Haughey Serving Luck & Roy Foster Whither Labour? Nazis? Jack Lane Labour Comment Manus O'Riordan page 13 page 17 back page IRISH POLITICAL REVIEW July 2008 Vol.23, No.7 ISSN 0790-7672 and Northern Star incorporating Workers' Weekly Vol.22 No.7 ISSN 954-5891

The People Have Spoken DUP Home Rulers! The working class and small farmers have spoken. And since Ireland Is the DUP the new Home Rule Party, exploiting the was the only country that was allowed to speak, they have spoken for conflict between the parties of the State for the purpose of Europe and placed themselves at its heart. increasing its power in the Six County annex of the United They have decided that Europe is a group of nations with a dream and Kingdom, which is in the State but not of it? not . a bureaucracy which imposes diktats from above. They have That seems to be how its first effective intervention in determined that Europe is a collection of peoples and not a homogeneous British politics was seen by British politicians. It tipped the free market which is regulated by a court with the enthusiastic support balance in favour of the extension of detention without of a neo-liberal Commission. They have declared that Europe is an area charge from four weeks to six weeks. It was rewarded with with defined borders engaged in a glorious project of cooperation and not money by the Government, but drew attention to itself as an a revival of the imperialistic instincts of Britain, France and Germany as intruder which, in a balance-of-power situation it might be an adjunct to American imperialism. necessary to do a deal with, but which all parties would The enemies of the people have attempted to explain the result away. much rather ignore. It is a marginal trace element in the life They have diminished the verdict’s significance and have heaped their of the State which the real parties all hope to be able to feeble scorn on the people’s intelligence. But it is not the Irish working ignore, but which it may occasionally be necessary to take class and small farmers who lack intelligence. Au contraire! By the account of. simple expedient of placing an "X" on a ballot paper they have reduced their critics to cretinism. And they have done this without reading a word The illusion of a Northern Ireland state has been restored. of the soon to be forgotten document because their understanding is more At the point of restoration the Official Unionist Party and profound than mere words on a page. They have looked at Europe and the SDLP expected to be its parties. The SDLP ceased to know that it is not the Europe of Delors, Mitterrand and Kohl. They have be an anti-Partition party and remade itself into an Ulster seen that Britain has sold the Eurocrats the Trojan Horse of expansion, Home Rule Party for that purpose. But the Six Country but the people have refused to back that tired old nag, never mind buy it. nationalist community, which held to Home Rule ninety And meanwhile the media babble continues to flow undisturbed by years ago when the rest of nationalist Ireland became Sinn understanding: "if only the ‘yes’ side had started its campaign earlier" Fein, abandoned the SDLP in favour of Sinn Fein. Irish they exclaim. They regret that the Mahon Tribunal set piece, which they Home Rule was one thing. Ulster Home Rule, in only a part had enthusiastically supported, had not happened. They wish that Ahern, of the province, is quite a different thing. who they had wanted to resign, had not resigned. Their impotent rage cannot hide their heart’s desire: "if only the people could have been The nationalist Home Rule voice at Westminster is manipulated to act against their own interests". scarcely noticed, being reduced to one. Mark Durkan But the people have spoken and their words will not be distorted or voted against his "sister party", but nothing was made of it. diminished. They have voted "no" not because they hate Europe but Sinn Fein has made Irish nationalism more acceptable than because they love it. They do not wish to destroy Europe but to save it. it has ever been at Westminster by withdrawing itself from They have not rejected it but demand that it be restored to the people Westminster. through its constituent elements which begin with the nation state. Historically, 'constitutional nationalism' at Westminster So where do we go from here? It is not up to the Irish people to work has been futile at best, and in the moment of truth in the out the nuts and bolts of a reconfigured Europe. All they have done is to years after 1912 it was much worse than futile. tell European leaders what they do not want. The Irish have rejected the subordination of workers’ rights to free market values within Europe. "Constitutional nationalism" was never constitutional. They have rejected a purely free market relationship, as decided by Its aim was never to take part in governing the State, and the Mandelson, between Europe and the rest of the world. And they have purpose of the Constitution was to provide for the governing rejected military expansion. It has been explained to them that their of the State. Redmondism, holding the balance-of-power rejection will result in "immobilism". And yet they have decided that between the parties of state, attempted to exploit the immobilism is preferable to the direction that Europe is going. No conflict of the parties. With its 80 seats it put the Liberal European foreign policy is preferable to the "ethical" foreign policy of Party in office from the back benches on condition of recent years which has led to the destruction of Yugoslavia and coat getting an Irish Home Rule Act. It failed to get Home Rule, tailed American imperialism in the Middle East. but brought British politics to the brink of chaos in the That is what the Irish people have rejected. If the political leaders of course of attempting it, and aggravated Catholic-Protestant Europe cannot devise a project that the people of Europe can embrace, relations in Ireland to the point where two Volunteer the project will deserve to fail. Armies confronted one another in the first half of 1914. See also pages 4, 8, 16, 23 and back page continued on page 2 C O N T E N T S found that he wasn't. The First and Deputy Lisbon: The People Have Spoken. Editorial 1 First Minister were Siamese Twins which DUP Home Rulers! Editorial 1 fell together and could only rise together. If Sinn Fein did not nominate, Peter Editorial Digest. (Lisbon Vote: Gaeltacht, Gilmore, BBC; Brian Feeney on SDLP, Robinson would not be First Minister. on DUP; Tom Hartley, SF Mayor of Belfast; Iris Robinson 'Outed'; McAleese When Sinn Fein delayed with its nomin- Barracked; British Recruiting In Eire; SF On The Up; Raytheon; Micheál On Lisbon; ation, the devilish nature of the system Ben Dunne And Sinn Fein) 2 began to bite. Readers' Letters: Tibet. Madawc Williams 3 The Northern Ireland 'state' was only Thank You, Madam. Editorial: Lisbon Referendum 4 restored after emergency meetings of its 'Follow Me Up To Carlow'. Conor Lynch 5 participants with the Prime Minister of the Victory To The Raytheon 9. David Morrison 5 real State, at which some deals were done The Raytheon Case. Eamonn McCann (Statement) 6 that Peter Robinson did not wish to do. Israel Said No To UN Resolution. David Morrison (report) 6 The OECD Report. Colm Moylan 7 Sinn Fein has not yet become the SDLP Shorts from the Long Fellow (Contempt For The People; Contempt For Our under another name. There is still some History; Contempt For Nations; The Greatest Party; The Greatest Newspaper 8 spirit left in it. It still has a purpose beyond the 'Northern Ireland state', and for that Mad Dogs Are Limerickmen? Seán McGouran (Part 2) 9 'state', which Unionism can never have, 'Remember Mitchelstown'? Jack Lane reports on Trevor/Bowen Event 10 and this gives it an edge. Haughey In The Service Of The Nazis? Manus O'Riordan exposes Myers 13 Lisbon Treaty Debate. Report of Letters: Barry Desmond; Jack O'Connor; Manus O'Riordan 16 Luck And Roy Foster. Jack Lane 17 The Lord Professor Bew And The Forging Of A Shared Past. Editorial Digest Brendan Clifford (Part 4) 18 Does It Stack Up?. Michael Stack (British Army Recruiting; Macroom & The The Gaeltacht voted overwhelmingly Duchess; Gormley's Eagles; EU Reform; Lest We Forget) 20 against the Lisbon Treaty. The Tallies Coleman: Jacobite Economics? John Martin 21 (which give a much more local picture of Palestine. David Morrison (Unpublished Letters) 22 the vote) showed 84% No in Conamara The English In Ireland. Conor Lynch (Unpublished Letter) 23 and a similar figure in Gweedore. There Impressions Of The Debate. Liam Murphy 23 is a problem in the Gaeltacht with incomers and second-home owners Labour Comment, edited by Pat Maloney: changing the very nature of these areas. Whither Labour> The Government brought in regulations requiring new homes to be occupied by The disruption of the norms of British becoming British, through participation Irish speakers. These rules were politics by Home Rule manipulation of in the system of party-politics through challenged by the nobs and the EU court the balance of power was probably a factor which the British State functions, and upheld their challenge. The result will in the decision of the Government to use outside which everything becomes in- be either the disappearance of the the European crisis of July-August 1914 comprehensible to the British. Ulster Gaeltacht or the burning of houses and as an opportunity to make war on Germany, Unionism considered that project for a the criminalising of the locals. Just like and it was certainly an influence on the moment, and then rejected it. And now it the good old days of British rule. way that the state went to war. At the is the odd fish in the Westminster pool— critical moment in late July/early August, the intruder which can generally be The Labour Party seems unable to get as a consequence of the Curragh Mutiny ignored, and which is resented when it anything right. Eamon Gilmore, who in March, it was without a War Minister. cannot be ignored. predicted all kinds of trouble in the event The Liberal Party put itself in an The DUP got its pieces of silver for of a 'No' vote gave the appearance after unsustainable position by making itself an voting against its own precedents in the the vote of not being bothered either instrument of the Home Rule Party. That matter of detention without trial and way. But then Gilmore is a newcomer to was the (British) Unionist case against it, enabling the Government to win. And the any kind of European idea. In the last and it was a case that the Unionists made parties it defeated made reference to pieces election he was one of the group insisting good both during the Home Rule conflict of silver. on the Labour Party nailing its colours to and in the Great War. And in 1915 the the Fine Gael mast. He lost. Now he is Home Rule Party left the Liberals in the At home, in 'the Northern Ireland state', given the opportunity of being allied lurch when it refused to join the War it was given a sharp lesson about the with Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, the Green Coalition, making the Liberals dependent fragile nature of this 'state'. Party and the Progressive Democrats. on the Unionists. Paisley was resented for having done a Again he misreads the mood of the public A party which calls itself constitutional deal with Sinn Fein, and still more for and loses again. but refuses to join a general Coalition operating the deal with a degree of grace The BBC main news—News at Ten 12th when the state is judged to be in jeopardy and charm. So he was ousted by his June—managed to give an extensive is not constitutional. It is humbug. lieutenants, who thought that, the deal report on the 'No' vote in the Referendum having been done, they were free to regress. in Ireland on the Lisbon Treaty without Constitutional Nationalism is dead. But But the ousting of Paisley made it mentioning Sinn Fein! It showed several in its place we have the strange necessary to recreate the whole Govern- shots of Declan Ganley and gave the phenoßmenon of Constitutional ment under the bi-communal method. The impression the 'No' campaign was his Unionism. DUP had to act jointly with Sinn Fein for alone. It also showed a smug and "Ulster is British!" we were told. We that purpose. When Peter Robinson patronising British Foreign Secretary, saw that it wasn't. But in the mid-eighties replaced Paisley as leader of the DUP, he David Miliband, saying that the Irish we provided it with the opportunity of began acting as First Minister—but then continued on page3, column 1 2 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR · LETTERS TO THE EDITOR· LETTERS TO THE EDITOR·

Tibet Western Tibet, the current Tibetan was not marked as part of British India Autonomous Region, did have a long until the 1940s. This was the territory Does John Minahane believe that history of autonomy. But not where India and China fought a border slavery, serfdom and a feudal system were independence. It hadn't had a unified war in 1961. It's notable that India did not necessary parts of Tibet's "old, humanly independent government for the last let the Dalai Lama stay there, but instead rich, unprogressive culture"? That it was thousand years, though there were times shoved him far to the west, to Dharamsala OK that 9 in 10 Tibetans were serfs? That when it was fragmented and it's hard to in Himachal Pradesh. A region with it was acceptable that 1 in 20 was an actual say that anyone ruled it. historic connections to Tibet, but also slave? That slaves and serfs had no legal No outside government saw Tibet as overwhelmingly Hindu. protection against their lords, suffering an independent kingdom, unlike Korea or International law does not grant any oppression and mutilation without any Vietnam which did have loose ties to the automatic right to Home Rule for a redress? Is that what he means by "some Chinese Empire. The 13th Dalai Lama distinctive population. Nor does it allow element of oppression" in Tibet's old proclaimed an independent Tibet in 1912- an autonomous government to upgrade culture? 13, claiming he was free to do so with the itself to being a sovereign and independent Lots of visitors to Old Tibet said that the Chinese Empire overthrown. state. I'd be all in favour of some global ordinary people were happy. Likewise International law does not work like that, reform to allow those things, with suitable lots of white visitors to the US South nor did it suit the British or anyone else to safeguards. Safeguards that Tibet's slave- before their secession said the slaves were recognise him. He later functioned as one owning oligarchy would probably not have happy. In both Tibet and the USA, the of numerous quasi-independent rulers passed in the 1950s, of course. But that's former slaves said something very within the Chinese Republic, and his claim utopian for now, since the USA does not different, when they were free to speak. to independence implicitly lapsed. want it and nor does Britain. The Can Minahane explain why the Dalai The central government of the Chinese Anglosphere and their French poodle used Lama did nothing significant about Tibetan Republic was invited to attend the Tibet as a stick to beat the Chinese—but feudalism when he was ruling Western inauguration of the current Dalai Lama in instead of cowing them, it produced a Tibet as an autonomous region of the 1940. This was seen at the time as a surge of patriotism and disgust at Western People's Republic? He made no serious definite acceptance by Lhasa that it was dishonesty. reforms, apart from abolishing hereditary part of the Chinese Republic, which had The Anglosphere like to rewrite debts in 1953. If the Dalai Lama remained always insisted that all Tibet was part of International Law for each particular case, the legitimate government after 1959, as its territory. Of course every previous to reward their friends and punish their he now claims, then the former serfs and Dalai Lama after the 5th had taken power enemies. Catholic Ireland happens to be a slaves of Tibet must legally remain just with the agreement of the Chinese Central beneficiary—the USA is influenced by that, because he's still not done anything Government. In 1940 they flew the flag the Irish Catholic vote and so puts pressure about it. of the Chinese Republic and sung the on Britain to make concessions over Surprisingly, feudalism in Western central government's National Anthem. Northern Ireland. But, even if you like Tibet lasted till 1959, because Mao actually It was seen as marking "the cordial particular outcomes, you should recognise did respect the traditional autonomy of the friendship and political ties between Tibet that the system is corrupt and dishonest. It territories governed from Lhasa. They and the central government". (From The caused chaos in former Yugoslavia and ended when a revolt was launched by Billings Gazette, February 18th 1940, threatens to do worse over Kosovo. Tibetans who'd fled the end of feudalism found in an on-line newspaper archive.) The 'humiliating' condition that Beijing in Eastern Tibet. In 1947, representatives of the Chinese demands of the Dalai Lama is no more Eastern Tibet—Amdo and eastern Republic found a Tibetan flag flying than that he accept that Tibet was never an Kham—was never ruled by the Dalai among the flags of sovereign states at the independent nation. That it was never Lama. Well before Mao took over, these ceremonies to mark the independence of occupied, because it was never a separate territories had lost their Tibetan identity the Republic of India. They demanded it sovereign territory. How many other Asian and had become parts of various Chinese be taken down and it was taken down. states tolerate secessionists? Definitely provinces. They remained rather lawless, There's a suspicion that India had not the Republic of India, the world's but there was no legal right to autonomy. ambitions to complete the old scheme of largest democracy and also the state that There were of course a lot of unhappy British India and add Tibet to their realm. used armed force to take over Goa and members of the privileged elite, including But, in the end, friendship with China was Sikkim, and to separate Bangladesh from the Dalai Lama's elder brother who had more important. Pakistan. I'm not saying India was wrong been a high Lama and a rising power when India did snap up an area known then to do this, just that this is the standard that his little brother was 'discovered' for the as the North-East Frontier Agency, which China should be measured against. top job. the Chinese called 'South Tibet' and which Madawc Williams

