memorial Service in Dublin's Mansion he withdrew from the IRA and he lieutenant, all green jacket, yellow House. He explained that his uncle gradually shifted his full attention to his breeches, flaming hair, cherry leggings abhorred de Gaulle as a would-be dictator legal practice. He was to do the republican and boots. Of a large draft of junior of France. He also confirmed that one of movement much greater service as a officers who were then posted to GHQ, a Robert Reuben's closest friends, from pre- skilled courtroom defender in the years number are still around. He loved the War days onwards, had been Seán Mac ahead than he had done as its military Army." chief. For the next three years it would be Bride. What! That Nazi lover! For that is the man whom he had temporarily ousted I suppose a former Irish Army Intellig- how Seán MacBride has been caricatured from GHQ, Seán Russell, who would ence Officer like Kelly had been better —or should I not say character assassinated? dominate IRA thinking and policy on positioned than the Unionist Smyllie to —by Professor Eunan O'Halpin, Bank of armed action … who continued to work Ireland Chair of Contemporary History at towards this end in Ireland and America detect in Crivon, the retired British Army even after his courtmartial in 1936. The Intelligence Officer, something more Trinity College Dublin, in his book Spying on Ireland: British Intelligence and Irish issue was not resolved decisively until substantially Irish than a Dublin accent, April 1938, when a majority of the army and certainly something more substantially Neutrality During the Second World War council backed Russell, causing Barry European than British. Writing his (2008). In her 2007 biography of and his supporters to quit the IRA. This Irishman's Diary as Quidnunc in the Irish MacBride, Elizabeth Keane took issue, if led in turn to the calamitous IRA bombing Times of 14th March 1962, Kelly noted: rather timidly, with allegations made by campaign of 1939-40… Joe Mc Garrity O'Halpin in his earlier book, Defending controlled Clan na Gael (USA) and he "Robert Crivon, who recently resigned Ireland (1999), and she added: was an experienced fund-raiser and gun- from the Council of Europe, has for a runner. He used these skills to assist number of years been one of Ireland's "MacBride apparently supported the Russell … and he undoubtedly approved international backroom boys… A Government's policy of neutrality. He of … (Russell) approaching the German Dubliner, Crivon … swept all before him wrote a letter to the newspapers urging embassy in Washington in 1936. Tom (in Trinity College) in the classical field the avoidance of violence and other acts Barry later claimed that in supporting of his time. After post-graduate studies in that might jeopardise neutrality… (On Russell's plans for a campaign in Britain French and German universities, he 23 March 1944) Seán wrote to de Valera 'Clan na Gael … were acting on behalf of lectured in Classics at the universities of offering help, 'if in the course of the German Agents there and that the source Glasgow and Cairo. Just before the present crisis, my services can be of any of financial aid was from that quarter Second World War he had been working value to the Government, I shall be at also' (Florrie O'Donoghue note of his in Greece with the British Council, but your disposal. If I may be permitted, I June 1940 talk with Tom Barry)… Barry left it to join the British Army, where … should like also to express confidence in himself visited Germany late in 1937, he ended his wartime career with the the manner in which you have handled though the American FBI later reported 15 that 'such contact was casual' up to 1939. attitudes towards the IRA: whereas in Quisling". It is as invalid to conflate (memorandum on Irish Republican Army, 1936 the German press praised de Valera's MacBride with his half-sister Iseult and J Edgar Hoover—FBI Director—to repression of it, in January 1939 it praised her estranged husband Stuart (whom Adolphe A Berle, US State Department, the Irish people's 'fight for freedom' and MacBride loathed), as it would be to Sept 1943)…" (pp 126-9). commended the bombings in Britain." (p40). conflate O'Halpin's sympathies with those Why did Keane not point out the "MI5 received information via the of his granduncle-in-law Jim O'Donovan, inconsistencies in O'Halpin's own 1999 (British) Foreign Office … In August "who became the main point of contact (1939) came another strange tale, passed account? It should be obvious that, given between the IRA and Germany in 1938/9" to the Foreign Office by the Czech chargé the intensity of the MacBride-Barry to quote O'Halpin's own description d'affaires in London: Hempel (the (Defending Ireland, p viii). There is not hostility to Russell's bombing campaign German Minister to Dublin) had had one iota of evidence to suggest anything plans, any 1937 contact with Germany on discussions about forming 'an Irish their part was an attempt to sabotage Legion' to fight with Germany against subversive in MacBride's friendship with Russell's intrigues. Tom Barry's June 1940 Britain with two republicans, Seán Hempel. In fact, MacBride's efforts would interview with his War of Independence MacBride and his brother-in-law, Francis seem to have been directed at attempting Stuart. Hempel had also supposedly comrade-in-arms, Major Florrie to steer Hempel himself away from any discussed this scheme with Fred Boland, O'Donoghue—by now G2 Intelligence such subversion. As he told Lieutenant- the assistant secretary of (Ireland's Colonel John P Duggan in a September Officer with the Irish Army's Southern Department of) External Affairs and later 1978 interview: Command and O/C of its Supplementary a key figure in Anglo-Irish security Intelligence Service, whose counter- dealings. Aspects of the report—the "MacBride had the formidable task of intelligence expertise would successfully suggestion that Boland was involved in constantly counselling Hempel: his close down both German and United States pour-parlers —may be doubted, but there golden rule for him was not to appear to was a germ of truth in the suggestion of be on the wrong side of the law at any espionage adventures without fear or sympathetic contacts between time" (Duggan, Herr Hempel at the favour—had been in the context of Barry's republicans and the German legation. German Legation in Dublin, 2003, p68). offer of his own expertise to assist the MacBride and Stuart were strong admirers State's Defence Forces in support of de of Nazi Germany… Stuart travelled to But what is most unconscionable and Valera's policy of wartime neutrality. Germany in September to take up an reprehensible about his 2008 Spying on academic appointment, and also acted as Ireland, is that, despite the fact that he had In his 2008 book, however, O'Halpin an IRA messenger and link for subversive purposes (his wife Iseult was the first been in correspondence with Meda Ryan resolves these inconsistencies by elimin- person contacted by the key agent Herman concerning her 2003 biography Tom ating them, unconscionably so, in the Goertz on his arrival in Ireland in May Barry—IRA Freedom Fighter, O'Halpin wrong direction. One could read his Spying 1940). Stuart later became a broadcaster chose to ignore the fact that in that same on Ireland from cover to cover without on German English-language radio biography she had produced realising that there was any MacBride- stations, delivering a peculiar mixture of correspondence from Barry to Sighle Barry opposition to Russell's plans. In that apocalyptic nihilism, anti-British rants Humphreys which irrefutably established book MacBride-Barry-Russell contacts and cryptic