Arms Crisis Blinkers The Crisis Property Tax Angela Clifford Malachi Lawless Labour Comment

page 17 page 7 back page IRISH POLITICAL REVIEW December 2009 Vol.24, No.12 ISSN 0790-7672 and Northern Star incorporating Workers' Weekly Vol.23 No.12 ISSN 954-5891

The North Convolutes Lilliput Europe? Northern Ireland continues to be a problem. That is its destiny. It was designed by Twenty years ago the Wall came down, its Creator to be a problem and it does not presume to thwart the will of the problem- leaving Western Europe in a secure and setter. comfortable position in the world. What . The purpose for which Northern Ireland was conceived was to keep Protestants and it needed to do in order to maintain this Catholics together as coherent communities in conflict with each other, within the British position was nothing. It was in the position state but excluded from its political life, disputing in various ways (from academic to known in chess as zugzwang—a strong military) over an issue which is incapable of being resolved. position that could not be improved by There is disagreement about whether there is a strong case for seeing the Universe as moving and would be spoiled by the oblig- a product of intelligent design which may presume the existence of a Designer. But there ation to move. But where did the obligation is no reasonable ground for doubting that Northern Ireland was constructed by the to move come from? In chess it comes intelligence of Designer. It was created by an Act of the Imperial Parliament at a moment from the clock. There was no clock run- when the Empire ruled the world and the wisdom of two and a half centuries of ning for the EU. Masterful inactivity was representative government was concentrated in Whitehall. When Britain did what it did a possible course of action. But that in those circumstances, it was not without malice aforethought. What has been proved to be too bold for a Europe dis- happening in Northern Ireland ever since is in line with what a realistic estimate of orientated by the disappearance of the probabilities would have expected. Wall. It would have needed a De Gaulle The Catholic third of the population remained a coherent Nationalist community or a Bismarck to do such a daring thing as sustaining an Anti-Partitionism as its politics, because there was nothing else for it to staying put and refusing hubris. So the become within the actual political context to which Northern Ireland was consigned. The EU put itself under compulsion to move. Protestant two-thirds remained a coherent Unionist community because it was required It is now picking up the pieces of itself. to return a Unionist majority at every election—and it had twice as many elections as the The first sign of returning health is the rest of the British state—in order to maintain the 'connection with Britain'. appointment of a Belgian nonentity to the The Protestants ran a sub-government dealing with minor issues while the major new Presidency. issues of state were dealt with by Whitehall under the direction of Governments which The Irish Times (Nov. 21) carried a Northern Ireland played no part in electing. The major thing done by that local Protestant schizophrenic editorial on this subject. It sub-government was the policing of the Catholic community. comments that the reality of the new The local sub-government was scrapped by Whitehall in response to an all-out Presidency: Catholic assault on it in 1972—to which St. Jack Lynch contributed. For the next thirty "is far from the caricature that oppon- years there was 'direct rule' by Whitehall. That is to say, the North was governed by the ents of the Lisbon Treaty threatened us Government of the state. This was decreed by Whitehall to be an abnormal emergency with. We were, they claimed, creating a measure, and the North continued to be excluded from the democratic political system monster—an imperial figure who would of the state. strut the globe throwing Europe’s weight After 1998 local sub-government was restored, but on essentially altered terms. The around, someone who would be pretence that Northern Ireland was some kind of democracy was abandoned. It was recognised in a line-up with Obama, continued on page 2 continued on page 5

currently Independent, MLA for Ferman- at the Enniskillen launch: "People are Fianna Fail In The North agh and South Tyrone, Gerry McHugh encouraging the party to participate in has joined Fianna Fáil. He is quoted as the forthcoming 2011 elections and we Just months after Brian Cowan made it saying: are confident we can deliver on this". clear that only over his dead body would "I do not claim to be a Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil organise in The North, Fianna MLA but I am an MLA who is a member So The Republican Party is organised, Fáil has organised in The North. of Fianna Fáil". with public representatives at every level On Saturday November 28th a third FF in what passes for devolved government The Irish News reports "It is expected 'Forum' was launched in Co. Fermanagh in The North. with FF Ministers, Dermot Ahern and that councillors from the SDLP and Sinn Eamon O Cuiv in attendance. Fein will declare for Fianna Fáil in coming So, turn a blind eye Biffo? Or Bye-Bye On Tuesday December 1st the Irish months". Biffo? News reported that former Sinn Fein, Forum spokesman Padraig Murphy said Joe Keenan ersatz parties must follow the example of the real parties in Britain and try to destroy C O N T E N T S each other. But, in Britain, because it is subject to the rational object, the destructive conflict is more apparent than Page real. The North Convolutes. Editorial 1 While the UUP was the major Protestant Lilliput Europe? Editorial 1 party the story was that it could not operate Fianna Fail In The North. Joe Keenan 1 the Good Friday Agreement wholeheart- Readers' Letters: Greaves Summer School. Frank Keoghan 3 edly because it had to guard itself against McWilliams And The Crisis. Malachi Lawless 7 the DUP. Then the DUP became the How Safe Is The Swine Flu Vaccine? Edward Longwill 8 major party and, against expectations, undertook to operate the GFA with a good Poetry. Remembrance Day. Off The Wall. Wilson John Haire 9,16 will. If the apologia of the UUP had been Shorts from the Long Fellow (The New Puritans; Old Currency; The Irish Times; in earnest, it would have welcomed this The Poppy; Vincent Browne On The Poppy; RTE; Mad As Hell!; Allez Les new departure by the DUP and helped to Bleus!; Brian Lenihan's Latest Accolade) 10 consolidate it. Instead of doing that, it A Minister With Balls. Jack Lane takes up Bishop Colton's Education demands 12 reversed roles with the DUP and accused Bowen: An English Lesson. Julianne Herlihy 13 it of selling-out to the Fenians. That is to Bob Doyle, Union Struggles And CP Contradictions. Robert Doyle 15 say, it adopted what was called the Do Irish Workers Know Anything About Their Newest Employer? 'extremist' position when played by the Patrick O'Beirne on the asbestos producer, James Hardie 16 DUP, and set about destabilising the DUP/ Arms Crisis Misconceptions. Angela Clifford 17 SF accommodation. Biteback: Free State War Crimes. (Report of Cathal O'Connor letter) 18 The most sensitive measure involved Does It Stack Up? Michael Stack (Flooding; Climate Change; Dictionary Of in the GFA was the transfer of policing to Irish Biography) 22 Stormont. Under the old system there was Index 2009. 23 a simple Protestant policing of Catholics (with a token presence of Catholics, many of them from outside the North). Under the new system there was to be some kind Labour Comment, edited by Pat Maloney: of supra-communal or trans-communal Property Tax: Anything But Reform? system. Sinn Fein was reluctant to play a (back page) part in the Policing Boards until the RUC was remade. That was then a strong Unionist point against it. Then Sinn Fein began to participate, and that became a reason against it. Paisley was a big human presence on formally recognised that there were two of £26 million from the Northern Bank in the Protestant side. He was not submerged communal electorates with little or no central Belfast, in which the getaway-van in the pettiness of intra-communal ersatz overlap between them. The new arrange- was traced on CCTV cameras for fifteen politics. His purpose, when he decided to ment provided for the representatives to miles out of Belfast before disappearing operate the Agreement, was to implicate control pieces of the new sub-government from sight of the universal cameras and Sinn Fein in it, in conjunction with a as of right, with Ministers being appointed without leaving a trace. strong Unionist presence. He was therefore directly by the communal parties, not by Trimble, playing his clever game of amenable to devolving policing authority, the First Minister, and not being subject to subverting the Good Friday Agreement and binding Sinn Fein into it. a Cabinet. while purporting to participate in it, So Paisley was branded a 'Lundy' by The Unionist Party, led by David steadily lost ground to Paisley, his close the 'moderates' of the UUP. Trimble (who was advised by Professor ally of the Drumcree confrontation. It was It is conceivable that even though the Lord Bew) did not allow the new only when Paisley's Democratic Unionist Republican Ireland—i.e. that part of system to start for a number of years after Party outstripped the UUP that the Belfast Ireland which is a Republic—has recently 1998. When, under extreme pressure, he Agreement became functional. embraced its Protestant heritage, with finally nominated Ministers to it, it was When Paisley decided to operate the official celebration of the Williamite always on a short lease. He participated Agreement with Sinn Fein he did so with conquest, the Southern reader may not be under a post-dated letter of resignation, to a good grace. But that was not in the familiar with the important historical figure become operative if certain conditions— script, so the subversion of Paisley began. of Lundy. Lundy is burned in effigy on which it was virtually certain would not the bonfires of the Eleventh Night. He be met—were not met. His purpose The ersatz party systems in Northern proposed the Opening of the Gates (of throughout was to get the system suspend- Ireland have nothing to do with conflict Derry) to the besieging Army of James. ed and have Sinn Fein blamed for it. The over policies to be implemented by the And Paisley was for establishing a devol- Taoiseach (Bertie Ahern) collaborated in Government, or even the sub-government. ved Police Authority in which Sinn Fein, this exercise. "Save Dave" was the order And there is not one system, but two. as the major representative of the Fenians, of the day. There is no Unionist/Nationalist conflict would play a part. It was asserted, without a shred of as there is no middle ground, no floating The anti-Paisley campaign launched evidence and in defiance of probability, vote, between the two. The party-conflict by the UUP, appealing to the most that the peaceful raid on Castlereagh high is within each community. It is thus twice primitive element of Ulster Protestant security Barracks at mid-day, without removed from the rational object of party- culture, operated on an element of the masks but with the security cameras politics, which is the governing of the DUP which had gone along with Paisley accidentally switched off, was done by State. in the first instance. It was given extensive the Provos. And likewise with the robbery Despite the lack of a rational object the coverage by BBC, NI—which, unlike the 2 BBC in general, is a Whitehall Govern- ment apparatus (and was so even in the LETTERS TO THE EDITOR · LETTERS TO THE EDITOR· LETTERS TO THE EDITOR· days when, according to Lord Professor Bew of Queen's and Professor Keogh of Cork, there was a 'Northern Ireland state'), Greaves Summer School and its influence is usually mischievous. The Unionist 'moderates', being over- I notice that in the latest edition of your Review, your correspondent; Malachi Lawless taken by the Unionist 'extremists', set about ascribes the organisation of the Greaves School to the Communist Party of Ireland. This recovering ground by attacking the is surprising as a number of your regular contributors have attended the School on 'extremists' for selling out to Sinn Fein. occasion and indeed, some have participated as speakers. But in the official nomenclature the UUP On the contrary, the School has been organised for over twenty years by a committee, remained 'moderate', even when attempt- the members of which to the best of my knowledge, have all been unaffiliated politically ing to destabilise the DUP/SF arrangement, and I would be grateful if you would acknowledge this fact in the next edition of the and the DUP remains 'extremist', even Review. when making a deal with Sinn Fein. And Connolly Books has organised a bookstall at the School almost since its inception and the game was to destabilise the deal made it is our hope that this relationship will be maintained as it is the leading radical bookshop between the 'extremists' who were acting in Ireland and its stock has been consistently popular with attendees at the School. moderately. I hope that you will continue to publicise the work of the School and I will forward you the programme for next year upon its completion. We have also established a website An evening paper, The Belfast Tele- at www.greavesschool.com and we intend to have video of this year’s contributions graph, is now owned by the Irish Inde- available there soon. Frank Keoghan, Director, Greaves School. (10.11.09) pendent Group. For many years it was little more than a sheet for property advertising. It has now been remade into McGuinness could become the First But if Sinn Fein does become the major a newspaper and become a morning daily. Minister. party at the next Assembly Election, that And of course it engages in 'investigative will be an interesting conjuncture. Forty years ago it was evident to us, on The DUP is now dragging its heels on journalism'. Its major investigation was the basis of obvious social realities, that the issue of Transfer of Policing and Justice to discover 'political corruption' in the there were two possible courses of Paisley family—basically the payment of Powers to the Assembly in the expectation development in the North. We suggested of a Tory Government next Summer. It a rent slightly above average by Ian Paisley that the Protestant community should be dragged its heels two years ago, expecting junior for office premises with which there recognised by the Republic as a distinct was some personal connection. It ham- good things when the Presbyterian Scot national community as a basis for replaced the slippery Anglo-Catholic in mered away at this piece of trivia, feeding rapprochement. That proposal was into the UUP/BBC stirring up of funda- Downing Street. But the good things did instantly rejected by the Taoiseach, Jack not come: on the contrary, Brown condem- mentalist Unionism against Paisley. Lynch. When we argued that a common Paisley senior decided not to bother ned DUP behaviour whilst not criticising ground of politics for Protestants and Sinn Fein—a novel development in British any more. He retired. Paisley junior, Catholics should be established within the conduct of NI affairs. reared in the liberal atmosphere of the democratic politics of the British State, Paisley family, took a back seat. DUP that was rejected by Fianna Fail and by the We may, of course, be entirely mistaken leadership passed to Peter Robinson and Fine Gael and Labour Parties. in what we see, even though wishful Jeffrey Donaldson. The alternative was the intensification thinking plays no part in it. We therefore That Paisley's domestic circle was of the conflict of the two communities. give an alternative view, that of Lord liberal in secular affairs was well known— After the events of August 1969 that Professor Bew, the rigorous Marxist- or should have been. Religious certainty conflict could no longer tick over in routine Leninist who served with the Stickies, is not incompatible with secular broad- manner. became an adviser to David Trimble, and mindedness—a fact made evident thirty Intensified communal conflict—the now writes for the Tory Spectator: years ago when the Irish Times tried to wearing down of the Protestant community "The DUP visibly fears the prospect of browbeat Paisley with the homosexuality through escalating attrition—was the a Cameron predominance in British of some members of his movement. And, course decided on. And Dublin Govern- politics to the point of actually demon- conversely, religious uncertainty within ments have been active participants in strating against him on his visit to Unionism is not necessarily conducive to that process, tut-tutting along the way Ballymena. The party privately hopes secular liberalism. over some of the 'extreme' expressions of that somehow New Labour will survive Paisley's accommodation with Sinn a conflict which it supported in its extreme and leave the tramlines of local politics— Fein has been subverted. Discontent within fundamentals. the protected fractious community Paisley's rank and file has been made It is possible, of course, that the will of psychotherapy process at Stormont— effective. There has been significant loss the Protestant community will in the end undisturbed. Increasingly the DUP makes of electoral support. But, so far, the be worn down by the pressure put on it. If it clear that they do not want to see Sinn Fein having to face any possible incon- defections from the DUP have not gone to that happens, then it happens. But it has not happened yet. Unionism has frag- venience or challenge arising from a the 'moderate' fundamentalists of the UUP, Conservative victory and, therefore, from mented into three parties. It did so before, who began the stirring. UUP fundament- an alleged London partiality for any local alism is too subtle—or still smells too in the 1970s. The significant thing is that faction in the province. But the status much of the fur-coat brigade of olden none of the three are committed to the quo in Northern Ireland means a cocooned times—to be a suitable vehicle for the GFA. political class in Stormont—underwritten DUP discontent it stirred up. That dis- Parties in the North are not parties in ad infinitum by the British taxpayer, the content has gone into the forging of a third the normal sense. They do not relate to great unsung hero of the Troubles, and Unionist movement, the Traditional society as parties whose object is to govern playing no role in shaping, or being shaped Unionist Voice, which split the Unionist states do. (Sinn Fein is the only Northern by, the wider UK debate on public policy. vote in the European Election and enabled party which has that object.) The political "This already feels like a somewhat Sinn Fein to top the poll. If that is repeated will of the community is formed independ- nostalgic vision. But there are strong at the next Assembly Election, Martin ently of them. local interests involved in maintaining it. 3 It is, however, now bound to be chal- permanent and final settlement of the Lord Bew now wants the Agreement to lenged, because Northern Ireland is, after Northern Ireland Problem, or was a be set aside: "The government's obsession all, part of the United Kingdom. transitional arrangement which improved with delivery of policing and justice, while "Any incoming Cameron government the position of the Nationalist community understandable, obscures the fact that the requires the stability of the Agreement for further development of the Problem. problems of the Adams leadership are and its devolved institutions, but it needs Dennis Kennedy, a former EU official wider and deeper. But the obsession to be able to move on from it in certain who was able to read a document in the remains…" respects. The prospects are reasonable. old-fashioned way, saw that it was The "obsession" is of course a measure Since the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985, essentially transitional and he opposed it. provided for by the Agreement, ratified Irish nationalism has been addicted to the Bew, living in the shadow of his coming by referendum, election, etc. etc. idea that it could progress by doing deals with London which could then be imposed event, and trained in bizarre modes of on local unionists. David Cameron has reading by Althusserian Marxism, saw The reasoning is that Sinn Fein is in emotionally distanced himself from that the Agreement as providing for a final trouble because "conventional wisdom in part of the Thatcher legacy. Nationalists, settlement of the Problem. But, at the Dublin" is that the economic crisis weakens as a result, will be compelled to return to same time, he became adviser to Trimble the case for unity—as if Dublin had in the position famously endorsed by Eamon in the delaying tactic to prevent the recent memory been pressing for unity; de Valera in the Irish Senate debate of implementation of the Agreement. and that "demographic realities in the 1939, that of seeking an accommodation Lord Bew was on the People's Demo- North are not those envisaged… by Sinn with unionists rather than decisive British cracy March forty years ago that was Fein in the 1990s", i.e. Catholic breeding intervention against them. ambushed by Unionists at Burntollet and has slowed down; and that the Agreement "The removal of the spectre of an helped to destabilise the old Northern can therefore be aborted. imposed Anglo-Irish Joint Authority, Ireland. He later said on Radio Eireann "Sinn Fein's response has been which is effectively what Cameron has that he wished he had stayed in bed. And predictable. Mr. Adams's rhetoric has done, means that the local parties have no he must now wish that he had made a become noticeably more militant, and he choice but to work within the existing straight reading of the Agreement eleven continues, as always, as if the pro-consent devolved compromise. But it also means years ago—though if he had, there would clauses of the Good Friday Agreement— that there will be no excuse for a Little have been no peerage. which link Northern Ireland to the rest of Ulsterist failure to engage in the wider the UK—do not actually exist. More public debates of the Westminster The Agreement was implemented worrying is the strategy of tension on the parliament…" (Spectator. Sept. 12.) piecemeal and with a bad grace while streets…" So Lord Bew has noticed that the North Trimble's co-operation was needed—as is There is no obligation under the "is after all part of the UK", and he aspires being done now by the post-Paisley DUP. Agreement for Nationalists to become to be a Little Ulsterist no longer. For his It was therefore implemented in a way Unionists. What it provides for is an services to Little Ulster (a k a the Northern that was advantageous to the Nationalist improved official position for the Nation- Ireland state) he was made a British community, and especially to Sinn Fein. alist community in the conflict with the legislator. But how does he think people The advantage that might have come to Unionist community. The Agreement in the North who are not raised to the the Unionist community by taking the presumes a continuation of the conflict of expiring peerage of the state can engage in lead in implementing the Agreement as communities, and structures it into the the politics of the state which they are, consolidating Partition—which Trimble, devolved system. The Provos failed in a after all, part of? as a debating point, said it did—was valiant effort to gain Irish unity without He might notice that there are in the warded off. Protestant consent but gained a Constitu- Lower House three parties which aspire to Why was the assertion that the Agree- tional arrangement in which to pursue that govern the state and two parties which ment reinforced Partition never more than aim by other means. aspire to take Scotland and Wales out of a debating point? Why was it not acted Probably only Paisley had the stature to the state. And there is Six County upon as a real potential to be realised in implicate the Unionists in working with miscellany, whose members are sharply fact? Apparently because of a widely-felt Sinn Fein. Now that his tactic of implicat- divided amongst themselves on matters need in the Unionist community to be on ing republicans in the running of Northern which have nothing to do with the govern- hostile relations with the Nationalist Ireland was set aside, nothing else is ing of the state. Some of them would like community, and a disturbed awareness realistically possible under the term of the to take their region out of the state while that Sinn Fein was eager for friendly Agreement, any more than under the terms others want to keep it within the state. But relations. That need was given acute of the 1920 Act, than the aggravating whether they want to stay or to leave, they expression, not only in Trimble's politics, conflict of a Unionist community which are excluded from the parties whose but in his personality. (Dublin politicians has long been excluded from the demo- business is to govern the state. They are taking part in joint conferences under the cratic life of the British state to which it essentially spectators within the arena Agreement remarked that he always professes attachment, and an Anti- through which the state is governed. And, seemed to bring a chill into the room with Partition community which always knows when there was a promising movement in him.) it must lose the election but in recent the North to get the Six Counties included So that is how the Agreement was decades has found increasing satisfaction in the political life of the state, Lord Bew implemented—except for Policing. Lord in improving its position within the conflict was vehemently opposed to it. Bew says: "The government is well aware to which it was consigned by Britain. As to the "existing devolved com- that this is the last juicy plum it can offer This situation leads naturally to tension promise" , it was forced on the UUP by to Sinn Fein. All the other goodies… have in the streets, which is not a "strategy", but Whitehall. Lord Bew was still earning his long since been delivered…" an effect. There would possibly be less peerage then, so he supported it. He was It's true enough. Trimble/Bew reduced tension if Unionism had adopted the a member of an exclusive Unionist Think- the Agreement, which they purported to Agreement in the first instance as an Tank, the Cadogan Group, which made a support, to a supply of goodies for Sinn accommodation with the Provos under pretence of denying that it was Unionist. Fein. Or to put it less pettishly: Sinn Fein which the Provos undertook to nurture the There were disagreements within the was the only party political enough to take Republican spirit into compliance. What Group about the Agreement. The issue advantage of the ambiguities of the Unionism did (with Lord Bew as part of it) seemed to be over whether it was a Agreement. was try to diminish Provo standing in the 4 Catholic community, and thereby maxi- the USA. It is hard to find in the views of mise Republican dissent from the Lilliput Europe those who want Europe to be a Giant Agreement. continued anything but a