IRISH ISSN 0790-7672 November 2004 The Irish Times: POLITICAL Gageby And McDowell Labour Organisation In Northern Ireland Volume 19 No 11 REVIEW "To Work Or Not ?" Incorporating Volume 18 Number 11 Labour Comment: Back Page The Northern Star Workers' Weekly ISSN 0954-5891

Warmongering Europe In . Crisis

As the Irish Republican Army commits itself increasingly to a peace process, the Irish The Irish Times told us on the 28th Defence Force agitates for war. General Gerry MacMahon, a former Chief of Staff, October that Mr. Barroso’s decision to wants the Defence Force freed from “the UN mandate lack”, so that it can go to war (Irish delay ratification of his new Commission Times 20.10.04). UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan spent five days in Ireland pleading under the pressure from the European for the participation of the Irish Defence Force in a system of “hit squads” to be run by Parliament on 27th October was a “good the European Union for the United Nations where the UN cannot act. And John O’Shea, outcome to the EU Confrontation”. It belligerent head of GOAL, “an international humanitarian organisation”, urged the seemed a bit premature to even claim an Taoiseach to respond to Annan’s call, so that the UN Security Council, which is “hung outcome at that stage. The immediate up on national sovereignty”, could be circumvented (Irish Times 14.10.04). And the outcome is still to be known and the long- Irish Times naturally gives great publicity to these demands that Irish soldiers should term outcome is hardly knowable at this once again become active in international power politics, fighting for good causes around the world as they used to do when there was a real Regular Army in Ireland, the British stage. But for the Irish political class Army. The undermining of the concept of ‘national sovereignty’, a principle which kept whatever happens in Europe is a good the peace in Europe in the half century after World War II, also sits well with the agenda thing. Nowadays, the Irish political mind at the root of the Irish Times project. goes blank at the thought of Europe. Ducking and diving while the money So is Kofi Annan trying to set himself up as world dictator and to sideline the Security comes in is the order of the day and that’s Council into a talking shop? How can this be? The Secretary General derives his the beginning and the end of it. executive authority from the Security Council. If his scheme comes into effect, it can only be at the behest of the dominant power on the Security Council, the United States. If The only element that tries to bring Annan proceeds with this scheme and is not disabled, it can only be that he is acting as thought is Anthony Coughlan. He does so an agent of the United States. according to the guidelines set down by continued on page 2 the old Communist Party of Great Britain via his mentor Desmond Greaves in the 50s-60s and the British Eurosceptics, mainly Tories, of the 70s onwards. There is continuity and common ground from Communists to Conservatives in Britain on the issue of Europe and Coughlan is its agent in Ireland. That is why he never can really appeal to the Irish body politic. His conceptions are not organic to that body.

This is the second defeat of the Commission by the Parliament and is clearly the second of many to come. The particular issues concerned do not matter.

continued on page 6 Social Life in the Republic under new laws The Indonesian Government of that C O N T E N T S era had come to power in a military coup Page d’etat in 1965-6 in which a million people Warmongering. Editorial 1 were killed. Its leader, General Suharto, Europe In Crisis. Jack Lane 1 was one of the pillars of the Western segment of what is called the International Poem Addressed To Blair/Bush. Osama bin-Laden 3 Community. He governed the State well, An Cor Tuathail: Wee Black Danny. 7 by comparison with what has happened (Compiled by Pat Muldowney) since he was undermined. The country Tom Paulin And The Literati. Seán McGouran 7 was not riven by religious war, and a Just Business! John Martin on the Banking Scandals 8 degree of what might even be called prosperity was maintained by the method All-Ireland Labour In All-Ireland Politics. Joe Keenan 9 that later came to be called corruption. "State Funded Sectarianism And Pandering To Paramilitarism". Speech by Councillor Mark Langhammer 11 (General Suharto’s coup in Indonesia Gageby, McDowell And The Irish Times. John Martin 14 was instigated by the Americans and the Captain Kelly's Detractors. Letter from Seán McGouran 14 British. The British Ambassador, Sir Irish Establishment Steals The Presidency. Seán McGouran 16 Andrew Gilchrist, was closely involved. There was a strong Communist movement Peter Hart Responds. Report of Peter Hart & Niall Meehan on Kilmichael 18 in the country, which was massacred by A Right To Return ? Brendan Clifford 19 Suharto’s forces using the pretext that a The Clonbanin Column 20 coup was planned. Gilchrist was later Carryduff And 1798. Letter from Wilson John Haire 21 moved to Ireland, where he represented the Empire during the initial phase of the Labour Comment, edited by Pat Maloney: Arms importation saga in 1969. Major To Work Or Not ? by Bob Cotter Thomas McDowell, top dog of The Irish Times, was put in touch with Gilchrist Annan’s recent statement that the inva- action without a UN mandate. when he offered his services to Prime Minister Harold Wilson.) sion of Iraq was illegal was a piece of And General MacMahon tells a very demagoguery, designed to gain him credib- small part of that UN story. When With the crumbling of the Soviet ility as an independent agent in world Indonesia occupied East Timor, Australia regime and China’s withdrawal from affairs. He is not an independent agent. recognised Indonesian sovereignty over foreign affairs to develop a market And the invasion of Iraq was not illegal. East Timor on the basis of the right of economy, Washington decided it had no conquest. That recognition, which struck further need of Suharto, so it decreed that Insofar as there is a system of law at the ideological core of the UN, was not he was a dictator and that the closed operative on a world scale, it is the law of censured by the UN, even though a Secur- economy he was running was an intoler- the United Nations as determined by the ity Council resolution had condemned the able obstacle to the free circulation of Security Council. And five States are Indonesian conquest. This resolution was capital. It subverted the regime which had legally exempt from it—the five of no practical account because it was not kept the region stable on behalf of ‘the Permanent Powers on the Security Coun- passed under Chapter 7 of the United West/International Community’ for thirty cil. Each of these Powers has the right to Nations Carter. Chapter 7 resolutions years. The liberation of East Timor from operate its own policy on a world scale. It authorise executive action to enforce them. the Indonesian tyranny then became