should be given time to reflect and May 7th he launched a tirade against the what to do about the Westminster MPs meanwhile Britain would go ahead with SDLP and its leader, Mark Durkin in since Fianna Fail will not contest ratifying the Treaty. He was supporting particular. "They [Fine Gael and Westminster elections. the arrogant Commission President, Jose Labour] will be aware, even if Durkin is Barroso, who has decided to ignore the not, that the committee Durkin set up to The Democratic Unionist Party becomes Irish decision. 'consider all political options' is his Feeney's target on 11th June. "…we're admission that the SDLP is dead…the spectators playing no part in the affairs Brian Feeney is something of an institution truth is that there is only one runner, of either state. The DUP might kid on the Catholic side of the Belfast Fianna Fail. There is no 'Labour themselves that with their nine MPs they Sectarian divide. He has had a weekly element' in the SDLP." The only problem could perhaps hold the balance of power column in the Irish News forever. On for the SDLP, according to Feeney, is continued on page 4, column 1 3 Local elections have been postponed in LISBON REFERENDUM: the North until, at the earliest, 2011, Thank you, Madam. when the number of local authorities is The Lisbon referendum result has come in as we go to press. expected to be reduced to eleven. Or There will no doubt be many calls for reflection after the No result. We offer our initial not! The British Government could still thoughts. The EU Project is not what it was. The Irish electorate knew this in its bones. change its mind and decide on fewer So do many other electorates. The Project has not yet recovered from the ending of the councils. Meanwhile Omagh District Cold War and may not ever do so. Council's new chairman is Sinn Fein's It was originally the main European nations recognising their place in the world was Martin McColgan. A Sinn Fein now reduced to their own role as relatively small nation-states in a small area of the Councillor, Kate McEldowney, has world and recognising the sense of making arrangements to work in a co-operative become chairwoman of Magherafelt social entity, independent of the UK, the US and the USSR. District Council, and Brenda Chivers is Now it is driven by the main nations of Europe and the UK finding again, and the new Sinn Fein Mayor of Limavady. exercising again, their old Imperialist instincts and finding a new life for them. They Sinn Fein Councillor Colman Burns from want to add military weight to these instincts. It should not be forgotten that the UK, Crossmaglen is the new Mayor of Newry. France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Holland and others have imperial pasts. Ireland’s Iris Robinson was "outed" on Channel 4 very raison d’etre is anti-Imperial. It can smell an imperialist a mile off (always News on 6th June as homophobic. She determined of course to save them and the world from themselves). had ventured the opinion, in keeping The rag-bag opposition to Lisbon did not win this referendum (even after dispensing with her religious beliefs, that homo- with the services of Anthony Coughlan). The arrogance of the Irish political elite and sexuality could be cured and had a friend Europe did that. Even before the result was officially announced, Barrosso was who was a psychologist and could effect encouraging those who had not endorsed the Lisbon Treaty to do so because the Treaty such a cure. (Her comments came after was not dead! But the Treaty was legally dead! a serious assault on a gay man in Belfast.) Channel 4 interviewed a gay rights Uniting Europe needs some basic ground rules. One is recognising that uniting a activist from Derry and suggested to him number of historic political and social entities is a major task. It is quite an undertaking that he should call for Mrs. Robinson's uniting those two small entities on the island of Ireland. These many entities are organic resignation from the Northern Ireland and uniting them is a delicate issue. It is not a mechanical or mathematical matter of Executive. He said that he wasn't going voting, planning, scheming, legalising and documenting the process in various ways. to be involved in the kind of resignation The hearts, and not just the smart brains, have to be fully engaged. And having sheer demands that everyone got up to, and numbers determining the issues will simply not work. It did not work in Northern instead would like Mrs. Robinson and Ireland her husband, the new First Minister, to But this is the current EU methodology. This is not working, nor will it work. The Irish visit his group and discuss things with know what a written Constitution is. They have an understandable, working model. them. He was the very soul of common They know it is a tool for their benefit not a weapon to push policies that people do not sense. Sinn Fein and the SDLP want or understand. . A Constitution of this nature was presented in Europe before—and denounced her but without much rejected in referendums. This has now been re-presented but called a Treaty—but no enthusiasm. It was left to the British European country will be given a vote on it this time. Gordon Brown had promised a media, the broadsheets, ITV, the BBC, vote in England, but will now deny it. The ambition is to force the Constitution-Treaty to howl for her to go—especially the on the people of Europe. front pages of The Daily Mirror and The We may even have the farce of another referendum. Sun (yes, The Sun!). Liberals in full pursuit of their quarry is not a pretty There is of course one thing that could have possibly changed all this and have made sight! the Lisbon result a Yes result and everyone knows it—Bertie Ahern sans Mahon. What standing he would have! But the self-righteous indignation generated by the Irish Times President McAleese's visit to a school in over the absurd minutiae of some of his old bank records made him unavailable to save a Protestant heartland in Co. Derry was greeted by a noisy but peaceful protest. the day. The SDLP and the Irish News have been Thank you madam, most sincerely. outraged. Calm down girls! The protest- ers carried posters objecting to remarks this week on the vote on 42-day second Lord Mayor of Belfast by one made by the President some time ago to detention—and that's conceivable—but vote. Alex Maskey was Lord Mayor in the effect the Unionists treated Catholics it doesn't mean they want to play any 2002. He was supported by the SDLP in much the same way that Nazis treated part in affairs of state." This is true and the Alliance Party, and David Jews. People shouted "republican scum" enough. Though it was exactly those Browne of the Ulster Unionists abstained. and "****" off. Big deal. Get used to it. nine votes by which Gordon Brown and Mr. Browne is Deputy Lord Mayor. Mind you the President was right—at his fellow punishment enthusiasts won Hartley's opponent, Diane Dodds of the least to the point where the extermination the 42-day motion. When the proposal DUP denounced Mr. Browne for began. And even then there were plenty for direct involvement in the party politics betraying the "unionist people". Mr. of Unionists who would have been happy was a serious issue 20 years ago, Brian Hartley is on that wing of his party which to go down that road. In the item above Feeney publicly opposed the organisation thinks that those who died for the British Mrs. Robinson saw homosexuality as an of the British Labour Party in the North. Empire should be given similar credit as abomination, but took the line of hating His line was the place already had class those who died for Ireland, a wing that the sin while loving the sinner. In the politics. The SDLP represented the has been somewhat on the wane in Sinn past, and for some people still, the working class and the Unionists the Fein in recent months. The new Mayor feelings of Unionists about the abomina- middle class. Now he tells us the SDLP of Derry is the SDLP's Gerard Diver. tion of Catholicism didn't usually mean "is a middle class party". The DUP's Maurice Mills was re-elected that they made any distinction between Mayor of Ballymena. The new chairman the sin and the sinner. Sinn Fein's Tom Hartley, Councillor for of Down District Council is Colin Lower Falls, has become his Party's McGrath of the SDLP. continued on page 5 4 The British Army has doubled the accepted this and wished to dismiss the number of its recruits from the South in case, but the prosecution appealed the last year from 300 to 600 according successfully to a higher court to have the Follow Me Up To Carlow to the Irish News on 13th June. The trial run its course. (This bit of law is a The Libertas anti-Lisbon campaigner, paper quoted a load of flannel from the new one on us.) But the jury cleared Declan Ganley, was Eamon Dunphy's guest British officer doing the recruiting. What them anyway. It would be interesting if on Radio Eireann on 14th June. His first it omitted, and what was reported in the someone took a case now against choice of music was Follow Me Up To Irish Independent, was that a large Raytheon for complicity in war crimes. Carlow, sung by Planxty. It celebrates the proportion of these were men who had victory of Fiach McHugh O'Byrne over been rejected by the Army in the South. Micheal Martin. Of all the reactions to 3,000 English soldiers at the battle of the referendum results, Micheal Martin's Glenmalure in 1580. It certainly doesn't Sinn Fein seems to have got the message stands out as sober and thoughtful: "We pull any punches and is reproduced below: that distancing itself from its recent past are going to analyse the underlying has done it no good at all. People who reasons why people not just voted No but Lift MacCahir Óg your face, brooding o'er are put off by the IRA connection are not the underlying attitudes to the European the old disgrace That black FitzWilliam stormed your going to support it no matter what. Those Union itself because I would accept that place, drove you to the Fern who do support it regard its more militant there appears to be a certain disconnect Grey said victory was sure—Soon the and military figures as courageous people between European institutions and its firebrand he'd secure who put their lives on the line and can be people." That is not a bad attitude for the Until he met at Glenmalure with Fiach trusted to say what they mean. Tom Minister for Foreign Affairs to take with MacHugh O'Byrne. Hartley aside, the organisation is exhibit- him to Brussels. Chorus; ing more and more pride in its military Curse and swear Lord Kildare role in changing the political map in the Ben Dunne & Sinn Fein Fiach will do what Fiach will dare North. An Phoblacht has become read- Now FitzWilliam, have a care "Part of the preblem was the people able again. Mary Lou MacDonald Fallen is your star low showed remarkable leadership and didn't understand the treaty but the other Up with halberd, out with sword political skills during the referendum part of the problem was, I think, there On we'll go for by the lord was a terrible slant put on it. They tried campaign. Yet she took time off to carry Feach MacHugh has given the word, to call everybody on the No side a Sinn Follow me up to Carlow! the coffin of the late Belfast IRA leader, Feiner or a pack of loonies and liars Brian Keenan. Martin Ferris accompan- misleading the public. That was unfair See the swords of Glen Imall, ies Brendan McFarlane each day to his and everytime it came up about the flashing o'er the English Pale See all the children of the Gael, trial at the Special Court in Dublin. And increase in the arms situation in Europe, still the sky has not fallen in! beneath O'Byrne's banners it was thrown at Sinn Fein's face, well Rooster of a fighting stock, you have your own private army. I would you let a Saxon cock The Raytheon Accused have been don't think that was fair either. Up till Crow out upon an Irish rock— acquitted at Belfast Crown Court. Ray- Thursday it was said by all the leaders fly up and teach him manners. theon was involved in the production of of the main parties that a better deal From Tassagart to Clonmore, the bombs that the Israelis used to attack couldn't be negotiated. Now if it was a there flows a stream of Saxon gore civilian targets in Lebanon—especially business decision and I had sent out Och, great is Rory Óg O'More, the school massacre in Cana. The group, these people and they came back telling sending the loons to Hades. which included the civil rights cam- me this, well I wouldn't be sending White is sick and Lane is fled, paigner, Eamon McCann, occupied and back the same team to renegotiate. They now for black FitzWilliam's head thrashed Ratheon's offices in Derry. should send out a new team to We'll send it over, dripping red, Their defence was that they were acting renegotiate and this time include Sinn to Queen Liza and the ladies. to prevent more war crimes. The judge Fein." (Sunday Tribune, 15th June) Conor Lynch

Qana in southern Lebanon with a decommissioned with a fire- Victory to the Raytheon-supplied "bunker buster" bomb. extinguisher." As a result, 28 civilians, from two extended This account is taken from The Raytheon 9 families, the Hashems and the Shaloubs, Raytheon 9: Resisting war crimes is not a were killed. The dead included 14 children. crime, an excellent pamphlet about the On 11th June 2008, 6 people, who had This event led to 9 members of the affair by Eamonn McCann, who took part occupied the offices of Raytheon in Derry Derry Anti War Coalition occupying in the occupation. and destroyed computers, were acquitted Raytheon’s offices in Derry ten days later. The action eventually led to 6 of the of criminal damage by a Belfast jury. They remained there until forcibly participants appearing before a judge and Raytheon is a huge US arms manufacturer, removed by police in riot gear about 8 jury in Belfast in May 2008, charged with with sales of $20 billion in 2006 and over hours later. Substantial damage was done criminal damage and affray. On 4th June 70,000 employees worldwide. It makes to Raytheon property: 2008, after the prosecution had put its Patriot, Tomahawk, Cruise and "Documents found on the premises case, the judge expressed the opinion that Sidewinder missiles, and much more were thrown from the windows to there was no case to answer on either besides. supporters outside. After our supporters charge. However, the prosecution The action which gave rise to the were moved away by the police, appealed to a higher court and won with criminal charges took place on 9th August computers, already damaged, were hurled out. Our main target was the respect to the criminal damage charge, 2006 during Israel’s war on Lebanon, in mainframe: we knew that putting this which then had to be put the jury. A few which well over 1,000 Lebanese civilians out of action would disrupt Raytheon’s days later, the jury found all the accused were killed by Israeli bombing and ordering system and thus hamper not guilty on the criminal damage charge. shelling. On 30th July 2006, an Israeli production, including production of The charge of affray was dismissed by the aircraft targeted a residential building in missiles. The mainframe was judge without it being put to the jury. 5 The trial went largely unreported in the or elsewhere to have this extraordinary There is now no hiding place for those local Northern Ireland media, and in the gagging order lifted or modified, despite who have said that they support the Dublin and London media. The same is the fact that their work was being hampered presence of Raytheon in Derry on the true of the verdict, even though it has by the ban. For example, the Village basis that the company is not involved in sensational implications. The defence magazine reported on 29th February 2008: Derry in arms-related production. We have established that not only is the Derry argued that the accused had undertaken "Suzanne Breen (formerly of plant involved in arms-related production, Village, now writing for the Sunday their action in order to prevent war crimes it is also, through its integration into Tribune) has been referred to the being perpetrated in Lebanon by Israel Raytheon as a whole, involved in war Attorney General for possible contempt using Raytheon-supplied weapons. In the crimes. in an article published on 18 November words of Eamonn McCann in a statement We call on all elected representatives in in the Sunday Tribune. She had afterwards, by finding the accused not Derry, and on the citizens of Derry, to say mentioned possible witnesses from the now in unequivocal terms that the war guilty: USA and Lebanon, and that, if criminal Raytheon is not welcome in our "The jury has accepted that we were convicted, defendants could face city. reasonable in our belief that: the Israel lengthy jail sentences. We call on the office of the Attorney Defence Forces were guilty of war "Also RTE has ordered Belfast General and the Crown Prosecution crimes in Lebanon in the summer of independent production company Service, in light of this verdict, to institute 2006; that the Raytheon company, Below the Radar to delete sections on an investigation into the activities of including its facility in Derry, was aiding Raytheon from a film about Ireland and Raytheon at its various plants across the and abetting the commission of these the arms trade transmitted on 14 UK, with a view to determining whether crimes; and that the action we took was January. The effect of the ban is that all Raytheon is, as we say it is, a criminal intended to have, and did have, the discussion of Raytheon’s presence in enterprise. effect of hampering or delaying the Derry has been shut down." [2] commission of war crimes." [1] We believe that one day the world will look back on the arms trade as we look However, a legal challenge to the order In other words, in the opinion of the back today on the slave trade, and wonder was launched by Shane O’Curry of the how it came about that such evil could jury, having heard the evidence, it was Foyle Ethical Investment Campaign. As reasonable of the defendants to believe abound in respectable society. If we have a result, the Belfast recorder, Judge advanced by a mere moment the day when that Raytheon was engaged in criminal Burgess, modified the order in late the arms trade is put beyond the law, what activity by supplying Israel with February 2008 to limit the ban to the usual we have done will have been worthwhile. armaments and that they were justified in one on pre-trial reporting of material We took the action we did in the perpetrating criminal damage on Raytheon directly relevant to the trial. It could then immediate aftermath of the slaughter of property in order to hamper this criminal be reported for the first time that the Derry innocents in Qana on July 30th 2006. The activity. In his statement, Eamonn recorder had acceded to the prosecution’s people of Qana are our neighbours. Their children are the children of our McCann called request to move the trial from Derry to "on the office of the Attorney General neighbours. We trashed Raytheon to help Belfast. protect our neighbours. The court has and the Crown Prosecution Service, in David Morrison light of this verdict, to institute an found that that was not a crime. This is References: investigation into the activities of what the Raytheon case has been about. [1] www.raytheon9.org/ Raytheon at its various plants across We have not denied or apologised for [2] www.village.ie/Ireland/ the UK, with a view to determining what we did at the Raytheon plant in the Northern_Ireland/ whether Raytheon is, as we say it is, a summer of 2006. All of us believe that it Media_gag_over_Derry_arms_factory_occupation/ criminal enterprise." was the best thing we ever did in our lives. GAGGING ORDER Statement by Eamonn McCann The Raytheon trial would normally have on the Raytheon case (11 June 2008) taken place in Derry, where the offences The following letter was published in alleged were committed. However, on The outcome of this case has profound the Sunday Business Post (8 June 14th September 2007, the prosecution implications. 2008) requested a change of venue, on the The jury has accepted that we were grounds that protests outside the court reasonable in our belief that: the Israel Israel said no to might intimidate jurors, and coverage in Defence Forces were guilty of war crimes the local media might prejudice them. in Lebanon in the summer of 2006; that UN resolution At this time, the presiding judge, the the Raytheon company, including its facility in Derry, was aiding and abetting Derry recorder, Corinne Philpott, banned Kenneth Baker, the press officer of publicity about the case, but in such general the commission of these crimes; and that the action we took was intended to have, the Embassy of Israel in Dublin, writes terms that journalists present didn’t know that Israel accepted the UN partition what they were allowed to report and what and did have, the effect of hampering or delaying the commission of war crimes. resolution in 1947 (Letters, 25/5/08). was banned. There was no reporting of We have been vindicated. That is simply untrue. If Israel had the application for a change of venue. On We reject entirely and with contempt accepted the UN proposals, Israel 10th December 2007, Judge Philpott the statement by Raytheon this evening would today consist of about 56 per imposed a blanket ban on reporting in suggesting that the result of the trial gives cent of the land area of Palestine, and Northern Ireland of any matter relating to them concern about the safety of their Jerusalem would be under inter- the trial, including anything at all relating employees. This is an abject attempt to national control. to Raytheon. Even the fact of a trial could divert attention from the significance of no longer be reported. The objective the outcome. Not a shred of evidence was That is what the UN General seems to have been to prevent publicity in produced that we presented the slightest Assembly recommended in Resolu- Northern Ireland about Raytheon’s arms danger to Raytheon workers. The charge tion 181, passed on November 29, of affray was thrown out by the court 1947. business, which might make a jury incline without waiting to hear defence evidence. to the view that damaging its computers Our target has always been Raytheon was a good idea. as a corporate entity and its shareholders David Morrison, Belfast There was no attempt by mainstream and directors who profit from misery and media organisations in Northern Ireland death. 