repetition of US concerns. The title of Lord Bew's article is Terror- The first item in Chris Patten's things ism Is Back In Northern Ireland. Of Medvedev and Hu Jintao". for Europe to do in order to have "a more course it is. Did he expect something else effective presence in the world" is "to And then it demonstrates that this to result from the attempt to discredit prevent the militarisation of nuclear monster figure was exactly what it wanted, Adams and McGuinness, and to devalue energy in Iran precisely because of our and expected: Its big headlines were: EU the Agreement by withholding the "goodies". concern as Europeans, not because we Fails To Think Big With Two Such Low- are allies of the US". And the same goes Profile Appointments (21 Nov.); and Low- During the years when there was a for the other items. Europe should do Profile EU Leaders Reflect Feeble Global vigorous Catholic/Protestant movement these things in its own interest, which Role (24 Nov.). demanding that the British Labour Party happens to coincide with the US interest. The blurb on the latter is: "The best that should function in the Northern Ireland Ireland seems to be fully committed to may come from the new appointments is region of the state of which it was one of the US/EU policy of preventing Iran from more effective management of the union’s the governing parties, Lord Bew was acquiring an effective military capability. business"—with the implication that mere utterly opposed to it. Under the Unionist And indeed the anti-Iran campaign is being Union business is trivial. The article is by trauma of 1985 the demand for inclusion conducted under cover of a mischievous Chris Patten, the last Gauleiter of Hong in the party politics of the State was Irish foreign policy initiative: the Nuclear Kong, which was governed as a British extended to include the Tory Party. That Anti-Proliferation Treaty proposed by Crown Colony for a century and a half movement then campaigned within the Frank Aiken. after its conquest in the Opium War but branches of the Tory and Labour Parties The only effective defence against was made into a kind of democracy shortly in Britain, and engaged in intensive nuclear weapons is nuclear weapons. It before being returned to China in the hope lobbying of Party Conferences. Pressure was kindergarten politics to suppose that that it would exert a disintegrative within the Tory Party became so great that states with nuclear weapons would give influence—a democratic influence, as we the Secretary of State had to take part in them up. The implication of Aiken’s prefer to say—on the Chinese State. the argument, apply bribes and threats to initiative was to freeze the world situation Party members, and introduce token indivi- So Europe is now in the hands of a under the dominance of the post-1945 dual membership, before the movement Belgian nonentity—and a throwback to Great Powers, who were also the Vetoist could be quelled. Lord Bew was opposed the past into the bargain, a Christian Demo- Powers on the UN Security Council, who to that movement too. crat. Belgium is no longer the gross slave were officially exempt from such inter- But now he sees potential for something Empire for which we went to war in 1914 national law as the UN dispensed. in the merger of the UUP faction of in “Our War”. And it has forgotten the It used to be known that a state which Unionism with the Tory Party as a tactic in atrocious condition it left the Congo in was strong otherwise, but which did not its dispute with the DUP. It is hard to see forty years ago. Nor has it engaged in the have adequate defences to discourage hos- what Tory leader David Cameron hopes guilt-tripping about its past in which the tile states, was a standing temptation to to gain from this connection with Sir Reg Germans indulge (while calling down warfare. Iran is now in that position. The Empey's Unionists. The UUP, apparently bombers on Afghan villagers and support- hostility to it does not arise from the at the end of its tether, hopes to revive as ing Jewish ethnic cleansing in Palestine). possibility of its developing nuclear wea- an appendage to a Tory Government which It is a small, prosperous, well-conducted pons. The converse is the case. If it will enable it to outflank the Robinson country, shot through with an insoluble acquires nuclear weapons, the hostility to DUP on its 'extremist' flank by setting national problem of its own which it just it will be rendered impotent. aside the Agreement. about manages to contain. If Ireland was in earnest about the Aiken It is said that Sarkozy decided Blair initiative, it would not be going along with This Tory alliance with a minor would not do when at a ceremonial event the EU chorus against the possibility of factional Unionist Party has no relevance the father of a soldier killed in Afghanistan Iran acquiring nuclear arms, but would be for the Nationalist community, part of refused to shake his hand because it was insisting that the issue was the Israeli which now looks to Fianna Fail. And it bloody. The Irish thought that Blair’s development of nuclear weapons, on needs to be said in this respect that, while bloody hand was fine as the symbol of the which the EU, like the US, stays silent. in British affairs the party system is the new EU. Hopefully the Irish support for dominant thing (and that one party alone The supposed Iranian threat to exterm- Blair will help to disillusion those who is not half of the system) that is not really inate the Jews is an entirely wilful distort- think Ireland still is what it used to be. the case with 26 County politics. Fianna ion of a comment that a Jewish State It is suggested that Cowen supported Fail has pretty well sustained the system should not have been imposed on the Blair because Blair (seconded by Clinton) by itself ever since the Free State party Middle East against the opposition of the won the last election for Fianna Fail. But went astray into the authoritarianism of population of Palestine and of all the states gratitude towards a has-been, brought to the late 1920s and into Fascism in the mid of the region, and an observation on the grief by Imperial hubris, has no place in 1930s. The appearance of the Tory Party methods by which that Euro-American international politics. And, anyway, what in the North as the instrument of a Unionist state has conducted itself. did Eoghan Harris get made a Senator for? faction would not be an equivalent to the Israel has not stabilised its position When Blair was vetoed Cowen propos- appearance of Fianna Fail. within the region on which it was imposed. ed John Bruton for the job. Bruton holds It cannot do so because it is an expansionist PS: "the British taxpayer, the great unsung the British view of Irish independence. If state, and has been from the start. It was hero of the Troubles"! Are the taxpayers not he had got the job, Britain would have never its intention to settle down within the electorate then? And in a democracy is not held it at second hand. the electorate responsible for what the state the region allocated to it in 1947. In fact does? Perhaps not what one Government does If Europe had not "failed to think big", it could not have done so and been a after one election, but the Northern Ireland what would there be for Great Power Jewish State. Within the territory allocated mess has now continued for close on a century, Europe to do that the USA is not doing? It by the UN the Jews were a bare majority, in accordance with the will of the British would either continue to be a carbon copy if a majority at all. The Muslim/Christian electorate. So let the British taxpayers pay for of the USA or it would conceive a world minority was much, much bigger than the the damage they have done as electors. interest for itself in conflict with that of Catholic minority in Northern Ireland. 5 The Jews were something like 50% hadn't been said. Now Avigdor Lieberman's Britain started in the 20th century, the US plus 1 or 2. Northern Ireland might be party, which advocates ethnic cleansing could not resist adding the Anglo-French sustainable on the basis of a Protestant for the realisation of Greater Israel (the mission in the world to its own. It took on 50% + 1, but that is because it is not a state land that God gave to Moses) has emerged the French project in Vietnam and tended at all, and never was. But the Zionist as the third largest party in the 2009 election to the British Balkanisation of the Middle project—the Jewish nationalist project— and Lieberman has been made Foreign East. It would, of course, be ungrateful of was to establish a state formed on Jewish Minister. And Europe still looks at its Europe to refuse to second the USA in a values. And, although it was set in motion Zionist offspring with its blind eye. project which the US inherited from Eur- as a British colonial project, was authorised According to the Turkish Prime Minis- ope, but it would be good for Europe and at the UN by a US/Soviet collaboration, ter, the Israeli Foreign Minister considered for the world if it did so. and was armed against the Arabs by a nuclear strike on Gaza. Europe pretends Of course the Irish Times would not be Czechoslovakia (with Soviet approval), not to notice. And the Jewish lobby pleased. On 25th November it carried a its position was in no way comparable to remains silent. What Government was major article by somebody or other that of Northern Ireland. The 'Protestant better placed than the Turkish to know advocating war on Iran (It's Time To See state' of Northern Ireland was not a State, what Israel was contemplating. It was Iran's Nuclear Plan For What It Is). It and it was Protestant merely by being Israel’s only real ally in the region. (Egypt asks, "what do Iran’s neighbours think?". British. is only an enemy, chastened by three And it quotes a professor in the United The Jewish nationalist project was alto- defeats in war: 1957, 1967, 1972.) Arab Emirates University: "It's a whole gether different. It was an immigrant new ball game. Iran is forcing everyone in project to establish a new State amidst a It seems that the Turkish Government, the region now into an arms race". That hostile population and shape that State to gradually freeing itself from the military/ is the voice of the Arab masses—or at legal authoritarianism of the Ataturk the Mosaic law. And that required a least of the Arab playgrounds. drastic reduction of the native population, system, is beginning to establish democrat- It also quotes the opinion of a former which was undertaken immediately fol- ic hegemony in the state. Militaristic Saudi diplomat who held a position in the determination of foreign policy—of which lowing the UN Resolution. Hundreds of Emirates. There are at least masses of thousands of Arabs were cleared out. And the tight alliance with Israel was an Arabs in Saudi—well-behaved Wahhabis. then the territory of the state was expanded expression—is eroding. The Turkish This Saudi says: "I favour getting the job democracy seems to have been shocked in 1948 far beyond that allocated by the done now instead of living the rest of my UN in 1947. In 1967 that expanded Israel by the unprovoked Israel assault on Gaza— life with a nuclear hegemony in the region". launched a surprise war on Egypt and non-nuclear though it was—and the So, stop Iran with yet another pre-emptive Government now feels confident to take Syria and gained still more territory when war and the Middle East will be nuclear- Jordan supported Egypt. That 1967 account of democratic sentiment. free, and there will be no reason for an Conquest is what is now called the And Israel must feel that the Turkish arms race. alliance is not yet quite lost, since it has Occupied Territory. The 1948 conquest is The Irish Times writer is hopeful: generally taken to be a legitimate part of not issued an outraged denial of the views attributed to Lieberman, and denounced "There has to be a reasonable possibility the Jewish State, though it was never that Israel will adopt the “Sadat option”— the report as another example of the blood ratified by the UN. that is, launch an attack on certain Iranian libel. Jews all over the world have a Right of nuclear structures. In 1973 the then presi- Return to Israel, even though it seems that President Ahmadinejad has been dent of Egypt… did as much against the ancestors of many of them never came accused of anti-Semitism for his remarks Israel not in the expectation that it would about the Jewish State. But the Iranian from Palestine at all, not even 2,000 years succeed, but to force the international ago. But when Palestinians assert a Right President did no more than observe what community in general, and Israel in parti- of Return to property lost in 1967 that is Israel proved to be, and express the opinion cular, to consider the policies they had that a different arrangement should have declared to be covert Anti-Semitism been adopting and to change the strategic because it is well known that, if an Arab been made by Europe for the Jews which landscape on the issue. This policy Right of Return was conceded, the Jewish it tried to exterminate. succeeded." (Richard Whelan, IT, 25.11.09.) And now Israel has alienated its only population would still not be sufficient to real friend in the region (as distinct from But in 1973 the success was for the sustain the Jewish State. attacked, not the attacker. Sadat crossed And anyway, the dynamic of the Israeli defeated enemies) and the Prime Minister of Turkey has made a state visit to Teheran. the Suez Canal in a surprise attack on the political system is such that even the 1967 Israeli occupation of Egyptian territory, borders are unacceptable. The driving So back to the EU and its Lilliputian but once on the other side the attack quickly vision was never Tel Aviv. Indeed Tel President. lost momentum, and there was an Israeli Aviv used often to be referred to with The Germany of 1871-1914, which was crossing deeper into Egypt. The Nasser contempt. It was Jerusalem and the Land made war upon in "Our War", was conserv- spirit atrophied. Egypt became a kept of Judah, the latter being in the territory ationist in its foreign policy. It was content man of the USA, made a resentful peace allocated for a Palestinian State by the with its own borders in Europe (while with Israel, and got some of its desert 1947 UN Resolution. France and Russia both had expansionist back. Its only resistance was a refusal of The first generation of Israeli leaders aims) and it helped the Ottoman Empire to a pressing offer of the Gaza refugees and reassured European opinion with public- defend itself against the destructive ambi- the Gaza strip. And Israel, with the defeat relations language of liberal-secular tions of Britain, France and Russia. Some of Egypt under its belt, set about Balkan- verbiage, but the internal development of American observers, during the years of ising the Occupied Territory of 1967, and Israeli politics was towards a frank assert- American neutrality, were of the opinion resumed the work of Joshua in earnest. ion of the Mosaic project. There was a that it was German assistance to Turkey There was then relatively free movement moment of nervousness a generation ago that led Britain to make war on Germany around the Territory, which is now broken when Begin's Likud party emerged from when the European War provided the up for Palestinians so that there can be an election as the major Zionist party. opportunity. And, when the US eventually ease of communication between the When European opinion swallowed that, made war on Germany (to save Britain numerous colonies of fundamentalist Jews, Israeli leaders realised that there was no and France to which it had made immense some of which do not recognise the state longer any need for caution. Europe would war loans), it did not make war on Turkey. of Israel as legitimate because it was not But, after the second World War that pretend that anything it didn't like to hear continued on bottom, page 7 6 Review: David McWilliams, Follow The Money, the Tale of The Merchant of Ennis In Follow The Money, the culture has not gone away you know. "Don't piss on my back and tell me it's raining…" "According to {AP}, the outfit that (the Outlaw Josey Wales, quoted p159, Follow The Money) looks after all things advertising in Ireland, we spent a mindboggling McWilliams And The Crisis 742,919,762 million euros on property advertising from 2001 to 2007, fuelled Unlike Fintan O Toole's book on the to the extent of the country's crisis: we are by such cheerleaders as the property current financial/economic this book has afraid to be seen to offend our European section of the Irish Times' endless substance to it. The substance lies in betters—who after all, at the time of Delors hyperbole—Fintan O Toole's comfort- McWilliams's thesis that the EMU [Euro- and the Social Cohesion Fund of the 1990s, able bedfellow" (Follow The Money). pean Monetary Union] has been a disaster DID actually transfer billions to Albert for Ireland. It traps us into being a client Reynolds' Government. That is the interesting thing about state of Germany. The problem with that Because we don't have European McWilliams: he has the ability to bring is the we have the same currency as political union—and are unlikely to have new thinking to the tired old dead mantras Germany but, unlike Germany, a weak anytime soon, given the size and variety of the usual self-righteous suspects in the economy. The implications of that are of cultures in the EU—Ireland is in a media, like O'Toole. Surprisingly, he, like immediately apparent in Newry and possibly perilous situation unless it exer- the men of 1916, has the ability to shock Belfast, with southerners flooding North cises its political sovereignty and returns people into real thought. McWilliams, to the weaker [cheaper] prices in shops to being able to devalue its own currency like for example Pearse,talks about it being where prices are anywhere up to 50% when financial/monetary crisis hits us necessary to listen to and act upon the lower…and that's only the start of the rot. hard. We are now embarking willingly on ghosts we have inherited—in McWilliams case, his personal history, but no less The question is, who is this guy, David an exercise of saddling two whole representative for that—the ghost of the McWilliams? The man who met the garlic generations with a legacy of Debt, shameful unemployment experienced by sucking Finance Minister, Brian Lenihan McWilliams says. The cynicism, he says, his Dun Laoghaire father in the 1970s. late at night in his Killiney Avenue lies in the Government's unspoken policy McWilliams is a Blackrock boy: you would Hacienda in September 2008—Mr. Cool of emigration of our younger generation— think a west Brit, but not at all, despite the Dude Populariser of economic theology— yet again, as if …ah sure, well, isn't that outward veneer. Perhaps, like another an outsider by his own description, while the Irish way …ochone …ochone … famous Blackrock intellectual, turned an insider in the world of banking and Surprisingly McWilliams says, no! that activist, circumstances maketh the man. finance—but with radical political is not good enough. He says the situation He combines thorough cosmopolitan- instincts—a living cornucopia of bright is so desperate for the younger generation ism with rooted nationalism, but with. a ideas and imaginative connections— Irish today that a 1916 type putsch is what very 21st century mixture. As in his other currently the presenter of an RTE wacky is required to save the soul of the nation books, McWilliams is ultimately a latter- TV Panel show—definitely the man of the once again. For him, the present Govern- day Fenian, an advocate of Irish National people talking about and to—his genera- ment is doing no less than Redmond did in sovereign freedom within the EU, espous- tion of 30-40-year old perennial teenagers, 1914, sending tens of thousands to so- ing the Cause of a 21st century Irish or not.? called adventures on foreign Flanders nationalism which embraces the Diaspora Yes, he is all of that but with some fields under the guise of spin and a false and "brand" Ireland. The core of his answer substance, a kind of a George Galloway in deal with foreign empires—or just plain, to the present crisis is a call to action by a way. The question is: will he succumb 'get out, go shift, we don't want you here political forces in the country outside of entirely to the cult of celebrity or manage in this "smart economy "'. the insiders—and in this he includes the to fly its poisonous traps and with one Partners of cosy consensus—to get out of jump, be free? On the evidence of his To illustrate all this, McWilliams deve- that cosy club of the EURO and assert our latest book, he is way ahead of the posse of lops a whole cast of characters out of his sovereignty with return to the PUNT. sirens and various hurlers on the ditch. first book, The Pope's Children—a Of course he recognises the unlikeli- Ideas do matter. startling sociological Henry Fielding type- hood of this happening in the current romp through the madness of the Celtic political climate. But then you could say McWilliams says the Euro would only Tiger. Then came his other even more the same about a Putsch happening in make sense for Ireland if we had, not just interesting book, The Generation Game, 1916, even up a month beforehand. financial union, but political union also. where he blows apart the lie of Partnership McWilliams points out how devaluing of He uses the example of Massachusetts reaching into the property marketplace, or the punt in 1993 was forced on us by which had a similar bust as us: because it protecting against its ravages. He shows, circumstances at the time. But he says, it was part of the United States, money again convincingly, in The Generation worked then and it would work now, flowed in to refloat the situation. Likewise, Game that the young are being shafted by despite our having to opt out of the Euro Boston didn't have to do like us, put the the middle-aged and older generations by now, and despite all the implications that country in hock for generations or get being unable to get into the property market would have initially for savers and loans from the ECB [European Central (as first-time buyers), because of the creditors. Bank] to try to get credit going again.The Government-facilitated, unregulated Because it is unlikely doesn't mean it culture of respectability has us in denial as mania of the property investors. wont happen. If NAMA fails, what then? In pointing this out, he was the hard NAMA's so-called solution is an Irish set up by the Messiah, but which are man who spelt out the very collapse we solution that could only work for the very nevertheless protected and supplied with now have before it happened—and was insiders who got us in to the problem in the the means of subsistence by the Israeli ignored and marginalised and even first place. They designed it; they are are state. advised, along with some others, by the implementing it; they are the only ones If Israel applies the 'Sadat Option' then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to "go away who stand to gain from it if; and it is an against Iran, and the consequences for and commit suicide" for talking the "IF" of Las Vegas proportions if the gamble Israel are similar to what they were for economy down. His books now read as a comes off. Already we see in the AIB Sadat, we must agree that the Middle East refreshing take on the hubris of those [Allied Irish Banks] the ritual manipulation situation would be greatly improved. years—and as he now reminds us forcibly of the Government by the AIB insider 7 culture, with their insistence—aided by thinker. He gives us the historical prece- currency, Europe acts as a single political Dick Spring, one-time Labour politician— dents worldwide for devaluing as a union They want us to live in a make- of the appointment of the new CEO, Colm standard way out of such a crisis as we are believe world where we think that having O Doherty, head of Capital Markets, i.e. undergoing. Nobody else has set up a the same currency means that we have 'funny money bets'. NAMA-type set-up to deal with a similar the same Government. But it doesn't. situation. Even the very name, National Maybe we will someday, but at the McWilliams makes a convincing case Assets Management Agency, is a con. In moment we are far from that. So the as to why NAMA, the FF/Green Govern- essence there are no assets in NAMA, currency is missing its most important ment's choice of solution to the present only liabilities. The "assets" are worth element, the full political union. That is why it doesn't work fully and it is why the crisis, not only will not work,but cannot near to nothing. An elaborate conjob is euro exacerbates the upswing and the work—except for the interests of the very spun out about long-term value to fool the downturn. When we think about the people who created the problem in the taxpayers that they might even get a return present downturn and what will happen first place. Like Partnership, it is allowed on the "Assets". when Germany and France….already in to be the only show in town—until another McWilliams sets out how to deal with recovery mode… decide to raise crisis hits. Basically he sees NAMA as a the creditors in the event of defaulting on European interest rates? What happens con job of criminal proportions on the Euro debts. Again, I find his account to all those Irish people on the brink of taxpayers of Ireland. credible. He speaks as a financial practi- default, who have lost their jobs in the Unlike Fintan O'Toole, who rants and tioner with patriotic instincts, a rare animal past few months? Are we supposed to rails from the sidelines like some funda- amongst media types and a rattling good tolerate rising interest rates in the middle mentalist Baptist preacher, McWilliams read. of the deepest recession this country has offers a hardheaded political alternative McWilliams says we need a properly ever experienced? This is the conundrum to NAMA—and he emphasises it will functioning Europe: that we have a back we find ourselves in. The euro, in the only be a political decision that will be to front Europe with a single currency and boom, meant too much money flowed able to go down this road. He plots a no single Government. into the country. In the bust, when we credible way forward for the country by "The implications of all this for Ireland should be printing money to get the system reverting to the Punt and devaluation. He is that we are being held hostage to an going again, the euro prevents us from shows how the transition can happen, unusual ideology, which is what we might doing this" (Follow The Money, p252). moneywise. He says crisis times call for call the “myth of the euro”. The big lie Malachi Lawless radical measures. underpinning the euro is that its advocates Interestingly enough, he quotes the think that just by having the single Next Month: John Martin replies. example of the men and women of 1916 and says that the same thinking is now needed to do the kind of serious patriotic action which is now again called for. Somehow I can't see the same analogy coming from Fintan O Toole. How Safe is the Swine Flu Vaccine?