an cannot be found to be in breach of inter- Other resolutions are just ideological enforceable UN position. And Australia national law—unless it finds itself to be window-dressing. Israel always treats undertook the work of liberation as so. No judgment can be given against it. them with contempt when they are directed enthusiastically as it had previously upheld It is free to do whatever its military power at it. So did Indonesia in the case of East the right of conquest. Its only object was enables it to do. Timor. But, while the subjects of these to maintain a lucrative presence in East If Annan acts militarily on issues on futile resolutions usually treat them with Timor, and it was a matter of indifference which the Security Council cannot agree the contempt they deserve, it is not usual to it whether in doing it it made a mockery to act, that can only be because he acts as when doing so to assert a principle which of the United Nations or enforced its agent of one of the Powers which are is a total negation of the pretensions of the mandate. above the law. And, in the present instance, United Nations. But that is what Australia that can only be the USA. did when it recognised Indonesian While Kofi Annan was in Ireland trying sovereignty over East Timor on the basis to raise a hit squad for use without a UN General MacMahon cites East Timor of the right of conquest. (And Donald mandate, Garret FitzGerald appeared on as if it was a precedent for what Annan Rumsfeld came close to doing it recently the Vincent Browne show on Radio proposed to the Irish: “East Timor was with regard to the Israeli occupation of the Eireann to discuss the invasion of Iraq. He stabilised by a UN-mandated but whole of Palestine west of the Jordan.) accepted the Annan dictum that the Australian-led force, which was replaced invasion was illegal, but denied that the by a more traditional UN peacekeeping The Indonesian occupation lasted for Irish Government acted in breach of law force with an enforcement mandate once in facilitating the prosecution of the war the situation had been brought under about a quarter of a century, and during by allowing Shannon Airport to be used as command. In this instance, Irish soldiers that period about a third of the population served under Australian command.” But of East Timor was killed by the occupation a transit point for US troops and the Annan’s scheme is that there should be force. overflight of US aircraft. His reasoning 2 (which echoed that of Martin Mansergh states should not be established through on the Vincent Browne show last year) colonisation and conquest, even though was that in foreign policy matters each the UN General Assembly itself, with the Poem addressed to state has two obligations—to act in support of the two Great Powers, provided Blair/Bush, accordance with an ideal or principle and for the colonisation and conquest of by to serve its own particular interests. The Palestine by the Jewish nationalist Irish interest was served by facilitating the movement in 1947. The other generally Osama bin-Laden American invasion of Iraq. And, even understood principle was that existing though that invasion was illegal, Ireland states which were members of the UN had did not act in breach of law in facilitating inalienable sovereignty. This principle To the Ingleezee Khafir, it because the invasion would not have was breached in practice with regard to calling himself been prevented by an Irish refusal to Yugoslavia and John O’Shea appears to Djann Bool Djenkinzun facilitate it, and the only effect of such a want it discarded as a principle: [John Bull Jenkinson] refusal would have been to damage Irish “The Security Council is… hung up interests. on national sovereignty… Some mechanism must be found to prevent Thus writeth Meer Djafrit: This reasoning gives rise to the strange genocide and to stop it when it does I hate thee Djann Bool, principle that it is lawful to facilitate an occur… The UN was well aware of Worse than Marid or Afrit, illegal action if refusing to facilitate it what was going on in Rwanda 10 years Or corpse-eating Ghool would not have the effect of preventing it. ago but a million people were slaughtered I hate thee like sin, and it did nothing to stop it”. For thy mop-head of hair, But why resort to such casuistry? Thy snub nose and bald chin, Surely FitzGerald can read a book of rules O’Shea writes of the UN as if it had And thy turkey-cock air. and apply them. The book of rules of corporate existence as a world authority, Thou vile Ferindjee! international law is the United Nations which it hasn’t. If it had it would be a That thou thus shouldst disturb an Charter. Under those rules the Secretary World Government. It is not possible that Old Moslim like me, General is not a judge who decides what is it should become a World Government. With my Khizzilbash turban! illegal. His opinion has no judicial force And the over-riding of national Old fogy like me, whatever. And, under the rules, an action sovereignty of one state will only be done With my Khizzilbash turban! engaged in by two Permanent Powers in pursuit of the interests of another state. cannot be illegal. The outcome of the ‘Rwandan This is not a perverted application of I spit on thy clothing, genocide’ was that the people who were the rules. Nor is it a literal application of That garb for baboons! exterminated became the rulers of the them which breaks the spirit of them. The I eye with deep loathing state—a paradox which arises from the rules governing the operation of Thy tight pantaloons! misuse of language. The context of the international law in the context of the I curse the cravat ‘genocide’ was the invasion of Rwanda UN (and all other contexts were abolished That encircles thy throat, by a Tutsi Army from Uganda which by the founders of the UN) were And thy cooking-pot hat, created a reign of terror in the invasion specifically designed to exclude the And thy swallow-tailed coat! path, provoking the response of the Hutu application of the law to the Permanent Go, hide thy thick sconce majority. The militaristic, American- Members of the Security Council, the In some hovel suburban; trained Tutsi minority quickly gained the Powers with a Veto on Security Council Or else don at once upper hand, took control of the state and resolutions. The red Moosleman turban. set about punishing the majority in the Thou dog, don at once The UN is a construction of the Great name of Justice etc. It established a military The grand Khizzilbash turban! Powers of 1945, designed to serve their dictatorship which has not cared to interests. Any other representation of it is introduce democracy. At the same time a vacuous ideal—an illusion. The Veto of its armies have been active in neighbouring [OK, the author is not Osama bin the Permanent Members makes it states where more people have been killed Laden, but James Clarence Mangan, impossible that it should be anything else. than in ‘the Rwandan genocide’ without 1803-1849, JL] And if it wasn’t