6 The Governments commitment to public service reform is rendered incoherent at best and utterly cynical at The OECD Report worst by its persistence with trying to implement this ill judged programme. Of Reform of Public services to increase Since 1995 it has been government course, in an integrated public service efficiency and provide public services at policy to limit non front line public service model, the possibility of completing the optimum cost has been a recurring theme employment and the report notes that this programme would be much improved in Irish politics for a very long time. One policy "has actually decreased the total through the creation of a bigger pool of of the first actions of Brian Cowan as number of public sector employees as a workers from which people could be drawn Taoiseach was to present to the Dáil the percentage of the labour force and to move to the new locations. Government commissioned OECD report decreased the overall public sector wage "Ireland: Towards an Integrated Public bill as a percentage of GDP." The slight of On the 20 of May the Taoiseach Service". hand which has allowed Government to announced the setting up of a task force to continue to function during the Celtic develop an action plan for delivering While acknowledging the reform Tiger years while restricting the growth of Public service reform. The Task Force is process in the Civil Service to date, the the Civil and Public Service has been to chaired by Dermot McCarthy, Secretary report queries the extent to which the oversee a massive increase in the number General to the Government and the reform agenda has penetrated the wider of agencies set up to deliver services and membership consists of four civil service public service. spend money on behalf of the state. There heads of department and four external are now over 500 of these in existence, members, 3 of whom are drawn from the The basic premise is that lack of and incredibly, the report confirms that no business community while the fourth is integration in the Public Service drives up one knows how many people are employed Paul Haran, Principal of the College of the cost of provision and decreases in this sector or how much public funding Business and Law in UCD. One would efficiency and effectiveness. The Public they use for their own functioning, for have thought that if the Task Force is to Service, broadly defined to include further distribution or for investment. The produce recommendations which will have education, health, local authority, civil report notes that while the use of agencies implications for terms and conditions of service, Gardaí, defence forces and semi has added much needed capacity to the employment for public service workers, a state bodies, employs in the region of Public Service, the way in which they membership drawn from a somewhat 360,000 people (16% of the Republic’s have been set up has in fact decreased wider pool than one with only a labour force). Of the total, the Civil Service accountability and increased complexity, management/business focus might itself employs 38,000. fragmentation and duplication of service produce a better result in terms of a plan delivery. Thus some of the problems which can be delivered without going Briefly, the report proposes reforms identified in the report have actually been through a protracted, possible which would integrate the Civil and Public created by existing government policy, confrontational, negotiating and services in terms of providing mechanisms although as one might expect this is never implementation phase. As it is, I can see for staff mobility between the elements of spelled out clearly, the report being written this process having a profound impact on the Public Service and by increasing in what the Taoiseach himself has called future Social Partnership negotiations. The organisational interconnectedness to "sometimes heavily encrypted" language. Task Force has been instructed to report provide economies of scale in the provision The report only goes o far as to say there back to Government before the end of the of shared services. It also proposes the is now required from Central Government Summer. creation of a single, integrated "Senior a rethink in terms of what functions should Colm Moylan Public Service" to provide leadership to remain in Departments, what should be the whole system. In itself this seems a devolved to Local Authorities and what sensible reform programme, but of course functions should be carried out at arms the devil will be in the detail of any actual length from the Civil Service. Irish Foreign Affairs implementation plan. This magazine web page is online at Nowhere is the language in the report There are some interesting nuggets of more cryptic than in its treatment of the information in the report. For instance, elephant in the room, the governments contrary to public perception, fostered by current decentralisation programme. This http:// the media, of Ireland having a bloated programme, announced by then Minister www.atholbooks.org/ public service, employment in the general of Finance Charlie McCreevy in 2003, magazines/foreign_affairs/ government sector in the Republic, as a envisaged moving from Dublin 10,000 percentage of the total labour force, is at public servants, including whole the lower end of the spectrum compared departments and state agencies, to 55 to other OECD countries; while Public regional locations, by the end of 2007. Subscriptions available: expenditure as a percentage of GDP, The report notes that the decision was including the massive infrastructural taken without wider consultation or cost/ 4 issues: €28 by post expenditure of the last decade, is the third benefit analysis with senior management €20 electronic smallest of OECD countries (ahead only or the public service unions and that the Enquire to: of Mexico and Korea) and the figure has exercise is leading to a loss of expertise in [email protected] actually decreased by about ten per cent the relocated offices. Only 2,000 staff had over the last ten years. moved at the time the report was written. 7 confirm the Republican sentiment of the on a collision course with the European people? And what was the 1919-21 War Commission which insists on unrestricted of Independence about or for that matter movement of labour between member Bunreacht na hEireann in 1937 and the states of the EU. Here is the reaction of the Shorts departure of the British from the Treaty Commission: from Ports in 1938? Had not the declaration of "The Commission is giving a red the Republic by the Pro-Treaty side no card to the 6+5 rule," EU Employment the Long Fellow significance for establishing the Commissioner Vladimir Spidla said. Republican consensus? "If any country allows its soccer And did it really take the decision to associations or leagues, they will be in CONTEMPT FOR THE PEOPLE join the EEC for us to establish "our own violation of EU rules which would oblige the Commission to apply And so the EU didn't succeed in identity"? None of this would be worth intimidating the only country to have a infringement proceedings (court commenting on if it were not for the fact action)" (The Irish Times, 28.5.08). referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Our that it seems to be a view that is shared leaders traded on the impressive past within the highest echelons of Fianna Fáil. Let us consider this a bit further. FIFA performance of the EU to mask its current On the same day that The Irish Times is not a greedy country acting in its selfish free market and militaristic ideological editorial was published, Micheál Martin interests to undermine another country. It orientation. But they failed. expressed similar views on the Rodney is a multinational organisation which They failed because they could not Rice show on RTE radio 1. In Martin's wants to develop football across the world summon one good reason to vote for the view we were narrow and insular before on a national basis. It realises that recent Treaty. Towards the end of the campaign 1973 and joining the EEC enabled us to global capitalist developments (encour- the supporters were reduced to urging a overcome this. Is this a representative aged by the ECJ such as the Bosman vote on the basis that the supporters of this view within Fianna Fáil? Were de Valera ruling) have meant that the best players in Treaty were nice respectable people like and Frank Aiken, for instance, insular? the world have gravitated towards the Brian Cowen, Eamonn Gilmore and Enda From a Fianna Fáil perspective there is wealthiest leagues undermining the Kenny, whereas the opponents were a certain attraction in history beginning in national leagues of poorer countries. The Shinners and worse. 1973. It means that it does not have to deal wealthiest league in the world is the The Irish Times editorial of 7th June with 1969 and the capitulation of the party English league, which is largely financed reverted to the hysteria that it reserves for as demonstrated by the Arms Trial of by American (e.g. Liverpool and Manches- election campaigns. There was a minor 1970. But if Fianna Fáil cannot begin to ter United), Russian (e.g. Chelsea and variation on the "we have disgraced deal honestly with its own history it will Portsmouth) and Middle Eastern (e.g. ourselves yet again" theme. This time the disable itself from combating other Arsenal) capital In this year's UEFA title of the editorial following an opinion interests which it whinges about but does Champions league three out of the four poll showing a No majority was: Are we nothing to counteract. clubs in the semi-final were English clubs out of our minds? It began: Martin isn't the only person with a and both of the finalists. "Are we out of our collective minds? distorted view of history. Ulick McEvaddy But if the FIFA proposals are unaccept- We are not going to win our money on of Libertas, in a debate with Ruairi Quinn, able to the European Commission, is there 'horses' if we say No to the Lisbon claimed that the vote of the deputies in anything that would be acceptable to the Treaty. We bought that nag in the last Grattan's Parliament to dissolve that free market ideologues of that institution? general election and, yet, here we go The Irish Times sympathetically reports again." Parliament, ushering in the Act of Union of 1801, led to the tragedy of the Famine, on the sweet reasonableness of the As has been mentioned before in this the 1916 Rising and the Civil War! Quinn Commission: column, when The Irish Times uses the who seems to have some grasp of history "Earlier, the EU executive offered pronoun "we" it is not referring to itself, pointed out that the deputies in this corrupt Fifa an olive branch by formally backing but the presumed frailties of the Irish Parliament were bribed. He might also the "home-grown player rule" of European governing body Uefa, in a people. Is there anywhere else in the world have added that even the Act of Union was where a so-called 'national' newspaper bid to avert Friday's vote. more acceptable to the rebels of 1798 than 'After intensive discussion, in-depth has such contempt for both the people of this corrupt Parliament, which represented analysis and a report carried out by the its country as well as one of its most a decadent Landlord class. European Commission, I can for the successful politicians? first time say that Uefa's so-called home- CONTEMPT FOR NATIONS grown player rule is compatible with CONTEMPT FOR OUR HISTORY In the course of the referendum EU rules concerning free movement of But by far the most interesting part of campaign the pernicious influence of the workers,' said EU Sports Commissioner the editorial was the second last paragraph: European Court of Justice (ECJ) was Jan Figel." "Remember our decision to join in highlighted in relation to the Laval and And what is this "home-grown rule" 1973 was the most liberating action Viking cases. However, there is another that is acceptable? taken by this independent State setting dispute which, although of less immediate "Uefa's home-grown player rule sets us on the way to reversing the Act of importance, is even more revealing of the a quota of locally-trained players at Union. We moved out from the shadow EU's ideological orientation. It is not new clubs but without any discrimination of Britain for the first time and for the ECJ to adopt a neo-liberal position, on nationality. But Fifa had said it established our own identity. We took but in the era of Mitterrand, Kohl and opposed the rule arguing it encourages our place among the nations of the recruitment at a young age." world with an influential voice." Delors there was at least a countervailing social tendency from the European Com- Let us now consider a little more the Certainly, joining the EEC was a mission. But no more! "home-grown" rule which is acceptable to liberating event. It made our economy FIFA, the governing body for European the EU Commission, but which FIFA less dependent on Britain, particularly our football wants to restrict the number of opposes. agricultural exports. But "setting us on the foreign players in each club team. Its very This rule encourages wealthy European way to reversing the Act of Union"? Was modest proposal is that from a starting clubs to scour the world for talented young not the 1916 Rising the event that set us on eleven there should be 6 players from the boys. But everyone knows that of the tens that road? Did not the 1918 Election club's country. But this proposal has put it of thousands of aspiring footballers that 8 go through these clubs, only a very tiny seen their love of democracy when they in Ireland performs it - probably - once a percentage make the grade. This is a hard refused the other peoples of Europe a decade. Much material shouted-down in lesson for a young boy from Europe. But referendum on the Treaty." hyper-cultured Vienna, Paris, Petersburg, how much crueller for a poor African or or lesser venues like Berlin and Budapest The editorial concludes by saying: Latin American boy who has been have barely seen the light of day since. uprooted from his environment and then "The 'No' of Ireland can be of service discarded for being of no economic use! to the European idea. The European Damien Smyth says McDonagh "has What a despicable institution the summit at the end of this week must made people think about the reality of European Commission has become. declare this Treaty obsolete. At the violence". He lives in Belfast. Did he same time it must launch a process of need to go to a McDonagh drama to greater democracy, promoting peace THE GREATEST PARTY encounter the reality of violence? Fianna Fail showed yet again why it is and cooperation and non-aligned to Washington." Apparently "it is all the more relevant the greatest party in the State. Throughout because… he sets… them, the rural the country its party workers did their west…". But it is a west of Ireland that duty to the party. They hung up posters of local candidates advocating a "yes" vote. was disappearing even when McDonagh However, their duty to the party did not (presumably) holidayed there as a child, oblige them to vote against their Mad Dogs are in the 1970s and '80s. The population of conscience because political principles Leitrim, according to the last Census, rose are more important than loyalty to an Limerickmen? for the first time since 1841. The institution. or Dr. McDonagh's Patent Remedy psychological underpinning of Mc But in Laois-Offaly the rank and file Donagh's material is threadbare. The west went against their principles because their Part II of Ireland is growing, not shrinking. own man was the leader of that institution. Henry McDonald's profile of play- Damien Smyth goes on, "the violence he And ties of friendship are even more wright Martin McDonagh (The Guardian portrays is a very true picture of… modern important than those political principles. urban Ireland today." (Why set them in It now remains to be seen if the leader 25.04.08) modulates from paramilitary, is worthy of his rank and file. Loyalty and (invariably Republican), criminality to isolated Connacht ruralia?). Smyth would friendship should not be abused! common criminality. Damien Smyth "one like to see McDonagh do a play set in an of Northern Ireland's leading poets" says Irish urban environment. Why not one set THE GREATEST NEWSPAPER what McDonagh writes is "powerful, in London, his home town? He would, to Whatever about our political leaders, legitimate and relevant". He alleges, quote McDonald "have plenty of blood the Irish media showed that it was out of "[w]hen JM Synge wrote Playboy of the soaked material" to work on. The touch and therefore made itself irrelevant. Western World there was more outrage in youngster stabbed to death in my street If there are any journalists left in this Ireland over a woman coming on stage in was thirteen years old. country who still take their craft seriously, her nightdress than the murder of the they should subscribe to a real newspaper, McDonald mentions a housing estate father by the son". (The main character a newspaper which describes the world as in Limerick "where gangs driving around Christy Mahon (the Playboy) turns up in a it is. in armour-plated BMWs spray houses with Connacht village claiming he has killed On June 16th the front page of the Uzi sub-machine guns". The implication his father by striking him with a shovel. French communist newspaper l'Humanite being that this sort of criminality is the Instead of dragging him off to the police, summed up the political situation. same as that of the IRA. The IRA engaged the parish priest, (or both) the idiot villagers "Europe. They do not wish to respect in violence in pursuit of political ends. celebrate his 'achievement'). It is not, the Irish 'No'." Most of the 'criminality' complained of (despite Damien Smyth), a realist drama. And then in bold print. "Conspiracy was also engaged in for political ends. Europe was awash with new art at that against Democracy". There followed 3 The 'Provisionals' are being attacked these time. Painting and sculpture, music, ballet pages of comprehensive coverage which days for not engaging in 'criminal and drama were greeted, in hyper- would shame our local hacks if they were activities'. Policing west Belfast. There is sophisticated Paris and Vienna with still capable of that emotion. a minor journalistic industry of digging catcalls and riots. Pegeen Mike (Christy's One of the articles begins: "In up any dirt that can be thrown at Sinn Féin. Ballybrack there is pride at having voted 'love interest') in her shift was surely a It makes the journos money, and adds to 'No'. In the working class suburb of South provocative coup d'thêatre, probably the uneasiness felt by many in west Belfast Dublin the voters have voted dreamed-up by Yeats. (The Lord about the increase in criminal behaviour. overwhelmingly 'No' because Europe is Chamberlain would have refused it a The implicit comparison between actual not going in the right direction." license for the London stage). Yeats criminality and what the IRA did to raise The article proceeds to interview managed the Abbey Theatre which needed ordinary people explaining their reasons the money to make war on a hugely publicity to keep the punters interested. for voting 'No'. When has an Irish superior opponent is laboured and crass. There follows the question of "outrage newspaper ever taken an interest in the The Loyalist paramilitaries are up to their in Ireland". There was outrage in the views of the people of Ballybrack or any oxters in drug-trafficking, and are having Dublin theatre-going classes. A number other working class area? (Irish and UK) State and EU cash thrown probably went to the Abbey just to be The newspaper's editorial gives a at them. They have not decommissioned, reasoned analysis: outraged. Yeats did them proud over two but are not the objects of the same scrutiny decades. But, was "Ireland" (Mr. Smyth "Those who have rambled on about as the IRA, which has decommissioned liberalism in politics cannot accept that presumably means us, the mere Irish and even wound itself up as a fighting the Irish have voted against the Treaty people), interested in a dowdy Dublin machine. of Lisbon. They will throw contempt theatre? "Ireland" took up The Playboy and insults against the Irish people just as they did against the French and Dutch because it holds the stage and has a number Martin McDonagh could write about 'No' of 3 years ago. We have already of juicy parts. Every amateur theatre group fellow Camberwellians who are currently 9 serving in Basra, or who served in Belfast Suvla or Sud el-Bar? has been famous for a decade. The UK in the late 1980s and early '90s. He must The war in the North of Ireland rose out State has been at war for most of that know some. He left school in 1986, and of the perverse form of government period. His name has never appeared on spent "ten years in dead-end jobs", almost inflicted on the people of the place by the any of the letters or petitions published the perfect recruit for Her Majesty's armed victors in the Great War to destroy (for or against) these wars. He is presented forces. His theatrical monotone is irritating Germany. Grubbing about in the 'dim and in this 'profile' as implicitly a political people, like Malachi O Doherty, who ought distant past' (it's always 'dim and distant' playwright it is legitimate to wonder if to be admirers. when the London Establishment want us this is accurate. Or does 'paddy-whackery' In regard to the warm regard felt by to disremember it) or the distasteful interior just pay better than attempting to analyse anti-Republican publicists for McDonagh, of the crude Irish psychology, is not Sierra Leone, Serbia, Iraq, Afghanistan? (a punk anarchist suspicious of all necessary to understand it. McDonagh Seán McGouran nationalisms), a point has been made in the IPR, a number of times. The element that defended the Catholic areas of Belfast in the first instance, was the CESA Report (Catholic Ex-Servicemen's Association). It carried a number of national flags in its 'Remember Mitchelstown'? pubic demonstrations — the Union Jack wasn't one of them. But the CESA (to the The second Trevor/Bowen Summer efforts, were again made to look foolish tune of 90+%) was made up of British ex- School was held on 23rd-25th May by the this year, having to run around like headless service personnel. There were two major Mitchelstown Literary Society. There were chickens with mobile phones trying to get political tendencies among Northern 11 events on a variety of topics. in touch with Mr. O'Toole to find out if he Catholics, immediately prior to the war. As it has done at other such events, the was coming or not right up to the last One was the Civil Rights Association, Aubane Historical Society (AHS) minute. But Mr. O'Toole did not deign to slogan 'British Rights for British Citizens' organised a literature stall in agreement take their calls or contact them even though ('Subjects' stuck in the collective craw). with the hotel where most of the events he probably knows how to use a phone, or Most on NICRA demonstrations may have were to be held. However, when text, or write a letter. representatives of the Mitchelstown I suggested "Time and Mr. O'Toole" as been tongue in cheek about the slogan. Literary Society arrived they objected to an alternative lecture as many people were Some were not. And the repetition of the the stall (without actually reading any of contemplating this general theme with demand surely had some effect. the literature on display) and prevailed some strong and considered views being Working class people were joining the upon the hotel to prevent us selling any of expressed on it. A lot of audience particip- big (British-based) trade unions, and voted it. We then gave it away to anybody who ation seemed guaranteed for such a lecture. for the NILP (NI Labour Party), or for was interested. Most were. How odd that Especially as people also wanted to get Gerry Fitt, regarded as satellites of the a Literary Society does not welcome and some value for the