McWilliams says: "The Euro made the Edward Longwill, Security Policy Analyst at the University of Ulster, reveals the crazy Irish boom possible and now that vaccine's links to military biological weapons research. we are in the bust our membership of the Euro is making any recovery virtually During the Cold War both the US and Any vaccine contains two main impossible". Soviet Union ran secret bio-weapons components; an organic material and He says that, as soon as the French and research programmes. The main US chemical preservatives. The organic German economies recover, the ECB will programme, codenamed Operation material is technically dead and this ratchet up interest rates and we—with our Whitecoat, ran from 1954-73 and used prevents it from growing yet allows your huge mortgages and credit card bills— volunteers who agreed to allow scientists body to identify it as harmful and this will suffer more than any other EU country. to infect them with harmful organisms. creates immunity. The chemical preserva- He says that, far from protecting Ireland, The US Army's Medical Research Institute tives prevent bacteria or fungi from the EURO is prolonging our misery. In of Infectious Diseases (USAMRID) then growing in or contaminating the liquid this context he makes yet again a convinc- experimented with different vaccines to solution which holds the organic material. ing case as to how Ireland is going to end cure or immunise volunteers. up, if allowed to sail along the NAMA Swine Flu capable of infecting humans The next vaccination programme ran route—the VIETNAMA of the EU is not new. In 1976 a mysterious outbreak by the US military sought to protect German /French empire, a debtor nation occurred at Fort Dix US Army base killing soldiers sent to Iraq for the Persian Gulf saddled with a weak economy and a strong one soldier and infecting others. The strain War (1990-91) from biological weapons. currency. did not spread outside the base and it is After the War many soldiers developed The debilitating political legacy of still unknown how the first soldier became de-habilitating illnesses and many required Partnership has left us in a crisis, with no infected. However a different strain started hospitalisation or constant medication. political Party or Trade Union offering a circulating amongst the public. Gulf War Syndrome (GWS) became a seriously credible choice or platform, if The US Government authorised a mass generic term for veterans who suffered there were a general election tomorrow. vaccination programme. Using knowledge such illnesses. There is an absence of political ideas in gained from Operation Whitecoat, mil- Both the British and US Governments the shrinking body politic. We effectively lions of US citizens received a vaccine yet rejected the existence of GWS yet cam- are operating in a political EU-led climate many suffered severe and permanent side- paigns by veterans' groups eventually led of paralysing consensus, whereby there is effects and others even died. Unfortunately to a US Department of Veterans' Affairs- a tacit understanding that Government is by the time the US Government suspended funded study, Research Advisory Com- now by decree and all that is left to be the vaccination programme approximately mittee on Gulf War Veteran's Illnesses decided is how to manage the outcome. 20% of the population had received the (2008), which found that exposure to toxic McWilliams is regarded as a pariah by vaccine. Remarkably the vaccine killed chemicals caused one in four of sufferers' this consensus. I find him a clear-headed more people than the actual Swine Flu. illnesses. 8 The only thing that all sufferers had in of a serious scandal when it released many people were distributed. In the first week common was that they took an anthrax batches of Celvapan which contained live of October, it emerged in the Irish Times vaccine. Research suggested that squalene, Swine Flu virus rather than dead de- that 70 GPs would refuse to administer the the preservative chemical in the vaccine, activated organic material. injection and 200 others wanted had been responsible for toxic poisoning Fortunately, scientists in Austria and clarification if they would be held legally and a decision made in a US Federal Court the Czech Republic tested these batches responsible in future compensation claims led to the discontinuation of its use from prior to distribution to vaccination centres if the vaccines caused harm. 2004-08. However the US Government and avoided infecting hundreds of people. Interestingly, in Britain an NHS survey reversed this decision and squalene is The Czech Government cancelled all conducted last August found that half of now used in many vaccines. orders from Baxter because it believes the doctors and one-third of nurses do not company can not guarantee the safety of intend to take a Swine Flu vaccine them- Since 1998 one of the most controversial its product and it is possible that the selves because of safety concerns. Do debates within the scientific community Austrian Government may file criminal these medical professionals know some- is the argument over the MMR vaccine charges against it for negligence. thing we don't? and its alleged links to autism. Research Although the EMEA approved the both supporting the theory and rejecting aforementioned vaccines, its own trials On 16th November the Vaccine the theory exists and much of the research found that Pandemrix and Celvapan caused Damage Steering Group, formed by the on both sides of the argument has been 'adverse reactions' in one out of every Dept. of Health in 2007, published a report discredited. hundred test subjects. What is most recommending that individuals who suffer However the 'autism epidemic' in the alarming about the proposed mass minor or moderate long-term damage from US provides the main contention to support vaccination programme this Winter is that the Swine Flu vaccine should receive the theory. From 1991 onwards the level pregnant women are in the top priority ¤15,000-¤75,000 in compensation while of autism in children increased dramatic- group to receive an injection and many those who suffer severe damage or even ally. Some scientists claim this has a health professionals have warned that death should get as much as ¤200,000. relationship to the increased number of citizens will need two or even three doses. One condition of acceptance of compen- vaccines given to babies and children. sation is to legally accept that the state is One preservative, thiomersal, a mercury- What will happen if you contract Swine not liable to be held responsible for vaccine based chemical, was feared to have caused Flu because you have not been vaccinated? damage. However the Dept. of Health has developmental problems in children. We already know from current studies. not yet indicated if it will accept and Many countries banned the use of Professor Peter Collignon, an infectious implement the report's recommendations. thiomersal in vaccines. Yet the chemical, disease expert at Australian National This would leave those who suffer long- like squalene, has been re-authorised for University, recently stated that only one term vaccine related health complaints use. What is interesting about thiomersal in every one thousand infections resulted without a clear legal path to secure is that, prior to western countries becoming in death. For most individuals Swine Flu compensation. concerned over its safety, in the Soviet is simply a very bad dose of the flu which Hopefully the Irish people who have Union a research programme overseen by requires rest, hydration and good nutrition taken the vaccine will not develop health the Soviet military in 1977 found the for your body to beat it. complaints. However those who develop chemical caused harm to an individual's Three-quarters of those who have died long-term medical problems, or whose brain. did so because they already had a serious children develop neurological conditions This de-classified study has been either underlying health condition. In fact, Johan- should form support groups. If they find ignored or else discredited by scientists nes Lower, President of the Paul Ehrlich that the one thing they have in common is who refute the claim that the chemical Research Institute warned that the vaccine that they took the Swine Flu vaccine in the affects brain development. Most indivi- could cause more harm than the actual Winter of 2009, then they should take duals are completely oblivious to the Swine Flu. Dr. Wolfgang Wodarg, Chair- legal action to secure compensation from controversies surrounding the use of man of the German Government's Health the Irish Government. squalene and thiomersal. On the contrary, Committee gave a similar assessment. many members of the public are literally in a panic to get vaccinated. Swine Flu can kill but so, some argue, REMEMBRANCE DAY can vaccines. The recent death of Natalie The anticipated increase in the level of Morton in Britain reopened the debate on Blood boiling, a memory of wars past, Swine Flu cases this Winter will no doubt 'Gardasil', the HPV cervical cancer vaccine media runts septic with propaganda, cause a rush of panic stricken citizens which has been linked to the deaths of the post-mortem poppy their agenda, seeking vaccination. For the European many girls. It has been withdrawn by the at losses by Afghan I.E.D. aghast market new drugs or vaccines must pass a Spanish Government and will soon but no mention of those whom they have European Medicines Agency (EMEA) become the subject of lawsuits from the killed, examination. The EMEA passed two main families of those who have died, or from millions murdered and not sub-judice, vaccines for the Irish market, 'Pandemrix' individuals who have become paralysed. little England’s permanent odyssey, and 'Novartis'. Both vaccines contain In a disturbing development, Kathleen remembering their dead, two minutes squalene and thiomersal. Sebelius, US Secretary of Health and stilled. The EMEA also approved 'Daronrix' Human Services, gave the US Government Heard the other day that computer games which contains thiomersal and a fourth and vaccine makers a legal wavier that are violent and murderous in the home, vaccine called 'Celvapan' which contains will prevent them being held liable for with joystick you soon become Al Capone. neither thiomersal nor squalene. In fact it death or disability as a result of Swine Flu Still have legs and arms, with no guilt or has become public that the German vaccinations. In the Republic of Ireland, shame. military will issue its troops Celvapan the Department of Health will protect Will you find the army a bigger thrill specifically because it does not contain vaccine makers, yet will leave itself open when imperial wars wills you to kill. thiomersal or squalene. Those who might to litigation. The legal position of those consider Celvapan the best choice for a who receive a vaccine in Northern Ireland Wilson John Haire. is more ambiguous. vaccine should know that it is produced 11th November, 2009 by Baxter. This company was at the centre On 19th October vaccines for the Irish 9 Euro in recent years, making Irish busines- If The Irish Times is let go by the ses uncompetitive. interests which it represents, it will not be McWilliams's solution is for us to leave missed in Ireland. There has been a Shorts the Euro and devalue. dramatic deterioration in the standard of writing since the Gageby era. Also, its from BRITAIN OR EUROPE distortions of Irish history have become The Long Fellow does not agree with even more egregious. This year it managed the Long Fellow McWilliams, but it is useful to debate our to 'commemorate' the ninetieth anniver- relationship with Britain and the rest of sary of the First Dáil without discussing THE NEW PURITANS Europe. Although we joined the EEC at the contents of the Democratic Prog- Icarus was so intoxicated by his success the same time as Britain, it was seen as a ramme. This was no accident. The Demo- that he soared too high and too close to the means of reducing our economic depend- cratic Programme traces the origins of the sun. The wax that held together his wings ence on the latter. Haughey's decision to First Dáil to the 1916 Rising, which was melted and he fell to the ground…. break the link with sterling—leading validated by the 1918 Election, whereas David McWilliams has been brought ultimately to joining the Euro zone—was The Irish Times wished to present the First down to earth and finds that he has to live part of this process. McWilliams's proposal Dáil as a thing in itself with no causal in the world. But how could the golden would be tantamount to a return to the connection with what went on before; or boy be brought so low that he felt it British sphere of influence. the War of Independence, which occurred necessary to make a confession on the McWilliams claims that leaving the afterwards. Gerry Ryan Show and further penance on Euro would be a "sovereign" decision. But the most odious aspect of The Irish a comedy programme on RTE television? But, in order to protect our independent Times is its hypocrisy. It demands openness He apologised to Brian Lenihan for currency from speculative attack, we and transparency of others, but refuses to being indiscreet regarding a private would need to institute capital controls. apply such standards to itself. The Phoenix conversation on the conduct of the State's Borrowing from abroad would be even magazine recently (25.9.09) described the economic policy. But the other sin was a more expensive than it is now because of modus operandi of the newspaper. This little obscure and yet more serious. Appar- the risk of further devaluation. Our existing year, on its 150th anniversary, the news- ently he had a sexual thought about Miriam foreign debt denominated in Euros would paper's Editor, Geraldine Kennedy, O'Callaghan. also balloon. conducted a wide-ranging interview with Being sexy is one of, if not the most, But none of this is to imply that the Major McDowell, the dominant influence desirable attributes and yet it is a sin for a status quo is satisfactory. Our nearest on the newspaper in the last forty years. man to acknowledge a woman's sexiness neighbour has unfettered access to the EU The interview took place over 3 nights! even in the mildest of terms. market and yet has allowed her currency But when the interview had been com- It is deemed that on the one hand to devalue in order to give her a competitive pleted McDowell decided that he did not McWilliams should not have written: advantage. The Republic of Ireland is the want it published. "Miriam winks with a faint pout and only State which shares a land border with McDowell has since died, but the veto the casual lick of those hyper glossed the UK. Therefore our retail as well as our over publication has been maintained by lips. You're mine now, boy, she signals. manufacturing industry have been his daughter Karen Erwin. And so the This is my web you've just walked into: adversely affected by the UK's refusal to interview notes lie gathering dust in clothes on or off." join the Euro. Kennedy's office. But on the other, Lise Hand in an The conflict in Northern Ireland has The Phoenix speculated on what amusing article about McWilliams's book inhibited the Irish State from raising this questions were unsuitable for publication. launch (Irish Independent, 5/11/09) issue within the EU. It shouldn't. In the Could it have been the British media mogul showed that it is perfectly acceptable for final analysis the Irish State's first Cecil King's matter-of-fact description of women to have similar thoughts about obligation is to her own citizens in the 26 McDowell as being in MI5? Or perhaps men. Counties. the British Prime Minister's suspicion that And so the rules of the new puritanism McDowell's contact with Downing Street go . . . THE IRISH TIMES in 1969 related more to intelligence activity Rumours abound that The Irish Times than newspaper business? The Phoenix OLD CURRENCY? After taking up almost a quarter of the has not been immune from the inclement magazine is to be congratulated for bring- 40-minute Gerry Ryan interview with his economic climate. This is not the first ing these issues to public attention, but it confession, McWilliams was allowed to time the newspaper group has been in is a pity it did not acknowledge the source talk about economics. He believes that financial turmoil, but in the past its prob- for this information! our economic woes are compounded by lems related to the newspaper itself. This The Long Fellow is particularly interes- our membership of the Euro. As he sees it, time, it appears that the newspaper's par- ted in this story because McDowell refused the Euro would be viable if there were lous financial position has been exacer- to be interviewed by the distinguished political union. In the United States the bated by the group's ancillary activities. Dublin City University academic, Mark Federal Government can channel funds to The €50 million investment in O'Brien, for the latter's book on the areas most affected by a recession, but this MyHome.ie has been a disaster and its newspaper. The grounds for the refusal is not done in the EU. Instead Ireland has free-sheet Metro, which the group jointly were that McDowell had granted an been given access to loans which it will owns with the Daily Mail Group and the exclusive interview for an official history take years to repay. Swedish-owned Metro international, has of the newspaper. But the 150th anniver- Proof of the absence of integration been loss making since its launch in 2005. sary has come and almost gone and there within the EU was that interest rates on In an attempt to salvage something from has been no sign of such a book emerging. loans to the Irish State were 3 percentage the mess the Swedish company has pulled This is not the first time that an points higher than for Germany. The out and Metro will be merged with its rival authorised history of the newspaper has difference is now about 1.5 percentage Herald Am which is owned by Independent been aborted. In the early 1980s Tony points. Newspapers. Could this be a precursor to Gray was commissioned to write a history Our problems have been compounded a merger of the main titles of the two of the newspaper, but this project was by our nearest neighbour whose currency troubled organisations: The Irish Times abandoned. And after Gray was paid off, has depreciated by 30% compared to the and the Irish Independent?! he was legally obliged to destroy the 10 manuscript. The official explanation was who died in the British Army were Smyth perceptively commented: that Douglas Gageby objected to Gray's perfectly entitled to remember their "Winding up a studio audience to cut description of the Trust, but the Long ancestors, it was not appropriate for the loose at politicians allows the broadcasters Fellow has never believed this excuse— Irish State to participate in this British to humiliate public figures while shrug- given only after Gageby's death—because State occasion. Ireland had no quarrel ging their shoulders and saying they can't Gageby had minimal involvement in the with Germany or Turkey during the First gag public comment… And if Pat Kenny setting up of the Trust. World War. Quite the contrary! James was embarrassed at Mr O'Brien's haran- Connolly was an admirer of the German gue, he can sympathise with minister THE POPPY social system. The Irish people who died Noel Dempsey who was set up to be At this time of the year the Agitprop were duped by the British State. The war confronted by a victim of paedophile department of The Irish Times is at full had nothing to do with the rights of small abuse on Questions and Answers." throttle. It gives enthusiastic support to nations. The reaction of the media radicals was the Royal British Legion, which has been It was interesting that Sean Murphy of predictable. They like all rebellions and inching towards obtaining official State the Royal British Legion didn't dispute any rebellion except the rebellion that is recognition of Poppy Day (or should that any of this. His sole response was that the happening in front of their eyes. Vincent be Poppy Fortnight judging by British heroism of the Irish should be recognised. Browne in the Sunday Business Post television). But, of course, heroism is never grounds suggested that the target should have been The tactic of the Royal British Legion for commemoration. No one advocates Cathal Goan, the Director General, who is to tag on to the Irish State's commemor- that the heroism of the German soldiers in authorised Kenny's salary. ation of Irish soldiers who died in UN the battle of Stalingrad should be celeb- Fintan O'Toole in The Irish Times peacekeeping operations. Unfortunately, rated, even though such heroism has been (14.11.09) decided to miss the point this has been facilitated by the latter well documented, not least by the Soviets. entirely by criticising O'Brien for not commemoration being also in November, Eunan O'Hailpín disputed Pat's version directing his anger at the Government. He in memory of the nine Irish UN soldiers of history, but it was difficult to know on then grudgingly conceded: who died in the Congo 49 years ago. what grounds. He was briefly put under "Alan O'Brien's rant was unfair in And so on the front page of The Irish pressure by Browne, who questioned singling out Pat Kenny, but there was a Times (9.11.09) there was a picture of whether Germany even intended invading core of truth in his central complaint Major Mike Kearney (Rtd) Combined Britain, never mind Ireland. O'Hailpín about people on very high salaries Regiments Liverpool; John Moore of the blustered that the reason why Germany 'pontificating' about the need for other Royal Naval Association, with poppy didn't invade Britain during the First World people's wages and benefits to be cut." prominently displayed; and Eamonn Byrne War was that it didn't get that far. But the So why was O'Brien "unfair" then? representing the UK at the Irish UN invasion of Britain was never part of the O'Toole was given a platform to Veterans' Association in Dublin. Appar- war aims of Germany, whereas the 'pontificate' to the Irish people and its ently, The Irish Times could find no Irish destruction of the "evil Hun" was a main elected representatives by Pat Kenny when army soldiers that were photogenic enough theme of British War propaganda. [A the latter was the Late Late Show host. He for an Irish Army event! transcript of the Vincent Browne Show is now a regular participant in Kenny's On the inside pages a photograph of the discussion will be found in the forthcoming new current affairs show, but in all that ceremony showed a prominent display of issue of Irish Foreign Affairs. Ed.] time Kenny's exorbitant salary seems to Poppies in the foreground. The report have escaped O'Toole's notice. Of course, says: RTE it is inconceivable that the "Bishop of "Among the wreaths laid were five The Irish Times and Independent News Tara Street" could be compromised, still poppy wreaths presented by bodies and Media are not the only sections of the less corrupt…almost? including the Royal British Legion, the media in financial trouble. RTE's difficul- O'Toole seems to be worried about Irish Guards Association and the Royal ties have focussed attention on the remun- Air Force Association." where all this anger will be directed and eration packages of its star performers. concludes rather pompously that it "has to This campaign for official State com- On Pat Kenny's Frontline current affairs be a force for positive change, anger has memoration of soldiers who died in the programme SIPTU leader Jack O'Connor to be allied to argument, analysis and service of the British State has no support mentioned, en passant, Kenny's "trophy action". outside official circles. On the Politics.ie house" in Dalkey, which caused the norm- All very civilised, Fintan! But you have site a blogger attempted to drum up interest ally suave (some would say "wooden", made a career out of denigrating institu- in the subject by initiating a thread entitled: but the Long Fellow isn't that unkind) tions in Irish society. Did you really expect "Where can I buy a poppy?". The response presenter to lose his cool. O'Connor grace- the enraged to follow obediently the from one bemused poster was: "have you fully apologised, but the thought was prescriptions of The Irish Times? tried Afghanistan?! planted in people's minds. And the follow- ing week it was given full expression. In Britain the commemorations have MAD AS HELL! reached fever pitch with the Poppy symbol Sam Smyth in