Summer 2004 IBIS CONFERENCE Republican ideas in the Irish tradition Issue 7 A major conference on the theme The first session was chaired by Dr The Future of Republicanism: Con- Pauric Travers, President of St. fronting Theory and Practice in Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, and Contents Contemporary Ireland was organ- began with an introduction to the ised by the Institute, with the sup- conference theme by Iseult Hono- port of the Scheme for Academic han. Jennifer Todd of UCD acted Conference Support, UCD. The as discussant. academic convenor was Dr Iseult IBIS conference ...... 1 Honohan of the Department of Poli- Tom Garvin (UCD) examined con- Republican ideas in the Irish tics, UCD. tinuities and discontinuities in the political and institutional thinking of tradition...... 1 The conference took place on 7 over two centu- May 2004 in the University Industry French republican ideology ries. Irish republicanism, he argued, Centre, UCD, and brought together in practice ...... 2 has been a sort of blanket term for 10 speakers and almost 100 dele- several very different kinds of radi- The future of republican ideas gates, drawn from the public ser- cal nationalism, some of them de- in Ireland...... 2 vice, the diplomatic corps, voluntary mocratic, some Whiggish, others and other bodies, and the academic overtly communist, fascist or cleri- IBIS news ...... 2 community. calist, with continuity taking the British Council conference...... 2 The day’s proceedings were divided form of an insurrectionist and ro- Major project...... 3 into four sessions, at each of which mantic style and a fantasist style of two or three papers were pre- political thinking. Latest working papers ...... 3 sented. Presentations were struc- Margaret O’Callaghan (Queen’s tured to allow some time for dis- New IBIS Staff ...... 3 University, Belfast) addressed the cussion, and this was initiated in issue of the relative invisibility of each case by a pre-designated dis- British-Irish developments.....4 Irish republican ideas, as illustrated cussant. The various presentations in the extensive works of JGA Po- Chronology ...... 4 took account of a precirculated dis- cock on anglophone republicanism, cussion paper on the conference or the recent multi-volume analysis New IBIS publication...... 4 theme prepared by Dr Iseult Hono- of European republicanism edited han. by Quentin Skinner and others.

ISSN 1649-0304

Dr Sean Farren, Dr Brian Feeney and Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, MLA, at the IBIS conference on republicanism

for ultimate Irish unity. Its core prin- ciple, he argued, is the republican principle of consent, i.e. sovereignty of the people. In the last session, two well-known politicians and commentators de- bated the nature of contemporary Irish republicanism. Dr Martin Mansergh, senator and former ad- visor on Northern Ireland policy to the Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil, of- fered an historically informed re- view of the forms republicanism has taken in Ireland, both ideal and Jeremy Jennings, Pauric Travers, Iseult Honohan and practical, and examined Fianna Cécile Laborde at the IBIS conference Fáil's particular representation of republicanism. French republican The future of republican Dr Garret FitzGerald, former Tao- ideology in practice ideas in Ireland iseach and currently Chancellor of the National University of Ireland, The second session was chaired by The third and fourth sessions brought the conference to a conclu- Linda Cardinal of the University of moved to the terrain of contempo- sion. He argued that what is popu- Ottawa and UCD; Paul Gillespie, rary Irish politics. These were larly known as Irish republicanism foreign editor of the Irish Times, chaired respectively by Niamh Har- was only briefly inspired by the acted as discussant. diman, UCD, and Noel Dorr, Chair, classical republican tradition, in its IBIS, and former Secretary General The session began with an analysis French secularist form. He con- of the Department of Foreign Af- cluded that classical republicanism, by Jeremy Jennings (University of fairs. The discussants were Brian involving the citizens forming an Birmingham) of republicanism and Feeney, St Mary’s College, Belfast, ethical community and helping to secularism in the French political and Attractra Ingram, UCD. tradition. In its long evolution, he shape the common good by wide- argued, French republican ideology In the third session, John Doyle ranging deliberation, can exist just has been subject to compromise (Dublin City University) examined as well in a European-type constitu- and internal tensions. Key features the evolution of Sinn Féin in the tional monarchy as in a country with are identifiable: a distinctive con- context of its recent electoral suc- an elected president as head of ception of the appropriate political cess. He took the view that while state. institutions grounded upon democ- aspects of Sinn Féin policy remain See full report at www.ucd.ie/ibis. racy and the sovereignty of the na- fluid and can lack clarity, the party tion; a commitment to emancipation appears to retain a strong leftist, through a secular education sys- pro-equality agenda, maintaining its IBIS NEWS tem; a concern for individual rights emphasis on Irish unity and aligning combined with a desire to further itself with anti-corporate globalisa- British Council conference social justice; and a distinctive con- tion groupings against right-wing The Institute participated in the or- ception of citizenship. nationalist parties with an anti- ganisation of a conference to immigration platform. Cécile Laborde (University College launch a new report based on ex- London) followed with an examina- Sinn Féin chairperson Mitchel tensive research jointly commis- tion of dominant themes in French McLaughlin, MLA, followed with sioned by the British Council Ireland republicanism, including commit- an outline of his party’s position: and the British Embassy. Entitled ments to neutrality as impartiality, to seeking a process of national rec- Through Irish eyes, the report sug- autonomy as non-domination, and onciliation where political divisions gested that Irish attitudes towards to community as civic patriotism. based on the constitutional ques- the British were significantly more Taking as her starting point the ban tion would be no more, and urging positive than in the past. on Muslim headscarves in French a beginning to practical planning for The conference, held at the Man- schools approved in March 2004, a United Ireland through the publi- sion House in Dublin on Wednes- she examined arguments put for- cation of a green paper on Irish day 11 February, was opened by ward by advocates of the ban in the unity by the Irish government. Tony Reilly, Director British Council name of laïcité (secularism), argu- Sean Farren, MLA, of the SDLP Ireland, and Stewart Eldon, British ing that such ideals need not be Ambassador to Ireland. The con- jettisoned in favour of either a lib- noted his own party’s acceptance of the republican principle, taking the ference lasted for a full day, was eral or a multiculturalist conception well attended and was extensively of citizenship. view that the Good Friday agree- ment was profoundly republican, reported in the media. and that it contained the potential

