NI: Regional Pay Anti-Fascist Aquinas & Michael Robinson Deserters? Private Property Manus O'Riordan Labour Comment page 14 page 16 back page IRISH POLITICAL REVIEW August 2012 Vol.27, No.8 ISSN 0790-7672 and Northern Star incorporating Workers' Weekly Vol.26 No.8 ISSN 954-5891

Euro Crisis:

Politics of Recovery vs Politics of Illusion The Past Was Orange

There are certain immutable economic laws that cannot be wished away by fine words So the Grand Secretary of the Orange or good intentions. If a country continues to consume more than it produces, it will Order has addressed (Senate. develop a dependent relationship with its creditors. To reduce its dependency it will He urged that "the burden of history" either have to produce more or consume less. should be discarded. But the human mode of existence is If the creditor is benevolent the debtor might obtain some concessions. But that is not historical. Humanity is what it has made a very dignified position for a debtor country to be in. Since 2008 has made a of itself over time in different places and decent attempt at solving her economic crisis and has been hoping for concessions on the circumstances—in history. There is no basis of what may arise elsewhere. But it appears the Euro summit agreement of 29th situation lying outside history into which June on separation of bank debt from sovereign debt is far less than it was widely taken it can remove itself. In these parts the to be. The prescription for the Spanish financial crisis is looking remarkably like the one practical meaning of discarding the burden for the Irish crisis. Ultimately the State must pay. of history is becoming British. And, quite apart from the question of whether that The Left in Ireland has never had to think about these issues. That element which has would be a good thing, there is the sound eschewed power has contented itself with railing against the real world, while the working assumption that it is not a possible element which has participated in power has had no vision other than a purely moral thing. It has been tried before. Britain imperative to keep Fianna Fáil out. failed completely to make Ireland British. All it ever produced was hangers-on. The Left in Britain was different, 40 years ago. Harold Wilson's Government understood that a country could not continue consuming more than it produced and set The Grand Secretary thanked the Fianna about implementing a socialist solution to the problem. His policies of austerity included Fail leader for inviting him to address the penal taxes on unearned income and capital, draconian restrictions on consumer credit, Senate. Micheal Martin, like former Fine and wage restraint. These policies were implemented with the support of the Trade Gael leaders before him, has sickened of Union Congress. From being a basket case economy in 1964, Britain ended up in 1970 the historical situation in which he is with a balance of payments surplus second only to Germany. All of that was squandered required to act, and he is looking for an in the subsequent decade when the Labour movement reverted to the politics of protest, escape from history. He now sees the War and opened the door to the Thatcherite alternative. of Independence, which had to be fought continued on page 2 continued on page 4

plaintiffs' cases. The cases against the The Moriarty Tribunal State and the winning consortium were initiated in 2001. In the light of this it The successful Supreme Court case Tribunal in which hundreds of millions was extremely irresponsible of the State allowing two representatives of the losing more will be at stake. Up until now, the to allow the Tribunal to continue its consortia for the 1995 Mobile Phone current has been placed in the investigations. Licence award sue the State is the latest invidious position of being unable to bizarre twist in this 15 year old saga. endorse the findings of the Moriarty The Irish Political Review is of the The State has spent about 300 million Tribunal lest it undermine the State's case opinion that there was no corruption euro on a Tribunal whose findings it has against the losing consortia. involved in the licence award. Not even now to defend itself against. The winners While technically the findings of the Moriarty could find any evidence of im- of the licence find that they will be in the Tribunal are inadmissible as evidence there proper influence exerted on the key same corner as the State fighting against is no doubt that its exhaustive investig- advisors: the Civil Servants' working group; the findings of an Oireachtas-appointed ations will be an invaluable guide to the or Andersen Management International. continued on page 10 see through both the Fiscal Compact and the introduction of a banking union, which will inevitably involve a great deal of C O N T E N T S bank debt resolution. Despite the cari- Page cature of her as a neoliberal, she is no such Euro Crisis: Politics of Recovery vs Politics of Illusion. Editorial 1 thing, just as she is no Keynsian. And in The Past Was Orange. Editorial 1 this her economic strategy both at home The Moriarty Tribunal. Editorial 1 and at Eurozone level is remarkably Biteback: Inviting 'Our Gallant Allies'. Jack Lane (Report) reminiscent of Harold Wilson. The idea Corry 'Terrorism' Claim Challenged. James Fitzgerald that and Keynesianism The Mystery Of The Dunmanway Killings. Jack Lane 3,23 (or what is called Keynesianism) are Britannia's Children. Wilson John Haire (Poem) 3 synonymous is a fallacy. In the Wilson Austerity, Aspiration And The Treaty. Eamon Dyas 5 era, when British Labour was at its height, Mitbestimmung. John Minahane 7 it was determined to impose control over Europe Subverted. Editorial 8 the economy, and that was anti-Keynesian. Sinn Fein's Political DNA. Seán McGouran reports on a meeting 9 The Government's whole orientation was A Literary Fantasy. Jack Lane 10 to protect the value of sterling and return Shorts from the Long Fellow (Sinn Fein & ; 'Modern' And 'Historic' the economy to a balance of payments Sinn Fein; Fine Gael; The ; The Irish Economy; The Bank Guarantee surplus which it succeeded in doing with ...Again; Spanish Banking Crisis; British Benevolence; Science In Ireland) 11 the high-tax austerity policies of Roy Views Of Sinn Fein. Stephen Richards, Brendan Clifford (Letter Dispute) 12 Jenkins. : Threat Of Regional Pay. Michael Robinson 14 An Irish Anti-Fascist Volunteer And Some Other Soldiers. The new French Socialist President, Manus O'Riordan (Part 2) 16 Francois Hollande, who is much quoted Items From The Irish Bulletin. 8th July 1920 (Paart 13) 22 by Irish politicians because of his espousal Employment Resource Centre, 1988 to 2012. John Holford (Part 1) 23 of growth, is as firm in his support for the basic currency disciplines proposed in the Labour Comment, edited by Pat Maloney: Compact, as was the former Socialist Aquinas And Private Property Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodrí- Mondragon, Part 10 guez Zapatero. In the months preceding (back page) the historic EU Council of November Summer Floods & Water Privatisation 2011, at which the Fiscal Compact was Michael Robinson (Report, p25) launched as a Eurozone initiative follow- ing Cameron's exercise of the British Veto, the President of Poland threw his backing behind Merkel: "What Poland fears more than German power is German inaction."

In 1987 Ireland implemented a social The Labour Party has been too busy For states involved in Troika "Prog- solution to the economic crisis, but this denigrating the record of the previous rammes of Financial Support"—and let had nothing to do with the Left. Indeed Government or blaming the Troika for us be realistic and assume Spain to be one Social Partnership was implemented in difficult decisions to focus on defending of these—there is no disagreement that spite of it. The far reaching reform was the social gains that were actually achiev- deficits must be reduced and consumption initiated by under the ed. And the Left opposition wallows in its brought into line with production. Nor is influence of the German Social Keynesian illusions, aided by the Financial there any doubt that economies and fiscal Democratic Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. Times, the mouthpiece of Finance Capital, systems need fundamental re-structuring which sees opportunities in the disabling to achieve this and lay the basis for a The weakness of Irish Social Partner- of the Euro, and hence promotes solutions healthy political economy into the future. ship was that it was led from on high. The to its crisis that would tend toward such a Against the background of the noisy street labour movement did not have to take disabling. demonstrations by the Spanish indignados, serious responsibility for weaknesses in a former advisor to previous Socialist the economy. When the economy boomed The Left demonises the Eurozone Government commented: in the 1990s, financed by German credit, Compact as a simple-minded "austerity' "This country needs really fundamental nobody thought that the party could end. strategy designed to smooth the way for a changes. We need an ample majority to In Germany, by contrast, the competetive- neo-liberal make-over of Europe under carry through the fiscal and economic ness of German industry was preserved German leadership. changes in a way that convinces the whole about ten years ago by reforms initiated country this is just and fair; it is not by Gerhard Schroeder in consultation with This is to misunderstand quite a few enough just to have an absolute majority the Trade Unions. Nevertheless, Social things, not least of which is the nature of [in parliament]… What we need now is a Partnership in Ireland survives in the form the German state. new [national] pact, between the parties, but including the Basques and the of the Croke Park Agreement, which was Catalans. To recover our credibility we Despite much domestic opposition by negotiated by the previous Government, need to agree among ourselves” …[Prime as well as in many other structures in the free market interest, Merkel, with the Minister] Mr Rajoy, some analysts are industry and the public sector inherited increasing support of the opposition Social starting to suggest, needs to forge a from the Haughey/Ahern eras. Democrats, has shown a determination to national consensus urgently, through 2 something like the 1977 Moncloa Pacts, the multi-party social contract that Biteback · Biteback · Biteback · Biteback · Biteback · Biteback · Biteback · Biteback · underpinned the transition to democracy" (Financial Times, 23rd July). Letter Sent to 1916 Commemoration Advisory Group The Irish Programme for Financial Support with the ECB/IMF/EU ‘Troika’ Inviting 'Our Gallant Allies' was negotiated by Brian Lenihan and his 20 July 2012 team in 2010, just before the change of Dr. Maurice Manning Government. The Troika was concerned Chancellor, National University of Ireland, chiefly with the 'bottom line'—how the deficit would be reduced. It was up to the Dear Dr. Manning, Government to propose the precise steps. I am writing to you in your capacity as Chairman of the 'Advisory Group on the Despite popular perceptions, the Troika Centenary Commemorations' of the 1916 Rising. I hope your plans for the commemoration does not 'impose' any conditions, except are progressing well. to insist on adherence to already agreed As you know, a major impetus for the Rising was to seek to limit recruiting for the war European policies. that Britain had declared on Germany and Turkey and a number of other States. Leaders of the Rising such as Connolly and Casement had made their reasons for supporting Lenihan saw the opportunity the crisis Germany quite clear. The war was, in Casement's words, a"crime against Europe". programme presented to carry through Hence the reference to "our gallant Allies in Europe" in the Proclamation. I hope that some reforms which many long knew this central aspect of the Rising is given due recognition in the commemorations. were needed but would be impossible to This aspect of the Rising has taken on a new significance with the passing of the introduce under the normal workings of referendum on the Fiscal Treaty. This was a very clear decision by the people to form a the media/political process we know as new alliance with our Eurozone neighbours, chief among whom is Germany. It would parliamentary democracy. These included be most appropriate therefore that this is also recognised as part of the celebrations as widening the tax base to encompass wealth there is a great symmetry between this new alliance and that promulgated in the (property) tax, charges for expensive Proclamation. resources (water), tackling the privileges It would seem fitting that the German Government is given a prominent role in the of elite special interests (the 'sheltered commemoration ceremonies and that its President and/or Chancellor be invited to play professions') etc. Attempts to curb such such a role. groups in the past had invariably faltered. This would be doing justice to the vision of the leaders of 1916 and would help Many of these very progressive reforms— enhance the Fiscal Treaty that should by then be well established and functioning in and not just reductions in the level of Ireland's and Europe's best interests. public service employment—were listed I would be grateful if you would put this suggestion to your Advisory Group and I look as structural reforms in the Programme. forward to your, and their, response. Yours sincerely, Brendan Keenan, one of the most per- Jack Lane ceptive commentators on Irish budgetary politics, believes that the ability to pay necessarily) include elements of privat- any more of the mass of Irish society, BRITANNIA’S CHILDREN isation. This element was proposed by the whose disposable incomes in the two years Irish government itself. What is clear is They talk of 'Hitler’s Children' in terms of the Programme to date have radically that the choices made in terms of tax of genetics shrunk, has reached its limit (We've Hit A policy, service cuts, welfare and minimum as they appear on British television, Fiscal Wall—it'll take a lot of nerve to wage rates etc., are all determined by the these children, plough through it, , 12th political forces within a programme state. grandchildren of Nazi leaders, in tears, July 2012). But, while cuts in services and wishing for eugenics. public sector employment have been Some had themselves sterilised rigorously implemented, the structural As is now being discussed in Spain, an to end the line, reforms of property tax and of the sheltered inclusive Pact across the social interests to some, professions—reforms on which the deliver a programme of adjustment and have gone into reclusive Government has stalled—would seem to recovery, as was achieved by the Haughey decline, offer the scope needed for the final deficit government in 1987 in negotiation with handpicked to show the guilt of the German nation. reduction without affecting the mass of the social partners, would offer the most But what of the centuries-old empire people Keenan is referring to. socially progressive means to achieve this. The European Commission—comment- and Britannia’s children, The main lessons from engagement ing on calls in Ireland for the Croke Park whose grievous oppressive occupation they still defend. with the Troika loan programme would agreement to be set aside—made it clear How many war criminals still operate seem to be that the only given is that recently that it welcomed negotiated solu- in the shadow of Big Ben. deficit reduction targets be met. This is tions for structural reform and would not They will not apologise, their conscience meant to be achieved by a combination of endorse the undermining of them. But, is clear, savings and revenue raising measures, unlike 1987, the prospects for a social their past is their future, old colonies and by "structural reforms" in line with solution to the crisis in Ireland do not to destabilise, long established EU policy which, under seem to be on offer, or to be an option any a new colonial frontier. EU Competition Policy, particularly the element in this government are choosing Wilson John Haire Services Directive, can (though must not to pursue. 27th May, 2012 3 the majority status of the Protestant com- The Protestant Penal Laws had con- munity, while refusing to gain the benefit stituted the Catholics of all Ireland into a Past Was Orange that would have come from operating the political body. The Northern Ireland continued new system with a will. (In doing this he system did the same thing to the Catholics was advised by Official IRA men Lord within it. The 26 County system did Professor Bew and .) He not do that to the Protestants. It was when Britain refused to accept the decision had signed under duress from Tony Blair. impossible for a Catholic in Northern of the ballot, as an act of genocide. (The The horse was dragged to the water but Ireland to become Prime Minister, or any relevant part of his extended interview wouldn't drink. And its place was taken Minister. There have always been Protest- with Pat Kenny will be found in the current by Ian Paisley's DUP. ants in Governments, and there issue of Church & State, No. 109.) have been two Protestant Presidents. The The Orange Order, too, is uneasy with The Orange Order is one of a complex political system drew Protestants into the history. It was for a century the core of mysterious institutions in the culture of functioning of the state, while the British institution of Ulster Unionism. The Pan- what was once a ruling class—Apprentice system in the North excluded the Catholics Protestant alliance against all-Ireland Boys, Black Preceptors, etc. Paisley has from the political life of the state and devolution within the UK—Home Rule— never been part of that milieu. On July compelled them to act as a political body. was organised by it. Then, when the 12th he usually addressed the Independent The avenues of opportunism were not country was partitioned and the Six Count- Orange Order. The IOO was founded in open to them. ies, instead of being governed within the the early 1900s, around the time of the Add to those considerations the fact democracy of the British State, was set up great Land Act which subverted land- that the Catholics in the North were a third as a pseudo-democracy—whose only real lordism. It followed the collaboration of of the population and belonged to the power was that of policing the large Cath- Protestant tenant farmers in the North, led lower social regions where reproductive olic minority by the small Protestant by T.W. Russell, with the Southern tenant power tends to be greater in any society, majority—the system hinged on the farmers, led by William O'Brien, Canon while the Protestants in the South were Orange Order. It had a controlling influ- Sheehan, and D.D. Sheehan. The pos- less than ten per cent, and were the remnant ence on the Unionist Council, which sibility of that collaboration becoming a of a ruling class that was in steep decline controlled the Unionist Party, which force in politics was prevented by the as a result of the process of democratisation fronted for the system as the Government merging of the Home Rule Party, under long before independence. in the Stormont Parliament. John Redmond's leadership, with a Catholic secret society, the Ancient Order The Sunday Independent reported the In 1970, when it was clear that the of Hibernians. That merger made the Grand Secretary's speech under the Northern Ireland system could not Home Rule Party a Catholic sectarian headline, State Still A 'Cold House For continue without drastic amendment, we equivalent of the Orange/Unionist Party. Unionists'". It is not entirely clear from proposed that Dublin should exert a The Orange Grand Secretary told the the report whether the Grand Secretary positive reconciling influence by recog- Senate that religious minorities were spoke of Unionists or Protestants. The nising the Ulster Protestants as a distinct "better treated in the North than the South" Independent is so deeply into revisionist Irish nationality, and that it should treat (, 4 July). This was proved obfuscation that it has probably lost all July 12th as an Irish folk festival. Jack by the growth of the Catholic population sense of the difference. In the South the Lynch—in whose footsteps Micheal in the North and the decline of the object of Unionism could only be to abolish Martin follows—slapped down that Protestant population. the state, and states do tend to look coldly proposal. Ireland was a nation, he said, When we were campaigning for the on subversives. No doubt there are Protest- and there could be no peace until Partition democratisation of the North by including ants whose purpose is to subvert the state, was ended. it within the British political system, we but there are also many who participate in A war was brewing in the North at the were opposed by the Orange Order. it. In the North Catholics were excluded time, encouraged de facto by Lynch. Then Northern Catholics, deprived of a demo- from participation in the politics of the in 1970 he precipitated it with the cratic outlet for their energy in the political state, and by virtue of that fact they were tomfoolery of the Arms Trials, which left life of the state, and subjected to communal subversive. Subversiveness was foisted Northern Nationalists with a sense of rule by the Protestant community, was on them by Whitehall for some purpose of betrayal, but also with a sense of adequate driven in on itself and made to live its own its own. It is true that the Protestants were self-sufficiency. A war sustained for a life in isolation. But it was so large a also excluded from the politics of the quarter of a century in a region of the minority that it was viable on its own. It state, but they rather liked it as they were foremost democratic state in Europe is an also had relief from the stifling pressure of cock of the walk at home. impressive event. It impressed the British the devolved system (which is now being State, but was too big an event to be called the Northern Ireland state) by the comprehended by the Irish State in the continuing presence of the institutions of Toady Tremor development gave it. Failing the British state. It had British amenities to crush the Provos, Whitehall agreed to a Mark Hennessy, a British toady on the in everything except political life. drastic alteration of the devolved system staff of , has become in which power was shared between the It was a dreadful system. Carson didn't concerned about the flare-up of hostility in Liverpool to the commemoration of Orange Order and the IRA. But the Orange want it, but Whitehall persuaded his Jim Larkin (see report of 23rd July). Orange/Unionist colleagues to have it. Order has failed to hold its position within Catholic/Protestant conflict was a regular that arrangement. And they also wanted the greatest possible feature of life in Liverpool for many Its front-man, , com- piece of Ulster—i.e., the greatest possible generations. That was also the case in promised himself by signing the Good Catholic minority to dominate outside the Glasgow. This was a spill-over of the Friday Agreement, which in effect negated democratic political system of the state. conflict in the North of Ireland. But it was 4 utterly different from Ireland. It was mere which it pioneered—were well-acquainted observers the Treaty was never the core sectarianism. In Ireland it has been called with its merits, and with its effectiveness issue in the referendum and people did not sectarianism, but it was actually the sub- in Liverpool and Glasgow. They could vote either way in that referendum on the stance of politics. In Liverpool and not have thought they were arranging for basis of its contents even if they pretended Glasgow it was contained, channelled and good government when they made the Six to understand it. People cast their votes on defused politically by the system of party- Counties a place apart. They had a purpose the basis of the circumstances which they conflict which took such things in its stride. It is unlikely that the human race beyond the North. The 'sectarian' conflict as individuals were experiencing the world will ever become so docile and uniform inherent in the Northern system could be at that time. They were not concerned that 'sectarianism' will be absent from it. used as leverage on the South through a with the legal or constitutional issues that mixture of blaming and coaxing. And the Treaty threw up but the relationship of The British leaders who excluded the how skilfully its has been done! the referendum to the wider arguments Six Counties, when Partitioning Ireland, Hennessy makes passing mention of about what Ireland as a society was being from the party-system on which the most the history of "sectarian tension" in asked to accept in the context of an ongoing durable system of representative govern- Liverpool, but does not care to dwell on austerity and the rationale behind that ment in Europe was based—a system how it was rendered politically harmless. acceptance. It is of course quite possible to view the Treaty as a thing in itself, as something Referendum Debate Continued without