anti-Semitism. MacBride remained a stalwart friend of the German that the MacBride-Barry initiative to try with Germany are presented as a seamless legation, and was most likely a key and sabotage Nazi German support for continuum, the only difference in the wartime source on the IRA and on Russell was as much motivated by anti- outcome being the portrayal of MacBride Northern Ireland" (pp41-42). pathy towards Nazism itself as towards as a Nazi German spy in a manner that it "(An) unusually detailed piece of (SIS, Russell's Bombing Campaign, further is accepted does not apply to Russell otherwise MI6)) political intelligence was confirming what he had already informed himself. perhaps based on nothing more than Major Florrie O'Donoghue of Irish military gossip… Summary descriptions of other SIS reports indicate predictable concerns intelligence in June 1940. And I suppose O'Halpin both comments on, and and subjects: suspect individuals (inter if we want to put any label on Barry in regurgitates, the following nuggets of alia) … pro-Nazi Irishmen such as … respect of that period, it would have to be 'Intelligence' gossip from the files of the Seán Mac Bride" (p119). "anti-Nazi informer"! various British Intelligence agencies: "Hempel had a trusted intermediary With her own bracketed acknowledge- with links to the Northern IRA—the ment of sources, Meda Ryan had related: "During the war it became clear that British assumed this to be Seán MacBride, there had been sporadic German-IRA which seems likely" (p209). "Russell, feeling bitterness towards contacts since 1936, probably initiated "A handful of republicans recur in these MacBride and Barry, left for America by the ideologically mercurial Seán (1943 SIS) reports… Seán MacBride, and in August 1936 he issued a strong MacBride—eventually to die a patron 'the prominent Dublin barrister and propaganda statement containing forceful saint of the Irish left—during his brief counsel for members of the Extremist language about bombing England, using period as IRA director of intelligence. IRA …has always been regarded as a planes, explosives and other ammunition The one-time IRA chief of staff Tom potential Quisling'. SIS reported that in … Though 'on the run' Barry, Chief-of- Barry told a G2 (Irish Army intelligence) June (1943) he had travelled some Staff, went to Germany 'primarily to find officer in 1940 that MacBride had paved distance to dine with Hempel during the out and if at all, the Nazis had penetrated the way for a visit he made to Germany in German minister's holiday stay in County the IRA', because he was convinced that 1937… The veteran Irish-American Mayo. Whether accurate in detail or not, the 'bombing plan' of Britain was 'of conspirator Joseph McGarrity and the these reports pointed in the right direction" course German inspired and financed'. IRA's Seán Russell also put out feelers to (p223). (Tom Barry to Dr T Ryle Dwyer, a letter the German embassy in Washington. in response to a query, 25/5/1975. I am Barry said that these contacts had resulted In his reliance on the gossip of British grateful to T Ryle Dwyer for this personal in the provision of money through Clan a correspondence.) It was not until 'very Gael to Russell to fund the S-plan spooks, O'Halpin produced not a single late in the decade' that Britain through (Bombing Campaign)… There was also piece of evidence to justify the smear that their intelligence agencies, learned of public evidence of a shift in German MacBride was "pro-Nazi" and a "potential 'the IRA's sporadic contacts with Nazi 16 Germany' which made them scrutinise such activities for their own security · Biteback · Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback during the Second World War. (Eunan O'Halpin, 'British Intelligence, the Republican Movement and the IRA's No newspaper saw it to publish this letter of 1st April German links, 1935-1945', in Fearghal McGarry, ed., Republicanism in Modern Ireland, forthcoming, 2003. I am grateful Graves Vandalised to Eunan O'Halpin for manuscript. Irish On Friday March 29th graves and headstones in St Finbarr's Cemetery in Cork were government intelligence kept a close eye vandalised. Graffiti was daubed on some headstones. The desecrated graves, all of which on Tom Barry's activities, though some were of republicans, included those of the Lords Mayor of Cork Tomás MacCurtain who of government suspicions on Barry were was murdered by members of the RIC in 1920, and Terence MacSwiney who died in unfounded.) … By April 1938, at a general Brixton prison on hunger strike also in 1920, in addition to the grave of General Tom army convention … the London bombing campaign was again brought to the fore, Barry. The fact that this attack was perpetrated just two days prior to commemorations opposition to it centred around Barry… marking the 97th anniversary of the Easter Rising of 1916 adds a sinister element to this He wouldn't agree to it 'ethically, morally desecration. Some national newspapers did not even report this vile incident. or physically'… 'Leave a bomb in a cloak If an attack of this nature had been perpetrated on the Irish National War Memorial room, leave a bomb in a hotel, and be 40 Gardens in Islandbridge, which honours the memory of those Irish who gave their lives or 60 miles away with a time bomb, and in the Great War, just hours before Armistice Day commemorations, there would be you blow to pieces somebody who is public outrage and would undoubtedly draw strong comment from parliament, pulpit and working for £3.10 or £3.30 a week!' (Jack Doheny Lynch—father of the late Conor publications. Why the double standards? Lynch, MO'R—author interview, 10/1/ Tom Cooper 1981; Tom Barry to Nollaig Ó Gadhra, 1969, RTÉ Sound Archives.) … After War one, and why he agreed to be enlisted remedy for those dangers' (Dáil Éireann the formation of a new executive which by MacBride for his Council of Europe Debates, 12 July 1949)." (pp163, 166, had a majority committed to Russell, 168-9 and 170-1). Barry 'publicly walked out' of this project. Keane has further related: convention 'over the passing' of the In his own memoirs, published post- 'resolution to start a bombing campaign', he told Sighle Humphreys, as it was "One of Seán MacBride's most import- humously in 2005, MacBride himself 'inspired and financed by the Nazi ant contributions during his time in recalled: German Band (sic) of the USA'. (Tom ministerial office is involvement in the Barry to Sighle Humphreys, 12 June 1976, Council of Europe and other multilateral "During my period in office I con- Sighle Humphreys Papers, University organisations. As Minister for External centrated a lot of my efforts in building College Dublin Archives). (Barry had Affairs (1948-51), he was directly up the Council of Europe towards the total hostility and contempt for the Nazi responsible for Ireland's growing role in unification of Europe, a bold ambitious German-American Bund—MO'R). He European politics… As Demot Keogh concept of which I was then, and still am, 'could not be party to it as it was unethical (in Ireland and Europe, 1990) indicates, in favour… I was interested in Europe. I and immoral'. Moreover, he had no MacBride was a Christian Democrat and travelled around the Continent, knew it confidence in the new leadership and it was quite fashionable to speak of fairly well and felt that European culture their scheme was 'unworthy of European unity in 1948 within those was important. But apart from that, I had consideration by the IRA'…" (pp300-6). circles. MacBride saw himself in the reasoned to myself that Europe seemed fashionable company of Alcide de Gasperi to be the storm centre for wars. Therefore in Italy, Robert Schuman in