Judaism & Zionism Ulster, Paradis Fiscal? John Martin Mark Langhammer

page 19 page 6 back page IRISH POLITICAL REVIEW June 2011 Vol.26, No.6 ISSN 0790-7672 and Northern Star incorporating Workers' Weekly Vol.25 No.6 ISSN 954-5891

Her Nibs Visits Whodunit? So the war between the UK and the has been concluded and put Now that the election dust and hot air away by the ceremonial visit of Her Nibs to the Garden of Remembrance. The British has settled, the realities of the 'bailout' and have finally conceded defeat in that matter. the background to it are being dealt with At least that is what we were told repeatedly and authoritatively during the visit by Her more realistically. Former Finance Minis- Nibs. Fintan O'Toole of the official newspaper of the State told us so on Radio Eireann. ter Brian Lenihan has given, in his And he said, if she had only come earlier, things would have been settled earlier. interviews with Dan O'Brien, the most If there were any truth in all of this, it would be a case of Britain snatching defeat from credible account of the way Ireland was the jaws of victory. But of course there isn't any truth in it. treated by the European Central Bank so The purpose of the visit by Her Nibs was to consolidate the great displacement of Irish far. Details may be disputed, but the basic political culture by British influence that has been accomplished during the past facts are not. It is clear that the ECB made generation, and particularly since Mary Robinson made the mission of her Presidency the running, that it forced a 'bailout' on to bring over Her Nibs and refused a second term when she did not think it would happen Ireland. quickly enough. Lenihan had to negotiate with a 'troika' made up of the EU Presidency, the What war was it that the visit symbolised the end of? The war between Britain and Commission and the International Mone- Ireland fought in in which the fighting was brought to an end by the tary Fund, but the ECB was clearly in Good Friday Armistice of 1998, it seems. charge. The media have therefore found So the Provos must have been acting on the authority of the Governments, another culprit to blame for Ireland's diffi- pursuant to Articles 2 & 3 of the Constitution!! culties in the ECB, and there has been the We must confess to a profound misunderstanding of the history of the past forty years. inevitable frenzy against this latest cause We were misled by appearances into thinking that Dublin Governments sided with of all of our problems. But, at the same Britain in that war. The Provos were harrassed and imprisoned by Dublin Governments time, I detect a certain 'blame fatigue'. during that war, and wild allegations were made about them. And, when Britain Maybe we ourselves had something to do eventually made peace with the Provos, and made a tacit admission of blame for the war with the problems we have? by opening the prisons, Dublin found it very hard to do likewise. It gave way inch by The most obvious question is why this inch, dragging its heels resentfully, having more than once accused the British of being 'troika'? Lisbon was all about streamlining soft on terrorism. the EU and all its mechanisms, yet here Now that the war in the North is over, is the Republic claiming the credit for it on the we have three separate bodies dealing ground of Articles 2 & 3, which were given an outing on RTE during Her Nibs's visit? with this issue. Moreover, one, the IMF, is continued on page 2 continued on page 13

means of working up popular support for Bin Laden Welcomes The Arab Spring the ongoing "war on terror". It is just too absurd to believe that a small group of In the aftermath of 9/11, it was common to rise up (Daily Telegraph, 19 May). people, however determined, are capable for Western politicians to declare that Al- "There is a serious crossroads before of making a significant impact on how we Qaeda was out to "destroy our way of life" you", he said, "and a great and rare historic live in the West. in the West (whatever that is) and therefore opportunity to rise with the Ummah However, it is almost unknown for a had to be combated by any and every (Muslim world) and to free yourselves Western politician to give the real reason means. "They hate our freedom", President from servitude to the desires of the rulers, why Al-Qaeda is at war with the West and George Bush famously said. man-made law, and Western dominance". has been for many years. One might have This Bush aphorism came to mind when Apparently, they don't hate our freedom thought that bin Laden’s execution would I read that Al-Qaeda had released a mes- after all. have prompted some discussion about sage by Osama bin Laden posthumously, this in the media, but if there has been any in which he praised the uprisings in Egypt The notion that Al-Qaeda is out to I haven't come across it. and Tunisia and urged Muslims to take "destroy our way of life" is rarely repeated advantage of a "rare historic opportunity" by Western politicians these days as a continued on page 14 blessed with a visit from King George V. C O N T E N T S "Knowing from previous experience of Page royal visits, as well as from the coronation Her Nibs Visits. Editorial 1 orgies of the past few weeks, that the occas- ion will be utilised to make propaganda on Whodunit? Jack Lane 1 behalf of royalty and aristocracy against Bin Laden Welcomes The Arab Spring. David Morrison 1 the oncoming forces of democracy and The Queen Of England Descends Amongst Us. Conor Lynch 2 national freedom, we desire to place before Royal Ritual. George Bernard Shaw (Report) 3 you some few reasons why you should 'Outrage' At 1916 Commemoration. Tom Stokes (Report) 4 unanimously refuse to countenance this visit, or to recognise it by your presence at Poems: The Marriage Of Figura. March Of The Yes-Men. Honey, I'm Home. its attendant processions or demonstrations Wilson John Haire 4, 14, 15 … Readers' Letters: Sing Sing. Gerard Murphy 5 "The future of the working class requires The Moriarty Tribunal. John Martin (Part 2) 6 that all political and social positions should Easter Commemorations. Conor Lynch 12 be open to all men and women… "Let the capitalist and landlord class flock Crusading Again. Pat Walsh 15 to exalt him; he is theirs… a people mentally Shorts from the Long Fellow (Indo Grovelling; Sindo Grovelling; Obama; poisoned by the adulation of royalty can China; Irish Economy Resilience) 16 never attain to that spirit of self-reliant The War Of Independence. Jack Lane (Review: Wm. Sheehan history) 17 democracy necessary for the attainment of Judaism & Zionism. Editorial 19 social freedom…" {Connolly's article can be read in full on the website}. Es Ahora. Julianne Herlihy (Cork By Royal Appointment; Women's Magazines) 23 Stickie Sneer Or 'Stalinist Smear'? Manus O'Riordan 24 The Irish News (18th March) reported Naval Warfare. Pat Walsh (Part 11) 26 that the Queen of England had landed at Does It Stack Up? Michael Stack (Shakespeare; NAMA Storm; Brian Lenihan) 28 Casement aerodrome. This was the last Editorial Digest. (The South: Corporate Donations; Gilmore; Prince Albert; time I saw it referred to as such—it Croke Park Agreement; Anti-Union) 29 suddenly reverted to its old name, Bal- Dáil Motion On Dublin-Monaghan Bombings. Report 30 donnel Aerodrome—even further on in the same issue of the Irish News. Soon Labour Comment, edited by Pat Maloney: we'll be told that she was visiting West Ulster, The Next Paradis Fiscal ? Britain. And why not? Those most eager Mark Langammer (back page) for the visit, e.g. , , Private Agenda In Northern Economy the late Garrett FitzGerald, Eoghan Harris, NICC Labour Party Conference Motion Ruth Dudley-Edwards, Kevin Myers, and Irish LP Response To Draft PPS 23 and PPS 24 the rest would have us back there, or even Press Release (page 31) in the United Kingdom, in a thrice. And the British, especially through their current Due to pressure of space, we have held over several items, including a skit on Ambassador, would have us. Though it the Queen's visit by Lt. Col. Morgan (retired) may be called the Council of the Isles so beloved of the Scottish National Party's If not, it is hard to make sense of much that seems to have been the disgraced Charles Alex Salmond. This visit was political as said in mid-May. Haughey, acting behind the scenes, who above all else—with Cameron, Hague Eamon Dunphy came out as a great was the only with some sense and their merry men included. enthusiast for Her Nibs and what she of what Northern Ireland was. And then I asked some friends in Dublin what the stands for. We recall that Dunphy was a was the only Taoiseach reaction was as the visit approached. In- venomous opponent of the peace process who could tend to the end game without difference to favourable, I was told, except when it was got going by , dragging up old resentments. for the media which was downright orgas- representing Sinn Fein, and John Hume, mic. It was almost as though David Beck- not representing the SDLP. Dunphy We note that Her Nibs did not visit the ham and Victoria, Elton John, Paul Mc conducted a propaganda campaign against region where the war was fought, and Cartney, Kate Moss, Katie Price, and Ant Hume. Of course, he jumped on the where a radical re-structuring was under- and Dec were all coming at the same time. bandwagon when it got rolling. taken when it was understood that other- (Except in their case no amount of barriers, wise the war would continue. She did not guards or soldiers could have kept the The war was fought in the North, being visit her own back-yard. Dublin was celebrity gawpers away. made possible and necessary by the mis- protected from her. West didn't chievous mode of government that Britain have to bother its head about her. On the great day Dublin was shut down, set up in its Six County region. It was "sanitised zones", as the Guards called made possible and necessary by that mode them. Even the central Rotunda hospital of government. It was fought by the The Queen Of England was cut off. I walked around the city the community which suffered from that mode Descends Amongst Us next day—the Thursday—when she was of government. It was settled by negoti- Before giving some notes on the recent supposed to be in Kildare looking at the ations between leaders of that community visit, it would be apt to quote James Con- gee gees. The barriers were going up and Britain when Britain came to under- nolly on the previous visit of a British again—on the quays, around Trinity, along stand that it could neither win the war nor Monarch to the South of Ireland in 1911: Nassau Street and part of Westland Row. dissolve it by political chicanery. The "Fellow Workers Liffey Street and Jervis Street were cut only Dublin leader who played a signi- "As you are aware from reading the daily off. And these were the only areas I had ficant part in bringing about a settlement and weekly newspapers, we are about to be any business to be in. Trains were stopped 2 between Pearse Station and Connolly At this time of royal weddings and visits, readers may enjoy this extract from Station. Maybe the authorities believe in George Bernard Shaw's The Apple Cart reincarnation! Language was changing from oh gosh! Royal Ritual to b.... and c.... The crowds, that the papers said the previous day were being "Pamphilius. What was your father? held back by barriers but who "wanted" to Semphronius {startled} Eh? get close to the Queen, were really poor P. What was your father? souls who were being prevented from S. My father? getting to and from work or home. The P. Yes. What was he? Guards were pleased, of course, some of S. A Ritualist. them on double bubble. The visit is sup- P. I don't mean his religion. I mean his profession. And his politics. posed to have cost €30m (my eye). That S. He was a Ritualist by profession, a Ritualist in politics, a Ritualist in religion: a raging doesn't cover days off work or late for emotional Die Hard Ritualist right down to his boots. work; people not shopping; taxis at a P. Do you mean that he was a parson? standstill; or the bemused tourists. (They'd S. Not at all. He was a sort of spectacular artist. He got up pageants and Lord Mayors' Shows take you alright—via Limerick and Wex- and military tattoos and big public ceremonies and things like that. He arranged the last two coronations. That was how I got my job here in the palace. All our royal people knew ford!) The passengers on a Limerick to him quite well; he was behind the scenes with them. Dublin train were corralled at Heuston P. Behind the scenes and yet believed they were all real! Station for an hour. An acquaintance of S. Yes. Believed in them with all his soul. mine, a professional photographer, decided P. Although he manufactured them himself! to take a few pictures. He was hit on the S. Certainly. Do you suppose a baker cannot believe sincerely in the sacrifice of the Mass shoulders with a baton. When he protested, or in holy communion because he has baked the consecrated wafer himself? the Guards noticed his Northern accent, P. I never thought of that. and beat the living daylights out of him. S. My father might have made millions in the theatres and film studios. But he refused to touch them because the things they represented hadn't really happened. He didn't mind The Northern papers went ecstatic about doing the christening of Queen Elizabeth in Shakespear's Henry the Eighth because that the whole thing—the Irish News much had really happened. It was a celebration of royalty. But not anything romantic; not though they offered him thousands. more so than the Protestant papers. They P. Did you ever ask him what he really thought about it all? But of course you didn't: one made a lot of the "small number" of demon- can't ask one's father anything about himself. strators. It was a relatively small group S. My dear Pam: my father never thought. He didn't know what thought meant. Very few but not that small. Then it was reinforced people do, you know. He had vision: actual bodily vision, I mean; and he had an oddly by a lot of local lads who began to set fire limited sort of imagination. What I mean is that he couldn't imagine anything he didn't to anything convenient. see; but he could imagine that what he did see was divine and jolly and omniscient and The Queen was indeed photographed omnipotent and eternal and everything that is impossible if only it looked splendid with smiling supporters. A carefully enough, and the organ was solemn enough, or the military brands brassy enough. selected group of students from Trinity P. You mean that he had to get everything from outside. College—if indeed they were students. S. Exactly. He'd never have felt anything if he hadn't had parents to feel about in his (We all remember Tony Blair on his walk- childhood, and a wife and babies to feel about when he grew up. He'd never have known anything if he hadn't been taught at school. He couldn't amuse himself: he had to pay abouts among "supporters" who were oceans of money to other people to amuse him with all sorts of ghastly sports and pleasures selected and paid for these occasions! that would have driven me into a monastery to escape from them. You see it was all ritual: George Bush use to do the same.) And he went to the Riviera every winter just as he went to church…" then there was an equally selected body of men, some with medals who, in the past, about the timing of the Queen's visit. had gone around the world killing people but I recognise the other influences through They, along with the Southern Govern- for England. They were joined at the the likes of my great uncle Alex" (News ment, are demanding that the British Islandbridge cenotaph by a group of large Letter 19th May). In other words going release all documents relating to the gentlemen from Loyalist Belfast. off to kill German men who had never bombing. William Hague, British Foreign At the Cenotaph a Corkman, former done him any harm. Secretary, who was also in Dublin, refused, Royal Marine, Billy Murphy aged 71, Ex-Sticky leader, Eamon Gilmore, who citing "legal constraints". said: "It's fantastic that the Queen's here— greeted Her Majesty at Casement/Baldonnell, That bombing was carried out by loyal- we can all now live in peace and go said the visit marked "a fresh start in ists with affiliations to the British Army's forward from here. We've (sic) still got relations between Ireland and Britain. Ulster Defence Regiment (now part of servicemen dying overseas so it was good We are looking towards a stronger Royal Irish Regiment). It was sanctioned for her to come here and pay her respects." relationship in the future that will benefit by military headquarters in Lisburn. An What a twisted mind! Billy Murphy was trade, tourism and business." earlier bombing in Dublin was carried out born in 1940 and would have been too by regular British soldiers. A full account young to have served in WW2 or in Korea. The campaigning group, Justice for the of the Dublin Monaghan event, including So he must be a "veteran" of the colonial Forgotten, laid a wreath at the Talbot the Southern dimension, is in preparation slaughters that took place in places like Street Memorial to the 34 people killed by for publication. The Southern Government Kenya and Malaya. the British in Dublin and Monaghan, 37 years to the day the Queen arrived. The already has these details and is as guilty as SDLP MLA Alex Attwood whose Mayor of Dublin and Gerry Adams attend- the British Government in covering them grand uncle was killed in WWI said: "I ed the event. First there was a memorial up. am proudly Irish and proudly nationalist Mass at the Pro-Cathedral. They protested Justice for the Forgotten also asked for 3 an apology from the Queen. None what- REPORT soever was given. The following letter appeared in the THE MARRIAGE OF FIGURA Irish Times on 2nd May. It confirms In Dublin Castle the English Queen what others also noted: that the England asserts herself said that we had turbulent histories but we event was deliberately botched, with over her satellites, should "to bow to it but not be bound by no advance information about what Wales, Scotland, and with stealth, it". "To all who have suffered as a time it would be held being released that manufactured acolyte, consequence of our troubled past I extend until the day itself. that sliver Northern Ireland, my sincere thoughts and sympathy. With that on occasions the benefit of historical hindsight we can pierces her side, all see things which we wish had been 'Outrage' at 1916 caused by the politics of quicksand. done differently, or not at all." I'm sure commemoration England asserts herself those men facing the firing squads or the As a grandson of Volunteer John Stokes, over her Muslims, hangmen's ropes didn't require "the benefit Boland's Mills Garrison, Easter 1916, I and other ethnic scalps, of historical hindsight"! And that is being wish to express my outrage at what was while at Westminster Abbey deliberately misinterpreted in the media purported to be a commemoration by the there is polite asylum as some kind of apology! for those with power and wealth State of the issuing of the Proclamation of to play the game of war. Eirigí called the presence of UDA the Irish Republic and of the women and Dressed in uniform the royal caddies. leaders at the cenotaph "outrageous". But men who fought to establish that Republic. the whole thing was outrageous. Why Press reports indicate that 3,000 people England asserts herself, pick on them? Many of them were just a attended. Many of these were tourists and making sure, part of the British dirty war—especially foreign nationals. No surprise that the Germany remembers after the British had arranged the assassin- attendance by Irish citizens was so low. its 1918 dismembering, ation of the UDA's earlier, and more politi- An inquiry to Military HQ 10 days recalling the defeat of the Boers on the veldt, cal, leaders, like Tommy Herron. In any previously elicited the information that claiming victory for the WW2 encumber there would be a military parade on Easter case, the present UDA leaders, like Jackie through second-hand history off-the-shelf, Sunday in O’Connell Street but that no though rescued out of the Soviet embers. McDonald, are doing far more to bring the other information was available. A focused sides together than the trouble-makers search of the Government’s websites drew England asserts herself from Britain's MI5 or extremist Unionists a blank, as did the various websites of through , in the UUP. national and local tourism bodies and a (a would-be bride, blue as delft) broad internet search. noting that on Figura's uniform shines The Irish News editorial on 19th May Perhaps it was as well that so few the Harp of Ireland. was headed Royal Visit A Peace Maker. It citizens attended. The GPO and the area (used by the mercenary Irish Guards) referred to the "mistakes" of the past. The reserved for "dignitaries" was cordoned With this sleight-of-hand word "mistakes" was repeated in another off to exclude the citizens as far as the the paper delights in its old canards. article. Omagh could be seen as a mistake. Abbey Street junction. The one area available to citizens It is highly unlikely that the RIRA planned Now England, in the guise of a monarch, required them to submit to body-frisking seeks Ireland as her bridegroom. a massacre—especially in a mostly repub- and bag searches. The entire line on the lican town. But the British had infiltrated The matchmakers at Leinster House Clery’s side was constructed of two-metre appoint her beau, a eunuch, them. But the Great Hunger, the massacres high screens of opaque black material. A thinking he still has his heirloom, at Dundalk, Wexford and Croke Park, the prime viewing area from Abbey Street to but he lost it in that '16 joust. Royal Navy shelling of Dublin, the burning the GPO was marked for "Defence Forces It can only swell in pride, England's womb, of Cork and 26 other towns were no guests". It was completely empty of people as it fights a war dedicated to a peace-park. mistakes. Bloody Sunday in Derry and for the duration of the ceremony. the massacre in Ballymurphy were not The sound system provided was utterly Wilson John Haire mistakes. But by calling them mistakes, inadequate to the occasion, rendering all 16th May, 2011 the Irish News and the growing resurgence of the ceremony at the GPO inaudible to most citizens present, but of course perfect of Redmondism can "move on". for that other class of citizens—the under the banner of Republic Day held a "dignitaries". sincere, inclusive, dignified and meaning- Arch-revisionists—like Eoghan Harris, The Army, Navy and Air Corps were ful commemoration at the National Kevin Myers (who was born and grew up embarrassingly badly drilled, with far too Monument at 16 Moore Street. The in Britain), and Ruth Dudley-Edwards— many unable to keep step to the drumbeat. contrast between both ceremonies could threw serious wobblies at not being invited The musical director of the military band not have been more marked. to any of the Queen's do's. But all is now evidently thought it appropriate to give It is obvious that this Government, like well and I understand that last minute instrumental renditions of music hall ditties the last, has fully embraced the “Banana invitations were issued, Mind you, Mary such as Step It Out Mary on what should Republic”—but the citizens have not. The McAleese does not forget real or perceived have been a respectful and sombre correct thing for the Government to do is slights. She no doubt remembers that Mr. occasion. to issue an apology and to withdraw from Excluding the citizens, privileging a Harris described her as "a political time- holding any further commemorations of self-styled "elite", and delivering a cack- 1916. We the citizens can do a far better bomb" when she first ran for office. I'm handed ceremonial, handed a gratuitous job. We, at least, subscribe to the principle not saying he was wrong, but even he insult to the men and women of 1916, to enshrined in the Proclamation that the should know that all this "forgiving and the Proclamation, to the Irish Republic Republic is the property of its citizens. forgetting" is for the birdies. itself and to the citizens of this country. Tom Stokes Conor Lynch One hour later a small group of citizens Citizens' Initiative for Republic Day 4 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR · LETTERS TO THE EDITOR· LETTERS TO THE EDITOR·

Sing Sing had no prayer session' at the unveiling of the plaque to Sing Sing for those who Official Brigade Prison Of The Cork No. 1 Brigade were buried in the bogs. This is a matter of semantics. The priest who officiated at In his letter published in the most recent referred to Corry as the Chief Executioner the unveiling asked us to remember in our edition of the Irish Political Review [April of the Brigade then that was what Mick prayers all the participants in the conflict 2011, Ed.], James Fitzgerald makes some Leahy, his own commanding officer, called locally, including the victims. My memory very important points which have been him. If I wanted to demonize Corry I would is that a decade of the Rosary was said for overlooked in the melee of controversy have reported what Sean Culhane thought the souls of all those involved. I have which followed the publication of my book of him and I could have quoted any number checked with several others who were The Year Of Disappearances. He is quite of outrageous comments he made himself there that evening and they agree with this correct to state that Martin Corry was in the Dail and County Council chambers. version of events. It may not have been a merely the captain of the Knockraha com- Far from demonizing Corry, I downplayed prayer sessions as such, but prayers were pany of the IRA. As such, he was a minor the more lurid of the material relating to said and the victims were included in the figure in the conflict in Cork. He is also him because he was well down in the chain prayers. Indeed, to do otherwise would correct to state that the Company had a of command and because decisions as to have been profoundly unchristian. special status in the Brigade as it operated who to execute were taken elsewhere. James Fitzgerald seems to be under the two bomb factories and rang [sic] Sing The other reason for not dwelling on impression that he is the only one to have Sing, the 'official Brigade prison', as Martin Corry's role and that of the Knockraha left an account of the operation of Sing Corry called it in his IRA pension applica- Company is that James Fitzgerald himself Sing. He is not. The accounts of Mick tion form. And he is correct to say that Ned had already written in detail about it. His Leahy, Sean Culhane, Edmond Desmond Moloney, the 'Governor of Sing Sing' was book is one of the best pieces of local and others are all in the Ernie O'Malley directly answerable to Sean O'Hegarty on history written about the War of Independence notebooks in UCC, if Mr. Fitzgerald is the operation of the prison. Indeed, it is —largely because he went to the trouble interested in looking them up. I also spoke clear from Connie Neenan's accounts that of interviewing survivors from both sides to many others in the Knockraha area— Mike Canavan, the local company lieuten- of the political divide to produce a book several of my own relatives were members ant was probably the most important liaison which is a true account of what took place. of the Company, so I'm not exactly an between the Knockraha Company and the The daring and bravery of these men is not outsider in this regard—though I was not battalions in Cork city. Sing Sing was run in question nor is the ingenuity of those aware of Sing Sing myself until 1994. As by the Brigade and the fate of prisoners who ran the bomb factories. I think the James Fitzgerald stated, a Mrs. Prendergast was decided by Brigade officers, not be book should be required reading for anyone raised questions about the human remains Martin Corry. None of this is contradicted interested in the period. found by Tim Driscoll on his land in the in my work. Many of those involved in the Jim Fitzgerald further claims that I say early 1960s. When she inquired about the running of Sing Sing, ordinary everyday in my book that Corry was involved in matter she found that there was no record Volunteers, were traumatized by their ethnic cleansing. I said no such thing. The of the find in Watergrasshill Garda station. experiences of executions at night in the only reference to ethnic cleansing in my James Fitzgerald states that she did this in Rea and lived with nightmares for the rest book is my belief that the departure of 2001 but I was told about the original of their lives. Unlike them, Corry does not Protestants from parts of Cork city could episode in 1992. Her inquiries had nothing appear to have been so affected. not be regarded as ethnic cleansing if only to do with the cover-up, which took place Yet James Fitzgerald claims that I tried because they were largely replaced by in the early 1960s. Whether Corry quashed to demonize Martin Corry in my book. other Protestants. And I would agree with it or not is largely beside the point. Since Corry, however, is as minor figure in the James Fitzgerald's assessment of Corry as my book came out I have been told about book as he was in the conflict itself. In being non-sectarian. There is no evidence several instances of skeletons turning up fact, I was extremely restrained in my that Corry was sectarian, nor do I claim in fields in the area—and in one instance portrayal of Corry, considering the archival that he was in my book. The only instance in a quarry. In each case, the bones were material I had at my disposal. It is true that of Corry being involved in the execution quietly reburied. no survivor of the Company left an account of Protestants was the killing of Edward It is inevitable that the media will focus with the Bureau of Military History so you Parsons when he stated that other YMCA on the more lurid details of an underground could say that no account in the BMH said members were executed on foot of inform- cavern in a graveyard from which prisoners that Martin Corry shot anyone. However, ation extracts from Parsons. It is clear were taken at night for execution. As far it is not true to say that Knockraha is not from that account—Jim Fitzgerald's own as I am concerned Sing Sing was merely mention in the BMH submissions. Sean —that Corry had very little idea what the the starting point for the process of inquiry Healy in his submission referred to Knock- YMCA was, let alone that he had any that resulted in The Year Of Disappearances. raha as the 'unknown destination' from personal animosity against Protestants. I cannot be held responsible for what which people did not returned. If I had In fact, years later, he was in the best of others write on the subject. I was reluctant wanted to demonize Martin Corry, I would terms with Brooke Brazier, his Protestant to get into this as Jim Fitzgerald is a decent have reported how Corry himself gloated TD electoral rival. And Corry upright man and is portrayed as such in to Ernie O'Malley about the patriotic activ- got on perfectly well with his Protestant my book. However, for the record, it is ities of 'Corry's Mauser', or how Mick neighbours. But then, I never said that he important to distinguish between what I Leahy described the treatment of prisoners did not. wrote and what he thinks I wrote. by the men who operated Sing Sing. If I James Fitzgerald also states that 'we Gerard Murphy

5 doubt surrounding the result would inevit- ably be exploited by the losing applicant.