context, something that is a good or bad within its own terms. But of course these things do not exist in a vacuum and Austerity, Aspiration And The Treaty John himself does not treat it that way. He also sees it in a particular context. When I appreciate John Martin taking the itself, and on the other, upon the privat- he says that "The Treaty will bind us trouble to reply to my article advocating a isation of the East German economy in closer to Continental Europe and diminish "No" vote in the referendum on the Fiscal 1990-1993. British influence", he is viewing it in terms Treaty. However I was disappointed by He states that I do not deal with the of a certain contextual narrative. This of the fact that he choose to concentrate upon content of the Treaty or attempt to equate course is a perfectly legitimate way of minor arguments and not to confront the any of its clauses with the Ordo-Liberal looking at the issue and it certainly has its central issue that the article raised. economic doctrine while making the claim own internal logic but there is another John says at the outset that he disagrees that both are related and he is correct on way of looking at it and that is the way in with every aspect of the article and then that score. I do not equate any of the which I viewed it. For my part the question proceeds to concentrate his attention on clauses of the Treaty with the doctrine of I felt needed to be addressed was in the two themes, neither of which constitutes Ordo-Liberal economics for the simple 'here and now', aside from all the aspira- the main thrust of the thing. The article reason that it would be difficult to do so. tional clauses that in some people's eyes was written in response to the particular However, that difficulty has nothing to do invest it with the contextual legitimacy of narrative in which the referendum was with the irrelevance of the one to the other what it may or may not represent in the being set in this magazine and elsewhere. but more to do with the fact that one is an future, whether it justified the price being At its core, that narrative relied upon the international pact centring on the fiscal demanded of Irish society and whether possibility that the current crisis in Europe arrangements between states and the other there was any tangible link between that will produce an expansion of the German is an economic doctrine. They are separate price and the aspirational future it was social model at the cost of Anglo-American animals but that does not mean that they meant to serve. influence in the region. According to this are unrelated under specific conditions. However, John appears to disagree that rationale, the Treaty and the austerity (or Just as the cat and the mouse are biologic- this approach has any validity. From the if you like fiscal discipline) was viewed as ally different and only assume a particular second and third paragraph of his reply I a necessary sacrifice for something that relationship in the context of sharing the am unclear if he is asking us to view the would eventually work its way out in same house so too does the constitutional Treaty as something outside the context of terms of a closer political and economic and legal terms of the Treaty and the austerity but his position appears to imply union in the interests of the working class. Ordo-Liberal economic doctrine assume that the issue of austerity should not be At the core of this scenario the German a particular relationship by dint of them allowed to encroach upon the hygienic social model is held up as the new social both sharing the same political context of logic of the Treaty and the clear line of order that will result from this process. the current crisis in the Eurozone. sight between it and the denouement of his That was the way in which it was presented So, when John draws attention to the contextual narrative. But unfortunately, in this magazine and that was the thing obvious fact that I fail "to give an example in terms of actual politics, austerity does with which I took issue. of a clause within the Treaty that reflects encroach. The fact that in the lead-up to this Ordo-Liberal doctrine", is he seriously The central purpose of the article was the referendum the Treaty was almost claiming that the Treaty has nothing to do therefore to investigate the nature of the always discussed in the context of Ireland's with the current crisis or that the terms of German social model and the extent to continuing access to bailout funding shows the austerity being imposed as part of the which it was capable of having an existence that it was viewed in the context of such solution to that crisis are not consistent outside the specific peculiarities of the things. It was in terms of austerity and with Ordo-Liberal economic doctrine? If history, culture and politics that brought it continuing access to bailout funding that the former he is very much in a minority into being. John's reply fails to address the electorate cast their votes and not and I will leave the reader to judge if he is any of this but instead concentrates on the because of any aspirational belief in a correct regarding the latter. one hand, upon the failure of the article to closer intimacy with Continental Europe. deal with the nitty-gritty of the Treaty Beyond a very small number of political While that may have been part of what 5 John perceives as the contextual logic of was to provide an example of the fact that supply and the subsidy incurred by the the thing, it was certainly not how it was Germany historically has been prepared West German taxpayer. But that political viewed by the vast majority of the Irish to depart from its economic model in commitment and economic sacrifice was electorate. pursuit of a political objective. When it only deemed acceptable and necessary on viewed the injection of significant amounts account of the shared sense of identity that Fear rather than aspiration was the prime of capital, and its relaxation of the money had survived the social and political divi- motivation in how people voted and fear supply as a necessary pre-requisite of the sion of the previous forty-plus years. rather than aspiration continues to be the unification process, it displayed a prag- Although there was significant opposition motivation of all the Eurozone peripheral matic understanding of the fact that to the project from both sides of Germany, populations. While it could be argued that political objectives sometimes require a the shared sense of nationhood proved fear is as potent a motivation as aspiration temporary departure from its long- sufficiently strong for that opposition to in the formation of the new European standing social and economic model. The be overcome. It was the sense of shared Jerusalem, and therefore worthy of for- purpose of drawing attention to that parti- German nationality that was a core com- bearance, I have always dissented from cular part of Germany's recent history was ponent in enabling the unification process such means of social engineering. I cannot to make a comparison between what was of 1990-1993 to take place, despite the believe that it is possible, without incurring deemed necessary and therefore accept- cost and the significant opposition to the even greater problems, to walk national able in that unification process with the process both in West and East Germany at populations into new social and political approach which the current German the time. The question is, can that same arrangements in the absence of a positive Government is taking with regards to the motivation be deployed as the driving commitment to those arrangements. periphery economies of the Eurozone and factor in the realisation of what is claimed Regarding the privatisation of East the stated object of closer integration. In to be the Eurozone agenda? Germany. The issues raised here appear to the one case it adopted a pragmatic Germany is the key to the realisation of me to be quite trivial in terms of the larger approach to the question of the money that agenda. But we look in vain towards argument that remained unaddressed. supply while in the other it adopts a the German population for evidence of a However, for the sake of clarity, the point dogmatic approach. real willingness to sacrifice their well- of quoting the 200 billion dollar loss in the But perhaps describing it as a dogmatic being for such an agenda. Whatever tem- context of the German unification process approach is unjust. There could be another porary measures the German Government was not to show the level of subsidy explanation, which explains the difference has taken to keep the Eurozone project incurred by the West German taxpayers, between the two situations. Admittedly, ticking over has been met at every step by as John claims. The point was to illustrate the comparison between both situations is the reluctance of its populace—and this at the fact that the unification process could not a symmetric one and any conclusions a time when it is acknowledged that the not have happened without the injection based on that comparison must be temper- German economy has prospered because of a huge amount of West German and ed by an awareness of the differences as of the Eurozone. No, the evidence is that other capital that had its basis outside of well as the similarities between what the such a commitment is not present and it is the East German economy. It strikes me West German Government was attempting more likely that the same sense of German that the point was made clearly enough to do in 1990-1993 and what the German nationality that made one unification and any other interpretation could only be Government is demanding of the Eurozone process a success will in fact act as a on the basis of an imposed interpretation. at present. counter to that prospect ever becoming a While the 200 million dollar loss was in With regards to the attitude towards the fact with regards to the other. This is the effect a subsidy by West German tax- money supply: In the case of East Germany reality from which we have to view things payers, that subsidy does not reflect the the West German Government was only like the Fiscal Stability Pact and the Bank full extent to which outside capital was prepared to encourage such a huge invest- unification scheme, the Single Bank required to bring the unification process ment and relaxation of its money supply Regulator and all the other schemes, which to a (relatively) successful conclusion. because it knew it would result in a new on an almost monthly basis now find The subsidy was the smaller part of the political entity over which it would hence- expression on the Eurozone "Wish List". overall financial investment in the thing forth exercise control in terms of the new While all such schemes would undoubt- and the fact that everything other then the unified economy. It could be argued that edly constitute an encroachment on the 200 million dollar losses was recouped is this has echoes with the present, where power of financial capitalism, they never irrelevant to that argument. Germany has demanded a more centralised seem capable of realisation. These schemes Incidentally, while we are on the subject control over national budgets as a pre- are always pointed to somewhere in the of subsidies, although it was not stated in condition of it relaxing its hold on the vague future or just beyond the horizon or the article, the total subsidy incurred by Eurozone purse strings. That is a valid are made dependent upon some other the West German taxpayers (which con- argument based on a comparison of both factors being present or some misinterpret- tinues to generate resentment by the way) situations. However, it is also an argument ation or reinterpretation somehow inter- was much more than the 200 billion dollar that swings two ways and can sustain a vening. We are told that they are aspir- losses relating to the disposal of property different conclusion in the context of the ations. But they are aspirations without and other assets of the East German Eurozone situation. any evidence of their realisable future in economy as it does not take account of the The political commitment of the West the present and when aspirations fail to enormous cost to the German state of the German Government to the cause of Ger- possess such a critical ingredient they no social welfare and other payments in man reunification was robust, determined longer possess the characteristic of an sustaining the dispossessed and and made possible by the collapse of the aspiration. Instead they begin to take on unemployed population of East Germany East German economy. That commitment the character of an illusion. in the course of the unification process. was backed by the economic sacrifice With all the aspirational will in the The purpose in delving into any of this involved in the relaxation of the money world and all the 'might be' and 'could be' 6 scenarios, without the basis for their reali- other British milk suppliers this was not disarming the rights of the working class sation being present in the here and now, the case. Muller took the initiative in this and Trade Unions within its own social whatever other justification there may be and led the way for the other milk suppliers model than there is of it wishing to see it for asking a population to accept austerity, to cut their prices in early July. The result replicated in its present form throughout there is no justification for asking it to of this is that many small dairy farmers the Eurozone. How else are we to interpret accept austerity (or if you will, fiscal (and they still exist in Britain), already Merkel's call for the German model to be discipline) on the basis of those aspirations. struggling because of the behaviour of the changed to take account of wider European supermarkets, will be driven out of busi- conditions other than an expression of the John also implies that, by describing ness. However, the point is not to demonise natural desire of German capitalism to what happened in terms of the West German capitalism in the context of British break free from the constraints which it German position in 1990-1993, I am capitalism but to illustrate that the Muller imposes upon German capitalism? somehow criticising it. Let me state that I situation only shows that German capital- Competition is the key word designed have no view one way or the other on the ism, like any other, adapts to the prevailing to open this particular constraint on rights or wrongs of what West Germany political and economic circumstances capitalism both in Germany and the wider did in 1990-1993 as I don't know enough wherever it finds itself and in circum- Eurozone. The workers of the weaker about it. I never said that Germany was stances where such an environment Eurozone economies are urged to pursue wrong to allow foreign money to flood the permits it, it will behave like any other the object of becoming as competitive as East German economy in 1990-1993, only capitalism in its drive to maximise profits. Germany, and German workers are being that it was considered necessary and I I attach no moral judgment to this and urged to become as competitive as China. cannot understand where John got that I use it simply to illustrate the fact that For this to happen the obstacle of what has idea. I merely described what happened capitalism is capitalism and as an economic been called European Welfare Capitalism and tried to place that historical incident system it does not carry within it any needs to be dismantled and societies in the context of what is happening at innate sense of morality or social respon- reduced to a state where workers, bereft of present in the Eurozone. sibility. It is the legal capacity of a State protective structures and organisations, informed by an inherited political culture will be compelled to work for whatever My account of German finance capital- and a level of organisation wage the free global market can sustain. ism as being "just as predatory as Anglo- such as exists in Germany that is the only The current attack on the capital constraints American finance capitalism within the thing capable of imposing a particular within the weaker national economies and wider world" also comes in for criticism mode of behaviour on capitalism—a mode consequent erosion of domestic markets and is somehow seen as evidence of my of behaviour that compels it to function has to be seen in this context. Although being biased against German finance against its natural inclinations. In the Germany, with all its strengths and with capitalism. Again, I've no idea where John absence of any such constraining element less of a reliance on its own domestic gets that impression or indeed if he is in the societies of the other Eurozone market than the weaker Eurozone arguing that German finance capitalism is countries, we cannot expect German capi- economies, is not immediately vulnerable, better than Anglo-American capitalism in talism to behave in any other way. But it it is nonetheless part of that process and its its operation in the wider world. To me is not only that which places a question superior social model will itself increas- they are both culpable agents in bringing mark over the idea of a benign German ingly come under threat. The real forces about the present crisis and that is how I capitalism eager to export its model to the driving capitalism in Europe at present describe them and nothing more. In the rest of the Eurozone. It is also the fact that have the weaker Eurozone countries in absence of any evidence to the contrary I the austerity (or if you will, financial their sights but are nonetheless already would also say that, outside the legal discipline) programmes of the bailout manifesting themselves within Germany constraints imposed by the German state countries are compelled to include within itself. and sustained by the cultural and political them the dismantling of whatever capitalist strengths of German civil society, that constraining structures that those societies That is the perspective we need to adopt German capitalism in all its manifestations have somehow inherited from their in order to inform our understanding of is just as predatory as any other capitalism. individual pasts. what is happening in Europe at present As I write there is an example of how None of this sits comfortably with the and not to become side-tracked into German capitalism operates in Britain and idea of the existence of a German Govern- support for a process that may or may not I apologise for raising this type of anecdotal ment eager to encourage the development be leading to a united Europe. The question evidence but, in the absence of anything of a European-wide socially-controlled which will increasingly have to be faced is more substantive on either side of the capitalism. The existing German Govern- do we want a united Europe at any cost argument, it seems it is all we have to go ment's vision of Europe not only fails to and if so what type of Europe will that turn on. In January this year Britain's biggest encourage such restraints on capitalism in out to be? fresh milk supplier, Robert Wiseman other countries but positively encourages Eamon Dyas Dairies (which accounts for 30% of the the opposite. As was stated in the article, domestic milk supplies in the UK), was the measures demanded of the periphery taken over by the German dairy giant, countries are just not consistent with the Mitbestimmung Muller. In June the company cut the price idea that somehow Germany is acting as There's a Die Welt interview with of a litre of milk paid to dairy farmers by an honest broker in this matter and are in Angela Merkel from August 2009, headed 2 pence and intends to further cut the price fact more consistent with the conclusion "International Rules for Economic by 1.7p in August at which time the price that it is simply carrying on where 'free for Activity". It is at http://www.angela- being paid by the company will be 24.73p all' globalism left off. In fact there is more merkel.de/page/117_205.htm per litre. Lest this be seen as Muller merely evidence of a German Government agenda The German Chancellor touches on responding to an action initiated by the that seeks use the crisis as a means of Mitbestimmung, the Social Market and 7 Financial Regulation. Here is an extract, from the worlwide crisis, this laughter because Ireland has made itself utterly loosely translated: has to some extent disappeared. I too dependent on it financially. It is also the "Die Welt: Is German Mitbestimmung have been concerned with this theme for only thing standing between Ireland and years. When I took over leadership of the one of the principles of the Social Market Britain's fond embrace. Yet the country CDU in 2000, I established a working Economy that you would like to see acts in a contradictory manner. It hovers extended worldwide? group "New Social Market Economy" to between the two poles of attraction. Europe Merkel: I believe that in the worldwide work out ways of complementing the crisis the special value of cooperation of social market economy with an inter- in this respect is Germany. Ireland, employers' and employees' representative national dimension. During the German inspired by British globalism, has made bodies has been borne out. Internation- G-8 Presidency, as Chacellor, I put the itself financially dependent on Germany— ally, German Mitbestimmung can't be theme of regulation of the financial market and so it naturally echoes British on the day's agenda. At that time there adopted in a one-to-one correspondence. Germanophobia—which serves an intel- wasn't much of an echo, but through the But a fair cooperation of employees' ligible British interest but does not serve bodies and enterprise leaderships, also crisis the pressure for action has become any reputable Irish interest. an increased participation in the enterprise greater. I will not slacken my grip on this by employees, this I consider an interest- until we make genuinely decisive progress ing element which could also be spread on this matter." * wider internationally. We have been told John Minahane The Syrian Government gave an under- by the unions that even in the ILO, for a Editorial Note: It is noteworthy that taking not to use chemical weapons in the long time our unions were laughed at Civil War—a war brought about by US when they said that the principles of the these views by Merkel could not be found in an English language search of manipulation of Islamism—but said it social market economy should be would use them against an invader. internationally secured. But resulting the Internet. President Obama warned that, if it resisted invasion by all the means at its disposal, the outcome would be "tragic" for it. Is there any doubt that his meaning was that Europe Subverted it would be nuked? In 1991 Iraq was given the green light Other things being equal, one could of a thorough implementation of austerity by the US Ambassador to act against only wish the European Union collapsing and labour flexibility is the difficulty of Kuwait, which had been encroaching on in ruins. The world would certainly be breaking down the restrictive labour its oil-fields while Iraq had been protecting better off without it as it is currently protection measures that were part of the the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia by making constituted. It has made a mess of itself Fascist system. war on the Islamist Revolution in Iran— and is now intent on making a mess of The stability of post-1945 Europe was with Western support. But, when the Iraqi others. achieved through a continuation of that Army crossed the frontier, the Kuwaiti Its spokesman declared the Russian compromise by the Christian Democratic Government and its allies used the event election invalid because the outcome of movement. Its current instability comes to set about the destruction of the Iraqi elections should be uncertain. It was from a dismantling of that system by a State, which had served its purpose. While apparent that the Russian electorate wanted later generation, often by Social Democrats America was preparing for war, President a return neither to the catastrophic laissez- Bush the First had his Secretary of State, faire democracy of Yeltsin nor to the The architects of of the post-1945 James Baker, meet the Christian Foreign other kind of democracy represented by European development had it as a major Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of the Communist Party, though they were objective to put an end to the manipulat- Iraq, Tarik Aziz—remember that lost beginning to remember it as not all bad. ion of European politics from the outside. world, in which Iraq could have a Christian They wanted the Bukharinite mix of the De Gaulle and Adenauer knew what Bri- Minister?