the Irish Independent By far the best TV reviewer in the emblazoned on Premier league football (11.11.09) gave a very good account of country is Emmanuel Kehoe of the Sunday jerseys. While some of the Irish in Britain what happened. Alan O'Brien of Bluebell, Business Post. Commenting on the O'Brien have succumbed to this display of British Dublin 12 was part of the studio audience. incident, he suggested that the atmosphere militarism, it is good to report that others, Before the show began Kenny gave a pep in the country was similar to that of the such as the boy band Westlife, comedian talk to the audience encouraging them to United States in the 1970s as reflected in Dara O'Briain, and Eddie Jordan, have "let their emotions go and not hold back". Sidney Lumet's film Network. The main resisted. O'Brien enthusiastically took this advice. character in this 1976 film—a kind of However, the target of his ire was not secular television evangelist—played by quite what Kenny had in mind. VINCENT BROWNE ON THE POPPY Peter Finch—gives the following sermon: Pat Walsh of the Irish Political Review, O'Brien lashed out at Kenny's salary "I don't have to tell you things are bad. participated on Vincent Browne's political (¤900k plus in 2008 and 2007) and made Everybody knows things are bad. It's a programme on TV3 to discuss the Poppy the point that he was unaccountable, unlike depression. Everybody's out of work or Day commemorations. Pat made the point Minister Mary Hanafin who was sitting scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a that, while the Irish descendants of those beside the embarrassed presenter. nickel's worth; banks are going bust; 11 shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter; BRIAN LENIHAN'S LATEST ACCOLADE much sought after worst Finance Minister punks are running wild in the street; and About a year ago the Long Fellow accolade. there's nobody anywhere who seems to noted that The Financial Times, the The newspaper explained that the know what to do and there's no end to it. mouthpiece of British Finance Capitalism, reason for the award was Lenihan's Bank "We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat… We all know had voted Brian Lenihan the second worst Guarantee Scheme, which bought time things are bad—worse than bad—they're Finance Minister. It urged Lenihan to try for the Irish banking system. crazy. harder so as to achieve the top spot. These days The Financial Times doesn't "It's like everything everywhere is going Lenihan's efforts have now achieved even attempt to hide its Little Englander crazy, so we don't go out any more. We sit their reward and he has been awarded the mentality anymore! in the house, and slowly the world we're living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, 'please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms…' "Well I'm not going to leave you alone. "I want you to get mad! A Minister With Balls "I don't want you to protest. I don't want The Sunday Business Post reported on hood because there are fewer such schools you to riot. I don't want you to write to your with a Protestant ethos. But does this Congressman, because I wouldn't know 5th November that Batt O'Keeffe, the logic apply in urban centres such as what to tell you to write. I don't know what Minister for Education has refused to meet to do about the depression and the inflation the Church of Ireland Bishop of Cork, the Dublin? and the crime in the street. All I know is that Rev. Paul Colton, despite being asked to "Also, it would be interesting to com- first, you've got to get mad. do so by the Minster for Finance. "I can pare the incomes of, say, the poorest 10% "You've gotta say, 'I'm a human being, tell you I will not be meeting the man" of parents of children in a fee paying goddammit! My life has value!' O'Keeffe is quoted as saying. This is Protestant school with the corresponding "So, I want you to get up right now and go quite understandable as the Bishop had parents in fee paying Catholic schools. to the window, open it, and stick your head effectively called the Minister a liar Unfortunately, such information may not out and yell, 'I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not Bishop Paul Colton of Cork appears to be easy for the State to come by. Once the going to take this any more!" State hands over the extra €6.5 million, it have taken the lead in making the case for A little over the top perhaps? …An is disbursed by a committee consisting of the maintenance of the Church of Ireland "representatives from the Church of expression of impotent and apolitical privileges in Secondary education. In a Ireland, Presbyterian and Methodist anger!… But…no more gratuitous and far recent address he said: "Are we seriously churches, and the Society of Friends". less tedious than our own home grown to believe that the founding fathers and "If ever there is a radical reforming dreary pontificators! framers of our Constitution envisaged a Minister for Education who has a policy situation where this Republic would of expanding the non-fee paying sector, become a hostile place for the children of ALLEZ LES BLEUS! he will find it prohibitively expensive if By the time this column is read the the Protestant minority?" (Speech at the link in funding of non fee-paying storm that is swirling around the Ireland- Midleton College, Co Cork. Irish Times, schools and fee-paying Protestant schools France match will have dissipated. 24 October). is not broken." There is no doubt that an injustice was It was reassuring to see the Bishop give As there may be a problem with the done. But cheating is so prevalent in the credit to the founders of the State/ position of less well off Protestant families modern football game that the normal Constitution as being fair-minded towards living in rural areas, the Minister asked for understanding of that word has become Protestants. The people involved were of proposals from the C of I to deal with this blurred. At least one of the Irish players is course the creators and activists of the problem—and the Minister says they have particularly skilful at winning penalties IRA and we hope he will maintain a not put any proposal to him. The Bishop and free kicks. consistent attitude towards them whenever says they have—maintain the current It is untrue to say that the Irish team has he has to deal with this topic again. position. The Bishop and his friends have always been at the wrong end of refereeing He then went on to criticise the Minister to do better than this. They must learn to decisions. People forget that there were and the Department of Education for not negotiate rather than dictate. one or two dodgy penalty decisions that accepting the unConstitutional position However, the Bishop cannot resist some went our way in the qualifying rounds. of the existing grant! A strange position weasel words. In a letter of 28th October It should also be noted that the French for a Bishop to advocate. The Long Fellow to the Irish Times he said: have been quite contrite about what in last month's Irish Political Review "The arrival of new minorities is not a happened. Senior players and politicians summarised the point at issue over reason to dismantle the rights of a long- such as Finance Minister Christine Protestant education: established minority. New minority Lagarde (Liberation, 20.11.09) have "All O'Keeffe has done is withdraw in religious (or non-religious) communities advocated a rematch. Ordinary French last year's budget a €2.8 million grant for deserve to have their rights addressed people have written in to Irish newspapers Protestant fee paying schools employing separately. The Protestant churches, as to express their shame at what happened. caretakers and secretaries. This grant was one minority, have a centuries-long The Long Fellow thinks that the French not available to Catholic fee paying involvement in providing education on are a very fair minded people and Thierry schools. this island." "Protestant fee paying schools also Henry is very far from being the worst Note that other minorities are to be cheat in world football. receive the same capitation grant as non fee-paying schools. This is greater than "addressed separately" i.e., not necessarily The result was particularly disappoint- the same as the Church of Ireland. In other ing because the Irish team played so well. the grant for fee paying Catholic schools. The amount of extra grants that Protestant words not all minorities must have their We should be proud of our boys in green. privileges. And why? A few more weasel But what's done is done and let us look fee paying schools obtain by being part of the free education scheme is €6.5 words. Because the Protestant Churches forward to the European Championship. million. This preferential treatment will have a tradition of providing education in The Long Fellow may be in a minority, remain in place. Ireland for centuries. but he wishes the French team well in the "The justification for this is that poorer True indeed. This, I assume includes finals. Protestants are not able to avail of non the period across the three centuries that Allez les Bleus! fee-paying schools in their neighbour- the Penal Laws operated. If not, then the 12 Bishop is offering us more weasel words. Report: Clair Wills Lecture On Elizabeth Bowen: Visions and Revisions, held at School Let's have some plain speaking. Such of English, University College, Cork; 6-7 November 2009 education was provided by Protestantsfor Protestants with the generous help of the then state for an Established Church. And Bowen: An English Lesson there was quite a lot provided via, inter "Not since Montefort stood had there ceased to be vigilant measures against the alia, Trinity College Dublin, Parish nightcomer; all being part of the hostile watch kept by now eyeless towers and time- Schools, Diocesan Free Schools, Royal stunted castles along these rivers. For as land knows, everywhere is a frontier; and the Free Schools, Charter Schools, the outposted few (and few are the living) never must be off guard. But tonight the ceremony Hibernian Military and Marine Schools, became a mockery: when Antonia had done bolting and barring she remained, arms the Kildare Street Society Schools and extended like another crossbar, laughing at the door. For the harsh-grained oak had gone other endowed schools. But were there into dissolution: it shut out nothing." A World Of Love by Elizabeth Bowen. Jonathan any subsidies or even a trickle down to the Cape. 1955. 1st Edition. p116. Hedge Schools? Did they have any On a rainy cold November night, some that was good. Wills then read out Bowen's privileges from the state? I think not. thirty odd academics and students/others own words, but it seems to me that it was Perhaps the Bishop would elaborate on entered the lecture room of West Wing 5 post-war England that Bowen found tough this provision of education in Ireland if I to hear the plenary lecture by Clair Wills, to live in. After all she made that famous have got it wrong. Professor of Irish Literature at Queen Mary statement: "I've been coming gradually College, University of London, and author unstuck from England for a long time. I And when the state intervened directly of That Neutral Island: A History of Ireland have adored England since 1940 because in the mid 19th century did the Church of during the Second World War which won of the stylishness Mr. Churchill gave it, Ireland object to any of the curriculum the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize for History but I have always felt, 'when Mr.Churchill items such as what appeared in the main 2007. She has since published a rather goes, I go'…". As Glendinning recorded Reading Book for the State National weak account of the Easter Rising with in her Bowen biography: "Patrician schools in 1838: the title Dublin 1916; The Siege of the hysteria over Attlee's victory had its "I thank the goodness and the grace GPO and one look at her sources was unattractive side". That on my birth has smiled enough to convince me of her errancy in A World Of Love is regarded by many And made me in these Christian days scholarship. She would want to be very as the start of what one Bowen biographer A happy English child" careful of not ending up like Roy Foster, called the "bend back" i.e. a reaching back who started out as a historian and then into the author's own life when the future And: jumped to literature with his awful two- looks so bleak and taking consolation "On the east of Ireland is England volume biography of W.B.Yeats, and then from a better civilised past. This golden where the Queen lives; many people who live in Ireland were born in England, and those other couple of social jaunts through era saw Bowen at the height of her powers we speak the same language, and are modern Ireland. Wills is from a as a novelist, her life in London with the called one nation". background in literature and now thinks literati of the Bloomsbury group, and of she could equally write history. This idea course there was her husband Alan It was not education—it was political stems from the rather farcical inter- Cameron who oversaw the running of her propaganda. disciplinary approach thought up by Big House in County Cork—Bowen's academics who couldn't tell one subject Court where the guest list reads like a The Bishop has become a fan of Senator from the other and has led to such chaos in Who's Who of the great and clever writers Harris and now uses his language: "In the the universities. of that era. But Bowen was living way history of this state, traditionally, Protest- Dr. Eibhear Walshe, Senior lecturer in beyond her means and it all came to a head ants have kept their heads down. They're the Department of Modern English in really after Cameron's death in 1952. not keeping their heads down on this one", UCC, introduced Professor Wills who (ibid.) entered the room with a rush of confidence Wills made much of Bowen's "poor The problem with introducing that type and élan. She hadn't brought a timepiece journalism", as she termed it, which was of language is that it gets people thinking and asked Eibhear for a watch—he hadn't so unlike her fiction, but Bowen, I contend, about the time the Bishop of Cork and his one either but he gave her his mobile made her living out of being a writer. She colleagues were cock of the walk. The phone with the advice not to answer any wrote for all the main magazines of the Senator may be determined to be an calls. Ms Wills, beautifully clad, with an day both literary and popular. She wrote amnesiac in this regard as in many others elocuted English accent, had that about holidays, housekeeping and other (if not fully self-lobotomised), but I can formidability that somehow comes with more mundane subjects. She needed the assure the Bishop those conditions are her background—as would become money and her house, and indeed guests, still rare in society and I would not base an evident with her fearless take on Elizabeth drained it away from her. During the education policy, or any policy, on Senator Bowen and the Irish. Second World War, Bowen was at her Harris. He is not a reliable guru. Though her lecture was to be on best and she made a case for the war being The Bishop has made a choice between Elizabeth Bowen and the Vanishing Irish, a kind of "conception of her civilization", Eoghan Harris and Batt O'Keeffe. What a with particular reference to Bowen's novel as Hermione Lee, another of her silly man! A World Of Love published in 1955 by biographers wrote (Elizabeth Bowen: An Jack Lane Jonathan Cape, London, Wills soon made Estimation, Vision, Barnes & Noble, clear that she was going to cover a much London 1981). Post-war, again according Read: wider area than Bowen's own post-war to Lee, her next three novels were about An affair with the Bishop of Cork book. The period of 1952-1955 was a "displacement, alienation and the search discrete period for Bowen, Wills attested, for consolation". A World Of Love was by the Aubane Historical Society as the writer did a great deal of travelling begun in Ireland after the death of Alan €8, £5 from: but still had her main home in Bowen's Cameron, and the house in the novel called Court. Wills then introduced Bowen's 1951 "Montefort" is rather a small shabby 'Big https://www.atholbooks- broadcast on The Cult of Nostalgia, which House', reflecting as Victoria Glendinning sales.org was also published in The Listener. In it, suggests, her "own predicament at Bowen's she saw the past as the repository of all Court". While Bowen travelled to Rome, 13 and America, she knew that still the bills tion, Hepburn acknowledges that his book families were celebrated and certainly the were piling up and eventually she sold really only covers the 1940s-1950 and Irish Catholic Church can't be tainted either Bowen's Court in 1959, acting very sees it as more "a work in progress". Wills then or now for such barbarous policies. quickly, and off she went again, this time was inclined to see it as the complete H.G. Wells, Margaret Sanger, Marie to New York. thing. Stopes, Julian Huxley—and all of the Will's take on all this was quite extra- Many of the articles dug up by Hepburn Bloomsbury Group—were the high priests ordinary. She seemed to suggest that by were for The British Council in post-War and priestesses of this movement and writing her fiction that Bowen was some- Europe. Bowen was again on watch and hugely influenced British imperial politics how using the past as a barricade to her careful in her assessments. She thought and policies towards so-called "native present. There is that familiar academic that culture was going to be very valuable breeds". Contraception was immoral and trope that Bowen was now, post-Bowen's against a new Soviet Cold-War world and was an alien practice to the Irish but there Court, living a cut-off life, a sort of half- not only for "commercial reasons". In one was a more relaxed response to natural life. Nothing could be further from the letter, she stated that "the lessening of any methods. truth, though Wills didn't state this. Bowen cultural ties that we can maintain with Wills then brought up the name of Dr. was living it up with her new friends, the Hungary would be, I am convinced, not Bishop Lucey and there was an immediate very monied Vernons. Lady Ursula only a blunder but a betrayal". She thought tittering reaction from most of the college Vernon was formerly Lady Ursula Gros- that the Russians in 1946 during the Paris audience. With much condescension, Dr. venor, the daughter of the mighty Duke of Peace talks (which she was reporting for Eibhear Walshe said that "everyone here Westminster. Bowen now got used to the Cork Examiner) were full of "bullying is well acquainted with Bishop Lucey" in horse racing and loved going with her new tactics … stalling and arguing over the most dismissive way possible. And for friends to see their horses running at the frontiers and reparations". me, this said a lot more about our academic Curragh and Ascot. She also had made As her lover was, as Wills stated, the community than it ever could about the friends with Jean and Barry Black who Canadian diplomat Charles Ritchie, good Bishop Lucey who spent his final had bought Creagh Castle, outside Bowen came to know how geopolitics years working as a humble mission priest Doneraile and loved going on expensive worked. She was always for England and in Africa. holidays to France and Italy with them in then America, especially during the their chauffeured Jaguar. She was, as she Vietnam War when she couldn't bear any It was when Wills began discussing the expressed jubilantly in a letter of thanks to criticism of the latter's role. 'Commission on Emigration and other the Blacks, now living the high life and Population Problems 1948-1954 Reports' could definitely get used to it. Even her The Ireland that Wills gave us was one that Bishop Lucey's name came up. But novel A World Of Love is imbued with all in which Bowen was horrified by the Wills was all over the place here and it was the let-downs of the shabby Montefort, 'cheque book people' who started buying quite hard to know if she was reporting on where there is no money for anything. up land and houses. But these were her the findings of the Commission or This suggests that Bowen was not in friends, such as the Vernons who bought commenting on what was left out. retreat—she simply throughout her life up stables in Bruree, Co. Limerick, and Certainly she made an argument that was too tough minded for that. then also bought a very lovely seaside the young girls in rural Ireland wanted to Wills is unusual in that, as an English house in Kinsale where Elizabeth always emigrate rather than face a harsh life critic, she thinks that this novel A World stayed. Bowen did write a rather patron- without cinemas, hairdressers and modern Of Love is all about Ireland and its social ising article How they live in Ireland: perms. In the days after the conference, I and political progress—or perhaps Conquest by Cheque-Book, but her fears spoke with women who did emigrate to changes is the more correct word for what were for the thick Irish who could be done England and when I put Wills argument to Wills thinks. I think that, while Montefort out again by the rich. She coined a term, them about their wilful ways, they were is a "small" Big House, it is in isolation "the passenger residents", describing them outraged. Leaving home and parents was form the rest of the community. The as "a new wave of settlers whose object a hard and harsh choice and they only postman no longer calls and all credit has was to bypass responsibility. Eire, at this wanted work. Many of them recalled long been cut off at the local grocers. The juncture, vitally does not want her emotionally their journey from their home finding in the attic of an enigmatically apparent backwardness patronised and to a new country without the support of unaddressed bundle of letters from Guy, a exploited". Indeed! family and neighbours. And it was no dead soldier from World War 1, and the picnic they contended. Unlike today's reaction of the young heroine Jane to the Wills went on to talk of the Irish 'poor' emigrants into Ireland, there were no State find, is what passes for plot in this novel. and the problem of emigration. She—and supports and many were glad of the It is Bowen's most plotless novel and Rose this was for me the most ignorant part of Catholic Church's presence which Macaulay, who reviewed the book for The her lecture—went on to talk of "Social remained the one constant in a very Times, stated unequivocally that, "while Darwinism" and made much of Darwin's different world. fascinating", "it will not be to everyone's cousin, Francis Galton, the father of The Irish were not wanted and there taste". The spectral dead in the spirit of 'Eugenics'. Galton (1822-1911) was born was no pretence that they were. Many Guy is central to the narrative and there is in Birmingham, left the study of medicine settled down and put down roots in England a sense too that that the writer is finally and went off to Africa where he did studies but for the most part it was amongst fellow laying ghosts of the past to rest. The novel on heredity and intelligence which led Irish. him to the field he called Eugenics. Several ends at Shannon Airport with a man getting Wills also mentioned a 'rather obscure' off the plane. Jane looks at him. of his studies are referred to by Charles Irish playwright, M.J. Molloy, but when I "Their eyes meet. Darwin and Galton was knighted in 1909 looked him up in the Field Day Anthology for his work. They no sooner looked but they loved." (Vol. 3), I found he his best-known play is On such a note of optimism this is Wills linked up the work of this man called The Wood of the Whispering (1953). where Bowen puts her full stop. with that of Catholic social ideas. I There is mention of a mistaken comparison categorically refute this rubbish. While with Synge which is wrong as Molloy's As already indicated, Wills was rather the eugenic movement in Britain and the world is "integral to itself" and his "West scathing about Bowen's journalism. Allan USA wanted selective breeding and the of Ireland" is "menaced by a threat of an Hepburn edited a collection of her essays, "weeding out of the unfit" by sterilisation, extension that seems to stimulate its most articles and reviews. In a long introduc- doesn't everyone here remember that big grotesque and melancholic features". 