for the Veto, the UN causing great concern to the ‘international would not exist at all. The Great Powers community’. These events, whether in of 1945 would only allow it to be Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, do not established on the condition that it could had been set aside in the cause of the express a form of barbarism endemic in higher rights of humanitarianism. When not act against them. The Great Powers African culture which the world of Western were essentially two, the Soviet Union preaching that war, the Prime Minister civilisation has an obligation to stop. They went around various East European and the USA, with Britain a poor second, are products of the activity of Western and France and China added as capitals declaring that “literally civilisation in Africa, governed by very thousands” of people were being killed makeweights. And the terms in which its definite Western interests which determine ideals were set out had to be acceptable to every day in the Serbian genocide in which of these events should arouse the Kossovo. That would have meant that Russia and America, and had therefore to conscience of the world. be capable of being understood in well in excess of 100,000 people were drastically different ways. killed by Serbs in the period preceding the The British Government hailed the NATO bombing. It was later established For half a century it was understood to NATO attack on Yugoslavia as establish- that nothing of the kind had happened. be a general principle of the UN that new ing the principle that national sovereignty Before the NATO bombing there had been 3 low-level conflict between an Albanian since become a close friend to both our the history of the Jews which are entirely guerilla (or terrorist) movement and the countries… Given these many ties that different in character. In the first the Jews Yugoslav authorities in which very few bind us, I am somewhat dismayed to led a dispersed existence in various people were killed. The assault of the read in the Israeli press that Ireland is countries, which was a mixture of oppres- Serbs on the Albanians began after the seen as being less friendly to Israel than sion and privilege. Leopold Bloom NATO bombing started. it was a most other Member States of the belongs to that epoch—but it seems Union… The Holocaust was an atrocity consequence of the bombing, not the cause. doubtful that he was a Dublin Jew, and without parallel… When I woke this And the system established by NATO in morning, I picked up the local more likely that he was constructed from Kossovo was one under which Serbs were newspapers. Looking out of the front Joyce’s experience of life in the Austro- terrorised by Albanians. pages were the faces of innocent young Hungarian Empire. In the second epoch The Yugoslav State had to be got rid of Israelis who now lie dead; their lives, so the Jews were formed into a colonialist because it was a Communist survival in full of hope and potential, brutally ripped movement for the conquest of Palestine, the new capitalist Europe. It survived away by an act of senseless terrorism. I which was constituted into one of the then turned on the television to see film when the other Communist states fell in Powers of the earth by being given a seat of the young woman, a mother of two at the Versailles Conference of 1919. The 1989 because it was not part of the Soviet children, who had so misguidedly blown system, having been in effective alliance Irish, who had never ceased to occupy herself up and killed these young Israelis. Ireland, were refused even an audience at with the capitalist West for forty years. One can only wonder about the motives that Conference. The Jews, who had When the West got the better of the Soviet and state of mind of someone who would enemy, it had no further need of its commit so heinous an act. I have nothing abandoned Palestine two thousand years Communist ally against that enemy and but condemnation for those who earlier, were awarded Palestine as the set about destroying it, inciting extreme recruited her and sent her out to do such place where the Jewish State was to be nationalist passions for that purpose— a thing.” reconstructed, and the Jewish Agency was and the Western media never mentioned In another speech on the same day in recognised as a kind of state power on the awkward fact that, in the reconstruction the same place Cowen said: behalf of the Jewish colonisation of of Yugoslavia towards the end of the “The government of Israel rightly Palestine that was authorised by the British Second World War, Royalist Serbia had calls on the Palestinians to create a law- Empire (Balfour Declaration, 1917) and been subjugated by Tito’s Communist abiding society which fights against confirmed by Versailles (League of Partisan movement with the military and violence and incitement. For that same Nations Mandate, 1921). political support of Winston Churchill. reason, Israel, in exercising its right to The Balfour Declaration was a protect its people, must avoid actions comprehensive negation of the ideals of that themselves might suggest a lack of The United Nations is a Great Power democracy and the rights of nations for regard for human life or exacerbate structure. Small states, however many of hatreds” etc. “I note there is a growing which Britain had pretended to fight the them there are, cannot direct its affairs. debate within Israel on the future of the Great War, and Balfour frankly acknow- The most honourable thing a small state Settlements. As you know, the position ledged that it was. And the League of can do is to refuse to become a pawn to be of the EU, shared by the international Nations Mandate tainted the League at the used by the Great Powers. That is what community is clear. The continued start by authorising colonisation, and the Switzerland has done. In recent years, development and expansion of ethnic cleansing of Arabs which was seen and particularly under Brian Cowen as Settlements by Israel in Occupied to be its inevitable accompaniment by Foreign Minister, Ireland has been eagerly Territories is against international law.” every politician who was not practising pawning itself. diplomatic simple-mindedness for an The two speeches read as if they were ulterior purpose. The Mandate system Cowen visit Israel in January and made intended for different audiences. The a speech at Tel Aviv University on January was supposed to prepare the peoples of first, apparently addressed to Zionists (i.e., the various regions of the overthrown 14th. We quote from his press release: Jewish nationalists), condemns Palestinian “Some of you may not be aware of the Ottoman Empire for self-government. It resistance to Jewish measures which in did this after a fashion in other regions, but long history of affinity between the Irish the second speech are said to be against and Jewish people. The annals of in Palestine it was understood that there international law, while the second Inisfallen, an 11th century manuscript was