Old Irish Anti-Somme Songs Corporatism and the Market Sean O'Casey Labour Comment John Minahane page 12 page 8 back page IRISH POLITICAL REVIEW November 2007 Vol.22, No.11 ISSN 0790-7672 and Northern Star incorporating Workers' Weekly Vol.21 No.11 ISSN 954- 5891

Coolacrease Ireland Is In The "It was here at Coolacrease that on the 30th June 1921, a band of thirty, perhaps Imperialist Camp forty armed and masked men descended on the house, torched it, then in the courtyard shot the two eldest sons of the household" (Alan Stanley, I Met Murder On Dail Eireann re-elected Bertie Ahern The Way, p13). as Taoiseach on 14th June 2007 on the . basis of a programme agreed with the A third young man, a cousin of the two who was shot, saw the armed group Greens and the PDs. It contains a section approaching the meadow where they were working and ran away. He was caught the on foreign policy entitled Ireland in the following day by the armed group but was let escape. His name was William Stanley. World, which begins: Alan Stanley, who wrote the book on which the sensationalist, and systematically "We want to ensure that Ireland is a falsified, account of the incident broadcast by RTE was based, is his son. constructive member of the The two young men who were shot were the sons of a substantial farmer, William international community, prioritising Pearson, who was a Protestant. Alan Stanley suggests that they were shot by land the active promotion of peace and grabbers who were also inspired by a "blood lust" against them because they were development through the European Protestant "interlopers". But in conflict with this he reports a local informant (Tom Union, the United Nations, international Mitchel of Kinnity) as telling him that: agencies and direct action." [1] "The Pearsons were sociable people…, great ramblers, i.e. fond of visiting and receiving friends and neighbours, a widespread practice in Ireland at the time". "Making Neutrality Count" is to be Ireland's slogan for action in foreign policy The armed group that rounded up the Pearsons, shot two of the sons, and burned the in the next five years, we are told: house, was a company of the IRA, which was the Army of the elected Government of "Neutrality is central to our vision of the country. Ireland as the bridge between the developed and developing world, the There was also an unelected Government in the country at the time. It was a intermediary and facilitator in peace Department of the Government elected in Britain in 1918. It did not hold a single elected processes, the first on the ground in a seat in the relevant part of Ireland on 30th June 1921. Such electoral base as it had in major humanitarian crisis—the model UN State for the 21st century. Our Ireland had been separated off from the rest of the country by the Partition Act of 1921. policy for the next five years is to Make Sinn Fein held every seat in the 26 Counties, barring those in the gift of a handful of Neutrality Count. Trinity graduates. "We believe neutrality enhances our The IRA existed because the British Government continued governing Ireland in standing internationally. Our goal is to defiance of the verdicts given by the Irish electorate in the General election of 1918, the use that standing to build peace and Local Government Elections of 1920, and the General Election of 1921. deliver development." continued on page 2 continued on page 4

Boycotting Kevin Myers (11.10.07) berates the prove. And once the Unionists dominated Government for never sending its the British Government in 1916, the Irish The Cenotaph Ambassador to Britain to the Cenotaph leaders also knew this. celebrations, and celebrations they are, They were told by their betters that It was England bade our Wild Geese go every November 11th. He partly answers they were fighting for the freedom of That small nations might be free. himself after a few paragraphs: small nations, especially "little Catholic But their lonely graves are by Suvla's "And how can our national pride be Belgium". Belgium was the most vicious waves nourished on the sullen neglect and a of imperialist nations slaughtering millions Or on the fringe of the great North Sea. righteous disdain towards those in the Congo—a fact exposed by Roger Oh had they died by Pearse's side innocents who in 1914 onwards merely Casement, and for which exposure he did the bidding of their betters?" Or fought with Cahal Bruagha, received a Knighthood. Their names we would keep where the They were told by their betters, British They were used in an unprovoked attack Fenians sleep and Irish, that their sacrifice would bring on Germany and Turkey, countries which 'Neath the shroud of the Foggy Dew. Home Rule for all of Ireland. There was never did any harm to either Ireland or to no such intent as events and documents Britain. They took part in bloody holocaust continued on page 7 Having taken part in the RTE programme C O N T E N T S based on his book, he must now put up Page with the consequences of success. Coolacrease. Brendan Clifford 1 Ireland Is In The Imperialist Camp. David Morrison 1 It seems probable that the Reform Group (which is dedicated to de-legitimising the Boycotting The Cenotaph. Conor Lynch 1 democratic sources of Irish sovereignty in Letters To The Editor. Headscarves In Iran, Desmond Fennell; Casement the elections of 1918, 1919 and 1921) 'Black Diaries', Roger Sawyer; Instant Revolution? Ivor Kenna 3,18 played a part in getting the RTE prog- Poor Little Belgium? Jack Lane (report) 7 ramme made, if not the book itself. But it Conquestpolitik. Machiavelli 7 is the programme of the book, and the Sean O'Casey's Songs Against Sommetry. Manus O'Riordan 8 book therefore cannot be let rest as a Shorts from the Long Fellow (Irish Times: Self Parody; English Language; The Law; private act of retaliation against a neigh- The State Broadcaster; New 'Creative Age'; New Allies? 'Nuff Said) 11 bourhood. It has become a national event. Old Irish And The Market. John Minahane (part three) 12 The book was given national publicity End Of History? Hamid Dabashi (report) 14 in the first instance by Eoghan Harris in The Killings At Coolacrease. Pat Muldowney (report) 15 his paper, The Sunday Independent. And Editorial Digest (Dana; Bus Tours; Martin Meehan; MI5; UDA; 1641; it is obvious that Harris was also a lose Seagate; RUC Resignations 16 collaborator with Niamh Sammon in the Sean O'Hegarty. P. Beresford Ellis (review, report) 16 making of the television programme. Hands Off Venezuela What Harris added to Stanley's book was the allegation of sexual mutilation. Coolacrease And The Pearsons. Daithi O hAilibhe (report) 16 He said repeatedly that the Person brothers Philosophy Of Nationalism? Brendan Clifford (review of D. Clarke) 16 were shot in "the genitals". High Court Ruling Against Irish Times Deserves Support. The doctor who examined the Pearsons, (report of IPR Group press statement, Daithi O hAilibhe) 18 both before and after they died, said that Kevin Myers' Niche. Seán McGouran 19 they had wounds in various parts of the Hezbollah Denied Entry To Ireland. David Morrison 20 body, including "the groin" in the case of one of them. Labour Comment, edited by Pat Maloney: A shot in the genitals may be more Corporatism And Trade Unionism back page embarrassing and humiliating than a shot in the groin, but it is likely to be less deadly. Castration was widely practised Alan Stanley invariably refers to the of somebody subsequently found to have throughout the ages without fatal conse- unelected Government as "the authorities" been innocent described as murder and a quences. The groin is the point of junction and to the elected Government as "the murder charge brought against the between the blood vessels of the body and rebels". hangman. the legs No doctor, least of all a military Assuming that his father and the The primary matter at issue with regard one, is likely to confuse the groin with the Pearsons of Coolacrease House also to Alan Stanley's book, and the RTE genitals. regarded the unelected Government as the programme based on it, is whether the legitimate governing authority and gave ground of legitimate government in Ireland The reports published in the papers at allegiance to it, and regarded the elected in 1921 was Democratic or Imperial. the time, and the report of the British Government and its agents as rebels, and military Court of Inquiry released much therefore criminals, there is nothing Alan Stanley, without giving any later, refer to wounds in the groin. They improbable in the allegation that they gave reasons, takes Imperial authority to have make no mention of genitals. That is information to the British administration been legitimate authority in June 1921, Senator Harris's invention. about criminal activity that came to their even though neither the British notice, or that they took action to prevent Government nor its Opposition held a Eoghan Harris was a fanatical anti- such activity when they were in a position single seat in the 26 Counties outside Unionist and a fanatical opponent of the to do so. Trinity College. He dismisses democracy Provisional IRA on the only occasion that The Pearsons were murdered by crim- without a thought. But his book is I ever encountered him in debate. It would inals because they gave information about essentially a family chronicle. It is a kind not be right to say I met him. He would not criminal activity to the legitimate of act of family revenge against what he be met by me. His purpose was to denounce authorities and resisted it, OR they were sees as an alien Government, even though me. He did so in characteristic manner. I executed because they gave allegiance to it was elected by his neighbours, possibly, did not know at the time that it was his a usurping power and assisted it against but certainly by those who were his father's characteristic manner. I knew nothing the democratically elected, and therefore neighbours—and against the Persons about him at the time, except that he was legitimate, authority. That is what it comes Unknown who did the shooting, whose denouncing me on behalf of the Official down to. names he was unable to discover. And it IRA. I later saw him on television What they did to resist the rebels and was published privately by himself. denouncing others in similar manner but whether they did actually give information Left to itself Alan Stanley's book would for opposite reasons. My offence was that about the activity of the elected Govern- have been a private act of retaliation against in 1969, after doing a small bit to help ment to the unelected Government is a the Irish disturbance of Imperial authority defend West Belfast against Unionist secondary matter. The evidence is that in a bygone generation. Although he says assault, I published an article urging they did. But the primary question is that his purpose was "to propagate the nationalist Ireland to negotiate with the whether the elected or the unelected seeds of unease" and to disturb "the Unionists as a distinct nationality, and Government was legitimate. collective conscience" (p13), his range of insisting that they were not a brittle feudal Miscarriages of justice do not invalidate fire would have been narrow and local, if remnant that would crumble under the system of justice under which they the book had not been taken up, and added pressure. happen, and I have never seen the execution to, by the national broadcasting authority. Harris saw that as national treason and

2 denounced me as a national traitor. He did not argue the factual detail of the matter LETTERS TO THE EDITOR · LETTERS TO THE EDITOR· LETTERS TO THE EDITOR· with me. I have noticed that it is a thing he never does. I described his method of dispute at the time as "poisoning the wells", which was a term used by Cardinal Headscarves In Iran Newman in his argument with Rev. Charles Kingsley. I rather surprised myself Just a small correction and agreement arising out of Conor Lynch's latest contribution in doing so as I have never been religious, on his Iran visit (IPR October). He refers to me, in my own earlier IPR article on Iran, but the term described Harris's method as as 'describing the women on his plane donning the hijab as it began its descent into aptly as it did Kingsley's. (I will go into Tehran airport'. Actually I wrote that they donned their headscarves, and I agree with Mr that in a later instalment.) Lynch that this means 'putting on any old scarf at all'. After that I forgot about Harris for I make a point of calling a Muslim woman's headscarf a headscarf; the normal name many years, during which he was a for that headgear when in fairly recent times it was widely worn in Ireland and when we dogmatic Leninist and an admirer of Sir see it today in various Christian parts of Europe. I would not dream of calling it, when Nicolai Ceaucescu. Then, after the fall of a Muslim woman wears it, a hijab or any other strange name. To do so would be to Sir Nicolai, I noticed that Harris was participate in that continuous effort of the western media to make Muslim women seem denouncing others for holding the opinions odd or weird and removed from our 'normal' world. that he asserted against me, and denounced The worst practice of all in this respect—partly because it is illiterate—is calling this me for not holding, in that debate in headgear of a Muslim woman a 'veil'. In Italy I noticed that this ignorant, ideological usage Limerick under the auspices of Jim is also in vogue in the mass media there. Desmond Fennell Kemmy's Labour group. The war that the 'Official Republicans' fought in the early seventies has been all but removed from the record by means of the influence that the 'Officials' (or The Casement 'Black Diaries' Stickies) in their later metamorphosis came to hold in RTE and the Dublin media. But An Overlong Controversy In Outline (Part 3) I cannot forget it because it came close to Recently, in your columns, my time as someone who was inclined to believe, even me. A friend of mine, Noel Jenkinson, a hope, that Casement's Black diaries were forged was described as 'uneventful'. I should Dublin Protestant, was drawn into the like to reply to that. fringes of it, with its mixture of Marxist Obviously a historian can never write in support of a theory—however much he hopes fantasy and wild nationalism. He was it is valid—unless he has found evidence to support it. When I started my research in the found to have played a very minor part in early sixties my main source of help was Alfred Noyes's widow, whose late husband had a bombing in England, sentenced, I think written The Accusing Ghost or Justice for Casement. Not only did I have unlimited to 20 years, and he did away with himself access to all the poet's correspondence on the matter, but there was a treasure trove of in prison. allied MSS, notably from Roger McHugh and Herbert Mackey—whom I later interviewed in Dun Laoghaire. All three were strong supporters of the forgery theory. The Official Republican war, waged in Unfortunately Noyes had never examined the documents (The Accusing Ghost, pp26- rivalry with the Provo war, was in my 7). I followed up all the leads I could in the Noyes-McHugh-Mackey archive, but the opinion an exercise in lunacy. But it more I did so the more I found that the textual evidence undermined all the arguments: passed muster for a while in the atmosphere the diaries were genuine. I even looked into a rather far-fetched lead which suggested of those times when a large bubble of Left that Sir Basil Thomson had personally doctored the diaries and that contemporary ideology parted company with social examples of his handwriting would reveal this. A PRO official bent the rules for me (I reality. The consequences when the bubble ways up against the 100-yea rule) and I was able to examine a number of documents burst are to be seen on all sides in the form handwritten by Thomson during the relevant years. The lead led nowhere. of personnel of the Dublin media who are Naturally I went into the notorious 'Normand' theory, which was always ludicrous, doing well for themselves. In their and I checked up on Mackey's Millar/Bulmer confusion. By the time I had found a groundless idealist phase they had publisher willing to commission me to write Casement with Hindsight all the evidence developed propaganda skills that were of was stacked up on the other side. great advantage to them in their careerist (Incidentally, I remember one day looking idly through jottings in my own diaries and phase. concluding that the forgery theorists would definitely conclude that MI5 had had a hand I did not support the Provo war, but in them). Roger Sawyer neither did I consider it lunatic. I opposed it for twenty years while living in West Belfast. The only threats made against me Editorial Note from the nationalist side were made by the At the Casement Symposium of 27th October Paul Cullen presented important new Officials. evidence about interference with Roger Casement's Diaries. It seems that he several Some years ago Harris half acknow- times visited San Ramon in South America, which the forger turned into 'Saw Ramon'. ledged that he had not been entirely right In conjunction with this, a reference to grand new buildings conveyed a different sense in the 1970s, but excused himself by saying to Casement's words, "Splendid Erections". It is to be hoped that the Casement that nobody told him he was wrong. Well, Foundation will publish this evidence. I told him so so in our debate in Limerick. And he gave every appearance then of about all that old BICO stuff being was an ominous body which could not be being a fully grown man with a head. rehashed. Duffy intervened to say No, we dealt with for some technical reason. can't do that; BICO was a legitimate BICO was never a party and never This matter peeped up briefly on the party. That incident almost seemed to pretended to be one. And the reason it Joe Duffy Show (RTE Radio 1) on 6th have been rehearsed. BICO was referred would not have been prudent for Joe Duffy November when Tom Carew began to to, but then the reference was not pursued, counter Jack Lane with a weary comment and listeners were left to gather that BICO continued on page 17 3 AFGHANISTAN used to ferry US troops to Afghanistan). Ireland isn't formally a member of the Ireland has made the choice to do so. "coalition of the willing" in Iraq, but it is More than 150 states in this world have Imperialist Camp a member of the "coalition of the willing" chosen not to do so. continued in Afghanistan. Ireland has had 7 military personnel serving with the International IRAQ From this, you could be forgiven for Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in The Irish Government justifies allowing thinking that Ireland has an independent Afghanistan since 5th July 2002. Today, the US the use of Shannon by saying that stance in world affairs, or is setting out to it is one of 38 states contributing troops to military action by the US-led occupation develop such a stance. ISAF, which now has over 41,000 troops, forces in Iraq is authorised by the UN The reality is that Ireland is now firmly of which the US provides around 15,000 Security Council. Again that is true today, in the imperialist camp in world affairs and the UK nearly 8,000 (see [4]). but it wasn't true at the time of the invasion alongside the US-UK. In four crucial ISAF was established, initially for 6 in March 2003, when Ireland was areas of foreign policy—Afghanistan, Iraq, months, by Security Council resolution permitting the US to use Shannon. Iran and Palestine—Ireland is fully behind 1386, passed on 20th December 2001, However, seven months later, on 16th the US-UK in their aggressive behaviour shortly after the US-UK military October 2003, the Security Council passed towards the Muslim world. You will intervention in Afghanistan that led to the resolution 1511, which authorised the search in vain in the Programme for overthrow of the Taliban. Resolution occupation forces in Iraq to take military Government for any mention of actual 1386 authorised ISAF action to suppress resistance to the policy—past, present or future—on "to assist the Afghan Interim occupation (see Annex A). Since then, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Palestine. But Authority in the maintenance of security every Iraqi killed or injured by the it is a racing certainty that, despite the in Kabul and its surrounding areas, so occupation forces has been killed or injured presence of the Green Party, the new that the Afghan Interim Authority as under a UN mandate, duly established by Government will continue to support well as the personnel of the United Security Council resolutions. (a) the US-UK wars in Afghanistan and Nations can operate in a secure Iraq; environment" [5] What is more, paragraph 14 of (b) their punishment of Iran for enriching resolution 1511 "urges Member States to uranium, which is Iran's right as a The Afghan Interim Authority, headed contribute assistance under this United signatory to the Nuclear Non- by Hamid Karzai, had just been put Nations mandate, including military Proliferation Treaty (NPT); and together by the US at a conference in forces, to the [US-led] multinational force" (c) their starving of Palestinians under Bonn. Israeli occupation. in Iraq. The Irish Government can say that When ISAF was established, it could it is responding to the UN request in be said to have a peacekeeping role. At SHANNON resolution 1511 in allowing the US to use From the outset, Ireland has supported the same time, much larger forces under Shannon. the US-UK war effort in Afghanistan and separate US command were engaged in Of course, Ireland is under no Iraq by allowing Shannon to be used to offensive military operations in southern compulsion to lend assistance to the US in ferry US troops and military equipment to Afghanistan under Operation Enduring this matter. No Security Council resolution the battlefields. The Irish Times reported Freedom. Then, ISAF was not engaged in obliges Ireland to allow the US to use on 17th October 2007 that a million US offensive military operations. However, Shannon to transport its troops and troops have passed through Shannon since