France, it was essential to bring about a closer Trinity College Professor Eunan Konrad Adenauer in Germany and Pius understanding in Europe to try and avoid O'Halpin is also the 2003 Editor of MI5's XII'… In addition, with the notable wars… I was also interested in another own MI5 and Ireland 1939-1945—The exceptions of Churchill and Ernest Bevin, aspect of the European movement which Official History, with an enthusiastic Britain did not appear enthused; the subsequently proved to be very important. Foreword provided by the MI5 academic 'official attitude of Great Britain toward A number of us, principally some French operative, Cambridge University Profes- the young Council of Europe was cold members, (like) Robert Schuman, sor Christopher Andrew, author of The and disinterested, and even in some cases conceived the idea that we could have a almost hostile.' (Paul-Henri Spaak, European Convention for the Protection Defence of the Realm—The Authorized 'Strasbourg: The Second Year', 30 of Human Rights and Fundamental History of MI5 (2009). See http://free- October 1950)… The Irish sensed this Freedoms… I felt that the last war downloads.atholbooks.org/pamphlets/ ambivalence; a 1950 External Affairs probably would never have occurred if Jack_Jones_Vindicated.pdf for a point- memo indicated that 'British policy seems there had been a judicial body, a forum, by-point refutation of the dossier of lies to have been directed, in the main, to the before which complaints could have been and slanders trumpeted by Professor task of slowing up or side-tracking any brought as to what was happening in Andrew in respect of the British Trade proposals for a greater degree of Euro- Germany, as to the arrest of Jews, their pean cooperation.' British aloofness prosecution and extermination. But these Union leader and anti-fascist International could provide a chance for the Irish to matters were kept more or less suppressed Brigader Jack Jones. As for Professor distinguish as well as providing an and for some extraordinary reason the O'Halpin, in contrast with his sleight-of- opportunity to prove that military neutral- world press didn't take it up. A few hand smearing of Seán MacBride, Robert ity did not mean political isolationism… newspapers did, but there was doubt as to Reuben Crivon, that Dublin Jewish World Ireland received an invitation to join in whether these things were or were not War Two British Military Intelligence 1949… Seán asked the Dáil to approve: taking place… I felt that we should try Officer, knew full well that Seán MacBride 'World War I, in effect, created a situation and establish mechanisms to prevent this in Central Europe which caused World from happening again… We had begun and Francis Stuart should not be spoken of War II. The last war has created a working on the Statute for the Council of in the same breath. Which is why Crivon's situation which at present disrupts Europe some time in 1948. It was post-War friendship with MacBride Europe… The Council of Europe is a completely new. I was one of the founding became even stronger than than his pre- recognition of the dangers and of the members … (including Labour Foreign 17 Secretary) Ernie Bevin from Britain… I and so on. It was agreed between us that Maxton", McCormack condemned decided I would try to convert Bevin to a I would propose Strasbourg, and that is Skeffington for adamantly turning down Convention on Human Rights. I told him how Strasbourg became the seat of the his request that he might chair a meeting that I understood his irritation with Council of Europe" (pp206-7). to be addressed by Stuart in early 1970, Churchill, 'But the fact that Churchill several months before Skeffington's death: advocates a united Europe is no reason And so it was to Strasbourg that Crivon for opposing a united Europe. I think you went, at the request of his friend MacBride, "Skeffington refused to budge and should be more European than Churchill. to serve on the Council of Europe began to explain. It appeared that he and .. What people would be most interested a friend had taken a walking holiday in in would be a Convention for the Secretariat. It is indeed noteworthy that Germany shortly after Hitler's accession Protection of Human Rights and that this wartime British military intel- to power; then they reached a certain Fundamental Freedoms, to ensure that ligence officer chose as his closest Irish town and sought out the university never again would we drift into a position friends the sons of two 1916 martyrs. restaurant… On the door, however, was where millions of people would be put MacBride was, of course, the son of Major a notice barring Jews and Marxists from into a gas chamber, unbeknownst to the John MacBride who was executed by the the premises. Skeffington's friend, who rest of the world, and nobody would do British authorities, while Own Sheehy was a Jew, declared that he intended to anything against this. Instead of agitating ignore the paragraph relating to him. And about Churchill, why don't you take the Skeffington was the son of Francis Sheehy Skeffington declared that he was prepared lead in urging the adoption of a Skeffington, the socialist pacifist so to regard himself as a Marxist, so that Convention for the Protection of Human brutally murdered by the Anglo-Irish both could violate the regulations Rights within Europe? In that way you Captain Bowen-Colthurst, a cousin of together. Anyone who voluntarily lived would probably weaken Churchill and writer Elizabeth Bowen. On Crivon's death among such regulations as these was enhance your own position.' The night it was to Skeffington that Gageby turned beyond his sympathy. He would not chair ended up with Ernie Bevin being really for an appreciation in the Irish Times of a meeting which Stuart attended." interested in the idea… He made a speech either in Strasbourg or in the House of 18th September 1968, Skeffington began: 'Maxton'/McCormack would be Commons a few days later saying that, 'it "Born in London in 1908, of parents was essential that Europe should take the who were Russian Jewish in origin, accused of whitewashing Stuart's pro-Nazi lead to ensure that never again could Reuben (Robert) Crivon, who died sympathies in letters from Hubert Butler human rights be violated in Europe. There suddenly from a heart attack in Strasbourg to the Irish Times of 17th July and 2nd must be judicial machinery, there must last Thursday, was brought up in Dublin August 1971. Neither Skeffington nor be a rule of law to protect individuals and from the age of two, and was proud to Butler dissented from Irish wartime fundamental liberties.' That was the proclaim himself an Irishman with, of neutrality. Quite the contrary, as Butler turning point. Once I had Britain course, far wider cultural interests and pointed out: supporting the Convention on Human intellectual contacts than most Irishmen Rights, they all became much stronger on are granted. His first spiritual love was "Francis Stuart and Owen Skeffington it… Italy had a rather weak, shilly- ancient Athens… (In 1931) he spent a and I myself would be at one in thinking shallying position at the time, suffering year as lecteur d'anglais at the University that the Second World War, which did from a guilt complex because of the war. of Montpelier. There he fell very much not open till six years after Hitler became When they saw France and Britain under the sway of France." Head of State, was about Power and not petitioning for a Convention on Human Suffering Foreigners." Rights, they jumped on the bandwagon… Skeffington and Crivon had been The negotiations for a Convention for friends and contemporaries at Trinity But Butler related how Stuart's own Human