to be a change of people through mentions the visit of five Jews bearing contains no condemnation of Israel. And Jewish colonisation before the develop- gifts to an Irish chieftain and records the first contains this outlandish ment towards self-government should show the establishment of a Jewish statement: ”I completely reject claims that begin. community in Dublin as early as the the Roadmap has failed. The fact is that it 13th century… Baron de Rothschild has not been properly implemented”—it When the Irish were fighting the Black contributed 10,000 Francs… towards has not failed, but only failed to be and Tans to give effect to their 1918 vote the relief of the great famine… In James implemented! But, outside the realm of for independence, the masters of the Black Joyce’s classic novel, Ulysses, the main diplomatic make-believe, it was generally and Tans were putting into effect in character… is a Dublin Jew… The sixth understood that the purpose of the Palestine a policy of colonisation similar President of… Israel, Chaim Herzog, Roadmap was not to be implemented, but to what they had done in Ireland at the was born in Belfast and spent his to give Tony Blair something to say to his time of Spenser and Raleigh and Cromwell formative years in Dublin… The small idealistic backbenchers who wanted to be and William of Orange. And yet— but active Jewish community… has “Both Israel and Ireland regained made a significant contribution to our deceived so that they could support the war on Iraq. their independence during the course country… Israel and Ireland have much of the 20th century. To do so they had in common… Both Israel and Ireland to fight a common occupier that has regained their independence during the In forging a bond between Ireland and since become a close friend to both our course of the 20th century. To do so they Israel Cowen runs together two epochs in countries”!!! had to fight a common occupier that has 4 “Israel” was in essence a British Fianna Fail and Progressive Democrat influence in Iraq—that that’s their sole construction. The Balfour Declaration backbenchers voted for this motion, moved purpose. I mean, since when did the Red gave it an existence in what passes for by Michael Mulcahy (FF Dublin SC), Cross become a legitimate target for international law, but in 1917 the Jewish despite pleas from the Minister of State resistance fighters? When did the United population of Palestine was only 10% at for Foreign Affairs, Noel Treacy (FF). So Nations itself, which is us by the way… most. Britain organised massive Jewish much is the Irish Government out of sync What that points up is that there are elements who are violently engaged in migration into Palestine in the 1920s and with popular feeling on this matter that the Iraq which is being portrayed simply as 1930s in order to provide a population for only person to vote against the motion an anti-American thing, which is in fact the Jewish state, and held the Arab was Senator Feargal Quinn (IT 28.10.04). more fundamental than that. I mean, to population down while doing so. In 1939 attack the International Red Cross is the British Government began to have Cowen appeared on RTE’s Questions just, is so far out of any spectrum of any doubts about the whole project, and in & Answers a year ago, on 3rd November type of activity that people want to, that 1945 a Socialist Foreign Minister indicated 2003 and spoke about Iraq. With him was one wants to get in this idea of resistance. that he was not willing to continue with it. Kevin Myers, the English Tory who writes It’s just unacceptable. The UN on the The Jewish colony then launched a the Irishman’s Diary for the Irish Times. 19th of August, we lost our represent- ferocious terrorist assault on the British Myers said: atives. And too often the UN is spoken of as if it’s not our organisation. It is our administration, and the British surrender- “Most people in this country… were organisation.” ed. And then the assault on the “occupier” opposed to the invasion. I was in favour began, and has continued ever since. But of it because I felt it was historically Cowen did not indicate what he meant the “occupier” was not Britain, but the inevitable. Whether you were for or by “more fundamental than that”. indigenous Arab population. against the invasion is an irrelevance. Presumably he meant Islamic—though The truth is the project has to be attended Myers, drawing on his vast fund of to. Iraq is in the centre of the world. It’s The ethnic cleansing of Arabs, which wisdom, said that Iraq was not Islamist. sitting on over 50% of the oil reserves. was launched immediately after the UN And the world has to get this right. Part The Bush administration, before the General Assembly vote of 1947 supporting of getting it right is getting the Americans invasion, ridiculed the UN with well- the establishment of a Jewish State, has out there as quickly as possible. They founded arguments. The UN refused to continued ever since. And the ideological have not arrived with the state building authorise the invasion (which did not make dynamic at the core of the Jewish State is apparatus that I hoped and thought they it illegal) but, after the event, it tried to committed to extending that State to would arrive with. They didn’t have any normalise the Occupation and it became include the whole of what is now called sympathy or understanding of the Iraqi unrealistic to treat it as anything but part Palestine, and then crossing the Jordan to people. And the consequences of this of the entourage of the Occupation force. where Joshua came from. we can see. However it’s not all The Red Cross did likewise, thereby going gloomy… I do know that 2,000 BMWs beyond the function for which it was a week re being imported by Iraqis, that Perhaps the accomplished facts of the formed. (By the way, which branch of the Jewish nationalist movement are now so the economy is growing, in much of the country there is law and order.” Red Cross was attacked in Iraq? This extensive, and the regression of Jewish organisation is run by autonomous national culture into religious fundamentalism is Well, the Americans are still there, committees, one in each country, to which so profound, that the possibility of a and in greater numbers. Their sympathy Government appoints members. The Irish secular, democratic, bi-national Palestine with the Iraqis is even less than it was. Red Cross, for example, is not allowed to has gone beyond recall. But that is no Bush has been re-elected to continue more act North of the Border. In the Middle good reason for moral prettifying of Jewish of the same. And nobody has any better East the organisation is called the Red colonialism in Palestine. And if an Irish ideas than him about building a state in Crescent.) Foreign Minister is precluded by Iraq which serves the Western interest. diplomatic considerations from speaking The disarmed secular state of Iraq was The liberated people have to be put down the truth of the matter in Tel Aviv, he