in the intervening 6 years, ISAF's role, equipment to Iraq. Ireland has made the the invasion of Iraq: and area of operation, has been greatly choice to do so. More than 150 states in extended by the Security Council (see my this world have chosen not to assist the "Up to the end of September this article [6]). In 2003, it came under NATO year, 1,059,382 US military personnel, US-UK in Iraq. on 8,698 flights, had used the midwest command and in 2006 it took over the airport since the start of 'Operation Iraqi offensive role in southern Afghanistan GREEN PARTY BREAKS COMMITMENT Freedom' four and a half years ago. that had previously been the business of Prior to the elections in May 2007, the "Figures released by the Shannon US forces under separate US command in Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) Airport Authority have confirmed that Operation Enduring Freedom. Most of attempted to get candidates to pledge that, since March 20th 2003 an average of these US forces have been transferred to if elected, they wouldn't enter a 640 troops on five flights every day ISAF. government that continued to allow the have stopped off at Shannon on their US to use Shannon for military purposes. way to Iraq and to other US military The Irish Government justifies its bases in the Arabian Gulf." [2] participation in ISAF on the grounds that No Fianna Fail, Fine Gael or PD candidates it was established by and continues to signed the pledge, but every Sinn Fein Ireland hasn't formally joined the US- operate under UN Security Council candidate did, as did 3 outgoing Labour led "coalition of the willing" in Iraq and resolutions. This is true: all military action TDs (Joe Costello, Tommy Broughan, sent troops to the battlefield. However, by taken by ISAF in Afghanistan is authorised Michael D Higgins) and others on the left. allowing the US to use Shannon, it has by the UN. Every Afghan killed or injured Six Green Party candidates signed the provided far more assistance to the war by ISAF has been killed or injured under pledge. More fundamentally, Section 13 effort than most of the 30 or so members a UN mandate, duly established by of the Green Party manifesto committed of the "coalition of the willing" with troops Security Council resolutions. Likewise, all its candidates unequivocally to in Iraq, whose contribution is useful to the every Afghan village flattened by ISAF "end the use of Shannon Airport by US politically but of little or no military has been flattened under a proper UN US military forces involved in the war value. The US State Department's Weekly mandate. in Iraq" [7] Status Report for 31st October 2007 [3 The Programme for Government that (see page 26)] lists 27 countries, including However, Ireland is under no compul- the Green Party agreed with Fianna Fail the UK, with troops supporting the US sion to join in this doomed imperialist [1] doesn't mention the use of Shannon by mission in Iraq, but the overall number is enterprise that has killed thousands of US military forces, let alone commit the less than a tenth of the number of US Afghan civilians. No Security Council Government to end its use. The Green troops in Iraq, which now stands at around resolution obliges Ireland to send troops Party has simply reneged on this manifesto 165,000. to Afghanistan (or to allow Shannon to be commitment. 4 EU COMMON POLICY It continues: You can see what the EU means when In each of two other areas—Iran and "A number of countries have placed it states in A Secure Europe in a Better Palestine—Ireland has given its assent to themselves outside the bounds of World (page 14) that "a rule-based a common EU foreign policy under the international society. Some have sought international order is our objective". EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy isolation; others persistently violate (CFSP) mechanism. international norms. It is desirable that PALESTINE The CFSP mechanism was initially such countries should rejoin the On Palestine, the EU is yoked together established by the Maastricht Treaty, international community, and the EU with the US and Russia (and the UN which came into force on 1st November should be ready to provide assistance. Secretary-General) in the so-called Those who are unwilling to do so should 1993. Under this mechanism, member understand that there is a price to be Quartet, which is the self-appointed arbiter states seek to arrive at common foreign paid, including in their relationship with of right and wrong in Palestine. Alvaro de policy positions. In theory, each state has the European Union." Soto was the UN Secretary-General's a veto, but in practice the large states, and Middle East envoy for two years until his especially the UK, get their way. These On developing the EU's military retirement in May 2007. In his 'End of days, it can be guaranteed that, if the EU muscle, the document says: Mission' report to the UN Secretary- adopts a common policy on an issue, it "We need to develop a strategic General (which was leaked to The will be the UK's policy, otherwise there culture that fosters early, rapid, and Guardian), he wrote of the Quartet: won't be a common policy on the issue. In when necessary, robust intervention. "Whatever the Quartet was at the the latter event, each member state is free "As a Union of 25 members, inception, let us be frank with ourselves: to pursue its own foreign policy. spending more than 160 billion Euros today, as a practical matter, the Quartet Where there is a common policy, the on defence, we should be able to sustain is pretty much a group of friends of the EU speaks and votes as a bloc in inter- several operations simultaneously. We US—and the US doesn't feel the need national organisations, for example, in the could add particular value by to consult closely with the Quartet UN Security Council, the UN General developing operations involving both except when it suits it." [10] (paragraph military and civilian capabilities." (page 63) Assembly and the Board of the 11) International Atomic Energy Authority As a member of the Quartet, the EU (IAEA). This EU "security strategy", to which with Ireland's assent refused to accept the In the Amsterdam Treaty, which came Ireland assented in December 2003, is the result of the January 2006 elections to the into force on 1st May 1999, provision was backdrop to the EU policies on Iran and Palestinian Legislative Council, which made for the appointment of an EU High Palestine. Hamas won with 44.5% of the "national Representative for Common Foreign and list" vote and 74 seats out of the 132 seats Security Policy, with the task of IRAN (Fatah won 45 seats). It refused to deal representing the EU abroad where there is On Iran, the EU has a common policy with either of the Hamas-led governments a common policy. The former Secretary- (and a common policy with the US) of formed as a result of the election in General of NATO, Javier Solana, has been seeking to prevent Iran from engaging in accordance with the Palestinian consti- the sole holder of this post. uranium enrichment. Ireland has assented tution. What is more, the EU joined the to this policy. US in collectively punishing Palestinians A BETTER WORLD? Access to nuclear technology for by withdrawing economic aid, because In December 2003, the EU adopted a peaceful purposes is central to the Nuclear 44.5% of them had dared to vote in a "security strategy" drawn up by Solana, Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). By manner of which the EU (and the US) entitled A Secure Europe in a Better World signing up to the NPT, as Iran did in 1968 disapproved. [8]. It is an imperialist document, dedicated when the Shah was in power, states without In June 2007, the EU went further and to remoulding the world beyond the nuclear weapons forfeited their right to supported the overthrow of the boundaries of the EU. It could have been acquire nuclear weapons, but as a quid pro democratically-endorsed National Unity written in Washington. Ireland signed up quo they were supposed to be guaranteed Government in Palestine and its to this document. access to nuclear technology for peaceful replacement by an entity led by Salam "Spreading good governance, purposes. This is enshrined in Article Fayyad with no democratic validity supporting social and political reform, IV(1) of the NPT, which states: whatsoever (see Annex B). Ireland is a dealing with corruption and abuse of "Nothing in this Treaty shall be party to this as well. power, establishing the rule of law and interpreted as affecting the inalienable David Morrison protecting human rights" are declared to right of all the Parties to the Treaty to www.david-morrison.org.uk be key objectives of EU foreign policy develop research, production and use References: (page 16). of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes [1] www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/ These objectives are to be achieved without discrimination and in Pdf%20files/ primarily by the exercise of the EU's conformity with Articles I and II of this NewProgrammeForGovermentJune2007.pdf economic muscle but the document looks Treaty." [9] [2] www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/ forward to the strengthening of its military The International Atomic Energy 2007/1017/1192565608472.html muscle as well. The document says: Authority (IAEA) hasn't found any [3] www.state.gov/documents/organization/ 94601.pdf "Trade and development policies can evidence that Iran's nuclear programme is [4] www.nato.int/ISAF/docu/epub/pdf/ be powerful tools for promoting reform. for other than peaceful purposes. isaf_placemat.pdf As the world's largest provider of So, Iran has not breached the NPT by [5] www.david-morrison.org.uk/scrs/2001- official assistance and its largest trading developing uranium enrichment facilities, 1386.pdf entity, the European Union and its and neither has Brazil or Japan by doing [6] www.david-morrison.org.uk/afghanistan/ Member States are well placed to pursue likewise. Nevertheless, the EU with Ire- ireland-isaf.htm these goals. land's assent has been to the fore in persuad- [7] www.greenparty.ie/en/election_07/ "Contributing to better governance ing the Security Council to apply economic manifesto_2007/manifesto through assistance programmes, [8] www.iss-eu.org/solana/solanae.pdf conditionality and targeted trade sanctions to Iran to pressure it into halting uranium enrichment. By contrast, Brazil [9] www.iaea.org/Publications/Documents/ measures remains an important feature Infcircs/Others/infcirc140.pdf in our policy that we should further and Japan are allowed to engage in uranium [10] image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/ reinforce." enrichment without let or hindrance. documents/2007/06/12/DeSotoReport.pdf 5 Annex A And here is what US Ambassador, John "The Prime Minister and any of the Negroponte, said after the vote: Ministers shall not assume the duties of Since the Security Council passed " … the resolution establishes a their positions until they obtain the resolution 1511 on 16th October 2003, all United Nations authorized multi- confidence of the PLC." military action by the US-led occupation national force under unified United forces in Iraq has been carried out under a States command" [2] Article 67(3) of the Basic Law states that UN mandate, duly established by Security Council resolutions. "Confidence shall be granted to the The ostensible reason given in paragraph government, if it obtains the absolute On 16th October 2003, the Security Council 13 for authorising the occupation forces to use majority of the PLC Members." passed resolution 1511 authorising the US-led force is so that security and stability can be occupying forces in Iraq to use force to put restored and the UN can function in Iraq. It has In other words, the Palestinian constitution down resistance to their occupation. In March become impossible for the UN to play any role, forbids a new set of Palestinian ministers from 2003, the US-UK failed to get specific Security separate from the occupying powers, since UN assuming "the duties of their positions until Council authorisation for the invasion of Iraq. employees on the ground are going to be killed they obtain" the endorsement of "the absolute But, in October 2003, the Security Council without their protection. That is the inevitable majority of the PLC Members", that is, 67 authorised them to use force to maintain their result of the fact that, after the event, the UN members since the PLC has 132 members in occupation. has endorsed the US-UK invasion. The chief all. Resolution 1511 was passed unanimously. opponents of the invasion—France, Germany Hamas won 74 seats and Fatah 45 in the In March 2003, France, Russia and China and Russia—have not yet gone so far as to January 2006 PLC elections. Both of the refused to vote for the US-led invasion of Iraq, supply occupation forces, but they have Hamas-led governments formed since these but seven months later they voted for the sanctioned the occupation in successive elections did receive proper PLC endorsement maintenance of the occupation of Iraq by Security Council resolutions. and were therefore legitimate governments military force. From that time on, each and This began with resolution 1483, passed on under the Basic Law. The present Fayyad-led every military action taken by the occupying 22nd May 2003, which mandated the CPA to entity has not received proper PLC endorsement forces, including the flattening of Fallujah, has govern Iraq and sell its oil for the foreseeable and is therefore not a legitimate government been carried out with the authority of the UN. future [3]. 1511 goes very much further. under the Basic Law. Paragraph 13 of the resolution contains the authorisation for the US-led occupying forces War On Terror * * * * * to take military action: Resolution 1511 also goes along with "[The Security Council] Determines George Bush's portrayal of the invasion as part On 14th June 2007, President Abbas that the provision of security and of his "war on terror". It has numerous declared a state of emergency and dismissed stability is essential to the successful references to "terrorism" in Iraq, and the need the second Hamas-led government (the completion of the political process as to combat "terrorism" in accordance with National Unity Government). He is entitled to outlined in paragraph 7 above and to resolution 1373, passed after the events of 11th do this under Article 45 of the Basic Law. He the ability of the United Nations to September 2001 [4]. George Bush was, then appointed Salam Fayyad, the Finance contribute effectively to that process therefore, able to welcome the resolution in the Minister in the previous government, as Prime and the implementation of resolution following terms on 28th October 2003: Minister and invited him to form a government. 1483 (2003), and authorizes a "Our coalition against terror has been Salam Fayyad is an elected member of the multinational force under unified strengthened in recent days by UN PLC and the leader of the 2-member Third command to take all necessary Security Council Resolution 1511. This Way party, which got 2.4% of the "national measures [my emphasis] to contribute endorses a multinational force in Iraq list" vote in the elections in January 2006. By to the maintenance of security and under US command, encourages other contrast, Hamas got 44.5% of the "national stability in Iraq" [1] nations to come to the aid of the Iraqi list" vote and won 74 seats overall. "All necessary measures" is the people." [5] Salam Fayyad nominated a set of ministers phrase customarily used in Security as requested by the President, with himself as Council resolutions to mean military With popular support for his Iraqi adventure Foreign Minister and Finance Minister as well action. It is derived from Article 42 of falling rapidly, not least because of the absence as Prime Minister. However, he has not made Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which of "weapons of mass destruction", every time any attempt to obtain the confidence of the states that the Security Council "may Bush speaks about Iraq these days, he yokes it PLC for himself and his ministers, so the Basic take such action by air, sea, or land together with Afghanistan, and by implication Law bars them from assuming "the duties of forces as may be necessary to maintain therefore with 9/11. His message to the their positions". In fact, the PLC has never or restore international peace and American people is that the war in Iraq is an met. So, the Fayyad-led entity is not a legitimate security". essential part of preventing a repeat of 9/11. government under the Basic Law. As he told an audience in Alabama on 3rd Paragraph 14 of resolution 1511 urges states November 2003: * * * * * to "contribute assistance" to the "multinational "… a free and peaceful Iraq are force" : important for the national security of President Abbas has attempted to give the "[The Security Council] Urges America. A free and peaceful Iraq will Fayyed-led entity legitimacy by describing it Member States to contribute assistance make it more likely that our children as an emergency government, which, it is under this United Nations mandate, and grandchildren will be able to grow implied, does not require the normal including military forces, to the up without the horrors of September constitutional procedure, in particular multinational force referred to in the 11th. We'll defeat the terrorists there endorsement by the PLC, to be followed. It is paragraph 13 above;" so we don't have to face them on our true that Abbas was entitled to declare a state own streets." [6] of emergency under Article 110(1) of the Basic Lest there be any doubt that the entity Law, which states: referred to as "a multinational force under The Security Council has given credence to "The President of the National unified command" is, in fact, the occupying this baloney in resolution 1511. Authority may declare a state of forces commanded by the US, paragraph 25 emergency by a decree when there is a says: Annex B threat to national security caused by "[The Security Council] Requests war, invasion, armed insurrection, or at The present Fayyad-led Palestinian that the United States, on behalf of the a time of natural disaster for a period 'government' is not a legitimate government multinational force as outlined in not to exceed thirty (30) days." under the Palestinian constitution (the Basic paragraph 13 above, report to the Law). It is not legitimate because it has not Security Council on the efforts and Since the Palestinian territories are under been endorsed by the Palestinian Legislative progress of this force as appropriate occupation (and have been for 40 years) it Council (PLC). and not less than every six months;" would seem that a state of emergency could Article 79(4) of the Basic Law [1] states: lawfully be declared at any time. But, the 6 President cannot maintain it for more than 30 a state of emergency, the only power and the British were rejected and the latter days without the support of two thirds of the specifically given to him is to declare forced two wars on the Irish people for members of the PLC, since Article 110(2) the state of emergency in the manner their temerity. says: provided in Article 110. He cannot issue The Cenotaph celebrates not just the "The emergency state may be decrees suspending any provisions of dead of 1914-18, or even of 1939-46. It extended for another period of thirty the Basic Law. explicitly commemorates all British (30) days after the approval of two "The Legislative Council continues thirds of the Legislative Council military dead since 1914 and all the battles to function (Article 113), and none of in which they fell. It includes the Black Members." the other provisions of the Basic Law may be touched except as provided in and Tans and the Auxies in Ireland. Those That would appear to mean two thirds of the Article 111, which deals only with who performed unspeakable acts in 132 PLC members, that is, 88. restrictions that may be imposed on Malaya, in Kenya, in Aden and on the President Abbas declared a state of basic rights and freedoms, and even streets of Derry on Bloody Sunday. It emergency on 14th June 2007. It hasn't been these may only be affected to the extent commemorates the invasions of Iraq and renewed by the PLC under Article 110(2), so it necessary to fulfil the objective of the Afghanistan. came to an end on or about 14 July 2007. emergency as stated in the emergency And the British plan more of the same. More fundamentally, the Basic Law decree. At last year's event, as the BBC cameras provisions with regard to a state of emergency "It is worth remembering that the (Articles 110 to 115) don't allow the President focused on the children present, David whole Basic Law has been amended to Dimbleby declared that this was important to amend the Basic Law itself to do away with reduce, rather than increase, the powers the Article 79(4) requirement that of the president as a result of the power for them as they too would one day be "The Prime Minister and any of the struggle between Mr Abbas when he asked to risk their lives. The monument Ministers shall not assume the duties of was Prime Minister and the late recently unveiled in Britain to the 16,000 their positions until they obtain the President Arafat. who have been killed since 1945 allows confidence of the PLC." "Of course we anticipated that, in a for a further 10,000 names. system where both the president and For slavery fled, oh our glorious dead The Basic Law is unambiguous on the the legislature come to power through When you fell in the Foggy Dew. question of its own amendment, Article 120 popular elections, there is the likelihood Conor Lynch stating: that the president may belong to one (Letter Submitted to "The provisions of this Basic Law political party while the majority in the Irish Independent, 8th November) shall not be amended except with two legislature may belong to another, with thirds majority of the Members of the the possibility of divergence of policies, Legislative Council." as it has happened frequently in Poor Little