registration fee they British Labour Party. Not even the ex- facilitate relevant literature being available had paid for O'Toole's lecture. servicemen wanted to wrap themselves in at its major literary event? Particularly as The Mitchelstown Literary Society the Union Jack, but 'nationalism', (though this was the only literature in sight and should realise that they are outside the possibly not 'cultural nationalism'), and a there was no sign at all of any publications Pale and can, and are, therefore treated by the Literary Society itself. And there like shit by Irish Times' luminaries and united Ireland, were postponed was no shortage of space. that they are expected to eat as much of it indefinitely. The war specifically arose The first big attraction was to be Fintan as the latter see fit to throw at them. It was out of the events of 1968 / '69. It was not O'Toole (for it was him), Deputy Editor of an embarrassing and sorry sight to see the outcome of centuries of enmity, another the Irish Times, to give us his profound decent people treated like this. Will they 'trope' beloved of the Beeb. (It fits in with thoughts on "Time and William Trevor" ever learn? the 'crude, simple-minded, backward, Irish' on Saturday night. The problem was that image carefully cultivated by the British he did not manage to find the time to turn The next VIP was Martin Mansergh media. McDonagh, despite his up to give his talk. With no warning, TD, the new Junior Minister for the Arts. background seems to have swallowed the explanation or apology from Mr. O'Toole In the circumstances he deserves full credit notion whole). the Literary Society people had a ton of for honouring his commitment by turning egg on their faces and a host of very up to state his case. His was the only event, This 'profile' publicised McDonagh's frustrated people. I will not repeat some of out of the eleven, on Elizabeth Bowen at film, In Bruges. It's about two thick Micks, the comments made as this is a respectable the School. It was the last event, a lecture incompetent hit men, who have fled to journal. entitled "Elizabeth Bowen and her wartime Belgium, having killed the wrong people. But the Mitchelstown Literary Society role; an ideological class problem of Belgium is an interesting venue for are slow learners. This was déjá vu all national identity, neutrality and world 'Irishmen with guns'. There have been a over again for them. The same thing wars, then and now". This was an lot of 'Irishmen with guns' in that country. happened last year when another Irish intriguing title but did not bode well for a In particular from 1914 to 1918. They got Times luminary, Ellen Battersby, was clear view of her wartime espionage role— killed in large numbers, and killed large billed to talk on "The common man and which is the actual issue in question and numbers in their turn. Why? It is a how his life of quiet desperation is treated what the audience clearly wanted to hear in the works of William Trevor". She discussed. conundrum to which Martin McDonagh never turned up either and also without The speaker rehashed the usual case to could turn his punk anarchist sensibility. warning, apology or explanation before try to make the case that Bowen was not a Why did the Irish go to war for Belgium? or after the event. She was highly offended spy, including the assertion that she was It was the centre of a wealthy and brutal at being asked for an explanation despite not paid—which she was. He relied most colonial empire. Why did they make war all her costs having been paid. heavily on Brian Girvin's book and 'the on Bulgaria? What were they doing at The organisers, despite all their best personal communication' he had with 10 Girvin, one that sought to assert that John Times, for one, certainly seems to think so * Dulanty was responsible for her doing her and have no respect for the work of the Following the inaugural Bowen/Trevor secret work. Girvin does not make the Literary Society and have lowered the Summer School in Mitchelstown in 2007 case for this and Mansergh admitted quite School's status in many eyes by the an exchange of letters took place in the specifically that it was a case of "evidence behaviour of some of its grandees. Irish Examiner. The most well-known without proof". In other words he and Why not organise the event as simply contributor was Martin Mansergh TD. Girvin do not have a case. It would not the Mitchelstown Literary Summer School Why does Mr Mansergh get so even make it to a court, to be thrown out. and base it on the rich and fertile literary/ exercised about Elizabeth Bowen and her Girvin's sources refer to Dulanty's cultural heritage of the Cork and/or activities here during WWII? encouragement to Bowen—and many Munster area? There is Kickham and others—to write and report openly Canon Sheehan just for starters. Have The facts of the matter are now favourable material on Irish neutrality. It Glenanaar and Knocknagow been indisputable. At the beginning of the war is bluff and sleight-of-hand to equate this surpassed in the literature of this area? she immediately volunteered her services with what Bowen did in her secret reports. These are true classics of the area, having to the British Government to do espionage This was a completely different kettle of been read by millions over several work in Ireland. She befriended people fish. It is sheer trickery to try to equate the generations. Then, perhaps, there could under false pretences, reported in secret,, two and it only impresses those who do be new life in a new context for that great got paid for it, wrote about 200 reports not know, or don't want to know, the slogan of the Land League era and we (according to her biographer, Heather difference, i.e., the facts of the case. could indeed be proud to again say Bryant Jordan)— approximately one per Mansergh could not challenge the clear, "Remember Mitchelstown" without fortnight— and delivered a number of positive, unassailable evidence put to him embarrassment. personal reports too sensitive to be put in that Bowen's work was espionage—based Jack Lane writing. She deceived all her Irish as it was on her deceiving people, reporting acquaintances and was well pleased with to a foreign Government, treated as top what she did. James Dillon was mortified secret by that Government who paid for it New Publication and humiliated when the truth was brought and destroyed it when it had served its The Aubane Historical Society to his attention in 1974. purpose. Copies of the available extant distributed a publication at the Summer evidence were made available to School, Elizabeth Bowen: a 'debate' in the Innumerable other English writers and everybody in the audience—and snapped Irish Examiner which consisted of the artists did similar. It was their patriotic up. The speaker claimed that her behaviour letters exchanged in the Irish Examiner duty and they cannot be criticised for was just "unethical" in some sort of following last year's Summer School (see doing so. She succeeded in her main aim unspecified way. But why would she act Irish Political Review Dec. 2007) with the of helping to get Churchill to resist his unethically if her activities were benign following introduction: instincts to invade and so helped him and above board? This does not make any avoid a costly bloody nose. Southern sense. Mansergh was effectively Ireland always was 'unfinished business' conceding the case for her espionage. The Why all the fuss about for him and he was 'bulling' for another go only ethics in this area is success or failure Elizabeth Bowen? after the failure of his Black and Tans. She and she was a total success and therefore Elizabeth Bowen was a British writer was also successful in never having her totally ethical. who happened to be born in Ireland, and to cover blown. inherit a Cromwellian property in Co. Mr. Mansergh also tried to get us to Cork. Britain was an Empire and a great And now we have the extraordinary ignore her whole actual life on the basis many of her well-known writers were situation of a legislator here seeking to that a great literary person's real life does born in the Empire. For example, Kipling maintain her cover! What does it say of his not really matter—as is the case with was born in India and Orwell in Burma. priorities and judgement? And he is no Homer, Shakespeare etc. But he was Bowen was Irish only if one takes Irish as ordinary member of Fianna Fail, he is reminded that the topic being discussed a subset of British—as was done, of course, "Fianna Fail's most venerated elder and what he had chosen to talk about was for centuries. statesman", no less, according to the Irish not her literary worth but a piece of her She adopted an Irish persona for Independent (January 4, 2008). actual life. It is a bit too soon to transform espionage purposes during the War. But To seek to make his case he has to turn her into a disembodied entity out of time in various memoirs, written without an Irish history, and common sense, inside and place. And if that time had come, the ulterior motive she made it clear that she out and upside down. Elizabeth Bowen first bit of her that would surely disappear was not milk and watery British but becomes someone else. In fact she into the ether would be her very, very English. The part of the world that made becomes some sort of monstrosity because tenuous connection with Mitchelstown her buzz was Kent. she did all the above and was neither a and where would that leave the Summer She was English Churchillian. After traitor nor a spy but was an agent for both School's credentials? the rejection of Churchill in 1945 England governments. The logic of this is that the was no longer English enough for her. She Irish government needed someone to go Hopefully, we will be able to provide could not stand it when the lower classes around the country deceiving people in more details of Mr. Mansergh's lecture came to the top. So she retreated to her order to inform itself about how people and do it full justice when it is transcribed. property in Ireland—not because it was felt about neutrality! Furthermore, that The net result for the Mitchelstown Ireland but because it was not Welfare they got the British government to pay for Literary Society School was that there State England. this and never asked for a copy of any of was no actual lecture on Trevor and the Her espionage reports to Churchill are the reports! She becomes not just a double one on Bowen was on a totally false objective, well informed and well written agent in the normal sense, more a duplicate premise. Is there a lesson to be learned accounts of Irish opinion during the War. or parallel agent. The logic gets more from this? Despite their hard work are It is a great pity that more of them are bizarre the more one thinks about it. they flogging dead horses in either withheld or destroyed. But they are A good example of Mansergh's Mitchelstown? The fact is that Bowen/ espionage reports to her Government, methodology is the way he tries to get an Trevor theme is a very shallow and barren written frankly in the confidence that they ultra-revisionist book "The Emergency" basis for their Literary School. The Irish would remain secret. by Professor Brian Girvin further revised 11 to seek to prove his case that it was really people to join both sides in Spain even Statement By Anthony Coughlan the Irish Government that set Bowen up though he was on the Republican side. He for her spying. had no totalitarian instincts. But for On 4th April the following letters were Mansergh Ireland should only be judged sent by AnthonyCoughlan to In his book Girvin says that the Ministry by its relationship with England. No other An Phoblacht of Information, for whom she worked, relationship matters. had to fight to get Bowen permission to TO: The Editor, An Phoblacht, Dublin 1 come to Ireland as the Dominions Office *De Valera was neutral friendly to had refused her permission because they Britain, he says. But Dev was hostile to no There is a serious and implicitly understood that "her trip involved spending state during the war. That of course was defamatory insinuation against me in a some time working on a novel." To them not reciprocated by Churchill who remark of Brian Keenan's in Jim Gibney's this was skiving and such frivolity was not considered De Valera's neutrally hostile interview with him which is carried in the to be encouraged in a time of war. Culture right to the end and that was of more current issue of An Phoblacht. could wait. The Ministry then sought allies political and historical significance than This may well be unintentional, but it to get her a permit to travel and these de Valera's desire to be friendly. De could do me lots of damage nonetheless - included John Dulanty (the Irish High Valera's 'friendliness' was that shown to not least in the context of the current Commissioner, or Ambassador), John bullies when it is wise to do so. It is a Lisbon Treaty referendum campaign, in Betjeman, Stephen Gwynn and others and euphemism for the reality of such which I am actively involved. this was clearly under the guise of her situations but Mansergh wants us to accept May I ask you therefore to carry the writing journalistic pieces which nobody it as the real thing. He is either trying to kid correction below in your forthcoming could object to. Girvin says that he is not us or kid himself. issue. sure if, even in this regard, Dulanty was I have never met Brian Keenan and he acting on his own or not. * has not got the facts of this matter right, Of course, all this is good old fashioned whatever impressions he may have formed However, according to Mansergh, in a bluff, blather and bluster on Mansergh's or whatever allegations may have been 'personal communication' with Girvin all part. This is his style as a TD as well. He made to him by others in the 1969/70 this becomes transformed into the Irish does not seem able to distinguish between period which he refers to. Ambassador setting the whole thing in making a convincing argument and bluster. I expect that these and related matters motion by suggesting to Bowen that she In the case of Bowen's espionage, will be much discussed by historians and write these secret reports for the British Mansergh's denials are very transparent commentators during the latter part of this Ministry of Information— which is not bluff and bluster and he has not got the year and the coming period generally, as even suggested by Girvin in his book, talent to carry it off. Instead his case loses we come up to the 40th anniversary of the never mind any evidence being provided all credibility and he then resorts to slander Northern Civil Rights Movement, and I for such an assertion. Then Mansergh and lies—a sure sign that one has lost an would not like to see these kinds of loose spins it even further and, hey presto, the argument. allegations or insinuations repeated again story is now transformed into the Irish all over the place. government 'sponsoring' her espionage He accused me of being a Nazi I am quite willing to launch legal as an agent for both governments. sympathiser—and a hardline Unionist proceedings to correct them if need be. supporter for good measure. In fact there Looking forward to your carrying the Revisionism moves at a very fast pace is now a 'law' that describes such correction below in your next issue. . . If these days— as quickly as any three card behaviour. 'Godwin's Law' says that the you have any query about it, please give trick man. It should be interesting to read first person who introduces Nazi and/or me a ring at the above phone number. the next edition of Professor Girvin's book Fascist slanders into an argument these Yours sincerely to see if this is developed even further— days is confirming that they have no more Anthony Coughlan or has he been bounced into a hole by, to say and have conceded their case. PS. I am sending copies of this e-mail shall we say, Mr. Mansergh's verbal Mr. Mansergh says a lot more about for their information to Jim Gibney, dexterity and will Girvin be trying to himself than he does about Bowen or me Richard McAuley, Gerry Adams, Tom extricate himself? in resorting to abuse. Hartley, Caoimghín O Caoláin, Mary Lou McDonald, Ruairi O Bradaigh and various As it happens, I have known Professor However, what is of more concern is other Republicans whom I know for their Brian Girvin for over forty years and I the behaviour of the Editor of the Irish information also. have practically read all he has ever written Examiner, Tim Vaughan, who assisted and we have shared much together, Mr. Mansergh by ending the LETTER OF CORRECTION FROM including the same school in Cork for a correspondence after publishing his lies. ANTHONY COUGHLAN RE BRIAN period. Brian has never been backward in KEENAN/JIM GIBNEY INTERVIEW coming forward with his views on anything There is no recollection in living IN THIS WEEK'S "AN PHOBLACHT" : and everything. However when I asked memory of a correspondence being In his interview with Brian Keenan in him about any evidence to support declared closed in the Irish Examiner. last week's An Phoblacht on his Mansergh's assertions he went The Editor should be ashamed of himself. involvement with the late 1960s civil rights uncharacteristically silent. movement, Jim Gibney quotes Mr Keenan The paper sought to make a mark as saying: "Certain IRA leaders wouldn't Then there are a whole series of half nationally and showed signs of being more talk to me for a long time after the split truths used by Mansergh in this debate open and fair than the other national papers because they believed I was a card-carrying which in effect are a total distortion of the in its letters and opinion pieces. member of the Communist Party. In their facts, such as: That was short-lived. eyes I was not to be trusted. They believed *De Valera allowed people to join the Jack Lane I was aligned with Tony Coughlan, who British Army. But what army did he ever Aubane, May 2008 was with the Sticks." prevent people from joining, apart from For the record, and contrary to what the IRA? Irish people joined several armies (We hope to carry other reports on seems to be implied in Brian Keenan's during the war. In the 30s he allowed events at the Summer School. Editor) remarks, may I say that I was never a 12 member of Sinn Fein or the IRA, pre-split those whom I knew in the then united never authorised any Government or Army or post-split. Neither for that matter was I Republican Movement to take up the issue representation. In November 1979 the ever a member of a Communist Party, of civil rights in the Six Counties during Fianna Fáil Taoiseach Jack Lynch was to either in Ireland or elsewhere. those years. I was present as an observer authorise a number of Army officers to Such influence as I had on the from the Society at the foundation meeting represent both the Minister for Defence politicization of the pre-split Republican of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights and the Chief-of-Staff, but solely as Movement during the 1960s was exercised Association in Belfast in January 1967. I members of the Cathedral congregation as an entirely independent private person took part in the first Coalisland- and not as active participants. Following who had no organisational connection Dungannon civil rights march in late his overthrow of Lynch as Fianna Fáil whatever with any of the bodies Mr Keenan August 1968 and was in Duke Street Derry leader, the new Taoiseach Charles mentions. Indeed that has been my on 5 October that year when the RUC's Haughey, far from cancelling such political position all my adult life up to the assault on the civil rights march brought representation, actually increased the level present time. the whole issue of discrimination and and status of its profile. For not only was The only involvement I ever had with a abuse of civil liberties in the North to the Chief-of-Staff represented by political party was a couple of years' world attention. Brigadier-General W. Callaghan at the membership of the Irish Labour Party Doubtless commentators and historians November 1980 Remembrance Sunday when I was a student at UCC in the middle will be mulling over these and subsequent service, on this occasion the Minister for 1950s, along with Barry Desmond and the events in the latter part of this year, which Defence was now represented by Sean late Michael O'Leary, who were will be the 40th anniversary of the first Moore TD, the Minister of State at contemporaries of mine there. civil rights marches. I am naturally Haughey’s own Department of the I was assistant-secretary and secretary anxious that they should get such part as I Taoiseach. of the Dublin Wolfe Tone Socity from played in these events right. Hence this 1965 to 1969 and as such encouraged letter. Anthony Coughlan It was at this juncture that the British Legion sabotaged all such goodwill by making a hullabaloo of the fact that President Patrick Hillery had declined an invitation to participate on that same occasion, on the grounds attributed to his Haughey In The Service Of The Nazis? spokesman that the President of Ireland "did not attend the ceremonies of foreign Myers, Damned Lies And Statistics armies". The fact that the Royal British Legion continued to berate the President in 1984, because he was on the Opposition In one of the send-up pieces that so of Ireland a year later made it impossible benches. The Taoiseach responsible for often constituted his "Irishman’s Diary", for Haughey as Taoiseach to authorise any decisions of this character, if such Kevin Myers wrote in the Irish Times on any further Government or Army presence there were, was the Fine Gael leader Garret 5 November 1988 of "the Government in November 1981, and he was even less FitzGerald, who held office from boycotting the service in St. Patrick’s to inclined to do so during the General December 1982 until March 1987. commemorate the Irishmen who gave their Election campaign of November 1982. lives in two world wars, but sending The British Legion Remembrance And rightly so, for this was a thoroughly representatives to commemorate the imperialist event whose warmongering Germans who were killed in the service of Sunday commemorations in St. Patrick’s Cathedral each November have gone manifesto was particularly chilling. the Nazis and are buried at Glencree." "Remembrance Day was not merely an This is a theme to which he has returned through many metamorphoses in style, but one thing they have never ceased to be English affair, but also to honour thousands two decades later, in the Irish Independent of Irishmen who died in the British forces", this 7 May, where the chief accused no is British. This was a lesson to be learned the hard way by the USSR following the proclaimed the sermon given by the Rev. longer remains anonymous but is Matthew Byrne, who had served as a personally targeted: "In 1984, Charles establishment in its first Embassy to Ireland in 1974. In November of that year the British Army chaplain while on active Haughey, in one of the most degrading imperialist service in Korea, Kenya and acts by any government since Soviet Ambassador participated in the St. Patrick’s wreath-laying ceremony, along Cyprus. "We helped to run the wars. We independence, not merely withdrew the made the weapons. We fought the battles. Army from the Remembrance Day Service with the ambassadors of the USSR’s World War Two Allies, under the misguided We gained the victories. Name the at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, but actually generals. Muster the sergeants. Roll-call increased the presence of the Defence assumption that, with a significant number of World War Two veterans still alive and the privates, the irks, the dogsbodies, and Forces, adding the Air Corps and the they’ll include names form every county Naval Service, at the memorial service for present, it was their common victory over Nazism that lay at the heart of Remem- in Ireland." He spoke of the regular the German war-dead of the Second World occurrences which brought them all to the War. The state was now effectively brance Sunday. Such Soviet participation in the St. Patrick’s Cathedral ceremonies edge of World War Three. "Ireland in that honouring the dead of the Third Reich, but war, whatever party is in power, whether not the scores of thousands of Irishmen continued until November 1978, when a sermon from the pulpit turned it quite she likes it or not, will be involved. And who had fallen in two world wars. That her preoccupation then will not be how to there was no outcry within Fianna Fáil explicitly into a Cold War event, with the preacher’s attack on the lack of freedom remain neutral, but how to survive", he about this tells us something of the secret said. (Irish Times, 15 November 1982). scripture of the party at that time". in Poland and Czechoslovakia being specifically targeted against the Soviet The defeat of Haughey in the December So, then, was Charles Haughey guilty Union. 