—and warned him that, if an New Economic Policy, as devised by tain had done to Europe over the centuries Iraqi Government mounted a defence with Putin—capitalism restrained from cata- and were determined not to let it happen all available weapons, it would be nuked. strophic activity by an authoratative State. again. A later generation, which had The threat was made discreetly and was They knew what they wanted and they got become too enlightened for Christian leaked. But President Obama has it. And that was not at all to the taste of the Democracy, let Britain in, and were then dispensed with that kind of subtlety. pedants of the EU democracy without a unable to protect Europe from doctrinaire If Obama decides to invade Syria and demos—which no longer knows what it capitalist/globalist dilution and subversion. destroy the state—to free the Syrians from wants and has forgotten what it once Europe lost the historical sense of its the "regime", as he puts it—the EU will wanted. founders and sought an alternative purpose toe the line. And then it will be a in random expansion and aggression. And cheerleader for action against Iran The EU was constructed as a post- Ireland is now a participant in destructive Fascist system. Fascism had arisen as a e European aggression in the world. The The EU has no will of its own in foreign defence against Communism in the Foreign Minister, eager for a repetition of affairs. And such will as it had in its own elemental chaos brought about the Great the freedom that was brought to Iraq, internal affairs was subverted by the War and the Victors' Peace that followed wants the Syrian Government referred to subversion of the Commission. The EU is it. It was successful through striking a the International Criminal Court and to Britain, and Britain is the USA in foreign compromise between capitalism and chastise Russia and China for not allowing policy. And the EU in its internal affairs . That fact was deliberately Chapter 7 Resolutions of the Security is Britain. obscured by the propaganda of the 2nd Council against it. World War. But one major Fascist state For the purpose of protecting the ran its full course—Spain. And today we But, although the world would be better Eurozone, the EU is Germany, with France are told that one of the obstacles in the way for loss of the EU, one cannot wish for that as a seconder. There is a possibility that 8 financial events will force the Eurozone to judicial finding at the behest of a very 'actually existing' Republic, Sinn Féin is push Britain and the EU out of the picture. small minority of the population, and in playing into the hands of the revisionists defiance of German public opinion in the and neo-Redmondites in the media and in Everything depends on Germany. But matter, while the judicial ruling would the leadership of the Labour Party (and, what is Germany? It has constructed a have been allowed to take its course if it apparently, the leadership of the pale very effective economy out of the ruins of had only applied to the very much larger reflection of Dev's Soldiers of Destiny). the War, but it was taught not to think by minority of Muslims. Despite the attacks (nearly all of the the great terror-bombings of civilian 'national' media including RTÉ, expend populations in 1944-5, and the great ethnic Germany, of course, supports the Jewish large quantities of energy finding fault cleansings of Germans under United state in Palestine (which long ago expand- with every and any aspect of the Irish Nations auspices in 1945-6 in which a ed by conquest far beyond the territory state), the are still Republican. million or so were killed. awarded to it by the UN General Official Germany in the post-Christian Assembly), which operates policies which A problem is that some aspects of British anywhere else would be called ethnic Democratic generation dare not act within Left thinking has penetrated Doolan's, cleansing, and which has been armed with its own history—it dare not know its own nuclear weapons for use against its and possibly Sinn Féin's, soul. The British history—and the signs are that it no longer neighbours. Meanwhile the EU seeks to Labour movement from the mildest social knows what history is. But beneath the destroy the Syrian State in preparation for democrats to the self-conscious 'revolu- official stratum knowledge of some kind a strike against Iran. tionaries' are alienated from the British must be lurking. state. Possibly they ought to be. The Irish The recent circumcision scandal is state, however, is a different matter. It instructive. A court found, in a Muslim Report was created by, among other agencies, connection, that circumcision mutilation Connolly's Irish Transport & General was an assault on the person. The great Sinn Fein's Political DNA Workers Union (now SIPTU) and its majority of the circumcised in Germany Citizen Army. And the ICA is part of A meeting (Conway Hall, 19.07.12) on are Muslims. But Jews have been returning Sinn Féin's heritage, a legacy from the the new Left parties in Europe, was partly to Germany, despite the view put by many War that put the current Irish state in to launch the book, New Left Parties In propaganda-historians, many of them place. Sinn Féin could stymie the Europe by Kate Hudson. The groups were Jewish, that Germans are inherently anti- revisionists. The latter want the Republic Syriza of Greece, Sinn Féin, Respect and Semitic with a tendency towards genocide. to become a British dependency. some others. The chap from Syriza was The leaders of this very small Jewish Ireland often does the UK's dirty work textbook 'Marxist'. I'm not sure if Respect minority declared that the circumcision in the EU. Irish officials and Commis- is keeping the right company: positioning judgment was a continuation of the sioners have helped to subvert the Christian yourself to the left of the Labour Party is Holocaust. One of the great principles of Democratic project, which was to make good, but painting yourself into a 'revolu- the post-1945 German order is the strict Europe independent from Anglo-Saxon, tionary' corner is a different matter. separation of powers. Politicians must interference. The EU is now a shambles, (Respect has joined a Euro-left grouping). not try to control the judiciary. In breach but Germany seems to be sloughing off its The guy from Syriza may have been a bit of this principle two motions were rushed guilt feelings about the two World Wars it uncomfortable with idiomatic English. through the Reichstag, one declaring male fought—but didn't start. This is partly Daithí Doolan of SF wasn't. Like most circumcision to be OK and the other due to Israel's racist attitude to the Pales- Irish people he's lived in England, he condemning female circumcision. The tinians. And partly to do with the fact that mentioned taking part in the campaign theoretical ground of the difference does Mrs. Merkel is a Protestant Ossie (the against the Poll Tax and being a Trade not seem to have been gone into. But the German Democratic Republic took a no- Unionist. He was able to remain an Irish actual ground was, of course, that the nonsense attitude to the Nazis, they were Republican and contribute to the host Jews do not do female circumcision, while a fact of life, pretending that they were not society, by way of political and Trade members of some other religions do. about in large numbers was absurd): she Union activity. It was his attitude to Irish Bodily mutilation as a means of re- has no residual guilt to expiate. She seems politics that bamboozled me. Apparently inforcing collective identity, religious or to be rather beady-eyed about the City of the Catholic Church and Fianna Fáil other, is probably as old as humanity. London's parasitical attitude to the Union. combined to keep Ireland a backward, Circumcision, whether male or female, is Ireland is taking a 'Pro-European' line capitalist state. I recalled 's mutilation. It is the excision of a part of in the current crisis (meaning a pro- quip that it was useful for FF election the body. In the case of the male it is a kind German,and thereby an extent, anti-Anglo- candidates to have had a row with the of disfigurement, but in the case of the Saxon one). How long the political class Bishop. One of the 'pillars' of FF policy female it is scarcely ever seen. If the can flourish outside its Anglo comfort was to put the First Dail's Democratic ground of the operation is not dis- zone, is problematical. Programme (allegedly a Labour wish- figurement but de-sensitising—and that list) into effect. SF and FF share a Sinn Féin should recall 'our gallant is certainly how one hears it put with considerable amount of 'political DNA' allies in Europe' noted in the Proclamation regard to female circumcisions—then that and SF will have to take a reasonable of the Republic in 1916. Prior to 1914 the also applies to the male. attitude to that shared DNA. Otherwise it German attitude to Ireland was entirely Ritual mutilation has been condemned will remain a protest party in the Republic. benign. As was its attitude to Islam. The as barbaric. Maybe it is. But something One matter that SF will have to come to University of Berlin's Islamic Studies that has for so long been part of human life terms with is the fact that the Irish state is course was started in the 1890s. Fianna is not going to disappear. the genuine article. It is not a"failed Fáil's Charles Haughey transformed The significant thing about the German political entity", nor a neo-colony. In Ireland's economy and infrastructure by affair is the legislative rush to overrule a taking a contemptuous attitude to the laying the groundwork for acquiring Euro 9 8bn from the EU (a.k.a. the unknown "In many ways the great Anglo-Irish German taxpayer). The successor-states mansions were Ireland's first ghost estates. to the USSR were offered €4bn to be A Literary Fantasy (Writer) Elizabeth Bowen says they were 'a gesture too large'—the economics of shared among them. Thomas McCarthy, the Cork poet, is in them never worked out. Being agin' 'Europe' is not a thing in despair. It's the kind of despair that goes "Those big houses went into decline itself, it has consequences in the political with the literary mindset. Life experiences from the time they were built. They were (and economic) spheres. It can effectively come via the prism of books for these an excessive gesture of building. They put you lining up with the US / UK with people. McCarthy as a life-long librarian, were almost like what we did ourselves their 'liberal' non-interventionist economic as he reminds us on a regular basis, has in the last 10 years." line and their destructive wars since the therefore a double dose of the conditions It is mind-boggling, to say the least, to collapse of the USSR. that can give rise to this literary angst. All see some analogy between the parasitic Sinn Fein's anti-Imperial heritage human life must surely be in them there ascendancy elite of the Penal Laws who should guide its approach to Britain and books and, when it does not appear to be built their luxury houses on the brutal Europe. so, despair is a likely result. exploitation of the mass of the people and Seán McGouran He gave his thoughts to the Sunday the people of the Celtic Tiger era. Nobody Independent (1 July) and no doubt repeated in that latter era can be accused of any them at the Bowen/Trevor Literary Festi- such thing. People, exercising their demo- val in Mitchelstown on 22nd July where cratic rights, got carried away and they Moriarty Tribunal he was to deliver the main lecture on Bowen. themselves are paying the price for what continued As he told the Sunday Independent: they did. But who could find in the modern "We are now such a damaged people— era— , the relevant Minister, I have great anxieties about the emotional ".. a machine of wise and deliberate damage that has been done to the Irish contrivance as well fitted for the oppres- was not privy to any significant special population… I have been a librarian all sion, impoverishment, and degradation inside knowledge on the deliberations of my life. When you work in a public of a people, and the debasement in them the advisory group. So the meetings Lowry library you get a feel for people and for of human nature itself, as ever proceeded had with Denis O’Brien, Tony Boyle (of the public mood." ... "What really worries from the perverted ingenuity of man" the unsuccessful Persona Group) or Tony me now is that we have lived through (Letter of Edmund Burke to Sir Hercules O'Reilly (leader of another unsuccessful four years of trauma since the great finan- Langrishe relative to [...] the Roman consortium) could have had no significance. cial crisis that has decimated the public Catholics of Ireland, 1792). service and ruined employment in Ireland Contrary to the impression given by and damaged the ordinary life of trade That is what 18th century Anglo Ireland some media reports, the deliberations of and the prosperity of our cities and towns. was, as described by one who knew it the expert advisors were not truncated by "I feel there has been an astonishing well. Michael Lowry. It is true that, once the decline of morale in the country—the McCarthy goes on: advisors made their recommendation on people just don't know what to believe. They have nobody giving them a view of "Just like the Celtic Tiger generation, schedule, Michael Lowry wanted to make the Anglo-Irish had only completed their the decision public as soon as possible for the future—it really worries me. Because how can a people go on if they have no own boom of the 18th Century when they various legitimate reasons. But he did not view of the future?" (SI 1.7.12.) lost their parliament—and their political make the decision to go public off his own and economic independence—with the bat. He obtained prior approval from a The poet said Irish people feel as if they Act of Union in 1801. Cabinet Sub-Committee consisting of the are stuck in a deep pit. "We are desperately "Before they could cope with the looking around for someone to throw us excessive building problem, their parli- Taoiseach , and Ministers ament was abolished. They no longer had down a rope" etc. etc. , and Dick the means to cope with what they had Spring of the Labour Party. If Lowry was Ochóne! Ochóne! He should have done. It's like the way the Troika has wrong to go public so soon after the recom- added something about the awful weather arrived in Ireland—the way the Act of Union arrived in Irish life. We no longer mendation—which we do not believe— for good measure. Bruton, Quinn, de Rossa and Spring were have control of our destiny—just like the But Thomas has found some solace. Anglo-Irish…" complicit in his wrong doing. Apparently, we have been here before and this is a favourite comfort for literary They 'lost their parliament'—the As we go to print a suggestion has been people in these situations, no matter how machine that Burke described so well. made by Senator (FF) farfetched the analogy might be—but it's And good riddance to it. The people were that Lowry had a greater involvement in in another book and therefore it's real. glad to see the back of it and the only Denis O'Brien's investment in Doncaster And McCarthy's analogy is about as far- people who bemoaned its going were the Rovers than was previously thought. fetched as you could get: Orangemen and Daniel O'Connell. It remains to be seen what the signi- "History has come around—we have The Troika does not come with an ficance of this is. But the mere "involve- met it on the road again. Except that now army, a paramilitary police force, a tax ment" of Lowry in an O'Brien transaction we are in the age of and not exploitation system such as tithes, a spy is no proof of corruption. Lowry was a Henry Grattan, but we must think with network, broken promises, overseeing an politician who liked to have a finger in the intelligence of Grattan's parliament absentee landlord system, etc. It comes every pie and give the impression that his as to how we move forward. Sometimes with financial support, and puts proposals I feel the ground of history has opened up influence was far greater than it actually for improved fiscal systems. The people and swallowed us…" was. have considered these and voted for them We can only hope that the Courts will The ghost estates now haunting parts of in a referendum. Only a person lost to vindicate the integrity of the State and rural and urban Ireland were nothing new. reality could see any analogy with an bring an end to this exorbitant debacle. Thomas McCarty pointed out: earlier era. Jack Lane 10 catastrophe. able conclusion that can be drawn is that So when declared his the fall in national income was caused by support for pardoning Irish Army Desert- a decline in employment in the building Shorts ers during the Second World War because industry and the retail sector. The remain- the State had been "morally bankrupt", it der of the economy was largely un- from should not have been too much of a surprise impaired. the Long Fellow that Sinn Féin supported him. The last Fianna Fáil-led Government The only real surprise was the Party of managed to stabilise the economy by the State, Fianna Fáil, was silent on the introducing policies of austerity from 2008 SINN FÉIN AND FINE GAEL matter: a sign of the demoralisation of that onwards. If it had followed the advice of Last month the Long Fellow com- party. Noble Prize-winning economist Paul mented on the Red Sea/Sunday Business Krugman and opted for a "stimulus" opinion poll (24.6.12). The most noticeable THE LABOUR PARTY package, Ireland would be now in the feature was the drop of 3% in Sinn Féin An element of the Labour Party shares same position as Greece. support. However, as interesting was a the disenchantment with the Irish State. Fianna Fáil's big mistake related to the rise in support of 2% for Fine Gael. Support The State has not developed along the period before 2008: it did not understand for the other parties was stable. Is it possible lines that it wished and the party did not the significance of the expansion of private that there are some voters whose support participate in working class advances, such credit. It assumed that, because the public floats between Sinn Féin and Fine Gael? as the establishment of the Labour Courts finances were in order, the economy was At first glance this would appear to be and Social Partnership. The Irish Labour on a stable footing. The Party might plead unlikely: Sinn Féin and Fine Gael are at Party thinks we should have had a two- in mitigation that it was under no pressure opposite ends of the Irish political spect- party system as in Britain where the Labour from the Opposition to do the right thing. rum. But appearances can be deceptive. Party alternated in Government with a Indeed all the pressure was in the opposite Conservative Party. Since the State is direction. "MODERN" AND "HISTORIC" SINN FÉIN democratic, disillusionment with the State The Labour's Way documentary Sinn Féin and Fine Gael have one thing is reflected in disillusionment with the referred to above reminded us that in this in common: both, albeit for very different people. period 's Labour Party had reasons, share a disenchantment with the The recent RTE series on the Labour discovered the virtues of tax cuts. 26 County State. Party (Labour's Way) ended with a sense What is now called Sinn Féin arose of foreboding for the prospects of the THE BANK GUARANTEE…AGAIN from the outbreak of war in Northern Party. Gilmore's "Frankfurt's way or A drop in national income of 16% from Ireland. At the very earliest, 'modern Sinn Labour's way" speech may come back to the peak level is traumatic. It may be true Féin' can trace its origin to the 1970 haunt him. Ruairí Quinn's signing of a that the cause of the drop lies with policies Official/Provisional split. But it is probably pre-Election pledge against University pursued over a long period before 2007, more accurate to say that it began in the Fees is also likely to damage the Party. but that is very unsatisfactory on a human early 1980s at the time of the Hunger The documentary had the following level. There is a psychological need to Strikes when it became clear that a political justification from Quinn for signing this crystallise the cause of all our woes into alternative to the SDLP would emerge. pledge, which he knew he could not keep: one moment in which the villains could be easily identified. 'Modern Sinn Féin' has only a tenuous "God these people have voted for the connection with 'historic Sinn Féin'. The wrong thing three times in the last fifteen From that psychological perspective only group that celebrated the centenary years; and the country has been destroyed. the Central Bank Governor, Patrick of "historic Sinn Féin" in 2005 was Ruairí I just couldn't afford to take any chances. Honohan's Report on the Bank Guarantee O Brádaigh's Party. I wanted to nail this down." was unsatisfactory. It concluded that the policy errors had already been made by 'Modern Sinn Féin' took no part in the So the people could not be trusted to do 2008. By the night of the Guarantee the building of the 26 County State. Indeed, if the right thing (vote against Fianna Fáil). Government was engaged in the thankless its memory extends as far back as 1970, its They needed to be conned in to doing so! experience of that State was one of task of damage limitation. Although Hono- rejection. The Arm Conspiracy Trial han's report made some minor criticisms THE IRISH ECONOMY signalled the abandonment of Northern of the scope of the Guarantee, it concluded The Labour Party and Fine Gael Nationalists by the Southern State. that Anglo-Irish Bank was of systematic constantly repeat the mantra that Fianna importance and therefore had to be saved. FINE GAEL Fáil destroyed the economy. The statistics David McWilliams described the situation Although Fine Gael was founded in don't bear that out. GDP grew by 1.4% in in more graphic terms. The Irish banks 1933 it can trace its origins to the Pro 2011. Of course we are still below the were all at the edge of a cliff, joined by a Treaty side in the Civil War (Cumann na peak GDP which was reached in 2007. rope tied around their necks. If one of the nGaedheal). It also absorbed the Redmond- GDP in 2011 was 16% lower than 2007, banks were allowed fall, it would have ite middle class, wealthy farmers and, of when the bubble was about to burst. But is dragged the others down with it. course, the Blueshirts, as well as some it realistic to make comparisons with an At present the Oireachtas Public stray Southern Unionists. For the compon- unsustainable level of national income? A Accounts Committee is vying with the ent parts of this party the development of comparison with the slightly less frothy Finance Committee to conduct another the Southern State was a disappointment. year of 2006, shows that GDP was 10.5% investigation, but it is difficult to know It should have been them who determined less in 2011 at current market prices. what more can be said about the affair. its evolution, but instead the losing side in The GDP per person employed in 2006 the Civil War became the dominant party. at 87.3k is almost identical with the figure SPANISH BANKING CRISIS The success of Fianna Fáil was a moral in 2011 at current market prices. A reason- Many of the issues faced by Ireland in 11 2008 are now being faced by Spain. It is million euros, while associate membership "… the fruit of this institute, therefore, said that Spain's banking crisis is less is about a million. has been an effort to show that there are severe than Ireland's. We shall see! Senior In much more straitened times Eamon two Saint Patricks and no God" (The Irish Times: a History by Mark O'Brien, de Valera set up the Dublin Institute of Bondholders will be looked after. How- Four Courts Press, page 130). ever, the situation regarding Subordinated Advanced Studies with the participation Bondholders is more complicated in Spain. of the distinguished German physicist He concluded that there was a risk the In Ireland this latter category received a Erwin Schrödinger. The latter gave a Institute: small fraction of their money. However, lecture in which he said there was no "…would make us the laughing stock in Spain many of the subordinate bond- logical basis for the belief of a first cause of the world". holders are 'retail investors' with modest or divine creator. T.F. O'Rahilly also out- means whereas in Ireland the subordinate lined his theory that there were two This unfunny and small-minded re- bondholders tended to be Investment different Christian missionaries—Palladius action would have contributed nothing to Funds. This will present a greater political and Patrick—who had been confused as intellectual freedom in the country. And challenge for the Spanish authorities. one figure, St Patrick. yet the conventional view is that de Valera By any standards these were interesting was the rigid conservative and Myles na intellectual developments in 1942. But gCopaleen/Flann O'Brien/Brian O'Nolan BRITISH BENEVOLENCE! There is something very strange about how did the court jester of The Irish Times was a broken man whose comic genius the British media's commentary on the respond to them? Myles na gCopaleen was stifled by Ireland's authoritarian Euro crisis. Given that Britain was opposed commented: culture! to the Euro from the outset, it might be expected that her journalists would confine themselves to "I told you so" articles. But Letter Dispute no! They want to save the Euro from German errors. Indeed some newspapers Views Of Sinn Fein normally associated with monetarism have Just when I was still reeling from Pat a few, but then again, too few to mention”. suddenly become born-again Keynesians. Walsh’s riposte (April Irish Political Ambrose Evans-Pritchard in the Daily Review ), and indeed when my half-written This opens up a much wider debate, Telegraph admits in his article (11.7.12) attempted response to it was still festering one I would be very happy to contribute to that he doesn't particularly want to save in our home computer, which then myster- if it wasn't for the danger I would bore the Euro, but that doesn't prevent him iously died, I was both surprised and everybody to death. But in a way I had from lecturing the Germans on what they gratified to find that Brendan Clifford had anticipated the objection by referring to should do to save what he doesn't been prompted to add his voice to my the dishonourable nature of much of the particularly care for. Here is his solution: refutation (June Irish Political Review). Provo campaign. Strange times call for "In my view, direct bank recapital- I have no desire to try to say the same strange measures, no doubt, but if the isation is indeed a crucial step that must French Resistance in the last War had be taken to break the diabolic nexus things in a different way, which would be made a habit of planting bombs to kill between banks and sovereigns—each wearisome to everybody, but it might be dragging the other down—if Europe's helpful for me to clarify a few points. French people, or to devastate French leaders wish to hold the euro together and When I talked about "lively debate" cities, I think a few eyebrows would have save their project." this wasn’t in the context of Brendan's been raised. Judging from some of his views at all, but of Irish Political Review writings I think the concept of honour still What this means is the Euro-zone as a whole. It seems to me that in recent means something to Brendan. countries as a whole should underwrite years IPR has become a criticism-free It was a funny game the Provos played, the losses of banks in countries with "light zone for Sinn Fein and the Provisional one where they made up the rules as they touch" regulation. This might very well IRA, and I thought it would be interesting went along. "We want the world and we happen. But it seems reasonable that to throw a few small stones into that placid want it NOW" (from that eternal adolescent countries such as Germany, the Nether- pond, just to see what would happen. I had Jim Morrison) was the message that I was lands and Finland would demand that taken it for granted that Irish Political hearing from them during my youth and measures should be put in place to ensure Review was the forum for a wider range of early adulthood, reinforced by every news that this never happens again. The Euro opinions than Brendan's. bulletin of every day. If there were attempts cannot survive if banks in individual to persuade Unionists of the wisdom of countries are allowed lend recklessly—in In my first letter I mentioned Martin falling into line, as Pat Walsh maintains, I many cases to their cronies—knowing McGuinness’s own admission, under must have missed them. It was more a case that the Euro zone as a whole will foot the scrutiny from the southern media, that the of metuant dum timeant: let them hate us bill. Provos (which he left in 1974 and lived to as long as they fear us. But then, as Evans-Pritchard has tell the tale) did some (unspecified) Despite the best attempts of "the two admitted, the survival of the Euro is not a “atrocious” things in the course of their sovereign governments" as the SDLP liked concern of British journalists. 