Belgium? democracies like the United States and The following letter appeared in So, with or without a state of emergency, France. the Irish Examiner the Fayyad-led entity is not a legitimate "In a situation like this, compromises government under the Basic Law. through dialogue are struck and neither the president nor the legislature would Anne Cahill's report on the possible * * * * * attempt to thwart the will of the people. breakup of Belgium into its two, if not If a deadlock is reached, the president three, constituent parts, (that of the This conclusion is confirmed by Anis al- may exercise the power given to him by Flemings, Walloons and Brussels) made Qasem, who led the drafting of the Palestinian the Basic Law and dismiss the for very interesting and disturbing reading constitution. Questioned by Reuters on 8th government and appoint a new (29th September 2007). July 2007 [2], he said: government that would, ultimately, Up to 50,000 Irish people died for the receive the approval of the Legislative sake of 'poor little Belgium' and therefore "It is clear from (Basic Law) Article Council. Through this requirement of 45 that the president has the power to approval the elected representatives will we have something of a vested interest in dismiss the prime minister. However, determine the propriety or otherwise of this issue. under Article 78(3), the dismissed the action of the president and the will These victims are commemorated very government continues to run the affairs of the electorate will not be thwarted. volubly these days by many people of government temporarily as a That was the expectation." including our President and Taoiseach. I caretaker government until the think they owe us an explanation as to formation of the new government in the [1] www.usaid.gov/wbg/misc/Amended_ which Belgium these brave people actually manner provided by the Basic Law. Basic_Law.pdf died for. "Under Article 79(4) of Chapter 5 [2] www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/ It is rather disconcerting to have loved (on executive authority), neither the L0880166.htm prime minister nor any minister shall ones who may have died for a country that assume his office except after a vote of might soon not exist! Jack Lane confidence from the Legislative Council (parliament) ... Cenotaph "Conclusion: The president has the power to dismiss the prime minister continued Conquestpolitik and to start the process of the formation for the greater glory of British expansion- "Conquered states that have been of a new government. The basic ism and for the victory of raw laissez faire accustomed to liberty and the government ingredients of this process that give capitalism over the Christian Social market of their own laws can be held by the legitimacy to the new government are a system that was developing in Germany conqueror in three different ways. vote of confidence by the Legislative Having had its bacon saved by America, The first is to ruin them; the second, for Council and the oath of office. Britain restructured Europe and the Middle the conqueror to go and reside there in "Until the formation of the new East in ways that gave rise to Fascism and government in accordance with the person; and the third is to allow them to procedure laid down in Chapter 5 of the Nazism and an even more brutal War, and continue to live under their own laws, Basic Law, the dismissed government to the cauldron that is the Middle East subject to a regular tribute, and to create continues to act as a caretaker govern- today. in them a government of a few, who will ment. The Basic Law contains no special But "their betters" ceased to be "their keep the country friendly to the provisions for what is sometimes called betters" following the Uprising of 1916 conqueror" 'emergency government'. by the overwhelming will of the majority Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince "As to the powers of the president in in Ireland in 1918. Both the Redmondites 7 in the Great War, and England's hurried and agitated recruiting campaign in Seán O'Casey's Songs Against Sommery Ireland calling on Irishmen of goodwill to go out and fight for little Catholic Belgium. The Grand Oul' Dame INTRODUCTION BY MANUS O'RIORDAN: Three weeks later, in an Irish Times Britannia was written, printed as a 'nix Not for a moment could anyone take letter on 28th November, I further job' by friendly printers, and circulated issue with families commemorating the remarked: among the various National Societies." loss of loved ones in War. But this Novem- "Two years after the murderous Battle of the Somme it was still a front ber, as we approach yet another Royal SEÁN O'CASEY'S SONGS British Legion Remembrance Sunday, we being fought over. It was there that a first cousin of my maternal grandfather can see that what the occasion is primarily The Grand Oul' Dame Britannia now being used for is an unashamed was killed on February 15, 1918. There celebration of Britain's Imperialist War of was indeed much heartbreak and sorrow Air—"The Bonnie Bunch of Roses, O!" among his family, not least because he 1914-1918. had died as British cannon-fodder." Och! Ireland, sure I'm proud of you— Genuine commemoration need not take Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia, In the October issue of Irish Political To poor little Belgium tried and true, any such British jingoistic form. Three Review Jack Lane reproduced the First years ago the poet and war casualty Francis Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Brittania. World War satirical song We're fighting Ye've closed your ear to the Sinn Féin Ledwidge was commemorated by the for Christianity. Published over the unveiling of three panels in the Navan, lies, pseudonym of "Sliabh Rua" ["red For you know each Gael that for England Co. Meath branch office of SIPTU. It was mountain"], Jack speculates that this might indeed appropriate to do so, in the light of dies in fact have been Seán O'Casey. I'm not Will enjoy Home Rule in the clear blue Ledwidge's role as Secretary of the Meath absolutely certain that it was, but it was Labour Union, whose members subse- skies, certainly completely in character with a Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia. quently joined the ITGWU. The panels number of other anti-Imperialist War songs were respectively entitled The Labourer/ from O'Casey. But who now would ever Activist, The Poet, and The Soldier. I Ah! Casement! Damn that Irish Pig, guess that these even existed? How come Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia, provided the following wording for that that all those pundits, who wax lyrical third panel: We'll make him dance an English jig, about O'Casey's critique of Connolly and Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia. "Francis Ledwidge was a dedicated the 1916 Rising, stay deadly silent on his Irish Volunteer but enlisted in the But Redmond's here—the good and anti-British verse? great— Inniskilling Fusiliers—the regiment of Feather's from the Green Crow: Seán his patron, Lord Dunsany—in October, A Pillar of the English State— O'Casey 1905-1925 was a volume edited Who fears to speak of "Ninety-eight"— 1914. Eight weeks before his death in by an American academic Robert Hogan 1917, he recalled that he had 'joined the Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia. British Army' because he felt 'she stood and published in 1963—but it has long between Ireland and an enemy common since been out of print. Yet among the The Castle's now an altered place, to our civilisation'. But, in the wake of invaluable services performed by Hogan Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia, the 1916 Rising and the execution of was his rescue of such marvellous O'Casey It's the Drawin' Room of the Irish Race, Pearse and McDonagh, 'two of my best ballads from the archives. Most of them Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia. friends, shot by England', it was painful had been published by O'Casey himself in 'to be called a British soldier' while John Redmond to the Throne is bowed his 1918 collection entitled Songs of the 'Mid a frantic cheerin' Irish crowd— Ireland had 'but the place of Cinderella Wren, and they represented a powerful among the nations'. In May 1916 he had Sure it's like the days of Shane the propagandist contribution from him to the Proud, told his brother Joe, 'If I heard the anti-Conscription campaign. As Hogan Germans were coming in over our back Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia. wall, I wouldn't go out now to stop observed: them. They could come!' Ledwidge "The satiric songs frequently For Redmond now Home Rule has won, comment upon World War One, for was killed in Belgium on 31 July, 1917, Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia, when hit by a stray shell while mending O'Casey regarded Britain's part in it and Britain's attempt to recruit in Ireland An' he's finish'd what Wolfe Tone begun, a road during the third Battle of Ypres. Ses Grand Oul' Dame Britannia. He is buried in the nearby Artillery with a cold and satiric eye". Wood Cemetery". Yet rebels thro' the country stalk, O'Casey mocked both Redmond's Shoutin' "67" and "Batchelor's Walk" There was, indeed, hardly any Irish foolish belief in Britain's Home Rule — family left untouched by that War. As I promise and the anti-German war hysteria Did ye ever hear such foolish talk? wrote in The Corkman on 7th November to which Redmondism itself had so Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia. 2002: passionately subscribed. And in The "There are no Republican martyrs in Bonnie Bunch of Roses O! O'Casey also Ye want a pound or two from me! my family tree. Those of my Cork went on to pay tribute to his executed Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia, relatives (from Ballingeary on my sparring partner, James Connolly. For, For your oul' Hibernian Academy! father's side and Clonakilty on my notwithstanding the frequent clashes Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia. mother's), who fought for Irish freedom between them, it was Connolly himself Don't ye know we've got the Huns to in the IRA, all survived the War of who in January 1916 had published the quell, Independence. The only war casualty best of O'Casey's songs—The Grand Oul' And we want the cash for shot and shell; in the family had fought in quite a Dame Britannia—over the latter's Your Artists—Let them go to Hell! different cause—Britain's Imperialist Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia. War against Germany—John Sheehy pseudonym of "An Gall Fada" [ "the long of Barryroe, Clonakilty. There was, of foreigner"]. When O'Casey himself course, considerable family mourning republished it himself, in his 1934 Ah! Scholars, Hurlers, Saints an' Bards! and sorrow at his death. But what was collection Windfalls, he wrote in his Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia, mourned no less was the fact that he Preface: Come along an' list in the Irish Guards, had died in a British army uniform." "Finally came the crash of the guns Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia. 8 Each man that treads on a German's feet An' make submarines of his boots, then, An' the Germans are reignin' in 'Ill be given a parcel—tied up neat— in the mornin'! Bucharest— Of a Tombstone Cross an' a Windin' But these losses are now but a mighty sheet, Sure as God made little apples, they'd jest, Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia. demolish all our chapels, Since we've captur'd the Cave of An' our grand homes in the slums that Machpelah! Be jabbers! Redmond, you're the Bhoy! we were born in — Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia, With their big guns firin' shrapnel, We're proud, aye, we're proud of our Shure you're Ireland's pride and well—God help poor Charlie British pluck, England's joy, Chaplin — That fought against Hope an' the hardest Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia. If the Germans came to Ireland in the of luck, Like a true born Gael he faced the Hun, mornin'! We've won all we want an' we've settled Then he jumped around an' fired a gun— Von Kluck, Faix, you should have seen the Germans Now take heed to what I'm sayin', they'd For we've captur'd the Cave of run! destroy potato sprayin' — Machpelah! Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia. Sure with indignation sore my heart is burnin' — Mackensen may brag and the Kaiser Sure I spoke to-day with Inspector An' what would happen, pray, sir, to the may blow Quinn, Sinn Féin rainbow-chaser, About Russia's and Italy's overthrow, Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia, If the Germans came to Ireland in the But they'll soon change their tune when An' he told me straight we were bound mornin'! they get to know, to win! We've captur'd the Cave of Machpelah! Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia. What mean these deafenin' newsboys' We've Captured the yells— Cave of Machpelah We Welcome the Aid of Japan What tale is this the Paper tells— A British retreat from the Dardanelles! Air—"The Ould Orange Flute" Air—"Twenty-Four Strings to my Bow" Ses the Grand Oul' Dame Britannia. "The British arms have scored a great "Japan is the last hope of the Allies."— The Worker's Republic¸ January 16, 1916 victory by the capture of Hebron, which The Daily Mail contains the Cave of Machpelah, the tomb of Abraham."—The Daily Mail At first, for the sake of small nations, If the Germans Came to Ireland We ran an' we took down our gun, in the Mornin' In the fight for Poor Freedom against For our heart was in wild palpitations the Huns, Air—"I'm Off to Philadelphia in the Mornin'" When we thought on the strength of the We've lost thousands and thousands Hun. and thousands of guns; There are men in this 'ere Nation without For Religion and Truth, sure, we fought, But still in the struggle we're givin' too, any education— them tons. An asylum ward they ought to be An' the Rights an' the Freedom of Man— An' we've captur'd the Cave of To a frazzle we're bet—but we'll carry adornin'— Machpelah! For they tell us—Holy Moses—life ud on yet be a bed o' roses With the help and the aid of Japan! Chorus: If the Germans came to Ireland in the Hurrah! For John Bull and for Uncle mornin'! Chorus: Sam— With the help and the aid of Japan, We're losin' the war, but we don't care a To capture, sure, they're eager, each We'll accomplish the freedom of man: damn, An' we'll still rule the waves, while the United Irish Leaguer, For we've take the tomb of poor In Home Rule Sauce to give them all a workers are slaves, Abraham, With the help and the aid of Japan! cornin'; An' we've captur'd the Cave of An' the men that serve King Billy, they' Machpelah! be fed on Popish skilly, Poor Belgium, like a little goose, sir, Answered quickly fair Honour's loud If the Germans came to Ireland in the To triumph they'll carry the Union mornin'! call, Jack— But Germany's strength was let loose, Our warriors bold, brown, red and black Now, the noble men that lade yez, they'd sir, The Germans hit us, but we're hittin' And, faith, she soon ended them all; imprison in bird cages, them back— An' make them whistle God Save And now our poor Belgium is numbered An' we've captur'd the Cave of With horses that then also ran— Ireland, out o' scornin'— Machpelah! Oh! the Germans are such damn rogues, Sure, that's just as well—let her now go they'd destroy our harps an' to hell, With Joy an' with Pride, now, our For we've captured the aid of Japan! shamrogues, bosoms thrill! If they came and landed here now in the Tho' we're losin' each dale an' we're mornin'! On Russia for years we depended, losin' each hill, But their tidy and trim apple-car But we're givin' the bloodthirsty The merciless Huns soon upended, In our noble secret service the peelers Germans their fill, now are nervous, And, now, we've no use for the Czar! For we've captur'd the Cave of And the Bolsheviks fierce had For they'd kill these gentle creatures Machpelah! without warnin'— destroyed, too, Every peeler on his beat, sir, they'd cut Wirrastrue, Wirrastrue, we have lost Our nicely developing plan— off his little feet, sir, Trieste, But now we don't care for the great 9 Russian bear, An' he spoke in tones of thunder, tooral Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. For we've collared the aid of Japan! ooo! Looked down on Emmet's noble face, 'All the men that's left in Ireland, now, Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. Roumania, all caution and cunning, will have to hear the call Just here his sacred blood was shed— Came out on the side of the Right, To get out and to get under, tooral ooo!" I hear now what the hangman said: But, faith, sure, I hear they are running— Ses his Secretary, "Look, sir, Home "Behold the shameless traitor's head"— They never had stomachs for fight. Rule's on the Statute Book, sir; Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. And these gilded chocolate soldiers And we've only just another thing to do: Finished up well before they began; The Duke of Connaught swear in as the Now, isn't this a lovely scene? But we've got to, now, keep our hands to great High King of Éireann, Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. the plough, And we'll get recruits in thousands, With its trees an' grass an' rath serene, So we welcome the aid of Japan! tooral ooo!" Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. This place links up our country's past— Now, Ireland is blighted with Sinn Ses the Divil, "In our Empire things No wonder, now, you stand aghast— Féin— have reached a pretty pass, For there's blood on the slopes of Tho' we thought that she'd give us her Tooral, ooral, ooral, ooral ooo! Mullaghmast, aid— With their air raids, submarines an' all Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. For they're all thinkin' now of their own their latest poisoned gas, gain Tooral, ooral, ooral, ooral ooo! The Jail of Newgate once stood here, By diggin' up plots with a spade. But I wouldn't still be caring if it wasn't Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. But if ever we get a good chance, boys, now for Erin, Why do you shake like that with fear? Her obstinate hide we will tan, And the doings of the silly Sinn Féin Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. For she didn't act fair—Ah! But still crew; Before me visions sadly float; we'll get there, I'm beginnin' to feel queer, oh! with this 'Twas here poor Éire's heart you smote, With the much welcome aid of Japan! cursed De Valera— When you cut poor helpless Wolfe Tooral, ooral, ooral, ooral, ooo!" Tone's throat, Tho' Providence helped us before, boys, Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. In the great days of Nelson and Drake, An' the Divil sent his agents out to I'm afraid that she'll help us no more, gather in recruits, We're walkin' now, along the Quays, boys, Tooral, ooral, ooral, ooral ooo! Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. For she thinks that we're out on the To preserve the Saints in England an' I hope, dear friend, my words will make! destroy the German Brutes, please— But now we can do well without her, Tooral, ooral, ooral, ooral ooo! Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. And we laugh at her pitiful ban— "You'll get a welcome hearty from the When Mitchel answered Ireland's call For we don't care a damn, now, for gallant Irish Party— He passed in chains down this North Bible or psalm, Tell them to spread an' preach what isn't Wall— For we've captured the aid of Japan! true— We've forgot all this? Oh, not at all— 'Twas written by St. Kevin that no Gael Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. The Japanese may be a haythen— could enter Heaven, A bloody and villainous tyke— Unless he dyed the green, red, white This place we're in is Limerick Town, But when we're at war we're not playin', and blue." Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. And that's just the thing that we like! Ah, England, dear, why do you frown? For Civilisation needs, now, boys, After years an' years of work his agents Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. The help, sure, of every man, all came back, For here your word was overthrown, And the Savage, we find, is a help to Tooral, ooral, ooral, ooral ooo! When Sarsfield left the land alone — Mankind— They carried an old man nicely tied up Ah, a teacher great is the Treaty Stone! So we welcome the aid of Japan! in a sack, Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. Tooral, ooral, ooral, ooral ooo! "We could only get just one, sir, to put Strong Labour here his vigil keeps, The Divil's Recruitin' Campaign the Khaki on, sir — Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. Tho' we search'd an' search'd the country O'er the place where Connolly calmly Air—"Sergeant Willy Baily" through and through; sleeps, He'll join the British Awmy, but the Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. I suppose you've often heard, now, of doctors say he's bawmy — His teachings true in Ireland soon the place that lies below— Tooral, ooral, ooral, ooral ooo! Shall flourish like the flowers in June— Too all tooral, oorall, ooral, ooo! I'm afraid they'll hasten on your ruin— A public meeting there was held not Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. very long ago, The Bonnie Bunch of Roses, O! Too all tooral, ooral, ooral, ooo! Conscript the Gael is now your cry, Dear England, now we'll take a walk, 'Twas the Divil that presided, and soon Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. it was decided Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. Ah! Listen to our calm reply, That the only way to see the matter An' we'll have a quiet little talk, Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. through, Tho' the country be with soldiers An' to keep the British Nation at its An' I'll show you places in the land crammed, present elevation, Where the stroke of your soft, gentle Tho' every street with guns be jammed— hand, Was to hasten on Conscription, tooral Conscription, ay! an' you be damned! ooo! Ruled—for our good—you understand? Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O. Says the Bonnie Bunch of Roses O.