Rights, which was signed on 4 College Dublin from 1927 to 1931 and sympathies had been anything but neutral: November 1950, were long and protracted… The British were prepared were both ardent Francophiles. Following "On December 9th, 1938, Francis Stuart to go a certain distance and were really graduation, Skeffington studied at the wrote to the Irish Times a letter from quite afraid of the European Convention. Sorbonne University in Paris, while, Glendalough headed 'Suffering It was an innovation. And of course, in moving on from Montpelier, Crivon Foreigners', protesting against an Irish truth, though this has never been said undertook further post-graduate studies at campaign to raise funds for refugees from the Nazis and giving them asylum in publicly, once the British ratified the both the Sorbonne and Germany's Convention on Human Rights, they in Ireland… It concerned a group of Austrian University of Cologne, as Hitler was fact accepted a written constitution, which refugees whom I had brought from Vienna they never had before. Because it is a coming to power. It is evident, therefore, to Ireland (several of them and, in written constitution, they have to abide that Crivon was the unnamed Jew in particular, their leader Erwin Strunz and by it. And the decisions of the "Memories of Owen Sheehy Skeffington", his wife Liesl, were later to play an Commission and of the Court can override penned by W.J. McCormack for the Irish honoured part here)… Because of my the home courts. So, to that extent, they Times of 12th and 14th July 1971, shortly respect for Francis Stuart I regarded his letter with sadness as a set-back and as had waived sovereignty" (That Day's after the first anniversary of Skeffington's Struggle—A Memoir 1904-1951, pp187, clear evidence of Nazi sympathies. Soon own death in June 1970. This, however, 197, 199-200 and 204-6). after he left Ireland for Germany. Owen was not at all an appreciation, but very was aware of all this… Stuart's letter was much a deprecation instead. In those years very damaging, for he sought to MacBride went on to describe how McCormack played the role of a John the discourage sympathy for the victims of Strasbourg was chosen as the seat of both Baptist cum John the Evangelist on behalf Hitler… If we recall that letter now, it is the Council and the Court: his literary Messiah, Francis Stuart, and in not to hound a fine writer for what happened long ago, but because he has April 1972 that apologist and apostle "Schuman was always anxious that the been used {by WJ McCormack—MO'R} centre of the Council of Europe should be would go on to compile and edit A as a stick to beat Skeffington. Owen in Strasbourg, for he came from that part Festschrift for Francis Stuart on His Skeffington made a final decision in that of the country. He felt it would be difficult Seventieth Birthday. little German town, as Hugh Maxton to propose this, for the French would say (McCormack) relates." the Council should be in Paris, the In the Irish Times on Bastille Day 1971, Belgians that it should be in Brussels, and writing under his pseudonym of "Hugh Skeffington's own appreciation of 18 Crivon continued: Owen Sheehy Skeffington was an anti- that his voice and manner seemed those fascist, just like his mother Hanna who of 'a Poona Colonel'. Yet, in that voice, "World War II caught him in Athens, had chaired the Women's Aid Committee what he said was strongly of the liberal working for the British Council. As an left. After a term of university lecturing of Irish Friends of the Spanish Republic Irishman, he had no need to 'get himself at Magee College, for instance, what he involved', but moved both by his loathing during the Spanish Anti-Fascist War. saw and heard, outside the sphere of the for all that Hitler stood for and by his love Before that, she had been Assistant Editor university itself, led him afterwards to of France, he crossed the sea to Egypt and to Frank Ryan's editorship of the IRA remark in indignation that if he had stayed joined the British Army as a volunteer. 'I newspaper An Phoblacht. Owen remained another few months in Derry he would am no soldier', he would say wryly but he true to his mother's Republican principles have felt like becoming a Roman Catholic put his heart and soul into the job on and joining the IRA!" hand, the defeating of fascism, and he when he refused to accept any Fianna Fáil saw active service in Madagascar, in the condolences on her death in 1946, so soon That is the choice that the Catholic anti- North African desert, in Italy and in Sicily. after de Valera had allowed the Northern He rose to the rank of Major—was for a IRA leader Seán McCaughey to die on fascist Connie Green, a World War Two time Acting Colonel—and was doing hunger and thirst strike in Portlaoise British commando veteran, felt he had no staff instruction work in London at the Prison. MacBride had been McCaughey's option but to make in his own native city flying bomb period. He was in the defence counsel, as he had also acted for of Derry. Green progressed forward from Normandy advance shortly after D-Day the Protestant IRA leader George Plant, the IRA to Saor Uladh, as Seán MacBride and saw Paris again with joy, later finding copperfastened that organisation's coming himself in Berlin and then in Saigon. executed by de Valera in 1942. In a full to terms with and embrace of this Republic After the War, which he hated for its page article in the Irish Times of 13th cruelty and waste but regarded as a October 1962, published by Gageby to through ensuring the election to Seanad necessary evil, he was glad to return to mark the eve of de Valera's 80th birthday, Éireann of its Chief-of-Staff Liam Kelly. civilian life, yet at first had difficulty in Skeffington recalled both of those IRA But the agenda that MacBride requested settling. He lectured for a year at Glasgow deaths: Crivon to pursue on his behalf was his University; worked for a time with the Council of Europe one. And the crowning United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation "One need not stress such black achievement for MacBride on that front Agency … and in 1949 became one of episodes. One should not, however, was when the Council's Convention on that little band of enthusiastic conceal them. Both were personally international civil servants who helped to defended by Mr de Valera in the Dáil in Human Rights finally resulted in the build the Council of Europe… He became speeches of uncompromising establishment of the European Court of Cultural Director… His Irish background selfrighteousness." Human Rights. and nationality and his wide experience There was, of course, a certain irony of Europe and the world, together with But then Skeffington went on to sing attached to how it began its casework, as his fine linguistic gifts and his Dev's praises on quite a different front. In Keane's biography of MacBride relates: administrative capacity, made him a first the Irish Times of 30th August 1975, class international civil servant and a "In 1957, faced with increasing IRA brilliant representative of Ireland… when Gageby marked de Valera's own violence, the Fianna Fáil Government Reuben Crivon was a cosmopolitan death by proudly publishing Dev's May reintroduced internment. MacBride took Irishman, with an unfeigned admiration 1945 reply to Churchill—under the the case of Gerard Lawless, a dissident also for all that is best in English heading of "Neutrality Defended"—he IRA man who was about to emigrate liberalism; a warm appreciation for the reproduced what the now deceased when he was arrested and interned. It was the first case to be heard by the European mind and art of France, for the heart of Skeffington