14 Wills seeks to make this the dominant discourse—between rather feckless women and men who strove to keep their Bob Doyle, Union Struggles land at the price of remaining unmarried And Communist Party Contradictions and childless. These women, she went on to contend, were seduced by glossy maga- {The following reflections on his father's life were given by Robert Doyle in London's zines and urban excitement and were ready Imperial War Museum on 14th March last, at a memorial meeting organised by the for a consumerist nirvana. At this stage, I International Brigade Memorial Trust in honour of his recently deceased father, the last began thinking 'surely someone will stop surviving Irish International Brigade fighter, Bob Doyle. Click on the link to her', but no, the academics kept quiet. www.indymedia.ie/article/91124 for a text, photographic and video record for the Shannon Airport, Wills thought, fed memorial meeting for Bob held one month previously, on 14th February, in Dublin's dreams of freedom and she used Bowen's Liberty Hall.} unique take on it—but for the latter there Sometimes people are formed by an privileged position in fact made them was coming and going. For the others, ideology. For example, the ex-criminal selfish and reactionary. It was very there was ever only the going and that was who attributes his new and reformed way noticeable that among the hundreds of mainly on the ship—the Inisfallen. of life to finding Jesus and being born workers in the warehouse, not one was Because Wills brought up the Emig- again. My father, whom we often called black or female. ration Commission Report, I got it from a Big Bob to distinguish him from me, was friend and read it. It is one of the best not like that. The way he lived was an Big Bob was in favour of rationalisation things I have ever read and covered so instinctive expression of his nature as a of labour practices; to bring in policies of much more of Irish life than Wills gave it person. early retirement, education and re-training. credit for. There are a number of contri- He was an active member of the Trade He was in favour of a national wages butors and there is a Minority Report from Union movement and the Communist policy—as long as it was fair. But this ran Most Rev. Dr. C. Lucey. And what I found Party because he thought that they were up against the fixed mindset of the Union truly astonishing is that here he was back the best vehicles through which to express members and Party officials. then already asking for the policy of his natural instincts. He was loyal to these Of course the crunch finally came. decentralisation which under the Govern- institutions, and to an outsider might seem Rupert Murdoch opened his Wapping ment of Bertie Ahern actually finally a typical Trade Unionist or Communist, factory and with the help of Margaret happened. but a few insiders knew of his frequent Thatcher's anti-Union legislation and fights inside these organisations. The turning of a blind eye to, or perhaps even QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS arguments usually arose when ideology encouraging police tactics, smashed the When Wills finished there was the usual or doctrinaire attitudes were in conflict Union. Had Big Bob's ideas been accepted Irish clapping and she then asked for some with his more instinctive and emotional this situation might have been averted. questions. After a silence, Dr. Eibhear response to situations and issues. Had his way of thinking been accepted Walshe asked her if she thought that For example, as a member and official generally, the whole situation of the Unions William Trevor took after Bowen in his of the print union, SOGAT, he was obliged and the working class in the UK might writings, especially about the late 50s. He by the Communist Party of Great Britain have been different. Maybe even the had not even finished speaking when Clair to defend the restrictive practices that economic mess that we are in today might Wills said "Do you mean like 'The Story of were common in the press at that time. At have been different. Lucy Gault'? and poor Walshe nodded. one time he even found himself on trial at Nonetheless, Big Bob was loyally down Then Wills disdainfully said "oh no I hate the Old Bailey, and facing a stiff prison on the Wapping picket line fighting for, William Trevor's writings and they are sentence because of his activities during and defending what he knew to be nothing like Bowen". She then made a one particular strike. Fortunately the jury indefensible. finger in her mouth gesture of vomiting found him not guilty. But, while actively That was where he and I parted which was a first for me at a literary fighting for the Union and Communist company. I was not prepared to stick my conference. I happen to totally agree with Party policies, he at the same time had neck out fighting for this privileged and her but perhaps a bit more subtlety was grave doubts about the wisdom of these reactionary group of workers who you can called for. That finished off Walshe and policies, and struggled within the organisa- bet would have voted almost to the last then everyone became more quiet and tions against the rigid thinking of his man for Thatcher in the previous election. cautious. comrades. I thought that they were getting what they Then Dr. Tina O'Toole stood up and I remember being with him in the deserved. said she was from the Dept. of English in warehouse of one of the national news- I came to know about his differences the University of Limerick and she was papers in Fleet Street. We could see with the Union and the Party because he studying Bowen's last novel Eva Trout hundreds of men doing virtually nothing. often would ask me to help him write his and did Wills think this was a modernist Their job was trivial. Tying bundles of speeches and articles. These were some department for Elizabeth Bowen? Wills newspapers and labelling them with their of the best times that I had with him. Our completely disapproved of this thesis and destinations. office was the pub or the Working Man's replied "No". Someone at the front said Big Bob pointed out to me a machine Club, and over a pint, we would write his Bowen was always caught for money and standing in the corner of the warehouse. speeches. We had many laughs over the her journalism shouldn't be judged like He explained that this machine could do things that he would like to have said to her fiction. She nodded at this and then a the work of all the workers in the ware- Union and Party officials; and his brilliant man remarked that Shannon Airport was a house, but that the Union would not allow and wicked sense of humour made these new construction—old sheds had been it to be switched on. He thought that this sessions very entertaining for me. The used to build the Cork dog track and of was indefensible, not because of any atmosphere and our creativity no doubt course up to then, sea-planes had landed at principle or ideology. He just thought that being nourished with the aid of a little of Foynes. Wills then said if there were no the workers were wasting their lives. Also his home grown. more questions, it was a wrap. Some people he realised that the workers might well be literally bounded from the room and I felt strong Trade Unionists, and consequently I wonder now what it was that made Wills had crushed the pitiful UCC lot. enjoy the best working conditions and Big Bob so special. I always assumed that Julianne Herlihy. © wages of any group of workers. But this he was special to me because he was my 15 father. But I see now, from the worldwide Ireland, or maybe this writer is being women who washed their partner's overalls reaction to his death, and from the many optimistic. after they had been working with asbestos. messages that the family have received, The records show that Hardies were that he was special to many other people, The issue for which the members of the fully aware of the health hazard to users of and not just for his political ideas. I think James Hardie Board of Directors received the deadly products they were producing, that Big Bob was profoundly humanitar- their convictions and sentences was their but the company has not been prosecuted ian. His own childhood experiences false statements regarding the financial for producing and marketing such a deadly perhaps had given him a deep empathy to adequacy of a trust fund they set up in product. the suffering of others. He would cry 2001 allegedly to ensure adequate compen- watching the news from Vietnam, or a sation payments for the many victims of Asbestos was used in external cladding documentary about the holocaust. He the deadly products which Hardies had for buildings and sometimes for internal genuinely felt a brotherhood with the rest been processing and selling in Australia lining and ceilings. Asbestos was also of humanity. This in turn made him very and overseas for almost one hundred years. used for corrugated roofing, for water egalitarian. He felt no better or worse than pipes, for brake shoe linings, for motor anyone else and spoke to everyone with The simple truth is that, when they vehicles. The hessian sacks used to the same voice or register, striking up decided to move their company head- transport the raw asbestos from the mines conversations wherever he was and with quarters from Australia to the Netherlands, to the factories in urban centres, were whoever happened to be near him. He was they were in fact attempting to avoid their recycled and sold as underfelt for carpets, genuinely interested in other people and responsibilities by claiming that the without firstly having the residual asbestos what they thought. amount of money they placed in the fund, dust and fibres removed . Asbestos was To my brother and I as children he would cover the huge sums of money also used to insulate water pipes in never spoke down to us, and assumed that needed to meet the medical and compen- buildings and in naval and commercial we could understand whatever he said. satory expenses of the thousands of ships, resulting in the untimely death of When he read bedtime stories to us they victims, past, present and future, who ships' engineers, plumbers and other would be books like Maxim Gorky's faced inevitable death from asbestosis and workers. trilogy, or Makarenkov's The Road To mesothelioma, the incurable cancers Life. Sometimes the books included very caused by inhaling asbestos dust and fibres. Asbestos is a cheap fireproof material adult sexual material; it made no difference widely used in building and engineering, to Big Bob, he read it all. The Court had no doubt that when the but it is deadly for those workers who From this well of empathy and the company set up their original Trust Fund inhale the dust or the fibres. In Canada, belief that all humans are fundamentally it was deliberately attempting to avoid its where it is also mined, it is illegal to use equal in value, came the desire to make a responsibilities to its large work force and the material for any purpose whatever, but more just world, and he had the its customers who were already suffering that country produces, sells and exports determination and courage to fight for and dying from the deadly effects of large quantities of the deadly material to what he believed was right. I think that it asbestos or were likely to contract the so-called Third World countries. The was these qualities, his love of humanity, disease. question now arises for the Irish is,whether his humour and enjoyment of companion- or not Hardies plans to produce and sell ship, and his courage to which all who Firstly the Union most concerned with their dirty product in Ireland, or if it chooses knew him responded, and I feel privileged protecting the workers who used, mined to do as Canada does. export the stuff to that he was my father. and manufactured and otherwise handled other unwary countries. Robert Doyle asbestos—the Construction, Mining and Patrick O'Beirne. Forestry Employees Union (CFMEU)— alerted the whole labor movement, includ- ing individual workers, the Australian Do Irish Workers Know Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). Eventu- Anything About Their ally it convinced the corporate regulator, OFF THE WALL Newest Employer? the Australian Securities and Investment Irish workers may not know that they Corporation (ASIC), of the total inadequacy of Hardie's Trust Fund. Even- Celebrations, once the East Berlin Wall, are about to play host to yet another foreign demolished, the wrecking ball— employer with a questionable reputation. tually those combined groups forced the company to face the Industrial Court where Gorbachev, The employer, a multinational building cut the throat of Russia, then the payoff. supply company named James Hardie, it was required to renegotiate the terms of the original Trust Fund and increase the (The West licks its lips as Yeltsin takes has announced that it is about to transfer all) its headquarters from The Netherlands to fund from a few millions to several billions of dollars. No disquiet as Israel blocks the view the Republic Of Ireland. with US funds pushing the concrete Then ASIC moved in and took the through This announcement came towards the company to court for its blatant attempt to the land of Palestine under curfew. close of a much publicized sentencing deliberately defraud the victims of asbestos Benign apartheid, Britain’s Ulster coup, session in the Supreme Court of New by providing a wholly inadequate sum of no democracy, a breezeblock divide. South Wales, where ten of Hardies' most money to meet the cost of compensating Along the Texas border a high fence, senior Directors were fined between and caring for the victims of asbestos, too many Mexicans who work for cents. $A350, 000 and $A35,000 each and were What is equally reprehensible is the fact Hear the UK talk carbon dioxide barred from holding corporate director- that no penalty was ever imposed on the while blasting mud walls in Afghanistan, ships anywhere in the world for periods company for having knowingly induced building base-walls against the Taliban. ranging from five to fifteen years. Needless workers to mine, transport and participate to say the longest periods of disqualifi- in the manufacture of asbestos products, cation coincided with the heaviest fines and others to use these products, such as Wilson John Haire. imposed, so there is little chance that any builders, plumbers and engineers in ships 24th November, 2009 of the convicted Directors will turn up as and even brake shoe manufacturers and a leader of the James Hardie company in motor mechanics. Other victims included 16 Devine himself does not mention Captain Kelly or even refer to him indirectly. He refers to an 'agent' alright, but does not Arms Crisis Misconceptions suggest that he is an Intelligence Officer: UNPUBLISHED LETTER out under the Government's Directive to the role of the 'agent' is to conduct the The July/August 2009 issue of History the Army of 6th February [1970]—a Intelligence Officers around the North Ireland featured the events of August 1969 scheme which became the subject of later (see paragraph 4 below). and their aftermath seen through the usual criminal action. But this was no maverick Not only does Devine NOT mention Lynchite prism. operation. Captain Kelly reported on the Captain Kelly, he DOES name two other The following letter was sent to the progress of the scheme to his superior officers who are conducting investigations Editor, correcting some points of the officer, Colonel Hefferon, who in turn in the North. Niamh Puirséil sees no need presentation: kept Minister Gibbons au fait with the to inform the reader of this fact: which sits "Your editorial summary of the events progress of the enterprise. And Captain inconveniently with the Arms Trial of August 1969 in the July/August issue Kelly reported directly to Minister Gib- blinkers she has donned. Incidentally, the says that on August 13th, “The British bons. All of this emerged at the Conspir- same two Army personnel were to be government announced that troops were acy Trials and has been confirmed by the named in the November 1969 United being sent to Derry” to stand between the release of Secret papers under the thirty Irishman 'exposé' of Fianna Fail's alleged combatants and to restore law and order. year rule. I have made many of these takeover bid in the North. In fact, troops were not to be deployed in documents available in two books, the Derry until the evening of the 14th. latest of which is called Arms Conspiracy JOHN DEVINE'S REPORT (British troops were of course perman- Trial. Here is Devine's report: "Professor Dermot Keogh raises some ently stationed in this part of the United "To: Party Leader red herrings. One is to suggest that Kingdom.) The sequence, as you set it Subject: Aspects of Six County Situation out, makes nonsense of Jack Lynch's Captain Kelly's arms importation was solemn televised address of 13th August conducted outside normal Army Introduction: promising that his Government would purchasing channels. What else does he In our continuing review of the Six County not stand by while nationalist lives and expect with a covert operation? A second situation some information has come to property were at risk. is to ask whether Taoiseach Lynch 'knew' hand which might be worth examining. "That speech of Jack Lynch's was what was going on. He could hardly fail Much of the information which follows authorised by his Cabinet and signified a to have known. After all it was Lynch has been checked out by me, and found to shift in Irish policy: it was a recognition who set out the new Government policy be fairly accurate. What is contained, that the Catholics of Northern Ireland of guaranteeing Catholic defence with unchecked, is passed on because it comes needed defence against the Northern his speech of 13th August 1969 and it from what are described as “usually majority. Lynch's promise reassured the was a position he adhered to until his reliable” sources. minority, whilst further enraging volte face of May 1970. Angela Clifford" Situation Report: Protestants. So much so that, even after 1. In the post-Cameron situation North the Stormont regime accepted the loss of Editor Tommy Graham acknowledged and South much attention has been given control of security which requesting the receipt of this letter, said it was too late for in the media to the influence of Left wing deployment of the British Army entailed, the September/October issue, and elements in the Civil Rights agitation in the military was unable to restore order promised publication in the November/ the North. While our attention has been and provide protection for the minority. December issue of his magazine: it did diverted in that direction, certain other "It was in these circumstances that the not appear. forces have been at work, and are working. Irish Cabinet agreed to measures which 2. It is now clear that Jack Lynch's first LYNCH APOLOGIST enabled the minority to mount its own Niamh Puirséil, who lectures in the major statement on the Northern troubles, defence, up to and including the School of History and Archives, University since August 12, was made but a few deployment of the Irish Army north of College, Dublin, contributed New Light hours after he was visited by Neil Blaney. the Border. It also instructed the Army to On The Arms Crisis to the July/August Blaney threatened that if the Taoiseach prepare to arm the Northern minority. issue of History Ireland. Her article is did not make a statement, and immediate- This has been confirmed by archive based on a misleading re-hash of a report ly, he (Blaney) would certainly make research and is incontrovertible. for the Labour leader produced around one. "Captain Kelly is named in your October 1969 by John Devine, PRO to the 3. In the first (and current) issue of the magazine as the "agent" of Ministers Labour Party. She sees in it an early magazine “This Week”, it is reported that Blaney, Boland and Haughey. He was no warning about the attempted arms importa- Irish Army intelligence officers and such thing. He was one of the Intelligence tion prosecuted in the Arms Trials a year British Army intelligence officers have Officers deployed by the Irish Govern- later. To make the connection with these exchanged visits into each other's terri- ment in August 1969 to monitor and trials, the idea is attributed to Devine that tory. Whatever about the British, the assist Catholic defence. Later he became Captain Kelly was the agent of Blaney, Irish certainly have been visiting the North the officer charged with liaising between Boland and Haughey. A caption Puirséil regularly since October 5 last (1968). the Government and the Northern provides to an illustration reads: 4. Since the recent major outbreaks of Defence Committees. This position was trouble an “agent” of Messrs. Haughey, "Above: Copies of Voice of the North— confirmed by his direct superior, Army Blaney and Boland, has been conducting according to Devine, its 'committee of Director of Intelligence Michael Heffer- these military intelligence personnel management involves some of those on, during the Arms Conspiracy Trials of (Captains Doolan [word unclear] and named on the Monaghan committee; September/October 1970. The then Duggan) on trips behind the barricades. Blaney, Boland and Haughey's agent Minister for Defence James Gibbons was Contacts are being built up and ammun- {Capt. Kelly} and others, also known to also forced to concede that Captain Kelly's ition and money has been distributed. me…'" (p37). position was a special one. Generally contacts are among the Repub- "It was in the course of his liaison In this caption Puirséil has inserted lican element in the North, who have duties that Capt. Kelly became involved Captain Kelly's name in square brackets more or less broken with the Dublin HQ in the Arms Importation scheme carried into a quotation from Devine's report. But of the IRA, principally because this 17 “agent” can deliver what the IRA cannot. The IRA is highly worried and indignant · Biteback · Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback at the influence which these Fianna Fail people are having among Northern Republicans, the possibility of retaliation is likely from the Dublin end. Fianna Fail Kerryman Seeks Dail Statement On have now established a chain of links from Belfast to Derry, including places Free State War Crimes like Dungannon, Newry, Armagh, The following letter appeared in the Irish Times, 31st October 2009 Coalisland, Omagh and in other places where their sphere of contacts up to now Miriam Lord was extremely flippant in her remarks (Miriam Lord's Week, October has been neglible. Their aid is being 24th) about deputy Martin Ferris in relation to his questions in the Dáil about the accepted. atrocities that were carried out by Free State forces in Ireland in 1922-1923. 