invaded, and the state as an administration and made to submit to a state which is a should at least observe Wittgenstein’s was systematically destroyed. Are there mere apparatus of the invading army. maxim: Concerning that of which one rules for what a people whose state has may not speak, one should remain silent. been destroyed on them are entitled to do? Cowen ruminated: “How does one It would be useful if Cowen drew up a But it is not just Brian Cowen who has arrange to hand over sovereignty to a manual for them, since the Iraqi situation been cowed by the Zionist lobby. The stable and secure Iraq and a democratic is likely to be reproduced elsewhere. policy has been continued under Dermot Iraq?” The way to do it is to make the Ahern, his successor: the Department of Iraqis feel “that this is not about Neither the invasion force, nor the UN Foreign Affairs even tried to prevent the occupation”, and to “decrease, if you has made an estimate of Iraqi casualties. Oireachtas European Affairs Committee like, the psychology of occupation”. This The latest estimate made by a medical passing a motion criticising the Israeli was to be done “through an incremental source (published in the BMA’s Lancet) Army for “severe human rights transfer of sovereignty, if you like, to the is 100,000 civilians killed. The informal provisional authority”. “OK, they are violations” in the West Bank and Gaza. comment from Whitehall is that ‘we’ had not the democratically elected This motion, while welcoming Israel’s Government of Iraq”—but the Iraqis can to kill them, because Saddam Hussein stated intention to withdraw 7,000 settlers be made to get used to them. He continued: would have killed them if ‘we’ hadn’t, and that by killing them at least ‘we’ freed from Gaza, warned that this action must “And I don’t accept that there are form part of a wider peace deal (which many of these ‘resistance fighters’ them from Saddam. And Cowen—his Premier Sharon is determined not to have). [dismissive quotation marks signified Presidency of the Security Council having It also noted with regret Israel’s continued by a flick of the eyebrows] who are up gone to his head—has made us part of that building of its Wall. It is reported that there trying to get rid of American ‘we’. 5 determined to make a reality. They could tripartite structure—Commission, Council not operate democratically as the polity of Ministers, and advisory Parliament— they fought for was not yet in existence. was established by the Founding Fathers Europe In Crisis Their arbitrary action was what enabled it to allow for the tensions inherent in to be formed in a tentative form in 1918. building a Federal Union. Decisions made continued It took another war in 1919-20 to make the by the Council reflect the power of Rampant corruption in Santer’s Commis- new polity a recognised reality and give members, while those of the Parliament sion was the excuse the last time. One case substance to Irish democracy. The pattern reflect their size: it is the Commission of possible corruption that is still to be of foundation of new polities by elites which looks out for the interests of all legally finalised is all which that episode who then establish representative forms is participants and makes sure that a balance has amounted to and that particular case the usual way new States come into is kept which looks after the interests of had nothing whatever to do with Santer. existence. countries and groupings which are weak That was obvious at the time to anyone and have little muscle. To prematurely who troubled to go into the allegations. The people who formed the Commis- empower the Parliament to become the The Commission consists of people with sion and the European Union knew that major institution in Europe would lead to long political careers. They will always the establishment of a conventional tensions which could break up the Union have baggage and if they did not they Parliament with elected representatives and even lead to war in no time. Majority would not deserve to have the job. The guarantees nothing in itself, and certainly Rule is a great slogan, but there are most corrupt member of the current not a stable entity that could evolve in a situations in which it can lead to disastrous Commission is Peter Mandelson who was peaceful and unified way. A structure was consequences because the entity in which sacked twice by his best friend from his needed that would mediate the conflicts it is to be applied is not homogeneous. Government for blatant, proven, written and tensions of the countries which had Majority Rule—simple democracy— lying and skullduggery. But not a word is agreed to embark on the process of could never work in Europe while it said about this. Instead all sorts of reasons federation. remains an alliance of disparate nation- for objecting to other Commissioners are states. It is not even part of the democratic made matters of political life and death for Democracy and Parliamentarianism system in the USA, which is a much more them—one for believing in his religion are by no means guarantees of good integrated political entity than Europe. and another, for example, for being a behaviour in a country. Both World Wars Those who demand it are either simple- farmer’s spouse and therefore not were launched by democratic, parliament- minded or have ulterior motives. trustworthy with the Agriculture portfolio. ary Britain, and Germany was just as Anything will do for our EU parliamentar- democratic as Britain before the First This Parliament does not have to ians while they continue to travel the road World War. Even Hitler came to power concern itself with such matters or with laid out by that spoofer extraordinaire, quite legally and democratically. That is making policy. It does not even dream of Pat Cox. why the Founding Fathers realised that implementing a policy—but it now has something superseding democracy was the pretensions of becoming the judge and The fetishising of Parliaments means necessary to create a stable and progressive jury of those who make policy for Europe. all they do must be a good thing. Parlia- Europe—and they were more successful The Republic of Ireland has just thirteen ments can do no wrong. They are than they probably ever imagined. They members in this Parliament—out of 732: democratic. The Commission is not. QED. used whatever levers of power that were just 2% of the representation. If the Parlia- No contest. to hand, but nothing of what they did was ment became the top institution in Europe, formally democratic in direct electoral how long would the public continue to However, the Commission is the instru- terms. It was not anti-democratic, just support membership of an institution that ment that made Europe what it is. A group indirectly democratic, or even is gradually superseding national powers? of Europeans, proceeding from their own ademocratic. Yet all the Irish media were unanimous in bitter personal experience of the first half supporting the attacks made on the