25-year long campaign. But I have yet to to call them, Gerry Adams’s response to see any hint of this in the columns of Irish the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985 was to SCIENCE IN IRELAND Political Review. So McGuinness has a say that it had “copper-fastened” the The discovery of the Higgs boson moral compass, of sorts; whereas the Union, so why should Republicans pay particle has prompted questions as to why applicability of moral categories at all in any heed: the struggle continues etc. Ireland did not participate in this project. the field of political conflict is vehemently But it lay in the Provos' gift to let us Full membership of CERN, the relevant denied by Brendan. As for Pat Walsh, it know when Republicanism had achieved research institute, amounts to about 11 seems to be a case of "mistakes, they made its objectives so it could call off hostilities. 12 We now inhabit the Republican nirvana, we ridiculed the heated moralistic con- in which Northern Ireland is as securely demnations expressed by representatives within the UK as it was before; the spectre A Reply of the Power that established the system of sectarianism haunts the land, and indeed and maintained it. I would have thought it was obvious is institutionalised; and Sinn Fein is in Pascal said there would be much less even to somebody who only glanced at it office, and enjoys the baubles of office, trouble in the world if everybody stayed now and then that the Irish Political but lacks any real power to implement its quietly at home. Good Unionists did not Review, insofar as it related to the North, agenda. As do the Unionists, but then they see why Catholics should not do just that. was a propaganda sheet in support of a have got used to that over the past 40 But democracy, as made functional by particular view of the situation in the years. So, we didn't have a democratic England, is a system of mass conflict in region—the view that it was systematically political system in Northern Ireland and which people are not allowed to stay misgoverned as a region of the British we still don’t. Plus ca change. quietly at home. And Catholics in Northern state excluded from the democratic poli- If there are some within the Republican Ireland were subjected to all the incite- tical system of the state, and that community who find the present condition ments to action of the political propaganda undemocratic government in an enclave of things a bit indigestible, how can Sinn of the state while being excluded from the of a democratic state leaving two hostile Fein sit in judgment on them? I know very means of action that were laid on in the communities in a relationship of simple little about Anthony McIntyre, but if he rest of the state. And they had in addition antagonism with each other, but with one says a black crow is black then I have to to put up on a daily basis with Protestant being accorded the power of police over agree with him, whereas if Pat Walsh or communal rule, often applied in a way the other, will have consequences—which Brendan Clifford or an angel from heaven that was insultingly informal. The wonder- in a moral/emotional/subjectivist response should say a black crow is white, I must ful thing is that most of them did stay by the detached, superficially-interested respectfully demur. quietly at home for almost half a century. outside observer can all be condemned As for Brendan's thoughts on the 1859 and dismissed as atrocities,and half of I don't know when I "vehemently Revival, and Paisley being a product of it them can be so dismissed by the partisan denied" the applicability of moral cate- yet able to transcend it in some way, well insider. gories in politics. What I recall saying I wish there were world enough and time The propaganda was written on the quite a few times is that my insight into the to for me to chase all those foxes. Brendan assumption that there was one great Northern Ireland mess came from a reading thinks I haven't been listening to him atrocity—the setting up of Northern of Aristotle when I was young, and my properly over the past thirty three years. I Ireland by Westminster for an ulterior understanding of his statement that man is could say the same about him! I do purpose, and that it was not realistically a political animal as meaning that his remember though when Paisley went on conceivable that it had been set up for the conduct is profoundly influenced by the the Carson Trail in late 1980. I even purpose of "good governance" of the Six constitution of the state in which he lives. attended a Carson Trail rally in Newtown- Counties. That was a view I arrived at The constitution of Northern Ireland as a ards in early 1981. And towards the end of about forty years ago and I took steps to region of the British state was not 1981 there was a very engaging pamphlet propagate it. I don't know that "a wider conducive to the kind of conduct that was that came out of Athol Street, with which range of opinions" was ever expressed in normal for the British state. I totally agreed, entitled Paisley on the the Northern Star/Irish Political Review. If I have not been listening to Stephen Lundy Trail. Paisley in his various mani- It certainly wasn't done when I was Editor. Richards over the past 33 years, I don't festations has only really been a Paisleyite; And I haven't noticed that it has become a know where it is that I might have listened and Paisleyism has meant whatever he morass of groundless political opinions to him. If he has written something against wanted it to mean at the time. since. But, if I had remained Editor, I the assumptions on which Northern Star/ I really don't want to learn the arts of doubt that Stephen Richards' letter would Irish Political Review propaganda was peace from Sinn Fein and the DUP. If have been published. It was neither a based, I have not seen it. Northern Ireland didn't slide into total correction of some misrepresentation of If Martin McGuinness has admitted to sectarian chaos during the 1970s and 1980s his views, nor a criticism of the basis on atrocities on the Southern media, then it wasn’t for want of trying on their part. which events within the Northern Ireland there is hope for the dissidents, who And as for Brendan's own development situation were relentlessly analysed year condemn him for having stopped the war during all those years, I have been fascin- after year, decade after decade, nor a prematurely, that they will have another ated by it. This reorientation has involved contribution to the general position of the innings. him sometimes in saying things that are magazine. the opposite of what he used to say. Once If he had shown that I had misconceived The successful conduct of a political again, this is a whole subject in itself. It’s the situation, and that Northern Ireland movement requires a considerable degree said of St. Augustine that the Reformation was after all a democracy, or a democratic of objective understanding of situations itself represented a struggle between region of a democracy, and that "good and an ability to manipulate moral/ Augustine's doctrine of grace and August- governance" was possible within it, I emotional feelings in the populace. Plato ine's doctrine of the Church. In the same would have been happy to give way, drop said it, and Blair did it. If McGuinness's way I believe that future generations will the whole thing, and do something else objectivity is broken down by the shysters find in Brendan Clifford an articulation of altogether. But he hasn't. And neither has on the Southern media, his effectiveness unionist and republican views that Union- anybody else. will soon be at an end. ists and Republicans themselves could Moral/emotional condemnations of Miriam O'Callaghan asked him, in the only dream of; and, sadly, which neither incidents, in the turmoil necessarily Presidential debates, why he had found it side benefited much from. generated by the perverse system, as necessary to murder so many people. He Stephen Richards atrocities, is something that we decided said it was a disgraceful question. She 5th June, 2012 very early on that we would not do. And complained in the Sunday Independent 13 magazine that it was a routine question to being said is that it established a formal price. Honour has so little to do with the which he should have given the routine apartheid system which greatly improved conduct of public affairs in the British answer—that she was a middle-class the position of the Catholic community, state that every scoundrel in Parliament is Dubliner in easy street and didn't under- and therefore worsened that of the an honourable member. stand the North. Such is the morality of Protestant community. But Unionism had the Southern media. chosen communal conflict as its battle- In his first letter (November 2011, Irish ground, so: Hard Cheese! Political Review) Stephen complained of I can't see what similarity there is something called "ad hominem" in the between the French Resistance under And "honour"! How does Honour conduct of the Irish Political Review. I German Occupation and the Northern suddenly come into it? We're talking did not know what that meant. I vaguely Catholics excluded from the democracy about the British State constructed by assumed it meant addressing the person of the state and subordinated to intimate means of the Reformation and "honour" instead of his argument, and could not Protestant policing. The Provos didn't is mentioned! Honour as a social bond how the Irish Political Review could be destroy nationalist towns as far as I know. was dissolved centuries ago. Burke accused of that. So I looked it up and And I know that forty years ago coquetted with it with regard to Marie found that it means playing to the gallery, was very much a Unionist town. That is Antoinette, but only to lament its passing, conciliating people's prejudices. I am at a something that changed greatly in the along with chivalry. Fifty years earlier loss to see what prejudices the magazine course of the War. I don't think the change Walpole, the constructor of the British plays to in search of popularity. But would have happened without the War. Constitution, was frank enough about his Stephen is resorting to what I thought it And the French Resistance did not guiding principle: Every man has his meant: personalisms. destroy French towns. It was the American and British liberators that did that, on a very large scale, in 1944. Northern Ireland: Threat Of Regional Pay As to my "reorientation": what it amounted to was an admission that the In his Autumn Statement in 2011, the sector in Northern Ireland, with allegedly project of democratising the North as part Chancellor George Osborne (apparently) high wages, actually "crowds out" the of the UK was hopeless. London would set the Coalition Government on a path private sector and retards economic not allow it. Dublin and the SDLP were towards introducing Regional Pay across development. This however is nonsense, against it. And, after it had been made a the UK. even though it is often repeated. Indeed public issue in the North, the Unionist In Northern Ireland, Civil and Public DFP officials also know it is nonsense. In middle class by the application of basic Servants have already endured pay freezes their Pay And Workforce Strategy—JULY sectarianism, destroyed the cross- for two years, which, with inflation biting, 2004, Paragraph 1.30 they note— community movement that had been built has effectively meant pay cuts. As part of "It has been argued that the level of up by twenty years of effort. Long before the briefing for the NI Assembly, on the public sector pay impacts negatively on that, I had said that I saw the Provo proposed Pension Contribution increase, the performance of the Northern Ireland economy by crowding out private sector approach as the only realistic alternative officials in the Department of Finance (DFP) warned that the public sector union growth. However the concept of crowding to the Athol St. approach. The Unionist out applies more to a national context middle class chose Ulsterism in preference NIPSA would regard this as a further pay than to a region such as Northern Ireland to British democracy, and now they turn cut on top of the pay freeze in place and where the link between public expenditure to 'dissident' Republicans (who condemn might react accordingly. And react they and business taxation is weak. In addition, the Provos for ending the War) for debating did, most notably on 30th November 2011, it is the overall size of the public sector points against the Provos. when the public sector unions acted in an rather than public sector pay levels in particular, that is important with respect They chose their bed and now they unprecedented show of unity across the UK in almost all sectors. to crowding out. A stronger argument is complain about having to lie in it. But that high public sector earnings force "Vous l'avez voulu, George Dandin!" This This effective reduction in civil and private sector firms to offer earnings is what you wanted—or at least it is what public service pay has already contributed higher than they might otherwise have you chose. to taking Demand out of the local economy. been with a negative impact on Workers have put off spending for a competitiveness. However, in practice "Plus ca change" etc. So nothing has combination of reasons; some because the labour markets for public and private changed then. So what's the complaint? they simply cannot afford it, others because sector markets are in many ways distinct "We now inhabit the Republican they have been induced to panic and which is reflected in research findings which suggest that public sector pay nirvana". What has this sarcasm got to do uncertainty at the Coalition Government's with what has been said in the Irish settlements have a negligible impact on rhetoric about the continued need for private sector pay" (source—Zabalza and Political Review? The point of which is austerity and the planned cuts in public Kong (1984), Pay determination in the that there is no "We" in Northern Ireland. services ahead. This has left even more public and private sectors, Centre for There is, whichever side you look at it vulnerable, the Small and Medium Labour Economics.) from, Us and Them. The system estab- Enterprises that our local economy needs lished their relationship in such a way that to protect most. NI PRIVATE SECTOR PAY a change that is better for Us is worse for The reality of the labour market in Them. THE "CROWDING OUT" MYTH Northern Ireland is outlined in a further And the Irish Political Review told Despite these factors, there is a myth DFP document—2010-11 Northern Stephen that the perpetrated by certain private sector Ireland Public Sector Pay and Workforce established democracy in Northern Ireland interests and supportive newspapers, that Technical Annex (April 2010). In para- and he finds that it didn't! What I recall the very existence of a substantial public graph 26, commenting on the Annual 14 Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) set in accordance with local labour *A large proportion of the population is Analysis, based on 2009 data, it is noted— markets, public sector pay is usually set registered as being economically "the average private sector wage in on a national basis.' Here is a classic inactive, with social exclusion levels example of not comparing like with like. Northern Ireland is 21% below the UK well above other parts of the UK; The fact is that most large, multi-site average (£581.20)". And further— private sector companies have national * Many of our households live in "Northern Ireland Private Sector earnings pay structures. These organisations, poverty, with joblessness and skills are lowest of all UK regions for each among them retailers, banks or telecom deficiencies, important contributory major occupational group, with the companies are not dissimilar to large, factors." exception of Professional Occupations multi-site public sector organisations that (Wales lowest) and Personal Service have national pay structures." This latter factor of skills deficiencies occupations (North East lowest)". is confirmed in the Technical Annex The more recent ASHE survey for 2011 The second myth concerned "private referred to above. In paragraph 10 of shows only a slight change in these ratios, sector pay being set in accordance with Section 2, Labour Market Overview, it is with private sector earnings for all local labour markets". Hatchett explained, noted – employees in Northern Ireland now being "In reality, large, multi-site private "Whilst Northern Ireland outperforms 17.8% lower than the UK average. sector companies operate with up to 4 or the UK average in terms of both GCSE 5 bands or zones within a national So does this indicate a monstrous pay and A level qualifications, this educa- framework. Typically these bands or tional attainment is not reflected in the lead by a bloated civil service? Well no. zones are based on the established pattern labour market. The percentage of the Paragraph 37 of the Technical Annex, of inner London, outer-London, South Northern Ireland workforce (aged 19-59/ states— East and large city allowances. Zonal 64) without any qualifications in 2007 "It should be noted that the Institute for systems, widespread in the retail sector, (20.3%) significantly exceed the UK Fiscal Studies recently carried out a allow for a store to be moved to a higher average (11%) as well as that in England detailed study of UK public-private sector paying zone if labour market conditions (11.4%), Scotland (12.6%) and Wales pay differentials. This study indicated require this." (14.9%)." that for the period 2006-09, the average raw public-private wage differentials The third myth was the notion that And so, despite the impression given were 19% for men and 24% for women there is significant regional pay variation by the champions of our allegedly much respectively. However, once factors such outside of London and the South East. as education, age, work experience and envied educational system, we do not qualifications had been accounted for, The reality was that there was "much more sufficiently educate our people in the the respective differentials reduced to similarity than difference". For example, qualifications they will need to compete just 2% and 7% respectively. This "most of the retailers and banks that in the modern economy. The globalization demonstrates the importance of com- operate with zonal-type pay systems have of capital and labour mean that we cannot paring like for like when assessing public- national pay structures outside the South compete with developing countries on the private sector pay differentials." East that have worked well for them for cost of labour alone, although as I have some time, without seeking to differentiate MYTH OF PUBLIC SECTOR SIZE outlined, we have tested that premise with A further DFP Public Sector Pay And between Newport, Newcastle or Nottingham." our average wages in the private sector Workforce Strategy For 2009-2010 also remaining significantly lower than in the The fourth myth which has resonance challenges this myth and, on the issue of rest of the UK. We are thus obliged to in Northern Ireland is that "local labour the size of the public sector, it confirms compete on quality and innovation. But market/cost-of-living factors have that, although the public sector here our education system is failing to properly displaced skill level, qualification and job accounts for a higher proportion of jobs educate our children and there is no real weight in setting pay in the private sector". than in the rest of the UK , "this is in part commitment to equipping them with the And yet, as we have established above, due to the lower employment rate in requisite technical skills and apprentice- there is significance in the factors "such as Northern Ireland and the greater need for ships to real jobs, which would help the education, age work experience and public services due to the demographic growth of an innovative private sector. qualifications" required in the respective structure of the population and its socio- occupations across the public and private economic status". ENTER REGIONAL PAY sectors. Notwithstanding that, there has been a It is then into this fragile economy, decline in the proportion of public sector N I ECONOMY REALITY with all of its acknowledged disadvant- jobs here since 1992, with a pronounced The reality is that the Northern Ireland ages, that the Chancellor (apparently) decline between 2007 and 2008. economy is characterized by an under- wants to impose, what is euphemistically Responding to the Chancellor's State- performing private sector. In a recent called 'regional pay'. At its simplest, ment, Alastair Hatchett, Head of Pay & report titled An Analysis Of The Social regional pay means that in regions where HR Services at Incomes Data Services And Economic Impact Of Loss Of Jobs In pay is already low, it stays low. By the stated—"George Osborne's promise of Northern Ireland, commissioned on behalf Chancellor's logic, we should already be a greater regional pay differentiation for of the Department of the Environment, it magnet for inward investment, given our public sector employees is based on some notes amongst other things: low wages. But we aren't for the reasons common myths about the way national * "Growth in output and jobs has tended given, and the economy is stagnating and local pay levels are determined". to be in relatively low value added areas, across the UK. Freezing and cutting public In his article on 17th January 2012 in which has resulted in average wages sector pay in this region will simply add to Public Finance, Alastair Hatchett remaining significantly below the UK; the fall in demand and further hinder explained — * The economy has historically been growth. The economy would be put into "Myth number one was asserted in the under-represented in higher value added a tail-spin. Chancellor's 2011 Autumn Statement sectors such as finance and business But then perhaps the threat of regional which said: 'While private sector pay is services; pay isn't actually a serious proposition? 