Ses the Divil, "Things in Ireland, now, —Seán O'Casey, they will not do at all!" The Church that stands here in this place, Songs of the Wren, 1918 10 Taoiseach of the country it included the THE STATE BROADCASTING SERVICE following paragraph: RTE is not much better than The Irish "We wanted to believe his initial Times. And in some ways it is worse. At Shorts public responses to the payments story. least The Irish Times is true to its origins. It was Bertie Ahern versus Enda Kenny Sean Lemass thought that the national from back in May and, as a people, we went broadcasting service should be an arm of for no change in our personal the state. But RTE was largely left to its the Long Fellow circumstances, stability, confidence in own devices and has become the plaything the crew that was experienced in of individuals with an anti-national agenda. government because the Celtic Tiger The Hidden History documentary on the SELF PARODY IN THE IRISH TIMES years could be fading" ( 28.9.07). killings at Coolacrease demonstrates that The Irish Times has descended into RTE cannot be relied upon to affirm the self-parody. Following the failure of the But The Irish Times never wanted to republican values upon which this State Irish rugby team to advance beyond the believe Ahern's "initial public responses". was founded. group stages of the competition, the It always wanted to believe the worst As a result we are left with the bizarre editorial of 2nd October described the about the Taoiseach. And, when it could situation that this magazine, some private performance of the team as "shameful". find no evidence, it indulged in endless citizens and local historians are put in a "Shameful"?! Certainly, the team column inches of speculation. position of having to defend the national performed below expectations. But It was only the Irish people which was revolution against attack by the state "shameful"? There was no evidence of prepared to give Ahern the benefit of the broadcasting service. cheating or dirty play. As far as the Long doubt. And the opinion polls show that the If the State has any self-respect left, it Fellow could see the team tried its best, people have not changed their view of will have to exercise control over RTE but just wasn't good enough. It had also either Fianna Fail or Ahern since the along the lines envisaged by Lemass. the misfortune to be in the "group of general election. No new evidence of death" with France and Argentina. substance has been produced to prove A NEW "CREATIVE AGE"? The editorial concluded with a senti- wrongdoing on the part of Ahern. But that The Long Fellow believes that all ment, which it would normally reserve for hasn't stopped The Irish Times. predictions by economists and sociologists Fianna Fail leaders: The editorial concludes: are suspect. He remembers 20 years ago "The Rugby paying public will "Mr Ahern has left a trail of that a social commentator called Charles confusion, deliberate obfuscation and expect to see accountability—on and Handy predicted the "end of work". And off the pitch" incredulity in his wake. He is damaged. Most people believe that he has therefore we would have to "redefine But it was good to see a reader get into work" so as to keep people occupied. In the spirit of the thing in the following breached the trust they placed in him last May. The ever-changing explana- subsequent years Ireland's economy took day's letters' page. A Robert Sloane from tions are close to exceeding the ability off. Full employment was reached. Greater Cork opined: of many people to look the other way." female participation in the labour force "The rugby World Cup campaign was not enough to satisfy the demand for has brought shame and despair to the THE IRISH TIMES AND THE LAW work and we had to rely on immigration. entire nation. Eddie O'Sullivan must Recently, an American sociology guru resign and so must his successor." The Irish Times likes to sit in judgement on all and sundry in Irish society, but—as has indicated that we are now on the cusp Sarcasm may be the lowest form of wit, the Irish Political Review discovered—it of a new age in which "creativity" rather but how else can one respond to the rubbish does not like to be the subject of judgement than manufacturing or services would be that The Irish Times emits? by others. The High Court described the the driving force of the economy. newspaper's decision to destroy documents And yet recently world prices in such THE IRISH TIMES AND after it had received a summons to produce commodities as grain and milk have THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PART 1 these to the Tribunal as an "astounding doubled. All the evidence suggests that For some time the Long Fellow has and flagrant disregard of the rule of law". agriculture and manufacturing will, if been concerned at the increasing levels of Following the judgement the propa- anything, become more important as illiteracy in The Irish Times. Well, that's a ganda campaign began. The following driving forces in the economy. lie. The truth is that the poor command of day's editorial stated that the judgement the English language provides some light was bad for journalism. A Martyn Turner NEW ALLIES? relief from the magisterial tone which the cartoon suggested that the newspaper And the most dynamic economies are newspaper attempts to affect. should follow Ahern's example regarding no longer in "old Europe" or even "old The editorial of 5th October on the Irish forgetting details. An article by Marie America". China, India, Russia and Latin entrepreneur Tony Ryan stated: McGonagle, a "media lawyer", followed America are likely to be the driving forces "Dr Ryan met triumph and disaster the paper's line by concluding that of the world economy. with equal equanimity" "memory can be a very delicate thing". This magazine has been an enthusiastic Could there be some types of equanim- But Ahern was uncertain about details supporter of the European Union up until ity that are more equal than others?! which occurred 13 years ago at a time the Nice Treaty. The European Union when he had other matters on his mind (he reached its high water mark in the era of THE IRISH TIMES AND thought he was about to be Taoiseach). Mitterrand, Kohl and Delors, but since THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PART 2 And he had no idea that his actions would then it has become a loose collection of The Irish Times uses the first person be the subject of an inquiry more than a capitalist states with expansionist aims. plural in an interesting way. Normally decade later. The Irish Times, on the other The election of Nicholas Sarkozy in France when the pronoun "we" is used with a verb hand, will be asked to recall details of only has strengthened the Anglo-American the speaker is referring to a group that he a year ago and concerning matters that it axis. The social Europe envisaged by a or she belongs to. But in The Irish Times knew full well would be the subject of a previous generation of leaders has been usage it has a completely different mean- court appearance. abandoned. ing. In most cases the newspaper uses it to Needless to say The Irish Times could It is not easy for a small state to pursue refer to the frailties of the Irish people. In find no legal expert to support the High an independent foreign policy. Europe its recent attempt to overthrow the Court judgement. gave us some cover. It would be foolish to 11 children and grand-children. I can't say they didn't have reason to hate it: they know how they feel, or how they felt. Old Irish And The Market Being employed in that way brought no Part Three benefits to Irish. It was going against the grain . . . of the language, as well as the forced-learners. Not long ago, when I mentioned that I ey themselves contribute towards Five, six, seven centuries ago the Irish was editing and translating 17th century making Ireland a very peculiar place language made conquests among a strange Irish poetry, I was asked: How does that indeed: we're the strange country that has population by its charm. No one pushed it connect with us? How does it affect our so much literature and history, we prefer down the throats of the Normans; to all lives now? Those are hard questions. to throw lots of it away. appearances it went down as smoothly In the first of the books that C.V. Take the following verse from a poem and pleasurably as alcohol. A great many Wedgwood wrote about the 1640s in by Diarmaid Ó Dálaigh, one of the O'Daly of them too, and they were won by England, she remarks: when these events poets of Desmond. I believe he composed attraction, not compulsion. On the other have ceased to matter it won't be worth the it in late 1641 or early 1642, just before the hand, the 20th century Irish Revival, where bother of writing their history, but they do outbreak of the Rebellion in Munster, it became mainly coercive, was a complete matter still. She doesn't offer any kind of which this poem is intended to incite. failure. proof or argument as to why they matter. Among other things he refers to the land- Seemingly she takes it for granted that her grabbing of the Percevals, who were Experience proves that English is a readers will grasp why. among the spectacular successes of the much better language for shoving down The Irish, and their poets not least, restored Munster Plantation after 1600. people's throats. English has a historical were involved in the same complex of Using the magic weapon of mortgage, track record and can show impressive events, and the outcome here was more Philip Perceval had ruined various Barrys success. Not long ago I came across decisive than in England. In Ulster, as and MacCarthys and picked up huge Edward Walsh's description of how people everyone knows, 1641 matters. And in landholdings in the North Cork area. This changed from Irish to English, in his Munster, Ulster, Leinster or Connacht robust and wrathful poem was a favourite preface to Irish Popular Songs (1847). 1649 matters to all historically conscious of Geoffrey O' Donoghue, the Kerry poet This is how it happened: people (true, there are people who say that whose work I've been editing, which is it's best to have no historical consciousness how I came across it myself. "The popular songs and ballads of if you're Irish). In the following verse Diarmaid Ó Ireland are as completely unknown to Some of the written materials in which Dálaigh expresses what the Gall, i.e. the the great mass of Irish readers, as if they were sung in the wilds of Lapland, Ireland's 1640s can be seen working New English Planter, has been doing to instead of the green valleys of their own themselves through are in the Irish the Gael within planted Munster, and what native land. These strains of the Irish language. These Irish materials are mainly the choices are: muse are to be found in the tongue of poetry, and what remains today is certainly Ach táid fraoch Goill go faoileach dá the people only; and while for past only a small fraction of what once existed. gceisil-mheilt, centuries, every means had been used Printed pamphlets had the means of ag treis-ingeilt ar shaoir-chloinn an to lead the classes which had partaken, surviving, whereas manuscript poems Ghaoidhil gheis-oirbhirt; even in the slightest degree, of an tended to get lost or destroyed. But in my English education, into a total disuse of as rogha gliadh nó as fógra fras- the mother tongue; when the middle opinion, those poems are an essential part aimhnirt, of the story. Until they have all been and upper ranks, aping the manners of assignment ar gach fiadh d'Fódla the English settlers located among them, edited and published—because most of eisoirdhirc. adopted a most un-natural dislike to the them are unedited and unpublished to this language of their fathers; when even in day—and properly set in context, no one But the furious Gall mills them merrily the courts of law the sole use of the will be able to write about Ireland's 1640s like cornstack-layers, vernacular was a stumbling-block in the way C.V. Wedgewood did about force-grazing upon the free race of the the way of him who sought for justice England's. pledged-to-giving Gael; within their precincts, and the youth the choice is war, or look out for a who may have acquired a smattering of Are Ireland's official scholars hard at education found it necessary, upon hailstorm that saps us, emerging from his native glen into the work on this? A foolish question!—no, of assignment on each territory of an course they aren't. The most ambitious of world, to hide, as closely as possible, ignoble Ireland! all knowledge of the tongue he had them are complacent commentators on an learned at his mother's breast; it is no existing body of edited work which they I think I can safely assume that my wonder the peasantry should, at length, assume to be complete, or complete readers don't know this poem. I am 95% quit this last vestige of nationality, and enough to make no difference—or sure that it has never been published. But assist the efforts of the hedge school- complete enough, anyhow, to serve their master in its repression. The village supposing there had been a major rebellion, teacher had long been endeavouring to present purposes. These people don't feel I won't say in Slovakia or Lithuania, but in at ease with Irish particularities, but th check the circulation of the native Poland, France, or England, which a poet tongue among the people, by had advocated with a verse like this . . . establishing a complete system of is it likely his verse would be unknown in espiery in these rustic seminaries, in Long Fellow continued that particular national culture? It's which the youth of each hamlet were abandon Europe, but it might be time to inconceivable! made to testify against those among seek new allies elsewhere. them who uttered an Irish phrase... The But I don't want to shove anything, poor peasant, seeing that education could be obtained through the use of 'NUFF SAID least of all Irish poetry, down anyone's English only, and that the employment The Long Fellow was bemused to see throat. For some friends of mine Irish is an of the native tongue was a strong bar to the 'paper of record' publishing the wrong irritating dead language that was pushed the acquirement of the favoured one, Lottery results: see Irish Times, 29th down their throats in school and is still prohibited to his children the use of the September. being shoved down the throats of their despised language. This transition was,

12 and is still, productive of serious Voluntary Magyarisation'. Beksics was language gave these people intellectual inconvenience to the young and the old against trying to Magyarise by force. Better independence and self-respect—which of the same household in their mutual to do it the voluntary way, the English they were able to assert in the progressive intercourse of sentiments. The writer of way! If the Magyars got a stranglehold on Ireland that spoke English! But surely that these remarks has often been painfully the towns and a monopoly of modern shouldn't have been possible? amused at witnessing the embarrass- culture, then sooner or later it would dawn ment of a family circle, where the I don't think any modern sociological parents, scarcely understanding a word on the Slavic masses that neither they nor explanation can make much of all that. of English, strove to converse with their their sons would ever get anywhere, the When Roy Foster writes about 1916 and children, who awed by paternal cards would be stacked against them in after in his History of Modern Ireland, he command, and the dread of summary the law and in all social relationships, seems haunted by the feeling of some punishment at the hand of the peda- until they gave up their useless languages obscure force of evil. gogue, were driven to essay a language and adopted Magyar. That might take a of which the parents could scarcely long time, but it was a sure conclusion and Thus unexpectedly from underground, comprehend a single word, and of which one could afford to be patient. the poor children had too scant a stock the mighty Irish language presented its In support of this he gave the Irish claim not to be forgotten so easily! But to furnish forth a tithe of their exuberant example. His view of Ireland was thought." what was one to do with it now that it intelligent and crystal-clear, and the only couldn't be forgotten? Revive it? That is how communities change strange thing about it is that it turned out The idea was a natural one. When people language voluntarily. The parents to be wrong. whose heads have been turned pretty well voluntarily see to it that the new language "The language of the town will inside out have a period of renewed is pushed down their children's throats, swallow up the language of the strength and a feeling of power, it wouldn't countryside without any compulsion or be strange if they set about trying to put with the help of the schoolmaster's stick national martyrdom. It swallowed it in and his spying system, and not just at antiquity, in the Middle Ages and their heads back the right way in. But the school times but at all times. This grim likewise in the modern age. In Ireland operation isn't easy. In the Irish case there experiment had been carried through in the towns, which became English, was a lot of passive resistance. And one hundreds of thousands of families by liquidated the Celtic language. The reason for this is that the original language Walsh's time, and it would be carried English language conquered first the change was so horrible that the community through in hundreds of thousands more— towns and afterwards the countryside. would need to be under some bleak including, I believe, the family of my By now the language of Ossian is spoken compulsion to submit to another. maternal grandmother. (One day, when I only in corners of the Kerry mountains. Community language change is a horrible was eight or nine, I discovered that she O'Connell attacked the English in the business. English language. He borrowed from People whose recent forbears had been spoke fairly fluent Irish. I didn't understand Shakespeare those lightning-bolts with how that could be, since Irish was a school which he blasted perfidious Albion. through this mill were in no hurry to put subject and this old woman hadn't been The Irish nation no longer lives in its their own families through it in reverse. near a school for decades.) language, but only in its history and Anyhow, they were reaping some of the creed. All that keeps it on the alert is gain from that earlier pain. The law was What Walsh describes is the key modern hatred of the English, otherwise it would accessible now. Dickens, Scott, Cervantes, language experience of Ireland. It is what already be fusing completely with the any amount of English literature, original shapes the modern language-life of the Anglo-Saxon race. If after the religious and translated, was turning up in Irish great majority. As for Irish—I think of question the agrarian question is solved rural homes. The world was in better Irish as a force in the underground, with a also, Ireland will no longer rebel. It will focus than it had been. Why risk blurring be as soundly English as Wales, which it? little of it left above ground still. Mainly it also was originally dominated by Celts." is distanced from us and our immediate (p56 in a dual-language Hungarian/ lives, though the deeper down one goes Slovak edition, published in Bratislava This was one reason why the Revival the more one finds that it has soaked the in 2000). ran aground. But beyond that there was entire land. I don't know that this force can the question of utility. It was clear that the be tapped. Whatever it is, it seems A decade after Beksics wrote, the Gaelic community was deeply involved in contemptuous of methodical modern League was founded by someone who usefulness and destined to be more so, and purposes. But now and then it will gush up seemed to belong to a type well-known in it needed a utilitarian language. Could unpredictably and unexpectedly and have England: a bookish, reactionary country Irish be that language? Or could it have little or large effects. gentleman who hated progress and modern been that language, given certain initiatives life and wanted to turn back the clock. taken at a certain historical juncture? Around 1880 it seemed that there And in the two decades that followed I am not concerned with these questions wouldn't be any more gushing. The (during which the agrarian question was here. I don't see that the worth of Irish tendency towards universal and exclusive solved, quite according to the prescription depends upon how one answers them. use of English was obvious. This much of Doctor Beksics) the most gifted and Certainly I am not in favour of conceding was evident even to foreigners, and certain capable young people in Ireland joined the small place that Irish still has in Irish foreigners found the development this reactionary gentleman's movement. life and schooling to whatever the priests inspiring. For example, Hungarian They included most of the key personnel of utility would put in its place. I see no nationalists who were concerned with the in 1916 and in the subsequent War of reason why compulsory Irish in schools in problem of how non-Magyar languages Independence. They led the Irish rebellion its present-day form should be thought and the sense of non-Magyar nationality which had logically ceased to be possible. oppressive. I am in favour of maintaining could be killed off within the vast territory It's often been said, and I think the truth it, since it offers the child some small of Great Hungary, where the Hungarian of the statement is clear: there couldn't chance of connecting with what's in speakers were still a minority. have been any independent Ireland without Ireland's depths. Beyond that, I am in Magyarosodás és magyaositás by the Gaelic League. The same suitable favour of all cheerful experiments with Beksics Gusztáv (Budapest 1883) conditions might still have arisen, but the Irish that can still be made. The addressed this issue. The title can loosely leadership wouldn't have been formed. Gaelscoileanna seem to be cheerful places. be translated as 'Magyarisation and The Gaelic League was a school of (That's another thing sociology wouldn't Magyar-assimilation', or 'Compulsory and revolution. To all appearances the Irish have predicted!) 