Com- of the 20th century, set out to create a new Unfortunately, the more the European mission under Mr. Santer and now under polity for Europe. It could not be voted on, project was succeeding by leaps and Mr. Barroso, even though the grounds for as it did not exist in the present but lay in bounds, the greater the pressure became the attacks were trivial to say the least and the future. It had to be created. But creating for increasing the powers of the European though the assailants were spurred on by anything organic is a gradual process and Parliament. Now it is claiming the right to those with ulterior motives against Europe. the project they started is far from have the Commission bow down before it. And yet the Irish Times considers this a complete. Parliaments do not create new The Parliament is not demanding the right good thing and welcomes the downfall of polities—they work within them when to take over the powers of the Commission the Barroso Commission. That displays created. —merely that the Commission should be either gross stupidity or quiet satisfaction its servant, should be accountable to it. at a Europe in disarray. The Irish Times is War is the usual method of creating This is called power without responsibility many things but it is not stupid. new polities, new political parameters that —the surest recipe for disaster—”The Parliaments then operate within. The Irish privilege of the harlot throughout the Jack Lane experience is a clear example of this. The ages”, as Stanley Baldwin put it. 1916 leaders went to war as the representa- tives of a Republic that they were The trouble is that Europe’s delicate

6 Tom Paulin and The Literati Last year, in an article about the meeting in the ICA (Institute for Contemporary Art, London), about Norman Finklestein’s book on the use of the Holocaust by the Zionists, The Holocaust Industry, it was Dómhnallán Dubh Wee Black Danny reported that the Zionist claque got a very bad reception. The infallible formula for Thúirt mí fín ri Dómhnallán Dubh, I said myself to Wee Black Danny, silencing opposition by reference to the Mo ghrádh díleas, Dómhnallán Dubh, My dear darling, Wee Black Danny, Shoah / Holocaust, was no longer working Rún mo chrídh-sa, Dómhnallán Dubh, Love of my heart, Wee Black Danny, —in the light of Israel’s own appalling S mi nach iarradh idir air sgur. And I would never ask him to stop. behaviour in the Occupied Territories. Further confirmation of this trend S iomad caileag bhóídeach bheusach There is many a lovely, well-reared girl comes in The Guardian Review (Saturday A tha nochd air sráid Dhún Éadain Who is tonight on an Edinburgh street 16.10.04). It is in a Diary item, by Aida ’Thogadh a cóta ’s a léine Who would lift her petticoat and shift Chionns gun éireadh Dómhnallán Dubh. So that Wee Black Danny would rise up. Edemariam. (This is a regular in the Review—and consists of snippets of gossip Chaidh mi ’n-dé far an robh sagart, I went yesterday to a priest, and London literary small talk). She reports Rinn mi m’fhaosaid ’s thuirt mi Paidir I made my confession and said the Our Father a “reading in honour of Faber’s 75th ’S rud eile nach faod mi aithris - And something else I cannot relate birthday”, by among others, Tom Paulin, Coma leat, leig seachad e ’n-diugh. Never mind, let it pass for today. a self-consciously ‘Ulster’ poet, (though his parents are from the English east Tha luchd briotais a’ toirt beum dha The gossips are blaming him Midlands). Some years ago he authored an Air son cobhair air na feumach - For helping out the needy - attack on the behaviour of Israeli troops Nach eil té a bhios ’na h-éiginn That every damsel in distress comparing them to the SS. Needless to Nach faigh leum de Dhómhnallan Dubh. Gets a touch of Wee Black Danny. say, there was a great deal of outrage expressed about his comparison, which Gun d’ráinig mi bhean bu ghlice I went to the wisest woman did verge on the racist, and accusations of Chum ’s gum faighinn tuille fiosraidh So I could get more knowledge actual anti-Jewish, as opposed to anti- ’S thuirt i gur e brochan lite And she said that oaten porridge Zionist, feeling had a certain amount of ’M biadh bu bhrisge do Dhómhnallan Would be the liveliest food for Wee credibility. The problem for the Zionists Dubh. Black Danny. being that they have spent a very long time making the difference between the two Nuair a fhuair mi fhin an litir But when I got the letter matters problematical—to the detriment ’S a leugh mi gach ni mar thuiginn, And read everything I could understand, of ordinary Jewish people’s lives and Nan cumainn air brochan tric e If I gave him too much porridge interests. Cha robh sgrid an Domhnallan Dubh. There would not be a breath in Wee At the Faber event, the audience turned Black Danny. on someone who tried to raise Paulin’s Gur diúmbach mis’ air a’ chaillich I am disappointed in the woman views: “the room had… been in uproar” A dh’órdaich dha ’m brochan bainne Who ordered milky porridge for him [prior to the poet Jo Shapcott’s contrib- Gus an dh’fhás a bhuil cho las Till his organ grew so weak ution] “over the first question, an attack ’S nach robh math an Dómhnallan Dubh. That Wee Black Danny was useless. on Paulin’s views on Israel: “We don’t want to listen to it!”chorussed members of Feumar aran, feumar annlan, Bread is needed, sauce is needed, the audience, turning on the questioner. Uisge-beatha ’s bainne gamhnach, Whisky and calf’s milk, “Shut up!”” If literary London, which Feumar peabar far na Galldachd Pepper is needed from the Lowlands enjoys feeling guilty about—well, Dh’fhágas teann mo Dhómnallan Dubh. That will make my Wee Black Danny stiff. practically anything—doesn’t want to hear about the Zionist spin on what is happening Nuair a théid gach ni mar gheall mi When everything goes as I promise in Israel / Palestine, the Zionists are going A thoirt dha gu oidhche Shamhna Given to him every night till Hallowe’en to have to think hard about their approach Chan eil cailleach an Cill Amhlaigh There is not a woman from here to Cill to the publicising of their case. Dh’fhágas fann mo Dhómhnallan Dubh. Amhlaigh The Zionists have put forward the That my Wee Black Danny will not argument that the industrialised killing of be able for. European Jewry was a unique event in the history of the world. But it was the industrialising of the process that was unusual—if not necessarily unique—not [Anonymous, 18th century Scottish. The anthologist Ronald Black the massacre of an unwanted ‘out group’. suggests that the poem is a Protestant satire on Catholic mores (- The Prime Minister of Israel has described superstition, gullibility etc.). But it is hard to see anything more than the Palestinians as ‘cockroaches’, and nobody needs to be told twice what happens comic ribaldry in it.] to cockroaches. Seán McGouran

7 the rough with the smooth. And there are far more ‘smooths’ than ‘roughs’. But what was she thinking about when she attempted to seek legal redress in the High Court and then the Supreme Court?