The Moriarty Tribunal, Volume 2 THE TASK OF MORIARTY Part 2, Before delving into the minutiae of the Report it is worth taking a step back in In last month's Irish Political Review competition with the existing State mono- order to obtain some perspective. The the first volume of the second part of the poly. My impression is that the Government licence was awarded to Esat Digifone. Moriarty Report was reviewed. This could have retained the open-ended or The legal contracts were signed in May largely dealt with alleged payments made "auction" element of the competition if it 1996. It is generally agreed that Esat by Denis O'Brien to . had confined it to an annual royalty fee (as successfully competed against the State- O'Brien has always denied that he gave envisaged by the previous Fianna Fáil-led owned Eircell by building an alternative even one red cent to Lowry. Last month it Government) while also imposing such a network. The owners of Esat did what was concluded that the evidence adduced fee on Eircell. Nevertheless, the Government they said they would do. Moriarty has by Moriarty against O'Brien was weak to agreed to put a cap on the access fee at £15 been enquiring into a process whose the point of non existence. million. In my view this completely changed outcome has been satisfactory. If the In the second volume of his Report the nature of the competition. If, as turned process was flawed, it is by no means clear Moriarty examined the possible favours out to be the case, all the applicants were that there were any damaging consequ- which Lowry gave in return for the alleged prepared to pay the maximum amount of ences. By any reasonable measure the payments. This reviewer can only conclude £15 million for the licence, the "auction" time and expense involved in this inquiry that, if O'Brien paid even one red cent, he element would cease to have any importance has been out of all proportion to the was grossly overcharged. in distinguishing the applicants. The "problem" which it seeks to ameliorate. competition would, in effect, have been At the beginning of Volume Two of his transformed from being a "hybrid" to a BACKGROUND Report consisting of 1,700 pages, Moriarty Before discussing the findings of the beauty contest pure and simple. claims that it is not the role of the Tribunal Moriarty Report it is worth reviewing the As a result of the changed criteria, the to adjudicate on the "fairness, objectivity reason for the awarding of a second mobile closing date for applications was deferred or legality of the award". Nor is its role to phone licence. The decision was prompted until 5th August 1995. Accordingly, a decide on whether Esat Digifone "should by an EU Directive requiring competition decision on the award of the licence was or should not have been the winner". Its in the mobile phone market. put back a month to the end of November. only role was to decide on whether Lowry The Fianna Fáil/Labour Coalition had The Department's approach to the conferred a benefit. proposed an access fee of £3 million for competition was, first of all, to appoint a This in my view is a little disingenuous. the successful applicant, plus an open- consultant to design a tender document. Firstly, according to media reports, ended annual royalty, which the State The tender document or "Request for Moriarty's provisional finding declared owned telecommunications company Eir- Proposals" (RFP) was designed by KPMG that the licence was awarded "illegally". cell would also pay. Following the collapse Consultants. This document formed the So it would be more accurate to say that, of the Reynolds-led Government at the basis for the launch of the competition. having failed to sustain a charge of il- end of 1994 Michael Lowry was appointed The Department also decided that outside legality, he decided it was not his role to Minister for Transport, Enterprise and consultants would be appointed for the pronounce on the legality of the award. Communications. The launch of the com- evaluation process. Unusually, the consult- Secondly, in my opinion, the Report petition for the licence was in March 1995 ants who were appointed to help evaluate goes way beyond assessing whether Lowry with changed Terms of Reference. The the applications were not the same consult- conferred a benefit. It examines critically open-ended annual royalty was dropped. ants who designed the RFP document. A technical aspects of the Report over which Instead, the up-front access fee was to be Danish firm, Andersen Management Lowry could not have had any influence. open-ended with a minimum fee of £5 International (AMI), was appointed for Moriarty even employed a consultant, million. This financial criterion was ranked the evaluation process. Peter Bacon, to second-guess the recom- fourth among a list of other criteria relating The Department set up a Project Team, mendations of AMI. The Report is, in to the roll-out of the service. consisting of civil servants from the various effect, a re-running of the licence The competition, as launched in March divisions of the Department of Transport, competition. 1995, was described as a hybrid: it had, on Enterprise and Communications, as well the one hand, elements of an auction where as personnel from the Department of CONCLUSIONS the highest bidder won; and, on the other Finance. This Project Team was to work Rather than give a blow by blow hand, a beauty contest where the "best" closely with AMI with a view to making account of the 1700 pages I propose to plan was awarded the licence. a recommendation for consideration by start at the end of the Report with the All applicants were obliged to pay a Government. Conclusions and then return to the body of non-refundable fee of £5k. The closing The evolution of the process from a the Report to assess if the Conclusions are date for applications was originally 23rd hybrid auction/beauty contest to a "beauty warranted by the evidence. June 1995 and a decision on the award contest" was fraught with danger. Since Moriarty begins the Conclusion section was planned for the end of October that the criteria for success would be largely of the Report with the following criticisms year. qualitative rather than quantitative any of the process: However, in June the EU Commission result would be open to question. Also, lodged an objection to the criteria for the the beauty contest form ensured, in my 1) The quantitative limb of the evaluation competition. It objected to the open-ended view, that the licence was even more process was excluded licence fee element. This was on the lucrative than would otherwise be the 2) An irregular application of weightings grounds that it would have restricted case. In a game of such high stakes any 3) Deficiency of financial weightings 6 4) Erosion of Project Group as decision was little doubt that the winners would be OTHER CRITICISMS maker embarking on a profitable enterprise. So The 'erosion of the Project Group as 5) Consultants provide no guarantee— the banks would not be throwing good decision maker' has also nothing to do budgetary problems. money after bad. with Michael Lowry. Moriarty claims that 6) Emergence of problems in licensing There is no suggestion by Moriarty there were flaws in the operation of the process not dealt with. anywhere in his long Report that AMI Project Group. There was no "constitution" came under any influence from Michael for this group, nor were there standing TECHNICAL CRITICISMS Lowry. However, in Chapter 51 he says orders. Minutes of the group's meetings The first three points are technical that Peter Bacon "continued to hold the were confined to decisions that had been criticisms of AMI, the consultants emp- view that Mr Andersen was manipulated". made (the members of the group may not loyed to assist in the evaluation process. There is not a shred of evidence adduced have considered themselves to be archiv- Moriarty, with the help of his own consult- to support this bald statement. There is not ists). Also, different members had different ant Peter Bacon, is second-guessing the even speculation as to how Anderson was levels of influence. Apparently, the most professional judgements of AMI. In my manipulated or by whom. The statement influential members were the Chairman view this goes beyond the scope of the is just left hanging there with no visible of the Group, Martin Brennan (who was in Tribunal's Terms of Reference, which was means of support. charge of the development division of the to examine improper influence exerted by Despite the speculation of Bacon, the Telecommunications division) and his Michael Lowry. above three criticisms are technical mat- deputy, Fintan Towey. Even if these three criticisms were ters. The reader can choose between two Moriarty makes the point that employ- within the Terms of Reference, it is by no experts. On the one hand there is the ing consultants is no guarantee of a correct means certain that they are valid criticisms. opinion of Peter Bacon who is something decision. He also refers to the budgetary Michael Andersen of AMI made a number of a jack of all trades. As well as advising problems of AMI. The original contract of points in defence of his methodology. on telecommunications competitions, he put a cap on fees to AMI at about 300k. The quantitative limb of the evaluation has consulted on NAMA and many years AMI demanded that this ceiling be lifted became almost irrelevant following the ago also turned his hand to property price since the workload had increased as a intervention of the EU. As indicated above, inflation (his conclusion, as far as I remem- result of the changes in the terms of the the competition had been transformed from ber, was that the market would solve this reference of the competition following a hybrid auction/beauty contest to a beauty problem by encouraging greater supply). the EU intervention. A compromise was contest pure and simple. For example if, On the other hand there is Michael Andersen reached in which AMI received an extra as in the case of an auction, the winning and AMI which specialise in telecommun- amount on condition that it complied with candidate had bid an enormous amount of ications competitions and have consulted strict reporting deadlines. Again, it is money to obtain the licence, there might on such competitions in over 100 countries. difficult to see the relevance of all this. be a serious question over the financial In my opinion Andersen is a more None of these problems can be attributed viability of the project. However, with a credible expert, but Moriarty disagrees. to Lowry. However, it would be under- cap put on the licence fee, financial criteria Indeed, he is quite protective of Bacon. In standable if this made shocking reading become less important since the winner of response to criticism from Denis O'Brien's for Moriarty. Here was a world of financial the project was much more likely to recoup lawyers, Moriarty says: "aspersions constraints and strict deadlines, a world the initial investment. sought to be cast on the professionalism, that appears to be unknown to this Tribunal. Regarding point 2 above Andersen objectivity and standing of Mr Bacon were Moriarty identifies problems following argued that the RFP document, which unwarranted, ill-judged and wholly the selection of Esat Digifone in October AMI did not design, was vague. As a unsustained". 1995 and before signing of the contracts consequence it does not seem unreasonable On the other hand here is Moriarty's in May 1996. Among the problems were: for AMI to change the weightings of the rather pompous view of Andersen: the financial weakness of O'Brien's part of various evaluation criteria to take account the consortium (Communicorp, later Esat of the content of the applications. "…the tribunal is left with a clear Holdings); and the change of ownership. Point 3 on the deficiency of the financial impression that the weight, reliability I have already dealt with the issue of the weighting is a constant theme throughout and extent of accurate recollection apparent from Mr Andersen's evidence financial weakness of Communicorp. I the Report. Denis O'Brien's Communicorp fell so appreciably below what might will deal with the issue of the change of (later Esat Holdings) was considered a have been expected as to amount to very ownership in greater detail later in this weak element in the Esat Digifone consort- little assistance to the Tribunal on those article. But it should be said that it appears ium. However, Esat's partner, Telenor, matters that were of major consequence. that Esat Digifone is damned if it does and was a very profitable and well-financed Indeed, the assurance conveyed by his damned if it doesn't. The attempts by O' company. Esat Digifone's main competitor solicitors, as late as 20th October, 2010, Brien to involve Dermot Desmond in the Persona had also a weak financial link. that he would attend, 'to give evidence to assist the Tribunal with its enquiries on Consortium were precisely to address the However, it was always likely that all the the 26th October, next' must, in all the perception of financial weakness. The elements of the winning consortium would circumstances, be viewed as verging on reasoning of Moriarty would not be out of have no difficulty in obtaining finance. It the incongruous". place in Joseph Heller's famous novel was the view of AMI and the Department's Catch 22. The only way Esat Digifone project team that "bankability" was more I will return to the issue of Michael could address its perceived financial weak- relevant than the existing financial position Andersen's credibility. At this point it ness was to change its ownership structure; of consortium members. should be stressed that, while Bacon but changing its ownership structure, in Peter Bacon in his Report for the Trib- disagrees with Andersen, he does not say Moriarty's opinion, is forbidden. unal disagrees with the concept of that Esat Digifone should not have won. "bankability". He says: "bankability was All he is saying is that it is "impossible to Once a recommendation had been not a remedy for insolvency". But there say who won". made, Michael Lowry and the Depart- 7 ment's project team wanted the decision that, if the second-ranked applicant, Per- evidence was that he was responding to to be implemented. They did not want to sona, had won, it would have been a big rumours that he had heard from his undermine their decision after October nest egg for a Fianna Fail politician. The programme manager. Needless to say, 1995 by continuing to pick holes in it. The relevant politician was Albert Reynolds. Moriarty finds Towey's impression more focus of the Department was to negotiate Moriarty assures us that there was no credible. Indeed, for reasons that are a legally-binding contract with a view to foundation to this gossip. There is no unclear, he finds Lowry's version "wholly the timely rolling out of the alternative evidence that such gossip reached the ears improbable". mobile phone network. Moriarty, on the of AMI or the project team. The body of Lowry's "influence" over the project other hand, thinks that the recommendation the Report also mentions that Lowry team was also reflected in his ability to should really have been a discussion docu- believed that Denis O'Brien was a Fianna obtain information from it. Moriarty says ment and any problems that emerged Fáiler, possibly because one of Esat this "coincided" with a deviation in the during the period of negotiation should Digifone's consultants was the well-known evaluation criteria as well as the erosion have prompted the Department and Gov- FF personality P.J. Mara. of the project group. It is fortunate that ernment to revisit its decision to award the This is not the only piece of gossip in Moriarty uses the verb "coincide" rather licence to Esat Digifone. In my opinion, it the Report. Although, the following inci- than "cause", since the idea that the mere is difficult to see how any decision could dent does not make it to the conclusion of act of seeking information would have be made on a timely basis if the Moriarty the Report, Moriarty cannot resist mention- any influence on the evaluation criteria or approach was adopted. ing a conversation, which occurred at the the functioning of the project team is too Aintree racing festival in April 1995. ridiculous to even consider. LOWRY'S INFLUENCE Apparently, the financier Dermot Des- It is noteworthy that Moriarty does not As will be gathered by the reader, a mond said to the Chairman of the Persona claim that Lowry ever expressed any large part of the conclusions and indeed Group, Tony Boyle, that he would not be preference to the project team before a the body of the Report relate to matters, involved in the Esat consortium. Accord- recommendation was made. which have nothing to do with the influence ing to Boyle, Desmond also said that he of Michael Lowry. This leads me to the knew who Denis O'Brien would use to APPLICATION OF GUILLOTINE conclusion that Moriarty, for whatever "get at" Lowry. Desmond denies that this Once a recommendation was made reason, wishes to re-run the competition conversation ever took place. There was Lowry was anxious that a final decision rather than confine his enquiry to an another member of the Persona group at be made as soon as possible. It should be examination of any improper influence Aintree. This was Michael McGinley said that Lowry had no influence over the exerted by Michael Lowry. (father of the golfer Paul). McGinley timetable over which the recommendation On the question of influence exerted by remembers Boyle telling him that Des- for Esat Digifone was made (the end of Lowry, Moriarty appears to believe that mond would not be involved with Esat October). His influence was over the all influence exerted by Lowry is neces- Digifone, but doesn't recall the bit about political response to the recommendation. sarily "improper". Indeed, he also thinks O'Brien knowing who to use to get at The original plan was that the Government that Lowry should have made himself Lowry. Moriarty thinks that Boyle's would deliberate over the recommendation impervious to being influenced. version is correct on the grounds that, if over a period of a month. What happened When the project team was set up there Boyle was lying, he would have made a was that the decision was made a very was a set of protocols issued for the mem- more damning allegation. Of course, short time after the recommendation. bers of the team, which also applied to Moriarty is not one to gossip, but he In the Conclusion section of the Report AMI. Members should not meet applicants thought he would mention it nevertheless. Moriarty says that nobody could explain socially. All meetings with applicants why the process needed to be accelerated. should be on a formal basis. At formal But in the body of the Report it is stated meetings there should always be more INFLUENCE ON PROJECT TEAM In my view the "influence" which that four different people independently than one member of the project team Lowry exerted over the project team was advised Lowry to make a quick announce- present. These seem to be sensible, but trivial. Lowry made a phone call in early ment. Lowry's Press Officer, Joe Jennings, should the same protocols be applied to September 1995 to Martin Brennan, the advised an announcement be made immed- the Minister? Moriarty believes they Chairman of the project team. When the iately after the next Cabinet meeting to should have. However, this is a very moot receptionist could not access Brennan, the avoid unauthorised leaks. Martin Brennan, point. Apart from the practicalities of Minister was put through to his deputy, the Chairman of the project group and preventing access to Irish politicians, in Fintan Towey. Towey says that Lowry Michael Andersen of AMI also advised a my view there is a strong case for demo- asked him about the progress of the quick announcement for similar reasons. cratic supervision (through the Minister) competition and in particular whether the John Loughrey the Secretary General of of the work of the Civil Service. result was a foregone conclusion. The the Department advised Michael Lowry Of course, nobody could justify Minis- reason for the phone call was that Lowry of the decision on 25th October 1995. terial intervention to the disadvantage of had heard that Persona would win the Loughrey said in evidence that he was the State. However, there is absolutely no competition because of fears that one of under the impression that this was the first evidence that Lowry's influence was of its members, Motorola, would pull out of time that Lowry had been appraised of the this kind. So how does Moriarty say Lowry Ireland resulting in a loss of thousands of decision. He advised Lowry that the did influence the process? jobs. Towey assured him that the result approval of the Party Leaders and the GOSSIP was not a foregone conclusion and a Minister for Finance should be sought The influence ranges from the trivial to decision had not been made. Towey was that day to avoid the potential for inter- the slightly less trivial. In descending order under the impression that Lowry was ference and lobbying. Moriarty considers of triviality, Moriarty says Lowry shared asking the question on behalf of another all of this irrelevant. Indeed, he believes a rumour with his Fine Gael colleagues applicant in the competition, but Lowry's that the Secretary General's evidence was 8 without "foundation in reality". According If Lowry was "reprehensible", John say it was "indiscreet". It's interesting that to Moriarty, Lowry had made his decision Bruton was complicit or at least acquies- the French State (through its Embassy as far back as 3rd October 1995 and other cent in the reprehensible action. In this officials) could take an active role in the advice agreeing with him was therefore Conclusion section Moriarty goes on to competition, but the Irish State was obliged fortuitous. say Civil Servants— to be supine. Lowry followed Loughrey's advice (or "found themselves at an irregular and In the event the proposed deal with as Moriarty might prefer: decided inde- improper intersection of business and O'Brien and France Telecom never hap- pendently on a course of action, which by politics in the persons of Mr. Michael pened because O'Brien felt that France chance happened to coincide with all the Lowry and Denis O'Brien, of which they Telecom was not serious, but the long advice he had received). He met the had no knowledge at any time." business lunches in Paris were very good! Taoiseach John Bruton later that day. They were influenced by the devious The second favour bestowed on O'Brien Bruton's diary record of the meeting indi- duo even though they didn't know they was information given by Lowry in a pub cates that Lowry said that "Albert had were?! conversation after the All Ireland Final on promised it to Motorola" (i.e. the Persona Moriarty adds that Lowry's actions were 17th September 1995. This is dealt with in Consortium). According to Bruton, Lowry a "cynical and venal abuse of office". Chapter 27, which begins in a sneering also said that, if the Government did not There is certainly an arguable case that style in which the word "happened" is follow the recommendation, it would be the Government should not have acted as repeatedly used in a sarcastic manners as subject to a legal challenge as was the case a rubber stamp for the recommendations in O'Brien just "happened" to meet Lowry in Italy. Moriarty says this was inaccurate. of the Civil Service or outside consultants. on that day. Lowry said in evidence that he meant the But to hold the contrary view is hardly It appears that, for whatever reason, Belgian Government. Moriarty does not "reprehensible". The Government, or to O'Brien sought out Lowry after the match. say if the substitution of the country be more precise the leaders of the Govern- They made contact in Hartigans but this Belgium for Italy would have made the ment Parties as well as the Minister for pub was too noisy and they decided to statement accurate or not. Lowry also Finance, were presented with a highly repair to Houricans. As clandestine con- indicated that the Minister for Finance technical Report which was giving a clear spiracies go, this was probably not the Ruairi Quinn had a brother, Lochlann recommendation. There was no obvious most sophisticated. Quinn, involved in the third-placed consor- reason of State for rejection of this recom- O'Brien and Lowry have always denied tium and therefore should not be involved mendation. that that Licence was discussed. O'Brien in discussions of the winner. It is interesting that Moriarty appears to in an interview with Pat Kenny said that The decision to grant Esat Digifone believe that the process leading up to the he discussed matters relating to his fixed exclusive negotiations rights for the award recommendation should be completely line business because the Licence was of the Licence was ratified by a Cabinet sealed off from political influence and considered a taboo subject. Moriarty, on Committee (not a full cabinet meeting) yet, after the recommendation, there the other hand, considers the idea that the consisting of the Minister for Finance, should be total discretion on behalf of licence was not discussed "bereft of Lowry and the party leaders of the coalition Government. However, in my opinion credibility". parties (Bruton, Spring and de Rossa). Moriarty was yet again going beyond his There is some corroborating evidence Lowry, on that evening, made a public Terms of Reference. It was not the function to support Moriarty. Per Simonsen, a senior announcement of the decision that had of the Tribunal to pronounce on how the Telenor Executive, told the Tribunal that been made. Government conducted itself. The Tribu- O'Brien had been told by Lowry that Esat It seems to me that, apart from the piece nal's concern should have been only the Digifone needed to have Dermot Desmond of groundless, political gossip concerning actions of Michael Lowry. Was it reason- on board. But Simonsen also said that he Albert Reynolds, Lowry's comments to able for the Minister to truncate the time didn't take what O'Brien said seriously. At Bruton were reasonable. But that is not for political consideration of the recom- the time O'Brien was pushing for Dermot how Moriarty sees it. In the body of the mendation? Given the advice that was Desmond to invest in the consortium. Report he says: available to him it is difficult to impute Unlike other potential investors, Desmond "In securing what was de facto Govern- any sinister motive for his action. was prepared to put money up front before ment approval, otherwise than through the awarding of the licence. Even more the route of bringing a recommendation LOWRY'S "FAVOURS" TO O'BRIEN important from O'Brien's perspective, to Cabinet on foot of an Aide Memoire, Moriarty gives two examples of favours Desmond was going to underwrite O' or a Memorandum for Government, or given by Lowry to O'Brien. The first is Brien's share of the consortium. So, if even by deferring the matter to the sched- quite trivial. In April 1995 Lowry recom- O'Brien could not access finance from uled Cabinet meeting the following day, all of the procedures which had so care- mended that O'Brien approach France other sources, Desmond was prepared to fully been put in place by Mr. Bruton and Telecom with a view to making an appli- step in. his colleagues, when the Rainbow Coal- cation with this company. April 1995 was The Telenor Executives must have been ition entered Government were rendered after the competition was launched but amused at O'Brien's chutzpah. Even of no application to the GSM decision." before the applications had been submitted. though O'Brien would have been the main In my opinion it was reasonable for a beneficiary of Desmond's participation, In the conclusion section of the Report Minister to encourage applications. Lowry he wanted Desmond's increased share of he says: had apparently heard that France Telecom Esat Digifone to be at the expense of "but even more reprehensibly he {i.e. along with officials of the French Embassy Telenor! Lowry—JM} sought to overreach his had met Department officials in connection Even though Telenor didn't take O'Brien own party leader, the Taoiseach Mr. John with the licence competition. Bruton TD, by intimating that the seriously in this instance Moriarty, for government should have no discretion in Moriarty falls short of saying that once, does. But in my opinion the idea that the