5. The “agent” (for the want of a better Although these atrocities were carried out more that 86 years ago, I and many others word) has now spread his net to broaden would like to know what the official State version of events during the Civil War are, and the scope of his activities. He has set up, I would like this information made available in Dáil Éireann. in Monaghan town, with the approval of Are the murders in Ballyseedy, Countess Bridge and Cahersiveen, Co Kerry, regarded the Government Ministers already men- as war crimes? What do the official records state on the reprisal executions that were tioned, and with the aid of their finance, carried out by this State? What do the Army records state about the unofficial executions what is known as the Monaghan Civil that were carried out by Free State forces? Are the men who fought on the republican side Rights Office of the Northern Ireland regarded as criminals by the State? I think that it is time to revisit this terrible time in Irish Civil Rights Association. This office is history and make our peace with the past. located in what was the Monaghan HQ of Cathal (Charlie Din) O'Connor, Knocknagoshel, Co Kerry. the Fianna Fail Party. It is understood that the Northern Ireland Civil Rights its authorship to another group entirely. Solidarity (an organisation which the Association has no control over the He was either mistaken or misinformed. Labour Party has an interest in) has issued activities of this office and the link with The booklet was printed in Cavan and its a disclaimer to both the media and the the NICRA is only established in that the author was a Dublin journalist, known to Unionist Party. The Unionist Party PRO committee members are also members of me. has been told that the meeting organisers NICRA. The link with Fianna Fail is 9. Led by Currie, and with the apparent were the Monaghan Civil Rights Office. only established by: (1) the bulding in involvement of Devlin, Kennedy and 14. But the activities directly attributable which it is located and (2) that NICRA O'Hanlon, one basis for activity would to the Monaghan office continue to has no overriding control or responsibility appear to be either to gain control of expand. It is now clear that a large and (3) because I know it was set up with NICRA, at its annual meeting either in number of meetings have been organised, the aid and connivance of Blaney, December or January, or to set up a new especially in the Western counties, and Haughey and Boland. This fact is also Civil Rights organisation. Certainly are aimed purely at rising the spirit of known by others, including Sinn Fein People's Democracy will wreck NICRA “Republicanism”. and the IRA. It is doubtful if many, (or before much longer. At this stage it is 15. On Friday next the first of a series of any) of the people who are associating difficult to tie in Currie with the Fianna weekly propaganda newspapers will be with this Monaghan organisation are very Fail front, especially on the Blaney, circulated and distributed in the North. aware that it is a front organisation for Haughey and Boland side. The paper will be bitterly anti-Unionist. Fianna Fail. 10. Because of the in-fighting in NICRA, The committee of management involves 6. There is no doubt either that it was this between the PD people and the people some of those named on the Monaghan office which, on September 23, announ- concerned just with civil rights, a confused committee; Blaney, Boland and Haugh- ced that Paddy Devlin, Paddy Kennedy stage has been reached within that ey's agent, and others, also known to me. and Paddy O'Hanlon, were not going to organisation. Inaction has not only The paper will be printed in the Anglo resume their seats in the Stormont contributed to a loss of momentum but Celt, Cavan. Five or six vans, necessary Parliament. has, apparently, killed the germs of for transporting the newspaper, have 7. This office is staffed by two men, Mr. regeneration. In fact it's an organisation already been acquired. Nicholas Coffey, said to be a member of ripe for new leadership. 16. As well, plans are well in hand for the Dundalk Labour Party, and Mr. Brian 11. Inexplicably NICRA won't disown setting up of a powerful mobile pirate Patterson, a former member of the Queen's the Monaghan Civil Rights Office, though radio. Those involved in this operation University, Belfast, Republican Club. I believe Frank Gogarty did in an are, in part, known to me. The operation 7. [sic] The Monaghan Civil Rights interview with the United Irishman. is expected to be finalised soon. This Committee comprises: Mr. Bernard 12. Meanwhile the activities of the also has limited Cabinet backing. It is Rushe (said to be a member of the Labour Monaghan Civil Rights Offfice continue doubtful, in fact, unlikely, that the remain- Party in Monaghan); Mr. Denis Haughey to proliferate. Last Saturday it organised der of the Cabinet, and certainly not the (a Coalisland Republican); Councillor a meeting outside the GPO at which a Taoiseach, know anything about what is Michael McLaughlin (a member of wide range of Northern political thought going on. Dungannon UDC [Urban District (and non-thought) was represented - right 17. The activity of People's Democracy Council], said to be a “Currie” Nation- across the Board from Eamonn McCann on this side of the Border is also intense. alist); Margaret Collins (Newry Civil to Ivan Cooper and Austin Currie. There Michael Farrell and his leaders have been Rights); Paddy O'Hanlon, MP; Kevin were some calls to arms from the platform. having meetings with a number of Labour Mallon (a disenchanted Republican from 13. The latter was picked up by the Party people and on Tuesday night next, Coalisland). Unionist propaganda machine and played in the Mansion House, the PD will hold a 8. One of the by-products of this for what it was worth. The Minister for meeting at which (according to the billing) Committee was the booklet “Terror in Home Affairs, Mr. Porter, has referred to prominent Labour Party speakers will Northern Ireland” which was distributed the meeting. Solidarity were blamed by address the crowds. by Paddy Devlin in London, though, the Irish Times and the Unionists for John Devine, according to the newspapers, he attributed organising the meeting. The chairman of Public Relations Officer." 18 PERSONNEL Director of Intelligence Colonel Michael 1968, he foresaw serious trouble in the This undated document probably Hefferon. This is confirmed by released North. This report agrees that he set in originates around the first week of October official papers and Arms Trial evidence. motion steps to inform himself of the 1969. The meeting mentioned in Devine is concerned to target Haughey, situation there. paragraph 12 was probably the one held at Blaney and Boland in this report, referring The general tone of the report is hostile the end of September 1969. It is mentioned to them as instigators in actions which we to the Monaghan Civil Rights Office. that 'Solidarity' denied organising the now know were initiated under the While Devine suggests that the Monaghan meeting (para 13); there is also the authority of Government. In paragraph Civil Rights Office is a front for Fianna information that Labour "has an interest 16 Devine almost admits that Ministers Fail, he actually fails to substantiate that in" the organisation. In a telegram to were acting on the authority of Govern- allegation: the people he names as associ- London, British Ambassador to Dublin, ment when he speaks of "Cabinet backing" ated with it come from various parties and Sir Andrew Gilchrist describes Solidarity for a radio scheme, but then goes on to none; not one of the Southern participants as a republican front (see below). refer to "the remainder of the Cabinet" is described by him as a Fianna Fail The Jack Lynch speech mentioned in and hastens to deny that "the Taoiseach" member. It is admitted in paragraph 9 that paragraph 2 is probably his 'One Nation' knows what is going on. We will come Austin Currie (Nationalist Party and later speech of 28th August which infuriated back to the point of what Jack Lynch did Fine Gael) and other Northern elected Unionists. His further 'Tralee' speech of and did not know below. representatives and their supporters have 20th September is usually taken as an a leading role in the Monaghan grouping. attempt to rectify the damage done. (See SOME COMMENTS To get over the inconsistency Devine Angela Clifford,The Arms Conspiracy In general John Devine's report shows lamely suggests that the activists involved Trial, p558-.) a Dublin incomprehension for a situation with the office may not know they are A couple of weeks after this report, in which a community has to improvise a acting as a 'front'. However, the actual two Intelligence officers were named in defence. There is a general tone of dis- facts in the report suggest something the November 1969 United Irishman approval over republicans and civil rights different: that the office is non-party and (Editor, Seamus O Tuathail) as working activists establishing coherent organis- solely concerned with Northern issues. out of the Monaghan office: Captain ation across Northern Ireland and a Drohan and Captain Duggan (mentioned complaint that NICRA won't condemn its NIAMH PUIRSÉIL in Irish Times 12.5.70). Drohan is probably members who are involved in the Mona- The minimal references to arms in this the 'Doolan' referred to by Devine above. ghan civil rights office. While Devine report enable Niamh Puirséil to see it as (The typescript has letters overtyped and does not specifically mention the Defence evidence that Devine had uncovered the the word could also be Drolin or Drohin.) Committees, the consolidation of these is 'plot' which was prosecuted at the Arms The general theme of the United Irishman what he is describing. On these Com- Conspiracy Trials a year later: complaint was that Fianna Fail was mittees there was cooperation across the "It was through conversations with attempting to take control of the civil spectrum of the Northern minority, Paddy Kennedy that John Devine first rights movement. encompassing also the highly effective became aware of the importation and The Denis Haughey described as a ex-Servicemen of the British forces. distribution of arms to northern nation- "Coalisland republican" above (second While the report contains hints of arms alists and the role being played by certain para 7) is presumably the same NICRA being acquired, there is little specific: Fianna Fail ministers in facilitating this. activist who is a prominent SDLP member paragraph 4 mentions ammunition being Using information gleaned from Kennedy today and who has been very critical of the "distributed", and suggests that the and others, including Paddy Devlin, Gerry Provos. "“agent” can deliver what the IRA Fitt and sources in the press, Devine The "agent" referred to by John Devine cannot", and paragraph 12 refers to a began to piece together a remarkably is probably Seamus Brady, an employee public "call to arms" by speakers at a detailed picture of covert operations that of the Government Information Service public meeting, representing "a wide range were ongoing across the North. Clearly acting directly under, and reporting to, the of Northern political thought (and non- a great deal of work went into compiling Department of the Taoiseach. The 'agent' thought)". 'Non-thought' was not some- the document and checking the veracity certainly is not Captain Kelly. To call thing one came across very much in the of its claims. Devine noted: 'Much of the Brady an 'agent', with its spook implica- Northern Catholic community during the information which follows has been tions, is somewhat misleading. A journ- period after August 1969. checked out by me, and found to be fairly alist, originally from Derry and with a lot What Devine describes as "Fianna Fail" accurate. What is contained, unchecked, of Northern contacts, Brady was useful to interference is in fact the Irish State and is passed on because it comes from what the Government in providing up-to-date others responding to urgent appeals for are described as “usually reliable” reports of what was happening in crisis military help from every section of the sources.' The information that emerged areas and was able to convey Government Northern minority. His complaints are of subsequently, through the arms trials, the thinking to his contacts. The "bitterly investigation by the public accounts anti-Unionist" paper mentioned in para- a kind with those of the United Irishman and Goulding's republicans who tried to committee, Peter Berry's 'diaries'… and graph 15 did appear. It was called Voice the numerous exposés on the subject, establish a monopoly of legitimacy for Of The North and it raised agitational have shown that the material contained issues from a viewpoint which was that of themselves in the situation. One has to in this memorandum was remarkably the SDLP when it was formed some time wonder whether the latter are not the source accurate in almost all respects. If most of later. of them. the contents of the document are, The Unionist Party PRO is quoted as a however, at this stage well known to source by Devine in all of this. Significantly, Devine dates Irish Intel- those familiar with the arms trials, in Devine refers to the 'agent' and Intel- ligence interest in the North to October mid-October 1969 the information was ligence officers as "Fianna Fail people" 1968 (para 3): well before the events of truly explosive… " (p37). (para. 4). This is tendentious: all three August 1969. At the Arms Conspiracy were acting under orders: Brady under Trial, Director of Military Intelligence The Arms Trials were solely concerned the Government Information Office and Michael Hefferon told the Court that, after with a particular shipment of arms to be Jack Lynch; the Intelligence Officers the RUC attack on a peaceful demon- brought in from the Continent six months under the Army chain of command and stration held in Derry on 5th October after Devine's report. As emerged at the 19 Trials, the proposed Importation was a raising funds for “Civil Rights’ in his Monaghan organisation, which he fully authorised Intelligence operation, partnership with Mr. Frank Fogarty, would no doubt describe as an essential which was authorised by Government and “Chairman of the Northern Ireland Civil Contingency Plan, to secure control of broke no law. This was confirmed by the Rights Association” (see front page report Northern Ireland through the Civil Rights release of secret documetns nine years in today's Irish Times). movement in quicker time than Hillery's ago. It is hard to see any connection 3. Last week, however, the I R A line of approach. between the subject matter of the through its organ “The United Irishman” 8. According to Conor Cruise O'Brien, prosecution and the bits of gossip put out a cry of distress: a felonious Lynch until a few days ago was quite assembled here for the Labour Party leader. attempt to take over the Civil Rights unaware of the range of Haughey's activi- movement was being made by Fianna ties and is much perturbed, particularly Interestingly, Puirséil takes it for Fail, the ruling constitutional party. as security is beginning to break down so granted that a law-abiding citizen, having 4. I have been trying to probe for some that more about the organisation is likely found that arms are being sent to time reports linking Mr. Haughey, to come out. beleaguered communities in Northern Minister of Finance, with an organisation 9. An important question is how far Ireland, would do his utmost to stop it! in Monaghan devoted to trans-Border Lynch/Hillery and Haughey (and the I R She writes: activities. Following is the best I can do A) are succeeding in their efforts, how far "Having gathered and verified this at present:— the Civil Rights movement in the North information, which implicated govern- (a) The organisation is quite a small one is becoming orientated towards the South ment ministers and agents of the state in and was set up by Haughey with party and away from loyalty to and participation the illegal importation of arms, what was funds. in a Northern administration, even a Devine to do… The information was (b) It contains an Intelligence Unit, reformed one. (The joker in the pack is good, but not legally publishable. How where Irish Army Intelligence Officers People's Democracy: I don't think anyone then to bring this evidence to light?…" brief and debrief visitors to and from the can buy Bernadette). North. 10. Perhaps I should add that Conor Why would verified information of an Cruise O'Brien does not believe in the illegal importation of arms not have been (c) There is a propaganda unit for liaison with civil rights workers in the North, seriousness of Haughey's organisation in "legally publishable"? the sense of an effective military or Apparently, "Devine passed the principally in the field of journalism: funds are readily made available to subversive plan. In his view the activities information to the one person he believed in Monaghan are intended to come to had the sophistication to deal with the suitable contacts. (d) Lists are prepared of civil rights public knowledge, as [a] move in internal information in the correct manner…" Irish politics, to bolster the image of (p38). That was Conor Cruise O'Brien, Defence Units in Northern cities and of their requirements "for self-defence" if Fianna Fail as the patriotic party, still Labour's spokesman on the North. fighting for Irish unity. He may be right, However, instead of raising it in the further disorders should break out. (e) Plans are ready for the quick support but we should keep our eyes open to this Dáil, she complains, he was concerned threat on our flank. In my letter of 24 with a forthcoming trip to the United of these units by way of weapons, radio sets and personnel. October to Sir Edward Peck about the States and a play of his, King Herod. He mild Dail Debate, I referred to two "exited stage left". If Conor Cruise had (f) Numberous weapons have already been supplied, not on the responsibility considerable unheard voices, the "Repub- used the information, she suggests, "Lynch lican" wing of Fianna Fail and the I R A. would have been compelled to act sooner of the organisation itself but by people who have been given access to its lists. This telegram is about them" (quoted in rather than later, and at the very least the Arms Conspiracy Trial, p663-). arms crisis of the following year would 5. I regard Points (a) to (d) as credible have been averted" (p38). and reliable, though I cannot say anything about the size or efficiency of the opera- Gilchrist went on to put Lynch on the tion. Point (e) is certainly an intention if spot about the matter. On 19th November LYNCH TOLD not a fact, while (f) if [is] unconfirmed, he was able to report to London: It should be said that Niamh Puirséil does Conor Cruise O'Brien an injustice being only my own attempt to reconcile "Towards the end of the interview, here. Far from ignoring the information conflicting rumours and reports. after Lynch had made a remark about the about the Monaghan Civil Rights Office, 6. The political background is as need for British troops to break up the he took it to what he considered were the follows. The Irish Government, having extremist arsenal in the Shankill road, I appropriate authorities. He discussed the been blackguarded by Civil Rights leaders reminded him of the need for the South matter both with Taoiseach Jack Lynch on I R A platforms, were at first reluctant also to keep its nose clean. It had come to and the British Ambassador to Dublin, Sir to make friends with them. They have my notice that there were alleged to be Andrew Gilchrist. Here is what the latter now got around to doing so and Hillery is activities on this side of the frontier which, reported to his masters in London in a reported to have put out feelers to Hume if reported back to the people in Stormont, Confidential Telegram dated 10th Nov- and other moderate leaders. (This is whom he had just criticised, would ember 1969: confirmed in a recent report from Mr. strengthen them in their suspicion of the Oliver Wright). The object is no doubt to Republic and furnish them with argu- "Civil Rights—Suitors establish a new liaison with the Oppos- ments in support of their old-fashioned There appears to be a competition going ition in Northern Ireland, to replace the attitude. I had no reliable information on in the South at present for liaison with former liaison with McAteer and his whatever on what if if anything was or control over the Civil Rights movement Nationalists, now old hat. (Liaison with actually going on: my concern was with in the North. Unionists is not apparently contemplated the rumours, some of them plausible 2. So far, the Marxist-oriented I R A except in one unlikely context, enough on the surface, and with the and its front groups like Solidarity have negotiations for a United Ireland). political effects which might arise from been making the running, providing free 7. Haughey's passion for Irish unity them. platform opportunities in the South which being greater than that of Lynch and 2. Lynch at first denied all knowledge the Civil Rights [people] have gladly Hillery, he is even more certain than they of the rumours, even when I mentioned accepted. The same process can be seen are that the Unionist Government cannot the word “Monaghan”: but rather gave currently in America… where Cathal hold the position in the North and that himself away by asking if the rumours Goulding, Chief of Staff is hard at work further disturbances will break out. Hence might relate to activities by a certain 20 member of his Cabinet… I said such a Northern crisis as a means to an end—a Does name had been mentioned, and we left it socialist revolution: the old ideal of a at that, with a promise by Lynch to look united Ireland no longer stood. And even It into the whole matter" (ibid p665l). the practical objective of acting as defender Stack So Lynch heard about 'Monaghan' from of the Northern nationalist community Up two sources: from Conor Cruise O'Brien— was frowned upon, as sowing divisions ? amongst the working class.) who found the Taoiseach "perturbed"— FLOODING On Thursday 19th November and from the British Ambassador who Facts to support the allegation of a 2009 it rained all day and all night in County Fianna Fail plot centering on the Mona- challenged him about it and who obtained Cork and in all Counties on the Western ghan civil rights office seem thin on the a promise of further investigation. sea-coast of Ireland and parts of the Mid- ground. Prominent amongst the 'Mona- Thus, not only does Puirséil do Conor lands. Thousands of acres were flooded. ghan' activists named by Devine are a Cruise O'Brien an injustice, she totally Emergency services were called out to rescue Nationalist Party MP, Austin Currie (who misconceives Taoiseach Lynch! In her people from flooded homes. Electricity and subsequently moved South and joined Fine view the information uncovered about water supplies were cut off. Roads and rail Gael), a Nationalist Party councillor 'Monaghan' related directly to the arms connections to Galway were affected. On (Michael McLaughlin), a Republican crisis a year later. If 'Honest Jack' had Friday 20th, shops and homes in Bandon Labour MP (Paddy Kennedy), and an been privy to that information, things were so destroyed that whole shop fronts Independent MP (Paddy O'Hanlon). Also would have taken a different turn. were dismantled by JCBs, and dumpers involved are civil rights activists, such as Yet we have the word of the Ambas- were used to remove the sodden, filthy mass Denis Haughey. Two members of the sador that Lynch did know and was of carpets, display stands, merchandise and Irish Labour Party are named: Nicholas evasive. freezers full of rotting food. Anyone who is Coffey and Bernard Rushe. (And the fact Of course, the Monaghan goings on familiar with Bandon would know it has is that elements of the Irish Labour Party had no direct relevance to the Arms Crisis been a huge winner in the Tidy Towns were very active in assisting the minority of 1970. Yet academia refuses to accept Competition for a number of years and in the North—at the same time as O'Brien, that the Taoiseach could have implicated Bandon people were justly proud of their the Northern spokesman of the party was his Government in such matters—even much admired myriad-coloured shop-fronts playing a rather different game.) though there is documentary evidence with hanging baskets of flowers everywhere. Usually in a 'front', the controllers make showing that he was in the picture. They set the standard for everyone else. sure they hold key positions! Already with the financial meltdown, busi- Looked at objectively, what emerges is FIANNA FAIL? nesses were struggling but many were that the crisis in the North was forcing Minister for Finance Charles Haughey counting on the run-up to Christmas with nationalists to forge a new political is mentioned both in Devine's and in early stocks already bought and ready for coherence and defensive ability. Old Ambassador Gilchrist's reports. Yet at the sale. Now that is all gone, washed away divisions and ideas were cast aside and a time he was not generally considered as with surging waters arising from many rivers new vigorous self-confidence and determ- being particularly 'republican' in orient- breaking their banks, especially the Rivers ination were being forged. The Govern- ation. At the end of September 1969, Bandon, Lee and the Blackwater. It will be ment in the South was forced by pressure Gilchrist had sent a telegram to London a miracle if these businesses can cope from Northern community leaders to end reporting on the "hard liners" in the Fianna financially with this terrible blow and there the old policy of non-interference and Fail Cabinet: Blaney, Boland and George is now talk that many will never open their grant such assistance as it was able. I Colley (see Arms Conspiracy Trial p660). doors again. There was no mention of Haughey. In suspect that Fine Gael in power would not The extreme rainfall was, as insurance fact, Gilchrist only became aware of have acted much differently. policies state, "An Act of God", thereby Haughey's interest in Northern affairs at With facts such as these ignored, it is allowing them to walk away from any com- the beginning of October, when Haughey apparent that professional historians, for pensation. But many were not insured, so called him to an interview in which he whatever reason, are refusing to examine already there are appeals to Government. forecast the demise of the Northern the events of 1969-70 and the evidence of Into this "storm of biblical proportions", as adminstration and offered Ireland's full the Arms Trials impartially. But one thing the Daily Mail called it, who should the cooperation with Britain in international seems clear: History Ireland is not going Government send in but the Minister for affairs in return for Irish unity. If that to be the forum in which these things are Flooding, Martin Mansergh TD, the State offer had been accepted, a united Ireland sorted out. Maybe that is understandable Minister for the Board of Works. On the would have functioned as part of the Anglo as it depends on the patronage of academics paper's front page of 21st November 2009 sphere. The Haughey that emerges from who are themselves under Oxbridge there is a photograph of a sour-looking that lengthy report was anti-Partition but patronage. And maybe the time is ripe for Martin wading with his wellies through the not anti-British (see ibid, p661-). There a history magazine published outside the water in Clonmel, dressed in a beautiful are indications that Haughey saw the Anti- thought control project. Barbour coat, lined with coloured water- Partitionism built into the structure of the Angela Clifford proof cloth and a gold watch hanging from state as a nuisance, an obstacle to reformist Arms Crisis Series by Angela Clifford his wrist. Juxtaposed with this perfect modernisation of the state. If Haughey English gent is another photograph of a later became anti-British as well, there The Arms Conspiracy Trial. Ireland young man, giving a lift on his back to an was sufficient reason for it in the British 1970: the Prosecution of Charles Haughey, elderly man in North Main Street, Cork and handling of the North. Capt. Kelly and Others. 