15 My view is that the Chancellor must know state from its responsibilities to the most in public expenditure that we would have that regional pay isn't a magic bullet, far vulnerable" (quoted from his forthcoming to endure to fund it. from it. He must also know that it can book Faith In The Public Square). If however the Chancellor is indeed distort local economies and cause vulner- The further misdirection in the call to serious about this proposition, then the abilities to equal pay claims that can lead reduce Corporation Tax here will have to Union movement must rise up and engage to public bodies being mired in tribunals be dealt with separately, but again demon- him in the mother of all battles. and court cases. strates an economic illiteracy that would Michael Robinson finish off our local economy with the cuts 11 July 2012 REGIONAL PAY AND EQUAL PAY Alistair Hatchett identified as "myth number ten" on regional pay "that the public sector should start varying pay without regard to any other factors", An Irish Anti-Fascist Volunteer warning that: And Some Other Soldiers "Employers in the public sector have Part Two spent much of the past ten years trying to develop pay systems that would eradicate On September 17th last I travelled to Cronin never deserted any front to equal pay challenges. Paying people Ballinskelligs, Co. Kerry, to attend the which he had pledged allegiance. His anti- doing 'like work' at different rates of pay memorial Mass and burial among his fascist principles, no less than his anti- 'for no good reason' would re-open the people of the ashes of the late Seán Cronin. Imperialist ones, saw him commit to the gates to equal pay challenges and any Wikipedia provides the following bio- defence of de Valera's policy of wartime number of challenges about unfair treatment. Even zonal pay systems can graphical summary: neutrality by enlisting as an officer in this provoke arguments about unfairness over "Seán Cronin (1920–9 March 2011) State's Defence Forces, and it was his where the lines are drawn." was a journalist and former Irish Army fellow wartime Army officer, Douglas officer and twice Gageby—first as Evening Press editor That has certainly been the case in chief of staff. Cronin was born in Dublin and subsequently as Irish Times Editor— Northern Ireland where the NI Civil in 1920 but spent his childhood years in who would twice secure Cronin's employ- Service has had to pay out millions in Ballinskelligs, in the County Kerry Gael- ment as a journalist, on either side of the equal pay settlements for clerical staff in tacht. During the Second World War, Cronin was an officer in the Southern waging by Cronin of a different war and recent years, with some equal pay claims his imprisonment as a consequence. still pending. Command. He later emigrated to New York, where he found work as a journalist. Cronin's role as IRA Chief of Staff, In America, he became involved with with its supposed corresponding office of REGIONAL PAY—MISDIRECTION? and later joined the Irish President of the imaginary Republic that Unless he is a complete fool (which I Republican Army. In 1955 he returned had been perpetuated by the remnants of don't rule out), the Chancellor is most from the United States and began work as the Second Dáil, sits uneasily with his role likely using regional pay as a propaganda a subeditor in the Evening Press. He was in the wartime defence of the de facto tool. The Coalition Government's narra- soon put in charge of training in the IRA. Republic established by de Valera in real tive is based on the assertion that it was He outlined his ideas in a booklet, Notes life. Moreover, in his role as a historian, "profligate" spending by New Labour on Guerrilla Warfare. He became the chief strategist for 'Operation Harvest', his otherwise unsurpassed and unsurpass- during its tenure that caused the "unpreced- the IRA Border campaign which saw the able biography of Frank Ryan only finds ented government deficit", that regional carrying out a range of military operations itself in an awkward spot with his uncon- pay is a matter of "fairness" and will from direct attacks on security instal- vincing attempts to square the circle by correct the apparent greed of public lations to disruptive actions against assigning legitimacy at one and the same servants in the regions who are taking infrastructure. He was arrested and time to both de Valera and the IRA that the from the taxpayer more in pay than they imprisoned several times over the course same Dev had no alternative but to ruth- are due. In short "we are all in this of this campaign (1956–1962). On two occasions, from 1957 to 1958 and then lessly suppress. Yet Cronin was a man of together" and regional pay is but one 1959 to 1960, Cronin was IRA chief of such transparent integrity that people of measure to ensure we all contribute to the staff. He also served as editor of the Sinn diverse political standpoints held him in recovery. Féin United Irishman/An tÉireannach the highest regard. I can think of no other Essentially the Chancellor's announce- Aontaithe newspaper. Jailed for his Republican whose death could have ment is most likely part of an ongoing activities, he left the IRA in 1962 after his evoked such equally fulsome tributes from strategy of misdirection from the real release from prison. He later became a mutually bitter political opponents as causes of the current recession. It provides journalist for the Irish Times, becoming that paper's first Washington DC corres- Micheál Mac Donncha of Sinn Féin, Seán an opportunity to keep pressure off the pondent. He was the author of a dozen Garland of the Workers' Party and Ruairí banking sector and the City of London, books and pamphlets, including a biog- Ó Brádaigh of Republican Sinn Féin—the which now spend millions of pounds raphy of republican Frank Ryan, Wash- latter two having been key participants annually in lobbying the governing parties ington's Irish Policy 1916-1986: Indepen- themselves in the Border campaign, in a campaign to avoid any meaningful dence, Partition, Neutrality, an authorita- although it was Ó Brádaigh who was regulation of banking. tive account of Irish-US relations; Our chosen for Cronin's funeral oration. This misdirection provides political Own Red Blood about the 1916 ; and a number of works on guerrilla cover for the austerity cuts and the rolling At the George Brown commemoration strategy, including an early Sinn Féin in Kilkenny in June 2011, I paid my own back of the State. A misdirection that the pamphlet Resistance under the pseudo- Archbishop of Canterbury has referred to nym of J. McGarrity. After several years tribute to Seán in my capacity as Ireland in his comments on "the Big Society" ideal of illness, Cronin died in Washington on Secretary of the International Brigades as—"aspirational waffle designed to con- 9 March 2011. He is survived by his Memorial Trust. But, two years prior to ceal a deeply damaging withdrawal of the second wife, Reva Rubenstein Cronin." his death, I had already saluted him in the 16 February 2009 Irish Political Review with was an amiable conversation, for we had socialist republicans than simply repub- an article entitled The ex-IRA Chief Of no shared political history to generate any licans. This diverse group included a Staff, The Free State General And Irish mutual antagonisms. We missed out on Spanish Civil War veteran, Jim O' Regan, who had also been involved in the IRA Defence Policy. that by a year, when I had been on the bombing campaign in England after his I first became friends with Seán Cronin other side of the Atlantic. I have since return from Spain. He was arrested and during the 1970s, notwithstanding funda- learned that the website www.irishlabour. served about eight years in English prisons mental political differences arising from com contains an August 2005 memoir by during and after World War Two… Then my 1971-82 membership of the B&ICO Jim Lane entitled Miscellaneous Notes on there was Gerry Higgins, who had been a and my espousal of its Two Nations ana- Republicanism and Socialism in Cork City member of the Cork Socialist Party (CSP) lysis of the national conflict in Ireland. (I 1954-69. In other words, it stops short of in the 1940s. He had also been a member of the Branch of the Irish remain a Two Nations unity-by-consent saying where Lane had been politically Labour Party. The CSP had been led by Republican in the Father Michael O' during 1970. I should, however, state Michael O' Riordan, another Spanish Flanagan tradition which, of course, is where I myself stood in relation to veteran, who was also a former why I regard with total disdain Jeff Dud- politics in that same year. In the Summer IRA member and former Curragh Camp geon's charges in the March 2012 Irish of 1970 I was active in the Boston cam- internee… Michael 'Screwback' O'Rior- Political Review regarding "Manus's own paigns of the Friends of Irish Freedom. dan never forgot to pay attention to his prejudices regarding Ulster Presbyter- The highlight of our activities was an anti- native city. Regularly, down through the years, he visited the city and, on every ians", and that I am "religiously prejudiced" British, anti-Partitionist rally we held on occasion, an invitation-type meeting —in other words, a charge that I am a Boston Common, and at which I myself would be arranged in a hotel room where sectarian bigot). But the criticism of spoke. But it was our guest speaker who old comrades and potential recruits for Cronin's 1956-62 Border campaign arises generated the most excitement—an Ulster either the IWL/IWP or CPI would meet not only from its disregard for the position Protestant member of People's Democracy up with him… At most of the meetings, of the Ulster Unionist majority. The then who proved to be as anti-British and as attended by Jim O'Regan and Gerry IRA's concept of liberation from the South anti-Partitionist as the rest of us—Jeff Higgins in the early days, O'Riordan used to try to get Jim O'Regan to dump on the also disregarded the realities of the position Dudgeon. Republican Movement and join 'the party'. in which the Ulster Nationalist minority As that year unfolded, however, I myself At that time, Jim was Adjutant of the 1st was placed. Indeed that IRA perspective was being rapidly forced to put my thinking Cork Brigade IRA and had fundamental had already been challenged by Saor cap on, as the late Pat Murphy bombarded differences with O'Riordan's party on Uladh, whose East Tyrone leader, Liam me with Irish Communist Organisation their approach to the national question. Kelly, held that it was primarily Northern- literature and its developing analysis of Gerry Higgins believed they did not have ers who would have to undertake their the national conflict in Ireland. By the end any policy on the national question, they just wished it would go away in the own liberation, and whose Border cam- of 1970 I had become a convinced Two goodness of time… The IRA campaign paign commenced a year prior to that of Nationist, a stance from which I have started in the Six Counties on 12 Decem- the IRA itself. never since departed. I suppose it was not ber 1956. Interestingly, it received support My own last meeting with Seán Cronin too long afterwards that Jeff Dudgeon in Trud, organ of the trade union in 2007 was at once both poignant and also ceased to be an all-Ireland Nationalist. movement in the USSR, but was con- revealing. He had been invited back from I should, however, in all fairness acknow- demned by the Irish communist parties. Washington by veterans of the Border ledge that in Jeff's Boston Common Our left-wing circle was very disappoint- ed with that development, old comrades campaign to mark its 50th anniversary. I speech, as was also the case with my own, of Mick O'Riordan's particularly so. visited him the morning after that event. there were no derogatory references "The IRA campaign continued, but While he could still talk about the past, whatsoever to Ulster Presbyterians, and those Cork volunteers who had evaded advanced Alzheimer's disease meant that therefore no sin of Anglican arrogance on capture were called home… We soon he had no short-term memory whatsoever. his part that might subsequently have learned that this was the view of the Cork I asked him how it had gone the night suggested a need for over-compensation. No.1 Brigade IRA, and that that they before. "I can't remember a single thing much regretted that they had ever supported the launching of the northern about it!" he replied. But self-awareness Following my return to Ireland in Feb- campaign in the first place… During and reflection had obviously been ruary 1971 I joined the ICO—too late, however, to have had any shared exper- September 1958 we approached members undertaken before the onset of his illness. of the Cork IRA staff and told them we His wife Reva tried to remind him that on ience with Jim Lane's own in-and-out were aware that GHQ were looking for his departure at the end of that commemor- membership of the ICO between February volunteers, particularly those with some ative evening the IRA veterans had lined 1970 and January 1971. Nonetheless, I do previous active service experience and up to give him a standing ovation. "Why?" have some observations to make on the that we were ready to go at short notice. Our request was immediately denied— he asked. "Because of your leadership of following excerpts from Lane's memoir, we then told them we were going to the campaign." "Yes, the failed campaign!" both in respect of what it obscures in respect of the politics of Kevin Neville, as resign, which we did the following was Seán's own self-judgemental response. evening at the home of Jim O'Regan, the well as my own, admittedly childhood, brigade adjutant, where we handed in our Republican veterans, currently holding memories of political gatherings in Cork resignations. We then set about collecting diverse political positions, some of whom during the early 1960s, which do anything arms and ammunition with the intention are personal friends of mine, were also but corroborate the picture painted by of going to the Six Counties and assisting present at September's Ballinskelligs Lane of the strictly de-limited time frame the campaign. (pp 1-6)." ceremony. It was there that I had my first concerning which he chose to write as "At the relatively young age of 43, our and only conversation with Jim Lane, follows: comrade Kevin Neville died on 16 June who had taken part in the Border campaign, "From a very early stage, I associated 1964. Kevin had joined Saor Uladh in the initially as an IRA volunteer but sub- with a small circle of people within the early 1950s and was among the small sequently as a Republican dissident. It movement who saw themselves more as group from that organisation who attacked 17 Roslea RUC barracks in County Ferman- both welcomed, while recognising that all Branch of the Labour Party and/or agh on 26 November 1955. A fellow Saor such oral history witness statements not subsequently the Cork Socialist Party Uladh volunteer, Connie Green, lost his only have to be cross-checked against {incl. my aunt Máire Sheehan and Kevin's life in that incident. As a young man, brother Dan Neville—MO'R}." each other, but should also meet other Kevin had joined the IRA in Cork and was interned during the early 1940s. Gerry tests of historical authenticity. It was only Other than my own introduction of him Higgins told me that, following the after the launch that we each read the book in Part One of this article in the May issue invasion of the Soviet Union in June in greater detail, if not yet in full. A of Irish Political Review, Lane and Kell- 1941, Kevin Neville heeded the advice of particularly grotesque and lurid allegation eher are the only others I know of who leading socialist figures and sought and by Savage—concerning the role suppos- have written anything of Kevin Neville's received parole from the Curragh Camp, edly earmarked for Cork IRA officer Jobie RAF service. It is evident from his memoir going on to join the RAF. The advice Sullivan during what ended up as an abort- that Jim Lane never had a single convers- given at the time was that all able bodied socialists should join the armies of the ed attempt to rescue Tomás Óg Mac ation with Neville himself about it. The Allied forces in the fight against fascism Curtain from the Cork Courthouse where hearsay source he gives, Gerry Higgins, and in defence of the Soviet Union. Later, he was on trial for his life—grabbed my had not been a contemporary internee, when back in Cork, he found there was attention. "Is that true?" I asked my father, and had no direct experience of the discus- no welcome for him in the ranks of the knowing that he had been the IRA officer sions that might have preceded Neville's IRA and so he eventually joined Saor in charge of that operation. "No!" my enlistment. But nothing could be more of Uladh… In Cork, we formed a committee father snapped, "It is not! Savage wasn't a caricature than Kelleher's account. It to erect a headstone over the grave of Kevin Neville at Inniscarra, . even there!" Savage, of course, maintained was already evident from the one mention The Kevin Neville Commemorative to MacEoin that—as some sort of "scout" of Kevin Neville in the MacEoin volume Committee met at Dún Laoi, North Mall, —he had indeed been there: "I was on the (p644) that Kelleher held a grudge against to do its work over the winter, but run at this time and my part in the Court- Neville from their IRA days when the suspended its meetings a few months house action was solely as an observer latter felt obliged, for internal discipline before the unveiling, as its work was near beforehand and a look-out afterwards" reasons, to report Kelleher to a superior done. When the chairperson, Maura (p813). Was this a case of 'history' officer, Jack Lynch. (No, not the former Sheehan, reconvened a meeting, to our surprise she announced that the oration repeating itself as farce? Remember the Taoiseach! This Jack Lynch (1907-1990) on the day of the unveiling would be "Kilmichael scouts", of two decades was the veteran Republican father of the given by Michael O'Riordan of the Irish previously, whom Peter Hart claimed to late Conor Lynch.) Perhaps it was such a Workers' Party. Jim Savage and Maura have interviewed! grudge that fuelled the following venom- Sheehan, both members of the IWP, The straw that finally broke the camel's ous reference in Kelleher's own volume: brazenly attempted to defend their action back with my father came when another of arbitrarily deciding to invite him to "The Curragh Connolly Study Group's account by Savage, slandering my father speak. The socialist republican element overview was sufficiently compelling that challenged this departure from basic (and, by implication, my mother—which it was felt that Ireland should not be democracy and won over the middle is what finally made my father explode), neutral and two of the released internees, ground to successfully win a vote to stop was put into print in the bizarre 500-page Kevin Neville of Cork and Jim Kerr of the O'Riordan oration" (pp10-11). memoir by Kelleher entitled Buried Wexford, had joined the RAF to take part in the War against Fascism. In hindsight Alive In Ireland. (The same book has the this latter action was quite acceptable but Jim Lane's account is misleading about 'persecuted' Kelleher represented on the it was highly dangerous to be viewed as, Kevin Neville on three fronts: (1) The front cover by the face of the crucified, effectively, provoking a German and/or political character, context and timing of thorn-crowned Christ!) My father finally British invasion by an overt stand against his decision, as a Republican internee, to wrote to Kelleher on 10th July 2001, neutrality. Luckily such an overt stand "sign out" and enlist in the RAF; (2) threatening libel proceedings unless there was not pursued and de Valera received Neville's recognition of this Republic as a was an immediate retraction, only for no opposition, except from the Fine Gael member of the Irish Workers' League/ deputy James Dillon, in holding the moral Kelleher to die within weeks—on July high ground of neutrality. After the Battle Party; (3) His even more explicit and 28th to be precise. That, then, was that, so of Stalingrad the erroneous position of emphatic recognition of this Republic as a far as Savage's slander was concerned. So the Cork Socialist Party in this regard member of Saor Uladh. There is, however, it is to other issues in that book that I now was redundant." (p293). one character assessment in Lane's memoir turn. with which I would concur, that concerning The book was ostensibly dedicated to a My father's well-thumbed and scribbled Jim Savage, leading me to conclude that roll of honour, in which members of three copy has this section underlined and Savage and Lane probably brought out the Groups of veteran activists were named question-marked with utter incredulity, worst in each other in their mutual anta- and listed by Kelleher. but Kelleher was no longer alive to have it out with him. The Connolly Group's gonism. For years my maternal aunt, Máire "Group I: The Cork Republicans, Keohane Sheehan, and her husband Donie, subsequently the founders of the Cork support of the War against Fascism was had been attempting to impress upon my Socialist Party, who had been incarcerated also grounded on this Republic remaining father that Savage's duplicitous behaviour in the Free State 'Tintown' Internment neutral during that War, as detailed in my was bringing the Party into disrepute, but Camp of the Curragh, Co Kildare {incl. narrative of the Group's politics in my to no avail, until it proved to be far too late Kelleher himself, Savage, Kevin Neville, 2010 Irish Political Review series on John my uncle-in-law Donal Sheehan and my when my father finally wised up to Savage Betjeman, The Spy Who Grew Up With father—MO'R}; Group II: Those com- The Bold. This was a standpoint my father and snapped. rades associated with those of Group I in Tintown in the Connolly Study Group never once deviated from, and is best It was in 1997 that my father launched {incl. Neil Goold, Johnny Power, Jim summed up in the statement in his book Uinseann MacEoin's 1,000 page volume Kerr and Liam Dowling—MO'R}; Group Connolly Column (1979): of memoirs, The IRA In The Twilight III: Those others associated with Group I "Ireland (apart from Northern Ireland Years 1923-1948. This was a book we in the formation of the Liam Mellows which was part of the United Kingdom) 18 was neutral in the World War, because "O'Riordan departed from Spain with Few Republicans took this drastic step as involvement with either side would have shrapnel in his shoulder—a souvenir from it entailed an implicit recognition of the created an Irish civil war situation in the Battle of the Ebro—and in December legitimacy of the Irish state. (My emph- itself. Both the British and the US exer- 1938 he arrived in Dublin… As O'Riordan asis. It was this issue, and not any spurious cised considerable pressure on the Dublin settled back into life in Cork … the 21- and groundless narrative of a supposed Government to allow the use of Irish year-old had to make some crucial life- 'policy' of British army enlistment, that ports … In that period Frank Ryan was altering decisions. He refused an offer in fact put the Connolly Group at odds clearly conversant with the situation in from the Irish army of an officer's com- with other Republican internees— his own country and the conditions that mission. (The Irish army was anxious to MO'R). To propose signing out and join- made the Irish Government's policy of attract into its ranks combatants like ing the 'old enemy' bordered on the neutrality both inevitable and generally O'Riordan, with recently acquired skills downright dangerous… Regarding the acceptable. Despite his political criticism and experience gained under combat communist group, Tony McInerney of de Valera, he was more than capable of conditions.) His decision was to resume 'resented them forming a cell… I thought taking a positive position on this aspect active IRA membership, but this time he it was disloyal… They worked hard to of neutrality" (p154). did so 'on the Party's Instruction', as persuade IRA men to join the British recorded in his letter of April 1939 to Bill army.' ... Many also questioned why By way of contrast, it was none other Gandall… On 22 February 1940 O' Goold and O'Riordan did not follow their than Kelleher, as a Stickie or Official Sinn Riordan was arrested under the Offences own advice. Some may have had difficulty Féin leader in the 1970s, who continued to Against the State Act (1939) … and sent in accepting that for Goold his duty now celebrate those in the IRA who had allied for detention without trial to the Curragh was to continue his mentoring work with themselves with Nazi Germany! Internment Camp… Departure from the the Connolly Group; and for O'Riordan, camp came for O'Riordan in August 1943. having done his soldiering against fascism {Jim Lane put it as follows in a 2009 in Spain, his emphasis now was on deve- Yet friendly accounts can also be mis- audio interview on the same website as loping his own theoretical and leadership leading. This, unfortunately, is the case reproduces his 2005 memoir: 'Mick ability and preparing himself for the with The Making of an Irish Communist Riordan, too, was inside in the Curragh political battles ahead. Indeed from Pierce Leader: The Life and Times of Michael for a while.' If 'a week is a long time in Fennell's account we get a glimpse of O'Riordan 1938-1947 by Michael Quinn, politics'—as British Labour Prime O'Riordan's thinking at this difficult and which was published by the Communist Minister Harold Wilson once put it— frustrating time: 'and O'Riordan to my Party of Ireland and launched in July well, then, 'a while' must constitute an mind was just as dictatorial in his leftist entire political era!