matter." Lowry's behaviour was improper, but does Lowry would advise O'Brien to encourage 9 Desmond to invest in Digifone is—to use also says that Lowry met Tony Boyle, the intention to make a submission in some a Moriarty phrase—"bereft of credibility". Chairman of the Persona Group, at Fitz form. Lowry had no known connection with Patrick's Hotel, Killiney on 16th August To be legalistic about it, Esat Digifone Desmond. Indeed the associations with 1995. Boyle was allowed make a sales did not make a submission to the Project Desmond would have been in the opposite pitch directly to Lowry. Although Lowry Group after the closing date of direction. Desmond was associated with was accompanied by a Fine Gael col- submissions. IIU, a company owned by Charlie Haughey and the Irish Financial league, this person remained at the bar Dermot Desmond, sent a document to the Services Centre. while Boyle and Lowry discussed the Project Group's designated fax. The But let us assume that O'Brien and licence competition at a separate table. document indicated that it would Lowry's memory is faulty or that they Moriarty concludes that, if Lowry was underwrite O'Brien's share of the were lying. While it is almost impossible quite prepared to discuss the licence consortium as well as the balance of shares to imagine that Lowry could have advised competition with Boyle and O'Reilly, what not owned by either O'Brien's company or O'Brien to ensure that Desmond would possible constraint would have prevented Telenor. Esat Digifone was advised by invest in Esat Digifone, it is just about him from discussing the licence with William Fry solicitors. It is obvious that possible that he would have said that Esat O'Brien in Houricans on 17th September there was considerable thought put into Digifone's weak point was the financial 1995? the content of the document as well as the fragility of the O'Brien element of the It is difficult to fault Moriarty's logic on source (IIU rather than Esat Digifone). It consortium. this. But there is another obvious conclu- is inconceivable that all of this was What would have been the value of this sion that can be drawn from Lowry's dreamed up at an impromptu meeting piece of information? It is very noticeable behaviour, which does not seem to have between Denis O'Brien and Michael that Moriarty produces evidence to support occurred to Moriarty. If Lowry was Lowry at Hourican's pub. one theory he holds, but ignores the same "indiscreet" or "imprudent", his in- Nevertheless, Moriarty has no evidence if it does not support another discretion and imprudence was not hesitation in stating that the IIU submission theory he has. For example, in Chapter 48 confined to the Esat Digifone application; was a breach of the competition rules. of the Report he says that the Programme it was relatively even-handed between the Also, in the Conclusion section of his Manager for Dick Spring, Greg Sparks, various applicants. Report, he says that the meeting in was "surprised" in October 1995 that Esat There was one big problem with the Hourican's was a "profoundly Digifone was awarded the Licence. The meeting at Houricans which, notwithstand- reprehensible occasion" ("reprehensible" reason why he was surprised was that he ing Lowry's habitual indiscretion, suggests seems to be Moriarty's favourite word). "knew" of the financial frailty of the O' that it is possible that the Licence was not So, how did the Project group respond Brien element of the Esat Digifone con- discussed. A few days before that meeting to the IIU submission? There were only sortium. In this Chapter the reader is invited the oral hearings of the applicants had two members who had sight of the to conclude that Esat Digifone should not been completed. The Project Group had document. These were Martin Brennan have been awarded the licence because indicated that they would not accept any and Fintan Towey. This must have Sparks, a Chartered Accountant who had more submissions from applicants. So, presented a dilemma for them. On the one no direct involvement in the licence unlike with the Boyle meeting of a month hand the submission was in breach of the competition, "knew" that there was a weak before, if Lowry had revealed anything of spirit if not the letter of the rules. On the financial link in the Esat Digifone consort- interest to O'Brien it would have been of other hand the information materially ium. And, of course, the Bookies' favourite limited value. affected the strength of the Esat Digifone was the Persona Group. How does Moriarty overcome this bid. Brennan decided that the document If Lowry had told O'Brien in that pub hurdle? The answer is that he makes, in would not be shown or mentioned to either on All Ireland day that Esat Digifone's my opinion, a big leap of faith. Here is AMI or the remaining members of the weak point was the financial frailty of what he says: Project Group. There is absolutely no O'Brien's company, he would have been "The Tribunal likewise considers it evidence that Michael Lowry was even telling him no more than what the "dogs in unworthy of belief that Mr Lowry did not aware of the document at the time. the streets" or "informed" sources would give some comfort to Mr O'Brien on the Moriarty thinks that Lowry may have have told him. The information that Lowry consequences of notifying that inform- been aware of the document months after communicated would most definitely not ation {i.e. Dermot Desmond's involve- October 1995. The "evidence" is an ment in the Esat Digifone consortium— have been "inside knowledge", since we JM} to the Department notwithstanding unscripted Dáil statement which does not now know that AMI and the Project Group the competition rules which prohibited even mention Dermot Desmond or IIU. had come to the conclusion that the "beauty the submission of further information But even Moriarty could find no evidence contest" nature of the competition had after the conclusion of oral presentations." to indicate that Lowry did anything about rendered the financial aspect less important the submission (e.g. attempting to ensure than was widely perceived at the time. There is absolutely no evidence to sup- that it would be circulated). Lowry's information therefore would have port this theory. Again we see how Mori- arty examines the evidence in a one-sided been less than helpful. CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP manner. He says that, at the end of the Esat The most disturbing aspect of the Another example of Moriarty's one- Digifone oral submission, Denis O'Brien Tribunal's Report relates to the change of sided examination of the evidence is the asked if the project group would accept ownership of Esat Digifone. But the conclusion that he draws from contacts more submissions. Moriarty tells us this "disturbing aspect" does not relate to the that Lowry had made with other applicants to establish that O'Brien was fully aware "reprehensible" behaviour of Denis in the competition. Moriarty says that that, if he did make a submission, he O'Brien, Dermot Desmond or Michael Lowry told Anthony O'Reilly of Independ- would be breaking the rules. However, Lowry; it relates to the conduct of the ent Newspapers at a business function the fact that O'Brien asked the question Tribunal itself. that his consortium had not done well. He also indicates that it was always his 10 In Esat Digifone's original submission the structure of its ownership providing The Tribunal lawyers, apparently, it was proposed that O'Brien's company the service would not be compromised. picked Andersen up on a minor inconsist- (Communicorp) would own 40%, Telenor But it did not mean that the ownership ency between a statement he made in would own 40% and the balance would be changes that had already been implement- 2002 and and one made in 2010. In 2002 financed by AIB, Bank of Ireland, Standard ed were legally valid. At this stage common a statement from Andersen said that he Life among others. The problem was that sense goes out the window. didn't know why Lowry made a prompt these latter institutions were not financing The facts of the matter are that the two announcement on 25th October 1995, any of the costs of the application and principals in the Esat Digifone consortium shortly after the recommendation was there was no binding commitment to raise had precisely the same percentage share- made to give exclusive negotiating rights finance in the event of Esat Digifone holding on the signing of the contract in to Esat Digifone, but he agreed with winning the competition. A venture capital May 1996 as they had proposed in the Lowry's action. But in 2010 he said that company called Advent, which owned closing date for applications on 5th August Lowry had followed his strong advice to 34% of Communicorp, also indicated that 1995. Martin Brennan. Moriarty concludes that it would invest in Esat Digifone, but this because there is an inconsistency between was not a legally-binding commitment. Even more damning from the Tribunal's the statement in 2002, in which Andersen point of view is that the Tribunal lawyers does not know why Lowry made his O'Brien felt that this was a weakness in were told in October 2002 that the advice prompt announcement, and the statement the bid. He also may have felt that his own was not just forward-looking but also in 2010 in which he says that Lowry was position within the Esat Digifone consort- applied to ownership changes since the following the advice that he (Andersen) ium was vulnerable. It was for these application. And yet Moriarty was still gave to Martin Brennan, then Andersen's reasons that he sought the involvement of picking on the 'ownership bone' almost 8 evidence is not credible. In my opinion Dermot Desmond. It is unnecessary to go years later in 2010. Moriarty is really scraping the bottom of into all the twists and turns of the ownership the barrel here. The statement of 2010 is This is a shocking reflection on the structure of Esat Digifone. At one stage merely making an assumption that Lowry professionalism and objectivity of the Trib- the plan was to divide the cake in the ratio followed advice from Brennan, which he unal. Chapter 57 is a rambling incoherent 37.5%, 37.5% with the remaining 25% to (Andersen) had given. In the 2002 state- attempt to defend the indefensible. Desmond. At another stage O'Brien was ment he had declined to make that Justice Moriarty finishes the Chapter pushing for 50% ownership. Just before assumption. the signing of the legal contract in May with a quite disgraceful criticism of the 1996, Michael Lowry and the Department advice by Civil Servants to in There is one more point about Ander- insisted that the ownership structure should response to a parliamentary question from sen's evidence that is worthy of note. revert to a 40%, 40%, 20% ratio. This was . Andersen remarked that all the questions in line with the original application, except put to him by Tribunal Counsel related to that the original application gave the MICHAEL ANDERSEN Esat Digifone. None related to Persona. impression that the 20% not owned by One of the big weaknesses of the Report He would have liked matters relating to Communicorp and Telenor would be is that it fails to suggest that any improper Persona put to him on a like-for-like basis. widely dispersed. influence was exerted on Michael Ander- It is difficult to see how this "change" sen or AMI. And yet AMI recommended CONCLUSION of ownership could have affected the that Esat Digifone should be awarded the The Moriarty Report has been a scandal- validity of the award. Nevertheless, the licence. The best (or should that be worst?) ous waste of time and money. It has had Department through a letter from Fintan that Moriarty can do is to suggest that the effect of undermining confidence in Towey felt it necessary to refer the matter Andersen was untrustworthy and incom- the institutions of the State for no good to the Attorney General's Office. The petent. Andersen did not want to appear purpose. The legal profession should never Attorney General's Office, of course, had before the Tribunal without an indemnity again be accorded such power by the its own legal expertise, but decided to because he perceived that the Tribunal State. It is time that the democratic rep- seek external legal advice. was hostile to him. The State refused to resentatives of the State reassert themselves. In a letter of 9th May 1996 Richard grant him this indemnity. Nesbitt SC expressed the following When he eventually appeared before NOTE: opinion: the Tribunal, the manner in which he was There was an error in the article on the "If one analyses why the Minister is questioned showed that his original Moriarty Report in the May issue of the concerned about the ownership of shares suspicions were well founded. The Tribu- Irish Political Review. I stated that Fine in the licensee the only legitimate concern nal called him in response to a letter from Gael had received the $50,000 dollars he can have is that if there is a change of Denis O'Brien's solicitors. He was origin- from David Austin. In fact, John Bruton ownership the service that has to be pro- ally due to appear in July 2010 but this was initially refused the amount and Fine Gael vided will in some way be compromised. Rather the licensee has been awarded the postponed until later. In the meantime only later accepted the money some time licence because its plans and proposals Moriarty discovered that O'Brien had later under the impression that it was a were the most meritorious and it provided given Andersen the indemnity that he had personal contribution from David Austin. a funding plan which looked feasible. required. It could be said that this was an example of There is no reason why any of these Moriarty is shocked at this. The Tribunal what Barry Moloney referred to as money matters have to be compromised because could have interviewed Andersen in July from O'Brien being "stuck with an inter- of a change of ownership." without knowing about this "clandestine" mediary". However, the amount claimed Moriarty chose to interpret this advice indemnity! This is really pathetic. The by Moloney was 100,000 and not about as being "forward looking". In other words, letter to the Tribunal indicating that Ander- £31,000 which was the Irish pound all it meant was that in the future the sen was available to give evidence came equivalent of $50,000. consortium would be entitled to change from O'Brien's solicitors! John Martin 11 GAA clubs—closed their doors to hide Their memorial is a very sad affair. Most their embarrassment. of those listed were deemed Easter Pat Sheehan said: "That ideal {for which "assassinated"—referring to the internal Commemorations the IRA fought} is a united and independent bloodletting rather than to the murderous republic, and in spite of what cynics and attacks on them earlier by the Official naysayers may say, an Irish Republic is IRA. SINN FÉIN,WEST BELFAST within our reach, a new Irish Republic, Their speaker was somewhat on the The largest Republican parade at Easter not the caricature that extremists {talk ball. The Belfast newspapers have recently was in West Belfast. It received one short about} at the minute." This was a position been celebrating the German blitz on paragraph in the Belfast Telegraph which taken up by Sinn Féin speakers elsewhere Belfast. I use the word "celebrating" said that: "…hundreds of people lined the and is put monthly in An Phoblacht. This advisedly. After all they celebrate the Falls Road as Sinn Féin leader Gerry was pushing things more than a bit! Though slaughter on the Somme all the time. The Adams led a parade…" There were thous- there is a definite Sinn Féin policy to reach speaker, knowing that this was topical, ands there. Gerry Adams was not. As well out to Protestants and their relationship said that there may not have been any blitz as the marchers and strollers, the pave- with the DUP is almost unbelievable. if more men had followed the likes of Jim ments were lined six deep cheering the But there is still a great gap between the Straney from the Falls and Billy Tumilson parade. Otherwise not a single Belfast likes of Frank Card or Jimmy Steele or from East Belfast and joined the Daily, or Southern national paper mention- Rory Brady in the early days, and the daily International Brigade in Spain. ed the parade at all. It was covered only by experience of Volunteers during the war. the Andersonstown News. The Protestants did not want a United EIRIGI Much space—often half to three- Ireland and proved it with force—ir- Next up was Eirigi. I was in Dublin in quarters of a page were given over to respective of how British policy chopped 2006 when this group started there. One of Martin McGuinness in Derry and to and changed. And they are still a long way their first actions was to print and distribute parades by Eirigi, IRSP, RSF, and others. from wanting unity. They hold the English a free large, full colour, gloss version of The oration at Milltown cemetery was and their Government in contempt. But the Proclamation: they claimed they were delivered by an extremely effective Pat the Royal and the Military attachments handing out 50,000. A very nice idea. But Sheehan, Gerry Adams' successor at (past and present) should never be under- who were they? Some people thought Stormont. Sheehan was one of the Long estimated. That, and their awareness of they were a breakaway from Ógra Sinn Kesh Hunger Strikers and would have how their ancestors came to be in Ireland. Féin. As a former printer, I had to wonder been the next to die if the Strike had not An awareness which strikes me as being where all the money came from. In been called off. He criticised other greater among Protestants than among Milltown I noticed that they were even Republican groups but never called them Catholics. (I might add the Decades of the giving away cloth Easter Lilies—everyone "dissidents", nor was he abusive in any Rosary on these occasions may strike else was selling the paper ones. way. The same applies to most Sinn Féin Protestants as somewhat less than welcom- Breandán Mac Cionnaith is now one of speakers at other rallies. ing.) There's a good video of the actual the main leaders. He was introduced to me A feature of this year's parades was march on Youtube. by an old Provo friend and turned out to be what might be called the IRA peeping out I spoke to some of those who marched one of those people who constantly look of the closet. Officially IRA units and with the three Scottish bands who took over your shoulder to see if there was commands have been transformed into part. They said that the bands were anyone more important around. (Not too Sinn Féin Cumainn and Ceann Comhair- originally set up by the Ancient Order of difficult, in my case!) Indeed, I was struck lean. Only the Army Council still has Hibernians. But in 1915 they, along with by the number of self-important, jumped- official existence. Even Unionists don't most members, left the AOH on Repub- up generals at the Eirigí commemoration bother any more commenting on this lican grounds following a meeting in —which numbered 3-400. At the end of it arrangement. Yet wreaths were laid at Glasgow. Joe Keenan confirms this and all I was no more aware of who they were. Milltown on behalf of the IRA GHQ and says that there was a similar breakaway in All I knew was that they had been cleared the IRA Belfast Brigade. West Ulster, leaving the AOH as a support of violent connections by the now defunct Sheehan said he had been a member of group, albeit a strong one, around Joe "Independent" Monitoring Commission, the IRA and there was only one IRA—and Devlin in West Belfast. I believe they and so safe enough to join. Their speakers these other groups were not it. I suspect retained a lot of influence in Derry. sounded no different to what speakers that all this had several reasons. There was from the Workers' Party have to say. Eirigí a put down of the smaller groups. There REPUBLICAN SINN FÉIN got over half a page coverage in the Irish was some reassurance to local commun- Earlier, Republican Sinn Féin held a News . ities which are plagued by anti-social small commemoration—about 30 people. The Workers' Party held their parade behaviour. And there was a nod to the But since the Continuity IRA are not on on the Sunday afternoon. It had about 200 British who are more and more hostile to ceasefire, it is reasonable for most mem- marchers and was less military in its Republicans (and, indeed, to Unionists bers not to turn out. The oration was given formation than in previous years. John like the DUP who co-operate with Repub- by a Dublin man and was more or less the Lowry, one of its candidates, concentrated licans). As mentioned last month, Cameron same mantra I've listened to since I was in on integrated education. Early that is still refusing to talk to Robinson or to my pram. But, to be fair, it is also more or morning a new group calling itself the McGuinness. less the same organisation. Official Republican Movement held a Several people commented that the ceremony at Milltown. The parade would have been even bigger if the RISH EPUBLICAN OCIALIST OVEMENT I R S M Andersonstown News gave full coverage pubs and clubs hadn't been packed with The IRSP, as they are still called, had to most events. people watching a Celtic versus Rangers about 400 supporters and stood at respect- A writer in the Andersonstown News match. Many of the clubs—especially the ful attention until the RSF had finished. suggested that all groups should get 12 together and have one Easter Commem- "The IRA by its nature was of the oration. It put me in mind of my father people and for the people. It could not inviting the Officials, the Provos, the IRPs, have survived and fought the British State Whodunit? the way it did if it was small and the White group, and God knows who unrepresentative. continued else, to a commemoration he was organis- "They [the IRA] were a revolutionary from outside the EU and another, the ing in Crossbarry. They turned up alright. force who when an opportunity to advance And then proceeded to beat the living the struggle for Irish unity through ECB, is independent of the EU. And the daylights out of each other. He said later peaceful means was established, removed essential EU representative, the Commis- that it was not one of his better thought out itself from the political equation." sion, was essentially an onlooker. And ideas! Also in Derry, the RSF (or one of its everyone knows that some Member States were also major players, off-stage but SINN FÉIN ARDOYNE varieties) and the INLA said that Martin The main Milltown Easter parade is not McGuinness should have been executed clearly visible and active participants altogether representative of Belfast. for decommissioning weapons and for during the whole process. This created Parades and ceremonies were also held in asking people to co-operate with the PSNI. inevitable confusion, indecision and Ardoyne, the Short Strand, Bawnmore, For this, former Republican hunger striker, delays. Lisbon, how are you? But why Carrickhill, Newington, New Lodge and Marion Price, who said nothing of the should this be the situation? New Barnsley. In Ardoyne about 400 kind, has been arrested. The ECB dominated for the simple people marched, cheered on by people in reason that it has a clear role and purpose— THE SOUTH their front gardens. MLA that is, to ensure the functioning of its As well as hundreds of events, North piece of the capitalist world, the Euro gave the oration—much similar to that of and South, there were the "official" com- Pat Sheehan. area, for the benefit of 'its' capitalism. No memorations. On April 24th a small other body has as clear a purpose. If there This writer discussed the 'hoods' [petty military event took place at the GPO. This criminals, in Belfast jargon] problem in was a greater purpose, then its represent- was attended by President McAleese, ative body would dominate. Ardoyne with a Sinn Fein leader some Margaret "poppy" Ritchie, Enda Kenny, days later. (During the march a "dissident" The ECB was doing what it is legally and Eamon Gilmore (the official wel- obliged to do and, if there is any doubt supporter complained about the large coming official—or is it Official?—for number of house break-ins and the drug about it, then one need only read Article 7 Queen Elizabeth). Two Hibernians, a Blue- of the Maastricht Treaty, which set it up dealing.) He said that the punishment Shirt and a Sticky. The public, such as it beatings and shootings in the past were and was passed in Ireland without any was, was kept well behind barriers at a need for second thoughts: usually counter-productive, as they created good distance. The most notable event enemies of whole families, and those was the loud celebration of Kenny's 60th "ARTICLE 7 punished wore their wounds as badges of birthday. "Irish men and Irish women, it's Independence honour. Enda's birthday..." In accordance with Article 107 of this (I found a similar view in Palestine and The event was not screened by the Treaty, when exercising the powers and South Lebanon where even informers were national TV—RTE. Kenny did take the carrying out the tasks and duties conferred no longer shot—though it was usually upon them by this Treaty and this Statute, opportunity to welcome "Her Majesty's" made clear that they would be better off neither the ECB, nor a national central forthcoming descent amongst us. A similar elsewhere. In both places there was also bank, nor any member of their decision- ceremony was held at Arbour Hill with making bodies shall seek or take instruct- the shame on families brought about by the same dramatis personae, but without ions from Community institutions or their wayward offspring.) the public—even behind barriers. bodies, from any Government of a Mem- The Shinner said that Sinn Fein mem- ber State or from any other body. The bers did speak to miscreants, but that THE REPUBLICAN KALEIDOSCOPE Community institutions and bodies and increasingly the PSNI was doing its job. Here I will do my best (which surely the governments of the Member States The big problem was the judiciary, which will not be good enough) to give a list or undertake to respect this principle and was constantly letting people off with a various republican tendencies. Sinn Féin not to seek to influence the members of the decision-making bodies of the ECB slap on the wrist. He reckoned that the (Provisional IRA—sort of); Republican Sinn Fein (Continuity IRA, now with or of the national central banks in the hoods were far more fearful of jail than performance of their tasks." they were of having their kneecaps re- separated groups in Limerick and Dun- arranged. (Personally I believe that the dalk); Republican Network for Unity In plain language the ECB is legally judiciary is heavily influenced by the (fraternal attitude towards Óglaigh na entitled to tell the whole EU to bugger off! British who are only too pleased to see hÉireann, whoever they might be); 32- chaos in Republican areas. Sinn Féin has County Sovereignty Movement (Real IRA Dan O'Brien of the Irish Times is a job on its hands.) with a splinter in Dundalk, which may or suddenly aghast at the reality: The Apprentice Boys also marched at may not have rejoined the main group); "The apparent willingness of the ECB Easter—mostly in Limavady. Their walk The Workers' Party (Official IRA); The to take action as drastic as insisting a by Ardoyne was uneventful as it usually Official Republican Movement (a com- sovereign state accept a bailout with so is. And they don't "march back" by Ard- plete mystery to me—sorry); Eirigí (ano- little consultation with anyone raises oyne. The Black also march peacefully. ther mystery); a rumoured breakaway from genuine concerns about the checks and balances to which this powerful institution But then, they are strictly teetotal! the Provos in East Tyrone, but is possibly just one cross man; the Irish Republican of government in Europe is subject. By international standards, the ECB is less SINN FÉIN DERRY Socialist Movement (INLA), which seems Most Northern papers concentrated on accountable than most central banks in to be a serious group in Belfast and very other democracies. Most notably, the Martin McGuinness' criticism of "dissi- much the opposite in the South. Deepest European Parliament, based in Stras- dents". But Unionists affected to be more apologies to anyone who feels left out. bourg, to which it is nominally account- upset by him saying: Conor Lynch able, does not have the power to enact 