720pp. €30, £25. the latter poor pensioner hasn't even a pair It would have been not long after that The Arms Crisis: What Was It About? of socks on with his shoes. Haughey/Gilchrist encounter that Conor 40 pp. €5, £4. These are the very people that are going Cruise O'Brien brought the British Ambas- Military Aspects Of Ireland's Arms to pay for the corrupt developers, bankers sador the gossip assembled by Devine and Crisis Of 1969-70. 164pp. €10, £7.50. and other fraudsters whom our Government targetted at Fianna Fail, gossip undoubt- has pledged to protect with the taxpayers' edly partly originating with Goulding August 1969: Ireland's Only Appeal To money in NAMA. But poor Martin didn't elements in the IRA. (If there was any The United Nations. 96 pp. €7.50, £5. last long as our Minister for Flooding conspiracy, it was within elements of the Order from addresses on back page or: because after some awful blunders, where republican leadership which saw the https://www.atholbooks-sales.org the people started heckling him even in his 21 own constituency, he was further humiliated was so badly flooded in our recent rainfall, climate has always been changing on Earth when Labour leader Eamon Gilmore, TD, that the Guards who had their divisional long before humankind existed and long called for a more senior Minister to take and communication headquarters there, had before so-called carbon-emitting industries charge. Only then did our Taoiseach, Brian to take themselves off to Kanturk. In Cork could possibly have influenced the climate. Cowen, TD convene a meeting of the city, the newly built Kingsley Hotel, the Carbon comes and carbon goes but the total Cabinet, but it was a woefully inadequate new County Hall, the new County Library, carbon on the planet does not increase—it response—a little too late as our drinking the new UCC Sports Complex at the simply changes into trees, out of which water had be now been contaminated and Mardyke, the new Glucksman Gallery, were trees when they fall, into rain, out of rain the Army was bought in to finally deal with all built on the flood plains of the River Lee into trees again and so on the process goes. an escalating situation. and were surprise, surprise all flooded. The Dishonest scientists, influenced by Govern- UCC Science Building on the Western Road ments and private grants are obviously trying But the question must be asked, why in (built on the old dog-track) have all the to make money out of this bogus science these days of technology are the rivers still electric switch-boards in the basement and called "climate change" by trying to frighten flooding at all? Because an awful lot of was completely under water with the result the taxpayers. Is it not interesting how the greedy builders with the planners and that the University suffered so much damage climate change conferences continue to be politicians on board, built Lego-style build- that it is closed all this week. The former held—Barcelona, Copenhagen etc. at enor- ings on floodplains right, left and centre. President of UCC, Jerry Wrixon, who over- mous expense and enormous aero fuel con- The quality of the building work by saw this extravagant building spree, so sumption, even though it has been agreed immigrant unqualified labour—with not a impressed the Government that his contract that no agreement will be reached on climate peep from our Trade Unions—was stagger- was extended in the face of bitter academic change due to the interference of United ingly bad and will be another burden to fall opposition and, now retired, he has been States of America President Barack Obama? on future generations. A whole industry of made the new Chairman of the Cork Abraham Lincoln was wrong; you can fool so-called competent people—engineers, Docklands Agency. The reason the site was all of the people all the time. We know we architects, planning personnel, journalists a dog-track, as every Cork child knew, was are being fooled all the time but the and builders—were complicit in letting greed because it got flooded every Winter, but interesting question is how the people be their god and taking us all in a hand-cart this didn't matter much as it was only the old eventually respond? to hell. dog-track. So how come the geniuses in the The media were making so much money University spent millions of tax-payers' DICTIONARY OF IRISH BIOGRAPHY The DIB with advertisements that they actually had money on this building? And you know in 9 volumes was launched at Dublin Castle additional property inserts in their papers what the really awful thing is—that our on the 18th November 2009 by An Taoi- and they had no incentive to call the tune, students, they of our future hopes—are seach, Brian Cowen TD, in the presence of rather—it was "play the game" too. Now of being taught by these incompetent hundreds of contributors, scholars, acade- course they are whining like the devil and I academics that commissioned and mics and a few (very few) politicians. Presi- had to laugh at last Saturday's Irish Times supervised the expenditure of so many dent Nicholas Canny of the Royal Irish Weekend Review, where the Literary Editor, millions of tax-payers' money on what is Academy introduced the Taoiseach and Ms Caroline Walsh wrote that journalists rapidly becoming another of Cork's "white thanked him for the financial backing (by who have lately written books "on our econo- elephants". the taxpayers) for the project. The project mic woes"—like Fintan O'Toole of her parish was organised at University College, Dublin —are all at the top of the selling charts. She I reiterate the flooding has nothing what- under the Editors, James McGuire and James even had the gall to add that this was because soever to do with climate change. Bandon Quinn. They had a difficult job producing "there's a hunger out there to understand has been flooded previously. The Carrigro- over 9,000 biographies from almost 700 what's happened—and find a way out of it". hane Road where the Cork County Hall is voluntary contributors. Mr. James McGuire, The title alone of O'Toole's book, Ship Of built and the Mardyke Sports Grounds and it was said, should be in the Diplomatic Fools: How Stupidity and Corruption Sank the former dog-track have always been liable Service such was his negotiating skills with the Celtic Tiger shows the kind of ignorant to winter flooding. As has the City Water- contributors and all others involved with thinking that allows him to peddle the conceit works where the new electric pumps were this great project. that Ireland alone is suffering from the great installed below flood level. And the Kingsley fall of Western Banking. His insular thinking Hotel is built in the site of the former Strangely a representative of the Cam- should be a warning to us all. And how many Outdoor Swimming Baths which did suffer bridge Syndicate which published the people have bought the book anyway—well from winter flooding in the past and now, to Dictionary, announced that Cambridge is even according to the Irish Times chart— compound the damage, some genius the oldest publisher in the world. Publishing just a little over a thousand people! And he architect or engineer put in an underground since 1559 apparently. It seems hard to allows himself to be titled in the book as "an car-park where the cars are now floating believe that the University of Paris has not acclaimed historian, biographer and critic". around, as photographs from the Evening been publishing long before 1559 or that the He is also "Ireland's most respected and Echo showed. No—you just couldn't make University of Karueein, Morocco, founded controversial political commentator, whose it up. These former well-paid professionals in 859, has not been publishing the Koran name is almost a term of abuse among the obviously didn't bother with ordinary local and Moslem texts for a much longer time. politicians who presided over the economic climate conditions not to mind now moaning And why Cambridge for the DIB? I asked debacle of recent years". Don't you just love about climate change. What they are doing the question of an RIA member and was that "almost"? just doesn't stack up? told "because we didn't have the expertise in Ireland". This is rubbish, of course, seeing As someone who has constantly spoken CLIMATE C HANGE On the subject of Climate that James McGuire and James Quinn are and written about the weather/climate, I Change caused supposedly by human in Ireland and did all the work at UCD on have already seen the climate-change people activity, what have the climatologists to say computer. In 1775, Johnson's Dictionary in hysterically claiming doom and more doom. about the Thames River being frozen over two huge volumes was published in Dublin But as ever, the truth is rather more prosaic. before the Industrial Revolution produced by Thomas Ewing in Capel Street and all The location and design of many of the new any carbon emissions? Likewise Niagara done by hand—every single letter. If it buildings was and is due to the greed that Falls froze in 1911 and in 1912 and on other could be done then, it could be done today made many overlook the faultlines of our occasions in an area where at the time, the for our own national self respect. It just countryside. Take, as an example, the recent- levels of carbon emissions were not signi- doesn't stack up. ly constructed Bandon Garda Station which ficant. There is evidence in abundance that Michael Stack. © 22 We've Been Here Before. Pete Whitelegg Industry; Never Write Off The Germans!; O'Connor and Anthony Cronin) Index: 2009 The Funeral Of Sheila Kelly. Seamus Lantry Or The Irish!; The Media Is The Problem; Note On The Cromwellian Massacres In (Obituary) NAMA; State Industrial Policy; The Late Drogheda And Wexford. John Minahane Labour Comment is edited by Pat NON. Wilson John Haire (Poem) Late Show Palestine: Three Sonnets. 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Jack Lane The Ford Job-Cull. Seán McGouran Readers' Letters: Free Gaza, W.J. Haire; Home And Away. Editorial Readers' Letters: Political Reform And The Non. Wilson John Haire (Poem on Lisbon) Gaza & Ireland, Esme Geering; B&ICO & Facing The Emergency. Editorial on the Irish Irish State. Tim O'Sullivan Labour Comment: Irish Militarism. It's That Birmingham 6, Tom Doherty; Foster On Supplementary Budget Editorial Digest (Orangefest?; Dolly's Brae; Time Again, poem on Afghanistan by Line, Aus. Reader Readers' Letters: Commonwealth. Seán UDA; Sinn Fein) Wilson John Haire Gaza Round-Up McGouran Bord Snip Report—A Globalizer's Wet Shorts from the Long Fellow (Gaza; The A World Full Of Blind Spots. Jack Lane Dream. Philip O'Connor NOVEMBER Bruce Arnold 'We'; Why 'We' (The Irish) Ireland's Comparatively Healthy Debt/GDP Cúpla Snip Eile...... A Watershed. Editorial Are Awful; Newstalk 106; Tony Gregory; Ratio. Manus O'Riordan Conspiracy. Joe Dalton Obama Bows To Israel. David Morrison Anglo Irish; Joe Higgins Shorts from the Long Fellow (The Inevitability Shorts from the Long Fellow (NAMA; Bail Impervious Academic Economists. Philip A Little Loyal Jewish Ulster? Pat Walsh Of Socialism; The Financial Crisis; The Outs; Wealth Tax; 250m v 1bn; Lemass O'Connor Israel Avoids Hamas Deal. ex-President Irish Crisis; Economists' Intervention; Documentary; Questions & Answers; Role Readers' Letters: Insidious History-Telling. Carter (report) Government Performance; NAMA; Of Media; Media Prestige Philip O'Connor The Sad Sands Of Rafah. Wilson John Haire Stabilisation Fund; Budget Deficit; A And Is There Jaffa Cakes Still For Tea? Wilson Shorts from the Long Fellow (Irish Health Cowen/Sarkozy Lisbon Deal. Philip New Nation?; British Commonwealth John Haire (poem) System Improves; Media Problem; O'Connor Beware Falling Objects. Feargus O Did Elizabeth Bowen Slander James Dillon National Guilt; Yorkshire Ripper; Back Lisbon Debate. Jack Lane Raghallaigh As A Fascist? Manus O'Riordan Lash; Harris Licks His Wounds; Protestant History Of Irish Times. John Martin (reviews) Sheila Kelly. Obituary Es Ahora. Julianne Herlihy (Lisbon II; Shell; Schools; O'Keeffe Self-Defence; Political Es Hora. Julianne Herlihy (Strange Tragedy Pat Murphy Tributes. Tony Monks, Malachi UK Arms Sales; Ryan Report) Reaction) Off South Coast; Barnadoes; The Catholic Lawless Granville's Gripes. Seán McGouran On Press Suppression Of The Unpalatable. Church) Biteback: Corporate Crime Measures. Tom Closure Of Foinse? Ted O'Sullivan (report) Manus O'Riordan Keogh & Whitaker. Brendan Clifford Sheridan Massacre And Other Matters. Desmond Cologne To Ballinloch. Review (Historians, continued) Does It Stack Up? Michael Stack Fennell Constitutional Change. Feargus O Biteback: Gaza: An RTE complaint. David (Accountants and Bank-Bailouts) Political Stories. Joe Keenan Raghallaigh Alvey Still Birth. Wilson John Haire (Poems) From Judaism To Islam. Eamon Dyas Remembering 1969. Malachi Lawless (Report Ex-IRA Chief Of Staff & Free State General. Lord Bew On 1916 Insurrectionists And Biteback: Judicial Swipes. Tom Sheridan of Hanley meeting) Manus O'Riordan Democrats. Manus O'Riordan (part 3) Reviews. Jack Lane, Bill Blum (Manus In Memoriam:Bill Sharkey Obama And Ataturk. Pat Walsh Does It Stack Up? Michael Stack (Law O'Riordan on J.J. O'Kelly; Micheál Martin Prescriptive History. Jack Lane Labour Comment: SIPTU Demands "Social Reform; RTE; Ryan Report) on Cork Politics. On Afghanistan) Labour Comment: Sterling v Euro; Obama, Dividend" From Banks Bail Out by Jack IFA Should Invite Palestinians. David Turncoat. Wilson John Haire (Poem) The Man From Offaly O'Connor, General President, SIPTU Morrison (report) More On 'What If' Lynch Had Attacked Labour Comment: People's Verdict. Real Britain. Edward Longwil MARCH JUNE Minimum Wage Already Cut By 4% by Biteback: Let's Stick To Facts. Jack Lane Globalism. Editorial Is This All There Is? Editorial (NI) Manus O'Riordan Casement 2008. Tim O'Sullivan (Part 2) Cowed By EU Globalism. Feargus O Some Benefits Of The Lisbon Campaign. Comments On A Criticism. Brendan Clifford Raghallaigh Jack Lane SEPTEMBER replies to B. Ó Ceallaigh Editorial Digest. (The March; Pension Levy; Readers' Letters: Figuring Out The Famine. Identity And Crisis. Editorial Does It Stack Up? Michael Stack (Global State Rescue; Labour & 1st Dail; Eames/ Ivor Kenna, Jack Lane; Palestine: Two Democracy And Justice. Editorial Warming; Carbon Taxes; The Moon And Bradley; O Broin Book; Referendum; Into One? Eamon Dyas; WWI Hypocrisy. Editorial Digest. (Siege of Derry; Breidge The USA; Nobel Peace Prize & President Forgotten Political Prisoners) Jack Coldrick Gadd; Matt Baggot; Orange Order; Obama) Readers' Letters: Israel Admits Its War On Guess Who's Not Coming To Dinner. Wilson Sectarianism; BNP in NI; Rantzen; Benedict Chifley, PM Of Australia 1945-49. Gaza Was Unprovoked. David Morrison. John Haire (Poem) Afghanistan; Militarism; Mountbatten; Patrick O'Beirne Dr. Goebbels Recalled. Editorial Note Elizabeth's Reports. Jack Lane McGurk's Bar; Claudy) War Guilt & Other Nonsense. Seán McGouran Banking Crisis. Report Shorts from the Long Fellow (The World Nationalise The Banks. Editorial Labour Comment: The Great PRSI Swindle A State Of Chassis. Jack Lane Trade Imbalance; The Automobile NAMA. (Report of views of Brendan 23 ment land". socialising loss sits very uneasily on the PROPERTY continued A Department of Finance spokesman rest of our shoulders. said NAMA "will only take on loans it "One of the great myths about the NAMA debate so far has been the trite, “It's the only * Based on the fact that Irish homes have an sees it can realise over 10 years… If there's that amount of land, it doesn't game in town”, trotted out by its (generally average of 2.75 occupants, the zoning well-heeled and articulate) advocates. provides for enough extra housing to mean NAMA will take it on. There is a "Nationalisation is, of course, funda- accommodate more than three million discretionary part to this", he added. mentally alien to the property-owning people. PROPERTY WRITER VIEW! democracy we have become. But Fine Gael's Last September, Con Power, the failure to comprehensively argue the case The figures call into question the Property Reporter for the Irish Independ- for its “good bank” has been one of the principle of the State's bad bank offering ent, wrote the following : it provokes a biggest disappointments to date. long-term values of 10 years on these few thoughts: "Indeed, the ultimate irony in recent days landbanks, especially as the property "One of the big ironies of the Great has been that the most recent call for a “new market has stalled and few people are 1930s Recession was that despite the deal” on property came not from a woolly- buying homes. ensuing mayhem (soup kitchens, suicides, cardiganed socialist, but from a prominent But some Councils are still zoning land two World Wars etc) it shaped the society American academic and former adviser to Bill Clinton. for residential purposes and making drafts we inhabit today in one enduring aspect. "Addressing an Irish Council for Social of their development plans obsolete weeks President Roosevelt's New Deal pion- after they are finalised. Housing conference in Athlone, Nic eered the first ever property-owning Retsinas, director, Centre for Housing A senior planner in the north of the democracy. Studies, Harvard University, argued that country said: "We had a plan two weeks "While the notion of an aristocratic Ireland should end its obsession with home ago but the council keep adding more… land-owning elite was essentially British, ownership and look at alternatives such as against our wishes". the concept of a property-owning renting or leasing. In the past, he said, home While not all the land is serviced, in democracy is distinctively American. ownership had been the ideal in both the US many cases the taxpayer has also invested Roosevelt kick-started nationwide mort- and Ireland, with those who rented their hundreds of millions of Euro providing gage lenders “Fannie Mae” and “Freddie homes being looked down on by some roads, sewage treatment plants, power Mac”, paving the way for economic people. But, as it turns out, those who lines and drinking water. These are invest- recovery. rented could be said to be the smart ones ments which are unlikely to be used for "While America's coloured population now as property prices crash. was, until recently, largely excluded from "Mr Retsinas said that too often in the years. past, home ownership had been seen mainly New planning guidelines due out next the party, this notion has proven mightily influential. Most of Europe (us included), as an investment opportunity and added: month suggest that, in a low-growth and the rest of the world, adopted it lock, “We should no longer see home ownership scenario, the country's population will stock and barrel. The rest is history. as an asset for buying or selling but as a rise by 953,200 people to 5,375,200 by "“At one level, the New Deal was an place to live and raise a family in. People 2022. But there is enough land zoned for attempt by government to step in where the should not be obsessed with owning a housing to accommodate three times this market had failed”, Niall Ferguson writes property. Maybe the issue should not be population surge. in his excellent 'The Ascent of Money'. about home ownership but about something Under new laws, Environment Minister "Some New Dealers favoured the such as making sure people live in decent John Gormley will oversee a radical increased provision of public housing, the homes.” model that was adopted in most European "People, both in Ireland and the US, had change in the country's planning system. to “prepare for the new reality” of the Councils will be allowed to rezone countries. Indeed, the Public Works Administration spent nearly 15% of its property market and look at different ways land from residential back to agricultural of providing a home. use if there is an over-supply. But they budget on low-cost homes and slum clearance. "It was also important, said Mr will not be allowed zone land which does "But of far more importance was the Retsinas—who is also a director of major not meet national planning guidelines. Roosevelt administration's lifeline to the US mortgage corporation Freddie Mac that homes be seen as part of a community or rapidly sinking market. A new Home neighbourhood and not just as stand alone OVER-SUPPLY Owners' Loan Corporation stepped in to properties or assets. But oversupply already exists on a refinance mortgages on longer terms, up massive scale. "Such words strike a chord with one who to 15 years. has always viewed housing as, first and Donegal, with a population of 147,000, "The idea was that putting money in foremost, a factor of accommodation —not has enough zoned land for 92,491 houses mortgages would be even safer than houses, a hole-in-the-wall to draw down more or 250,000 people. because if borrowers defaulted, the borrowings. Meath, with a population of 162,000, government would simply compensate the "Maybe then, instead of trying to put a has enough zoned land for 318,205 more savers." floor under land values, our politicians people. "Now, whether or not you view NAMA should consider that cheaper homes are Visiting a housing estate in County as a four-letter word, one thing is for good news for thousands of voters." Donegal last month, the present writer sure: the new body currently threshing about in the throes of its birth pangs is Con Power undoubtedly believes the discovered a neat scam—you get planning 100% an establishment creature. Con- property bubble has burst and there will permission for 20 houses, but you build 24 ceived by the two Brians and delivered be no return to the halcyon days. Does the or 25, of course, there's no Deeds, how can by the European Central Bank, the Government believe this? It is doubtful, there be, there's no planning permission proposed new agency is predicated on their entire energy appears to be devoted for the extra four houses! Beat that for the principle of pulling our zombie banks towards a return to the good old days of ingenuity! back from the brink and precipitating a astronomical house prices, otherwise Last year an acre of agricultural land in return to business as usual. No matter that NAMA is a beaten docket. Meath cost €20,000 while development Anglo Irish Bank has never been truly The Irish people may yet grasp the land would have cost €200,000. “systemic” to the wider economy, meaning of Machiavelli words: One local auctioneer said: "Agriculture taxpayers have to grin and bear the cost is about €8,000 to €10,000 an acre now, of bailing it out. More generally, the "He learnt to do without, before he but there really is no market for develop- pattern of banks privatising profits and learnt to enjoy."