13 But for me the greatest value of the In the meantime, I think it wouldn't kill Irish language is historic, in its extra- anyone to know the poems of Fear Flatha Má thug an Deónughadh dhi, ordinary literature. With an unbelievably Ó Gnímh. I hope to collect them sometime Saxa nua dan hainm Éire, resolute pride, Irish in the 16th, 17th, 18th in the near future. They've been taken by bheith re a linn-se i láimh bhiodhbhadh, centuries keeps its integrity, refuses all modern academics as poems of pure don innse is cóir ceileabhradh. compromise, scorns even to consider despair. A great poet will be understood in getting into the trend of thinking and living many ways, but if he was really a prophet If Providence has willed which England is pioneering. of despair it's strange that his best translator a new England called Ireland, The power of this extraordinary testi- should have been Patrick Pearse. I don't to be all its days in enemies' hands, mony is unappreciated. To paraphrase now have Pearse's translation ready to to this island we must say farewell! Edward Walsh: the great poems of Fear hand, so I must offer my own of the verse Flatha Ó Gnímh are as completely following, from Mo thruaighe mar táid John Minahane unknown to the mass of Irish readers as if Gaoidhil (My sorrow, how the Gaels are!): they had been composed in the wilds of Lapland. And this is what I find so unforgivable in the Institute of Advanced Studies, whose latest stale idea (Michelle End Of History? O' Riordan, Irish Bardic Poetry and Rhetorical Reality, Cork 2007) is to reduce "How is it possible to tell the story of rape of an entire people, but the the filidh of Ireland to the level of any nation, write any history at all, after phenomenal ignorance of history dis- troubadours. After James Carney's mind- “the end of history” has been proclaimed? played in it. I do not mean ancient, opening speculative work, the way was This proclamation (to my mind a peculiarly medieval, or even modern history—just a clear for a fruitful contact with those great North American intellectual banality) is history as old as the two or three U.S. uncompromising poets of the time of really the end of moral imagination, administrations that came before George Elizabeth and James. I think that this commensurate with the rise of a self- W. Bush's presidency, a history that could be valuable not only for Irish culture congratulatory and triumphalist anti- amounts to nothing more than the active but even for the culture of the world. historiography, of intentional amnesia, a memory of people still alive and in full In Elizabeth's time the great English refusal even to acknowledge, let alone control of their mental faculties. I cannot mind was Francis Bacon, and he's now the relate to, any people's history. The telling tell whether this bizarre historical great mind of the world, whether acknow- of the history or Iran, or anywhere else, is ignorance is a product of deliberate ledged or not. His glittering eyes are in a way morally and imaginatively to resist ideological charlatanism intended to fool every shopping mall. ("We have...! We the presumptuous imperial hubris of a people and persuade them to support an have...! We have...!") But, leaving aside “superpower” that has convinced itself of immoral war, an innocent manifestation all those places like Slovakia which — its triumphant Christian finality, so it can of a cultural leit-motif, or even worse, a merely because they're landlocked!—still confidently proclaim that history has come sinister combination of both. But the do not have sea-surfing facilities with real to an end. But history has ended nowhere result is the same and coterminous with salt water. . . even Dubai, with its indoor except in the minds of bureaucratic strateg- Fukuyama's notion of “the end of history”. ski slope in the midst of a desert, isn't yet ists and imperial tacticians. For Hegel, Writing history is resisting power, quite the New Atlantis. More is possible, history began with the Greeks and Romans particularly when eradicating history and more is needed. . . Francis Bacon is always and came to its height in Germany. For cultivating a deliberate amnesia, in theory with us and always still ahead of us. Fukuyama, history ended in the U.S. and practice, is the single most abiding Department of State. The world begs to manner of projecting the open-ended The society of constant experiment and differ. Not having been permitted entry power of this empire and discrediting the improvement, where everything, thought into history by Hegel, we are now told by necessary modes of contesting and included, is demeaned (but Bacon says Fukuyama, “Sorry, folks! History has resisting it. Iranians are still not over the something like 'equalised' or 'levelled') ended.” We, the people, subalterns fact that in 1953 the CIA topped the and poetry is contemptuously pushed to rejecting all grand narratives, object." democratically-elected government of the margins, was never pursued through "I write this book from a vantage point Muhammad Mosaddeq and installed a the medium of Irish. There was a search somewhere between the country I come deposed monarch to serve the illegitimate for alternative paths in history, in associ- from, where people are afflicted with too interests of the United States more ation with Spain or the Stuart kings, where much history, and the country I now call obediently, and now the United States is Gaelic Ireland could have kept true to home, where people are stricken with yet again up in arms against Iran. Someone itself. The 20th century Revival (under historical amnesia—where they are told ought to connect these dots, and a number difficult conditions—so difficult, in fact, history has ended. It is not only those like of other dots, and put forward a historical that the remarkable thing is not that the Fukuyama and Huntingdon who must be account that will enable people, young project fell into coercion and absurdity, held accountable for such dangerous people in particular, to speak truth to but how much it did that was positive) also delusions; this amnesia, combined with predatory warmongers." involved a quest for an alternative. ignorance (an almost deliberate blindness), (Hamid Dabashi: Iran, A People Now, of course, we're assured by is widespread, and part of the U.S. Interrupted, The New Press 2007, pp4,8) Professor Fukuyama (who with breath- ideological machinery. I recently started taking cheek, on the very stroke of 1989, reading a book edited by Thomas Cush- tried to buy out European philosophy from man, A Matter of Principle: Humanitarian Tokyo 1945 the bargain basement—see The End of Arguments for War in Iraq (2005), in History and the Last Man) that there's no which a number of otherwise seemingly "I suppose if I had lost the war, I would alternative anywhere. Certainly, looking decent people attempt to make a “moral” have been tried as a war criminal. at contemporary Ireland, it's hard to see case, as they say, for the U.S. invasion of Fortunately, we were on the winning side." one. And if it wasn't for all that poetry Iraq. What is astounding about this book US General Curtis LeMay, commander forever soaking our road-lacerated land, it is not its shameless defense of an immoral, of the 1945 Tokyo fire bombing operation. would be hard to imagine there could ever unjust, and illegal war, a war responsible again be surprises. for the death and destruction, torture, and

14 Policing Board, said that the proposed or during the intervening years. The role for MI5 was incompatible with company received another £4m in the British Government declaration State aid over the last six years. OUP in 1990 that Britain has "no selfish, Mayor of Limavady, Edwin Editorial Digest strategic or economic interest" in Stevenson, said that the total amount Northern Ireland. of taxpayers' money paid to the DANA was Eamon Dunphy's Radio THE EAST ANTRIM UDA Has said company is between £30m and £40m. Eireann guest on 3rd November. He that it has decommissioned—all 14 Seagate, a US multi-national, also asked her about Fintan O'Toole's guns. But SDLP Stormont Minister employs 1,400 people in Derry. The "sneering article" when she stood Margaret Ritchie continues to refuse company refuses to recognize Trade for President saying his "set" didn't to channel development funds via Unions. think there could be any more to the UDA until all its sections have 45 RUC/PSNI OFFICERS have been mere singers and football players. decommissioned. One UDA leader allowed to resign while under She replied "he didn't even know reasonably objected that they had no investigation for serious offences me… These liberals are only liberal idea where many of the weapons since March 2006 (Irish News Oct with those who share their views". were. Another objection was that 3rd). The crimes include She said she served on the stem cell Stormont shouldn't be responsible downloading child-pornography, research Committee of the European for what amounts to UDA pensions. assault, theft, and fraud. This means Parliament and saw that there were Inquiry after inquiry has that they have avoided disciplinary plenty of stem cells available from demonstrated that UDA operations processes and keep their pension the placenta and the umbilical cord were instigated, facilitated—or even entitlements. without having to use the foetus. organized and led by—RUC Special Speaking about the "events", as many Branch and Military Intelligence. Its call them, of Bloody Sunday, Dunphy members therefore should be entitled Seán O'Hegarty referred to the "murders" of that day. to police or army pensions! So his statement to Edna O"Brien a The above item puts one in mind REPORT: The following few weeks ago that he was no longer of a story many years ago when a review by Peter Beresford Ellis a revisionist looks correct. UDA commander in North Belfast of the biography of Kevin had the clever idea of burying his Girvin's Seán O'Hegarty BUS TOURS, according to the Belfast gun under next door's dog kennel. Of Telegraph (2nd Nov), have been course the dog, probably expecting a appeared in the Irish stopped going along the Falls Road juicy bone, immediately dug it up, Democrat: after stones and bottles were thrown and the police were called. I MIGHT be accused of becoming the at one of them. Hardly surprising as Unfortunately for the gun owner he Cork historical correspondent but, in recent a few days earlier bottles were thrown had wrapped it in a newspaper which times, there has been some excellent books at the IRA war memorial from the had his name on the front to help the produced about the war of independence top of a tour bus by young men delivery boy. More than that, the in Cork. And now, just out, comes another wearing Rangers shirts. What was man had half completed the prize that should not be missed. the tour company thinking of when crossword, but had already filled in Seán O'Hegarty was one of the most they took that lot up the Falls? Still, his name and address. He was about effective military commanders in the Cork the real tourists will have something to have plenty of time for doing area but his significance has long been to talk about—they visited a real crosswords. overshadowed by other great Cork names, danger area! These tours do also not the least Tom Barry. have a touch of the zoo about them. 1641 REBELLION RECORDS which Kevin Girvin of University College, were planked away in Trinity College Cork, has produced the first, and long MARTIN MEEHAN, former IRA are to be digitized and made available overdue, biographical study of O'Hegarty, leader, has died. Meehan once to the public over the next three brother of the more famous P.S. O'Hegarty described his interrogation by the years according to the Irish News of who earned an entry in the Cadogan and RUC Special Branch at the time of October 18th. These comprise 3,400 Falvey Biographical Dictionary of Cork internment. They stuck a knitting accounts supporting the view that while Seán, sadly, did not rate a mention. needle into his calf until it touched between 4,000 and 12,000 No one trying to understanding the the bone and then scraped the bone. Protestants were killed by the rebels. struggle in Cork during the period 1916- They were nothing if not inventive, What described as "rebellion" was 1923 can afford not to have a copy of this the RUC. an attempt by people in Ulster to book and it is certainly a corrective to the regain lands taken from them 30 trash being peddled as history by the likes MI5 have already begun moving in to years earlier and settled by soldiers of Hart and his fellow revisionists who their new purpose-built Barracks in and civilians from Britain, mostly in have tried to paint the war of independence Holywood, Co. Down, according to the Western part of the Province. in Cork as a sectarian conflict with the the Belfast Telegraph, October 11th. Catholic fanatics (IRA) wiping out the The handover of "national security" THE SEAGATE FACTORY in southern Protestants (Unionists). Such from the PSNI is expected to be Limavady, which makes blank CDs, claims are pretty bizarre and certainly, if completed by the end of the year. has announced that it will close in notoriety was what Hart was after, by his "The PSNI will be kept informed of one year with the loss of over 900 appalling The IRA and its Enemies, he has all MI1 anti-terror operations… and jobs. The reason given is the 'sudden' gained that. will continue to run the 'great discovery that Irish wages cannot Thankfully, Kevin Girvin, has majority' of informers, and should compete with wages in the Far East presented a thoroughly researched and be given access to all relevant or North Africa. As though there fascinating work which has an addition of information", said the paper. Mind was no differential when the plant 114 pages of appendices, notes, you MI5 will decide what is relevant! was set up nearly ten years ago with bibliography and index. Dolores Kelly, SDLP member of the the help of a lot of taxpayers' money, What is essential to an understanding 15 of the Treaty debate and descent into civil Society and had an enthusiastic audience of nationalisation of the basic means of war, is the fascinating inclusion of the about 60 people from many different production in order to satisfied the needs of record of O'Hegarty's contribution to the backgrounds. the people of Venezuela; it goes against Treaty debate in the Dáil in 1922 when he their profits. This is so even when any was allowed to address the Dáil as leader The meetings intended to explain "the nationalisation and expropriation has been of a delegation of army officers. five engines for socialism"; the programme carried out according to law and with Fascinating, too, is how the British that the Venezuelan government will try to payment of compensation. intelligence saw O'Hegarty. Kevin Girvin implement in the next future. 63 per cent of has been able to access O'Hegarty's British the population of Venezuela voted for that So, Jorge continued, the imperialists will military intelligence file, which is part of programme in the election held last try anything they can to get rid of Chavez the appendices. December. and put back into power the old corrupt Another fascinating appendix is the oligarchy. They already tried with the US- inclusion of the text of Father Dominic Carlos Fiorillo, member of the Unified backed military coup and the bosses lock out O'Connor's letter to Cork No 1. Brigade Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and in 2002. This shows the hypocrisy of the US giving the counter arguments to the Bishop Hands off Venezuela – Ireland, presented and European governments when they of Cork's decree, threatening for the first time in English translation some accuse Chavez of being undemocratic. excommunication to the Irish Volunteers. sections of three speeches about the "5 Father Dominic was brigade chaplain engines" that President Hugo Chavez made In the meeting in Belfast some people in and believed the Bishop had no right in between the 8 th and the 17th of January the audience asked what people could do in Canon Law to make this threat, giving a 2007. Carlos said: Ireland to support the people of Venezuela closely reasoned argument. But he added, and to stop the imperialist intervention. In in the circumstances, there was no need "The 5 Engines is the name of the Dublin, some also expressed the need to for anyone in Confession to even mention procedure that is taking place in Venezuela actively support the Bolivarian movement. they were a member of the Irish in order to make the transition from a Jorge Martin made clear, first, that the Volunteers. capitalist state to a new socialist state on broadest possible movement in solidarity This is an essential book because, while behalf of the Venezuelan people, and to with Venezuela should be organised in nationalize the resources for the well-being Ireland. He made an appeal to all those who it deals with the microcosm of Cork, it of the whole country; as president Chavez agree with three basic principles, full support also deals with the macrocosm of the promised when he won the last presidential for the Bolivarian revolution, against entire country not just in 1916-23 but it is elections on December 2006." imperialist intervention and counteracting a reminder that there is an attempt by the lies of the media, should join Hands Off certain so-called historians to denigrate The first engine, Carlos went on, is the Venezuela. and re-shape these essential years of Irish enabling law. With that law the Venezuelan history. government will be able to nationalize all The first thing to do, he said, was to tell It is a fragment of truth in the sea of that was privatized; the second engine is a the youth and the workers in our communities neo-colonial propaganda now being constitutional change to allow the people of what is really happening in Venezuela. That peddled in Ireland. Venezuela to go towards socialism. President is the only way to counteract the lies spread http://www.irishdemocrat.co.uk/book- Hugo Chavez, according to Carlos, said in the mass media, owned by a few large reviews/hunger-strike-reflections/" that, "Venezuelans [in the election last corporations, about the Venezuelan December] voted for socialism … government. REPORT [Socialism] is what people want … [Socialism] is what the country needs… This could be done by organising talks Venezuela is free, we are not colony of and projecting documentaries in colleges anybody." and in meetings with trade unionists, by Venezuela passing resolutions in trade union congresses, Subject: Report meeting in support of The third engine is national education on by getting youth organisations and trade Venezuelan Revolution in Ireland socialist values and solidarity, and access to unions to link up with our solidarity groups, (October 2007) education for all at all levels: "study is the etc. He underlined several times the debate of ideas in a permanent way." The importance of getting the support of the The five "engines" for Socialism: fourth engine is a new "geometry" of power, working class in our communities through meetings in support of the Venezuelan based on popular power, in order to eliminate their trade unions. Revolution in Ireland the differences between classes and the P. Bowman (Dublin) obscene privileges of the bureaucrats and Jorge Martin suggested raising funds and the ruling class. The fifth engine, Carlos getting trade unions to sponsor delegations Hands off Venezuela, in co-operation concluded, was the "explosion" of popular, trips of Irish workers and students to with the Venezuela Support Group and the revolutionary, socialist and democratic Venezuela in order to witness what is really James Connolly Debating society in Belfast, power through the creation of communal happening in Venezuela, and reporting back organised two meetings in support of the councils and federations of communal in their communities, trade unions, and study Venezuelan Revolution in Dublin (8th councils. places. October) and Belfast (10th October). The idea was also to continue with the campaign Jorge Martin, international secretary of We would like to thank all those who Hands off Venezuela – Ireland, already Hands Off Venezuela Campaign, analysed made these meetings possible. constituted after a first round of meetings the current situation in Venezuela. The held last April in two Irish Universities. political process unfolding in Venezuela, he Contact Hands Off Venezuela said, has a socialist character and is fully Ireland ( [email protected] More than 35 people attended the meeting democratic. It is not the first time that Hugo in Dublin (including activists from SIPTU Chavez wins an election, but this time he got ) or visit our yahoo group (http:// and other unions, from the Connolly Youth 63 per cent of the votes, he said. groups.yahoo.com/group/ Movement, éirígí, the Labour Youth, the Hands_off_Venezuela_Ireland CPI and others). The meeting in Belfast was The problem, Jorge argued, is that the ). 