—MO'R} … Ironic- attitude as Seamus O'Donovan was in his 2011. I generally welcomed its publication ally, one of the camp guards, Lieutenant right wing attitude.' {My emphasis— and had been of assistance to the author Terry Flanagan, had been in the Connolly MO'R} … Nevertheless the policy bore with photographs and documentary mater- Column and fought in Spain. He had some fruit, and at least six men left the ial. I particularly welcomed the fact that done what O'Riordan refused to do in camp to join the fight against fascism in Michael Quinn had acceded to my request taking up an Irish army commission" the ranks of the British army (according that his narrative should not regurgitate (pp5-6, 22 and 10-13). to McInerney)… Mattie O'Neill's Savage's lies about Jobie Sullivan, and "O'Riordan became the secretary of summation of the attitude of the majority the Connolly Group … The Connolly in the camp towards the Connolly Group that on no account should he refer to the Group was formed around Neil Goold- is telling… 'When numbers of them signed Curragh Internment Camp as a "concen- Verschoyle (as chairman), with Michael out and went to join the RAF … they were tration camp", a Sinn Féin / IRA piece of O'Riordan as secretary and the former not loyal to Republican tradition and the self-indulgence that used to make my International Brigaders Johnny Power true standpoint of an IRA man'" (pp13, father apoplectic. I also appreciated the and Paddy Smith. Together with those 17-19 and 23). internees who had come to regard them- fact that his reproduction in full of a 1939 The author's narrative, if true, was trying letter from my father acknowledged that it selves as communists or socialists, the group grew in number to more than sixty. far too hard to be kind to my father's had received its first publication in the {My emphasis—MO'R}… The group reputation. His soldiering days were over July 2007 issue of Irish Political Review, issued a handwritten paper for a short at 25! If, after refusing to serve in the Irish and that in quoting from C..D. Greaves's while, called Splannc (Spark)—reflecting Army, he had indeed gone on to try and account of the latter's 1939 meeting with the name of Lenin's paper Iskra— persuade young Irishmen to join the British my father, he also credited the November compiled by O'Riordan… No copy is Army while declining to do so himself, he 2010 issue of Irish Political Review with known to have survived. {But a copy would hardly have been worthy of any its first publication. It is a pity, however, does survive, from which I quoted more respect than the butt of Peadar excerpts in the May 2010 issue of Irish that the author did not take account of my Kearney's satirical song, the recruiting Political Review—MO'R.} After Nazi officer Sergeant William Bailey, who had own articles on the Curragh, which I had Germany launched 'Operation Barba- at least joined that same British Army. But sent him, including actual quotes from An rossa' against the Soviet Union in June such a narrative was fundamentally mis- Splannc and the following clarification 1941 the group formulated a policy of taken and misleading. Michael Quinn erred published in the May 2010 issue of Irish encouraging internees to sign out and in not taking account of my dating of the Political Review: enlist in the British army to help in the offer to my father of a commission in the Allied cause. With the news of the German "In January 1940 one Fianna Fáil Irish Army as having been made as late as army's early success in advancing to the January 1940. Both my father and I, source had in fact approached my father gates of Leningrad and Moscow, and, however, were ourselves responsible for with the offer of a commission in the Irish mindful of fascism's victory in Spain, it Army, while at the same time another seems that Goold and O'Riordan's policy Quinn's further misunderstanding of that Government decision, signed by Seán T was the only immediate contribution they particular issue. In September 2001 Ciarán O'Kelly, was being taken to arrest and could make in support of the Soviets' Crossey of the "Ireland and the Spanish intern him!" perilous position. This proved to be very Civil War" website http://irelandscw.com interviewed my father, and it was during Had he taken note of that date, the controversial within the camp. Under government policy … any internee could the course of that interview that it was first following narrative from Michael Quinn sign out at any time, provided they gave stated that "even O'Riordan himself was would not have started out on the wrong a written undertaking to respect the state's offered a commission". But while the first foot: constitution and to cease all IRA activity. part of the sentence which next followed 19 did indeed come from my father, the them. Indeed, in 1971 Mattie became a propaganda on Berlin radio and who would second part was solely the conjecture of personal friend of my own, as well as become Mattie's lifelong friend thereafter. the interviewer himself: "This post was being my fellow-worker, when I took up As an appreciation in the Irish Times on offered by a senior member of Fianna employment in the ITGWU—where 18th August 1992 recorded, following Fáil, and was obviously refused…" (See Mattie himself had become an official O'Neill's death: "It was fitting that another Connolly Column, 2nd edition, 2005, after leaving the buses. Mattie next went writer and friend, Francis Stuart, spoke p229.) When I was preparing that second on to become the founding Secretary of edition of my father's book for publication, the Irish Labour History Society. It was and recited at Mattie's funeral." with updated appendices, I asked him with Mattie that my father had an amusing As already observed, O'Neill cannot be why he had turned down such an offer. "I slip of the tongue when announcing my regarded as a reliable witness concerning didn't!" was his reply. He had been quite birth to him in 1949: "That's my concept of the deliberations of the Connolly Group in prepared to consider it as an option, but immorality—I mean—immortality!" the Curragh Internment Camp, even had not been given the time to do so before But personable as Mattie was, his though he harboured no personal animosity being interned within weeks. Yet he stub- Second World War stance had indeed towards my father. It was in fact another bornly forbade me to correct or amend the been the polar opposite of my father's. As MacEoin interviewee—the one who was Crossey text—lest it be read as a put- O'Neill related to MacEoin, he had been a to display the greatest personal animosity down of a friendly interviewer—and I key man in Jim O'Donovan's circle: towards my father, and who was himself unwisely complied. For the lesson now to an actual member of the Connolly Group, be learned is that if you don't correct the "As a result of learning wireless tele- graphy … I was seen as an expert, so inaccuracies of friends, they will be but on the opposite side to my father in the when a hitch developed in the I.R.A. real controversy that did take place within compounded by the distorted accounts of transmitter in Jim O'Donovan's house, I political opponents. that Group—who should be regarded as found myself called upon one day in the only credible witness in that respect. I 1940 to go out and inspect it. Jim Notwithstanding the assertions of Jim O'Donovan, then a fairly high official am speaking of Pierce Fennell. If one Lane, Derry Kelleher and Michael Quinn, with the Electricity Supply Board, had wants the best overview of Curragh Camp there is not a shred of evidence to support been Director of Chemicals in the Tan politics and the factions that formed as a the contention that the Connolly Group War, and had been drawn back into our result, it is to Fennell's interview that the was recruiting for the British armed forces. struggle by Sean Russell, his old friend, reader should turn. Fennell's account of and former Director of Munitions… Those who did enlist did so on their own how the newly-arrived internee George O'Donovan took me upstairs to test his Fluke had been addressed by the Camp individual initiative, rather than as a result transmitter, which I believe was for of any political direction. If there had been keeping in contact with Germany… Why Commandant James Guiney provides a any recruitment campaign, it would have should we not maintain contact with the marvellous snapshot: to be judged an abysmal failure. Quinn Germans? O'Donovan switched on the "What part of this open university attributes the figure of "at least six men" to transmitter and I took over." (p722). would you like to go into? I will put it in Tony McInerney, but what the latter perspective for you. You can go and join Mr. Leddy who is totally Republican; actually said was "Six may have done but MacEoin himself wrote of him: "O'Donovan, the former Director of Republican flag and Republican to the that would be all" (MacEoin, p679). I can backbone. If you don't like his side of the name Paddy Smith, Kevin Neville, Jim Chemicals, was rediscovered by his 'bro- ther' Director of Munitions, Sean Russell, Camp, you can go and join Pearse Kelly Kerr and Liam Dowling. Can anybody at and entrusted with his project of a guerrilla who is a little more liberal with his all name another two? Even if there had and bomb attack upon the heart of the northern Republicanism; there is more been a total of six, it would have been a Empire, England. His S. Plan was give and take and he is not as dogmatic. pathetic "recruiting" tally out of the more accepted by Russell without question, Then if you don't like that you can go and join Mr. O'Donovan's group; the ones than sixty strong "band of brothers" of and his directives on the manufacture of balloon incendiaries using sugar, sulph- who believe in Hitler all the way through. both military age and IRA military If you are still not satisfied, you can join experience that comprised the Connolly uric acid and magnesium, with potassium chlorate and paraffin wax, carried out to Mr. Goold, who marches under the Group! the letter… In January 1939, the German banner, workers of the world unite. Now But where is there the slightest evidence Abwehr sent an agent Oskar Pfaus to move yourself Fluke, you are holding us of any such recruiting? McInerney was Dublin… Resulting from this meeting up" (p573). not a witness to any of the Connolly Group with Pfaus, O'Donovan departed Fennell joined the Connolly Group debates. And O'Neill had no exchanges immediately for Hamburg. He had an which, with reasonable accuracy, he des- admiration for what some conceive to be whatsoever with my father at any point cribed as a de facto communist group. He during their years of internment in the German efficiency and he spoke some German. In April he returned again to proceeded to provide the following pen- same camp! Hamburg… He was called back again to portraits: "I did not get to know Mick O'Riordan Hamburg on August 23… Readers of "I went into a discussion with them in the Curragh because we were apart, this work will trip across substantial {the communist group} and I talked about but when I did get to know him … as he references to Jim O'Donovan, particularly Connolly and his association with told me himself, he had not much time for in accounts from Mattie O'Neill and Bob {inspiration from?—MO'R} the First the I.R.A. as such; to him it was just Bradshaw, relating to his activities up to International… O'Riordan to my mind another vehicle" (p728). the time of his arrest in September 1941 was just as dictatorial in his leftist attitude There was indeed outright political host- and internment in the Curragh… In the as Seamus O'Donovan was in his right- increasing flow of releases Jim was let go ility, but no personal rancour whatsoever, wing attitude. You can be a dedicated early in 1944 and was quickly restored to communist, which Goold was; and he in O'Neill's account of those war years. his position in the E.S.B." (pp880-1). was far more dedicated than anybody. My father and O'Neill himself would both Like O'Donovan himself, his protégé But you could talk to Goold and he would work together as bus conductors during talk with you; there was give and take the two decades that followed their release Mattie O'Neill had hoped and worked for with him, but not with Mick. Mick was from the Camp, and I personally observed a German victory in that War, as had dogmatic, and if you did not agree with nothing but cordial encounters between Francis Stuart, who was to broadcast Nazi him you were on the wrong side of the 20 coin. If you did not agree with the total State. It is indeed a great pity that Michael become British-based in the meantime. In communist philosophy you were a fascist, Quinn did not read Fennell with greater Connolly Column my father listed some whether you were or not. Calling the care, for—having so uncritically accepted of them as follows: opponents fascist was just a slogan the McInerney and O'Neill 'revelations' at amongst them… Among the communists "In the Second World War, five of Paddy Smith was a very nice self-effacing face value—he erroneously inserted Fen- them fought against Hitler: Paddy O'Daire fellow: ex-International Brigade, as was nell as a filler in that sandwich. In a who by sheer military competence broke Johnny Power of . Johnny was sentence immediately following his quot- through to become a Major in the British wounded, Smith had a dirty bayonet mark ation from McInerney—as if it were the Army; Alec Digges who lost a leg in the across his face… The International lads fighting in Holland, and who became case that Fennell was confirming Mc later a prominent activist in Britain in the were a very nice group and I got on very Inerney—Quinn wrote: well with them. Neil Goold Verschoyle solidarity movement with the anti-Franco was their outstanding theorist… About "Regarding the communist group, Mc forces; Paddy Roe McLaughlin, of 1933 he emigrated to the Soviet Union… Inerney (said) … 'they worked hard to Donegal, who was also in the British Some five years later he slipped home persuade IRA men to join the British forces and Jim Prendergast, of Dublin, again. I used return to the hut and take Army'. Even men such as Pierce Fennell, who served as a rear-gunner in the R.A.F.; down and re-read all the notes he had who were members of the group, Michael Lehane, Kilgarvan, County lectured us upon. … All of his lectures disagreed" (p19). Kerry, who, unable to bring himself to were based on the communist ideology… wear a British uniform, but recognising Not so! For there had been no such the vital need for the defeat of Hitler in Then the discussions would start at the project to disagree with! The next sentence fire at night time when we would be World War II, instead joined the Nor- sitting around it… I used to argue like in the Quinn narrative, a quotation from wegian Merchant Navy. His contribution hell at the fire, for and against. In each hut Fennell on "signing out", makes it abund- was the important one of war there were one or two of the communists, antly clear that it was this issue that was transportation and supply. He was killed so the propaganda, if you like to call it the basis for disagreement. Fennell could at sea when his ship was attacked in 1943. Mick Lehane had a distinguished that, or the ideology, was spreading and not stomach recognising this State, its the groups were getting bigger and bigger. record in Spain, being wounded several army and constitution, as is made un- times, the last occasion being at the battle One night … I was trying to elaborate on ambiguously clear when we more fully the communist side of things, and down of the Ebro" (pp 139-140. What he did at the other end were the Kerry group read his testimony to MacEoin: not add is that on this last occasion on the controlled by John Joe Sheehy {who was "The question of signing out came up Ebro Front it was my father who had also a G.A.A. mega legend to boot— in the communist section … because carried the wounded Lehane to safety, MO'R}. John Joe, who was a very upright they reckoned that our interest now lay before being wounded himself. See http:/ man, got up and headed down to our fire behind victory for the Soviet Union, and /irelandscw.com/ibvol-Lehane.htm for place and he had about 15 of the Kerry we could do better outside than inside. my own detailed account of Michael lads with him, and he said: 'Pierce you The problem as far as I could see was that Lehane.) have gone far enough. I do not want to we went in on a principle of freeing our hear any more communism in this hut.' I own country and while I could go along Of the three International Brigade said: 'I am not talking communism; I am with their theories, I could not as regards internees he wrote: talking Connollyism and if you object to signing out. So that was one of the points "Johnny Power, Paddy Smith and James Connolly, it's time we all left the where I disagreed with them and stuck to Michael O'Riordan, spent the years of bloody hut.' One word borrowed another my own guns; I would refuse to sign. World War II in the Curragh Internment and I switched subjects so that instead of Goold and O'Riordan were the principal Camp. There their political task was to quoting Lenin or Stalin, I started to quote advocates for signing out… I was told in explain to the other prisoners of the Irish Connolly and to challenge John Joe upon 1944 that I was being released. That is the Republican Movement the anti-national it. So instead of a fist fight he withdrew way it was. You would be told without character of Fascism and the relationship with his group to his own end, and that warning in the morning and given a train between the Anti-Hitler War and the cause finished the discussion for that night… I voucher. {Fennell went home to Carri- of Irish national liberation" (p139). would select a government and Dáil from gaholt, Co. Clare—MO'R}… I found I the people in the Curragh, but I would was taboo even in Carrigaholt. The so- While emphasising that there was no have to look at them in a different light. called republicans, with the fighting policy of British Army recruiting, I am not A good government to me would have to ability from 1922, had now joined forces at all suggesting that my father—notwith- be a socialist government on the lines of with the Free State Army and they were standing his admiration for the Kerry all in the L.D.F. {de Valera's Local James Connolly, and there was not enough ingenuity of the solution that Mick Lehane of them in the Curragh. There was really Defence Forces—MO'R}" (pp 573, 576). had found for his Irish Republican dilemma only one outstanding person of that sort and that was Neil Goold" (pp573, 575-6 "Better out than inside" referred to —had any disagreement with individuals and 580). anti-fascist political agitation. When my volunteering to serve in the British forces father signed out in 1943, the majority of in the wake of the Nazi invasion of the Yet Fennell was to have a sharp ideo- such Cork-based Connolly Group ex- Soviet Union. In fact, on one occasion in logical and political break with the com- internees established the Liam Mellows the early 1990s I did ask him why he had munist Connolly Group itself. But it had Branch of the Irish Labour Party in order not considered so volunteering himself. nothing to do with British Army enlist- to pursue such an agenda. Only one of He answered that he had not ruled it out in ment. Had it been so, given the Fennell- those Corkmen, Kevin Neville, enlisted in principle, but he regarded it as impractical O'Riordan antagonism, you can be sure the British armed forces, as did three other in view of the British Army discrimination that the Fennell memoir would have Connolly Group ex-internees—Paddy against International Brigaders, whom shouted it from the roof tops. The bone of Smith, Jim Kerr and Liam Dowling. There they regarded as "premature anti-fascists". bitter contention was neither the Western were, of course, other Communist/Irish (Major Paddy O'Daire was an exception Front nor the Eastern Front, but this island Republican veterans who served in the that proved the rule, probably helped by itself, and the Connolly Group's recog- Second World War. But those of them the fact that it was in the Free State Army nition and defence of the sovereignty that who had previously served with the Inter- that he had served during the Irish Civil de Valera had secured for this 26 Counties national Brigades in Spain had already War, reaching the rank of sergeant, before 21 emigrating to Canada in 1929.) The efforts ment easier. But since my father's re- establishment {my emphasis—MO'R}; to volunteer made by the Jewish Dubliner engagement with the IRA in 1939, his they gave me short shrift and I was put on Maurice Levitas, who had not only gained profile had been anything but low. A year the next boat home" (pp 30-35). military experience as an International before his release he was already aware of If Jim Lane did not fully grasp the Brigader fighting on the Aragon front but the British experience of a Spanish War wartime politics of Kevin Neville, his had also spent a year as a prisoner in a veteran whose IRA involvement had ended memoir became thoroughly evasive when fascist concentration camp in Spain, were in 1934. Peter O'Connor was a Waterford it came to Neville's explicit endorsement, repeatedly rebuffed throughout the course International Brigade veteran of the as an officer of Saor Uladh, of de Valera's of 1941, and when he was finally admitted February 1937 battle of Jarama and the Republican Constitution. In contrast with in 1942 it was to the Royal Army Medical July 1937 battle of Brunete. In his 1996 the bold step Saor Uladh had taken, when Corps that he was consigned. memoir A Soldier Of Liberty—Recollect- Official Sinn Féin in 1970 and Provisional If International Brigade internees O' ions of a Socialist and Anti-Fascist Fighter, Sinn Féin in 1986 each decided to take Riordan and Power decided there was no Peter related: their seats if successful in Dáil elections, point in even exploring the possibility of "When I arrived home in October 1937 their contempt for this actual Republic enlisting in the British Army, how come the war was still raging in Spain… was both maintained and sustained. If the Paddy Smith got through? Jim Savage Meanwhile my two brothers had joined constructive side of Saor Uladh had been related: the Labour Party and persuaded me to imbibed by either Sinn Féin Party, perhaps "The Connolly Group had already been join also, which I did in October 1938… we might not now have witnessed the formed by Neil Goold… We did not have As I was unemployed all this time I Paddy Smith of Dublin, although he had decided to emigrate again. Agents were pathetic roles played to date by both Éamon been with the Brigade in Spain and had a seeking workers for factories in England. Gilmore and Martin McGuinness in distinct bayonet mark on the head to In late May, 1942, I took the boat from respect of this year's controversy concern- prove it. For whatever reason, Paddy Dún Laoghaire. Disembarking at Holy- ing the Irish Army deserters who had became withdrawn and did not attend our head I was arrested by two special branch betrayed their oaths of allegiance to defend classes" (MacEoin, p819). men, searched and questioned at length this World War-threatened neutral State, about the IRA and my activities in Spain. in order to serve instead in the British In contrast, both my father and Pierce I told them I had left the IRA in 1934 and Fennell did place Smith in the Connolly as I was an anti-fascist and they were at Army. Group. If, however, Smith had opted to war with German fascism they need not (to be concluded) assume a very low political profile in the have any fear of me. Maybe I was too Manus O'Riordan Group, this would have made his enlist- much of an anti-fascist for the

Items From The Irish Bulletin, Part 13

VOLUME 2. No. 47. IRISH BULLETIN. 8th JULY 1920.