24 PROPERTY continued She said Labour was not convinced impose a CPO and then take back 80% of that the Commission had come up with a the payment over and above agricultural workable model for a system of Property value", Mr Punch claimed. Tax that was fair and equitable. "Where a farmer has land taken under On top of that, we spent €15 million in She welcomed recommendations on a CPO, he is already severely damaged 2002 in a programme to convert documents new rules to tighten up tax residency by the difficulty in replacing that ground. held by the Land Registry and the Registry requirements, but suggested they did not This will be challenged in the courts." of Deeds in fully electronic format. go far enough. The ICSA General Secretary also said "Good governance has eluded Cowen since he took over from Bertie Ahern, who The Fianna Fáil-led Government was the association was particularly worried eluded it all the time he was in office. The planning to tax Ireland back to recovery, about the effect an 80% capital gains tax difference was that Ahern was no reformist. something no other country had ever done, would have on families in financial Cowen says he is. Fine Gael Finance Spokesman Richard difficulty. Bruton said yesterday. Yet, in nearly 18 months, he has failed "We have been inundated with represent- In his response to the publication of the ations from farmers who are deeply worried to introduce any legislative measure of Commission report, Mr. Bruton said the about their financial position. Many will serious reform in any area including ethics last thing taxpayers needed now was a have no way out other than to sell a site or and political expenses. Government "dreaming up even more some other type of development land. The He has done nothing to abandon and ways to tax them". 80% tax will rule this out and it will cause dismantle the huge array of costly agencies some of them to go to the wall," Mr Punch for carrying out trivial tasks, such as While broadly supporting the recom- predicted. regulating taxis, which a higher executive mendation on Carbon Tax, the party was Meanwhile, Jer Bergin of the IFA has officer in the civil service could have done less enthusiastic about the introduction of described the proposed measure as an with time left over to regulate other things a Property Tax on the basis that it would "unacceptable kite-flying exercise" by the as well. be hard to implement fairly. Government". Instead, in all of these organisations, He said farmers would refuse to co- costing hundreds of millions of Euros, we Sinn Féin's Spokesman on Finance operate with road-building projects if the have hired office space, secretarial staff, Arthur Morgan dismissed the report almost Government attempted to introduce the appointed paid boards, printed stationery, in its entirety, saying it was deeply flawed windfall tax. "It simply will not happen", and furnished handsomely the life for and would result in ordinary householders Mr. Bergin insisted. those involved. It is useless paraphernalia getting squeezed. This is one gang that have no intention waiting to be dismembered. We did not The Green Party favour a Water Tax of sharing any national pain! need Colm McCarthy to advise us and we and a Property Tax. needed no one to tell us how to do it. We did need a measure of courage to carry it THE FARMERS THE MADNESS GOES ON AND ON! through. None is evident in Fianna Fail. There has been furious reaction from There is enough land zoned in Ireland farmers to suggestions the new 80% to build homes for over three million extra On the biggest initiative of them all, windfall tax will apply to the sale of sites people—equal to two-thirds of the current NAMA, Cowen and Lenihan did the and re-zoned land. This is despite the fact population. opposite—they sought no advice and that "The Lords of the Land" have escaped According to the Irish Independent consulted with no one. the double whammy of a possible Carbon (10.10.2009) investigation today reveals The State possesses two fine organis- Tax on livestock and Local Authority there is enough zoned land to build over a ations equipped for property valuation. Rates on land and buildings in what was a million homes—or 22 years' supply in a The first is the Valuation Office, the relatively benign assessment by the Com- normal market. second the Office of Public Works. mission. But not enough for the farmers. But Councillors continue to allow Together they have more experience, Tax experts have confirmed that the would-be developers to turn fields into combined with balance and integrity, than existing proposals, introduced as part of landbanks, even in a stalled housing the whole private property sector. the NAMA legislation, would leave all market. Did we give them charge? Did we hell! lands zoned for development subject to One-third of the toxic property loans (Bruce Arnold, Ir. Indep, 19.9.2009). the new high rate of capital gains tax. going into NAMA are linked to land, ICSA General Secretary, Eddie Punch meaning that the taxpayer could be stuck But does all this surprise anybody? In said the proposal was unjust and doomed with €20 billion of loans linked to fields 1984, Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald to failure, while the IFA warned against that may never be developed. abolished the Land Commission—14 its introduction. The huge oversupply also casts doubt years later, 50 civil servants continued to "This ill-thought out, knee-jerk policy on the ability of the 'bad bank' to turn a work at the Commission. will ultimately self-destruct, but in the profit or break even. Come to think of it, a more worthy meantime will cause all sorts of injustice Based on an annual need of 50,000 body could not have been chosen to and negative economic spin-offs", Mr homes a year in a normal market, there is compile what we so badly need today, a Punch said. enough land to meet demand for housing National Housing Registry. "I challenge the Government to outline until at least 2031. a single example of an 80% tax which A staggering 38,000 hectares (One THE OPPOSITION has been implemented successfully." Hectare=2.4 acres) of land could now lie Labour Finance Spokeswoman Joan He said the impact of the new tax rate undeveloped for decades to come— Burton said her expectations for the report on farm families whose land is the subject presenting a major headache for the had been high, but voiced immediate of a compulsory purchase order (CPO), or taxpayer. disappointment that the Commission had farmers who are forced to sell a site in * There are currently 1.46 million homes in the "sidelined" an in-depth examination of order to solve a debt crisis, was particularly country, but enough zoned land for 1.1 Property Tax relief, some of which would concerning. million more houses and apartments to be continue to cost hundreds of millions of "We are into Dick Turpin country if the built. Euro in tax relief. Government really believes that it can continued on page 24

25 The country's biggest housing charity, taxpayers obtained mortgage interest relief PROPERTY continued Respond, last August accused banks of in 2008 at a cost of €705 million to the keeping property prices "artificially high" Exchequer. which they say will raise "close to €1 by refusing to fund mortgages for low- However, the Commission said it billion per year". cost homes. agreed with the views of the National Ironically, however, our Government Economic and Social Council that any EXEMPTION agencies are already privy to comprehen- policy which sought to improve afford- While calling for a Property Tax, the sive details of all property transactions in ability of housing through offering higher economists admit that any new tax would the State, for tax, registrations and other levels of relief was unlikely to be success- be unfair on people who have recently reasons. ful. Instead, it believed that mortgage bought a home, paid tens of thousands of It has thus been argued time and again interest relief might actually result in Euros in Stamp Duty, and now face an higher property prices. additional Property Tax. They want a that such information should be declassi- fied and a Government agency directed to The Commission point out that high temporary exemption from any Property earners accounted for almost 50% of the Tax put in place for this group of people. collate/publish a national price register. For a market that is undergoing a likely tax foregone under mortgage interest relief 50% price adjustment, the non-disclosure in 2005. NATIONAL HOUSING REGISTER? of relevant price information to market Although the Commission argued that "A property database, which would participants risks creating a false market; abolition of mortgage interest relief could facilitate homeowners in valuing their one subject to rumour, misinformation improve the efficiency of the housing properties, should be established 'as a and manipulation. market in the long term, it recognised that priority issue', the Commission advised." its continuation could be justified for first- In the revised Programme for Govern- time buyers. It also proposed that the The Commission on Taxation has ment, both Coalition parties have agreed present diminishing rate of relief which suggested that the Property Tax will be to amend the Data Protection Act to allow ranges from 25%-20% over a seven year linked to the value of residential property, publication of sale prices and to set up a period should continue to apply. based on a band of values predetermined register of the details of residential and by Government. For many years, com- property sales. In Britain, all house trans- The Commission also proposed the mentators have bemoaned the fact that the actions are registered and sale details are abolition of income tax relief for rent and Government has very poor statistical made available to the public. As yet, it is service charges as well as rent-a-room information on the housing sector. Imple- not clear how accessible the proposed relief. The discontinuation of capital gains menting a national residential Property Irish Register will be or how often it will tax and Stamp Duty relief for the disposal Tax in the absence of a national housing be updated. In a depressed property market, of a site to a child has also been register or decent national house price the Government needs to do more to restore recommended. statistics is practically impossible and it is public confidence in how it operates. It clear that the Government doesn't have LANDLORDS has delayed far too long in ensuring buyers the resources (or the time) to compile this Income tax relief on rent for private and sellers can make informed investment in the short to medium term. accommodation is claimed by around decisions based on accurate and up-to- 144,500 individuals at a cost of €48 million So, the responsibility will fall on the date house price data. house-owners themselves to produce their per annum. Such a move would allow the general The Commission claims the existence own annual valuations. This is a difficult public to keep tabs on house-price trans- of rent relief, similar to mortgage interest exercise in a market with so little trans- actions street by street. The two Brians, relief, merely increases the cost of private actional evidence and the natural outcome meantime, go right on vacillating around rented accommodation. It suggests that will undoubtedly be that most of the the Property Tax "final solution". there is a case for rent relief to be abolished electorate will underestimate the value of Should this nuclear option be chosen, on a phased basis. their property in order to reduce their it seems that the new tax would initially be liability. The rent-a-room relief which exempts a self-assessed tax, with homeowners individuals who rent a room of their home How will the Government ensure that asked to file a tax return indicating the from income tax on the first €10,000 of houseowners select the appropriate bands approximate worth of their property. rent should also be abolished. for the value of their property and what will the penalties be for those who underpay or indeed avoid payment? TAX RELIEF ON HOUSING TO GO? LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS Most tax reliefs on mortgages, housing "The introduction of an annual tax based While the Government might hope that and property should be either abolished or on the value of houses would involve a getting people to value their own properties modified, according to the Commission major logistical effort that would take a will reduce the bureaucracy (and cost) on Taxation. year or more, according to one commission involved in implementing this tax, the source. A first step would have to be the reality is that a huge effort will still be However, it recommends the continu- drawing up of a list of all the houses in the required to explain, administer and manage ation of capital gains tax exemption on the State." (Irish Times, 5.2.2009). the process nationally. sale of principal private residences which costs the Exchequer around €2.4 billion This is incredible! We have to draw up each year. a list of all the houses in the state. Let's see Many other European countries permit In its review of tax expenditure on then! the publication of property sale prices. hou sing, the Commission has recommend- * 750,000 benefit from Mortgage Relief. Not so Ireland! ed that mortgage interest relief should be Under existing data protection legis- * 144,500 claim Tax Relief on Private Rented abolished for all but first-time buyers. The Accommodation. lation, the publication of residential prices Government already announced in it for individual sales here is possible only supplementary budget earlier this year * Up to November 12, 2009, €44 million was with the consent of both parties (except that mortgage interest relief will be dis- received by the exchequer for the Second- Home Levy from the owners of 220,000 for sales at auction). This is rarely continued for any mortgage over seven forthcoming. houses. years from 1st May 2009. Around 750,000 continued on page 25

26 Government should give Local Authorities *************************************************************************** PROPERTY continued the flexibility to set the annual Property How the Property Tax would be applied! Tax rate themselves, Mr. Daly said. * The tax would apply to all residential People with valuable properties but housing units with the broad exception of limited income would not be required to One more reason why Lenihan won't be in any hurry to forfeit his limited Stamp local authority and social housing and pay, and those living on low-income some limited other exceptions. margins would also be exempt. Duty revenue. The tax would be self-assessed, rather * It will be payable by the owner of the Chairman, Frank Daly said the tax property. would reduce distortions caused by the than being directly assessed by the Revenue Commissioners. Therefore it * Tax calculated by reference to the open current tax system's over-reliance on market value of the property using Stamp Duty, which yielded a massive €1 would be vital that appropriate monitoring and auditing be carried out. valuation bands and be subject to self- billion in 2007 at the peak of the property assessment. boom, but is likely to deliver just about The report advised that homeowners should have to file a Property Tax return * It will apply at a rate which is proportionate. €100 million this year, after €445 million * With regard to ability to pay with a general in 2008. every three to five years. The return would then be used to calculate the tax for the waiver provision exempting house- "It is appropriate to move away from an owners under a low income threshold. undue reliance on stamp duty," he said. following three to five years. Mr. Daly acknowledged the difficulties * A person who paid Stamp Duty on a If the Property Tax is introduced, Mr. in accurately valuing property in the principal private residence should be Daly said "stamp duty on principal private current market. "It's not as easy… as it exempted for seven years from the year residences should be zero-rated". was, [but] most people will have an idea in which they paid the duty. of the value of their home", he said. "It * Owner to have a wide range of payment Windfalls from increases in land values doesn't have to be absolutely precise", he options. "In particular, we would like to should be subjected to an additional capital added, referring to the wide valuation see PAYE taxpayers have the option to gain, while the Commission also bands proposed. pay their Property Tax through the PAYE recommends that a "recurrent property Only if the value of the property system", the report said. tax" be introduced on land zoned for exceeded €1.5 million would an exact * Revenues should be ear-marked for Local development but not used for that purpose. valuation be required. Government financing and before the A property database, which would next local elections—June 2014— Overall, the tax will be based on the facilitate homeowners in valuing their Government should give Local "open market value", with homes properties, should be established "as a Authorities flexibility regarding setting bracketed within valuation bands. priority issue", the Commission advised. the rates of tax. In addition, if a householder gets a ***************************************************************************** SELF-ASSESSMENT professional assessment of the value of Properties will also be subject to self- their property, they should get a tax credit ESRI BUDGET SUBMISSION assessment. of up to €75 in the first year to compensate The Government should introduce a Surely there can be no better way to them for the cost incurred. middle-class Property Tax, according to achieve an across-the-board decline in The Commission also recommended an influential Government-funded think house prices at one fell swoop than to ask that a waiver be provided to exempt tank. householders to value their own homes homeowners below a certain low-income The €1 billion Property Tax should be for tax purposes? threshold from the tax. The threshold for targeted at the richest two-thirds of the The Commission on Taxation's long- the waiver should take into account criteria population, the Economic and Social term strategy, however, is that self- such as social welfare rates and the annual Research Institute stated on 13th October assessment would ultimately be replaced minimum wage, it said. 2009. in time with a comprehensive valuation, The ESRI's recommendation for a new duly put on every house in the State by a STAMP DUTY much expanded State Valuations Offices Once the annual Property Tax is in Property Tax comes less than two months and Stamp Duty will be phased out. place, the Commission recommends that after Finance Minister Brian Lenihan Stamp Duty for purchasers of principal declared there would be "no new taxes— "When push comes to shove, of course, except a carbon tax". there is every chance that the two Bs [Brian private residences (ie a persons main Cowen and Brian Lenihan] will bottle out home) be reduced to zero. But a Department of Finance source on this one. However, Stamp Duty would continue last night said there were no plans to " And, if the Property Tax zombie is to apply to investors buying residential introduce a Property Tax in the December cravenly shunned again for reasons of sheer housing. The rate of Stamp Duty applicable Budget. Although householders are facing political expediency, Stamp Duty reform in this case should be competitive in the prospect of €175-a-year water charges and an overhaul of our arcane house price relation to the rates and thresholds that as part of the new coalition deal between gathering system will quietly fall by the the Green Party and Fianna Fail, this may wayside" (Con Power, Irish Independent, apply across the EU, so that it does not 28.8.2009). deter people from buying residential be deferred until next year's budget. housing in Ireland, the report warned. ESRI analysts believe "a new property Mr. Daly argued that the proposed LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVENUE tax could be designed to take consider- Property Tax differs significantly from As the tax applies to rented properties, ations of fairness and ability to pay into the residential Property Tax (RPT) in place second homes and holiday homes, it should account". from 1983 to 1996. The income and house replace the €200 levy introduced this year, valuation thresholds that applied to RPT The economists' claim that a Property the Commission says. Vacant residential were "very high", he said, with the result Tax could be linked to the ability to pay by properties would also fall within the net. that it applied to very few properties. By providing "full or partial relief to the one- It believes that revenue raised from the contrast, the proposed tax should apply to third of the population with lowest new tax should be earmarked for Local all homeowners, apart from those on very incomes". This would leave the rest of the Government financing. By 2014, the low incomes. country picking up the tab for the tax continued on page 26 27 VOLUME 27 No. 12 CORK ISSN 0790-1712

"Property was the thing which gave a man position in life but which then prevented him from keeping it up." Oscar Wilde Anything, but Reform? "The car tax thing was a nonsense and take, it is not the big element… If we can stream for the State and end the discrimin- abolishing rates was totally wrong. All find a way to better fund local authorities, ation against younger buyers trading up or we needed was a waiver scheme… let's look at it”, the Taoiseach said. people who want to move for work reasons. Instead, we abolished rates and here we "“I'm not wedded to the idea of a It is difficult to comprehend how any are, 20 years on, and Dublin Corporation property tax. But I want to make it clear Socialist or Trade Unionist could oppose have to do everything on a shoe-string that I want to come to a decision with my the concept of property bearing a greater because they can't have a local charge… colleagues as to what is the best tax share of the tax burden—is this how little I agree with local charges but you'll not structure to keep as many jobs as we can we have advanced? Spring and Desmond get rates back again. The game is over on in the country and provide a sustainable attempted to introduce a Land Tax in the that one. It has to be indirect taxation tax base for the future”…" (IT, 5.9.2009). 1980s and got sod-all support from the now, he says" (Bertie Ahern in Bertie "The ESRI's recommendation for a Ahern: Taoiseach & Peacemaker by new property tax comes less than two general body of labour—where do our Whelan and Masterson-Blackwater Press, months after Finance Minister Brian Social Partners stand on Property Tax? 1998-p.24). Lenihan declared that there would be “no new taxes—except a carbon tax”…". COMMISSION ON TAXATION The guiding principle which determined (Irish Independent, 13.10.2009). The Commission on Taxation, chaired the Commission on Taxation was the by Frank Daly (September 2009), has raising of taxes in some areas so taxes Ireland became one of the few coun- recommended the introduction of an could be reduced in other areas, in an tries in Europe not to have some element annual Property Tax on Irish homes, to be exercise designed to reform the tax system of tax on primary homes after former accompanied by the abolition of Stamp —"The idea of the report is that it would Taoiseach, Jack Lynch in what was surely Duty. be revenue neutral". the single most irresponsible economic So bad is the property craze that it is The Commission was guided by the action in the history of the state, abolished almost a misnomer to refer to 'homes'—in view of the Organisation for Economic rates in the 1978. to-day's jargon, it is probably more correct Co-Operation and Development that lower Economists have argued for decades to call them housing units. It is hard to Corporation Taxes and Income Taxes that a Property Tax should replace erratic believe that the owners of 220,000 houses stimulate the economy. With Corporation Stamp Duty, which is currently generating paid the state €45 million in respect of the Tax already very low, the core emphasis a fraction of what it once made for the Second Home Levy up until mid- of the report would be on shifting the tax State. Economists say a Property Tax November, 2009. Houses they own but burden from income tax towards other would provide a much more even income don't occupy! areas, such as property. The tax would raise more than €1 billion However, members of the Commission Subscribers to the magazine are regularly annually, depending on the tax rate pointed out that comments from Taoiseach offered special rates on other publications imposed to homes valued from a low of Brian Cowen and Minister for Finance Irish Political Review is published by €150,000 up to €1.5 million and higher. Brian Lenihan indicated that a Property the IPR Group: write to— The "Irish Times" (8.9.2009), estimates Tax was unlikely. 1 Sutton Villas, Lower Dargle Road that 1,165,500 housing units would come "“But the property tax would bring in Bray, Co. Wicklow or under the €150,000-€300,000 proposed €1 billion”, a Commission member said. PO Box 339, Belfast BT12 4GQ or valuation band. It claims about a 1,000 “The idea of the report is that it would be housing units would come under the revenue neutral”, so a dismissal of the PO Box 6589, London, N7 6SG, or €1,000,000-€1.5 million band. property tax measure would affect other Labour Comment, changes suggested in the report, the C/O Shandon St. P.O., Cork City. A tax of a lower rate of 0.25% would Commission member said. If the TEL: 021-4676029 yield €926 million annually, while the Government rejects the idea of a property 0.3% rate would generate a return of over tax, “it will be necessary to raise revenue Subscription by Post: 12 issues: £20, UK; €1.1 billion per annum, according to the elsewhere”. € 30, Ireland; € 35, Europe. report. "Taoiseach Brian Cowen last month said he was not 'wedded' to the idea of a Electronic Subscription: It would apply to all residential homes, property tax. “Now a property tax of € 15 / £12 for 12 issues with the exception of social housing and itself—if you look at the total amount (or € 1.30 / £1.10 per issue) other "limited exceptions where certain waivers" would be introduced. that is taken in property tax, any property You can also order from: tax anywhere—compared to the total tax https://www.atholbooks-sales.org continued on page 27