had written in 1962 in his Court of Human Rights in 1959. He lost, Italy and for the humanitarian political sub-heading— climate of ancient Greece and modern but the proceedings established the Scandinavia. He took great pride, too, in "Mr. de Valera's famous reply to Mr. principle that the Court could investigate the qualities and achievements of his Churchill's attack on Ireland's neutrality whether a state of emergency exists in a Jewish forebears and contemporaries. He is still remembered by many. Owen country that is sufficient to allow the use was happy to be Irish and he was proud of Sheehy Skeffington wrote in 1962 'the of internment or other measures." (p225). being a Jew, not in a religious sense, but whole of Ireland stood up and cheered de with a deep feeling for the cultural and Valera' on that occasion." And it was in the case brought by intellectual heritage, and continued Ireland against the UK, in respect of the contribution to humanity, of that great Why, then, did Skeffington view his people… Dublin and Paris were his true five techniques of sensory deprivation friend Reuben Crivon's wartime service employed by the RUC against Republican spiritual homes… The Europe for which in the British Army so positively? Because he strove was not a Europe of trusts and detainees, that the same Court found cartels, nor yet the chauvinistic 'Europe he saw it as having been motivated by against the UK in 1978 that "recourse to of nation States', but a truly united Europe anti-fascism throughout, with such anti- the five techniques amounted to a practice in which narrow vested interests would fascist principles and values becoming of inhuman and degrading treatment, play no part, and the strength and culture confirmed all the more strongly in the which practice was in breach of the of all would be readily at the disposal and post-War years. Smyllie had conveniently service of each individual European… European Convention of Human Rights", omitted one significant period of Crivon's preceded by a pre-emptive statement from There was nothing narrow about him, life between British Army discharge and and his very knowledge of the world's the UK Attorney-General in February 1977 variety precluded him from any form of his Council of Europe recruitment by that "the Government of the UK have sectarianism, religious, political, racial MacBride. But in Skeffington's appreci- considered the question of the use of the or cultural. What he stood for above all ation of Crivon, he made a point of going 'five techniques' and with particular regard was the intellectual and cultural liberation out of his way to highlight it in the to Article 3 of the Convention. They now of Europe and the world, through the following manner: fostering of what is wise and good in give this unqualified undertaking, that the mankind's story. The united Europe of "He was not orthodox in any sense; his 'five techniques' will not in any the future has lost a faithful friend who outlook often unexpected. His friends circumstances be reintroduced as an aid served it well with heart and mind." would sometimes 'rag' him on the fact to interrogation". As MacBride pointed 19 out, this was the element of a written traitor.'" (p91). disgusted by the Fianna Fáil failure to constitution that he had persuaded Bevin offer even one word in defence of the to accept for Britain. The current British One can only imagine how Gageby Irish Army and its own wartime record. would have responded to the apology to Fianna Fáil had in fact presented Sinn Home Secretary now wants the next Tory the Irish Army deserters. It has indeed Féin with an open goal. But Sinn Féin, by election manifesto to pledge a UK come to a sorry pass when one has to demanding an apology to Irish Army withdrawal from that European Conven- invoke a former Editor of the Irish Times deserters, chose instead to score an own tion in order to restore the British in order to demonstrate to Sinn Féin goal. Constitution to its pre-War unwritten glory some basic elements of Republican (to be continued) as a blank page. patriotism! But, of course, Gageby would have been even more thoroughly Manus O'Riordan IRA/Sinn Féin historiography would respect the memory of Seán MacBride in his role as defence counsel for so many of their glorious dead of the 1940s, as they Poetry Review: Eddie Linden, A THORN IN THE FLESH, Selected Poems. Hearing Eye. ISBN 9781-9508-63-6 would welcome that 1978 European Court judgement against the UK. But, because they would dispute Clann na Poblachta's 'premature' anti-abstentionism, they Linden: A Maverick Poet remain blind to MacBride's achievements as Minister for External Affairs of this Eddie Linden is probably actually a Derry-city-born man, Edward Sean Glackin: Republic in whose formal declaration in his was a one-parent family when such things were deeply shameful. He is a queer, 1949 he had been so instrumental, and working class, Glaswegian, Catholic poet. He escaped from Glasgow to London and whose 'Free State' statesmanship resulted to the owner-editorship of a poetry magazine Aquarius (since 1969). in the European Convention on Human Rights in the first place, followed by the These poems cover all aspects of Eddie Linden's personality: the first dozen are establishment of that self-same Court. auto-biographical and rather nostalgic for a hard, bitter early life. They include City Of Razors, about Glasgow—not Sheffield. The razors are used for cutting up 'the other Sinn Féin seems incapable of respect- sort'. Linden writes from the point of view of the Irish-Catholic minority in the ing any of this Republic's achievements, erstwhile Second City of the Empire. The Man In The Black Suit and Drag Show are whether by de Valera or MacBride. For a surprisingly similar. He sympathises with the alcoholic priest in the one, and the, brief moment it seemed to do so, when it presumably queer, man doing the drag show. ran Martin McGuinness for President of Ireland and when I gave him my No. 1 'Drag' has become ubiquitous in queer bars (and treated as endemic to 'the Gay vote. But that appears to have been but a subculture'). My own first encounter with it was in a huge pub in Manchester, run by brief interval between those decades of a Mussolini-like heavy who didn't much like homos. Some of his clientele were refusing to give any recognition at all to 'drag'—others were transvestite, and some transsexual. Some Gay (men) sneered at the validity of what it persisted in all of these people. They felt superior, forcefully reminding me of the old Blueshirt misnaming the "Free State" and its current Yeats's lines "A beggar upon horseback / Beats a beggar on the ground". incessant denunciations of a "Failed Linden's ambiguous Catholicism is touched on in the (slightly sardonic) Prayers State". For The Foetus, as well as in the entirely unambiguous or sardonic To Archbishop Sinn Féin's demand that this State Roberts. Roberts was the anti-imperialist Archbishop of Bombay (Mumbai), a apologise for disciplining those who 'liberation' theologian 'devant la parole', and an inspiringly decent human being. (His deserted our Defence Forces in order to decency almost certainly applied to the sexual awkward squad.) Another poem is A enlist in the British Army during World Table Of Fruit, subtitled 'for Father Michael Hollings'. There are a number of poems War Two was in fact a profoundly anti- about his fellow-artists—poets mostly, but including at least one musician and the Republican act, for it was directed against sculptor John Behan. Tranquillity, 'for Douglas Hyde on his eightieth birthday', is the only Republic we have had for the past carefully dated '1991'—a tribute to 33 years of friendship. Hyde, a 