Just Business! Technically, she may not have broken There has been very little attempt to terms of the overall turnover (amounting any laws, but she was facilitating the place the recent banking scandals in some to billions) of the company. The investig- breaking of laws. The Irish people have in perspective. The general thrust of the ation conducted by AIB and the IFSRA the past shown themselves to be media reporting is that the system is rotten appears to have been conducted in a remarkably forgiving of far worse than to the core. No distinction is made between thorough and efficient manner. It started Beverly Cooper Flynn ever did. However, the ‘scandal’ of the Bank of Ireland, and on 30th April 2004 and was able to come it’s one thing to forgive her; it’s quite the more serious issues raised by the Allied up with very substantial evidence before another to have to proclaim her as a new Irish Bank and National Irish Bank investi- the end of July. In my opinion such a Joan of Arc fighting against the Courts of gations. And no distinction is made thorough report would only be possible the land. That was too much. between the responses of the latter two with the one hundred percent backing of institutions to investigations from the AIB senior management and in particular I gather from media reports that she is regulatory authorities. the Chairman Dermot Gleeson who is a formidable media performer. So we responsible for corporate governance. have a formidable media performer who The AIB appears to have given total is so lacking in judgement that she has cooperation to the Irish Financial Services The National Irish Bank scandal is a placed herself under the charity of legal Regulatory Authority. What has emerged different matter. The inspectors took years advisors. You can see from Fianna Fail’s is that AIB was charging more on foreign to produce their report because of legal point of view that that spells big trouble. exchange transactions than it had notified actions taken by the Australian owned Who knows where such a personality could to the regulatory authorities. However, bank. The report reveals a corporate culture drag the party? Better get rid of her now the amount of the charges was no more that could almost be described as criminal. than later. than the amount advertised to the public (Although the inspectors concede that and was in line with market rates. Although there was a change in the culture after Reports of the Fianna Fail parliament- it has no legal obligation to refund custom- March 1999 when the courts found that ary party indicated that no one spoke in ers for these overcharges it has rightly criticisms made of the bank were wholly favour of her expulsion or against it. agreed to do so. These foreign exchange justified.) The NIB culture in the 1990s Everyone knew the score. It was an overcharges represented the bulk of the encouraged ordinary staff to impose embarrassing matter to be got over as overcharges amounting to 25.6 million spurious charges on customer accounts to quickly as possible. Euros including interest on the money meet management targets. One of its owed. (The IFSRA doesn’t give the “products” was specifically designed to No hard feelings, Beverly. Just amount before interest.) facilitate tax evasion. business! John Martin Following the initial investigation AIB, And into this world dropped Beverly in consultation with the IFSRA, examined Cooper Flynn: young, fresh-faced and the other areas such as student loans, variable daughter of a famous politician. Church & State No 78: rate mortgages and found more evidence of overcharges. She was one of about half a dozen sales executives with the responsibility to sell, Religion & Political Conflict The total amount due to be refunded to and train staff in the selling of, the financial Enforcement Of Morals customers for all of the above amounts to ‘product’ designed to evade tax. Her boss View From Catholic Belfast Euro 34.2 m. (This amount includes inter- was a Nigel D’Arcy who was once the The Reform Movement est. The report doesn’t break down this General Manager of an Investment Advice figure either into the amount of the firm owned by the notorious Tony Taylor and much else overcharge and the amount of the interest who fled the country with his clients’ accruing.) The report also says that there funds. Price Euro 2.50 or £1.80 postfree were cases of customers being under- from charged, but doesn’t bother to quantify Who knows how any of us would have this. The conclusion of the IFSRA progress behaved in such an environment? I would Pat Maloney report (The Irish Times, 24.7.04) is nothing say that only a small minority of people C/O Shandon St Post Office more than a promotion of IFSRA itself would have kicked up about it. Unfortun- Cork City and what a wonderful job its doing. No ately, Flynn was not in that ‘small attempt is made to evaluate the evidence minority’. No one in NIB was in that provided to it. ‘small minority’. or order via Internet: The period investigated was from When the story broke in RTE, of course www.atholbooks.org September 1995 to April 2004. In my Flynn was ‘hounded’. That comes with view the malpractice by AIB over an the territory. If you’re the daughter of a extensive period was relatively small in famous politician you have to learn to take 8 Northern Ireland but, said Mr Rabbitte, it had no intention of putting forward candidates to run under the Irish Labour banner in the North. “Mr Rabbitte travelled to Belfast All-Ireland Labour In yesterday to formally launch the Northern Ireland Labour Forum which will send delegates to the Labour Party conference All-Ireland Politics and whose members will be able to vote in internal Labour elections, including The Irish Labour Party’s Northern fit within the current communal political the party’s ruling executive. Ireland Labour Forum which has been set-up. At another level, whilst it may “There are about 50 members in the active in a pre-natal kind of way for nine be too early to speak of radical political Labour Forum, two of whom are elected months and better was formally launched realignment across the island, we are councillors. These are Mr Mark on October 18th at the Linenhall Library looking to create a structure which could Langhammer, on Newtownabbey Council, and Mr John McLaughlin, on in Belfast. The public aspect of the Launch respond quickly to any political fluidity or change in the future. Omagh Council. was a speech by Labour Party leader Pat “We did not establish this Forum to “Under current numbers, the Northern Rabbitte which was followed by a press be electorally focussed. It will, in a Ireland element of the Labour Party would conference. In his speech Mr Rabbitte society increasingly polarised on not have sufficient strength to elect one said: communal lines, seek to create space or more of the party’s 22-member “The Northern Ireland Labour Forum for debate on the centre left. It will have executive but it could influence the was set by the Labour Party to create a a public presence; will encourage its outcome of executive elections… political home and platform for those on members to take up public appoint- “He did not expect the creation of the the centre left, as well as to create political ments; will respond to relevant forum to trigger any strains between space and widen political debate beyond consultations and will develop and Labour and its fraternal party, the SDLP. current narrow confines. I am impressed publish political policy positions. “This was confirmed by the SDLP by the practical and progressive way in Socialist education will be an important leader, Mr Mark Durkan, who said he which the Forum has approached its part of the Forum’s work. The Labour had no objections to the forum and had submissions to the Review of Public Forum will take responsible, practical been consulted about its creation. Administration, and to the Railway positions, will be interested in “Mr Rabbitte said people could be Review Group. It sets down a marker for governance and will present not as a members of the forum as well as members the seriousness of our intent and is an protest lobby, but as a proud part of an of other parties such as the SDLP… auspicious start to our fledgling Forum established political party, based on “He indicated that he expected the in Northern Ireland. No one will pretend deeply rooted values, and committed to Forum