13 legislation to alter its structures or create their problem—the cat—but the October 2004, immediately prior to the mandate. This is the most important EU mice did just that with the ECB and re-election of George Bush for a second difference with its counterpart institution they would look rather absurd if they seek term. in other large, advanced democracies— to destroy their very own creation. In it, he began by refuting Bush’s claim such as the US, Japan, Britain and Canada. In the US, for instance, an Act of congress But more significant than that is the that the attack was motivated by hatred of could abolish the Federal Reserve. In fact that the real 'cat' here is that the ECB freedom, inviting the President to explain Europe, only full-blown treaty change, represents the new god of Europe—the why the US was chosen as a target, rather involving agreement among 27 govern- market. The ECB is the EU Vatican. The than Sweden, if Al-Qaeda was driven by ments and ratification by 27 parliaments original God is long dead and Europe hatred of freedom: can alter any major aspect of the bank" sought to create a new paradise via the (Irish Times, 27 April 2011). "People of America this talk of mine is market, and the High Priests of the project for you and concerns the ideal way to I don't understand why he seems are the financiers and their agencies—and prevent another Manhattan, and deals surprised. After the Thatcher assault on of course they have their theologians called with the war and its causes and results. the EU, it caved in and adopted the free economists. "Before I begin, I say to you that security market in the purest, most ideological Politicians in Europe have put them- is an indispensable pillar of human life sense. It had to be ideological because and that free men do not forfeit their selves at their mercy and made the ECB security, contrary to Bush's claim that we there was no internal demand for the the purest, most perfect bank for the hate freedom. Thatcher approach in Europe but British interests of capital. As O'Brien rightly "If so, then let him explain to us why political determination broke down the notes, there is nothing quite like it any- we don't strike, for example, Sweden. resistance personified by Jacques Delors. where else. Get ready for some bumpy And we know that freedom-haters don't rides, as banks under capitalism give rise possess defiant spirits like those of the Any other approach was dismissed with to crises as regular as clockwork and as 19—may Allah have mercy on them. contempt as an effort to maintain 'Fortress "No, we fight because we are free men, surely as cats chase mice. It's called who don’t sleep under oppression. We Europe' and the EU became the leading creative destruction and is a mainspring want to restore freedom to our nation; element in the newly set up World Trade of the system and the suffering involved just as you lay waste to our nation, so Organisation by its ex-Commissioner for should be offered up to the new gods as it shall we lay waste to yours. No one Trade and Competition, Mr. Peter Suther- was to the gods of old. except a dumb thief plays with the security land (the former Chairman of Allied Irish Jack Lane of others and then makes himself believe Banks and erstwhile Fine Gael politician). he will be secure." The EU was not just satisfied with giving And he mocks Americans for failing to capital its unhindered head in Europe, it seek out the causes of the attack as hoped to do so in the world as a whole via Bin Laden "thinking people" should do, and for still the WTO. continued being in ignorance more than three years But, according to O'Brien, all this has a later. He accuses Bush of "hiding … the different origin altogether: It is not as if bin Laden has made a secret of why he has devoted the last real causes" from the American public, "This situation came about largely due saying "the reasons are still there for a to German insistence in the 1990s. It then decade and a half of his life to attacking the West. On the contrary, he has explained repeat of what occurred". feared that less inflation-averse countries His final words were: in the euro area could pressure the new his objective in doing so in countless institution to take risks with price audio and video messages. "And every state that doesn't play with stability" (ibid). He has stated clearly that his goal was our security has automatically guaranteed its own security." What would we do without the Germans to end Western, particularly American, to blame? This argument is nonsense. Of interference in the Muslim world, to free The message is clear: leave the Muslin course the Germans are concerned about the Muslim world of "Western domin- world alone and you will be left alone. inflation, for good historical reasons, but ance", as he put it in his posthumous message. As a means to that end, he that does not mean they ever had a concept MARCH OF THE YES-MEN that banks could be independent of the sought the overthrow of the autocratic regimes—in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, State and act as a law unto themselves. They moralise, those with blood on their hands the Gulf States, etc—that allied themselves Banks were local institutions and were and go on killing to add to that sea, with the West and helped maintain Western there to serve industry and to facilitate the (victims can only make puddles or flee) dominance. object of social development. The German the tide sweeps in with three wars in three lands, He has made it clear that attacks on the had to be forced into the freewheeling they assassinate, those who moralise, West, and on Western interests, will cease capitalism personified by Britain and the populace seen as their regiments, when Western interference in the Muslim adopted by the EU. water-boarding torture a supplement, world ceases. He has never suggested that Bin Laden dead again, his ghosts survive, WHO WILL BELL THE CAT? the objective of Al-Qaeda was to change a re-run of what happened to the Sioux, O'Brien's despair at trying to make the Western society. Murdoch, television, truth replacement, ECB accountable to anything other than yes-men, that platitudinous crew itself reminds me of the fable about the WHY NOT SWEDEN? with those blind-spots helped by news-creation, mice who wanted to bell the very predatory One bin Laden message sticks in my war machismo means alloy feet in shoes, cat that was making their life a misery. mind. It was addressed to the American world-order their bloodiest fixation. The problem was—who would actually people and explained why America was put the bell on the cat? And which of the attacked on 9/11 and what Americans had Wilson John Haire EU mice would/could actually bell the to do in order to avoid another attack. It 5th May, 2011 ECB? The fabled mice at least did not was broadcast on Al-Jezeera on 30th 14 INDEPENDENT OF THE WEST? GULF STATES TO BE ALLOWED Ireland Gazette, The Limerick Chronicle, In the last months of his life, bin Laden TO SUPPRESS DISSENT The Limerick Diocesan Magazine and The witnessed and no doubt rejoiced at the It looks as if the absolute monarchies in Kerry Evening Post. overthrow of some of the autocratic reg- Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States— The Knights Of A New Crusade imes that have helped maintain Western Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the previously appeared in Irish Life. dominance in the Arab world. United Arab Emirates (UAE)—are going It remains to be seen if the regimes that to survive, with America's blessing. Professor John-Paul McCarthy may take their place of those that act more They took the lead in the Arab League find the sentiments of The Knights Of A independently of the West. On the face of in pressing for action against Libya and New Crusade more palatable than those of it, they ought to, since they will probably the indications are that they have been MacCurtain and McSwiney, the "gener- be the product of popular elections. rewarded—the US has endorsed the use ation who have nothing to teach us", as he However, it can be guaranteed that the of Saudi forces to suppress the democracy put it (see April Irish Political Review), West will leave no stone unturned to movement in Bahrain and, if necessary, in and who sacrificed their lives to prevent attempt to make sure that they act in the other Gulf States (see Craig Murray's any more Irish participation in Crusades. West's interests just as their predecessors website, 14 March 2011). McCarthy might be at Oxford but he did. Bribing and bullying will be the order In addition, the New York Times knows very little about British History if of the day. revealed on 14th May that the UAE is in he can condemn the 1916 generation as "a There are some hopeful signs that Egypt the process of setting up an 800-strong small unrepresentative elite dictating the is going to adopt foreign policy positions mercenary force, made up entirely of non- pace of change through the momentum of of which the US will not approve. This is Muslims, in order to suppress dissent. violence". That was exactly the point made being done by the military regime, presum- Erik Prince, former CEO of the notorious by John Dillon and the Liberal backbench- ably so that it is seen to be attuning foreign US security company, Blackwater, has ers against the Liberal Imperialist cabal— policy to popular opinion in Egypt. been employed to do the job. He is quoted who had gone behind the backs of the The most important development is as saying that the force has to be wholly "great British democracy" and made secret going to be the establishment of full Christian, because Muslims couldn't be arrangements and plans to join a European diplomatic relations with Iran for the first relied upon to kill fellow Muslims. He is war against Germany. time since the Islamic revolution in 1979. recruiting Colombians. It must be assumed A key element in US foreign policy in the that the US approves of the use of this Presumably, John-Paul would have Middle East has been to build a coalition force too, otherwise they would have preferred to be with the ‘representative with Sunni Arab states against Shia Iran. stopped it being set up. masses' going about their peaceful business For Sunni Egypt to desert this coalition David Morrison at the Somme or crusading at Gallipoli or and establish friendly relations with Iran in Mesopotamia? would be a considerable blow to this But then what are ten million deaths strategy. and the destruction of Europe against what There is also talk of seeking an amend- Crusading Again our freedom fighters did in 1916 and ment to the Camp David Accords with The Knights Of A New Crusade is a afterwards in Cork? Israel to remove the restriction on the poem contained within a book of verse Anyway, John-Paul, enjoy…. stationing of Egyptian armed forces in the published in 1915 to inspire the Redmond- Sinai peninsula. Currently, no more than ite crusaders in their efforts to conquer for The Knights of a New Crusade one division is permitted within an area Empire. The poems in the book were lying approximately 50 km east of the written by Alice Maude Peppard Cooke, The furies of battle are loosing a hell. Suez Canal in what is after all supposed to who is described as the author of Irish As Bellona unsheathes her blade be sovereign Egyptian territory. Heroes Of Red War—a publication Yet who are so fearless of shot and of shell Since the Camp David Accords were in presumably devoted to the great blood As the Knights of a New Crusade. signed, Egypt has received on average $2 sacrifice for Home Rule and Empire. (The billion annually from the US, most of it in poem across the page is called 1915 and is Imperial honour is calling us now military aid. For sure, the US will threaten devoted to the Irish Guards and has the To conquer for country and weal. to cut off this aid in order to keep Egypt in line, "Red is the earth, and redder the The Prince from a palace, the man from line. snow, your record is there to show it.") the plough Come forward with sabre and steel. HONEY, I’M HOME! Alice Peppard Cooke apparently resided in Cappagh, Ballingrane, Co. Oh! the lilt of the tune as they march away Tell me, what has changed since Limerick and is listed in a book about To do, or to die with the rest. Bin Laden's death, Families Of County Kerry. The title of her And the sign in the heart, and the smile is same Washington propaganda machine: poetry collection is The Pipe Of Peace— so gay An old grey-beard watches a TV screen, although it seems to be mostly an While the lips of a hero jest. not porn, made in the US to excess! encouragement to war. But that is not He was shot in his underpants, ha ha, surprising as peace and war seem to be Oh! the spirit of war in the souls of men, medicine bottles on a shelf, interchangeable terms in the British way Oh! the ache in the mother's breast. a book of bombs, one on do-it-yourself, with words. It is, of course, other nations And the pluck of a wife at the parting— had had three wives and fifteen ba ba bas, who fight merely for the enjoyment of then sounds a normal American household, war; England always fights for a restor- Is it easy to know who’s best? loved guns, especially the AK-47. ation of peace. And perhaps it is true then The world of the puritan was his goal, that Britain is the most peace-loving of all The Link of our Empire—the cry of a the US also prays to enter heaven States whilst being the greatest wager of home but with their debt can they buy the leasehold. wars at the very same time. And the Call of a world’s parade Should he be dough you supplied the leaven. While the men who will answer, and gladly In the Preface Cooke notes that her come Wilson John Haire verses had appeared in the well-known Are the Knights of a New Crusade. 18th May, 2011 papers The Daily Express, The Church Of Pat Walsh 15 pendent (22.5.11) under the headline: A lies with greater economic ties with Britain New Path To A Common Wealth", she is a joke. Since Independence we have began: reduced our economic dependence on Shorts "The euphoria is over. Her majesty the Britain with beneficial economic and Queen has gone home. This week reality social consequences. from will return as once more our enfeebled From 2005 to 2010 our exports to China Finance and Europe Ministers, Michael have increased from 1.5 billion euro to 2.5 the Long Fellow Noonan and Lucinda Creighton, will do a Perp Walk in Frankfurt as gruesome in billion. This country has a population of 1.3 billion, with a rapidly increasing pro- INDO GROVELLING its own way as Strauss-Kahn's in that The visit of Queen Elizabeth II was New York courtroom…" portion becoming urbanised and middle received with indifference by the vast class. The opportunities, not only for trade, The abasement on behalf of the country but inward investment are almost limitless. majority of the population. The small continues: minority that did take an interest could be Our impressive Irish Ambassador to "Who would have imagined, way back China, Dermot Kelliher, who apparently divided in to the non political and the when Garret started his Anglo-Irish political. The non political were impressed crusade that, in this low moment, it would speaks Mandarin fluently, remarked that that the 85 year old bird could deliver a be the English who would restore our the Chinese have "no issues" with us and prepared script without dribbling. The self-esteem as a nation…?" we have much to offer the Chinese. Ireland political element, on the other hand, could Amazing, isn't it? The country was not is one of only three countries in Europe not restrain themselves from dribbling apathetic, but euphoric when the British that has a trade surplus with China. over her every word and move. Queen visited; our Cabinet Ministers rep- It was quite amusing to read that some resent a criminal State or are, perhaps, IRISH ECONOMIC RESILIENCE of this country's OBEs and MBEs were criminals themselves; and the English have Throughout the economic crisis the not invited to the events. Have these people restored our self esteem even if most of us productive capacity of our traded sector been contaminated by Republicanism?! hadn't realised that we had lost it in the has remained intact. The vast bulk of the The whole point of being a Lackey of the first place. jobs that have been lost have been in retail British Empire (LBE?) is to recognise But what is the secret of Lizzie and construction. Despite the merchants one's inferiority. There is no point in Windsor's superiority? Harris can only of doom we have the ability to trade our grovelling to a person whom one regards speculate: way out of our economic difficulties. A very interesting article in The Irish as an equal. The monarchy bestows "Staying in touch with her children's favours; they cannot be received as a many problems has clearly kept her Times (30.4.11) from Daniel Gros indi- right. growing as a person. Although I can't say cates that the country has the capacity to Fortunately, Kevin Myers was invited it is what accounts for her prettiness." repay its debt. The big difference between to the ceremony at Islandbridge and gave this country and Portugal and Greece is an abject lesson on how to behave: OBAMA that our net foreign debt is about 20% of So far, the Long Fellow has not read GDP, whereas theirs is about 100%. This "The President told the queen that I had any equivalent grovelling directed towards year we will have a balance of payments done a lot of work on the Irish in the two President Obama, the head of the most surplus. world wars. This is a guess, because at that particular moment someone powerful State in the World. And yet These statistics indicate that the country unplugged a swimming pool in my skull, ordinary people did want to meet this has the capacity to raise taxes whereas it is and all I could hear was the roaring noise sleek young President and his attractive doubtful that Greece and Portugal do. The of several million gallons of water sluicing wife. Tens of thousands turned up at following two paragraphs indicate that downwards. I am unclear about what College Green and many more were turned the problem is political rather than followed next—however, in times of away. economic: panic, I am inclined to speak Tibetan, His visit lasted less than 24 hours mixed with Afrikaans. The two ladies "…Argentina went bankrupt with little blinked politely" (Irish Independent, compared to the four dreary days of the net foreign debt because wealthy Argen- 19.5.11). Queen's visit. Whether consciously or tines had spirited their assets out of the otherwise, he upstaged the British Head country, and thus out of the reach of the The sheer joy of it all! Not only to of State at every turn. Whereas the Wind- government, while the poor Argentines experience humiliation, but the exquisite sors declined a pint of the black stuff, refused to pay the taxes needed to satisfy Obama gulped one down lustily. Whereas the claims of the foreign creditors. pleasure of writing about it! Ecstasy "However, when the foreign assets of recollected in tranquillity! the Queen managed a few words of Irish, the country are held not by households, Obama had a few sentences. but by institutions, such as pension funds, The Long Fellow was, however, a little they can be taxed. This seems to be the SINDO GROVELLING disappointed with the speech. The "is feidir case for Ireland. If there is a political way There are two elements to effective linn" line was a bit like Obama imitating there should be a way for the Government grovelling. Firstly, it must be established Eamon Gilmore, imitating Obama. to service its debt." that the object of the grovelling is superior. Secondly, the grovellers must recognise CHINA The constant shrill calls for reneging their own inferiority so as to emphasise Roger Casement believed that our on our foreign debt are a form of dis- the superiority of the object of the relationship with Britain had cut us off placement activity to avoid taxing wealth grovelling. from Continental Europe and the rest of (either held by institutions or individuals). While Kevin Myers was content to the world. Independence enabled us to It also serves a political purpose: departure have a personal grovel, Ann Harris wished emerge from provincialism. from the Euro zone and a return to the to involve the Irish people in her fantasies. The idea being pushed during the Sterling sphere of influence—the Sunday On the front page of the Sunday Inde- Queen's visit that our future prosperity Independent's fantasy. 16 Book review: "A hard local war—the British Army and the Guerilla war in Cork 1919- encountered elsewhere in the world. This 1921" by William Sheehan support was regularly tested and expressed in four elections, the General Election of The War Of Independence— 1918, the County Council Elections in early 1920, the Municipal Elections later the simple soldier's view in 1920, and the extraordinary result of the election of May 1921 when Sinn Fein won The blurb claims the military "were in so long if the military were winning? every single elective seat in the 26 Coun- fact winning the fight in Cork" and that The daddy of all those who wanted and ties. None of these are mentioned by Mr. "this book successfully challenges the believed in a military solution was Sir Sheehan. Only the military world exists received wisdom of the events and the Henry Wilson. And he had a plan for a for him. No war has ever had so many outcome of the War of Independence". drastic version of martial law to achieve it, elections during it and the support for 'the Did the British military win the war then? which he outlined clearly in May 1921. insurgents' increased every time. You can be winning a football match and He had it approved and it was to come into To Lloyd George and the British still lose the game. But there is only one force in mid-July. It was essentially to Government that election result of May outcome of a war or a game—a winner allow nothing to move in Ireland—begin- 1921 of overwhelming, absolutely total, and a loser. If the British military were ning with bicycles—without military support for Sinn Fein made all the winning, why was there any Truce and an authority. He was serious. It was to be the successes claimed by the military look unconditional Truce to boot? The British Boer War solution with knobs on and if pathetic and all promises of future victory military certainly believed they did not implemented it would no doubt ensure even more pathetic and problematic. At win the war that ended like this and this is military success. And Wilson did not lack this point, the penny had dropped for shown clearly in this book. If they were the will or the courage or the means to Lloyd George and even for Sir Henry winning why did they not actually win? carry it out. But Wilson, unlike Mr. Wilson but does not yet seem to have Or did they win without realizing it? Were Sheehan, did not have the 'simple soldier's' dropped for Mr. Sheehan. Lloyd George, Churchill, Chamberlain, view of these matters as he was in a real and Birkenhead who had just organized situation. He was forced to change his WHAT WAS IT ALL ABOUT? the winning of a World War so idiotic that mind and, being the type of man he was, The Irish quite simply wanted political they grabbed defeat from the jaws of he recorded why in his diary in June, independence which meant that the result victory in Ireland? These are the questions reporting on a talk he had had with the of a British election be accepted. That is as his thesis raises but does not answer. He Secretary of State for War, Laming clear and as obvious as anything could be. does not even seem to realize that his Worthington- Evans: Accepting the result was surely not too thesis poses these questions. "I told him that, unless we had England much to ask for and the real issue is why The author is clearly fascinated by, and entirely on our side, I would strongly the result was not accepted by the 'Mother immersed in, British military history. His advise that we should not attempt martial of Parliaments'? It was especially diffi- approach is to look at various British law in all its severity because I was sure cult for people to understand this just after Army accounts of the war in Ireland and, it would not succeed, and failure meant at least 10 million people including up to lo and behold, they do not agree with the disaster. If the soldiers knew that England was solid behind them they would go on 50,000 Irishmen had died for the freedom accepted Irish narrative of the war! Like until they won out; on the other hand if of small nations. These are total non- all Generals and soldiers, the British they found this was not the case then we issues for Sheehan. military were certain they could have won should have disaster. I have developed It is amazing to see Mr. Sheehan this war if they were allowed to do so. But this thesis over and over again to Lloyd wondering why the British did not imple- all sorts of people and problems got in George, Bonar, Austen, Winston and ment a 'hearts and minds' policy in Ireland. their way—as always happen to military others, and I never made so much They did. His own book, every line of it, men who lose wars. Sheehan is surprised impression on anybody as I did to-night on Worthy." is a detailed testimony to the fact that they that the British sources on the war have tried by every means available to them to not been highlighted before, but then finds If there was not sufficient support in change the hearts and minds of the people. there are not that many and those that exist Britain, there certainly was not sufficient But the people did not want either changed. tend to skip over that period. "It can be support in Ireland! If wishes were horses They wanted what they had voted for and argued that the lessons of Ireland were we would all go for a ride. But how could what thousands believed they had died not institutionalized in the British Army" the British military win if they did not for—the freedom of small nations. The (p174). He seems surprised but what self- have the support and therefore the actual British war in Ireland was about changing respecting army wants to dwell on lost means to do it? hearts and minds. What else are wars for? wars. And later he confessed to his diary that How strange that someone who describes He quotes many military people who he "really believed we shall be kicked out himself as a military historian does not believed they were winning, about to win of Ireland" (28 June, 1921). But Mr. seem to appreciate this most basic purpose and could win. But not all were like that. Sheehan says they were winning and seems of the military anywhere. He does not Macready is sometimes quoted as saying to believe they could have won and, if so, appreciate the most glaring facts, in fact it could be done in four months. But his he must know something that Sir Henry the subject matter, of his own book! argument was more nuanced. He said that, Wilson did not know! Perhaps he will tell if it was not done in four months, the war us in his next book and not leave us in the Being immersed in British military was lost. That puts a very different dark. history and its myths he creates a conun- complexion on the matter, but why would drum for himself when he tries to figure it be won or lost in four months? The essential military problem was that out why another type of 'hearts and minds' Greenwood reckoned that it would take they were faced with a war that had unique policy was not applied, by implementing years. And again it begs the question why public support, such as they had never all necessary reforms to remove grievances 17 and thereby undermine the enemy's war of a Government on a war footing for 3 Lieutenant Crossey, to the subsequent effort. He says: years, all the military successes such as enquiry. He claimed that they had been "But this was not an option open to the Kilmichael, Crossbarry, Clonbanin, to subject to a massive assault by about 300 British in 1921 for the simple reason that name just some local ones (as the war in attackers and painted a picture of a Zulu- most of these reforms had already been Cork is the subject), the running of an like attack but suffering no casualties or implemented. Nationalist control of local alternative Court System etc. For instance, losses on his side. That is how unreliable government had been established in 1898, Dublin Castle on 18th May 1921 reported the sources can be which Sheehan seems the police force was largely Catholic and nationalist