1950s (pre- three quarters of a century. Hungary) defector from Communism to Catholicism, found the company of radicals like Linden congenial. The poem is about being together on Aldermaston (anti-nuclear In the aforementioned book on Douglas war) marches, organised by CND, the still-existing Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Gageby, Mary Maher related the following Sitting down to 'review' this wee book has been an interesting experience. It dawned Irish Times incident: on me how much substance there was to these two dozen poems. Only one runs to two "Someone suggested we should expose pages. Most don't take up a whole page. But the range of feeling is extraordinary— the inadequacies of the Garda training particularly his contempt for the nice people encountered at readings: After the system … that all they learned … was Reading, is ferocious, while Editor is probably meant to frighten the life out of anyone how to shine their buttons… Someone even contemplating submitting material to the Editor of Aquarius. piped up to remark that when he was in the RAF, the squaddies had special There is the material noted above, underlining his talent for friendship, the fact that buttons that didn't need to be shined. he can use 'cunts' without making me squirm, and his sidling up to his Irish connection. Douglas Gageby peered up over his glasses and said in his drawling ironic These Selected Poems are dedicated to John Rety (and the Guardian journalist John tone, the one that chilled bone marrow, Ezard). 'Is that so … when you were in the RAF Seán McGouran you didn't have to shine your buttons. Wasn't it well for you—you fucking 20 not banned the use of gypsum for animal keeping the past alive and were bringing bedding especially after the NI tragedy to their local communities rich historical Does received such wide media publicity. The scholarship—all voluntary unpaid work. It younger brother in the Spence family who This was at the time when the universities Stack died was a top Ulster rugby player and that were riven—and still are—by the poison- Up impacted hugely on Irish rugby so it was ous ideology of revisionism which had ? a sports as well as a news story with the the effect of driving droves of young stud- kind of concomitant coverage that that ents away from studying—with those that FARMING entails. remained being chained by the likes of This Spring farm animals and farmers Professor John A. Murphy et al to produc- have had a very hard time. Fodder for the ing revisionist analysis that was as false as animals has run out on many farms. The NATIONAL COMMEMORATIONS it was paralysing. Now UCC in travelling hungry animals are baying for food day PROGRAMME road-shows, curated by Gabriel Doherty, and night and this is very distressing for In the Evening Echo, 16th April 2013, chase after local Historical Societies in a farm families. In Ireland, most farm under the heading UCC academic is desperate attempt to urge the local student families live on the farm near the animal appointed to Government body was the bodies to take up studying history in their housing. Silage is selling for fifty euros a news that Gabriel Doherty had been invited universities. But it is all too late and their bale but most farmers cannot buy and by Minister for Arts, Heritage and the numbers are dropping like stones. banks have not money to lend according Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan, Fine Gael, as to their managers. (What did we save "a historian to sit on the Expert Advisory The State too of course has done it's them for?) Fields appear to be ready for Group of eminent historians which advises part by also pushing this ideological grazing but although they are green with the Government and the all-party revisionism and if ever there was any small grass they are so waterlogged that Oireachtas Committee on Commemor- doubt about this—it was shown graphic- cattle cannot be allowed on them—the ations". Doherty replied that he was ally in the Professor Eunan O'Halpin TV3 cattle would sink up to their hocks in mud. "honoured and humbled" to be invited to 'historical documentary, titled In the Name Hungry cattle will eat their bedding, which participate in the work of the committee. of the Republic—which according to The is usually straw but not always. The committee was set up by Taoiseach Phoenix was funded by the tax-payers to There was an unfortunate disaster last Enda Kenny, in conjunction with his the tune of €200,000. The former was as year in Northern Ireland when several Minister Jimmy Deenihan, with the far from objective history as one could members of the Spence family died. The announcement that it was to be chaired by get—it wasn't even folklore as some said Spence family were farmers and one of Dr. Maurice Manning (Chancellor of the but rather crude propaganda in the mode them—the father—went down into the National University of Ireland) and sup- of old Froude (whom Lecky had to event- slurry pit to rescue their dog which had ported by Dr. Martin Mansergh. It was to ually denounce himself—and then Lecky fallen in. Another member—a brother— include the following: got flack from Herbert Butterfield for his went down to rescue the father and a Professor John A. Murphy, type of "cherry-picking from the third—a sister—went down the ladder to Professor Eunan O'Halpin, documents"—in the latter's seminal work rescue the other two. They were overcome Professor Diarmuid Ferriter, Ms. Sinead Mc Coole, 'George and the Historians' Macmillan. by the deadly gas Hydrogen Sulphide (see Professor Mary Daly, London. 1959. p.59—which must have last month's issue of Irish Political Review Dr. Eamon Phoenix, been pretty galling on chemical warfare). The usual gas in Dr. Leeann Lane, slurry tanks is methane. However, on the Professor Gearóid O Tuathaigh, Spence farm, it seems discarded gypsum Mr. Francis Devine. WALTER MACKEN building material was used as animal bed- In my opinion, Walter Macken is one of The foregoing "eminent historians" ding and gypsum when mixed with animal our greatest writers of novels and plays in have the following remit from the State: urine produces the lethal gas hydrogen the twentieth century. Every emigrant to sulphide which kills instantly when it is "The initial work of the Advisory Group Britain will recognise the emotions and on Centenary Commemorations will be inhaled. The gas is heavier than the air and towards the preparation of an overview feelings of his novel I Am Alone, while there so it stays in the tank. A tiny quantity of statement to inform the development and has been tribute to his great trilogy of novels this gas smells like rotten eggs but a large delivery of the commemorative prog- Seek The Fair Land (about "Ireland when quantity overwhelms the sense of smell ramme for the period 2012-2016, Cromwell's armies ravaged the land in an and is not detected in time to avoid it. In following which further statements could orgy of death—a horrific, gargantuan saga the case of the Spence family—the address annual commemorative prog- of a terrible moment in history—strong daughter was the only one to survive and rammes and thematic issues." meat", according to The New York Times that was after she was pulled out by review). He also wrote The Silent People The group will continue in being for the neighbours and spent some days in ("The scourge of famine, fever and tyrannical duration of the commemorative prog- intensive care in hospital overcoming the landlords—written with all the power of ramme 2012-2016. toxicity in her blood. She was very lucky suppressed pity and rage", according to a not to die. I can remember that it must be a decade review in The Liverpool Daily Post) and The