1982 General Election led to the new Fine of a "pro-Nazi" war-dead "crime"? Gael Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald appoint- Benjamin Disraeli once spoke of three The previous Fine Gael leader Liam ing Paddy Cooney as Minister for the types of lies: "Lies, damned lies and Cosgrave, who served as Taoiseach from Defence. Cooney should have been proud statistics". Let us first dispose of the 1974 to 1977, had never viewed the British of his family pedigree. His uncle Seán statistical lie. Charles Haughey was not in Legion’s Remembrance Sunday as MacEoin, the famous "Blacksmith of a position to take any Government decision anything other than a British event and Ballinalee", was one of the most 13 outstanding IRA heroes of the War of German spy Hermann Goertz, but also for the bigoted reactions of a company of Independence. A Collins man to the bone, mobilising and organising the resources retired officers. Lt. Gen. Costello said he seconded Arthur Griffith’s motion in required to resist the much more serious that the tradition of the Army was that it favour of the Treaty in the Dáil Éireann threat of a British invasion. served neither King nor Kaiser but the debates but was above reproach in Irish people. It had been an uphill fight to personally fighting a clean Civil War. Under the heading of "Former Army establish that precedent, but that was its tradition and it was important that it Chief-of-Staff of the Free State Army Chief opposes UN Flag use in ceremony", remained so. The Irish who fought in during the late 1920s, MacEoin went on to the Irish Times reported as follows on 5 France in the first World War were serve two periods of office as Minister of November 1983: motivated either by a desire to fight for Defence during the 1950s, before "The use of the United Nations flag in little Belgium or to follow the lead given successively, but unsuccessfully, the Remembrance Day ceremonies by Redmond, but on their return home challenging both Seán T. O’Kelly and organised for Dublin next weekend by the from the British Army they did not join Eamon de Valera for the office of President British Legion was criticised yesterday the British Legion. It was an insult to of Ireland. by a former Chief-of-Staff of the Army, people who anathemised everything the Lieutenant-General Seán MacEoin, when British Legion stood for that the Army he and nine other senior ex-Army Cooney proved to be a disgrace to both should now be used to further a sectional personnel met the press to explain their cause. He said he believed that the Legion his pedigree and office. Not content with opposition to the proposed participation had now succeeded in arousing an resuming Haughey’s 1980 policy of having of the Army in the event … Lt. Gen. Seán antagonism here which would lead to its Government and Army representation in MacEoin, who is also a former commander destruction in Ireland and for that he the congregation on Remembrance of the United Nations forces in the Congo, would shed no tears. He denied that the Sunday, the coup he effected for November said that the departure from the previous group’s protest about the Army was in 1983 was actual participation in the Royal form of procedure in regard to the any sense anti-British." British Legion ceremonial procession, Remembrance ceremonies was sinister. with an Irish Army officer parading with When he heard that the Army was to If Cooney had got his way on November a UN flag in the midst of all those Union participate, his first reaction was disbelief. 1983, he had in the process caused such Due homage had been paid in the past to Jack-cornered regimental flags. Haughey unrest among Army ranks that he had to the Irishmen who died in two world wars, beat a hasty retreat the following year. In was indeed outraged, but left it to the late by the Legion, and that was right and Brian Lenihan to lead the Fianna Fáil proper, but he did not know why it had November 1984 he had to suffer the protests on this. It would, however, give now suddenly been decided that the Army personal indignity of attending the Fianna Fáil too much credit to say that it should take part in this particular service, Remembrance Sunday ceremonies made any decisive impact on the resulting even though their participation would be unaccompanied by any Army presence controversy. It was Army officer veterans’ on a small scale. ‘Big things very often whatsoever, even in the ranks of the opposition that counted. begin on a small scale as so-called trial congregation – in other words, with a runs’. He believed this was a trial run, reduced status compared to what Haughey Minister Cooney tried to dismiss as with the ultimate aim behind it of having had authorised in 1980! It was not Fianna irrelevant a committee that had been set participation on a much wider scale of the Fáil opposition that would force Fine Gael up in opposition to his coup, on the grounds Army in the future. He said the use of the to backtrack, but the wellspring of that – encompassing both Captain James United Nations flag in the event was ‘faulty’ and a cover for the carrying of our opposition spearheaded by former Army Kelly and former Minister for Defence leaders of impeccable Free State pedigree. Kevin Boland – it amounted to little more own national flag, which for obvious reasons could not be carried." These, in turn, were also joined should-to- than a case of "the usual suspects". But it shoulder by a former ADC to two Taoisigh, was this selfsame committee which "Lt. Gen. MacEoin said that Irish people who participated, and in some Seán Lemass and Jack Lynch, and a former actually forced Cooney’s defeat on the cases died, in the service of the United Captain of the Guard at Dáil Éireann. British Legion issue twelve months later. Nations would not like to see the UN flag Moreover, the initial setback in November The fact is that both Kelly and Boland carried in a commemoration service 1983 for those veteran Army officers only were more than willing to remain foot fostered by the British Legion. ‘This forced them to redouble their efforts in a soldiers behind an officer corps leadership should not happen.’ He said that if the sustained campaign that would ensure the Irish who died in the world wars, in 1916, that was impeccably Free State in its Minister for Defence’s retreat in pedigree. The committee was headed up 1919 and 1920-21, or with the UN, were November 1984. Under the headline of by a namesake but no relation of Cooney’s to be commemorated, the way to do it was through a day of national commemoration, "Costello urges national day for war dead", illustrious uncle. This second Lt. Gen. the Irish Times of 1 August 1984 reported: Seán MacEoin had joined the Free State no matter what cause they were serving. ‘We’ll leave causes out of it, Men serve "A nationwide day of national Army in 1931 and rose through the ranks for different reasons.’ The British Legion to become the Irish Army’s Chief-of-Staff commemoration of all Irish men and had made a grave mistake over this event women who died as a result of war was 1960-1971, his service including that of … The public should, he added, have had called for by Lieutenant General MJ Commander-in-Chief of the United warning through the Dáil on whether or Costello at a meeting held in Cork and Nations Forces in the Congo 1961-1962. not army participation was correct." presided over the Lord Mayor of Cork. An even more forceful presence was that "Lt. Gen. Costello, formerly O/C ‘The association of which I have the of Lt. Gen. Michael J. Costello, who, Southern Command, who was introduced honour to be the elected chairman came during the Civil War in 1922, at only 18 as having been one of the [Michael into existence as a direct consequence of years of age, had been made a Colonel of Collins] ‘boy colonels’, said he had come the arrangements made last year for the the Free State Army by Michael Collins. along to give the lie to two things; first to participation of Irish troops in the 1983 In 1924 he was promoted to the rank of deny the group represented only the voice Poppy Day ceremonies’, he said, Director of Intelligence and in 1927 to of a few bigots or that it was only a rump continuing: ‘Its immediate aim is to ensure speaking, but also to deny that because that Irish troops do not participate in the Director of Training, while for the duration they were silent about this issue the 1984 Poppy Day ceremonies and its of the War years 1939-1945 he served as acquiescence could be assumed of those ultimate aim is to secure the establishment General Officer Commanding the Army’s currently serving with the Army. He had of a Day of National Commemoration on Southern Division. As such, he was received many letters which showed that which all Irishmen and women died as a responsible not only for the apprehension this was not the case. In the Dáil earlier result of war, irrespective of the causes by his Chief Intelligence Officer Florrie this week the Minister for Defence Mr. served, could be commemorated in a single O’Donoghue of the support network for Cooney described the group’s attitude as ceremony with Irish Defence Forces 14 participation, under State control. The participation of Irish troops in that year’s is anything but a Nazi cemetery. Its 134 vast majority of Irishmen who joined the Poppy Day ceremonies and he called for a graves primarily contain the remains of British forces in the 1914-18 war, and in National Day of Commemoration, to be German airmen whose planes crashed, or the 1939-45 war, didn’t join out of loyalty scheduled for a date in July of each year. German seamen whose bodies were to the British Crown. Economic pressure, washed ashore, during the course of the misguided leadership, sense of adventure, Irish Army Officers were back in the Second World War, as well as the remains etc. were the principal factors. It is, accordingly, inappropriate that such men congregation on Remembrance Sunday of a small number of German seamen be commemorated by the Royal British in November 1985, but were never again from the First World War. True, it does Legion which is a British Institution to repeat their 1983 participation in the contain the remains of one German spy, incorporated by Royal Charter under the Royal British Legion pageantry. Hermann Goertz, who committed suicide patronage of the Crown and which exists Meanwhile, while finally designating 13 in 1947 rather than be forcibly repatriated ‘to inculcate a sense of loyalty to the July 1986 as a National Day of Commem- into the hands of Allied Forces in Germany, Crown’ …Participation by Irish troops in oration, the FitzGerald Government and whose remains were unofficially a parade with such a body in Poppy Day subverted the whole concept by fixing the transferred there from Dean’s Grange ceremonies is clearly wrong in view of venue for such a ceremony to take place in Cemetery about 30 years ago. But it also the requirements of the Constitution … the very Garden of Remembrance that contains the remains of a German Jewish As will be evident from the backgrounds of the various members of this association, had been opened in 1966 by President de refugee who was a Second World War it is strictly non-political. Men who took Valera in order to specifically commem- victim of both Nazi Germany and the opposite sides in the Civil War, and men orate and honour the 1916 Rising. The British Empire. An article by Michael who served in both the British Army, and Fine Gael - Labour Government added Kennedy in the May-June 2008 issue of in the War of Independence – like Colonel further insult to injury by installing a History Ireland publishes a photograph of Tony Lalor – are represented. It is open to plaque in that same Garden, bearing the one particular gravestone in that cemetery, everyone who supports the concept of a inscription "In honour of all those Irishmen with the following caption: "Adjoining Day of National Commemoration, and and women who died in past wars or on graves of Hans Moeller and Hans Denes when it had reached the objectives it is service with the UN". The Irish Times of who both died in the sinking of the aiming to achieve it will have fulfilled its 1 July 1986 reported on a press conference Arandora Star … Despite being a Jewish function, and hopefully will not be needed after that." held by Generals MacEoin and Costello, refugee from Nazi Germany, Moeller had at which the latter said the planned been interned by the British as an enemy The Irish Times of 24 September 1984 rededication to include Irishmen who alien." This British ship had been sunk by reported on the attempt by Colonel Brian fought in the British Army to destroy the a torpedo from a German U-boat 75 miles Clarke of the British Legion to present a cause of Irish freedom was ‘altogether ill- off the coast of Donegal on 2 July 1940. fait accompli in confirming that "senior fitting’. It would include Irish members of The ship had been crammed with 1,300 Army personnel, and the Minister, will the Black and Tans, he said. The Garden German and Italian internees, together again be invited to attend this year’s of Remembrance was already dedicated with their military guards, who were being ceremonies. As far as he knew, the ‘to those who gave their lives in the cause transported from Britain across the Atlantic arrangements for Army participation of Irish freedom’ and the Government had Ocean to far more distant internment would be the same, although he had not no right to dishonour it in the manner camps in Newfoundland. Kennedy further yet been in contact with the Department of proposed. To do so would be to hand over relates: Defence about them." But the same issue the commemoration of those men to Sinn "The internees were portrayed as a also reported on a meeting in Limerick Féin and the Provos, he said. security threat because of their ethnic that same weekend of the National Day of backgrounds and British fears of a ‘fifth On his return to power the following column’ … ‘Collar the lot’, Winston Commemoration Association: "General year Taoiseach Charles Haughey removed Churchill had ordered … They were men Costello said in Limerick on Saturday that that plaque from the Garden of Remem- like the tall, dapper, 28-year old Hans his association had pointed out repeatedly brance and transferred it to the Royal Moeller, a Jewish refugee from Nazi last year that in any public parade of Hospital, Kilmainham, which he also Germany …. Unwanted in Britain, instead troops in this country the national flag designated as the most suitable venue for bound for Canada … dead along with 800 should take precedence over all other flags. fellow internees… Moeller’s badly a National Day of Commemoration to be They had also stated that the UN flag was decomposed body was found on 29 July held in mid-July of each year. Notwith- at Maghery, Dungloe, Donegal … Moeller for use by forces from different nations on standing Costello’s further protests, peacekeeping missions, and that it would was buried in the remote graveyard at however, Haughey considered it approp- be a fraudulent use of that flag to have it at Termon, Maghery, Donegal. His body riately inclusive to continue inviting was later reinterred in the German war the head of any war commemoration on representatives of the British Legion to be cemetery at Glencree, Wicklow. It was a Poppy Day." quietly present in the congregation for strange twist of fate for a refugee from such a ceremony. Nazi Germany, but a reminder of the The Irish Times of 26 October 1984 universal suffering of war." reported Minister for Defence Cooney’s But what of the Myers charge that in comments that these distinguished retired 1984 Haughey had forced the State to The German War Graves Commission Army Officers were "making a show of honour dead Nazis instead? It is a damned of the Federal Republic of Germany had themselves". Costello’s response was to lie par excellence. Once again the received permission from the Irish achieve a full page interview and profile statistical lie is that Haughey was not in Government to establish a cemetery in by Seán Cronin in the issue of 3 November. power in 1984. Furthermore, at the Glencree in 1959. It spent the next two [This will be republished in a future issue November 1984 ceremony in the German years reinterring the remains of more than of Irish Political Review] That same War Cemetery in Glencree there was no 130 German war-dead, including the evening, at a meeting of his Association in question of ‘adding the Air Corps and the Jewish refugee Hans Moeller, from over a Kilkenny, which was also attended by Naval Service" to that of the Army, since 100 separate graves scattered over 15 General MacEoin, General Costello all three components of the Irish Defence counties in Ireland. At a ceremony attended announced that the first objective of the Forces had already been dispatched by by the parents, sisters and widows of some association has been achieved with the Minister Cooney to attend such a ceremony of those war-dead on 8 July 1961, it handed announcement by the British Legion that in November 1983. More important still, over the cemetery to the care of the Irish it had withdrawn its invitation for the the cemetery in Glencree, Co. Wicklow, Government, represented by the Minister 15 for External Affairs, Frank Aiken. That 1983 gave pride of place to the Royal to "Myers, damned lied and statistics", I ceremony occasioned the following British Legion’s own ceremonies: began this article in immediate response editorial rebuke from the Irish Times on "A small number of demonstrators to Myers’s lies about Haughey in the Irish 10 July 1961, under the heading of "A protested outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral Independent of 7 May. I had in fact written False Note": in Dublin yesterday as the Army took part the bulk of the above before Myers himself "For the Officers and crew of the for the first time ever in Remembrance published an article in that same paper on training ship Gneisenau, which at present Day ceremonies organised by the Royal 27 May, entitled "Lies, damned lies, and is paying a courtesy visit to Dublin, the British Legion in Ireland …. The Army the wickedness of Wikipedia". It was here, and the Government had been represented ceremony must have been impressive both unable to take a dose of his own medicine, as a symbol of Irish neutrality during the at Remembrance Day ceremonies before, but it was the participation of the Army that he whinged about lies concerning war and as a warning against the futility himself. Let us again recall the biggest