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Major project Latest working papers New IBIS Staff In collaboration with Queen’s Uni- The IBIS pre-publication working Three new staff joined IBIS in 2004. versity Belfast, IBIS secured fund- paper series is based on work in ing for a major new two-year cross- progress. Individual papers are Patricia Mc Carron border study of the Irish border and available free of charge from IBIS the impact of partition in a range of (a small charge applies to multiple fields. orders). Recent additions (summa- ries will appear in our next issue; Launched by Minister of State for see also IBIS website) are: Education and Science, Sile de Va- lera, and Will Haire, Permanent 29. Seamus Mallon, MP, MLA Na- Secretary at the Northern Ireland tionalism in Northern Ireland Department for Employment and from partition to the Belfast Learning on 20 May 2004, the pro- Agreement: a political perspec- ject is funded by the HEA, under tive the North-South R&D strand of the Eamon Phoenix, Nationalism in EU Peace and Reconciliation pro- Northern Ireland from partition Patricia has just taken up the post gramme. to the Belfast Agreement: an of research administrator. Previous academic perspective employers include the University of The project is entitled Mapping Ulster, the European Commission frontiers, plotting pathways: routes 30. Albert Reynolds, The Irish gov- and Derry City Council; email: to north-south cooperation in a di- ernment and the peace proc- [email protected] vided island. It aims to specify and ess, 1992-94: a political per- assess factors which help and hin- spective Kevin Howard der informal and formal cross- Kevin Rafter, The Irish Gov- border contact, and to inform future ernment and the peace proc- policy initiatives in areas such as ess, 1992-94: an observer’s reconciliation, partnership, sustain- perspective able development and EU relations. It has three main parts: 31. Alice Feldman, Beyond the Catholic-Protestant divide: reli- • An international comparative gious and ethnic diversity in the study of borders and their conse- north and south of Ireland quences; 32. Gladys Ganiel, The politics of • A study of the Irish border as a religious dissent in Northern social divide, assessing the im- Ireland pact of partition on interchanges in the political, administrative, 33. Claire Mitchell, Catholicism in Kevin, formerly a doctoral fellow in economic, social and cultural Northern Ireland and the poli- IBIS, is now working as a post- fields; tics of conflict doctoral researcher on the Mapping frontiers project; email: kevin. 34. Jennifer Todd, Process, Per- • A mapping study of institutional [email protected] and other efforts to promote Irish spectives and interpretations: cross-border co-operation since an oral archive of the Good Fri- the 1980s. day Agreement The project will run until early 2006. 35. Wilhelm Verwoerd, Towards Meetings will be held in Dublin, Bel- Inclusive remembrance after fast and along the border corridor. the “troubles”: a South African In addition to working papers and perspective material on the web, it is planned 36. Bernadette C Hayes and Ian that several articles and books will Mc Allister, The political impact appear in connection with the pro- of secularisation in Northern ject. Further information will appear Ireland in later issues of this newsletter. Reports on progress will also ap- 37. Kevin Howard, Constructing the Kieran Rankin pear regularly on the project web- Irish of Britain: ethnic recogni- Kieran, formerly of UCD’s Geogra- site: tion and the 2001 UK census phy Department, is the new re- www.mappingfrontiers.ie 38. Lone Pålshaugen, The Civic search assistant on the Mapping Forum and a politics of recog- frontiers project; email: kieran. nition: a new arena for conflict [email protected] or the development of a new political culture?