and Home Rule had been on higher casualties that week than at any to use uncritically. On the day of the the statute book since 1914 and its imple- time since the Rising. As for RIC barracks, Truce, the North Cork and West Limerick mentation was expected at the end of the 218 were destroyed and 17 tax offices Flying Columns were forced to abandon a First World War. Catholics occupied the raided throughout the country on one night joint ambush prepared near Templeglan- majority of local government posts in in early April 1921. tine. The operation involved eight road Ireland ad their numbers in the more Sheehan makes great play of improve- mines and four Lorries of British soldiers senior posts had been steadily raising. ments in the British military strategies —double the contingent wiped out at Ireland had experienced an economic boom during the First World War. It is during the war but that is only to be Kilmichael! difficult to see how a hearts and minds expected. Every army has to learn and campaign similar to one carried out in adapt but so did the IRA and that is the NUANCING REPRISALS Malaya in the 1950s could have been nature of war. Wars escalate. The British military effort was a constructed" (p172). For example, in terms of acquiring arms, campaign of terror and the most typical It is incredible that anyone could write which is a pretty crucial aspect of any war, example of this was the campaign of this in non-satirical vein. He just cannot the IRA official returns for October 1921 reprisals beginning 'unofficially' and were see the whole point of national political from all four Divisions gave a total of then made official. Mr. Sheehan does independence, which was not just about 3,295 rifles, 15,160 shotguns, 1,228 auto- indeed "challenges the received wisdom reforms and eliminating economic and matics and 4,683 revolvers. While this of the events" in this connection. These social grievances and providing jobs for does not compare with British resources reprisals were so unacceptable that the Catholics. It was a considered and con- there are a few things to bear in mind. This Auxiliaries own O/C, Frank Crozier, vinced moral statement by a people is obviously an underestimate as not all resigned his position in protest and said determined to run their own political life weapons would be 'declared' in a Truce that "the whole cabinet should have been and the rejection of anyone else's right to situation but the important fact is that this marched to the Tower in company with do so. It was not exactly a unique demand was an increase from zero in just a few the Chief of the Imperial General Staff then or since. It is hardly an exaggeration years—or rather an increase from the and there shot, on account of what they to say that this issue has almost dominated number of hurleys that they had to begin permitted to be done in the King's name world politics since. How anyone with a with. (The first Government casualty after and by the authority of his uniform in modicum of understanding of Irish history, the Rising, that of Inspector John Mills on Ireland". or any history, could write the above is 10th June, 1916, was effected by a hurley.) The future leader of the British Union beyond belief. And if the British were developing their of Fascists, Oswald Mosley, crossed the If ever there was a case of military skills in Intelligence and with airplanes floor of the House of Commons in protest blindness this is it. I can understand why and aerial photography etc., which —they were even too much for him. King Mr. Sheehan will not find any satisfactory Sheehan describes in some detail, the IRA George V complained personally to Mac- answer as to why the Irish acted as they were also developing new skills such as ready about it and implored him to stop it did in 1919-21 in any of his researches in the naval skill that led to the capture of the saying that "in punishing the guilty we are British Military archives and sources. But Admiralty ship 'The Upnor' and its contents inflicting punishment no less severe upon as he comes from the heart of North Cork, in Cork harbour on 30th March 1922—an the innocent". Several other prominent and as he dedicates his book to his operation which netted 1,500 rifles, 55 people including the Archbishop of namesake grandfather who was in the Lewis guns, 6 maxim guns, 3 Vickers Canterbury protested. The Times IRA during the War of Independence (and guns, 500,000 rounds of .303 ammuni- editorialized about the "…truth which to his father), I must assume he never tion,1,000 revolvers, 1,000 .455 automatic seemed to support the charge that the asked either of them or any of his other pistols, (all with appropriate ammunition), forces of the Crown are no longer acting relatives or neighbours what the war was 3,000 hand grenades and a quantity of in accordance with the standards of about. I am simply baffled. rifle grenade throwers. All were immed- civilized government" (23.9.1920). iately distributed by 126 lorries throughout But Sheehan approaches the issue with the Cork area. This does not look like the much more equanimity than these people. WAS THE IRA LOSING? To make his case about the military actions of an army on the run in Cork. He has discovered that these reprisals actually winning he quotes Collins and There is no game, or war, that two can't have been misrepresented. Mulcahy downplaying the military succes- play. "Nevertheless, these events do not ses of the IRA during the war—but in the speak for themselves and therefore need Sheehan gives the capture of Sean to be located and understood within and context of the 'Treaty' debate, this was self Moylan as an indication of British success. in relation to the character of the period. justification for acceptance of the Treaty. But he should have mentioned that his This allows a more nuanced analysis…. He quotes Mulcahy: "..we have not been Column carried out a very successful they can be considered an almost primitive able to drive the enemy from anything but ambush at Rathcoole shortly afterwards struggle for the possession of public space, from a fairly good-sized police barracks. and showed no sign whatever of letting up and an occasion for the control of local We have not that power" (p19). without him. An interesting footnote on women" (p24). Mulcahy had to belittle and denigrate that ambush was the account that was And, believe it or not "Reprisals were such matters as the successful organization given by the British Officer in charge, uncontested by the local populations of 18 Fermoy, Mallow, Bandon and Cobh, the policy and local initiative. IRA leaders a considerable measure of success" residents merely seeking shelter from the played a role in planning attacks in Dublin, (Tactics, Politics, And Propaganda In storm" (p37). In Cork city the aftermath of while the institution of flying columns The Irish War Of Independence, 1917- provided the weapon that inflicted the 21, by Mike Rast, Georgia State a conflict between residents and troops is greatest wounds on the police and British University, May, 2011). described as "the evening's entertainment army in the countryside. The Irish Bulletin over, the civilians began to disperse" (p17). provided an increasingly effective repub- And there is no doubt who felt they had And "in policing the soldiers and civilians lican mouthpiece, no longer shying away won and who had lost the war when the from the violent side of the movement… the RIC were often at the receiving end unconditional Truce was declared in July In forcing the government to the negotiat- from both communities" (p38). The garri- 1921. There may be runners-up in sport son army was a community just like the ing table, the IRA won a concession that many had considered unimaginable. As but not in war. There are many teams that local residents! He goes on to lay great late as December 1919, the New York nearly won a match and many armies that store on alcohol consumption, the fact Times warned republicans that 'nothing nearly won a war but, as any farmer will apparently that these things happened after could be more hopeless than taking on tell you, nearly never bulled a cow. the soldiers' payday, local looting, etc., the British army'. The IRA did this with Jack Lane being taken as major factors. In fact, it all seems to have been great fun. Strangely, for all his detailing and Last month Wilson John Haire recollected his experience of Jewish identity in research on a few reprisals along these the Communist Party. Here we consider the role of Britain in the formation of lines, the biggest reprisal of the lot—the the Jewish State burning of Cork—is not analyzed at all and given only a passing reference with the wrong date and with an effort to shift Judaism And Zionism the blame from those responsible for it— "…from the beginning I had looked to British opinion during the First World the military under Strickland. Less atten- upon Zionism as a force for life and War as an Imperial project and was put in tion than even Peter Hart gave it. Maybe creativeness residing in the Jewish terms likely to appeal to the English Liberal masses. It was not simply the blind need Greenwood was right after all when he Imperialist view of things—plausibly and of an exiled people for a home of its own. claimed that it was the people of Cork may pleasantly Utopian. Claude Montefiori, a burned their own city! I could not agree with Herzl that the Judennot, the tragedy of Jewish home- Jewish Englishman, did not believe it. He And it would be interesting (and enter- lessness, persecution and poverty, was opposed the Balfour Declaration on the taining) to have his analysis, from these sufficient to account for the Zionist grounds that the wrapping of liberal utopian new perspectives of his, on the sacking movement, and was capable of supplying propaganda in which it was presented for and partial sacking 90 other towns between the necessary motive power for the adoption could not see it through to imple- creation of a Jewish homeland. Need September 1919 and September 1920. I mentation. The spirit needed to realise it alone is negative, and the greatest prod- can supply him with the names and dates would be the fierce, intolerant, fundament- if necessary from The Evidence on Condi- uctions of man spring from an affirm- ation. Jewish homelessness was not just alist Judaic spirit of the Maccabees. Weiz- tions in Ireland given to the American a physical discomfort; it was also, and mann succeeded. Montefiori was forgot- Commission on Conditions in Ireland, perhaps in larger measure, the malaise of ten. But the Israeli populace lives today in pages 823-5, and that is just a sample of frustrated capacities. If the Jewish people the revived world of the Maccabees. the total. He might become a bestselling had survived so many centuries of exile, And the two attempts made in the 20th it was not by a biological accident, but author in those towns. century to establish a tolerable and viable because it would not relinquish the world organisation (the League of Nations Reading Sheehan's description of Brit- creative capacities with which it had been entrusted. and the United Nations) were tainted at the ish military successes in Ireland reads like "For assimilated Jews all this was a outset by the adoption of the theocratic a report of last year's All-Ireland final sealed book; in their complete alienation principle of Zionism which overruled where all the losing side's scores and tactics from the masses, the source of inspiration, earthly considerations. are emphasized, explained, highlighted they had not the slightest concept of the inner significance, the constructive moral and admired but the other side and the In 1919 England over-ruled the national- -ethical-social character of Zionism. final score is ignored. For example, "the democratic principle, which in 1914 it had myth of Crossbarry" is described in such They looked upon it… as a primitive tribalism. They felt themselves, when declared was its purpose in making war on a way that the outcome is almost unclear! they were men of an ethical turn of mind Germany and Turkey, by making war on The fact that increasing pressure on the like Claude Montefiori, called upon to the nation-state the Irish had voted for and IRA meant they were failing is an illusion. 'rescue' Judaism from Zionism…" by proclaiming the destiny of Palestine to The fact is that the pressure was increasing This was the view of the founder of be a Jewish nation-state even though there but so were the IRA successes. Sheehan were hardly any Jews there to vote for it. seems to have too linear a mind to apprec- practical political Zionism, Chaim Weiz- mann, as expressed in his autobiography, And in 1947 the theocratic principle was iate this and can't get his head round it. But re-asserted by the United States and the it is a fact that becomes obvious to any that was published when the Jewish nationalist State had been established Soviet Union after Britain tried to withdraw objective observer. For example, a recent from the project. thesis concludes: through a Jewish terrorist war against Britain (to which Britain surrendered) God gave Palestine to the Jews. Even "The IRA faced its greatest pressure and was being consolidated by a massive though the Jews went berserk against from government forces in late-1920 and Roman civilisation and lost Palestine two the first six months of 1921. In this same ethnic cleansing of the natives of Palestine. period, it achieved its greatest military (Trial And Error, 1948, p223). thousand years ago, the world must give it and propaganda victories. These succes- back to them so that the destiny set for ses were the combined results of GHQ The Zionist project had been presented humanity by God might be accomplished. 19 This can be dissimulated in secular terms, man was in sympathy with Bevin's views. impossible for England to make good the but it is the driving force on the ground It had been customary for a generation in wrongs which Russia had inflicted on its and is supported by the Old Testament the Labour Party for pro-Zionist resolu- Jewish population… Also, he was sincerely ready to encourage the settle- underlay of the Christian world, which tions to be adopted at Labour Party ment of Jews almost anywhere in the seems to retain its vigour as New Testa- Conferences. During that period Bevin British Empire, but he failed to see why ment novelties are discarded. was pre-occupied with holding the Labour the ghettos of London or Leeds or It was not mere empirical need that Party together and making it politically Whitechapel could be made into branches brought about the restoration of a cata- functional in the state. In Churchill's of the ghettos of Warsaw and Pinsk…" strophic Jewish State in Palestine. wartime Coalition he was effectively in England was less tolerant of Jews than Weizmann was certainly right about that. control of the government of Britain, and other countries. But all countries were * laid the foundations for the post-war intolerant of Jews. The Jewish problem "I cannot avoid the conclusion that a welfare state, while Churchill dealt with was an objective social problem, but differ- Jewish Commonwealth will neither solve the war. When he became Foreign Minister ent countries had different degrees of the Jewish problem nor reduce anti- unexpectedly in 1945, and saw what would tolerance of it. England was one of the Semitism. Only for the tiny minority of be involved in the implementation of the Jews who actually go to Palestine will it least tolerant. But the low level of English Zionist resolutions, he could not engage afford a solution. They will really lose tolerance of Jews was not anti-Semitism, in the atrocity of implementing them. He their “separateness” and become mem- at least "in the ordinary or vulgar sense of appointed Crossman to the Committee of bers of a modern nation alongside other the word". nations. But for the vast majority, who Enquiry assuming that he would act in remain citizens of other states, Zionism, accordance with the Government position, Weizmann was dismissive of the despite the inner need which it satisfies, but Crossman became an enthusiastic approach to the Tsar made by Theodore is an added menace to their security. The Zionist while on the Committee. When Herzl (author of The Jewish State, who diagnosis of the anti-Zionist Jews is right enough. the Jewish State was established he was established Zionism as a propaganda "But their conclusion is wrong. The its honoured guest as a "righteous Gentile". force): dangers of nationhood must and will be Crossman's conclusion that the estab- "Lack of realism could go no further; accepted by a people which has learnt to lishment of Palestine into a Jewish State anti-Semites are incapable of aiding the live dangerously and whose virtues and would not do away with the Jewish prob- creation of a Jewish homeland; their greatness are a product of that danger. lem was realistic, but his idea that the attitude forbids them to do anything which might really help the Jewish The Jew who opposes the national home handling of the Jewish problem by Gentile and tries to convert Judaism into a relig- people…" (p109). states was an index of civilisation, with ious sect is denying the greatest Jewish But it was through English anti-Semitism achievement of our age and suppressing the suggestion that they would overcome a part of his own personality. Sex may be it, was less so. —because a low tolerance of Jews is dangerous, but that is no argument for Here is how Weizmann saw the matter: generally described as anti-Semitism— that Weizmann made Zionism a political becoming a eunuch. In the twentieth "The Aliens Bill in England and the century a people without nationhood is a movement which grew up around it were force in world affairs. people without virility. natural phenomena which might have When Joyce praises the Irish for not "Is the Jewish problem then insoluble? been foreseen. They were a repetition of having a Jewish problem "because we The answer seems to be “yes”. The a phenomenon only too familiar in our never let them in", it is English anti- Zionist makes a great mistake in claiming history. Whenever the quantity of Jews Semitism that he praises. Ireland had no that he has found the solution when he is in any country reaches saturation point, really formulating the 20th century more control of immigration into Ireland that country reacts against them. In the before the 1920s than Palestinians had adaptation of Jewry to a hostile world. early years of this century Whitechapel Despite the national home, the Jews will and the great industrial centres of England had of immigration into Palestine after remain in constant danger of persecution; were in that sense saturated. The fact that 1919. and their relations with their fellow the actual number of Jews in England, England drove out the Jews in the Gentiles will be a fairly accurate measure and even their proportion to the total Middle Ages, and let them back in when it of the degree of civilization to which any population, was smaller than in other decided it had a use for them in the mid- nation has attained. It is the destiny of the countries was irrelevant; the determining Jews of the Dispersal to provide by their 17th century, but kept them under political factor in this matter is not the solubility of restriction, and under cultural restriction presence the test of Christianity… the Jews, but the solvent power of the when political disfranchisement ended. That was the view of one of the most country. England had reached the point when she could or would absorb so many English literature includes two high- effective Gentile supporters of Zionism at Jews and no more. English Jews were quality anti-Semitic works (The Merchant the moment when the Jewish-nationalist prepared to be absorbed in large numbers. Of Venice and Ivanhoe) and a great quantity colonial state was being imposed on The reaction against this cannot be looked of routine anti-Semitism. Exposés of anti- Palestine by a collaboration between the upon as anti-Semitism in the ordinary or Semitism in English culture are published Soviet Union and the United States using vulgar sense of the world; it is a universal every now and then and are ignored. the United Nations as their instrument for social and economic concomitant of that purpose—Richard Crossman. (Pales- Jewish immigration, and we cannot shake it off…" (Trial And Error, 1949, p119). Three distinct motives went into the tine Mission, 1947, p80.) English decision in 1917 to make Zionism Crossman, a Socialist intellectual in Weizmann is understanding of the a force in world politics: Imperialism, the British Labour Party, was appointed motives of Sir William Evans Gordon, a anti-Semitism and Biblical Utopianism. by Ernest Bevin, British Foreign Secretary, leader of that English anti-Jewish England was not doing very well in its to the Anglo-American Committee of movement that was not Anti-Semitic: war on Germany. The Foreign Secretary Enquiry into the Jewish problem with "He had been horrified by what he had (Balfour, an anti-Semite of the kind that reference to Palestine. The appointment seen of the oppression of the Jews in was not vulgar) sought to win international was made on the assumption that Cross- Russia, but in his opinion it was physically Jewish influence to the English side by 20 supporting the Zionist project. Churchill But the timing proved to be wrong. Crossman, understanding all of this, (an anti-Semite of a rather more vulgar Certain events spoiled the atmosphere, supported the belated conquest through kind) saw in Zionism a means of turning making it impossible for the "conquering thick and thin. He went on to became an the Jews against Bolshevism, which he Jewish race" (p95) to slot itself into place. editor of Bagehot's English Constitution, saw as being largely a product of the These poisonous events were the work of a senior Cabinet Minister, and an honoured restless energy of international Jewry. Lenin and De Valera. guest of Israel as a righteous Gentile: The Zionist and Bolshevik projects ran "De Valera got rid of the British by "The fact that Weizmann combined a in parallel, and in conflict, from the end of encouraging Irish civilians to shoot love of Western civilisation with a hatred World War 1 to the end of World War 2. British soldiers in the back and to burn of assimilation explains one puzzling The first was a Jewish colonial project them alive in the houses where they were aspect of his character, which struck me conducted under the auspices of the British sleeping. He won, because world public on my first meeting with him in Rehoveth. opinion was more shocked by British I was confronted with a personality which Empire. The second was a project of oppression than by Irish atrocities" (p57). combined the fanaticism and power of world revolution centred on the Bolshevik Lenin with the sophisticated charm of State in Russia in which Jews were heavily And Lenin, secretly transported from Disraeli. Even more puzzling, here was involved both in Russia and abroad. The Switzerland to Russia by the Germans in a Jew who obviously preferred the com- Zionist project was entirely at variance 1917, established a Communist State pany of British Gentiles to that of assimil- with the Bolshevik project, and was which undermined "European world ated Jews. As I got to know him, it incompatible with the Bolshevik policy domination". became ever clearer that we English were regarded as Goyim, for whom allowances on nationalities. But in 1947-8 it was Before this: "World opinion still regarded war as a matter for must be made, whereas he never forgave Bolshevism that gave effect to the Zionist the shortcomings of the Jew—especially project when its originator, Britain, was professionals" (p56). But De Valera and the German Jew—who should have known trying to withdraw from it. It collaborated Lenin made war everybody's business. better. For, to Weizmann, every Jew was with the US in getting a Zionist motion The combination of the national a potential Zionist, and those whose adopted by the UN General Assembly, principle combined with the practice of Jewish patriotism was qualified by any against the opposition of all the Govern- self-help in warfare prevented the other national loyalty were to be pitied or despised…" (A Nation Reborn p19). ments in the Middle East, and it was itself imposition of a Jewish State in Palestine without injustice to its Arab inhabitants: "Antisemitism, he used to say to me, is the main military backer of the Zionist a bacillus which every Gentile carries conquests of 1948. "If the Jewish settlers had achieved with him, wherever he goes and however * their majority before 1914, they would he denies it. Like other bacilli, it may have been accepted without moral "…was there ever a chance for Britain remain quiescent and harmless for years. compunction of any kind. But now they But once the right conditions are created, to keep faith with the Jews and fulfil her were hated by the Arabs, who regarded promises without violating her obligation the bacilli multiply and the epidemic breaks them as “white settlers”, come to occupy out. The condition for an outbreak of to the Arabs? I believe that the Balfour the Middle East" (p58). Declaration could have been fulfilled by overt anti-semitism in any nation is that building up a Jewish majority very quickly And of course they were what they the number of Jews should rise beyond the safety level of that particular nation. indeed. In order to make this possible, were seen to be: white settlers occupying the British Government would have had Hence the only radical cure for antisemit- the Middle East. If they had been placed ism is the creation of the Jewish State. At to appoint a first High Commissioner in dominance during the era of undisputed strong enough to purge his own staff of our first meeting, which lasted most of anti-Zionists, to disregard Arab opposi- white supremacy, that would possibly have the way through the night, Weizmann tion and encourage large-scale Jewish been accepted as the way of the world. outlined his theory to me and asked me immigration. Obviously he would have But, when the colonisation process was whether I was antisemitic. When I said, had to be a Gentile, because no Jew launched in 1919, it was no longer the way “Of course”, I felt that our friendship had begun. For, if a Gentile denied his latent selected by a British Government could of the world. A new world order had been possibly commit the lesser injustice to antisemitism, Weizmann concluded that announced by the vast Russian State. he must either be lying or, even worse, the Arabs required to build a National Britain itself had proclaimed nationality Home in the 1920s. Once Sir Herbert deceiving himself. In his view the only Samuel was appointed the first High as the basis of legitimacy in 1914, and it attitude for a Gentile to adopt was to Commissioner, a radical policy of this had stirred up an Arab nationalism in admit his unconscious prejudice against kind was out of the question… 1916 in its war on Turkey, and then had Jews and to ensure that it did not influence "World Jewry failed equally to fulfil the problem of slapping it down in order to his behaviour by consciously making allowances for it…" (p21-2). its share of the task, the provision of half establish its colonial Jewish State. a million immigrants in the first few The time of legitimate white conquest * years. The main cause of this failure was, of inferior races had passed before the Russia became an obstacle to Zionism of course, the Bolshevik Revolution. for thirty years before inexplicably decid- Zionists had always assumed that Russia colonisation of Palestine began. The ing in 1947 to establish it in power in would provide the main source of mass League of Nations and the United Nations immigration into Palestine" (Crossman, might except the Jewish conquest of Palestine. It blocked it both by delegitim- A Nation Reborn p62-3). Palestine from their own principles of ising the world order in which colonial legitimacy but that exception could not be conquest was normal, and by cutting off What the situation required was a made good in the realities of the world. the main source of Jews for Palestine by masterful Imperial policy. Weizmann The Jewish conquest was resisted. It is making Jewry one of the main components was ready for this: "Weizmann accepted still being resisted. But it must continue. of the new Russian State established in almost without question the virtues of the The