ago when the idea was propounded in this Scorching Wind (about the Irish War of The sale of scrap gypsum panels has magazine by a colleague—Julianne Independence). Before Macken turned to now been banned in Northern Ireland but Herlihy—that local Historical Societies full-time writing, he was an actor, director they are still being sold in the Twenty-Six were the new "hedge schools". They were and dramatist. Some of his work was in Counties to farmers who have not been doing the work of the academic institutions Gaelic. He wrote seven plays, ten novels, told of the lurking danger. It does not stack regarding historical archiving/research/ three books of short stories and two children's up that the Department of Agriculture has writing and, with no State input, were books. He died prematurely at 51. His 21 biography is given three columns in the QUB. I have attended conferences in emptying the biblical land of its last Dictionary of Irish Biography (DIB). places as diverse as Cork, Barcelona, Bath Christians. Our martyrology simply gets etc and it is interesting to meet people of longer." But why is Walter Macken ignored by the all nationalities who are interested in Archbishop Nassar's words come just commentariat in the Irish literary estab- Ireland, not only literature but culture days after one of the rebel factions battling lishment? Why did Séamus Deane and his also. The social side is catered for at against the regime of Bashar al Assad associates ignore such a towering figure in formal and informal gatherings in the (also a secular leader) announced itself Irish Literature in their magnum opus—the evenings during the conference. You may aligned with al Qaeda in Iraq, bringing three-volume Field Day Anthology? hear Irish music being played on the fiddle fears of direct and bloody attacks on And of course he is also ignored in all and flute by Japanese students from Tokyo Christians, as occurred in that country other Dictionaries of Irish Biography or Korean students from Seoul or from after the ousting of the secular President produced by the likes of Cambridge and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil—the latter also Sadam Hussein. Now that the UK is Oxford for the Irish Universities. held a very successful conference attended considering lifting the ban on weapons by universities from all over the world. exports to aid the rebels—one has to Such is the fate of yet another great Irish question what is the West really up to? It writer who was marvelled at by his The 1995 conference was organised in just doesn't stack up at all. contempories and forgotten by his succes- UCC by Professor Colbert Kearney, who Michael Stack © sors. It would be no exaggeration to state was Professor of English, and it seems it is that Macken was to Irish literature/culture the departments of English in the univers- what Dickens was to England and Tolstoy ities which control IASIL and which study was to Russia. Anglo-Irish literature only. The British Council were and are heavily involved in IASIL promoting literature in English and, until This is the International Association the Celtic Studies Departments can take ALL THAT GLITTERS for the Study of Irish Literatures i.e. over the study of Irish literatures and literature in the Irish Gaelic language and remove it from the grip of the English She could have won gold, Irish literature written in the English and Departments, we will not see much study yes gold, any other languages. There is quite a large of real Irish literature by the likes of e.g.. could have won gold, body of literature relevant to Ireland Walter Macken, Canon Sheehan or Daniel would have won gold, written in French, German, Norwegian, Corkery—to name but a very few! only it was raining. Spanish and Latin, as was pointed out at She was destined the IASIL Annual General Meeting held Britain has proved that commerce follows during training in University College, Cork, on the 7th the culture and it is most important for the to win gold July 1995, when a proposal was put Irish State to vigorously promote the study but her legs turned to lead, forward in the teeth of hot and heavy of Irish culture and literature in countries and lead isn’t gold, academic argument. The then Chairman abroad with which Ireland wants to do though at one point Dr. Michael Kenneally, Concordia Univer- business. The way is wide open to do this if she was ahead. sity Montreal, Canada proposed that the the will is there in Irish State organisations May I make so bold name of the association be changed to the and in Irish commercial enterprises. It is the as to say once more, International Association for the Study of way forward but looking at what is happening she could have won gold, Irish Literatures. The previous name for now—I wouldn't hold my breath. though she won silver, twenty five years had been The Internation- didn’t you hear the crowd roar. al Association for the Study of Anglo- SYRIA Silver, it’s not something you can Irish Literature and of course Anglo-Irish The Irish Catholic, 18th April 2013 pilfer, literature was mostly written by Protest- reported that it was a "leave or die" option it’s got to be won, ants. The original IASIL was founded in that now operated for Syria's ancient and she did, win, 1970 under the chairmanship of Professor biblical Christian community. Archbishop ahead of bronze, Norman Jeffares of Queen's University, Samir Nassar of Damascus said in an when she heard the starter’s Belfast. The annual Conference of IASIL interview that they were subjected to "daily gun. is held once every three years in Ireland car-bombings and sniper attacks" and So, who won gold. and the other annual conferences are held that these "with scarcity of food and No one from the UK, at Universities across the world. For medical supplies were making life to be precise, example, the 1996 conference was held in intolerable for the dwindling Christian to subtly convey: New York at which the name was actually population still attempting to exist in the no one from around here, changed again in the face of Anglo-Irish city". The ever deteriorating conditions, in this London Olympian year. opposition which came mainly from Irish the Archbishop said, was presenting But she (who should have won gold) universities and their standard bearers in impossible choices for both lay people did win, English universities like Roy Foster, and clerics. He described the reality now though gold would have been Professor Edna Longley et al. of people pleading with the local Church nice. "for help in finding a visa to leave". For The 1997 conference was held in clerics, Msgr. Nassar pointed out, the Wilson John Haire Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1998 in the situation brings its own tribulations. "To 30th July, 2012 University of Limerick and in 1999 the advise them to stay could lead to death University of Barcelona etc. The 2013 like a lamb dumb before the butcher" he Conference is to be held in Belfast in said, "while helping them leave means 22 get an average 10% pay increase over the ion rate has seen it come from behind to TU NOTES continued next four years. pass out countries such as Finland, which With no Trade Union representation, have highly-rated education systems. claimants, after rising by 3,431 in the last the pay negotiations have been handled by In 2002, when 32% of Irish 30 to 34- 12 months. internal employee representatives and year olds had a degree, the comparable The hike in those who are over a year management. There are over 2,400 pilots figure in Finland was 41%, but in 2012, on the dole was fuelled by women, whose working for the airline and 5,200 flight Finland's 46% was trailing behind Ireland's numbers rose by almost 9%. attendants. 