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BRITISH-IRISH 2004 NEW IBIS Jan 5 Jeffrey Donaldson becomes a DEVELOPMENTS member of the DUP, having re- PUBLICATION signed as a UUP member in mid- The second volume in the series Chronology December 2003 Perspectives in British-Irish Stud- Feb 3 Review of Good Friday agree- ies, published by UCD Press in This continues the chronology last ment begins, involving parties and updated in Issue 6 of the Newsletter. governments association with IBIS, has just ap- peared. Entitled From political vio- 2003 Feb 4 International tributes for John Hume, MP, MEP, following an- lence to negotiated settlement: the Jun 26 UUP suspends MPs Jeffrey nouncement of his retirement from winding path to peace in twenti- Donaldson, Martin Smyth and David Westminster and the European Par- eth-century Ireland and edited by Burnside after they resign party whip liament Maurice Bric and John Coakley, Jul 2 British-Irish Intergovernmental Feb 13 Home of NI Policing Board the book focuses on the tension Conference discusses recent politi- Vice-Chairman, Mr Denis Bradley, between militarism and constitu- cal developments attacked by a petrol bomb tionalism as platforms for political Aug 1 Leading SDLP member, Alex Apr 1 Following publication of four of expression and activity in contem- Attwood, advises nationalists not to Judge Cory’s reports into allegations porary Ireland. join the Royal Irish Regiment and of collusion in six murders, British calls for RIR to be disbanded Government rules out, for legal rea- In addition to introductory and Aug 3 Gardaí arrest 10 men following sons, an immediate inquiry into the concluding chapters by the edi- 1989 murder of Pat Finucane the discovery of what they believe is tors, the book includes chapters a training camp for the Continuity Apr 20 Independent Monitoring by Ronan Fanning (on the home IRA on the Waterford-Tipperary bor- Commission issues first report, not- der ing continuation of loyalist and re- rule crisis of 1912-14), Michael Aug 7 Michael McKevitt sentenced to publican paramilitary activities Laffan (republicanism, 1913-23), 20 years after being found guilty by Mar 29 Charges of IRA membership Paul Bew (moderate nationalism, the in Dublin against four men accused of abduct- 1918-23), Eunan O’Halpin (the of directing the activities of an illegal ing , Mr Bobby foreign links of republicanism), organisation and of membership of Tohill, are dismissed Alvin Jackson (the contemporary the Real IRA May 27 British Government launches cult of the Ulster Volunteers), Jo- Aug 10 Several thousand people take a consultation on how Northern Ire- seph Ruane (republicanism and part in a rally at Belfast City Hall in land’s past might be handled; inter- the armed struggle), Paul Dixon protest against collusion between national experience, such as South (unionism and the tactics of resis- British security services and loyalist Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation paramilitaries in the murders of Commission, will be drawn upon tance) and General John de Catholics in the North Jun 10 DUP tops poll in Northern Chastelain (the peace process Aug 18 , named Ireland European Parliament elec- and decommissioning). in the media as the British agent tion, followed by Sinn Féin, with Ul- The first book in this series, Stake-knife, loses his legal bid ster Unionist retaining third seat Changing shades of orange and against a government decision to Jun 11 European and local elections neither confirm nor deny the identity in Republic see Fianna Fáil losses green: redefining the union and of agents and significant Sinn Féin gains, in- the nation in contemporary Ire- Sep 4 British and Irish governments cluding one seat in the European land, edited by John Coakley, ap- publish agreement establishing a Parliament; constitution amended by peared in 2002. four-member International Monitor- referendum to allow changes in citi- ing Commission to assess out- zenship law Books are available from good standing issues in implementation of Jun 25 British and Irish Governments bookshops. Orders can also be the and NI Political Parties meet at Lan- placed through Columba Mercier Oct 1 PSNI Deputy Chief Constable caster House, London to discuss a Distribution Ltd; email: cmd@ Paul Leighton briefs members of the reinstatement of devolution; inten- columba.ie Tel: +353 1 2952560. Policing Board on the security situa- sive talks scheduled for September tion, and states that the IRA is still in 2004 existence but on ceasefire Jul 7 British-Irish Intergovernmental Oct 21 General John de Chastelain, Conference, meeting in Dublin, re- head of the International Decom- views progress on security and M ailing list missioning Body, confirms that a other issues third act of IRA decommissioning Jul 12 Sinn Fein leaders appeal for Would you like to has occurred calm during angry riots between na- receive regular information on Oct 27 Ulster Unionists and Sinn Féin tionalist youths and the PSNI during IBIS activities, publications, fail in efforts to agree a political deal the Orange Order parade in the Ar- lectures, etc? prior to the Assembly election doyne, North Belfast; the annual Nov 26 In NI Assembly elections, the Drumcree parade passes off rela- Send us your name, DUP and Sinn Féin become the tively peacefully address and contact details largest unionist and nationalist par- Jul 22 Jeffrey Donaldson says that and we will include you ties respectively; three Ulster Union- the DUP believes a deal to restore on our mailing list. ist MLAs later join DUP devolution, with guaranteed Unionist Nov 28 fifth summit of British-Irish support, is possible if republican pa- Email: [email protected] Council, Cardiff ramilitarism can be proven to be at an end Tel: +353 1 716 8670