land God gave to Moses was not the 1917. Empire and assumed that one of the tasks meagre fragment awarded by the UN in * of the Jewish nation would be to protect 1947, or even the additional area conquered Leninism/Bolshevism was an organ- Britain's Imperial interests on the Suez in 1948. Indeed it is scarcely covered by ised, centrally-directed, political structure Canal" (Crossman, p35). the conquest of 1967. whose purpose was to establish Socialism 21 throughout the world by means of decisive antly coercive and began to meet with have hailed it as a glorious event if it had action by a centralised leadership which insurrections which it suppressed in the been a German headquarters.) established an effective connection with manner of capitalist Imperialism. When Britain gave up on its undertaking the raw, exploited masses created by It might be that Leninism had exhausted to exercise control over this new force that Capitalism and Imperialism. It was its potential by the early 1950s, and that it had established in Palestine, Moscow directive, not representative. It was, as this fact coincided with the death of Stalin. and Washington collaborated not only to Lenin put it, an "alien intrusion" into the Or it might be that the highly centralised legitimise Zionism but to give it its head. working class movement shaped by system was disrupted by the second change And scenes of ethnic cleansing and plunder Capitalism. of leadership. Or it might be that the followed very quickly. If Lozovsky was It was not a kind of belief capable of Zionist sensation-monger, Simon Sebag the true Leninist speaking truth to a State operating spontaneously throughout the Montefiore, is right and things went awry that had ceased to be Bolshevik, he might world, emerging out of itself. Very few and Stalin had become brain-dead. ("As have said a word about that. He didn't. things are. Leninism was the one that was his brain atrophied, Stalin still 'swotted least capable of doing so. It was the anti- like a good pupil…" Court Of The Red (S.S. Montefiore's book on Stalin is a type of Islam. Tsar, p637). But these are things that need post-Soviet potboiler, which does not even Leninism was a hierarchically- to be argued, not slipped in. have a Cold War purpose. It is a fitting organised means of action, even when it companion to his book on Monsters—100 consisted of a mere handful of people. It And the Soviet decision to act with the of them, including Robert Mugabe, who was described accurately enough by United States to give effect to a Jewish- repossessed some English colonial estates. Trotsky when he denounced it. A dozen nationalist colonisation of Palestine when None of the organisers and perpetrators of years later Trotsky joined it in order to be a British Labour Government wanted to the conquest and plunder of the people of effective in a revolutionary situation. abort the Balfour project, is something to Palestine in 1948 finds a place in it.) Seven years after that, when the Party be dealt with when discussing Zionism/ consolidated its rule by raising hundreds Anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union. of thousands of politicians out of the The Zionist project was a British Imper- masses to act under its direction, he ial project. One of its earliest advocates es ahora * denounced it again, in much the same was the Liberal Imperialist Manchester terms as he had done twenty years earlier, Guardian. The Guardian in July 1914 the only difference being that he now saw the war on Germany, which it sus- 20TH MAY 2011. called it Stalinism instead of Leninism. pected the Government intended to launch, CORK BY ROYAL APPOINTMENT If it makes sense to say that there were in much the same way as Casement saw it. I have a confession to make and it Leninist victims of Stalinism, then by the It would be a crime against Europe. But it seems almost treasonable to make it amidst same token there must have been Leninist knew that, when war was declared, it must such goodwill and cheer. Since the Queen victims of Leninism. The Bolshevik State support it. It could not support it on the Elizabeth 11's arrival to this country, I acted by rough measures against broad moderate terms of a cynical calculation of haven't been keeping up with the news— neither by TV, Radio, or newspapers. categories of people. When a handful of national advantage. If it was to be sup- This I assure you all is not because I am scientific socialists took power in a vast, ported, it must be on transcendental, churlish by nature but personal commit- sprawling society it could not have been millenarian terms, and the advocacy of ments elsewhere held me in thrall and so otherwise. But that State could only have Zionism fitted in with this. But the Guard- it was by phone calls from various friends done the things it did in the course of two ian journalist, Herbert Sidebotham, who that kept me on message so to speak. And generations if those who felt they benefited wrote the first book in support of the knock me down if the arc of the Irish royal from its action were not many times greater Balfour Manifesto, remained hardheaded narrative kept up-playing to the point than those who suffered from it. enough to warn that, on the precedent of where I began to think my friends were history, a Jewish State in Palestine was either all drunk out of their skulls or Leninism was a "voluntarist" break likely to be a catastrophic affair. But he actually the country that I knew was forever with the Marxism of the Second Inter- reckoned that, as a British colonial project, changed and changed utterly, if I could use an Yeatsian sentiment here. When the national, which had become a form of managed by the Empire, the catastrophic educationalist, Elma Collins infamously contemplative understanding of, and dimension could be contained. pronounced to a crying child that "we had adaptation to, the Capitalist/Imperialist Thirty years later Britain, having set no more heroes here" she of course meant order in the world. Anti-Stalinist Lenin- the project in motion, washed its hands of "Irish" ones. Now all that has changed and ism, which flowered for a generation after it. It surrendered to Jewish terrorism. the adoring Irish media/academia has the Bolshevik State began to question its Churchill had authorised the formation of crowned a foreign Head of State to take on own presuppositions in the 1950s, then a Jewish Brigade in the war on Germany, a new mantle as the "heroic" object of our dissolved into a kind of Second Inter- although he must have known that Ger- affections. nationalism. Eric Hobsbawn is Kautsky many would not be its only enemy. (A I saw for myself on Friday, 20th May today. This kind of contemplative Marx- history describes it as "An Army With Two 2010 as Cork created new flags, the most ism is neither a means of action nor a Masters": The Jewish Brigade 1944-5 by favoured one being on a rust-red back- ground with a symbol of The Crown, with belief. It is little more than a literary form. Morris Beckman. 1998.) the words "Cork city welcomes You" and The Bolshevik State operated by a The post-war Labour Government, the date. There were other smaller ones combination of coercive power and faced with unrestrained Jewish terrorism which were used by certain school children political conviction. Wherever its coercive in Palestine, could not cope. (When the which I think were the Royal Standard. power went, its political conviction could King David Hotel, filled with British During the recent Royal wedding in London, much was made of the symbolism evoke a popular response. As that ceased officers, was blown up, Weizmann tut- to be case, Soviet power became predomin- tutted, but reflected that the world would It Is Time 22 stitched into the new Duchess of Cam- that the attendance at the Dublin Castle who put such pressure on His Majesty that bridge's dress. The four home nations event of the North's First Deputy Peter "the King abandoned his German titles were featured and of course Prince Wil- Robinson and his wife Iris—the latter and name in 1917. The house of Saxe- liam, grandson of the Queen, was made dressed in resplendent green—was very Coburg-Gotha became Windsor. It is said colonial-in-chief of The Irish Guards a important. And, when the former addres- a Bavarian nobleman of the old regime few weeks before-hand by the Queen. sed the media on his way in, he rightly has observed wittily enough: "The true Thus his uniform was that of the regiment condemned their pursuit of his wife and royal tradition died on that day in 1917 with shamrock-motifs embroidered on the said they had little notion of metal illness when, for a mere war, King George V collar of his military tunic. and its consequences. That was brave and changed his name". Indeed at that time Throughout her visit to Ireland, the quite inspiring but there is the real question there was even a question if the British Queen's Royal Standard flew on her huge of what if that had happened in the other throne would last amidst so many others 4x4 limousine and there on the bottom camp—how it would have been handled losing theirs. "The King and his immediate was the gold celtic harp—symbol of the by those who are the commentariat? advisors seem to have decided that to Irish State, amongst the other three of On the following day, there was not an meet the challenge of the new world the Wales, Scotland and England. I was pass- Irish Examiner to be found for love nor King and the Royal Family must increas- ing City Hall a few days previously and money in Cork city and when I questioned ingly display themselves throughout the there was this big flag with the words one of my most faithful newsagents he country and the Empire." "Small City—Big Heart" with the Elysian told me that people were out early and The recent, acclaimed, picture The building falling sideways as though imitat- were buying 3 or 4 copies as souvenir King's Speech showed what happened ing the Leaning Tower of Pisa. But I saw editions. One loud man in the crowd the when David, heir and Prince of Wales a somewhat ironic tilt at the weight of this previous day stated while looking at all of abdicated for love (there is of course building on the shoulders of the poor us: "Well, we are all Royalist now". I another story here which has yet to be benighted citizens who have been burden- thought he was being sly as he looked over told) and so Bertie, the second son became ed with its debt—while its owner Michael at a mute (for once) me and then two well- King George V1, a man burdened by a O'Flynn, according to a recent RTE expose, dressed ladies from the more salubrious stammer and such was the strain of inherit- still flew in his helicopter to see his horses suburbs, thinking he was being straight, ing the throne that he had a breakdown but race around the country. I correct myself— immediately replied: "Oh yes, she was was blessed by his wife, the Queen Consort it is of course NAMA that now holds these such a lovely lady—so frightfully Elizabeth who would later become more buildings on our behalf. splendid". widely-known as the Queen Mum—much The papers said that there were about Probably what most astounded me was to her fury as confided to her courtiers. 30,000 people in Cork that day to see the the ignorance of the media, but of course Queen and in truth—while I do think that it could have been feigned. Apparently The monarchy as an actual power dimin- figure to be an exaggeration—there was RTE had Professor Diarmuid Ferriter on ished forever over the course of the Great no denying the warmth and hysteria that standby for commenting as the trip un- War. As many biographers would agree, it greeted Her Majesty and her Royal Con- folded. I haven't seen any footage but really became a pawn for the Government, sort, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. probably will be able to have seen some Lambeth House—to a lesser extent, but All along the South Mall and in the Grand by the next issue of the Irish Political really to Fleet Street in all its bullying Parade the people were enthusiastic in Review. Ronan O'Reilly, in the Irish Daily form. I think the present monarch has their greeting. There were two huge TVs— Mail, 23rd May 2011, stated that Gerry been generally good in her brief—she has one stationed in the latter and one in Adams was the Queen's subject and should bowed enough to modern influences but Patrick Street, where there was a band, he have been able "to shake the monarch's carefully kept her distance at the same and a much younger crowd sang and hand and demonstrate that his objection time with the mantra that less is more and watched the Royal visit to the English to Britain's involvement in the North is boring is definitely good. Queen Mary of market. As they say here "the craic was strictly political and not personal, he would Teck, wife of George V, brought some mighty". have been able to claim the moral high great German/French jewellery to England From the South Mall, I looked at the ground". The fact is that this is tosh. The and the Tiara that Queen Elizabeth 11 wavering flags on the AIB building to see Queen in her personal capacity is Head of wore to the State Irish Ball had belonged what way the wind was blowing as it was Her Majesty's Armed Forces and Head of to her, and is now used by the present getting very cold and was stupefied to see the (very Protestant) Church of England Queen as the Commonwealth Tiara— on the roof—some Garda snipers and they which excludes Catholics from ever being somewhat unusual to wear in what after were also across the road on the other tall in line of succession to the throne. All of all is still The Republic of Ireland. But if buildings. There were mounted Garda on which makes her position officially sectar- I know the Queen—and I have read exten- some fine horses up in the Grand Parade ian and militaristic. O'Reilly goes on to sively about her—that was no accident and then some fierce Alsatian dogs with write that "there was no hidden agenda but a very intentional nod to some conven- Garda handlers came from the direction behind the royal visit other than a friendly tions we maybe have overlooked thus far. of Parliament Bridge and went on up neighbour dropping in for the diplomatic towards the market entrance. From there equivalent of a cup of tea". And as if this WOMEN'S MAGAZINES to University College Cork's Tyndall wasn't enough bilious raiméis, he also There are many women's magazines on Institute where the Queen's entourage was sticks it to the Pontiff, should the latter the market that cater for all tastes, as welcomed by President Michael Murphy ever visit, by suggesting the only thing the indeed there are for men. The big glossy and the CEO of the Institute, Professor Holy Father would do "would be to tell us now is definitely Grazia, which is one of Roger Whatmore. Of course the visit that we're a bunch of no-good sinners who the biggest selling in Britain and here in would be nothing if former academic have let Him Upstairs down badly" and he Ireland. It does politics with a very small historian John A. Murphy didn't entertain contrasts that with the loveliness of the 'p' but still is a good enough indicator of her with the story of the Statue of Victorian Queen's visit. the constructs of UK power. It had a where his gloss on the account can be read I have heard a lot of nonsense about the gloating propaganda coup on the killing in the Evening Echo, 21st May 2011. Queen's surname during the visit. King of Osama Bin Laden—the kind of mindless The media/academia figures were all George V was pushed by a nervous court jingoism that is still going strong in the catered for in the State Dinners and all the and ever more outcry from Fleet Street— UK. But in a recent issue, 2nd May 2011, politicians except for Sinn Fein. I thought then as always up to their shenanigans— one of its leading columnists Lowri Turner 23 was very angry, protesting about posters of girls-in-bikini shots for H&M which had been "defaced" in London on one of those bus waiting places—commonly Stickie Sneer Or 'Stalinist Smear'? known as shelters. The girls advertising A Question Of Harrisment the bikinis leave nothing much to the imagination and someone—gasp, shock, In the Sunday Independent this past Methinks he doth protest too much. horror—had thrown black paint covering 27th March, Eoghan Harris evoked an Paul Sweeney's jibe was obviously a them up. Turner said: "This photo, drips of inner-Party faction fight with an erstwhile Stickie sneer delivered solely as an in- black paint running down the model's comrade of two decades ago: joke for the benefit of the cognoscenti of legs, sends a shiver down my spine". "Last Sunday morning ... I tuned into the Old Boys' network of ex-SFWP com- Marian Finucane. My smile faded on rades, while it remained utterly meaning- Though Turner cannot possibly know hearing the panel included the plummy- less for the general listenership. It so who did such an act, she sees in it the dark voiced Paul Sweeney ... Marian Finucane clearly lacked sufficient substance to con- hand of fundamentalist Islam. And she casually mentioned that I had given Eamon stitute a smear that it would have been wonders if the French aren't right in Gilmore a clip across the ear in my column cheerfully ignored by anyone else less by wondering why the Tanaiste had not throwing veiled ladies into police vans. preoccupied with his ego. Moreover, attacked Gaddafi on the grounds he had Harris is also chancing his arm about his Then she takes off about "Islamic countries armed the Provisional IRA. As both Gilmore and how they treat their rape victims", own ever-shifting autobiography: "I would and Sweeney were colleagues of mine in no more call anybody a Stalinist than I ending her diatribe about her freedom to the Workers' Party, I wondered how dress or undress as she sees fit by sug- Sweeney would sidle past this problem. would call them a fascist ... terms which gesting that perhaps the UK should rethink But in my wildest dreams I could not have only made sense in the period of Hitler, the whole "burka ban". Obviously Turner predicted what would actually come out of Stalin ..." Really? So much for his name- doesn't see the contradiction she presents his mouth, and I suspect neither did he. calling of Sinn Féin as "fascists" in his here. If some ladies want to go around in Sweeney ruminated for a moment and then Sindo column of 6th September 2009, of various stages of undress, as they do here muttered 'Eoghan Harris ... yeah ... and his which there are many similar examples. love of Moscow and Josef Stalin ... Heh Heh in this country, why can't ladies equally of He also 'forgets' that it was not 1989 but ...' The commercial break came before he 1990 when he resigned from the Workers' another community group dress as they could cost RTE some real money. Within see fit. It is called equality Lowri Turner Party. It is, however, painfully obvious minutes of the Stalinist smear my mobile that Harris is still smarting from that Party's and it is meant to benefit us all. Actually was hopping with texts from former I thought it was a PETA (People for the Workers' Party members wondering final rejection of his talents. In the short Ethical Treatment of Animals) project but whether Sweeney had finally lost both his space of only one week, in his column of then realised they use red paint and that marbles as well as his memory. And no this past 3rd April, he further pre-dated sort of protest goes down a treat with the wonder. Because Sweeney calling me a that break when he yet again complained urban chic. Stalinist was a blatant case of the pot calling that "back in 1988 he—the Tanaiste, the kettle black. Back in 1989, I presented Eamon Gilmore—and Pat Rabbitte the Workers' Party with a document called Then in Grazia, 22nd May 2011, there opposed my document, The Necessity of The Necessity of Social Democracy which Social Democracy, which called on the was a two page feature on "The Slutwalk". predicted the collapse of Soviet-style There were shots of women in their under- Workers' Party to pack in Soviet-style communism. The WP leadership of De socialism". clothes shouting slogans in a Boston street Rossa, Rabbitte and Gilmore refused to as part of the new "SlutWalk" movement. publish the pamphlet. When Eamon The ladies were also wearing various Smullen published it anyway, we were So, what of his latest claim— catchy slogans on placards stating: "It's effectively forced out of the party. proclaimed not once but twice, since it my Hot Body—I do what I want", "In sum I left the Workers' Party in 1989 was repeated and highlighted in the form "Awesome Slut", "Proud Slut", "Believe it because I publicly rejected Soviet-style of a bold sub-heading—that "while I called or not my Short Skirt has Nothing to Do socialism. But Sweeney supported those I myself a communist, I never had any time dubbed the Student Princes (ie Rabbitte for Stalin, and for one simple reason. with You" etc. The Observer columnist and Gilmore) who professed to believe in Eva Wiseman said she will be joining her Stalin was an anti-semite"? Such "creative Soviet-style socialism for another two years autobiography" does indeed leave me sisters in the London march on 11th June when they finally saw the light and left to 2011. In Toronto last month, according to form Democratic Left ... Accordingly it confused. Wiseman, there were over 3,000 women would be a lot more reasonable for me to Regarding Harris's 'communist' phase, on what was really the first 'SlutWalk' and call Sweeney—and indeed Gilmore—a I recall the report from Séamus Martin in there are huge protests on Facebook and Stalinist than the other way around. But I the Irish Times of 16th December 1992, other social media sites on the Internet. would no more call anybody a Stalinist than where he quoted the following from the I would call them a fascist or a Thatcherite. letter he had unearthed from the Moscow It all kicked off apparently because These terms only made sense in the period archives, and dated as late as 1st July of Stalin, Hitler and Thatcher. Nowadays Police Constable Michael Sanguinetti was 1986, from the Workers' Party to the Com- the jibe of 'Stalinist' is only made by ignorant munist Party of the Soviet Union: talking—at their invitation—to a group of socialists who wrongly think a Stalinist is Toronto female students about street safety someone who supports the dictatorial "As part of this struggle some members where he said: "Women should avoid system of 'democratic centralism'. But or of the Workers' Party recently formed Iskra dressing like sluts in order not to be victim- course this was the creation of Lenin, not Productions … an independent film com- ised". Now that is according to the ladies Stalin. Communists in the Workers' Party pany based in Dublin … Iskra Productions present. So all you activists who have no simply called themselves Marxist-Leninists. is a Marxist film-making enterprise which more to worry about that a stupid stunt— But while I certainly called myself a commands this party's full support … We when the whole of North Africa is in communist, I never had any time for Stalin, hope you can fraternally assist this turmoil and the rest of us in economic and for one simple reason. Stalin was an undertaking by entering discussions with anti-semite. And I was reared as an anti meltdown—go out and join the 'SlutWalk' representatives of our Party and Iskra anti-semite, and never forgot my leftist Productions and the relevant CPSU at Trafalgar Square on 11th June 2011, at father quoting the old adage of the German representative on matters of mutual interest 1pm. social democrats: 'Anti-semitism is the in the area of mass communications media Julianne Herlihy © socialism of fools'..." … Iskra does have a very talented team 24 behind it… Eoghan Harris is a veteran only choice open to Lenin in 1920, as to way should he be held responsible for the television producer. He has won many Stalin from 1936 onwards, facing Hitler, Free State war crimes at Ballyseedy Cross awards for his strident films …" was to dragoon and discipline or surrender and Killarney's Countess Bridge! socialism and their country to an evil enemy Now, I do not believe for a minute and sink to the level of a slave state. What that—as distinct from the WP itself— would any of us do in these circumstances? This is not to overlook a certain Free Iskra Harris ever received a red cent from Faced with a similar choice in Ireland the State fascination with Russia, although Moscow. But this was not for want of the Free State Government resorted to state the object of such admiration had not been WP trying so hard on his behalf, and for terror in 1922." Stalin. In his 1935 book Could Ireland Harris himself remaining on his best Soviet "To explain is not to excuse. The fatal Become Communist? Fine Gael's Blueshirt behaviour for the duration of such efforts. flaw was not in the execution, but in the ideologist, University College Cork For throughout the 1970s and 1980s, while enterprise itself. Socialism came too soon. Professor James Hogan, maintained that Stalin was the product of all this. Stalin had I was publicly challenging the anti-semitic de Valera was no better than one who seen two German invasions of Russia. {In would play the role of "Ireland's Keren- propaganda of both the Soviet State and of actual fact, it was British imperialism's soul the WP itself, Harris's silence on such mate, that "prison-house of nations" and sky", providing a rather different "stepping matters was deafening while, of course, powerhouse of anti-semitism, Tsarist stone" than that envisaged by Collins and making sound Party business sense. But Russia, that had invaded Germany in 1914, paving the way for a seizure of power by did Harris, perhaps, at the very end, choose with anti-Jewish pogroms central to the "Ireland's Lenin", the Republican Con- to make a charge that "Stalin was an anti- manner in which the Tsarist army waged gress's Peadar O'Donnell, whom Hogan semite" an issue in his exit strategy from that First World War, as had been so clearly proceeded to characterise as "serpentine". the WP in 1990? What exactly was it that pointed out at the time by James Connolly Just over a decade previously, Hogan had he had to say about Stalin in his Necessity in his polemics against what described as been the Free State Army's Director of "the war against the German nation"— of Social Democracy pamphlet? Now I do Intelligence during the 'civil war', while MO'R} Was it any wonder that from 1946 his brother Michael commanded that not wish to repeat the Gilmore/Rabbitte he strung a steel necklace of puppet socialist suppression of what Harris believed it was states all across Eastern Europe to face a Army's forces in Kerry at the time of the so important for him to say. But still less Germany whose war criminals were being above-mentioned 1922 killings of Repub- will I play along with Harris's own make- put onto the Atomic payroll of the Allied lican prisoners in that county—blown to belief on the matter. So, I will quote every Powers? Should we be surprised that Stalin smithereens while tethered to land-mines. criticism that Harris had to make of Stalin wanted an insurance policy against any Moving on to James Hogan's mindset a in 1990, as he announced that he was no future threat from a Germany that had twice couple of years later, a presumed kinsman, longer a "communist", nor even a "demo- {sic!} cost the Soviet Union millions of E.M. Hogan, has provided the following cratic socialist", but was now a "social lives, as well as the material means of interesting insight into an aspect of his creating a civilised society? Who could testimony to the Committee of Inquiry democrat": deny that even today there is a fear of a "Is socialism dead? Yes or no? Yes. Sorry into the 1924 Free State 'Army Mutiny': united Germany among social democrats for your trouble. Yours and mine. Because and liberals?" "Other threats to the state, he felt, were no more than you do I like church bells "Socialism survived the war. But it had posed by the 'Irregulars' and by 'Communist ringing out to celebrate the end of suffered severe mental and emotional dam- elements within Irish society'. Hogan's communism. But there it is. Dead as door- age. In 1946 it stamped out of the Soviet testimony to the inquiry also reflected his nails. Five socialist states are no more. Union wearing the rigid mask of Stalin, fascination with Russia. He had met with (Romania, a family dictatorship, rather than speaking a zombie jargon, brutalised by Soviet officers in Paris (in early 1924) and a one party socialist state, is outside the war—and was given a hero's welcome in the seems to have exchanged views on the scope of this analysis)... Socialism died in West and imposed on Warsaw Pact countries conditions of the Free State and Red armies. 