51%. In contrast, the number of men who are "The company said the pay increases Meanwhile, a detailed analysis of this long-term claimants dropped by almost for cabin crew will apply to all grades, year's CAO applications confirms the 1%. from supervisors to junior members. shifting trends in the areas of study being The unadjusted figures show there were They've also negotiated higher undertaken at third-level, as school-leavers 425,088 people on the live register last supervisory and other allowances, while and other college hopefuls follow the what Ryanair describes as a stable “home month, an annual drop of 8,966, or just promise of jobs in hi-tech sectors. over 2%. every night” roster has also been maintained. There has been a significant increase in On a seasonally adjusted basis, there "Ryanair spokesman Robin Kiely said: applications to study science, technology was a monthly fall of 2,200 last month, “It is a considerable success for Ryanair's and engineering over the past five years, bringing the total to 426,100. cabin crew and pilots to secure pay according to the analysis by the Higher ****************************** increases and favourable rosters at a time Education Authority (HEA). when unions in Germany, Italy, Spain, Holidays Sweden and the UK are currently Technology now accounts for 21% of "Irish people are almost twice as likely negotiating job cuts, pay cuts and pension all Level 8 (honours degree) courses and to holiday than most other Europeans, cuts.” within that category, computing has seen according to an EU-wide survey (EU "Ryanair said pilots at bases in Cork, a 51% rise in first-preference applications Statistical Office, Eurostat) on tourism Shannon, Bristol, Alicante, East Midlands since 2009. trends. and Luton have also negotiated fresh In the same period, science has seen a terms. They include pay rises of up to "Just 24% of all holidays taken by EU 17% jump in first preferences, while citizens are by people travelling outside 10% as well as allowance and pension their own country. increases. The pilots will also work a engineering is up 22%. The trend is similar "The research shows that 43% of all five-day on, four-day off roster" (Irish at Level 7/6 (ordinary degree/higher holidays taken by Irish people in 2011 Independent, 27.3.2013). certificate) where technology accounts for were to foreign destinations, with 4.7 34% of all first-preference applications million out of 10.9 million holidays taken But Ryanair, which last week confirmed this year. In the past five years, computing overseas that year" (Irish Examiner, an order for 175 new Boeing aircraft, applications have risen by 41%, while 16.4.2013). concedes that it tries to control its labour science is up 25%. ****************************** costs by seeking to "continually improve "However, Oireachtas education the productivity of its already highly committee members expressed concerns Parental Leave productive workforce". about the level of foreign-language uptake The entitlement to unpaid parental leave Productivity-based incentive payments among third-level students in Ireland, has been increased by a month from 14 to accounted for about 47% of an average despite growing demand from employers 18 weeks, Minister for Justice Alan Shatter flight attendant's total earnings at Ryanair for such skills. has announced. last year and 37% of the typical pilot's "Less than one-third of Irish school- leavers takes a foreign language at third "Mr Shatter yesterday signed the compensation. level and far fewer graduates opt to pursue changes into law giving effect to a 2010 Ryanair has a 29% holding in Aer EU directive allowing parents to over careers using their language skills, four months of leave. Lingus, the national airline. Department of Education official Breda "The regulation will also give parents ****************************** Naughton told the committee" (Irish a right to request a change in working Independent, 18.4.2013). hours for a set period on return from Universities ****************************** parental leave. However, employers are Ireland is the graduate capital of Europe, not required to grant it, but under the with a bigger share of 30-somethings regulation they must consider it. Finances "“It is important that we support parents holding a degree than anywhere else in the Irish people withdraw more from ATMs of young children in the difficult balanc- EU. every year than citizens of any other ing act of caring for a young family and Over half of Irish 30 to 34-year old European country, and Ireland remains working”, Mr Shatter said in a statement" persons now have a third-level qualific- one of the few EU countries where social (Irish Times, 9.3.2013). ation, the only EU country to pass the 50% welfare payments are still regularly paid mark. over the counter in cash, the Central Bank Parents can avail of the leave for each Among women, the figure is even said. child under eight, but are limited to 18 higher, with 58% of Irish females in that Cheque usage in Ireland is also one of weeks per year if they have more than one age bracket having completed third-level the highest in Europe, and remains parti- child (except in the case of twins or education, compared with 44% of males. cularly prevalent among businesses. In a triplets). New figures from Eurostat, track how ****************************** research paper, the Central Bank said the Ireland's impressive graduate output over heavy use of cash and cheques in Ireland Pay Deal the past decade has put it to the top of the was a huge cost to the economy. (Central Ryanair has agreed a deal with cabin leader board. Bank press release, 2.4.2013.) crew and some pilots that will see them The continuing rise in Ireland's graduat- **********************************************

23 VOLUME 31 No. 5 CORK ISSN 0790-1712

TRADE UNION JIM LARKIN NOTES (1874-1947) Croke Park Rejection by "Now SIPTU has delivered its rather PATRICK KAVANAGH long-winded verdict on Croke Park II, it looks set for a home run. General president Jack O'Connor has set the scene for a Not with public words now can his greatness badly-needed win for Labour, and in Be told to the children, for he was more particular, Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Brendan Howlin" (Irish Than a labour-agitating orator— Independent editorial, 15.3.2013). The flashing flaming sword merely bore witness To the coming of the dawn: 'Awake and look! That was then : this is now! "The rejection of the Croke Park II deal The flowers are growing for you, and wonderful trees, by SIPTU has plunged the Government And beyond are not the serf's grey Docks, but seas— into the deepest crisis of its term in office so far. Due to the voting strength of Excitement out of the Creator's poetry book. SIPTU, the new deal is already holed When the Full Moon's in the River the ghost of bread below the waterline even before the final overall verdict of the Irish Congress of Must not haunt all your weary wanderings home. Trade Unions is delivered today" (Irish The ships that were dark galleys can become Independent editorial, 17.4.2013). Pine forests under winter's starry plough ****************************** And the brown gantries will be the lifted head Dole Figures Down Of man the dreamer whom the gods endow.' The number of people on the dole has fallen again, bringing the total signing on down by almost 9,000 since last year. And thus I heard Jim Larkin shout above However, the long-term unemployed The crowd who wanted to turn aside now make up 44% of all live register From Reality coming to free them. Terrified continued on page 27

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