REFUSING TO HELP MILITARISM.

SIXTY-TWO BRITISH OFFICIALS IN IRELAND SURRENDER OFFICE IN TWO WEEKS.

On June 21st 1920 THE IRISH MAGISTRATES. Mr. J.P. Maguire, Ruskey. BULLETIN published a list of one hundred Dr. W.C. Lawlor, J.P., Newtownbarry, Mr. Keary, J.P., Woodford, Co. . and fifteen British officials who, in the Co. Wexford. Dr. P. Rowan, J.P., Tyrolspass. previous four weeks ending June 19th, Mr. W. Byrne, J.P., Dublin. Mr. M. Condon, J.P. Ballylanders, Co. had surrendered their office rather than Mr. E. Geelan, J.P., Mohill, Co. Leitrim. Limerick. continue to assist British militarism to Mr. Roche, J.P., Woodford, Co. Galway. Mr. W. O’Donnell, J.P. Ballyinaghty, Co. crush the demand of the Irish people for Mr. J. Maloney, J.P., Limerick. Kerry. independence. To-day an additional list Mr. D. McCarthy, J.P., Skibbereen, Co. Mr. B. O’Connor, J.P., Castleisland, Co. is given of magistrates, high police offi- Cork. Kerry. cials, police officers and men who have Mr. C. O’Brien, J.P., Killeagh, Co. Cork. Mr. D. Lynch, J.P. Tracton, Co. Cork. Mr. D. O’Brien, J.P., Castleconnell, Co. left the British service during the sixteen Mr. P. O’Ryan, Hollyford, Co. Tipperary Limerick. days from June 20th to July 6th. Sixty- Mr. W. Ahern, Tracton, Co. Cork. Mr. J.F. Barry, J.P., Limerick. two persons are named in this additional Mr. Page, Woodford, Co. Galway (J.P.) list including twenty-six magistrates; six POLICE OFFICIALS OF HIGH RANK. Mr. N. Whitty, J.P., Ballycanew, Co. County Inspector J.L. Holmes, O.B.E., important police officials and eleven head Wexford. constables and sergeants of long service. Headquarters. Staff R.I.C. 37 years. Mr. T.J. Lane, J.P., Little Island, Co. Cork. County Inspector W.H.R. Heard, Wick- As well it will be seen that the majority of Major Lawrence Roche, J.P., Bruree, Co. low, 35 years service. the police officers and men sacrificing Limerick. County Inspector J.R. Sharpe, Wexford, their pensions rather than continue to act Dr. F. Byrnes, J.P., Bruree, Co. Limerick. 35 years service. as the agents of an alien tyranny. The Mr. P. Murphy, J.P., T.C., Cork. District Inspector Irwin, Coleraine, Co. following list brings the number of Mr. A. Dingnan, Mullagh, Co. Cavan. Derry. resignations of British officials in Ireland Dr. K. Delaney, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. District Inspector W. Lewis, Fermoy, Co. to almost two hundred in six weeks. Leitrim. Cork, (retired). 22 District Inspector McEntee, Cavan, (retired). · Biteback · Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback· Biteback POLICE OFFICERS OF LONG SERVICE. From Sunday Independent 15th July Head Constable Connor, Carrick-on- Shannon, Co. Leitrim. 30 years service. Corry 'Terrorism' Claim Challenged Head Constable Denehy, Castlecoomer, I take exception to the article by Kevin Myers entitled 'On the Myths of Irish Co. Kilkenny. 40 years service. Terrorism' (Life magazine, Sunday Independent, July 8, 2012), which he says confirms Head Constable Long, Armagh (retired), allegations that Martin Corry, TD, during the War of Independence ran a ruthless killing 35 years service. machine in Cork and by Corry's own admission executed 27 enemy spies. That is totally Detective Segt. M. Keogh, D.M.P. untrue. (retired), 30 years service. I am the only person who sat down with Martin Corry to record his actions during the Sergt. Hurst, R.I.C, Cabinteely, Co. War of Independence as well as interviewing 25 members of his company. His only role Dublin, 36 years service. was as captain of the Knockraha company in east Cork, and he played no part in activities Sergt. Thornton, Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim in the city. These allegations about his activities in the city are totally false and I am at (retired), 30 years service. a loss why some historians make these allegations about Corry without any hard Sergt. Coburn, Portsteward, Co. Derry evidence. (retired, )30 years service. James Fitzgerald, Sergt. Bevine, R.I.C., Macroom, Co. Cork, Chairman of Knockraha Historical Society, 26 years service. Glanmire, Co. Cork Sergt. O’Gillen, R.I.C., Boyle, Co. Roscommon, 30 years service. From Sunday Times, 8th July 2012 Sergt. J. Carey, R.I.C., Bagnelstown, Co. The Mystery Of The Dunmanway Killings Carlow, 35 years service. Martin Mansergh says that I and other are “trying to suggest that there may be Sergt. J. Bourke, R.I.C., New Ross, extenuating archival evidence that explains the Bandon Valley massacre of 10 Protestants (retired) 27 years service. in April 1922” (Letters, 1st July). I made no reference to such a possibility. I said that POLICE CONSTABLES. no evidence exists. Martin Mansergh supplies none. If Republicans (split into three Constable M. Connaughton, R.I.C., factions by the ‘Treaty’) expressed 'deep shame' for the killings that would be evidence Limerick, 39 years service. and there would be no mystery. What Mansergh quotes is far from being an expression " J. Callaghan, R.I.C. Belfast, 20 " " of shame implying responsibility. There was a general denial of responsibility by all " J. Grant, D.M.P. Dublin, 15 " " nationalist bodies. Mansergh speculates that one of these Republican factions was " M. O’Halloran, R.I.C., Rhode Island, responsible, though he can't say which—a "known unknown" in Donald Rumsfeld's 14 " " language. But Republicans were not the only parties active in the situation! And the " W. Beirne, R.I.C. Carrick-on-Shannon., "onus of proof" cannot lie with those who merely point out that there is an entire lack of 12 " " evidence about the identity of the perpetrators. " Jones, R.I.C Bagnelstown, Co. Carlow, Jack Lane 9 " " " J.J. Keenan, R.I.C. Kilkenny,8 " " " M. Donoghoe, R.I.C. Kilkelly, Co. Mayo, Cork Employment Resource Centre, 1988 to 2012 71/2 " " " Cronin, R.I.C. Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare, "The first essential for the success of to do it in now" (John Douglas, Mandate 7 " " any party, or any movement, is that it General Secretary and Irish Congress of " J. Hurley, Dundrum, Co. Tip., 7 " " should believe it carries within its own Trade Unions Vice-President, LookLeft " Mullally, R.I.C. Depot, Dub., 7 " " bosom, all the material requisite to magazine-workers' Party, July, 2012). achieve its destiny. The moment any "W. O’Donnell, R.I.C. Cahir, The spectacle we witnessed in the week's Co. Tipperary, 7 " " organisation ceases to believe in the sufficiency, of its own powers, the moment prior to the May 31st Fiscal Treaty Referendum "M. Brophy, D.M.P. Dublin, 61/2" " its membership begin to put their trust in rightly summed up the loss of direction in the " Redington, D.M.P. Dublin, 6 " " powers not their own, in that moment Trade Union movement. The General Secretary of the Irish Congress "M. Glennon, R.I.C. Killorglin, Co. Kerry, that party or organisation enters on its 4 " " of Trade Unions wished to have the referendum decline" (James Connolly, 1908). postponed until September; Ireland's largest " J. Malley, R.I.C. Killorglin, Co. Kerry, "The bureaucratic Trade Unionism that 4 " " Trade Union were prepared to vote 'Yes' if the was created at the time has no relevance Government provided a stimulus package; the " J.P. Tobin, R.I.C. Tipperary, 31/2 " " in the post-partnership situation. Unless major 'Left' Unions advocated a 'No' vote and, " J. Morrissey, R.I.C. Rhode, King’s Co., workers and the movement involve led by the retired General Secretary of the Civil 31/2 " " themselves politically, Trade Unions will Public and Services Union, another section of " Gormley, R.I.C. Miltown, Co. Galway, just come to be seen as a service provider. the movement called for a 'Yes' vote. 8 months " We have to stand for something… We've The length of the service of the marched the troops to the top of the hill a CORK UNEMPLOYMENT following has not been ascertained:- couple of times since 2008, but beyond In May, 2012, there was 436,700 people on the dole, the equivalent of 14.3% of the Irish Constable J. McGee, R.I.C. Tipperary. that we've been very weak. "It's absolutely certain that we cannot population. " J. O’Malley, R.I.C. Miltown-Malbay, There are now 45,445 people on the dole in continue as a Trade Union movement as Co. Clare. Cork. In the city, the figure is 20,363—the first "B.J. Evers, R.I.C. Cork. merely a service provider, we might as time the figure has gone over 20,000 people in " Mannion, R.I.C. Limerick. well put up 'Mandate Trade Union Ltd' almost a year. outside the door. And you'll pay for what At the height of the 'Celtic Tiger', with near "R. Spencer, D.M.P. Dublin. you get like any firm or solicitors. If that's "James, R.I.C. Depot, Dublin. full employment, the Cork Employment what it's all about that will be the end of Resource Centre was an active and lively " Robinson, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leit. the Trade Union movement. We need to component of the community. To-day, with " Keating, R.I.C. Elphin, Co. Sligo. regenerate activism, 23 years of inactivity 20,000 unemployed in the city, a public, " McGuirk, R.I.C. Elphin, Co. Sligo. didn't help it, and we have a short window custom-built centre lies idle! What a reflection 23 on the Labour and Trade Union movement in of funds. Courses were given for the Safepass that city! In 2006, in order to apply for formal certificate, as well as more traditional Below is an account of the struggle to retain charitable status, the CCTU formed a subjects such as book-keeping. At the the centre, written by an activist involved over same time, the Centre's traditional leisure the years in its activity. company, limited by guarantee, to operate the Centre, though the CCTU remained classes continued. Particularly popular Obituary the leaseholder for the building. At the were the language courses, which could same time, the Centre's title was changed also help students in finding employment, Cork Employment to the CCTU Employment Resource and the Art and Creative Writing and Centre. Apart from FAS, donations from Drama classes. At least one art exhibition Resource Centre organisations and individuals occasionally was held in the Cork City Library, and the 1988 to 2012 swelled the Centre's coffers, and early in Drama Classes presented a number of its development, under the aegis of the shows, mostly at the Cork Vision Centre Cork's Employment Resource Centre CCTU, an appeal was launched for indi- and the Cork Arts Theatre. Very successful opened in 1988, in a small run-down build- vidual Union members to subscribe the was a play written by the creative writers ing in Kyrl's Street, itself a small and run- sum of 10 pence per week to support the and performed by the Drama Group at the down side street off North Main Street, Centre. This voluntary contribution was Cork Arts Theatre, celebrating the life of Cork. The Centre closed, in a welter of collected with Union dues. In the early Frank O'Connor, which was attended by controversy, on 18th May, 2012, a few days of the Centre, this contribution was a Frank O'Connor's widow. The Centre's hundred yards from its birthplace. In its significant help to the Centre, but, after actors also played a large part in the Coal heyday, it served about 40,000 customers the retirement from the CCTU presidency Quay Festivals and the Bloomsday a year, offering a broad range of services of Billy O'Donovan, it was not seriously Centenary celebrations in 2004. Not only targetted at the unemployed of Cork City followed up. It was eroded, firstly by this, but tutor Pauline Jackson undertook regular outreach work with local schools and County, using the term "unemployed" inflation and, later by contributors leaving their jobs, while no new recruits were and took part in a weekly programme on in its broadest interpretation, to include sought for the scheme. Campus Radio at . the retired and disabled, as well as job- The art class was another success, seekers. PERMANENT HQ Up to the early 2000s, the Centre grew having a long series of excellent tutors The services offered themselves changed and prospered. It changed premises not and enthusiastic students. The class held a over the years, according to the needs of long after its foundation to rooms in Oliver number of successful exhibitions and co- customers. In the Centre's early years, Plunkett Street, in the city centre, and operated with the drama group in preparing Ireland was in the depths of the last major then, in the early 90s, to nearby, larger scenery, as well as painting a beautiful recession and jobs were few. The Centre, accommodation in Oliver Plunkett Street. and imaginative series of murals up the therefore, offered social welfare advice In 1998, the Centre moved to long-promised stairwell of the Centre. Students tended to and advocacy, a free canteen, and a few permanent, tailor-made premises in North remain in the class for long periods, and leisure classes, to help unemployed people Main Street, where it remained until the helped to give a degree of continuity which to pass the time which lay heavy on the end of its life. All these premises were the two-yearly change of tutors might hands of people with little money. When well-located for the convenience of the have lost. the economy picked up, the emphasis Centre's customers, but all but the last were To a great extent, the Centre was changed from time-passing to preparation somewhat run-down, low-rental buildings. fortunate in the quality of its tutors. In the for the workplace, though leisure classes This was necessitated by the fact that the nature of Community Employment, few continued side by side with those which CCTU was itself liable for the rent which, tutors were able to remain in post for more were work-related. In the present century, unlike most expenses, was not reimbursed than two years, but some would take the a Job Club and an office of the Local by FAS. The North Main Street building year out required by FAS regulations and Employment Service (LES) also opened was rebuilt by Cork Corporation, and let then return. One, German tutor Melissa at the Centre. to the CCTU as, in effect, a purpose-built Odendahl, joined the Centre about three Most of this was swept away on 15th Centre for the Unemployed. months after its foundation and remained December, 2011, when Seán O'Sullivan From 1998 until 2003 was the Centre's until the last, working as a volunteer during of FAS [Job Training] withdrew the fund- heyday. It had about 40 Community her "years off". In 24 years, Melissa had ing which had been the lifeblood of the Employment staff, a manager, who was worked out exactly what her students Centre for 23 years, and Cork Council of also the Community Employment super- would want, and with Germanic thorough- Trade Unions (CCTU) wrung its hands visor, and an assistant manager/supervisor, ness, had structured her courses to meet and walked away. For five months, a who acted as financial controller. As well their needs. In general, language teachers small band of volunteers kept the Centre as the management and part-time CE were native speakers of the languages running as best they could, but, without participants, the Centre was authorised they taught. In general, they were young funds and with falling customer numbers, four full-time Job Initiative (JI) places, graduates spending a few years in Ireland they were forced to haul down their flag and a Job Club was opened. This was an before returning to their home countries. on 18th May. At the very last, the CCTU organisation which provided job-seekers If they lacked Melissa's level of experience, took the astonishing step of locking out its with training in the techniques of finding they brought a freshness to their teaching own former staff. In all of this, the role of and getting employment. To this was later which went far to compensate. Job FAS, and even more the role of the CCTU added an office of the Local Employment Initiative, which gave permanent full-time should be questioned more closely than it Service. The Centre itself, recognising the employment to a fortunate few, greatly has been. improving economic situation, provided benefited the art and drama classes, when For most of its life, the title of the more courses in subjects directly related tutor Pauline Jackson was granted a JI Centre was the CTU Centre for the Un- to work. [Joint Implementation] post. Computer employed. Its staff were funded by FAS as The Bank of Ireland funded the provi- training administrator Marion Bourke was a Community Employment (CE) Project. sion of 'state of the art' computers with also a JI participant. Both of these people Cork Council of Trade Unions (CCTU), which were offered courses from beginners controlled relatively complex departments under the presidency of the late Billy to ECDL [European Computer Driving where continuity and the accumulation of O'Donovan, was the sponsor body, while Licence] level. The Centre was also a experience was very important. John Holford FAS was the main, but not the only, source licensed ECDL examination centre. [TO BE CONTINUED] 24 AQUINAS continued These theories, it is evident, though Letter from Irish News, 7th July 2012 they furnish the only arguments which are still in use among us to support the present Summer Floods & of all wealth among all members of the social organisation, are also patent of an group, though it had come to them on the interpretation which might equally lead to Water Privatisation authority of Phileas and Lycurgus, was the very opposite conclusion. In his fear of The piece by Tom Kelly—"Doing indeed to be reprobated, for it contradicted any general contradiction to communism nothing will only store up more problems" the prime feature of all creation. God which should be open to dispute, and in (Irish News, 2 July 2012), ranged through made all things in their proper number, his ever-constant memory of his own several issues without achieving any great weight, and measure. Yet in spite of all religious life as a Dominican friar, Aquinas coherence, beyond a primitive declaration this it must be insisted on at the risk of had to mark with precision to what extent of "Public Bad, Private Good". repetition that the socialist theory of State and in what sense private property could Starting with some curious remarks ownership is never considered unjust, be justified. But at the same time he was about the visit of the Queen (from whom never in itself contrary to the moral law. forced by the honesty of his logical training he received his Order of the British Albertus Magnus, the master of Aquinas, to concede what he could in favour of the Empire), Tom Kelly moved to remarks and the leader in commenting on Aristotle's other side. He took up in this question, as about the heavens opening and Belfast Politics, freely asserts that community of in every other, a middle course, in which becoming “a very unconvincing imitation goods± neither extreme was admitted, but both of Venice”, and asserted “every possible "is not impossible, especially among declared to contain an element of truth. piece of floating debris and human waste those who are well disciplined by the popped up from our Victorian sewage and virtue of philanthropy—that is, the It is clear, too, that his scholastic follow- water pipes and made their way onto the common love of all; for love, of its own ers, even to our own date, in their elaborate kitchen tables of many affected houses.” nature, is generous." commentaries can find no escape from the It is puzzling to assert that it was relentless logic of his conclusions. Down "Victorian" infrastructure that caused But to arrange it, the power of the State the channel that he dug flowed the whole problems in housing developments in East must be called into play; it cannot rest on torrent of mediaeval and modern scholast- Belfast, built long after that era. But then any private authority— icism. But, for those whose minds were perhaps the purpose of this piece wasn’t to "This is the proper task of the legislator, practical rather than abstract, one or other inform. Certainly Tom has taken an for it is the duty of the legislator to proposition he advanced, isolated from opportunity to piggy back on the wettest arrange everything for the best advantage the context of his thought, could be quoted of the citizens" (In Politicis, ii. 2, p. 70, June since records began, to demand water as of moment, and backed by the greatness Lyons, 1651). (Bede Jarrett, op.cit.). privatisation and the introduction of house- of his name. His assertion of the absolute hold water charges, by which he thinks we impracticable nature of socialistic organis- Such, too, is the teaching of St. Anton- could avoid such events in future. ation, as he knew it in his own age, was too ino, who even goes so far as to assert that Has he missed the flooding and devast- "just as the division of property at the good a weapon to be neglected by those ation in parts of England, where water has beginning of historic time was made by who sought about for means of defence been privatised, as he would have it here? the authority of the State, it is evident that for their own individualistic theories; The reality is that no current sewer system the same authority is equally competent to whereas others, like the friars of whom in use, either in England or here, could reverse its decision and return to its earlier Wycliff and Langland spoke, and who handle the concentrated volume of rain social organisation" (Summa Moralis, ii. headed bands of luckless peasants in the that fell in such a short period of time. The flooding that occurred, dreadful as it was, 3, 2, Verona, 1740, p. 182). revolt of 1381 against the oppression of an over-legalised feudalism, were blind to was an unavoidable consequence of an extreme weather event which was calcul- He lays down, indeed, a principle so this remarkable expression of Aquinas' opinion, and quoted him only when he ated to occur only once in every 400 broad that it is difficult to understand years. It does not serve the public interest declared that "by nature all things were in where it could well end: "That can be to set an expectation that any sewerage justly determined by the prince which is common", and when he protested that the system could ever cope with such dem- necessary for the peaceful intercourse of socialist theory of itself contained nothing ands. What does need examination how- the citizens". And in defence he points contrary to the teaching of the gospel or ever is the degree of preparedness and the triumphantly to the fact that the prince can the doctrines of the Church. emergency response to such events when set aside a just claim to property, and Truth is blinding in its brilliance. Half- they do occur. transfer it to another who happens to hold truths are easy to see, and still easier to For the benefit of your readers, the Assembly has committed in the Prog- it by prescription, on the ground of the explain. ramme for Government to—"Maintain a numerous disputes which might otherwise Marx was of Jewish origin. Engels was high quality of drinking water and improve be occasioned. That is to say, that the law born into a family of a pronounced compliance with waste water standards of his time already admitted that in certain Protestant faith. Mao Tse-Tung was by investing £668m in water and sewerage circumstances the State could take what influenced by the Confucian Classics. But infrastructure" by March 2015. That belonged to one and give it to another, all would have agreed, if they ever read investment will come from progressive without there being any fault on the part of Aquinas, that the one phrase that stands taxation, not from regressive household the previous owner to justify its forfeiture; before history as typical of Thomas water charges, which the electorate has and he defends this proceeding on the Aquinas, it is that phrase about his own rejected. No amount of scare-mongering will change that. axiom just cited (ibid., pp. 182-3), namely, argument: "It is not based on documents its necessity "for the peaceful intercourse Michael Robinson of faith but on reasons and statements of Chair, NI Constituency Council, of the citizens". the philosophers themselves" (Chesterton). Labour Party