1989. The capitalist media tried to pretend it as the model for all systems... By 1986 the A particular admiration for Trotsky and the had been killed by democracy, by which they Warsaw Pact's countries' socialism was in a way he dealt with factionalism in the Red meant capitalism. But in fact it committed coma, brain dead and kept alive only by the Army is also evident, When asked at the suicide. Socialism in the Warsaw Pact Soviet Union's millions of troops, the most inquiry whether Trotsky's methods would countries had been sick for a long time. It had expensive life support machine on earth. be tolerated in Irish society Hogan replied lost the will to live... This system which had Until in 1986 Gorbachev switched it off..." that the methods employed were not, in survived {the Great Patriotic War of 1941- fact, that harsh. It would be interesting to 45 against the Nazi German invasion— In which year, of course, Gorbachev know whether he had read Trotsky's defence MO'R} at the cost of twenty million lives and also decided that he would have no use for of 'the Red Terror' and his argument that the beaten all foes became sick and stagnant the WP's offer to the CPSU of "strident" only way a revolutionary government can because it could not meet the need of its own Harris's Iskra Productions! Having ceased defend itself from counter-revolution is people for personal and political freedom, to be a "communist", Harris also ceased to through harsh measures proportional to the for that democracy which was the whole be an Irish Republican. He was now threat posed. (Leon Trotsky, The defence of meaning of the French Revolution whose seeking to establish his credentials as a terrorism: terrorism and communism: a bicentenary was the year 1989..." Free Stater by portraying the measures reply to Karl Kautsky, London, 1921) Did "But hindsight is smug sight. Given the Hogan apply this to conditions in the Free backwardness of Russia, the invasion of the taken during the course of the so-called State during the Civil War? It is probable, infant Soviet Republic by the imperialist "civil war" against the Republic— as he was an admirer of Kevin O'Higgins powers; given the need to industrialise at instigated and waged by the Collins- whose courage and resolve in the face of speed, first to fight the Allied Imperialist Cosgrave-O'Higgins regime at the behest anarchy, he believed, saved the state" (E.M. powers and later Hitler's fascists, given the of Churchill and British Imperialism—as Hogan, "James Hogan: A Biographical imperatives of ideology, imperialism and having the same political character as Sketch", in James Hogan: Revolutionary, industrialisation it is hard to see from their those measures taken by Lenin in resisting Historian and Political Scientist, edited by viewpoint how Lenin and Stalin could have the war of intervention (designed to Donnchadh Ó Corráin, University College acted otherwise. Even aside from Stalin's strangle the young Soviet Republic at Cork, 2000, p 11) personality, his cruel collectivisations and Since Harris continues to use the word paranoiac purges, even still there would birth) that had been waged by Churchill have been suffering on a colossal scale and the imperialist Allies, as well as those "Trotskyite" as little more than an all- once the Soviet Union decided to defend taken by Stalin in the face of the rise of encompassing term of abuse, it is unlikely socialism. And what else could it do since Hitler. But Stalin was no O'Higgins that his love affair with Free State Terror socialism was the point of all of it? Given ("Socialism in One Free State"?), and would extend to a tribute to Trotsky similar the Allied and the Nazi attempt to batter the while he can be accused of that war crime to that paid by Hogan, notwithstanding shaky Soviet state back into barbarism, the against Poland perpetrated at Katyn, in no the fact that, as noted by Anthony Cough- 25 lan in the Spring 1999 issue of History Britain of its most powerful weapon in Ireland, Harris figures "among the many warfare. students who were influenced by him". So Naval Warfare Although a staunch Protestant and anti- Stalin is all we are left with. But, far from Part Eleven Papist, Urquhart came to see the Catholic what his recent Sindo column would have Church as the "one moral force left in us believe, in his 1990 "God that failed" David Urquhart was the first champion Europe" and set out to convince the Vati- adieu to what he called "communism" of the right of "stop, search and seizure" can of the validity of his views on "stop, Harris did not in fact make a single mention and the famous opponent of the view that search", so that it would convince its of anti-semitism on the part of anybody at "the neutral flag covers enemy cargoes", flock of the same. But, although Urquhart all in the Soviet Union, and certainly not contained in the Armed Neutralities of entered into relations with the Vatican, his on the part of his much-discussed Stalin. 1780 and 1800 and the subsequent British efforts ended in failure—symbolised The one national prejudice which he acceptance of the Declaration of Paris in during the Great War by Benedict XV's attributed to Stalin was against Germany 1856. attempts to stop the Great War by settling per se. But it was a false attribution. For, Urquhart had come to maritime affairs the question of maritime rights through a at a time when the Soviet Union's Great through a friendship with Jeremy Bentham peace conference. Patriotic War was being waged on a who kindled in him an interest in the East. Urquhart saw the "right of stop and ferocious scale, Stalin issued the following On the suggestion of Bentham he went off search" as a Natural Right, fundamental order of the day on 23rd February 1942: on Lord Byron's Greek revolutionary to the Law of Nations. In a speech to the "The Red Army's aim is to drive out the adventure against the Ottoman Empire, Whittingham Club made on 20th January German occupants from our country and sailing with Lord Dundonald and helping 1862 some of the flavour of his argument liberate Soviet soil from the German fascist is revealed: invaders. It is very likely that the war for to suppress a mutiny on board ship on the way. "I said there are some men who have liberation of the Soviet land will result in designed to barter away the trident of ousting or destroying Hitler's clique. But it But having fought against the Ottomans England. These men work to upset the would be ridiculous to identify Hitler's he then found he preferred the Turks after laws. Our work is to create for those laws clique with the German people and the all. defenders. It is not a case that has to be German state. History shows that Hitlers Whilst in Istanbul Urquhart developed expounded, but men that have to be found. come and go, but the German people and his belief that the Russians posed the I have now to connect the power of England the German state remain." greatest threat to England and he went on with the law. The law I mean is that of the I write here, moreover, of an attribution to popularise the idea that, if the Russians Ten Commandments. There is no other law rather than an accusation, for Harris, the ever took Constantinople, they would gain upon earth. All that you hear of as law—the new-born but short-lived "social democrat", access to the Mediterranean and threaten law of Parliament—even the common law clearly identified with his own false por- English maritime dominance. This idea of the land, is mere application, direction, instruction, modification; sometimes, trayal of Stalin in that regard, and would persisted in England until the 1907 indeed, applying to the just fulfilment of the continue to do so in his next political re- Agreement with Russia which, by leading law—at other times not so. The law of the incarnation as a neo-liberal free-marketeer, to the promise of Constantinople to the Ten Commandments—the dictate of God— as he also went on to thoroughly immerse Czar in return for his Army to fight Ger- can be violated by the community only in himself in what he himself would describe many, overturned the best part of a century those three items of which I have already as "the British side of our national self' in of British Foreign Policy. made enumeration, namely, “Thou shalt the Sunday Independent of 8th August Urquhart became friends with William not steal; Thou shalt not kill; Thou shalt not 2004. So it was that, in that self-same IV, who had been an Admiral before he bear false witness”. column, Harris could get his juices going became King, and convinced him of his "No state in its aggregate capacity com- by rejoicing in not just one, but in "two big views with regard to Russia and Constanti- mits wrong against another state without breaking these three commandments. We wars against Germans" as he exultantly nople. The friendship meant Lord Palmer- cannot commit an act of injustice against evoked the 1915 Daily Mail headline in ston became obliged to make him Secretary France, or any other state, without either respect of Michael O'Leary VC—"Killed to the British Embassy at Constantinople; using the threat or executing the threat of Eight Germans". Yet Rudyard Kipling against his better judgement (Urquhart killing" (The Free Seas in War, pp.50-1). suggested, with approval, that at least one was a vocal critic of Lord Palmerston's of those O'Leary killings being celebrated tricky diplomacy). Urquhart saw the rights of search and by Harris had, in fact, been a war crime— Whilst at the Embassy in Istanbul, seizure of enemy goods on neutral ships the killing of a German soldier attempting Urquhart set about drafting a Treaty that as being inherent in the doctrine of sove- to surrender, but whom O'Leary could not would have crushed the Russian corn trade, reignty. He believed that England was the be bothered to escort back as a prisoner- which he viewed as threatening the British guardian of rights on the sea and the main of-war. (For a more detailed argument market by cheapening the cost of food in issue was the strengthening of this guard- against Harris's Germanophobic myopia England. ianship and not its dilution, which could in respect of O'Leary, see www.ballingeary In Istanbul Urquhart apparently went only lead to chaos. hs.com/ for my article Michael O'Leary, native, and lived the life of an Ottoman For Urquhart war represented a judicial Kuno Meyer and Peadar Ó Laoghaire, in pasha and it was said he even kept a harem sentence against the enemy involving the the 2004 issue of the Ballingeary Histori- for a time. And from this metamorphosis, right to seize his goods as well as the right cal Society Journal). Harris had proclaim- he helped popularise the Turkish bath in to kill him. As such it was the "lesser of ed that "to explain is not to excuse" and England (which, interestingly, had Tommy two evils" and it would be ridiculous to then proceeded to invoke the 20 million Bowles, the other advocate of a more claim the ultimate right of destroying the Soviet war dead of 1941-45 as an "explana- vigorous Royal Navy, as its other most enemy's existence when denying oneself tion" of his own line on Germany which famous enthusiast). the right to seize his property. The right of he misleadingly projected on to Stalin and seizure was, therefore, inherent in the which has been shown to have no basis in On his return to England Urquhart sovereign rights of nations, with England historical fact. But what on earth can became the independent MP for Stafford as trustee. explain, still less excuse, Harris's anti- and served on Foreign Affairs Committees Urquhart argued that the right of stop German blood-lust in respect of the from 1838 to 1863 where he championed and search was derived from the Consolato carnage of 1915? the "right of stop, search and seizure", del Mare—maritime and commercial law Manus O'Riordan saying that the abandonment of this robbed of the 13th century, applied in Byzantium, 26 Jerusalem and the Scandinavian countries. Urquhart also described how England should the Declaration of Paris not be Although England was not included in refused to let maritime law be discussed at reversed before the contingency arises of this set of laws Urquhart saw the same the Congress of Vienna in 1815—which another War… contained in the laws of Elizabethan swept away all existing Contracts and "By reason of the love of mankind we propose… to enact that war shall henceforth England. Treaties. So Urquhart's argument was that be carried on solely by means of bloodshed, Urquhart recounted how Queen Eliza- the "right of stop and search", which and no longer by distraining goods… Now beth I had written a letter to the Polish England had established in the world prior England being a Maritime State, a great Ambassador when he had protested against to the war of 1793 to 1815, a war in which Maritime State, and only a Maritime State, the seizure of goods in Polish ships and she had upheld this principle against the is under no necessity to spill blood or expend lectured him about realities: attempts at Armed Neutrality, remained treasure to coerce her enemy. She can do so "For your part, you seem indeed to us, to in force as the Law of Nations. by distraining his goods, and thus making have read many books; but yet to have little Urquhart was of the opinion that "Inter- the war support itself, when carried on, as it understanding of politics. For whereas, you national Law could never replace such a need only be, by Privateers who seize the so often, in your oration, make mention of fundamental as the Law of Nations. And vessels, and judges who condemn them; the Law of Nations, you must know that, in whilst, on the other hand, she has no military he saw the Declaration of Paris as "an act force to land upon the shores of the United the time of war betwixt kings, it is lawful of suicide" for England and "treason" by for the one party to intercept the assistance States, of Russia, of Prussia, of Austria, and succours sent to the other, and to take any Minister of the Crown who supported France, or Spain, so that the maxim of care that no damage may grow thereby to it. sparing enemy's property, disguised under himself. This, we say, is agreeable to the One of the chief arguments that the term “private property”, could only be law of nature and of nations, and hath been Urquhart used against the Declaration of logical as flowing from a particular hatred often practised, not by us alone, but also by Paris centred around Lord Clarendon's of England" (pp.1-6) the kings of Poland and Sweden, in the wars use of the Crown's power of prerogative to which they have had with the Muscovites." sign up to the Declaration, without the In 1874, in the aftermath of the Franco- After the Queen, her Ministers put the seeking of Parliamentary approval (or Prussian War, David Urquhart published Ambassador straight: indeed the signature of the Queen). Naval Power Suppressed By The Maritime " He was afterwards told by her Council, So when, in 1866, W.H. Gregory, the States. This book argued that France owed consisting, amongst others, of the two MP for Galway, sought to extend it into its defeat in this war to the fact that it was Cecils, that to intercept succours sent to the law in the British Parliament, Urquart deterred from using its naval power against enemy was not against the Law of Nations, published The Declaration of Paris. A Prussia by the Declaration of Paris. seeing it was ordained by Nature that every Letter To Mr. Gregory On His Motion Of Urquhart believed that France, which had one should defend himself; and this is not a March 2, 1866, For Sparing Private a great naval superiority over Prussia, had written law, but born and bred in us" (The Property in War At Sea. Here are some effectively fought the war "with only her Free Seas in War, p.56). extracts: left hand" on a battleground that greatly According to Urquhart it was Frederick "The QUEEN, since her accession, has advantaged the Prussians. He suggested the Great who first claimed "free ships evinced a careful and judicious anxiety that, if the French navy had blockaded make free cargoes" as a right, in 1753— to… secure the rights and well-being of her Prussia, ruined her commerce, or made a few years before he became an ally of People. To advise her to forego the right amphibious landings on the Prussian and duty of seizing and confiscating the coasts, the Prussian army would have England in the Seven Years War. The property of the enemies of her Crown, war legal opinion given in London against being declared, is to assume upon her part been unable to concentrate its efforts as it Frederick (and the Danes and Scandina- the felonious design of abandoning the only did and win the war. He suggested that vians who supported his view) was as means by which England has attained to "the capitulation of Paris in 1871 was the follows: greatness, or can preserve existence… That result of the Declaration of Paris in 1856". "When the powers are at war they have a to propose such a resolution to the House of It was Urquhart's view that England right to make prizes of the ships, goods, and Commons is to assume in that body a total had a hand in the defeat of France, for effects of each other upon the high seas, ignorance of the Laws and of history… Balance of Power reasons. Urquhart whatever is the property of the enemy may "The assumption of the Resolution, recounts that a dispatch of Lord Granville, be acquired by capture at sea, but the prop- namely, that the sparing of British property reminding France of their duties under the erty of a friend cannot be taken, provided he by our enemy will compensate to Great Declaration of Paris, had the effect of observed his neutrality. Hence the Law of Britain for the sparing of enemies' property Nations is established that the goods of an by her, is manifestly fallacious even if disabling the French response to Germany enemy on board the ship of a friend may be established by enactments, and even if and deterring the French from using their taken; that the lawful goods of a friend on carried into effect by practice, since England maritime power: "To make war is not the board the ships of an enemy ought to be has no means of coercion against great only means of prostrating a country and… restored; that contraband goods going to States, save in the superiority of her a Minister can by writing a letter, ruin an the enemy, though the property of a friend, Maritime Power, which can only be brought ally and do so without the knowledge of may be taken as prize because supplying to bear upon them by the seizure of their his victim and of his own country" (p.13). the enemy with what enables him better to property at sea, through which she can carry on the war is a departure from annihilate their commerce, extinguish their Urquhart's 1874 book also took a neutrality. finances, and force their fleets from behind sceptical view of the Crimean War, from "By the Maritime Law of Nations, their batteries into the open sea… Supposing universally and immemorially received, the contrary to be true, namely, that the which the Declaration of Paris originated. there is an established method of determin- counter-cession of the Right of Seizure He viewed the war as a phoney war in ation whether the capture be or be not would compensate to England for the loss which England and France pretended to lawful prize. Before the ships or goods be of its exercise, then, and on that very account, come to the aid of the Turks—but instead disposed of by the captor, there must be a the cession by Foreign Powers would not had different intentions entirely in the regular judicial proceeding, wherein both be made, and, if made, would not be region. These intentions had been inten- parties may be heard, and condemnation observed; for the sanction of all Treaties sified by Czar Nicholas's attempt to con- thereupon as prize in a Court of Admiralty, depends upon the power of enforcing them, vince Sir Hamilton Seymour, the British judging by the Law of Nations and of of which England will have denuded Ambassador in St Petersburg, that the treaties. The proper and regular court for herself… My motive in addressing you… Ottoman Empire was on the point of these condemnations is the court of that springs from my inability to dissociate State to whom the captor belongs" (The myself from the State, and the ruin that collapse. He had told the British Ambas- Free Seas in War, pp.60-1). must fall upon myself and upon my family continued on page 30, column 3 27 night, and for the day confirmed to fast in McCreavy and —who fol- fires, till the foul crimes done in my days lowed the free-spending pseudo-economy Does of nature are burnt and purged away". theory that a State can spend its way out of It The questions of Shakespeare's relig- a depression. A State can no more spend Stack ious convictions is once again upsetting its way out of a depression than an un- Up the academic apple-cart and forcing a employed person can spend their way into ? rethink of his work. The emerging truth is a job. When in 2006 and 2007, those in the that the greatest dramatist in the English know could see that the economy was language had deeply-held Catholic going down they talked of a soft landing convictions which inspired and shaped and their talk persuaded most people to SHAKESPEARE The Shakespeare myths are powerfully his art. look at their holiday sites while the Public embedded in the English Protestant mind. Service looked after themselves, ably Any mild reference to a Shakespeare myth NAMA STORM helped by that part of them that are the will produce an outbreak of defensive Like a passing thunderstorm NAMA politicians. Enormous pay increases were vituperation. Leaving aside the identity or is, as designed, rolling onwards; thunder- taken. Huge expense accounts were identities of the great playwright(s) and ing now loudly, now faintly, into the dis- maximised and great pensions were set up the somewhat tenuous connections with tance; carrying with it the secrets of who index-linked to continuing pay increases that great money-earner Stratford-on- really was borrowing what and from which in that sector. Brian Lenihan continued Avon and the apparent lack of any library banker. There has been some fallout, as in the trend enthusiastically without any of books used by such an erudite scholar— the occasional rain shower from a thunder- regard for the welfare of the economy or there is the question of the playwright's cloud but mostly the cloud is intact so to the taxpayers. Catholicism. Undoubtedly, William speak, and it will disappear rumbling Maybe "enthusiastically" is not quite Shakespeare the actor was indeed a great gently over the horizon with the taxpayers' the right word. Brian Lenihan was a sick actor. Also no one questions the possibility money. man, and he should never have been that he was a superb director and producer It need not have been like that. The appointed by Brain Cowen and, even after of plays. But whoever wrote the plays was State was guaranteeing the smaller deposit- the appointment, he should have resigned a man of genius. ors up to €100,000 and that was enough. or been removed from the job when he Shakespeare's father John in his last There was no need for the State (i.e. the was receiving life-saving medical treat- Will and Testament professed his Catholic taxpayers) to guarantee whole banks. The ment. is an intelligent man faith. Shakespeare's mother was a Catholic banks should have been left to the capitalist and he knew what it takes and he wilfully as was his patron the Viscountess Mag- system which well knew how to deal with put Brian Lenihan into the job and kept dalen Montagne. The plays have many them. The banks were and are experts in him there while the economy and the State positive references to Catholic characters dealing with defaulters. The State formerly finances and the banks collapsed. even though in his time it was popular and had two banks, The Agricultural Credit After the Bank crises which broke into politic to portray Catholics as villains—as Corporation and The Industrial Credit the public domain in September 2008, in today's modern Ireland. Even Shake- Company Ltd, but it sold them off years Brian Lenihan with the approval of the speare's' Catholic clergy are shown in a ago. The thing the State should have done Cabinet guaranteed all the banks, pledging positive light which for those times was in 2008 was to set up a new State Bank, so us all to virtual economic slavery for years incredibly iconic. Father Owen Gorman as to give credit to businesses and let the to come and then some. And then nothing. wrote that Friar Laurence in Romeo and old Bank of Ireland, AIB and Anglo-Irish There were days and weeks and months in Juliet is no villain but is referred to by the Bank rise or fall in the capitalist system. 