of war as a means of settling international personnel in the ceremonies which caused differences. Those who gathered in controversy on this occasion … Also for whopper of a lie that he wrote on 7 May: Glencree yesterday were there to honour the first time, before the church service "In 1984, Charles Haughey … was now the dead of a sovereign nation which had began, the charge d’affaires of the West effectively honouring the dead of the Third been at war. This was no place for political German Embassy laid a wreath on the war Reich … That there was no outcry within speeches. It may seem a little strange, memorial …" On the same page it was Fianna Fail about this tells us something therefore, that the Ambassador to Ireland reported: "The Defence Forces (Army, …" It does indeed. For what other Party of the Federal Republic of Germany Naval Services and Air Corps) and the with any sense of self-respect would now British Embassy were represented for the should have introduced a note of acrimony. "stand idly by" and have all its ranks, from By pointing out that the Germans buried first time at the Remembrance Day ceremonies in the German cemetery at top to bottom, stay absolutely silent when in Glencree were victims of the ‘criminal its recently deceased former leader is so regime of National Socialism’ he may Glencree … The West German have been warranted in reminding people Ambassador and the British Embassy (on viciously slandered as a Nazi? of Hitler’s misdeeds, and thereby have behalf of the Royal British Legion) laid Manus O’Riordan done his country a political service. wreaths at the war memorial." The role Nevertheless, his words not merely were played by the West German Ambassador unkind to the visiting relatives of the at this ceremony was to express war guilt, Lisbon Treaty dead, but could be interpreted too clearly not just for the Second World War but just as casting a slur upon gallant men who as much for the First World War as well: Debate "(They) came to this cemetery to died in the honourable faith and fear of The Irish Times published a letter by soldiers." remember the victims of the two World Wars … The ambassador said that Barry Desmond, a former Labour Germans had not forgotten that the disaster Minister, critical of the stance of Jack No, certainly not the kind of Irish Times O'Connor and SIPTU on 4th June, and a editorial we have come to expect. But then had emanated from their country. They were very grateful that after the war, their reply from the SIPTU President on 5hth it was written by Alec Newman, who had European neighbours, the US and Canada June succeeded RM Smyllie as Irish Times turned to them with understanding the The letter below from Manus O'Riordan, editor in 1954, only to be forced out of that reconciliation." That this Glencree replying to Barry Desmond, submitted on position before the end of 1961 itself. ceremony was essentially one being 4th June, failed to find publication While personal problems and commercial orchestrated for NATO Allied Forces was deficiencies may well have been to the underlined by the following year’s As an ITGWU-Siptu member since fore in that involuntary "resignation", the ceremony, as reported in the Irish Times 1957, may I point out that my union above editorial cannot have helped on 19 November 1984: "For the second president, Jack O'Connor, does not speak Newman’s stay, and must have stuck in year the Defence Forces were officially for me when he adopts "a euro each way" the gullets of those whom Brendan Behan represented … Army Headquarters … policy on the referendum? His demand the Navy … the Air Corps. Wreaths were for a Government declaration to implement had christened "the Captains and the laid by the (West) German ambassador Kings" and who were in the tradition best statutory union negotiating rights, prior to … by the US Defence Attaché, Col. Carl June 12th, as a precondition for our union's represented by the monocled Major Tom Gustav Finstrom, by the British Defence McDowell himself. Newman subsequent- Attaché, Brigadier John Osborne, and by Yes vote simply does not wash. ly found a home in the Irish Press as a Mr. Reginald George, the chairman of the He knows full well that successive leader writer. As Lionel Fleming pointed Royal British Legion in Ireland." taoisigh have already given commitments out, in an appreciation in the Irish Times On with this new Anglo-German to Ictu that in the event of the Charter of Fundamental Rights being adopted with of 8 March 1972 following his death, alliance towards an anti-Soviet World War while Newman as wartime assistant editor Three, to recall the sentiments of the 1982 the treaty, it will be given legal force. He had been no less vigorous than editor St. Patrick’s Cathedral sermon! also knows that Ictu and the European Smyllie himself in struggling against de Trade Union Confederation, representing Valera’s Emergency censorship, "two Contrary to the Myers damned lies, 60 million workers in 36 countries, fully more dissimilar characters could hardly when Charlie Haughey returned to power support the treaty and the charter. Jack be imagined … Smyllie still a ‘loyalist’, in 1987 he put an immediate stop to any O'Connor surely knows that thousands of Newman already edging towards further Irish armed forces presence at such fellow union members have had their social Republicanism." German war cemetery ceremonies, no less rights greatly enhanced by progressive than he had put a stop to such participation EU legislation. The €40 billion net Irish And what about the Irish armed forces in Royal British Legion ceremonies. His receipts from EU budgets since 1973 have representation at Glencree in 1983 and solution was the annual National Day of provided employment for thousands of 1984, whose history has been distorted to Commemoration, which this year takes our members. the point of total invention by Kevin place on Sunday, 13 July. But the Myers I am dismayed that our union's president Myers? They were there as part of yet predilection for telling whoppers of lies should have indulged, in effect, in the another British-sponsored package to be about the not-so-long dead [knowing that, cynical No opportunism of Sinn Féin, eagerly embraced by Fine Gael Minister being dead, they cannot sue for libel] is now embedded in Northern Ireland with for Defence Paddy Cooney. Under the just as strongly alive and kicking today as the deep Euroscepticism of the DUP. That heading of "Army takes part in Poppy Day when I first drew attention to it thirteen he should, by default, allow our union to Ceremony", the Irish Times front page years ago. Lest anybody think that I have drift into the hysterical pro-lifers' No camp coverage in its issue of 14 November plagiarised Myers himself with reference or give comfort to the US-oriented neo- 16 conservatives of Libertas is deplorable. I I was saddened by Barry Desmond's does tend to gild the lily when overselling omit the No campaigns of the designer letter (June 4), in which misrepresentation the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the Trots of various hues because they at least of SIPTU's position was coupled with absence of matching domestic legislation. have a class-ridden agenda all of their highly personalised invective against I fully support that Charter, while own. SIPTU President Jack O'Connor recognising that it will remain as yet a Jack O'Connor is gravely and rightly …I myself, as a senior ITGWU-SIPTU rather thin garment for Irish workers. But concerned about the exploitation of low- official since 1971, will be taking my own I fully agree with Proinsias de Rossa that paid casual and migrant workers. May I personal decision to vote Yes. Such the effect on Irish workers' rights of a No suggest that, rather than demanding democratic rights were not always vote would result in nothing but statutory state underpinning of union acknowledged in the past. In 1971-72 I hypothermia, as such a vote would be membership, he should heed the conscientiously fulfilled my obligations correctly viewed in Europe as having been admonition of my late father, who worked as a union employee to produce arguments won by the well-oiled Libertas campaign unceasingly for our union from 1924 to in support of the ITGWU's opposition to for unrestricted capitalist greed. That is 1974. He said: "Go out and organise the entry into the EEC, while reserving my why my own vote will be an unequivocal exploited at the workplace; seek no favours right to politically campaign in my own Yes. Manus O'Riordan from Church or State and the employers personal time for a "Yes to Europe" vote. will then know the strength of your union's The fact that, as the Irish Times reported rights."… Barry Desmond on 1 March 1971, "the Labour Party Conference decisively opposed entry to Although I never agreed with Barry the EEC in any form" , and that this was Desmond's attitude to the republican used as yet another stick with which to Luck And Roy Foster movement, I nonetheless hold him in the beat me, did not lessen my resolve to stand highest personal regard.… up to all such attempts to bully me into a Roy Foster's latest book Luck and the However, he grossly misrepresents our "No" position. These memories now evoke Irish: A Brief History of Change, 1970- union's position on the Lisbon Treaty in from me an abhorrence of the behaviour 2000 has had a series of very bad reviews his letter of June 4th. We have made no of some of those, whose support for the by some of his greatest admirers. This is a demand for a Government declaration to EU is of shorter duration than my own, new phenomenon. Has the anti-revisionist implement "statutory union negotiating who have been currently attempting to movement grown enormously, quite rights". Our position is that we will support bully SIPTU into becoming "Yes" suddenly? the Lisbon Treaty if the Government campaign foot soldiers for the present The bad reviews began with Olivia commits to legislate for an entitlement to referendum, no matter what. O'Leary in the Irish Times. After fulsome the benefits of collective bargaining for On RTE on 31 March Labour Party praise for Foster she says: workers (and, by implication, prohibition leader Eamon Gilmore charged that "That said, however, I have some against discrimination for seeking to SIPTU's "conditional support for the major reservations about 'Luck and the organise to achieve it). This is enshrined Lisbon Treaty" was an attempt "to advance Irish', starting with the title. I'm in the treaty through the Charter of sectional interests", while on 30 May the reminded of young Margaret Thatcher's Fundamental Rights. It is already enjoyed Labour Party spokesman on European rejoinder when someone told her she by workers in virtually every other country Affairs, Joe Costello, came out with the was a lucky girl to have won a piano in the EU. However, it will be of little accusation that "SIPTU is now mirroring prize: "I wasn't lucky. I deserved it." Is practical value here even if the treaty is the stance of the IFA". I am no admirer of Foster implying somehow that the peace ratified, unless the Oireachtas legislates and prosperity of recent years is wholly the Mullingar Accord, which resulted in undeserved and that we did nothing to for it. such self-inflicted damage to Labour in help bring it about? He says the growth The issue is far far more significant the General Election, but on this occasion rate that reduced unemployment than industrial relations, important though Labour might have taken a leaf out of Fine "appeared like a miraculous beast they are. It is one of the critical measures Gael's book. Fine Gael did not dismiss the materialising in a forest clearing, from balancing the interests of workers with 85,000 members strong IFA as just another 1990, and economists are still not those of business in the treaty, which sectional interest, but recognised the entirely sure why". Aren't they? promotes a free-market economy. It validity of its concerns, and helped the .....These pages bristle with Foster's affords ordinary people some possibility farmers force the Taoiseach to concede on pride in being a "revisionist". It all of developing a countervailing force to the possible use of an Irish veto in trade becomes a little tedious—so much has the awesome power of global capitalism. happened to destroy the old nationalist negotiations. But your headline of 31 May, belief system that one wonders at this It provides a basis for articulating their that "Cowen rejects SIPTU demand on stage who is revising whom. The interests in political lobbying, affording bargaining rights", still remains in effect, sources he quotes to back up his views, them some influence in the course of in no small part due to the failure to date of particularly on the Belfast Agreement events. It strengthens democracy in society the Labour Party leadership to appreciate and the peace process, are quite and it has been central to the success of the that the concerns of the 276,000 members selective. A broader list would have EU project. strong SIPTU are no mere "sectional been reassuring……One is taken aback, Barry's allegation that I "know full well interests", but constitute fundamental too, by a number of errors of fact."(27 that successive taoisigh have already given issues of workers' rights. Had Labour acted Oct.2007) commitments that, in the event of the otherwise it might have helped the Ouch! charter being adopted with the Treaty, it Taoiseach change his mind and, as a will be given legal force", is simply untrue. consequence, guaranteed SIPTU's John A. Murphy and Ronan Fanning I know nothing of the kind. However, if it unequivocal endorsement of a "Yes" vote. were very critical of it on the "Off the were the case, it must be possible for the While I am not a member of the Labour shelf" book review programme on RTE Taoiseach to reiterate those commitments Party, I do appreciate that Labour MEP with the former reacting very strongly and offer some reassurance as to what Proinsias de Rossa has had a record of against the chapter on "How the Catholics they mean. In that case we would be able championing Irish workers' rights in became Protestants" by quoting a to recommend support for the treaty. Europe that no other MEP - past, present character from Joyce who reacted to the Jack O'Connor or for a long time to come - could claim to suggestion put to him that as he had lost be within an ass's roar of matching. But he his Catholicism he had become a Protestant 17 by responding that he had lost his religion nose. Education, Batt O'Keeffe, gives this matter but not his self-respect. Ouch! But Irish history proper has become some thought. He is eminently qualified Even worse (or better) was to come such an unknown quantity in terms of the to appreciate the problem. He comes from from David McWilliams in History lack of sheer information available that the heart of Sliabh Luachra where history Ireland : these same people simply do not have the has not (yet) lost its meaning; he is also a "It is less an objective history than a knowledge available to them and therefore very conscious successor to Sean Moylan, venting of spleen by Professor Foster the critical skills to judge Foster when he both as a TD for the same constituency on contemporary Ireland—full of deals with ancient history, i.e., pre 1970— and as a previous Minister for Education. invective against Fianna Fail, the church never mind pre-historic times like 1916 and county councillors. We've heard it Moylan had no existential problems about and the War of Independence. life and history. all before in Grogan's….The main There were never so few people problem with the Professor's thesis Having 'come from nothing', losing his about luck is that, to anyone with a studying history in our schools and there seat at one stage and having had to fight passing knowledge of Junior Cert were never so many Professors of History, and win in a new constituency at the last Economics, it is clear that the Irish of the ilk of Professor Foster. There is a election in what was known, rightly, as economic boom can be explained by direct relationship between the two the 'the constituency of death' I think Batt the key economic factors of because Foster is saying essentially that O'Keeffe does not rate luck as a demography, credit and industrial Irish history is meaningless. Who in their determining factor in life. I imagine that policy, all of which were planned….The right mind would want to be interested in Professor Roy Foster would not be his major hero of the book is Garrett a meaningless subject? preferred bedtime reading. Look closely Fitzgerald, whose hagiographical Let's hope the new Minister for treatment here left this reader at what he says and does. speechless…..Garret Fitzgerald's Jack Lane Ireland was a country of mass emigration that accelerated under his leadership, and no amount of rewriting of history can disguise that. Haughey, on the other hand gets slated at every The Lord Professor Bew opportunity….Let's hope that 'Luck and the Irish' was an aberration." (March/ And The Forging Of A Shared Past April 2008). Part Four But it is not an aberration. It is classic, vintage Foster. Foster has not changed his In the magpies' nest of bits and pieces, Ireland: The Politics Of Enmity, by Lord "What role did the threat of renewed approach one iota in this book. It is the British force play in the Irish decision same style and approach. The same snide Professor Bew, which is the Irish volume in the Oxford History of Modern Europe, to compromise in the treaty negoti- remarks passing off as analysis. The ations? There is no question that the shallowness and superficialities are all we read: "Michael Collins insisted that Lloyd George never made a “threat of threat of massive British troop there. So why the change in his readers? investment in Ireland played a role in Why has Foster been suddenly seen by immediate and terrible war”" (p421). the decision of the IRA leadership to them in his true light as a charlatan? call a ceasefire. There is also no doubt Incidentally, McWilliams is effectively So Collins negotiated freely as an equal, that in the late phases of the negotiations admitting that the basis of the Irish boom and signed up for the Crown, the Oath and both Churchill and Lloyd George were leads back to Haughey. That, of course, is the Empire because he wanted them, and seen to go out of the way to make sure not because they were forced on him by an that C.P. Scott, the editor of the yet to be acknowledged by the chattering Manchester Guardian, heard some classes but as the scales have fallen from Imperial Power that he reckoned was irresistible? And he acted in freedom blood-curdling threats; the British some eyes concerning Mr. Foster maybe leader may well have calculated that… other scales will begin to fall as well. when making war on the IRA to enforce his Treaty because it was his desire to these threats would reach the Sinn Fein A few years ago the Aubane Historical leadership. But how credible were these Society published a book called Envoi— remain within the Empire under the threats, given the mood of British public taking leave of Roy Foster where it washed Crown? And he did this after spending his opinion? Scott himself acknowledged its hands of Foster as a waste of time and lifetime up to December 1921 pretending that parts of the British political space. Even though the above luminaries that his ideal was an independent republic! establishment could never have are doing the same it is most unlikely that The Lord Professor's authority for this countenanced a renewal of war. remarkable claim is Hayden Talbot's 1922 Michael Collins insisted that Lloyd they are doing so under the influence of George never made a “threat of Aubane. What they are influenced by is pot-boiler, Collins' Own Story. I do not immediate and terrible war”. Perhaps the logic of their own knowledge. Foster recall that reference on the spur of the more revealingly, the Daily Chronicle, made the mistake of dealing with moment. But I recall that Collins said Lloyd George's own organ, stated that something these people could actually something like it in the Dail in response to if talks broke down with the Sinn Fein relate to. If Ireland's luck was in, his luck anti-Treaty jibes about giving way before delegation they would be followed, not ran out in dealing with it. All these British threats. But his meaning as I recall be renewed fighting, but by further reviewers lived through the period in was that Lloyd George's particular negotiation" (p421). question. They were engaged with it. They expression of the threat of war was not So De Valera got it right. What was were not spectators. They did not need to what made him sign the Treaty, because needed was controlled brinkmanship on empathise with it. It was their own story as he had always regarded the British threat the Irish side. But Collins jumped the gun, much as—and even more so—than as being continuously operative. He had and seven months later he was fighting, in Foster's. There was no need for historical not needed Lloyd George's reminder to alliance with Britain, a war against the imagination. They had the information keep him in mind that everything done in Republican Army that had forced Britain and therefore the confidence to critically Ireland was done under British duress. to call a Ceasefire and negotiate. assess his treatment of it. And they found But the Lord Professor offers it as his it absurd, embarrassingly absurd. Like own opinion that the 'Treaty' was not That follows from the Lord Professor's meeting an old friend who had suddenly signed under British threats—at least not assessment, but naturally he does not say developed a large mole on the tip of his under "credible" ones: it. 18 Bew seems to have