16 the Pearson family are placed in the yard The Killings at where the executions took place and forced Coolacrease Coolacrease to watch the two men being shot. At the continued Court of Enquiry, the women themselves The following appeared in Village testified that they were taken, not to the to pursue it was that pursuit would have magazine of 25th October yard, but to a grove of trees a safe distance brought the attention of the listeners to the from the house. In the grove it was The "Hidden History" documentary, physically impossible to see inside the awful truth that in the main the people inspired in part by Eoghan Harris, is a who were exposing the misrepresentation enclosed yard where the two men were distortion of what actually happened at taken. of historical fact by RTE about the Coolacrease, when two young Protestants Coolacrease incident were not a dis- were murdered [word in blurb written by Eoghan Harris salaciously described gruntled sub-group of Republicans left the Editor of Village]. By Pat Muldowney the gunshot wounds that the two men behind by events, but were the people who received: He said they were shot "very had put themselves out of court with There is a great big hole in the middle deliberately, in the genitals, in their sexual prevailing nationalist opinion around 1970 of the RTÉ Hidden History programme parts, in their sexual organs". Other by presenting a case in defence of the aired on 23 October 2007 about the 1921 versions, again inspired by Hidden Ulster Protestants, and that Senator Harris IRA execution of the two Pearson brothers History/Eoghan Harris, are practically had denounced them as national traitors in Co Offaly. There was an even bigger pornographic and I will not repeat them for doing so. one in the Tubridy Show (RTÉ Radio here. But what the medical evidence given And where would that have left the One) coverage of the issue on 21 October. to the Court describes is a range of injuries Taoiseach's unelected nominee to the The Hidden History programme from the legs to the shoulders, all of them Senate? originated in the 2005 book I met murder superficial, and none to the genitals. on the way by Alan Stanley and in Eoghan According to the evidence, none of the Harris was engaged in a campaign to Harris' Sunday Independent article (9 Oct wounds were fatal, and the men died from de-legitimise the democratic sources of 2005). The latter provided the tone and shock and blood loss. If they had received Irish sovereignty long before the Taoiseach political content of the programme; "To timely and adequate medical attention it made him a Legislator and made him a gift attack a family like that calls to high seems their lives could have been saved. of something in the region of half million heaven for atonement". It also provided There is much more that can be gleaned Euros. It is what he has been about since the programme's working title— from the Court of Enquiry. Along with the the early 1990s. His Coolacrease prog- Atonement—during production. Irish Court Martial Report, this is where a ramme, which the RTE authorities stand So it is not surprising that the prog- real investigation of the Pearson case over, presents the Imperial authority as ramme challenged the validity of the Irish should have started. the legitimate authority in 1921, and the Court Martial ruling, held in June 1921, Which brings us to the historians used Republicans as land-grabbers and bigots. which found the Pearsons guilty of staging by Hidden History. To their credit, Free invention was applied in a re- an armed attack on an IRA unit engaged in historians Paddy Heaney and Philip construction of the incident. Imagination road block activity in resistance to the McConway detected that there was some- was freed from the burden of documentary Black and Tan terror aimed at suppressing thing amiss with the programme and evidence. the democratically elected Irish distanced themselves from it, as reported The documentary evidence will be listed government; for which the Court passed in the Offaly Independent newspaper of 6 next month and compared with the RTE the death sentence. October. Philip McConway's findings on programme. I will end here with a para- But this was not the only Court that met the subject are expected to be available on graph from the British Military Court of to adjudicate on the fate of the Pearsons. the website of the Offaly Historical & Enquiry held on 7th July 1921, a week This Hidden History programme Archaeological Society http://www.offaly after the incident. Alan Stanley wrote his supposedly set out to examine forensically history.com and in print. Much of the book without reference to this document what happened on 30 June 1921, the day relevant information is already available produced by his own side which of the executions. So how did it happen at http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84547 contradicts his account of the incident. It that the programme never mentioned – was given to the programme makers to not once – the other Court, which met on . take account of, but they decided to ignore 2 July 1921 to do exactly the same thing? Like thousands of others caught up in it: It is not that Hidden History did not the war caused by imperial aggression "It is said by the C.I. [County know about the British Military Court of against the democratically elected Inspector] Queen's County Enquiry, which met on that day in Crinkle government, the Pearsons suffered a Military Barracks, Birr. terrible tragedy, which everyone must feel. [Offaly] that the two Pearson boys But as the Courts found, they worked for a few days previously had seen The problem for the Hidden History/ Eoghan Harris line was that the British the terror forces that sought to destroy two men felling a tree on their Military Court of Enquiry, operating Irish democracy by brutal methods. In his land adjoining the road. Had told completely independently, found exactly statement to the British Government's the men concerned to go away, the same as the Irish Court Martial. The Grants Committee, William Pearson and when they refused had fetched Chief Inspector of the Queen's County formally declared that he was a collab- two guns and wounded two Sinn RIC testified to the Court that "the two orator ("I assisted the Crown Forces on Feiners, one of whom is believed Pearson boys a few days previously had every occasion"). seen two men felling a tree on their land By endlessly posing the question of dead." whether the Pearsons were spies and Brendan Clifford adjoining the road, had told the men concerned to go away, and when they informers, and whether documented refused, had fetched two guns and fired evidence can now be found for this, Hidden Check out the Athol Books and wounded two Sinn Feiners, one of History uses misdirection to divert website: whom it is believed died". attention away from the real and more In numerous recitals of the propaganda, serious reason for the executions, as www.atholbooks.org and in the dramatized re-construction determined by both the Irish and British shown by Hidden History, the women of Courts. 17 The facts are that in the few parts of the on Irish nazis broadcast earlier this year Coolacrease And country where land grabbing was has also been criticised for misusing history The Pearsons attempted, it was blocked by the IRA, a in pursuit of a political agenda. Following policy for which they were later criticised this latest offering, it is reasonable to ask, The following letter appeared in the Irish for being too protective of bourgeois has the national broadcaster come under Times on 2nd November 2007 property rights. the influence of an anti-national agenda? Digging up atrocity stories from A two part Hidden History programme Daithi O hAilbhe Ireland’s past for the purpose of discrediting nationalism is an underhand method of making a political point, all the Book Review more so when done through the medium of an seemingly objective television programme. RTE’s Hidden History programme on the Pearson tragedy at Philosophy Of Nationalism? Coolacrease, Co Offaly (shown on October 23rd) was carefully worked atrocity When The Rights Of Nations: Nations delivery on the basis of general principle propaganda masquerading as history. It And Nationalism In A Changing World (a came in 1919, Britain wouldn't have it. reflects badly on the national broadcaster collection of articles by eminent academ- The right of national self-determination and the professionals involved in making ics, edited and introduced by Desmond was for application to enemy states Ireland it. Clarke, Professor of Philosophy a Cork got the Black and Tans and the Indians got A member of the Pearson family stated University) was published by Cork the Amritsar Massacre. The American during the programme that all the family University Press in 1999, I missed it. Now Congress refused to play this British game, now wanted was for the truth to be told. that it has been brought to my attention I and refused to sign the Versailles Treaty Instead the programme intermixed their must try to see what I missed. or join the 'League of Nations', which was story with subtle hints about ethnic part of the Treaty. cleansing, sectarianism, land grabbing and NATIONS? It is not by abstracting it from the a barbarous form of execution, all of which Clarke says in his Introduction that history and politics of its creation that one are at variance with the known facts or the they— can reach an understanding of this creature. documentary evidence. "are concerned… not primarily with One of the shots from the firing squad historical questions about the rise of LOCKE AND MILL! hit one of the brothers in the right groin. nationalism, with distinctions between Clarke then says that the project is to During the programme this fact was ethnicity, race or nation, or with analys- relate the nation to the principles of transformed by Eoghan Harris into a claim ing detailed political structures that liberalism—which, however, "is not to might satisfy the aspirations of different assume that we all agree on what is meant that the firing squad deliberately shot the nationalisms, but with the alleged right brothers in the genitals. Actually the right of nations to self-rule within a particular by 'liberalism'" (p2). groin is a different part of the body to the territory" (p1). The meaning he takes is that genitals. Harris’s distortion of that point is "Individuals have rights… against each a straightforward example of hyped up If history and politics are set aside, the other, against concentrations of private atrocity propaganda. It might have been project becomes one of devising a power, and against the collective power more revealing if the programme had philosophical understanding of the nation of the state" (p2). probed whether either of the brothers as a subject of rights. In view of the part The idea that the rights of the individual would have survived had they received played by history and politics in creating are prior to the rights of the state is traced more competent or timely medical the world of nations from the 1840s to the back to John Locke (who was the ideologist attention. 1920s I would not have thought that this or philosopher of William of Orange's The political context against which the was a project likely to produce much Revolution of 1688). Locke is quoted: incident took place was also distorted. enlightenment—and in this book it hasn't. "that the Aggressor who puts himself Professor English from Queens University into the state of War with another, and Belfast gave the British view asserting The creation of a world of nations began unjustly invades another man's right, that the Pearsons had the right to shoot as a British Imperial project with the can, by such an unjust war, never come terrorists attempting to fell trees on their purpose of disrupting enemy Empires— to have a right over the conquered, will land. Spanish nationalism against Napoleonic be easily agreed by all men, who will No mainstream nationalist historian was France around 1810, Italian nationalism not think, that robbers and pyrates have interviewed to counter that assertion. The against Austria from the 1840s, Alsatian/ a right of empire over whomsoever they have force enough to master." significance of the landslide election French nationalism against Germany in victory achieved by Sinn Fein in 1918 was 1914; 'Czechoslovak' and 'Yugoslav' Clark then comments: played down as was the military repression nationalism when it was decided to destroy used by the Crown to flout the election the Austro-Hungarian Empire; and Locke goes on to argue that succes- result. jihadic/Muslim/Arab nationalism in 1916 sive generations remain in the same The necessary context that the IRA was unjust relation as their ancestors. Those in order to gain an ally against Turkey. who acquired political power by force acting under a democratically elected civil And, along with this, the vigorous cannot pass it on, justly, to their authority was absent. suppression of national development successors. And those who have been The Pearsons were sentenced to within Britain's own Empire—pitch- conquered never lose their right of execution by a republican court-martial capping in Ireland in 1898, followed by rebellion" (p5). because they shot an IRA volunteer on imprisonment in 1848 and 1867, slaughter active duty, not because they were by the hundred thousand in the case of the Then, having set out Locke's argument Protestants. 'Indian Mutiny' etc. etc. as if it had something to do with national The idea that the attack was motivated Nationalism was boosted into a general rights, Clarke rejects it. "Unfortunately, by land hunger was mentioned in the principle by the USA when it joined Britain the history of conquest and colonialism is programme but no supporting evidence in the war against Germany and Austria in much more complex than Locke's analogy was provided. 1917. But, when the moment for general of pirates and robbers might suggest". 18 But if possession, however acquired, life, and that they should not concerned Penal Laws. Looking back to that time becomes a basis of right, why this quotation themselves about the well-doing, or Pearse described the populace as a mob from Locke? well-being of one another, unless their trying to realise itself as a nation. I have own interest is involved". not seen an accurate description. Irish Locke's heirs in Ireland for close on And he concludes that the bias of Mills' social life had been deliberately wrecked two centuries—those who swore by the libertarianism is such that "our moral life by English rule, but the pieces had not 1688 Revolution, i.e. the Anglo-Irish— becomes unbearably burdensome". been incorporated into the political life of accused those whom they had conquered the English state, and were not likely to of refusing to accept the legal and moral LIBERAL ? be. The Irish fragments were forged into legitimacy of the conquest, and of plotting There is hardly anything that one person a national political development by Cox, rebellion for the purpose of undoing the does that others cannot take to be their O'Connell and Davis—so A Nation Once conquest. Were they hypocrites in that concern if they are of an interfering Again. they used Locke as their source of moral disposition. And the Puritan lower middle authority and yet denounced those whom classes who displaced the gentry in NORTHERN IRELAND they had conquered for aspiring to get forming the ethos of the British state are of The main article on Irish politics is The their own back? Not at all. They acted a very interfering disposition. Their Ethical Status Of Nationality by David entirely in the spirit of Locke. He pro- religion is dead so they are tolerant of Archard of the University of St. Andrews. claimed grand principles for the purpose religious difference—at least within broad It purports to deal with the conflict of of justifying the rebellion in which he Christian/atheist parameters—as a thing Unionism and Nationalism in Northern took part, but he never intended that those of no consequence. But the interfering Ireland, but is no more than a pretentious principles should be availed of as constitut- disposition which they acquired when they assault on Aunt Sallies. ing a right of rebellion by those whom he saw themselves as agents of God remains Davis is said to have confused state and had helped to conquer and exploit. His alive and well. Mill, for example, was a nation, but here the state is "set aside" and principles were for the Protestant English eugenicist. God was discarded so it could the conflict of Unionism and Nationalism alone. They were formulated in such a not be left to him to sort things out in the mulled over in abstraction from political way that they justified the conquest and end. Biology replaced theology and Mills' context, and the issue is said to be one of expropriation of the peoples of North concern for the species here and now led "territorial boundaries" (p146). The America by English colonists. He based him to urge restrictions on marriage for "political status of Northern Ireland" is the right of property on labour and, since the purpose of culling. mentioned on page 149, but it is not said the English colonists applied labour to The Irish resisted Puritanism for what that political status is. land more intensively than some Indian centuries but are now succumbing to it. We are told on page 150 that— peoples did, they were entitled to take the Micheal Martin might easily have made "Northern Ireland is a society within lands of the Indians. arrangements for people who liked to have whose undisputed boundaries co-exist And, while Locke condemned slavery a smoke in sociable circumstances to two distinct, well-defined groups. Its in words, he practised it in deeds. He not continue doing so without impinging on problem is no different in kind from only invested in the Slave Trade, but others in any tangible way, but he chose any other modern society in which are drafted slave constitutions for American not to do so. to be found a plurality of groups… who colonies. Though full of Puritan zeal for making demand different things in its law, people behave right, he found it expedient education, public administration, and The thing about English liberalism— to allow smoking to continue in the home. so on." and England is the home of what is called But if Smoking Kills, that means you are For over 30 years I have been on the liberalism—is that it proclaims grand allowed to kill people at home. And that can hardly stand in the long run. lookout for another region that is governed libertarian principles and has the knack of as Northern Ireland is—excluded from using them for the great authoritarian It seems that in many respects the the political life of the state which holds it, project that was frankly called Imperialism difference between liberalism and authoritarianism does not depend on "the which is exceptionally competent at over- a century ago but now prefers other names. riding religious and communal divisions— In the internal life of Britain a kind of doctrine of liberalism" but on who is being liberal. and organised for half a century into a liberty was associated with the rule of the largely informal communal dominance of aristocracy after 1688. The aristocracy/ 60% over 40%. gentry curbed the national powers of state IRISH NATIONALISM I have seen it compared to Cyprus and connected with monarchy in order to be Regarding Irish nationalism, Clarke quotes a verse of A Nation Once Again, Lebanon, but those territories are not part free themselves and a kind of wild freedom of large states with effective political of individual action prevailed throughout and comments that it expresses confusion: arrangements from which they are the 18th century and into the 19th. The "If the Irish people had been a nation excluded. liberal theorising of J.S. Mill in the late for centuries, they could hardly have 19th century (cited by Clarke) was an lost that status by being conquered. On Differences on law, education etc. are element in the construction of the state to the other hand if they lost their status as not what conflict in the North is about. an independent state, rather than their which all classes were subject and which Such differences cut across the community was democratised in the early 20th century. distinctiveness as a people or nation, difference, but they are merely contemplat- Clarke describes Mills' position as being then the author has confused being a nation and being a state." ive in exclusion from the party politics of that "the individual should be allowed as the state. much personal freedom as possible on The nation—which is not defined—is Northern Ireland is dealt with by condition that others in society enjoy the here taken to be an eternal entity beyond Archard as if it was a state. But at one same freedoms, and that their exercise of the reach of the conquest and oppression point a doubt seems to strike him and he freedom does not cause harm to others". practised by the British state. And it must inserts a footnote: But then he quotes Mill explaining that be remembered that 'nation' was used this doctrine is not— "Whether it is appropriate to term loosely in earlier eras to describe a distinct the regional government of Northern "one of selfish indifference, which body politic. Davis wrote the song a Ireland a 'state', however extensive its pretends that human beings have no century and a half after the Williamite devolved powers when it remains within business with each other's conduct in conquest and the establishment of the the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom, 19 is a matter which may be set to one side" (p147). LETTERS TO THE EDITOR · LETTERS TO THE EDITOR· LETTERS TO THE EDI-

That was the point at which Clarke should have sent Archard back to the drawing board to start again. Instant Revolution? Brendan Clifford I have known and read Brendan Clifford for 42 years. I have generally liked what I read, particularly as I believe that he does not care a damn whether he is liked or not, as long as he believes he is telling the truth. Forty one years ago some of us proved that the people of Britain had all been bought off from revolution by the fruits of imperialism. There were quite a number of instant revolutionaries around at the time with a subjective need for revolution. One such was High Court Ruling the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist) with its slogan "Russia 1917. China against Irish Times 1949. Britain Next". In the eyes of the instant revolutionaries, Ireland was even more revolutionary than Deserves Support Britain. Then along came Brendan with the Two Nations' Theory. The following press statement was As I remember it, the existence of the nation in the North had quite a materialistic submitted to all the media on 25th explanation. All that heavy industry and shipbuilding in Belfast made sense in the October. It was only published on the context of the British Empire. In terms of Ireland on its own, it was like an elephant in Village website, belatedly, on 1st the living room. November, when it was 'old news', and Anyway, the Two Nations' theorists pointed out incessantly to all and sundry that there after a protest at its non-appearance had were one million paid-up reactionary Protestants in the North. This was a blow against been submitted the instant revolutionaries. Many of them took a closer look at their own non-existent revolutionary situations. The recent High Court ruling against Years have rolled by since that happened. Today, there is little to distinguish the Irish Times because of its refusal to Protestants from Catholics, settlers from natives, apart from a few customs and, to use comply with instructions from the Mahon one of Brendan's memorable phrases, "the subjective consciousness of virtue". Tribunal represents a commendable A DUP/Sinn Fein coalition now exists in Northern Ireland. It has the support of the defence of democratic principle and great majority of the people of Northern Ireland and of the great majority of the working deserves public support. class. It is in a strong position to demand any level of independence from England that By destroying documents requested by it wants, short of leaving the United Kingdom. Leaving the United Kingdom will have the Tribunal, the Irish Times engaged in to wait for a while. what the authors of the Judgement rightly The republicans have not gone away. They are in a position to exert extra- call "an astounding and flagrant disregard parliamentary pressure if England drags its heels. of the rule of law". According to the There is arguably a batter basis for serious politics in Northern Ireland than the right Judgement, the journalists "cast them- to send a few Tory, Labour or Lib Dem yesmen to Westminster. Ivor Kenna (London) selves as the adjudicators of the proper balance to be struck between the rights and interests of all concerned. This is a direction as to coincide with the editorial endorsed by the Supreme Court and, if role reserved by the Constitution and the direction of the paper. relevant, the European Court of Human law exclusively to the courts." The following extract from an Irish Rights. The arrogance underlying its dealings Times editorial provides a further example of the journalistic mentality that, in the with the Tribunal, highlighted in this NOTE IN VILLAGE: words of the High Court ruling, poses "an ruling, is also evident in some of the Village apologises for the late affront to the democratic order": paper’s publishing activity. Thus on the publication of this post, sent by Daithi Irish Times website, a section entitled, "The removal of a Taoiseach from O hAilbhe of The Irish Political Review "Message from the Editor" under a office can be a long and painful process, as both Charles Haughey and Albert Group. Village's remiss in that regard heading, "About Us", states: Reynolds found to their cost" (from An prompted the following message from "Most important of all, The Irish error of judgement Sep 28th 2006). Daithi: Times occupies a special position as a A necessary test of the Irish media’s pacemaker for change in the society Fortunately, following the General commitment to the value of free which it serves. We aim to lead and Election, the paper’s power to remove expression, is the extent to which it shape public opinion to a greater degree allows criticism of itself to be published. than any of our competitors because we Taoisigh turned out to be weaker than imagined. On behalf of the Irish Political Review have both the natural authority and the Group I submitted a press statement means, through our interested and Notwithstanding the paper’s claims to supporting the High Court’s judgement receptive readership, to do so." champion democracy and openness, it is against the Irish Times last week. It surprisingly reticent about its own internal was not published or broadcast in any Unfortunately many other Irish media affairs. Incredibly in this day and age, the media outlet. Specifically it has not organizations have seen fit to defer to this Directors and Editor of the Irish Times are been published in the Village blog self-appointed leading role of the Irish required to make an annual oath not to section. Times, thereby creating an unhealthy divulge information about the paper. Village magazine advertises itself as ‘media consensus’ across many topics. Similarly there has never been a satis- publication in which critiques of the When, during the High Court factory explanation provided about media can be found and it does regularly proceedings in July, counsel for the Irish documentary evidence concerning its publish such critiques. Its blog section also deserves credit and support as a Times referred to this role the paper claims former Managing Director, Major Thomas space in which minority views are for itself, of educating public opinion, the McDowell’s connections with the British published. It cannot be underestimated President of the High Court, Mr. Justice Government. how the creation of such a haven of free Johnson, made an apposite comment. He All things considered, the High Court speech provides a precious asset to suggested that ‘educating public opinion’ ruling represented a good day’s work for Irish public life. It effectively makes amounted to "slanting" opinion in such a Irish democracy that will hopefully be the society bigger. 