25 tional necessity, and depends entirely on men set to work to live in social intercourse. AQUINAS continued the practical effect of the three reasons Then it was found that, unless divisions necessary. cited. Were a state of society to exist in were made, existence was intolerable; and which the three reasons could no longer so by human convention, as Aquinas "It is even necessary," says he, "for human life, and that for three reasons. be urged seriously, then the necessity sometimes says, or by the law of nature, as Firstly, because everyone is more solicit- which they occasioned would also cease he elsewhere expresses it, the division ous about procuring what belongs to to hold. In point of fact, Aquinas was into private property was agreed upon and himself alone than that which is common perfectly familiar with a social group in took place. to all or many, since each shunning labour which these conditions did not exist, and Here again, then, are the same salient leaves to another what is the common the law of individual possession did not points we have already noticed in the burden of all, as happens with a multitude therefore hold, namely, the religious Summa. There is the idea clearly insisted of servants. Secondly, because human affairs are conducted in a more orderly orders. As a Dominican, he had defended on that the division of property is not a fashion if each has his own duty of his own Order against the attacks of those first principle nor an immediate deduction procuring a certain thing, while there who would have suppressed it altogether; from a first principle, that in itself it is not would be confusion if each should procure and in his reply to William of St. Amour dictated by the natural law which leaves things haphazard. Thirdly, because in he had been driven to uphold the right to all things in common, that it is, however, this way the peace of men is better common life, and consequently to deny not contrary to natural law, but evidently preserved, for each is content with his that private property was inalienable. in accord with it, that its necessity and its own. Whence we see that strife more frequently arises among those who hold Of course it was perfectly obvious that introduction were due entirely to the actual a thing in common and individually. The for Aquinas himself the idea of the Com- experience of the race. other office which is man's concerning mune or the State owning all the land and Again, to follow the theory chronologic- exterior things, is the use of them; and capital, and allowing to the individual ally still farther forward, St. Antonino, with regard to this a man ought not to citizens simply the use of these common whose charitable institutions in Florence hold exterior things as his own, but as commodities, was no doubt impracticable; have stamped deeply with his personality common to all, that he may portion them and the three reasons which he gives are that scene of his life's labours, does little out to others readily in time of need." (The translation is taken from New Things his sincere justification of the need of more than repeat the words of Aquinas, And Old, H.C. O'Neill, 1909, London, individual ownership. Without this divi- though the actual phrase in which he here pp253-4.) sion of property, he considered that compresses many pages of argument is national life would become even more reproduced from a work by the famous The wording and argument of this will full of contention than it was already. Franciscan moralist John de Ripa. bear, and is well worth, careful analysis. Accordingly, it was for its effectiveness in "It is by no means right that here upon For Aquinas was a man, as Huxley wit- preventing a great number of quarrels that earth fallen humanity should have all nesses, of unique intellectual power, and, he defended the individual ownership of things in common, for the world would moreover, his theories on private property property. be turned into a desert, the way to fraud and all manner of evils would be opened, were immediately accepted by all the "The common claim upon things is and the good would have always the scholars. traceable to the natural law, not because worse, and the bad always the better, and To repeat the whole problem as it is put the natural law dictates that all things the most effective means of destroying in the Summa, we can epitomise the should be held in common, and nothing all peace would be established" (Summa as belonging to any individual person, reasoning of Aquinas in this easier way. Moralis, 3, 3, 2, 1). but because according to the natural law The question of property implies two main there is no distinction of possessions Hence he concludes that "such a propositions: (a) the right to property, i.e. which comes by human convention" (2a, community of goods never could benefit to the use of material creation; (b) the right 2ae, 66, 2ad 1m.). (Bede Jarrett OP, MA, the State". These are none other arguments Mediaeval Socialism, London, 1913.) to private property, i.e. to the actual than those already advanced by Aquinas. division of material things among the determined individuals of a social group. STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT To apprehend the full significance of COMMUNISM NOT EVIL! "Distinction of property, therefore, PRIVATE PROPERTY this last remark, reference must be made though declared so necessary for INALIENABLE? to the theories of the Roman legal writers. peaceable social life, does not, for these The former is a sacred, inalienable right, The law of nature was looked upon as thinkers, rest on natural law, nor a divine which can never be destroyed, for it springs some primitive determination of universal law, but on positive human law under the from the roots of man's nature. If man acceptance, and of venerable sanction, guidance of prudence and authority. Communism is not something evil, but exists, and is responsible for his existence, which sprang from the roots of man's rather an ideal too lofty to be ever here being. This in its absolute form could then he must necessarily have the right to realised. It implied so much generosity, the means without which his existence is never be altered or changed; but there and such a vigour of public spirit, as to be made impossible. But the second was besides another law which had no utterly beyond the reach of fallen nature. proposition must be determined quite such compelling power, but which rested The Apostles alone could venture to live differently. The kind of property here simply on the experience of the human so high a life, “for their state transcended spoken of is simply a matter not of right, race. This was reversible, for it depended that of every other mode of living” (Ptolomeo of Lucca, De Regimine but of experienced necessity, and is to be on specific conditions and stages of Principio , book iv., cap. 4, Parma, 1864, development. Thus nature dictated no argued for on the distinct grounds that p. 273). without it worse things would follow: "it division of property, though it implied the is even necessary for human life, and that necessity of some property; the need of However, that form of communism for three reasons". This is a purely condi- the division was only discovered when which entailed an absolutely even division continued on page 25 26 began immediately to debate their needs for each fresh demand supplied; but AQUINAS continued excellence and their defect. Thomas in some form or other they are an absolute Aquinas set to work on a literal comment- and dire necessity, without which life kings needed the organising skills that ary, and at his express desire an accurate could not be lived at all. Not simply for his were only to be found in the Christian translation was made direct from the Greek "well-being", but for his very existence, clergy. At the same time it is a remarkable by his fellow-Dominican, William of man finds them to be a sacred need. Thus, fact that, while the barbarian tribes who Moerbeke. Later on, when all this had had as they follow directly from the nature of overran the Roman Empire were all time to settle and find its place, Aquinas creation, they can be termed "natural". pagans, by the millennium they had all worked out his own theory of private become deeply Christian societies, even property in two short articles in his famous RIGHTS AND in Scandinavian countries which had no Summa Theologica. In his treatise on PRIVATE PROPERTY Christian history. Justice, which occupies a large proportion Aquinas then proceeds in his second The mediaeval Guilds can only really of the Secund Secundae of the Summa, he article to enter into the question of the be understood against this background. In found himself forced to discuss the moral rights of private property. The logical essence they were religious brotherhoods evil of theft; and to do this adequately he result of his previous argument is only to which had a variety of interlocking had first to explain what he meant by affirm the need man has of some property; functions: spiritual, economic, social, and private possessions. Without these, of the practice of actually dividing goods even political. It is worth stressing again course, there could be no theft at all. among individuals requires further elabor- that the world of late mediaeval Europe He began, therefore, by a preliminary ation if it is to be reasonably defended. was alien to us in two ways; it was explicitly article on the actual state of created Man must have the use of the fruits of the based on Christian principles, and it was things—that is, the material, so to say, out earth, but why these rather than those intrinsically local. As the mediaeval of which private property is evolved. Here should belong to him is an entirely different historian Christopher Dawson observed: he notes that the nature of things, their problem. It is the problem of Socialism. "One of the most remarkable features constituent essence, is in the hands of For every socialist must demand for each of medieval guild life was the way in God, not man. The worker can change the member of the human race the right to which it combined secular and religious form, and, in consequence, the value of a some possessions, food and other such activities in the same social complex. thing, but the substance which lies beneath necessities. But why he should have this The guild chantry, the provision of prayers and masses for dead brethren, and the all the outward show is too subtle for him particular thing, and why that other thing performance of pageants and mystery to affect it in any way. To the Supreme should belong to someone else, is the plays on the great feasts were no less the Being alone can belong the power of question which lies at the basis of all function of the guild than the common creation, annihilation, and absolute muta- attempts to preserve or destroy the present banquet, the regulation of work and tion. But besides this tremendous force fabric of society. Now, the argument which wages, the giving of assistance to fellow- which God holds incommunicably, there we have so far cited from Aquinas is guild members in sickness or misfortune" is another which He has given to man, simply based on the indefeasible right of (C.H. Dawson, Religion And The Rise Of Western Culture, Sheed & Ward, London, namely, the use of created things. For, the individual to the maintenance of his 1950.). when man was made, he was endowed life. Personality implies the right of the with the lordship of the earth. This lordship individual to whatever is needful to him in To sum up, economically the Guilds is obviously one without which he could achieving his earthly purpose, but does were a key part of the medieval objective not live. The air, and the forces of nature, not in itself justify the right to private that commercial life should be an integrat- the beasts of the field, the birds and fishes, property. ed expression of the Church's teaching. the vegetation in fruit and root, and the "Two offices pertain to man with regard There was a code of mercantile ethics stretches of corn are necessary for man's to exterior things" (thus he continues). decreeing that craftsmen should make their continued existence on the earth. Over "The first is the power of procuring and goods honestly and well, that sellers should them, therefore, he has this limited dispensing, and in respect to this, it is give good weight and be satisfied with dominion. lawful for man to hold things as his own." reasonable profits. Accordingly the human animal is bound Here it is well to note that Aquinas in this by the law of his own being to provide single sentence teaches that private PROPERTY against the necessities of the future. He property, or the individual occupation of The Christian scholars, in their adven- has, therefore, the right to acquire not actual land or capital or instruments of turous quest after a complete harmony of merely what will suffice for the instant, wealth, is not contrary to the moral law. all philosophic learning, could not neglect but to look forward and arrange against Consequently he would repudiate the the great outstanding problems of social the time when his power of work shall famous epigram, "La Propriété c'est le and economic life. They flourished at the have lessened, or the objects which suffice vol" (Property is Theft, Proudhon). Man very period of European history when for his personal needs become scarcer or may hold and dispose of what belongs to commerce and manufacture were coming more difficult of attainment. Property, him, may have private property, and in no back to the West, and their rise synchron- therefore, of some kind or other, says way offend against the principles of justice, ises with the origin of the great houses of Aquinas, is required by the very nature of whether natural or divine. the Italian and Jewish bankers. man. Individual possessions are not a mere But in the rest of the article Aquinas Then came the translation of Aristotle's adventitious luxury which time has goes farther still. Not merely does he hold Politics, with the keen criticism they accustomed him to imagine as something the moral proposition that private property contain of the views Plato had advocated. he can hardly do without, nor are they the is lawful, but he adds to it the social Here at once the intellect of Europe found result of civilised culture, which by the proposition that private property is an exact exposition of principles, and law of its own development creates fresh continued on page 26 27 VOLUME 30 No. 8 CORK ISSN 0790-1712

Mondragon, Part 10 Aquinas and Private Property Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274) was the of the Church, and his doctrines— according to its own laws". He argued greatest and most important philosopher 'Thomism'—were elevated to the status of against both rationalists on one hand, and of the High Middle Ages. This was the an official ecclesiastical philosophy. his own traditional theologians on the period when the Merchant Guilds were at other. their most powerful—prior to the rise of ARISTOTLE "The other point of cardinal importance the Craft Guilds in the 14th and 15th Aquinas developed his own conclusions in the thirteenth century was the general centuries. from Aristotle, his major theological works adoption of the philosophy of Aristotle. The Church invested great hope in this the Summa Contra Gentiles and the Summa Since the time of St. Augustine, Catholic thinker, to whom faith was more serious Theologica form the classical systematiz- thought had moved on the lines of, and under the influence of, the Augustinian than any other question. This was ation of Latin theology. He wrote poetry re-statement of the philosophy of Plato. something his teacher, Albertus Magnus and his eucharistic hymns are still used in But early in the thirteenth century, the (St. Albert) noticed very early on. Himself the Catholic Church's liturgy. He is hitherto little-known philosophical writ- a famous philosopher, he said of his pupil recognised by the Catholic Church as its ings of Plato's great pupil, Aristotle, that, as the 'greatest' thinker of his age, he foremost philosopher and theologian. become known in translation in the could 'unite' the two great names of It was in Aquinas's Summa Theologica Christian schools. There was, of course, philosophy thus far: namely, Plato and that he worked out his own theory of the opposition to any innovation that was to be expected from conservative Aristotle. private property. schoolmen, but there were the others The philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas Aquinas studied at Paris University who perceived the great advantages of is characterised by an ambitious attempt (1245) under Albertus Magnus (St. Aristotelianism over Platonism as a to reconcile the truth of Christian faith Albert), a noted scholar from Cologne. In philosophy for use in the exposition of with the thought of Aristotle. As a result, 1240, his teacher at the University of Christian doctrine in general, and in faith is certainly given primary importance Naples was the learned Irish monk, Petrus particular the suitability of Aristotle's —something the Church very much de Hibernia. Aquinas and Magnus were Moderate Realism in the discussion concerning the universals, steering as it wanted—but reason is also accorded more both friars of the Dominican Order founded did a safe course between Extreme Real- rights. It is allowed to perceive that all the in 1215. ism and Nominalism. The energy and truths that do not emerge from revelation— Aquinas argued his position concerning brilliance of these latter schoolmen won in other words, below the threshold of the relation of faith and reason, i.e. "that the day; the triumph of Aristotelian belief, which, on earth, amounts to quite a reason is able to operate within faith yet philosophy was largely the work of the large area. two great Dominicans, St. Albert the Great and St. Thomas of Aquin" (John F. Aquinas gave science more room for Subscribers to the magazine are regularly offered special rates on other publications O'Doherty, A History of the Catholic manoeuvre, which it did not hesitate to Church for Schools, Dublin, 1943, p.124). use. This, in turn, was to lead to conflicts Irish Political Review is published by ******************************************************************************** with Aquinas. God is "the one who exists", the IPR Group: write to— "Said Lord Acton with his sober wit : Being in itself, uniting essence and “Not the devil, but St. Thomas Aquinas, existence. God, Aquinas believed, is the 33 Athol Street, Belfast BT12 4GX or was the first Whig” ". most perfect of creatures. 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Tribal https://www.atholbooks-sales.org according to Aquinas. chiefs who wanted to become effective In 1557, Aquinas was declared a Father continued on page 27