been increasingly Where was the "real" in 1913-14, if not in behind the "apparent" and contradicted it orientated towards counterfactual the appearance that the British Constitution is an abstraction constructed after the history—history that did not happen—in had discarded its fripperies and resolved event, when all that was present to the recent decades. But the counter-factual is itself into its elements, the two parties mind during the event was no longer not a fact—except perhaps for Heidegger which constituted the functional state. present. The fact that the Home Rule on a diversion—and history that strays Those parties had broken off consensual conflict did not result in civil war is what from what happened becomes something relations. They were equal in size. An he describes as real. But that is not a else. alien intruder in the English Constitution "real" that was present in the conflict and put the Liberals in office for the purpose ensured that it did not result in war. It was What happened was that Collins made of changing a Constitution in which it not anything within the conflict that averted the Irish delegates sign the 'Treaty' after refused to participate. The Unionists (not civil war. The conflict did not run its Lloyd George had persuaded them that the Tories but the Tories/social reform course and resolve itself, either peacefully they would be responsible for an Liberals) said they would not stand for it. or violently, through the conduct of the intensified and irresistible British war The Unionists raised an Army, which did forces involved in it. It was set aside by effort, which would be set in motion at not drill secretly in the hills, but on the the foreign war that the State chose to once if they did not sign. The fact is that lawns of Great Houses, and with rifles not engage in at the critical moment. The the threat was made credible, to those at hurleys, and with officers from the Army Bachelor's Walk shootings were the whom it was directed, in the situation in of the Empire. And the Government was headline news when war on Germany was which they had to act. not in effective control of the Army of the decided upon, and then they were quickly Was Lloyd George bluffing? His State. forgotten. personal secretary, Mr. Shakespeare, Thirty years ago the Lord Professor thought the immediate resumption of said I was an arse-licker of the Unionist It became a standard item of the British war—by means of the letter to be put on working class, while he was a scientist war propaganda that the intensity of the the train that was waiting—was a bluff, viewing the conflict dispassionately. I Home Rule conflict gave the Germans to but intention to make war if the Irish could never see what bearing science had understand that the moment was opportune refused the 'Treaty' was not. on a conflict within the English to wage war as Britain was disabled by its My opinion, for what it's worth, is that Constitution. And from my vantage point internal rupture. I could find no evidence Lloyd George himself did not know I was able to see what the English to support that argument, but I could see a whether he was bluffing, and that if put to Constitution, however unpleasant, actually strong case for its inversion: Britain seized it he would probably have found that he was. on an opportunity to ward off civil war by was. He was facing a catastrophe in I doubt if the Lord Professor has ever using a European conflict as a means of Turkey in the war of conquest into which looked at a fraction of what was apparent launching a World War. he had impelled the Greeks, and he was in 1913-14. The apparent included Dicey, But, because of the Home Rule conflict, cut off in his political prime less than a the foremost authority on the Constitution Britain was unable to fight the kind of year later by the feedback from that war. then and for decades afterwards, being World War for which it had planned. He had grabbed the world but it was able to envisage civil war as being An indisputably real consequence of beginning to leak out through his fingers. necessary to defend the Constitution, and the apparent in the Summer of 1914 was But the revisionists do not reckon with F.S. Oliver trying to imagine a way of that Britain was without a War Minister to British world affairs. Their outlook is avoiding it. I wonder where the real was put into operation the kind of war for provincial. hiding. which the Committee of Imperial Defence The Lord Professor says the Irish had made preparation. The War Minister, delegates were not "credibly" threatened, The thing about the English Seely, had used himself up in warding off but thought they were. And Professor Constitution in its prime was that what the Curragh Mutiny. He had acted beyond Garvin says they were given independence you saw was what there was. It was a case his authority in making a deal with the but thought they weren't. As the Irish of "Look! No hands!" There was no mutineers, who were officers essential for Times says, "What kind of people are mystery to it—apart from 'the usual the war on Germany for which preparations we?"—"we" being of course the polite channels' and cabals that were not really had been made, and he had to be sacked in form of "you". secret or actually in control. It might even order to placate the back benches. His be said that there was nothing to it. It just greatest service to the State, as he records Bew comments as follows on another worked. Its workings were often in his memoirs, was that by acting on his threat of war: catastrophic for other peoples, but own authority he warded off a formal "a language of threat entered catastrophe had been warded off at home Mutiny and saved the Army for the war on mainstream politics embodied in the by an oligarchic sense of prudence or Germany. Ulster Volunteer Force: senior Tories camaraderie. The thing about 1913-14 as well as Ulster Unionists connived at was that the oligarchic sense of That was in March 1914. There was illegal gun-running. It can be said that camaraderie had been heavily diluted by still no replacement Minister by July. Not this was an extreme form of the politics of theatre, and that the danger of civil democratic elements and particularly by just anybody could be given the job. Most war was always more apparent than the Nonconformist infusion into the members of the Government were not in real—but there is no question that Liberal Party. on the secret arrangements of the nationalist Ireland felt mightily When the eleventh hour arrived in July Committee of Imperial Defence, and the provokes. The unionists having 1914 there was still no sign of the Liberal backbenchers would have been borrowed some Fenian methods, the emergence of a "real" from somewhere outraged if they had got wind of the nationalists, in turn, took them back: in which would give the lie to the "apparent". preparations that had been made. The such a context, Parnell's and Redmond's Prime Minister double-jobbed as War hopes for a domestic reconciliation of The reason the twelfth hour did not strike was that another war supervened and the Minister while trying to find a way out of creeds and classes were destroyed" the Home Rule conflict. (p369). possibility of domestic war was set aside for the duration, on the condition that the Kitchener, the great war hero from the "More apparent than real"! When the Home Rule conflict would resume when Colonies, happened to be Home of leave eye is filled with seeing and the ear with Germany was crushed. at the beginning of August. A War Minister hearing, where is the "real" if that is not it. The Lord Professor's "real" which lay was required, and Kitchener was obviously 19 the man for the job. The people called for years of age. On the day each child will get child an autographed copy of her book him and the Government had to comply. an opportunity to board the helicopter and 'Little Red'. When lunch and the speeches walk through it, seeing at first hand the were finished the Duchess was presented In all of this I can see a sensible use for complexity of the technology on board." with a cake for her upcoming birthday, the terms "apparent" and "real". The Rather amazingly, this was endorsed by and went to cut it with Jerry's assistance. Liberal Imperialist inner group of the the local youth centre, 'The Knocknaheeny "The Duchess had a lovely way with her", Cabinet had made detailed secret Justice Project. (It is a venture by the local said Jerry's mother Mary "She said preparations for war on Germany, but had gardai at Gurranabraher, overseen by goodbye to every child by name when she to make it appear that it had not done so. Superintendent Con Cadogan, along with left at 4 p.m. The Duchess commented to And then it had to manipulate events so Cork City Council and the Fianna Fail the Press that "My work is with children that a willingness for war was generated Cllr. Tony Fitzgerald.) Cllr. Fitzgerald and I am honoured to be Patron of the within the realm of appearance. stressed that: "It will be a great day for the Daisychain Foundation. It is because I am The detailed arrangements for the community, it is a huge task to undertake the mother of two daughters that I am placing of an Expeditionary Force in and organize such a visit, but the especially interested in children's charities. France were set in motion by the Lord community is looking forward to the This is one of the reasons that the Chancellor, Haldane. He had made those challenge and it promises to be a very Daisychain Foundation appeals to me. It arrangements as War Minister six years exciting day." The day dawned and out of always feels like coming home when I earlier. But they were still so secret that he the skies rotated a huge RAF Sea King come here and I am very much looking had now to get down off the woolsack and rescue helicopter with 11 crew on board. forward to meeting those special families", make them operational. It was bristling with the expected she said of her visit to Ireland and the And then Kitchener—living in the realm technology (some of its uses were left charity. Choice Hotels Ireland put out a of appearances—took over and made unsaid, after all the children needed only statement that they "feel privileged to be preparations for a very different kind of so much information). Lieutenant in a position to support families with war, in which Britain would slog it out Commander Steve Hopkins of the Royal disability. Our objective this year is to with the Germans, instead of fighting its Navy Sea and Rescue Service said that increase the standard of living for over usual naval war with only sufficient land "the visit to Knochnaheeny and Hollyhill 25,000 families affected with disability." forces to keep its Allies engaged. was the best they had ever encountered" and they were "privileged and delighted Actual situations are rarely simple, and to receive such a huge welcome to the GORMLEY'S EAGLES. the singling out of a particular constituent community." Speaking later at the City Minister Gormley (he of the soxless of them as being determinant, rendering Hall, Deputy Lord Mayor Cllr. Tony sandal wearing) is up to his tricks again. the others somehow unreal, is usually Fitzgerald welcomed the crew and listened After another dead eagle turned up, he had politically inspired. And the political as Lieutenant Commander Hopkins spoke called in the guards and issued threats to inspiration in the case of the Lord about their visit: "I must say we are all the local populace of County Kerry where Professor's history is both apparent and taken aback with the reception we received the bird's body was found. Toxicology real. and the huge interest from the children at tests showed that the chemical Trodaz Brendan Clifford St. Mary's on the Hill Primary School. We was involved. No less than two post- were delighted also to visit the local youth (I really must try to get on to the deleted mortems were carried out, one at the centre where we received a full Irish segment of the Lord Professor's political Department of Agriculture's Regional breakfast from the staff which we Veterinary Laboratory in Cork and the biography next month. That is, neither his thoroughly enjoyed and kept us going all brief association with the People's State Laboratory in Celbridge, in Co. day." By the way, Cllr. Fitzgerald was Democracy and Athol Street, but his long Kildare. It was concluded that, as Trodaz specially deputised by Fianna Fail Lord is used as a wormer in cattle and sheep that and close involvement with Official Mayor Cllr. Donal Counihan who wears Republicanism (the Stickies) under one or that was how the eagle got it. As there was the plastic poppy on occasion. other of its many names.) a partially eaten sheep found near the carcass it didn't take a genius to guess what the eagle had been up to. Did we hear Macroom boy's visit with the a word of comfort for the poor farmer for Duchess of York. Does the loss of his sheep? Were we told how it It was a special day for a young boy and much and how soon compensation was his parents when they recently lunched being given out to the said farmer for the Stack with the Duchess of York. Jerry, aged 5 is loss of one of his flock? Indeed were we a student of the Special Unit at St. Colman's told all the facts relating to the case – e.g. up? who, with his dog Gaz which he received how many more sheep or other herd from the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, animals were killed and eaten? And look and his parents, was invited by the at the wanton waste. These predator eagles THE BRITISH ARMY AND RECRUITMENT. Daisychain Foundation to dine with Sarah are living high on the hog in Kerry what We were informed that Cork was going Ferguson at the Quality Hotel in Dublin. between sheep, lambs and salmon. When to have a visit from the British Army and There were ten invited families in all and is that idiot Minister of the Environment it was all arranged by the locals! So we the boy's mother whose son is autistic going to realise that introducing a specimen ferreted out that Knocnaheeny (one of the showed Jerry the Duchess's photographs predator back into an area one hundred poorest and most deprived suburbs in the so he'd recognise her. The Duchess arrived years after its extinction is not being north of the city) was the location for the around midday for the lunch and posed environmentally aware. Rather it is in visit. What comes next is really ugly even with all the families. She also spoke with itself, environmental terrorism. for the times that are in it. The local each family. Jerry seemed to pick up on school, St. Mary's on the Hill, found in its her kindness and rather attached himself Principal, Kevin O'Callaghan a vocal to her, even accompanying her while she ANOTHER ROYAL AWARD. cheerleader for the event. He stated; "St. made her speech. The guests sat down for Television presenter and journalist Joe Mary's on the Hill has over 400 children lunch and there was little formality. Indeed O'Shea received a special RNLI (Royal on campus ranging in age from three to 12 after the starter, the Duchess gave each National Lifeboat Institution) supporter 20 award at the RNLI's annual presentation showed his ignorance of Irish affairs when of awards recently. Joe, originally from he said "I'm surprised by this result as Review: The Best is Yet to Come by Marc the Rebel County, received the award at a Ireland resolved all its problems by joining Coleman ceremony at the Barbican Centre in the EU". It has been demonstrated that the London from the wife of Prince Charles of Celtic Tiger owed very little to the EU and Coleman: Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall in economic advances in the years 1963 - Jacobite Economics? recognition of his support for the charity 1973 (before Ireland joined the EEC) were over the past year. It was a great pity that more than between 1973 and 1983 after the Irish kept on this title for the rescue Ireland joined the now EU. Fintan O'Toole The author of this book is the economics service and it isn't the empty fiction that showed his incisive and "intelligent" mettle editor for Newstalk 106 and a columnist some would like to believe it is. Those in as assistant Editor of the Irish Times on for the Sunday Independent. Before joining the know see it as a source of power and June 14th by facetiously comparing the that newspaper he worked for The Irish above all – money. If you ever see the Referendum Day with the 20th Anniver- Times. It would be interesting to know street collectors with their boat-shaped sary of Ireland's (sic) defeat of England in why he made the move from the daily collection boxes, if you look real hard, the 1988 European soccer championships. newspaper to the Sunday. Certainly, his you would be surprised like me to see that (sic) His usual wit and wisdom. Stephen subsequent articles for the Sunday Inde- it all goes back to the UK. And we are Collins, in the Irish Times also, said pendent and some of his ideas in this book talking serious money. It is said that the "Ireland could agree to proceed with the would have been "off message" from the women-members of the Royal Cork Yacht elements that do not require a referendum perspective of his former employers. And Club literally fight (well not quite) over and opt out of those that do". That is to at the time of writing he is engaged in a vantage pay-points in the South Mall, say, the Government could go against the quite personalised spat with Fintan Cork. Are the boats and equipment made will of the people expressed in the O'Toole on the subject of economics. in Ireland? It does not stack up. democratic referendums. It just does not Unusually for an economist, Coleman stack up but nothing surprises us any more is interested in history. In one of his Sunday from that lot. Independent articles he declared his EU REFORM. opposition to Ireland rejoining the Why "reform"? Answer because the commonwealth on Jacobite grounds! He EU is now 27 states. (Well maybe 26 after LEST WE FORGET. thinks that as long as the statue of Oliver our vote!) Where is the logic in this? The The Red Kettle Theatre Company said Cromwell remains in front of Westminster, USA did not need to draft a new on their leaflet advertising their play Boy Ireland should not even contemplate Constitution every time a state was added Soldier that they "are proud to present rejoining. That is certainly not an idea that to the original 13 states up to 50 now. So their tour of 'The Boy Soldier', a play would have much chance of being the Eurocrats will not give us the real based on the story of John Condon, the published in the self-proclaimed reason for the Reform Treaty, previously youngest allied soldier killed in WW1 and "newspaper of reference". more or less the EU Constitution which a native of Ballybrickan, Waterford. John In his short book Coleman conducts a was defeated by France and the Condon was just 14 years old when he was brief survey of Irish history and advances Netherlands. The rejection by Ireland on killed during the second battle of Ypres, the thesis that Ireland's economic problems 12th June is still being referred to as "a on 24th May 1915—the first time gas was were exacerbated by a low population disaster" and a "crisis". The EU President used in warfare." density following the famine. A sparse has said Brian Cowen will have to explain This play, based on a disgraceful and population which is dispersed makes "his failure" to have the Treaty approved. disgusting episode, was sponsored certain types of economic activity difficult The Treaty was rejected by 53.4%. This incredibly by FAS, Waterford City to sustain. Public transport becomes less sort of democracy is not wanted by the Council, the Arts Council and by Clem viable. Also the social interaction between Eurocrats. Barroso stated that the other 26 Jacob. When will they ever learn? The various entrepreneurs which comes from states should continue to ratify the Treaty. first time gas was used in war was by the high population density facilitates This attitude in Brussels completely British Army on 24th and 25th April 1915 capitalist development. vindicates the NO voters in Ireland who and the wind blew the gas back on the He says Northern Ireland was able to are afraid that Brussels has become too British soldiers. By nightfall, 15,470 were recover more quickly from the famine arrogant. EU Commissioner Charlie dead or wounded (for life) by the chlorine because it was less affected by it and its McCreavy is behaving like a shoneen, gas. It seems likely that poor John Condon industries were not subjected to pleading with the EU "not to consider the was killed by the British themselves. John protectionism from Britain. He gives as Irish ungrateful". What should the Irish Condon was forced to join up because his an example the woollen industry in be grateful for? For receiving EU money father had died and he wanted to help his Yorkshire which was protected from to leave our land fallow so as to support mother to feed the family. His need, and competition from Southern Ireland. This other states' agriculture—especially that of millions more Irish people, was was in contrast to the linen industry in the France? Or for having our fishing grounds caused intentionally by successive British North which had unfettered access to the plundered by Spanish/French/Dutch and Governments and their policies to keep British market. This is the standard UK trawlers? The amount taken out of Ireland poor so that jobs in the British nationalist explanation for the uneven Irish waters in fish annually is far far more Army and the British Navy would be development of capitalism in Ireland. (I than all the so-called "EU grants". Charlie filled by Irish boys. Did they know he was am surprised that this view still persists 35 McCreavy gets this month's O B N. only 13 or 14 when he joined up? Did they years after the publication of The On the other hand, the British Conserv- care? Do they care now when they conduct Economics of Partition by Brendan ative Party says the Irish NO was a great what is actually to all purposes a recruiting Clifford. As readers of this magazine will day for Britain and William Hague said drive in Knocknaheeny, Cork? Conducted know the decisive factor was not the "The British Government must respect the with the approval of the Irish Government. woollen industry but the different systems Irish people's verdict. Ratification of the Have we no sense of outrage? Is our of land tenure in the North and South. The Lisbon Treaty in parliament (UK) must be national dignity so gone? Just think, would class struggle on the land was at a more stopped immediately." The Dutch and the Recruiting Sergeant be welcome in advanced stage in the North, which French were jubilant—the people not the Rochestown/Douglas or Dublin 4? facilitated the accumulation of capital politicians. The Croatian, Stipe Mesic, Michael Stack. among a dynamic emerging bourgeoisie. 