20 By not publishing the IPR Group that Australia and New Zealand were Unionists were determined to run their statement, the editors of Village are dutiful daughters of Empire. When little 'Carsonia' as the IRA's GHQ staff showing that they are not above using England declared war on distant Germany called the 'wee North'. Myers will never the power of their position as a conduit in 1939, they followed suit, as did South refer to this as it would involve mentioning of minority opinion to suppress views Africa's Government (which led to an the UVF, the B- (as well as the A- and C- of which they disapprove. uprising). Canada fell into line in its own ) Specials, and sectarian violence. The Of course readers may suspect that our statement was too irrational or too time. In India Congress was outraged that Taigs of Lisburn, for example, did not insignificant to be published. In that India was deemed to be at war simply wish 'evacuation' from the town on case they can judge for themselves by because England was. ('Éire' remained themselves). The unarmed DMP (Dublin reading the statement in the November neutral, though De Valera suggested to Metropolitan Police) was not involved in Irish Political Review which can be got the 'British Representative' Mahaffy, that the War against Dáil Éireann, and was through http://www.atholbooks.org/ England was, momentarily, in a morally almost bodily incorporated into the Gárda magazines/iprgroup/press_1.php. superior position.) Siochana. Daithi O hAilbhe Australia, despite bitterness about the Dardanelles campaign, was patently going There follows the sentences quoted to do what 'the mother country' asked. It above, which Myers, or his sub-editors, was involved in Syria because France was chose to emphasise. By early 1920 the deemed an enemy, and was in possession Dáil had been further legitimised by the Kevin Myers' Niche of Syria. Though the 'Vichy' authorities Local Government elections (on the results had no intention of allowing armed Axis of which Dublin Castle had set great store): Readers may be pleased to learn that personnel to use Syria to attack England's every city in Ireland apart from Belfast, Kevin Myers has found his niche. He has oil empire in Iraq and Iran. Brazil's pledged loyalty to the Dáil. So also did a regular column in Sir Anthony O'Reilly's involvement was due to Vargas, the most other Local Government bodies Irish Independent and Belfast Telegraph. pseudo-fascist dictator, playing New Deal including some well inside 'Carsonia'. In Sir Anthony acquired the lucrative America off against National Socialist such a situation no RIC member could Bellylaugh group because his Independent Germany. The Yankees blinked first and have been under any illusion that they (sic) papers in Ireland and Britain built him a steel foundry. He sent two were still members of a legitimate policing supported the Governments' version of army Divisions and parts of the Air Force organisation. Dublin Castle treated them the Peace Process. Mr. Myer's item to Europe—thereby further compromising as just another arm of the military. The (Belfast Telegraph 27.07.07) has a long the US: his armed forces being the only most remarkable aspect of the War of headline in large type The truth About A ones in Latin America with real experience Independence and its aftermath is that Liar And Fantasist Who Sullied The Good of modern warfare. (Practically every former RIC personnel were unharmed, Name Of A Heroic Policeman. There is at other state in Latin America declared war including those who remained in England's the foot of his half-page column: "I believe on the enemies of the USA in 1941— pay to the end. Many men were in a in the rule of law and peaceful change. I Uncle Sam insisted.) difficult position in that pensions and other believe in the likes of John Regan, who in benefits would have been lost, to their 1920 was faced with appalling and "We know that 1916 unleashed a tidal families as much as to themselves, if they murderous violence, and responded in a wave of violence which has pursued us had resigned. But surely even an ordinary lawful, measured and professional way— down the decades". This is a nonsensical Peeler has to have some sense of honour? as did most RIC men." (That 'most' is a bit statement, and patently inaccurate. Apart of a cop-out, surely?) from some amateurish gunplay in the '40s, Myers in this article (covertly) There is an image of cover of The and Operation Harvest of 1956 / 57, which blackguards the men who took part in the Memoirs Of John M. Regan subtitled A barely got off the ground, Ulster's Croppies Listowel Mutiny of 1920 (after the Local Catholic Officer In The RIC And RUC lay down (or at least kept their heads Government elections, in which the RIC 1909-48. Why is his religion noted? The down) until the mid-1960s. Then they had played a part in intimidating the rank and file of the RIC was 90+% started asking for British norms. The electorate). The history of the RIC has Catholic. The RUC was largely made up 'Ulster is British' Unionists beat them off been "contaminated by republican lies, of former members of the UVF. The book the streets. The war in the North arose perjury and falsehood"—the use of the is edited by Joost Augusteijn, a revisionist strictly out of the conditions imposed on word 'perjury' is nowhere justified in this historian (mentored by Professor David everybody in the place by Westminster in article. It is (in case Myers's idiosyncratic Fitzpatrick of TCD), and published by 1922. If the IRA in 1969 had been run by way with the English language has Four Courts. the traditionalists, the Provisional IRA confused the reader) lying under oath. Myers claims "There's no point in might have taken a Leftist path from the The IRA's oath to the independent asking what Irish history would have beginning. As it was the PIRA was able to Republic declared by Dáil Éireann on the consisted of without the 1916 Rising". We contain former members of the Peoples 20th January 1919 simply disappears in then get the smart-alecky: "That is the Democracy and current members of the this sort of writing. way of history. No one could have Society of Saint Pius X, in the same "None is more spectacular than the imagined that the Nazi invasion of Poland organisation. calumnies of Jeremiah Mee…" an RIC would have led to Australia going to war Mr. Myers writes, "…in the war between recruit "who invented… [a] speech by with France in Syria in 1941, or the the IRA and the RIC/DMP, I side with the Lieut Col Gerard Smyth…" who issued a Brazilians fighting Austrians in the Italian police". By his standards this is almost shoot to kill order at Listowel Barracks. Appennines in 1844". Presumably the last subtle. The RIC in 1918-22 were following Myers goes on to denounce "wretched date should read '1944', and 'Apennines' is orders from Westminster via Dublin Judas Mee", but does not acknowledge the usual spelling. Australia did not have Castle, and were not, as implied here, a that this incident was popularly described conscription during the Great War (1914- separate agency. After December 1918 as a 'Mutiny' and led to many resignations 18) because the people, spearheaded by there was a situation of 'dual power' in from the RIC. (In fact Jeremiah Mee's Daniel Mannix (RC Archbishop of Ireland, Dáil Éireann was elected by the account of Smyth's speech was supported Melbourne who, for unobscure reasons, mass of the people, and Westminster chose by other RIC men who heard it, was never got a Red Hat) opposed its to ignore it. (There was, of course, a publicised widely at the time and was imposition. But there was no question situation of 'treble' power, in that the Ulster taken up by the American Congress.) 21 But Myers tells us "… any journalist Unionist Council (which was prepared to 'We take it very seriously when we will agree that you forget the spoken word turn itself into a Provisional Government decide to designate an organisation like within seconds…". But he goes on the of Ulster). The UVF's successors, especial- Al-Manar as a terrorist entity and put quote a written Order of Smyth's, the ly the B-Specials, were allowed to engage them on a list of banned groups from "Divisional Police Commissioner for in (admittedly, mostly low-level) hassle the United States. We would hope that Munster". Smyth was, needless to say, of Taigs—though a favourite sport was our allies and friends around the world would take similar action.'" "an extremely efficient and decent officer, allowing vehicles to pass check-points, It appears that the US's Irish ally and an honourable Irishman who was then firing shots through the back friend has done as requested. passionately attached to the rule of law". windows. On Myers' view the Provisional (Why, then, did he take up arms against IRA spontaneously generated itself for no Cusack's report also contained an the democratically legitimate government good reason. In fact it was the result of outpouring of anti-Hezbollah vitriol from of Ireland?) Myers quotes Smyth as fifty years of Unionist dominance in 'John Jewish Fine Gael TD, Alan Shatter, which saying: "A policeman is perfectly justified Bull's political slum'. If Myers wrote stated amongst other things that Al-Manar in shooting any man who is seen with arms about such things he might be tolerable— "openly supports Hezbollah violence not and who does not immediately throw up but he would not get high approval ratings just against Israelis but its fellow Lebanese his arms when ordered" and comments: in the Letters column of the Belfast citizens". That is simply a lie. "In 1920? Amen to that, I say." Telegraph. Mee "was a liar and a fantasist", whose Seán McGouran Cusack's article contained a number of report the "termagant" Napoli McKenna, other serious misrepresentations. For Editor of the Irish Bulletin published. example, he wrote that Hezbollah was (The Irish Bulletin was issued by Dáil Hezbollah denied "the group responsible for last year's Éireann as an information sheet, it had a rocket attacks on Israel which prompted very wide circulation, and few of its entry to Ireland the bombardment of Lebanon" by Israel. allegations about misconduct by the RIC Ibrahim Mousawi of Hezbollah was That is a misrepresentation of what and the rest of the Imperial armed— granted a visa to visit Ireland in October occurred: Israel's bombardment of occupying—forces were disputed.) Smyth 2006. He is the editor of Hezbollah's Lebanon was in response to the capture of was "a hero who had lost his arm in weekly newspaper, having formerly been two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah. Hez- 1915… wounded six times in…Great Chief Editor of Foreign News on Al- bollah responded to Israel's bombardment War… four times mentioned in Manar, Hezbollah's TV station. During of Lebanon by firing rockets into Israel. dispatches… DSO and Bar…", in other his visit last year, he addressed a number words a chap who loved the 'death or of anti-war meetings in Northern Ireland Cusack also wrote that "Hezbollah … is glory' life he led 1914 to '18. Precisely the and the Republic. In addition, he was believed to have participated in the attacks sort of man who ought not to have been invited into the Department of Foreign on Lebanese political leaders, including put in charge of any sort of policing Affairs to talk to an official about Lebanon the murder of former President Rafiq operation. He was a military commander and the Middle East in general. Harriri". There is no evidence for that in charge of a military machine—the assertion. Rafik Hariri was assassinated Listowel 'Mutiny' was clearly revulsion In September 2007, Ibrahim Mousawi in February 2005. The UN established a by men who wanted to stick to civic sought a visa to revisit Ireland. He was Commission to investigate his policing and did not want to take up arms due to address a number of anti-war assassination and the Commission was against their fellow-country women and meetings again this year. But this year he later given the responsibility for men. (Smyth clearly had a blind spot was denied a visa. Yes, believe it or investigating other political assassinations. where women were concerned, and Myers believe it not, a person who was invited The Commission has yet to complete its can only describe an assiduous servant of into the Department of Foreign Affairs work and it hasn't charged anybody in Dáil Éireann as a 'termagant'). last year was refused an entry visa this connection with the assassinations. Dan Breen killed Gerard Smyth's year. However, the Commission has produced brother George, who was also "a gallant Did Ireland succumb to pressure from several reports for the Security Council soldier who had won the DCO and Military the US? It looks like it. and in none of these will you find any Cross". The latter information is there suggestion that Hezbollah was responsible presumably to demonstrate what a frightful The Sunday Independent mounted a for any of the assassinations. oik Breen was. Myers last sentence is: campaign to have Ibrahim Mousawi (Rafik Hariri was not a former President "Killing Irishmen has always seemed to denied entry into Ireland. An article by Jim Cusack on 23rd September 2007 of Lebanon, as Cusack wrote. He was a me to be a strangely ineffective way of Sunni Muslim and only Maronite making other Irishmen like you." Nobody contained the following: Christians can be President. He was a would disagree with that. But why is he "The United States has called on the Government to refuse entry to former Prime Minister—and only Sunni shy of mentioning the 1912 UVF? By Muslims can be Prime Minister. Shiite 1914 it was 100,000 strong with many representatives of the Lebanese terror group, Hezbollah, and Iraqi insurgents, Muslims are banned from both posts, even weapons of all kinds and much though they are largest of the three groups.) ammunition. There was a 20,000 strong who have been invited to take part in a conference in Dublin, sharing a platform Ulster Women's Corps (which inspired with members of the Green Party as The following letter by me in response the formation of Cumann na mBan), to do well as Labour's Michael D Higgins. … to Cusack's article was published in the admin., nursing, deliver dispatches and "The fact that Fianna Fail's partners Sunday Independent on 30th September other chores. The Irish Volunteers, like in government are participating in the 2007: Cumann na mBan, was a consequence of event could lead to diplomatic problems the foundation of the Ulster Volunteer with the US whose companies based "Jim Cusack ('US calls on Irish to Force. here employed more than 100,000 ban terror group', September 23) follows people. the US State Department in branding In 1912 the UVF was quite prepared to "Hezbollah and its TV station are Hezbollah “a Lebanese terror group”. kill Irishmen in their thousands to impose included in the list of organisations It is true that Hezbollah is on the current the Ulster Unionist Council's will. Kevin banned from the United States as US “List of Designated Terrorist Myers rarely refers to the UVF, or to the terrorism sponsors. A spokesman for Organisations”. But it is not on the defiance of Westminster by the Ulster the US State Department said on Friday: equivalent EU list, nor is it a banned 22 that will be required.” the past 15 years is not true partnership. CORPORATISM continued "He assured his audience that the There has been a disproportionate dangers to society, which were present benefit to business and the positive "Even if widespread agreement had in the 1930s, were now no more. The outcome for workers had not nearly been secured there was no strong Catholic capitalists could no longer exploit the been as great as those for employers'" social movement to bring it into effect. community at will. Unbridled (Irish Independent, 24.5.2003). Furthermore, the Catholic bishops, as capitalism was in sharp decline and squalid living conditions were being Through sheer pragmatism and working stated earlier, did not wish to reform a eliminated. His remarks implied that system that served them so well" Quadragesimo Anno and vocational- class common sense, the Irish Trade Union (Vocationalism and Social Catholicism in ism were obsolete" (Vocationalism and movement avoided the ideological pitfalls Twentieth Century Ireland, p35). Social Catholicism in Twentieth of British labour. The Irish movement had ****************************************************************** Century Ireland,p148). some instinctive sense of a productive "The confrontation between the conception of socialism while British FIANNA FAIL vocationalists and the government was labour floundered amidst a conception of at its most intense in March, 1945. Sean "The priority given to party political socialism which was based on little more MacEntee engaged in a bitter public than restrictive practice—"We won't rule interests indicates that De Valera had debate with Bishop John Dignan while little regard for vocationalism" ourselves, but neither will anyone else". Lemass and [Bishop] Browne The challenge now for the Trade Union (Vocationalism and Social Catholicism publicised their grievances. Lemass and in Twentieth Century Ireland, p184). MacEntee were not overawed by the movement is to conceive a position "The government was in no mood to invocation of the papal encyclicals to whereby workers gain a participatory role appease the vocationalists. When bolster vocationalist contentions and in the output of production. Mere Bishop John Dignan's term as chairman they maintained a hard-line attitude pragmatism won't ensure this! It will of the National Health Insurance Society towards the vocationalist lobby. In the require a political will. We cannot stand came to an end in August 1945 it was editorial of the Irish Times (10 March, still—for already, the Colm McCarthys of not renewed. Sean MacEntee, despite 1945) it was argued that the perception his condemnation of bureaucratic this world have decided that the role of of southern Ireland as a state ruled by organised labour is no longer essential in centralism, replaced the bishop with a the Catholic bishops was now difficult civil servant. Furthermore, it seems that the most globalised economy in Europe. to sustain. The notion, expressed We can continue to examine The Irish Press… became the instru- particularly in Northern Ireland, of Eire ment of the government's public as a 'priest-ridden community', could Corporatism; the Bullock Report is criticism of the report. On 11 August, be refuted with greater confidence essential reading, the more so, since it was Frank Pakenham's scathing analysis was because two government ministers were ultimately sabotaged by the nascent published in the national newspaper" clearly rejecting proposals advocated Blairites in the 1970s but above all it is (ibid, p144). by two Catholic bishops" (ibid, p135). surely time to revisit the writings of James "James Ryan, however, seemed Connolly, particularly The Workers' determined to deflate the last remnants of vocationalist aspirations. When, as Republic in the period 1915 right up to Minister for Agriculture, he presided at SOCIAL PARTNERSHIP: Easter 1916 which is packed with material the opening of the Catholic Social Week THE FUTURE? on Germany and productive socialism and on 30 October, 1944 the overall thrust ****************************************************************** its interweaving with private industry. of his speech had been defensive and "The new neo-corporatism has been conciliatory. Thirteen months later, this based on economic planning and is not time addressing the Fianna Fail faithful preoccupied with justice. Trade unions in the Mansion House, Dublin, he was *************************** far more dismissive of the and employers are manipulated for the commissioner's recommendations. In purpose of stability. In Ireland it has LABOUR KNOWS BEST? his speech of 20 November, 1945, (this consisted of rationalising the pressure "The trend seems to be towards was one of a number of lectures which group process rather than reforming the outsourcing where possible within had been organised by the National socio-economic order" (Vocationalism government and private industry," said Executive of Fianna Fail), Ryan and Social Catholicism in Twentieth Mr Spring. "It is a matter of efficiencies. declared: Century Ireland, p182). Not every small business needs its own "“I am not objecting to the merits ****************************************************************** processing unit. This can be done more of the Commission's scheme of efficiently by outsourcing, allowing organisation but I think it is At the Killarney conference mentioned companies to concentrate on their core impracticable and could only, if at elements of their business, the things all, be achieved by gigantic efforts. in our introduction, Jack O'Connor told they are best at" (Dick Spring, former The position aimed at is not so the conference— Labour Party leader; Executive Vice- substantially different from the "he was not there to defend Chairman of FEXCO, Irish Examiner, status quo as to warrant the vast partnership, 'not because I don't believe 5.10.2007). amount of organisation and work in it, but because what we have had for