2009 and 2010 when nothing was done for prince as "a holy man". Likewise Friar That was not done and now the Irish Ireland. The people hoped—many now in Francis in Much Ado about Nothing is a economy is in a shambles and will remain increasing disbelief that something was man of deep moral integrity coming to the so far into the foreseeable future. being done behind the scenes but as we defence of the wrongly accused maiden, What can be done now and what must now know—nothing was being done Hero, who was thought to be unfaithful. be done is for the State to stop borrowing except perhaps a botched cover-up. The The other sacraments of the Catholic to meet current expenditure. Why should Finance Minister, the Cabinet and the Church also figure in a coded way in the taxpayer be shoved deeper and deeper Dail and Seanad took the same Easter and Shakespeare's plays. The ghost of Hamlet's into debt to pay current expenditure we Summer holidays as if no crises were father laments to his son that he was cannot afford? It has to stop. The money happening. Brian Lenihan all this time, murdered "unhouse'led ….. unanel'd; no has run out and when the money has run we were given to understand, was receiving reckoning made, but sent to my account out the only justification for continued treatment for his pancreatic cancer. And with all my imperfections on my head". spending is a prospective future increase on those occasions when he did come into According to the scholar Paul Voss, this in income. There is no realistic prospect of the Department of Finance, orders were refers to the deprivations of the sacraments an increase in the State's income nor in placed before him to sign. Orders which of the Catholic Church: "unhous'led" Local Authority income. Logically, in- authorised increases in wages and salaries (means without the Eucharist), "unanel'd" comes all around will decrease for a few and bonuses for senior public servants and (means without annointing in Extreme years as the economic bubble settles down senior executives in semi-State companies. Unction), "no reckoning made" (without and as some more jobs and incomes dis- Brian Lenihan confirmed recently that confession and absolution). Reading it in appear. Then there will be some years of these salaries would have come before the light that Shakespeare's audience re-organising the economy and then there him for his signature but he says he cannot would, the sense of tragedy and injustice will be a long slow rise to a moderate level remember. Loss of memory has been a associated with the murder would be thus of economic activity. If ever the economy convenient pleading by Ministers since intensified. rises up to the levels of 1995 -2005 watch used it about the arms imports The ghost of Hamlet's father is also the out! It means another bubble will in- in that so-called "". And of character used by Shakespeare to alert his evitably burst upon us again. course all this signing is strongly reminis- audiences to the Catholic doctrine of cent of Bertie Ahern signing blank cheques which he did early on his career, and then purgatory. In Act 1, Scene V, the ghost BRIAN LENIHAN tells Hamlet: "I am thy father's spirit, Brian Lenihan was the fourth Minister of course not remembering!! doomed for a certain term to walk the for Finance—after Brian Cowen, Charles As a result of this awful mismanage- 28 ment —to use the mildest name for it— The Turfcutters will be compensated in then from the Trade Unions—who also gave the State is now saddled with this enormous money. Is the money for the purpose of him employment for 11 years. Now that he range of huge salaries. Some of them are buying alternative fuel? Coal will add to is a man of means and has many friends who twice what the Taoiseach earns. The head Ireland's imports which again harms are men of means, he cheerfully spits on of An Post is on €500,000 a year and that Ireland's economy. A re-run of the Irish those who helped him in the past. is only one example. And pensions to sugar beet industry all over again—against Prince Albert of Monaco recently visited match and so even if the situation was to our own interests we went for the import Ireland. He was portrayed as an all-round be fixed today and retire them all, they option because our politicians and yes— nice person—never mind that he provides a would be hanging like an albatross around our farmers—were too short-sighted to tax haven for no end of shady customers. our necks for the next thirty or forty years think about our long-term future economic The Irish Independent [11th April] reported: on these enormous pensions. It was and is viability. Already we see from the Colm "Tanaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister a con job done by the aforesaid four McCarthy Report that the sell-off of our Eamon Gilmore has insisted he did not know Ministers but hugely by Brian Lenihan— Irish forests and bogs is going ahead. So it Prince Albert of Monaco attended a contro- was never about conservation—was it? versial dinner with Michael Lowry and Mich- on the Irish taxpayer. And then, when they ael Fingleton during his visit to Ireland last knew the game was up, Ireland was sold As Coillte and Bord na Mona—now to be week. The dinner took place in the K Club, down the river to the ECB/IMF/EU in amalgamated as 'BioEnergy' sell off our which is owned by Dr Smurfit and is where November 2010. trees and peat, we will truly see the awful Prince Albert usually stays when he comes to results of that ECB/IMF deal. TURFCUTTERS the country on private visits. Also on the Would you fancy a day on the bog? In Before the last Election, the outgoing guest list were disgraced TD Mr Lowry, the former Fine Gael minister officially repri- the months of May and June with the sun Government in the dying days of its remit —gave out licences to a number of multi- manded in the Dail the previous week fol- shining and the larks flying high overhead, national companies "to drill test bores lowing the Moriarty Tribunal report, and Mr the bees gently droning as they worked on Fingleton, the former Irish Nationwide chief." the Marsh Gentians making honey—it searching for gas and oil deposits in the shale beds under various parts of our The Croke Park Agreement is being opposed has always been traditional to spend a few country". The new Government promised by senior executives in both the public and days on the bog, cutting turf for the next private sectors. In exchange for no reduction Winter's fires at the homestead. It was to rescind all these—stating that if we are a tourist-oriented economy, the very nature in pay and no compulsory redundancies, the heavy man's work with the sleán but of such activity would kill our wholesome Unions have agreed to a change in working women and children of the family helped practices and an acceptance of a reduction in with footing the turf in neat rows to dry food/and wild landscape/seascape with one fell swoop. The Fine Gael/Labour staff through voluntary redundancies and out. It was part of our culture. But no Government seems now to be forgetting natural wastage. These measures need active more. The EU has decreed that no more organisation at the top. This has not been turf will be cut and the bogs are to be those promises and say they are hampered by deals already set in legal stone. There forthcoming because the executives are preserved. A tiny minority of urban do- attempting to sabotage the process. Here is gooders have got their way after intruding is no such thing as the latter—why don't they read our Constitution—it does not what Foreign Affairs Minister, Labour's Pat into a rural way of life they wouldn't know Rabbitte, had to say about the matter: if it hit them on the fisóg. The giant turf- cover deals done by crooks and pick- pockets. They'd want to listen to the people "There have been opportunities during the cutting machines of Bord na Móna may boom—even opportunities when the unions or we'll be having our very own "Spring have overdone the cutting but that sort of were proffering changes that might profitably industrialised cutting was coming to an movement" one of these days. be made—and management in the public Michael Stack © end in any event—the giant machines service were backward in coming forward. If were running out of space. But why did they didn't come to the table and do their job the ban on turf-cutting have to apply to in terms of devising smarter ways of working, Editorial Digest devising changes that ought to be implement- family turf-cutters using hand-held tools? ed, restructuring the working week, all that Why does a culture have to be so needlessly The South kind of thing, it would be very difficult for any destroyed? Corporate donations to political parties and minister to effect the changes that quite frankly The same EU reasoning was applied to candidates are to be banned, according to the we need" (Irish Times, 12th April). fishing—just because giant trawlers (not Kenny Coalition. After this announcement Anti-Union. The same issue of the paper Irish) were over-fishing, the EU banned several people in the Labour Party were reported on the anti-union stance of local all fishing—even small rowing boat fisher- saying that this wouldn't and shouldn't apply and foreign employers: men! What an awful bureaucratic monster to the Trade Unions. Then, on 7th April, "Multinational companies and some of the the EU is, crashing and blundering through Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore announced, country's largest indigenous employers will be forced to recognise unions under planned our country in mindless destructiveness. it would seem unilaterally, that: "Donations Ah—I hear you ask—what about the rest legislation. But employers' group IBEC from trade unions will be included in that claimed last night that thousands of jobs would of the EU? Well from my sailing legislation. They will be treated as corporate experiences, I can tell you with absolute be lost if the Government pushed through donations.At the moment they account for with the laws to make engaging with unions truth, having seen the evidence before my only 5% of the Labour Party's income, though compulsory. Major multinational employers, own eyes—the French, the Spanish and donations of about €2,500 to the campaign such as Intel, prefer to deal directly with the Portuguese are all busily out every funds of union members standing can be a employees on staffing issues through emp- week-day with their little boats and are great help." loyee representative associations, made up of doing a roaring trade. So where is the EU From now on, only individual donations employees rather than union officials. handicapping system involved there? Let will be allowed. But at least both Trade Union "More than 140,000 workers are employed in foreign companies operating here and a further me further enlighten you and say that the and corporate donations were traceable to EU dare not touch these fishermen because 100,000 workers are employed in jobs supporting definite interests. This is impossible with these firms. An internal IBEC document, seen by they have proper politicians who monitor individual donations. In America, corpora- any interference with their way of doing the Irish Independent, has been drawn up in tions give individual executives money to donate opposition to a measure in the new Programme for business. And try telling the French what and no one knows where it is coming from. Government that could transform workplace negoti- they are not allowed to do and their ruthless A note on Gilmore. He got where he is today ation. In the message, the employer's group warns response (which I so admire!) is to put partly through monies raised first by the that a 'rush towards the radical and dangerous everything on fire and scare the bejasus Official IRA (many of whose members direction' of collective bargaining with unions out of everyone. languished for years in jail as a result), and would turn foreign investors away and cost jobs." 29 These proposed new policies will dilute NICC continued standards of spatial planning, design and environmental protection. They will be used Naval Warfare giving economic considerations determining concluded weight in granting approval confers direct to strengthen the argument to retain damag- accountability on the decision making ing unauthorised developments where enforcement would otherwise have been sador, "we have a sick man on our hands, process. a man who is seriously ill; it will be a great Other recent approvals which have been appropriate and will introduce further in- consistency and lack of accountability into misfortune if he escapes us one of these taken in the Lisburn area contrary to strict days, especially before all the arrange- planning policy—such as the Dobbins garden the decision making process. The recently launched initiative to ensure ments are made". centre on the Saintfield Road and the hotel The "arrangements" the Czar had in approval in the Green Belt at Hillhall Road— the viability of ailing town centres —"The Regional Manifesto for NI: Ulster Towns mind were for the sharing out of the Otto- further emphasise how economic consider- man Empire by the European Powers, ations are being given determining weight Speak with One Voice"—will be immediately undermined if economic considerations with Constantinople going to himself. But and further question any need for PPS 23 England was most unwilling to see the and PPS24. become the decisive (and divisive) factor in allowing out of town shopping centres. Russians down at Constantinople and, Ultimately the adoption of these un- instead of a sharing of Ottoman spoils, CONCLUSION necessary policies will further tip the balance they went to war in the Crimea with Russia. The Labour Party contends that there is in favour of the private developer and away Urquhart thought that the Turks were no need for these policies and that they will from objectors, local communities, the wider more than a match for the Russians, both simply be used to override established public interest and the environment, on land and sea, but he felt that the Turkish planning policy as the norm, rather than the particularly as there remains no right of third Navy had been prevented by the British exception. party appeal. from rescuing a fleet of Turkish ships at If determining economic weight is given Sinope, which was subsequently destroyed to socially unacceptable and environment- Please ensure that this submission is by the Imperial Russian Navy in the Black ally damaging developments, like some of brought to the attention of the incoming Sea. those mentioned above, they will become Environment Committee. This event had the effect of justifying more prevalent and more readily acceptable. Pat Muldowney British intervention in the conflict and led to British and French occupation of the Gallipoli peninsular. Urquhart wondered REPORT Commons”, why, if there was really a war with Russia - notes that no action has been taken on being fought, the main concentration of Sinn Fein pulled off something of a coup this matter by the British Government and forces was not directed at Sevastopol. by having the following motion debated in calls directly upon the British Government And he saw the subsequent conflict that the Dail on 17th May, the day the Queen of to comply with the request of Dáil Éireann developed in the Crimea as something of England arrived in Ireland. The motion and mandates An Taoiseach Enda Kenny to repeated an earlier motion which the Dail press this matter with the British Prime an afterthought and a charade. passed in July 2008, and it was again Minister David Cameron. Urquhart pointed to the fact that Britain passed unanimously refused to deploy its naval might against Gerry Adams, Michael Colreavy, Seán Crowe, Pearse Doherty, , , Russia to end the war quickly—as it had Dáil Motion on Dublin- Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, Mary Lou McDonald, always done in the past. Considerable Sandra McLellan, Jonathan O’Brien, damage could have been done to Russia, Monaghan bombings Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, and she would have been bankrupted very Brian Stanley, Peadar Tóibín. quickly if the Royal Navy had been given MOTION That Dáil Éireann, recalling the motion it Ó SNODAIGH its steam. However, inexplicably, trade adopted unanimously on 10 July 2008 which Releasing news on the motion on 13th May, was allowed to persist between English merchants and Russia and Russian com- - noted “the interim and final reports of Aengus Ó Snodaigh said: merce went about its business through its the sub-Committee of the Joint Committee “…This motion reiterates the all-party on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's resolution of 10th July 2008 which called own and neutral shipping unhindered by Rights on the report of the Independent on the British Government to release all the British Fleet. Commission of Inquiry into the Dublin- files relating to the Dublin and Monaghan Urquhart believed that England and Monaghan Bombings and the three related bombings. It is widely believed that this France combined to establish a foothold at Barron Reports, including the Inquiry into attack, involving the greatest loss of life of Constantinople using the Russian threat the Bombing of Kay's Tavern, Dundalk, any incident in the conflict, was carried out as an excuse. But, in combining, they and commends the sub-Committee for its with the involvement of British intelligence. signed the Declaration of Paris to protect work”; “To date no action has been taken despite themselves against each other and maintain the motion receiving unanimous backing - urged “the Government of the United their lucrative trades with Russia. This Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern from all parties and it is for this reason that Ireland to allow access by an independent, we are taking the opportunity to restate that was because, both realised that this was a international judicial figure to all original call and are urging An Taoiseach Enda war of convenience and that either party documents held by the British Government Kenny to press this matter directly with might suddenly desert the other and ally relating to the atrocities that occurred in British Prime Minister David Cameron. with the Russians instead. This prompted this jurisdiction and which were inquired “With the Queen of England having been Lord Hebbert to say "we were in accord into by Judge Barron, for the purposes of invited to visit the State on the anniversary with our enemy but not with our ally". assessing said documents with the aim of of the bombings it will be rightly seen by assisting in the resolution of these crimes"; many to be insensitive and offensive. The For Urquhart this desire to protect their - and directed “the Clerk of the Dáil to Government were very quick to issue the lucrative commerce was the real reason invitation which we would see as premature. communicate the text of this Resolution, behind the betrayal at Paris of maritime together with copies of the aforementioned However they must now use the opportunity reports, to the House of Commons of the to speak directly to the British Queen and power that was disastrous for France in United Kingdom of Great Britain and David Cameron when he arrives on Wednes- 1871 and would be disastrous to England Northern Ireland, with a request that the day and urge them to release the files relating in the future. matter be considered by the House of to the bombings.…" Pat Walsh 30 environmental protection. ments above achieving balanced commun- NICC MOTION These policies are short sighted and ities, not to mention all the other serious will pose a real threat to the longer term breaches of planning policy and damage PRESS RELEASE economic recovery of Northern Ireland which approval of this development would by eroding our social, cultural, built and have caused. Private Agenda In natural heritage assets. Furthermore, the First Minister Robinson's active support facility already exists for Ministers and for permitting development of the Knock Northern Economy Planning Service to take decisions based Golf Club site, a protected Green Belt, on economic considerations, and there are further demonstrates this party's eagerness The Northern Ireland Constituency many recent examples, some of which are to set aside strict planning and environmen- Council approved the following motion, to be submitted to the 64th Conference of given below and many of which represent tal controls in favour of development ir- the Labour Party, to be held on April 16-18 poor planning decisions. respective of the long term consequences. at Galway University These factors alone should stand as a The introduction of these proposed warning to the public on the dangers of planning policies, PPS23 and PPS24, MOTION introducing these new planning policies. would make it much easier to force through Conference notes with concern, the fact Why are such policies actually required if such development and its questionable that despite the Northern Ireland Assembly the Department is already able to give public benefits upon a community clearly having the opportunity to use the 10 year determining weight to economic consider- and vehemently opposed to such a prop- Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland ations in decision making and is actively osal. The fact that the Department was 2008-2018 (ISNI), with planned expen- employing this tool? pushing ahead with this approval further diture of £20bn for infrastructure projects, The answer clearly lies in a purely emphasises that the facility already exists to tackle the damage done by the economic political desire to ensure that decision to give economic considerations determin- recession, it has ceded its democratic role, making will be based on prioritising econo- ing weight, without having to introduce to the unelected Strategic Investment mic considerations over other established new policies to make it easier to undermine Board. This body, established as a com- planning policies. The purpose is to make established planning policy and the pany limited by guarantee and sponsored these considerations the norm rather than public's voice. by the Office of the First and Deputy First the exception. In May 2009, when lobbying failed, Ministers, represents the narrow interests This should give the public and those Minister Wilson railroaded through an ill- of the private sector and remains wedded elected and charged with looking after its conceived Ministerial Statement aimed at to the discredited dogma of Privatisation interests real cause for concern. giving economic considerations prece- and the Public Finance Initiative/Public dence over established planning policies. Private Partnership (PFI/PPP) approach CONTEXT However, embarrassingly for the Minister, to delivery of public services. Conference The promotion of these PPS's repres- a subsequent legal challenge quashed this calls on the NI Assembly parties to re- ents the latest step in a concerted attempt Statement, declaring it illegal, and once examine the priorities in the Programme by successive DUP Ministers to undermine again thwarting the DUP's attempts to for Government in line with the particular and unduly influence established planning ensure that private economic interests demands of the current economic crisis policies in favour of private developers, could ride rough shod over wider public and to implement the Investment Strategy usually at the expense of the wider public and environmental concerns. in a manner that best benefits the local interest and environment. No doubt the costs of the ensuing judicial economy and which factors in the added The shameless lobbying of Environ- review, which went against the DOE, were value of elements such as ensuring sustain- ment Minister Wilson on behalf of private picked up by the Northern Ireland tax payer! ability by improving the skills base through developers and his public criticism of his Recently Minister Poots rashly claimed apprenticeships and appropriate training. own Planning Service staff for daring to that it was no secret he was "the developers' refuse developments such as the Aurora friend" and his avid promotion of PPS23 Building in Belfast, set the scene for the and PPS24 would seem to indicate that NICC Submission direction now being actively pursued by this is indeed the case. However, as men- his successor, Minister Poots. tioned above, there has always been and It was widely acknowledged that the there continues to be scope for either the PRESS RELEASE Aurora development, if approved, would Minister or the Planning Service to over- IRISH LABOUR PARTY RESPONSE TO have had a damaging impact on the socially turn a planning decision if he/it is persuad- ed that the economy is the determining DRAFT PPS 23 AND PPS 24 deprived local community of Sandy Row, failed to respect the setting of the adjoining factor in allowing established planning INTRODUCTION listed building, and failed to meet the policy to be set aside. standard of accommodation set by the Just as Minister Wilson, if only he had the NICC submission to the Northern Northern Ireland Housing Executive. courage of his own convictions, could have Ireland Assembly on planning policy Yet the Minister of the Environment taken the decision to approve the Aurora The Labour Party wishes to register its still attempted to bully his staff into Building rather than attempt to coerce his strong opposition to the introduction of granting permission. staff into a measure that would have had PPS 23—Enabling Development and Setting aside the fact that NIHE would not significant adverse repercussions for the PPS24—Economic Considerations. We have been able to house any of its clients in local area and for Belfast as a whole. contend that these proposed policies are the building because the level of accommod- The Minister's very recent decision to devised solely to enable development that ation to be provided did not meet its standards, allow the largest ever Tesco supermarket would normally be unacceptable in we understand that the developer refused outside Banbridge underlines the fact that planning, social and environmental terms. point blank to recognise that there was an economic considerations can be used to The first is a charter for developers to identified housing need in the area. determine planning applications without buy planning permission. Both of them We understand too that. with the support the need for new planning policy. Without fundamentally undermine existing plan- of the Minister, he attempted to shirk his going into the planning argument surround- ning policies aimed at ensuring orderly obligations under PPS 12—Housing in ing this case, at least the current method of social and spatial development and Settlements by placing economic argu- continued on page 30

31 VOLUME 29 No. 6 CORK ISSN 0790-1712 Ulster, the next Paradis fiscal by Mark Langhammer Thirty years ago, living in La Rochelle, The UK tax gap tops £120 billion per transfer here, but with no employment I came across the quaint French term annum in tax evaded, avoided and uncol- other than for jobbing solicitors and 'Paradis Fiscal'. Loosely translated, it lected. Most is by super-wealthy indivi- accountants. Artificial transactions, like means Tax Haven. The next Assembly duals and global corporations. Some 'repackaging of goods' (with minimal aims to provide the Ulster business sector's avoidance is legal, but only in the sense labour content) will shift profit to and 'silver bullet' of reduced, 12.5% Corpor- that slavery, or apartheid, were legal. from Northern Ireland. The tax avoiding ation Tax rates. Under the nomenclature Retrieving even half this tax would, alone, companies likely to locate here are risky "Enterprise Zone" this provides for transform the UK deficit problem. businesses, beside which de-Lorean would Paradis Fiscal status, supported by all The evidence of low Irish Corporation seem innocent. Executive parties including, oddly, Martin Tax is that "brass plate" companies are And the evidence? The Varney Report McGuinness's Sinn Fein. enticed, but simply to do behind Dublin has rubbished the notion, as has Tax The world contains several main tax Georgian doors what they can't do at home. Research UK. Only 4% of Northern Ire- haven 'blocs'. First, a European zone "Lichtenstein on the Liffey", Vince Cable land companies pay the current 28% rate. including Switzerland, Monaco, Luxem- called it. The ICTU's research document The Azores judgement makes implement- bourg, Lichtenstein, Andorra, Portuguese "Pot of Gold or Fools Gold" demonstrates ation high-risk for the Executive. No job Madeira and the Netherlands, where Bono that financial or "portfolio" investment in creation arguments or criteria have been —whilst berating western taxpayers to the Republic vastly outweighed productive articulated for the policy. The Economic boost African aid—shifted his tax affairs. inward investment. Reform Group is the main strong support- America conducts a second sphere of er. Likewise, the large accountancy firms, influence, operating at Federal and wider Our 'Enterprise Zone' may artificially all implicated in the 'legal' tax avoidance levels. Delaware, Nevada and Wyoming induce transactions to Belfast. It is less game, have voiced strong support. As are all low-cost secrecy havens. Florida likely to assist indigenous growth. Fly- Mandy Rice-Davies might have said, traditionally offers banking shelter to Latin by-night companies, with no intention of "They would say that, wouldn't they?". America's oligarchs and financial elites. creating real jobs, may set up glass suites From the US Virgin Islands, Marshall in Titanic Quarter. They will solely park And if the tax take reduces, who pays? Islands and Liberia reaching to Panama profits before moving them swiftly to The PAYE sector, the "squeezed middle", forms an outer ring under US protection. other tax havens. Head Offices may including those whom I represent— The third, and main, tax haven bloc teachers, classroom assistants, librarians, radiates from the City of London. Subscribers to the magazine are regularly and technicians. For many years, the City's financiers offered special rates on other publications The most important feature of tax have facilitated industrial scale tax evasion. Irish Political Review is published by secrecy jurisdictions is always the same— Barack Obama identified the 34 worst the IPR Group: write to— that local politics is captured by financial offending tax havens in sponsoring the 1 Sutton Villas, Lower Dargle Road services. Our politicians should concen- 2008 Stop Tax Haven Abuse Bill presen- Bray, Co. Wicklow or trate on closing loopholes—not opening ted to US Congress. Nine are under direct PO Box 339, Belfast BT12 4GQ or new avenues for evasion. It's time for British control, such as Anguilla, Bermuda, PO Box 6589, London, N7 6SG, or Martin McGuinness and colleagues to Virgin Islands, Cayman, Gibraltar, Isle of Labour Comment, reconsider Paradis Fiscal status for the Man and Jersey. A further fifteen are C/O Shandon St. P.O., Cork City. North. former colonies where British influence TEL: 021-4676029 remains strong such as Antigua, Bahamas, Subscription by Post: Mark Langhammer is a member of the Barbados, Belize, Cyprus, Malta, Domin- 12 issues: £20, UK; Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish ica, Grenada, Hong Kong and Singapore. € 30, Ireland; € 35, Europe. Congress of Trade Unions. The City remains the true epicentre of Electronic Subscription: empire. Northern Ireland will be next to This article appeared in the € 15 / £12 for 12 issues Belfast Newsletter of 26 April 2011 join. The surprise is that McGuinness, (or € 1.30 / £1.10 per issue) who knows this in his bones, has been You can also order from: https://sites.google.com/a/votelabour.ie/ seduced by such economic Redmondism. https://www.atholbooks-sales.org northernireland/home