21 These conditions did not exist in the South. consumption taxes such as VAT and excise unrealistic to expect that the outcome There was just a rack rented peasantry duty. of final status negotiations will be a full subordinate to a decadent absentee But Coleman does make a plausible and complete return to the armistice landlord class until Balfour/Wyndham's case for control of "once off" housing. He lines of 1949 …" land acts). claims the price for granting individual President Bush also agreed that liberty in this area was the dramatic Palestinian refugees should not be allowed Coleman is unashamedly in favour of deterioration of the water supply in Galway to return to Israel. the free market. But his free market beliefs last year. Nevertheless, he concedes that This agreement with the US helped are tempered with a sense of realism. He many of the critics of "once off" housing Prime Minister Sharon defend his decision is not against environmental regulations. were perceived as being cosmopolitan to withdraw from Gaza. When asked on He also considers state planning of elitists with no interest in preserving local 15 February 2005: "How does it help the infrastructure at central and regional level communities. state of Israel to pull out of Gaza and get is a prerequisite for economic success. He I am inclined to accept Coleman's bona nothing in return?", Sharon replied: makes the valid point that local interests fides on this issue. Although he is a free "I don't think we made that have prevented effective regional planning market supporter he recognises its limits compromise without getting anything and blames this on our electoral system, a in the cultural sphere. In his Sunday in return. On the contrary, in the system bequeathed to us by the British Independent column, for example, he has agreement between President Bush and myself we had tremendous achieve- under the terms of the Treaty. supported State intervention in preventing ments that Israel never had since its Another obstacle to effective planning the Gaeltacht areas from being swamped establishment, like the issue of the has been the excessive constitutional by non-Irish speakers. In the book he Palestinian refugees who will only be protection given to property rights as well criticises Fine Gael for advocating the able to return to a Palestinian state. I as our obsession with land ownership. He lifting of the compulsory Irish requirement would say the issue of the population gives the example of the millions of Euros from schools as an example of "cultural blocs that are heavily populated by in cost and time overruns on the project to self hatred". Some readers of this magazine Jews, will be part of the Jewish state in extend the Luas to Bray, which was might experience a certain queasiness at the future … ." diverted from the original Harcourt street his pointing to Israel as a model for how a line because a few houses had been built language can be revived. But in fairness to Christopher Hitchens on its path. him he states at the outset that a discussion Christopher Hitchens (22 March) writes He decries excessive property prices. of how Israel has treated the Palestinians that "a battlefield defeat has been inflicted However, Coleman was a virulent critic is beyond the scope of the book. on al-Qaeda and its surrogates" in Iraq. of Stamp Duty in articles for both The Mr Hitchens claims this as an example of Irish Times and the Sunday Independent Unlike The Irish Times which talks the "good" that has come out the US even though most economists accept that about "redefining our identity", Coleman invasion of Iraq. That claim is bizarre, the elimination of this tax to both first time believes that our Irish identity should be given that al-Qaeda wasn't present in Iraq buyers and others would have preserved strengthened in response to immigration. at the time of the invasion. Doubly so, the inflationary spiral. In the book he We must give the "new Irish" something when one considers the following: disparagingly compares the State's role in worthwhile to give their allegiance to. "The Iraq conflict has become the relation to Stamp duty with the gombeen In conclusion, despite its shortcomings ‘cause celebre' for jihadists, breeding a men of the nineteenth century. (there is hardly a mention of social deep resentment of US involvement in partnership) this book is a valuable the Muslim world and cultivating One of the strengths of this book is that contribution to the social and economic supporters for the global jihadist Coleman brings a continental perspective debate in this country. movement". to his analysis. He spent part of his John Martin That is from a US National Intelligence childhood in Germany and also worked Estimate on Trends in Global Terrorism for a number of years for the European dated April 2006. Central Bank. He compares favourably the local government planning of Berlin Palestine Charles Krauthammer with Dublin. Berlin has a land area The following three letters by Charles Krauthammer (Opinion, May marginally less than Dublin and its suburbs 19) writes that the Jews in Palestine and yet has a population that is 3 times that David Morrison failed to find publication in the Irish Times accepted the partition proposals made by of Dublin. The greater population density the UN General Assembly in November means that all the amenities required by Vincent Browne (January 16) describes 1947. That is simply untrue. If the Zionist Berliners are within walking distance. On President Bush's call for "an end to the leadership had accepted the UN proposals, the other hand he says that Dublin is more occupation that began in 1967" as Israel would today consist of about 56% competitive because of its lower capital "momentous". I wish it were but I don't of the land area of Palestine and Jerusalem taxes. It doesn't seem to have occurred to think it is. I say so because it has been would be under international control – Coleman that high taxes might be a explicit US policy since April 2004 that since that is what the UN General prerequisite for effective public planning. Israel may annex large parts of the West Assembly recommended in resolution 181 Coleman also has an ideological blind Bank (and hold on to East Jerusalem, passed on 29 November 1947. spot in his analysis of the cost of living in which it has already annexed along with In fact, the Zionist leadership never had this country. He sees greater competition the Golan Heights). the slightest intention of sticking to the as the panacea and cites the example of the This policy was enshrined in an UN General Assembly's proposals. About abandonment of the grocery order as an agreement between President Bush and 500,000 Jews lived in the area assigned to example of what can be achieved. But this Prime Minister Sharon set out in an the Jewish state, but there were nearly as reform has had a minimal effect on general exchange of letters on 14 April 2004. In many Arabs – about 440,000. The presence price inflation. Coleman says nothing return for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, of such a large Arab minority made the about the more likely cause which is greater the US agreed: construction of a Jewish state in the area disposable income in this country "In light of new realities on the problematic. compared to our continental neighbours ground, including already existing The Zionist leader, David Ben-Gurion, as a result of low income taxes and high major Israeli populations centers, it is who became the first Prime Minister of 22 Israel in May 1948, referred to this difficulty in a speech on 3 December · Biteback · Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback 1947, a few days after resolution 181 was passed. He said: "There are 40% non-Jews in the area The English In Ireland allocated to the Jewish state. This The following letter was submitted to the Sunday Independent on 2nd June, composition is not a solid basis for a but did not find publication Jewish state. And we have to face this new reality with all its severity and Derek Ross (letters, June 1) denies that English people living here need to integrate distinctness. Such a demographic balance into Irish culture or that there is even a separate culture here: “there is essentially no questions our ability to maintain Jewish material difference in the way English people and Irish people lead their daily lives.” sovereignty. … Only a state with at least Seeing the Irish as the same as the English is the problem. One of the main differences 80% Jews is a viable and stable state." between us is the way that we conduct industrial relations and form social policy. A (quoted in The Ethnic Cleansing of formal system of Social Partnership was established in 1987. But an actual system has Palestine by Israeli historian, Ilan Pappe, existed since the founding of the state. Such a system was proposed by the Heath and p 48) Wilson governments in Britain in the 1970s and was rejected by both the employers and A month earlier he had warned of the the trade unions in favour of class struggle in the market place. Much good that has done danger of Arabs inside a Jewish state for the trade unions. becoming a fifth column and, if so, "they The Irish system is similar to the systems prevailing in the rest of Western Europe – can either be arrested or expelled; it is whoever is in government. Our system arises from the twin influences of Republicanism better to expel them", he said. (ibid, p 49). and Catholicism. The trade unions were at the heart of the National Revolution and have Lest there be any doubt that ethnic remained central to what has followed from that Revolution. Most English workers here cleansing of Arabs was on the Zionist have therefore no concept of the idea of social partnership and this gives rise to friction. agenda, listen to this: British based unions operating here also favour the British industrial relations system and "I am for compulsory transfer. I see have consistently opposed partnership agreements. The two systems are not simply nothing immoral in it." different but are mutually opposed. That is why English people find it difficult to Those are the words of Ben-Gurion integrate and treat the Irish as being the same as themselves. This is what irritates. speaking about ten years earlier to a There are other differences, such as the all pervasiveness of the GAA. Mr. Ross is meeting of the Jewish Agency Executive correct in saying that we are tending to ape the English with our “high-street shopping… on 12 June 1938. and fashion”. More serious is the recent tendency, especially in academia and the media, As Ben-Gurion recognised, the to accept the English imperialist position in world affairs. But I would suggest that our expulsion of Arabs was necessary in order traditional anti-imperialist instinct is still predominant in the population at large. Many to create a functional Jewish state. That's English people say that they come to Ireland to get away from the uncongenial society what happened in the months before and at home. But they must face the history and philosophy that that has produced that after the declaration of the state of Israel in uncongeniality, and realise that what they find attractive about Ireland was produced May 1948. The territory allocated to the from a different culture. A culture that they might find pleasant to embrace and which Jewish state was expanded to include more would be only too pleased to include them. Conor Lynch. than 78% of mandate Palestine and around 750,000 Palestinians were expelled into the wage levels pertaining in another, and Today (Saturday) we have an entire issue the rest of Palestine and the surrounding that any attenpt to stop this would be an devoted to sermons from the great and good. Arab states, where they and their impediment to free trade, and trade unions Fitzgerald's rant is given front page billing descendants live today. That is how a would therefore be outside their rights in - though the only argument he seems to have viable Jewish state was established in seeking to secure the "rate for the job" for is that 40% of the population are being Palestine in 1948. foreign labour. misled by nutters. I also noticed a blatant lie The report (by Wall-Hennessy-Mc in great Goebbels style. There is coverage of Greevy) doesn't mention this. The main the Kilmore Quay Fishermen's demo in town Impressions Of The Debate argument against this being a problem (in yesterday. A photo shows the fishermen on the Lisbon context) is that we have minimum O'Connell Bridge light heartedly handing The following commentary was written on 31st May wage legislation. But that's not the point. out free fish and with various placards Minimum wage is about €9, while the around them which are incomprehensible. I notice the Irish Times (officially now going rate for carpenters, for example, is The reason they are incomprehensible is that the 'National Record') has become an abject about €18 per hour. Even with minimum the photo shows them out of context. The propaganda rag for Lisbon this week. The wage legislation, these rulings mean that substance of the Goebbelesque article is that only coverage given to 'No' side arguments Latvian or other companies deliver services they were campaigning against the new (40% of the population - admittedly mostly here at strictly minimum wage levels rather quotas being imposed by Brussels. peasants and other low sorts) are "funny" than Latvian rates. For example, Latvian As it happens I was passing them during pieces like the Corr report yesterday contractors could now offer say jourtnalist their protest march. The main banner of the concerning his three-year study of the 'New services on the Irish market for âπ¬9 an march, carried up front by the leaders of the World Order', and presumably some selected hour, and trade unions would have no legal KQ Fishermn's Association, stated "Kilmore nutters in the letters page (I didn't get that right to insist on applying the rate for the Quay Fishermen's Association Say Vote No far). job! to Lisbon". Pretty clear position I thought. The Siptu position (support Lisbon if the The whole ictu position also was The 'report' wrote of the various banners blatent anti-trade union elements of the misconstrued in reports during the week. carried, without mentioning the main one. Treaty are short circuited by national legisla- The ictu executive is said to have voted 7 in This has been airbrushed out of both the tion first) is given dishonest treatment in favour, 3 against and 5 abstentions and photo and nazi-style 'report', giving an today's edition. The basic issue for trade finally argued that its support presupposed entirely misleading account of what took unions (who of course no longer matter, new labour legislation based on the 'Social place. The IT has a right to take a stance and according to Harney-Gilmore, as only 0.5m Charter' to secure wage levels - hardly the support a particular position, but it's fairly people are members of them) is that recent ringing endorsement reported by the IT last unimpressive when it needs to resort to this court judgements at European level have week. So far the TEEU and UNITE (formerly level of lie, especially as the 'National ruled that free trade in services mean that TGWU and Amacus) have called for a 'No' Record', but there you go. services can be provided in one country at vote. Liam Murphy 23 VOLUME 26 No. 7 CORK ISSN 0790-1712

Lisbon Referendum Whither Labour? On the afternoon of Friday, 13th June in the southern context to make noise, It entails embracing the liberal-market last the current leader of the Irish Labour claim leadership and don the mantle of agenda—whether at the level of the Party showed himself to be made of metal, victors. Council, the Commission, or critically, the European Court of Justice. It is all stern stuff or whatever, but far too late in Privately and publicly Jack O Connor one-way traffic, whether we think of the the day. With the referendum result patent, of Siptu has been trammelled and he pronounced emphatically that 'Lisbon' WTO [World Trade Organisation], Irish traduced—privately as the worst leader Ferries, the 'Swedish' case at the European was "dead". Everyone else on the 'yes' the Union has ever had and "only a shop Court, or the self-aggrandisement of the side was going 'ho hum', but Gilmore was steward". Jack played no more—and as emphatic, "dead", dead as the Monty bureaucrats of Brussels and the trousering good as—a game as the IFA [Irish Farmers' of 'expenses' by MEPs. Python parrot, "dead". Association] and the farmers played, if in relation to a different agenda. Today's 'Europe' is not the 'Europe' we Gilmore's quick and emphatic dispatch joined in 1973 and is a million miles away of 'Lisbon' though, raises a question: how Irish people are pro-Europe, un- from the 'Europe' of 'Rome'. It is also so questionably so. Those of us who took real was his loudly expressed embrace of far away from the 'Europe' of Delors (and the 'Lisbon' cause and dismissal of all our cue from unthought instincts in the Mitterand and Haughey) as to be aspects of the 'no' case? Was his embrace 1970s soon saw the error and embraced unrecognizable—and that is the problem the then project. But that was then and this of the 'yes' case warm and total or was it of Europe vis a vis its citizens, including simply a calculation to stay within the is now: the then project is not that of the people of Ireland. establishment, such as it is? today. The Labour Party must surely have The project of 1973 delivered quickly a What was happening on the ground recognised and known all of this, must welfare state; significant advance in the was clear—if those who politically tapped have sensed that this was the opinion of workplace (labour legislation and equal into it were a very mixed bag, some the people, whether farmers concerned pay); and enormous release and relief spinning all kinds of nonsense into the about WTO, fishermen recognising the from British rule for rural Ireland and popular pot. But in a sense that was stupidity of the Common Fisheries Policy, Irish agriculture, freedom from Britain's Labour's opportunity—to provide real small entrepreneurs concerned about tax cheap food policies and entry into the leadership and a sound case for voting harmonisation, workers about the 'chase CAP [Common Agricultural Policy]. 'no'. Instead Labour chose to enter into a to the bottom', or just citizens faced with Today's project is a rather different affair. grand coalition with the Fianna Fail an increasing impetus to 'marketize' public Leadership and Fine Gael, with the Greens service provision. It chose to ignore all of and what is left of the PDs [Progressive this in favour of being a bit player in a Subscribers to the magazine are regularly Democrats] as bobtails to this grand offered special rates on other publications grand coalition of the 'great and the good'. coalition. They were a ragbag—of bluff Gilmore might have recognised all of and wind-baggery. Irish Political Review is published by the IPR Group: write to— this before the event: maybe he did privately, given his prompt dismissal of Many ordinary members of Labour 2 Heskin Court, Merrion Rd, Dublin 4, or 'Lisbon' as the result of the referendum were inclined to the 'yes' camp and the PO Box 339, Belfast BT12 4GQ or revealed. But that is not good enough for party leadership's decision to join in a PO Box 6589, London, N7 6SG, or a leader, so-called. grand coalition with the national political establishment for a simple reason: they Labour Comment, If he and the Party really have a sense of could not stomach being in the same camp C/O Shandon St. P.O., Cork City. opposing Sinn Fein, irredentists and others as Sinn Fein, or indeed Catholic irredent- Subscription by Post: in the context of the people feeling deep ists. In this misplaced prejudice and bile 12 issues: £20, UK; disquiet about the departure of the they—the party members who so thought € 30, Ireland; € 35, Europe. European project from its original and (if that is the word) and the leadership Electronic Subscription: intermediate agendas, then he and the (such as it is)—gave away the ground to € 15 / £12 for 12 issues party should have provided leadership the very people they detested and walked (or € 1.30 / £1.10 per issue) instead of sitting for crumbs at the top away from the people. They left the You can also order both postal and table. people to themselves, ignored their electronic subscriptions from: On such a performance what is the concerns, and left a coterie of disparate www.atholbooks.org forces of little real standing or substance point of Labour?