organisation in Ireland—so there are Siniora, the programme of which "“... we asked a range of Lebanese no grounds for refusing a Hezbollah recognised the contribution of politicians whether the British representative entry into Ireland. Hezbollah's military wing in combating Government should engage directly Israeli aggression. with the group. No one, including bitter "Hezbollah is a Shiite political opponents of Hezbollah, told us that organisation which currently has 14 "In a report published on 25 July, the the current [British] Government MPs in the Lebanese Parliament (and UK House of Commons Foreign Affairs approach was the correct one”. would have considerably more if the Committee described Hezbollah as When Hezbollah's Lebanese Shiite community were represented “undeniably an important element in opponents are arguing for engagement fairly within the Lebanese political Lebanon's politics” and recommended with it, should we in Ireland be adopting system). Until last November it had that the British Government reverse its a policy of boycott? I think not." two Ministers in the Lebanese policy of refusing to talk to it. In arguing David Morrison Government under Prime Minister for this reversal, the report said: www.david-morrison.org.uk 23 CORPORATISM continued minimise the functions of the state. Church leaders couldn't understand the Representatives of the various necessity for this new social order in a corporations would meet to co-ordinate state where a near Catholic 'utopia' Social Catholicism in Twentieth their activities. With class conflict and prevailed—whatever about the teachings Century Ireland, Don O'Leary, Irish party conflict eliminated, the adversarial of Papal Encyclicals or otherwise. Academic Press, 2000). routine of Parliament would wither away, At the political level, De Valera did It was a task that was taken deadly and the representatives of the corporations indeed set up the Commission on serious. would easily make sensible arrangements Vocational Organisation but in the end The Chairman was Dr. Michael Browne for common affairs. that body foundered when it failed to (Bishop of Galway); other members And, of course, the requirements of the generate Fianna Fail support. The concept included Professor Alfred O'Rahilly, individual would be seen to by his of a new social order found little appeal U.C.C. and Professor Michael Tierney, corporation, and not by the state. from a party whom a decade prior, had UCD. fought a revolution and a civil war, then The Labour members were: Louie THE RELIGIOUS MEDIUM clawed its way to power in the new state. Bennett, General Secretary of the Irish Such was the ideal of the Corporate Fianna Fail, like the parish priests were Women Workers' Union; Senator Sean state, which was the social ideal of a none too enthusiastic to hand over their Campbell, Treasurer of the Dublin substantial section of the new Irish state new found power. Typographical Society; Senator Thomas from the 1930s until the early 1960s. It Foran, President of the ITGWU who in "Archbishop John Charles McQuaid had echoes of Guild Socialism, and of had successfully frustrated attempts in 1939 was replaced by Luke Duffy, Syndicalism. But there is a further element, Secretary of the Labour Party and Jim the 1930s to form a council of education which was lacking from Guild Socialism on a vocational basis. His lack of Larkin, Senior, General President of the and Syndicalism: the ideological cement enthusiasm for Vocationalism is further Workers' Union of Ireland. of a universally operating Church. The indicated by the exclusion of Muintir The Commission consisted of 25 corporations would exist in the medium na Tire from the archdiocese of Dublin members. of a uniform and authoritative religion. from 1940 (the year he became The Commission made a critical The Catholic Church would be universally Archbishop). Muintir na Tire was not investigation of continental Corporatism. active in the life of the Corporate state, as prepared to go where it was not The home of Corporatism was Italy. But welcomed. A disappointed Canon it was in the life of Europe in the 13th Hayes may have had McQuaid in mind they were of the opinion that Corporatism century. in Italy was more an ideology than an when he quipped 'It is bad enough to be actual form of social life. The Italian state Since the Catholic Church in Ireland kicked by the Devil, but it is the divil steadily increased its influence after and all to be kicked by angels and was too powerful to allow the Corporatist archangels'" (Vocationalism and Social system to develop properly. (Many Independence, a democratic transition to the Corporate state was conceivable. It Catholicism in Twentieth Century members of the Commission would not Ireland , p165). have disapproved of the power of the was not attempted because the Corporatist "The Republic of Ireland was over Fascist state in Italy. By and large, they development of Europe was largely 90% Catholic and there were few approved of Mussolini as a necessary destroyed by the victory of the Allies in exponents of communism, liberalism dictator, but argued that political necessity 1945. The Report of the Vocational or democratic socialism. A movement, prevented Corporatism from developing Commission was published towards the which was motivated by Catholic social its full potential.). end of the war. It was not implemented principles, should have met with little because Ireland did not have the moral resistance—especially when the courage to embark on a Corporatist vocationalist principle was expressed Corporatism or Vocationalism, was in the 1937 constitution. Yet the the organising of society into autonomous development at a moment when Corporatism was in disgrace in Europe. resistance was overwhelming. The corporations, or vocational bodies. Each majority of Irish Catholic bishops and trade or profession would be a corporate The Corporatist ideal was passively priests either opposed or failed to body and as such it would be a constituent retained until the early 1960s. Then it support the vocationalist cause. Fr. John segment of both the economy and the collapsed, when the Vatican, which had Hayes, founder of Muinter na Tire, did body politic. Each corporation would succeeded in dominating social life more than any other vocationalist to supply society with something which was nowhere but in Ireland, made an translate theory into practice. His efforts necessary to its existence and well-being. accommodation with the liberal state and to give practical effect to Catholic social It would be internally uniform—workers teaching met with '…stone walls of its individualist social welfare clerical opposition… There was a and employers in the building trade, for arrangements. resistance to Catholic social work in example, both being in the Builders' Ireland by the older priests only to be Corporation. And each corporation would ****************************************************************** compared with the resistance to Russian be autonomous to a very considerable "You may have been worried of much communism.' A minority of young extent. talk of changes to come. Allow me to priests regarded the guilds of Muinter reassure you. No change will worry the na Tire as mere forums for discussion. The corporate organisation of society tranquility of your Christian lives." (Dr. Others believed 'the movement was would erode the basis of class conflict. John Charles McQuaid, Archbishop of fraught with dangers: the laity getting The system of class-based political parties Dublin, preaching in Dublin on his return too much control… interference in church affairs and, worst of all, the engaged in perpetual conflict—whether, from the Second Vatican Council, in a parliamentary system, for the control mingling of Catholics and Protestants.' 10.12.1965). …Conservative bishops and priests of government or, when the parliamentary ****************************************************************** system broke down, as it was bound to do, were quite capable of suppressing vocationalist inspired schemes without for dictatorial state power—was an However, within the state, there were any assistance from politicians and civil intolerable disruption of the orderly life of clear divisions both political and religious servants: (ibid, p165). society. The corporate system, by regarding the proposed new Corporatist establishing a basic harmony in the social order. Led by Archbishop John ****************************************************************** component parts of society would Charles McQuaid, a substantial body of continued on page 23

24 55). CLASS DIVISIONS CORPORATISM continued "Other opponents argue forcibly that "In the Ireland of the 1980s, there a malign dynamic has been increasingly were few of the ideological class at play, namely that social partnership divisions that existed elsewhere, systems for dealing with industrial tends towards a negation of our especially in Britain, from whom we relations problems. In an interview in democracy, by reducing the sovereignty inherited our industrial relations system. early 2001, Haughey recalled being of parliament and increasing social The lack of a clear left-right divide has particularly impressed by the German partner regulation in areas hitherto the often been blamed for holding back our Chancellor and SPD leader Helmut preserve of independent decision development. The catch-all nature of Schmidt, whom he questioned at length making. Supporters of partnership the larger parties, Fianna Fail and Fine about the German model of industrial argue, however, that the involvement Gael (themselves a result of a division relations." (Saving the Future, How by a greater range of groups within dating back to the civil war), seemed to Social Partnership Shaped Ireland's social partnership enhances its many observers to put a break on 'real Economic Success, Hastings, Sheehan accountability to the wider society, and politics'. In 1978, however, this and Yeates, Blackhall Publishing, helps society arrive at consensus based perceived ideological weakness turned 20007, Twenty Euros). solutions and strategies. These into a strength, enabling the main social arguments have emerged over the past partners, with their broad political So at the end of the day, Social decade without really getting the sort of support, to establish a system or model Partnership "is a Corporatist system for sustained or considered airing they that remains at the centre of decision- dealing with industrial relations deserve in the media and in the making to this day. Just two years later, problem"? Oireachtas" ("Saving the Future, p107). the Berlin Wall was to come down, further signalling the end of old and Charles Haughey went out into the ****************************************************************** distinct left-right divides in mainland highways and byways in an endeavour to "Social partnership has taken much Europe" (Saving the Future, p174). find a formula that would get the economy of the economics out of Irish politics, We may have inherited many aspects off its knees and up and running. If it while globalisation and EU membership of our 'industrial relations system' from worked, its ideological connotations have removed most of the rest" (Niamh Britain but ironically, the central mattered not a whit! Puirseil, a lecturer in the School of History institution of our labour relations, the As Jack O'Connor, General President and Archives, UCD. Her book, The Irish Labour Court established in 1946, was of SIPTU put it, the Programme for Labour Party, 1922-73, was published by probably the one and only body that owed National Recovery, 1988 "…would not UCD Press earlier this year, Irish Times, its existence to the Commission on have occurred without Haughey. Full Stop. 6.10.2007) Vocational Organisation. He and Bertie Ahern understood the ****************************************************************** subtlety of Irish politics" (The Irish Times, "Social partnership is a unique "The most striking feature of all 6.10.2007). version of corporatism in Europe for these initiatives was that most of them many reasons, not least the involvement were minor and all of them were "When the PNR was debated in the of the community and voluntary sectors peripheral to the commission's major Dail in 1987, the main opposition parties in national agreements. One reason for proposals. The Industrial Relations Act were hostile to the agreement negotiated this is probably the comparatively large 1946 was the most significant and it by Charles Haughey's minority Fianna role that such organisations play in improved the system of industrial Fail administration. This hostility was Irish society, providing services conciliation in Ireland by establishing a not confined to criticism of the nuts and normally supplied by the State in other Labour Court but this Act, helpful as it bolts of the agreement. It was also countries" (Saving the Future, p145). was, did not set up the vocational attacked on the grounds of being either "The Irish model of social partner- structure as recommended by the 'just a pay deal' or on the alleged basis ship is not really a model at all. commission" (Vocationalism and that it was some form of 'capitulation' Academics have tried in vain to place it Social Catholicism in Twentieth to interest groups" ("Saving the Future", within a European framework, to Century Ireland, Don O'Leary, Irish p54-55). shoehorn it in somewhere between Academic Press, 2000, p153). "Such attacks on any major initiative Berlin and Stockholm. But it won't fit. by the government of the day are not It contains some elements of models In Ireland in the 1930s a strong senti- unusual. What was evident in 1987, from other countries, but perhaps what ment existed in favour of Corporatism— however, and again to a more limited it has most in common with European or Vocationalism, as it was called in extent in regard to the PESP in 1990, experience is that, at the outset, it was a was the fact that the agreements were Ireland, based on papal social teaching. response to an economic and social This was reflected by the inclusion of seen by some to be a threat to the crisis. In this respect, the parallel lies democratic system itself. They were Vocationalist provisions in the 1937 Irish more with how other countries Constitution. A Commission was regarded by a number of critics as being responded to their post-World War II too corporatist, a criticism not devastation than with any other so- established by the Government to report unconnected to the personality of the called corporatist style model. The on how a change to Corporatism might Taoiseach [Haughey], and were seen as crisis of the 1980s was so all-pervasive be effected. somehow relegating the role of the that it undermined the political system, parliamentary opposition to playing seeming to shatter any confidence that The Commission on Vocational second fiddle to the social partners" Ireland could save itself, never mind (ibid). Organisation was established in 1939 by build a future. Social partnership was a Eamon de Valera and concluded its work "John Carroll, former ITGWU pragmatic response to finding a way President, recalls his reaction to the in 1944. The Commission on Vocational out of that trough, helping—as the title Organisation Report was published that attack on the PNR by Labour Party of this book suggests—to 'save the leader, Dick Spring: 'I made a fierce future'" (Saving the Future, p173). year. attack on the Labour Party and what "An indication of the scope, variety appeared to be their negative attitude to and complexity of the commission's the trade union movement.' Carroll So it was just plucked out of the sky? The term pragmatic keeps coming up in task is provided by the fact that the himself was and still is a member of the analytical table of contents, which Labour Party. He said that later Labour, relation to the Irish social partnership preceded the 539 page report, extended Fine Gael and the PDs all accepted the model but if it is based on mere pragmatism to over 40 pages" (Vocationalism & aims and objectives of the PNR" (p54- and nothing else, its future will not be saved! continued on page24 25 VOLUME 25 No. 11 CORK ISSN 0790-1712

"CORPORATIVE STATE: A fascist conception of society, realised substantially in Italy during Mussolini's regime; also advocated by clericalism. Its essential idea is the organisation of the national economy through corporations covering the various industries, the managements to consist of representatives of the employers, the government and the employees—in other words, the destruction of the trade unions and all other independent working-class bodies; it differs from the Nazi 'Labour Front' only in unessentials" (Marxist Glossary, L. Harry Gould, Communist Party of Australia, 1947). Corporatism and Trade Unionism "A UNION chief has rejected suggestions understanding in the labour movement. that the new Social Partnership wage Because, in its Nazi form, it over-reached HISTORICAL BACKGROUND agreement is modelled on 1930's Italian itself and came to grief, its conditions of Historically, the ideology of the fascism" (Irish Independent, 24.5.2003). existence have never been made a subject corporate state harks back to ideas "SIPTU Vice-President Jack O'Connor of serious research. developed by 19th century Christian told the Chartered Institute of Personnel conservatives in reaction to what they and Development (CIPD) conference that Britain discovered in 1945 that it had considered the excessive individualism of he 'totally objected' to any comparison being fought a much better war than it had French revolutionary ideology. To the made with Italian fascism. He was suspected. The extermination camps were allegedly mechanistic notions of the responding to criticism of the Sustaining revealed, and that revelation rendered Industrial Revolution they would oppose Progress Social Agreement (signed last the organic concepts of what they month) by economist Colm McCarthy. fascism a subject for denunciation rather than investigation. It became obligatory maintained was the corporate character of "In a discussion on competitiveness and to describe the rise of fascism as if its medieval society. These ideas found Social Partnership, Mr. McCarthy had said authoritative expression in an encyclical that sustaining progress 'had a strong whiff central purpose had been the extermination camps and the liquidation of the Jews. To of Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum (1891), and of Mediterranean corporatism from the were reaffirmed in Quadragesimo Anno 1930s'. Later he said he was thinking more think otherwise was wicked. (1931) by Pius XI. of Salazar's Portugal, rather than But to think thus was to cover a large Mussolini's Italy." tract of European experience in the It deserves attention, however, that "This involved agreements on incomes twentieth century with a mental blur. And much of this thought was radically at between government, employers and trade it made the word fascism an increasingly variance with actual Fascist practice unions" (Irish Independent, 24.5.2003). meaningless term in labour politics in because of the latter's bureaucratic central- these islands. No doubt if Colm McCarthy had been ism: medieval corporativism was built around in 1939, he would probably have upon the autonomy of the constituent had a star role on the Commission on corporate bodies. It constructed a multi- Vocational Organisation, though judging Subscribers to the magazine are regularly centred organic whole in terms of the self- by his remarks to Jack O'Connor on offered special rates on other publications sufficiency of the constituent groups. Thus, "Mediterranean corporatism" he would the medieval town was seen by its latter- Irish Political Review is published by day admirers and theorists as a co- have contributed damn little to that debate. the IPR Group: write to— On the issue of Corporatism, it only operative union of Guilds, whereas the proves that the Right can be just as daft as 14 New Comen Court, North Strand, Fascist corporate state entailed the total the Left. Dublin 3, or eclipse of such autonomy by the radical PO Box 339, Belfast BT12 4GQ or extension of governmental control and Of course, mention of the word PO Box 6589, London, N7 6SG, or direction to all spheres of social life and 'Corporatism' in Irish or British labour activity. politics very nearly causes an epileptic Labour Comment, C/O Shandon St. P.O., Cork City. political outburst. Corporatism equals Fascism and that's all there is to it! Subscription by Post: HAUGHEY WAS THE MAN! 12 issues: £17.50, UK; "Haughey became interested in The word "Corporatism", used Euro 25, Ireland; Euro 30, Europe. frivolously, has had the effect of devaluing forging a new, more structured, social Electronic Subscription: contract between the Government, all political concepts for the labour unions and employers during his brief movement. Euro 15 / £12 for 12 issues terms as Taoiseach in the early 1980s. (or Euro 1.30 / £1.10 per issue) Corporatism is associated with During this period he came into contact fascism. The fascist experience in Europe You can also order both postal and with EU leaders who had corporatist electronic subscriptions from: has never been subjected to critical www.atholbooks.org continued on page 25