to have influence within the party. that these are auspicious times to launch serve the people of both jurisdictions in “ ‘Recent changes to the Labour Party a political initiative on the left of centre. this island in whatever way we can.” constitution have allowed people resident It is understood that, ten years after the (Taken from the Labour Party website, in Northern Ireland to become members. ceasefires and six after the Agreement, http://www.labour.ie/northernireland/ “ ‘The Northern Ireland Labour Forum that Northern Ireland is a highly speech.html) is, de facto, a Labour Party branch. segregated society. There is evidence to “ ‘It has the same constitution, rights suggest that geographical polarization Mr Rabbitte was properly very modest and obligations as other Labour branches, is more stark than at any time in recent about Labour’s electoral ambitions in the including rights to submit resolutions to history. In these circumstances, there current polarised state of Northern Ireland. conferences, and to stand for party office’, will be no fanfares or false hopes, merely Nonetheless, the most interesting sentence he said. a determination to develop a public “ ‘It will have a public presence, will of his speech left modesty far behind:— political presence on the centre left—a encourage its members to take up public presence grounded on practical politics, “At another level, whilst it may be appointments, will respond to relevant broad based, grounded and orientated too early to speak of radical political consultations and will develop and on practical governance.” realignment across the island, we are publish political policy positions. “The Labour Forum has been set up looking to create a structure which could Socialist education will be an important in an inclusive way and is open to dual respond quickly to any political fluidity part of the forum’s work’, the Labour members—those members who are also or change in the future”. leader added” (Irish Times, 19.10.04). members of our sister Parties in Europe That is thoughtful, it is well-considered; and the wider international socialist God help us, it is downright visionary. Between those extracts from Mr movement, the SDLP, British Labour or (And if I hadn’t seen it in black and white Rabbitte’s speech and Mr. Moriarty’s other European Socialist Parties. Labour I wouldn’t have believed Pat Rabbitte account of his press conference, I hope the is also cognisant of the current move- capable of the same, which is as they say overall picture is clear. Caveats about not ment, or balance of power, amongst what makes the game of it.) wishing to add to the distress of the SDLP political forces within Northern Ireland. to one side, its Northern Ireland Forum is We aim to contribute in whatever way The Irish Times’ report of the speech we can to the consolidation of the peace a fully paid up, properly functioning part and subsequent press conference, by of the Irish Labour Party. The Forum is process and to the restoration of Northern Editor Gerry Moriarty, was democratic and accountable institutions not, and in the current state of the political uncommonly straightforward: in Northern Ireland and between North game, cannot be primarily focussed on and South. “The Labour Party leader, Mr Pat elections. But it already has elected Rabbitte, has opened up what he “Labour are very serious about this representatives, albeit only two of them. described as a ‘de facto’ branch of the development. At one level, we are Should electoral opportunities present creating a political home for those in Irish Labour Party in Northern Ireland. “Labour effectively now has elected themselves (even, God forbid, in the wake Northern Ireland who have a political of the SDLP’s fraternally terminal collapse) contribution to make but do not feel they representatives in the Republic and in 9 they will hardly be ignored. Mr. Rabbitte’s South but also on this northern side of the come hell or high water. But there is that vision of the political fluidity which may Black Pig’s Dyke, that Sinn Féin has the other element which has ever longed for possibly be coming suggests he would be thoughtful vanguard of the Northern all-Ireland politics and in the past has disappointed if such opportunities were Catholic vote sewn up, that its position in aspired to Fianna Fáil. That element of ignored. the heartlands of Fermanagh and Tyrone, Sinn Féin’s current vote is up for grabs, So, bang the big drums, let the trumpets Derry, West Belfast and South Armagh is but only in the context of all-Ireland sound, Sinn Féin is no longer the only all- unassailable. That is true enough here politics. Irish party around! and now, in this precise place at this Having said that about Sinn Féin and precise time. But it hasn’t been always Fianna Fáil, I must say that it is an element The Shinners know that and, speaking and everywhere true. And the status of its on their behalf in the Irish News on October of the developing all-Ireland party politics truth in the here and now is that it is a truth that only has to do with Northern Catholics. 19th., Pat Doherty (I think it was) expressed by default of any alternative. some satisfaction with that result. As well I do not imagine that all-Ireland party politics as they will be likely to impact he should. The logic of the Sinn Féin Telescoping eighty eventful years of project of the past twenty years or so has upon Northern Ireland will necessarily history, I think it would be fair to say that develop any non-sectarian or anti-sectarian been not so much the unlikely prospect of the Catholic vote in Northern Ireland has immediate unity as the realisable objective or supra-sectarian aspect there. Left to been unwaveringly anti-partitionist but their own devices I am perfectly sure that of forcing the development of all-Ireland that within that anti-partitionism it has party politics. they will do nothing of the sort in the short been all along split between a sentimental to medium term (and, in the long term in It must have satisfied Pat Doherty all-Ireland Republicanism and more which they may, we are all, of course, with particularly that while the launch of the practical six-county nationalism. And Keynes in that long and narrow place and Labour Forum advances that project it both sentiment and practice have all along the privacy thereof). does not in so doing challenge Sinn Féin’s aspired to all-Ireland politics and Fianna dominance of the new all-Ireland Fáil. The job of the Irish Labour Party’s Northern Labour Forum is therefore to see geopolitikon. For the moment his bread is De Valera abandoned Northern Catho- buttered on both sides. to it that the development of all-Ireland lics to six county nationalism when in party politics within Northern Ireland is Having said which, the Labour Forum 1925 he split Sinn Féin along the border usefully complicated by a working class is not Fianna Fáil. Were the soldiers of and then built Fianna Fáil solely to the Protestant presence within it. destiny to come North Sinn Féin’s all- South of it. But the best of that six county Ireland party political project would be nationalism—as exemplified by the old Somewhat further along the line it can advanced with a vengeance. It would then IRB man, Sinn Féiner and serial internee reasonably be expected that Fine Gael will have a fight on its hands that it couldn’t be who was its real, if never its titular, join the dance and dancers of the Protestant too sanguine about the winning of. But leader—Cahir Healy, continued to aspire middle class, in dribs and drabs to begin Bertie Ahern’s Fianna Fáil seems to have to the party from which de Valera had with, will join Fine Gael. But somehow I restricted its challenge to Sinn Féin to a disbarred it. can’t see that making any great difference belated recognition of the likelihood of Cahir Healy’s comrade as a Sinn Féin to the substance of Irish political life. Fine someday soon going into coalition with it. electoral organiser and in establishing Gael might want Trimble’s Unionist Party. Republican Courts in the North, Armagh- Ireland needs Paisley’s DUP. The other Ahern’s [Dermot Ahern, Irish man Eamon Donnelly, went South to join Foreign Minister] waltz around the daisies There is no prospect whatsoever of Fianna Fáil but, unlike MacEntee and Protestant working class voters ever of coalition is really a coward’s way of not Aiken, only so as to continue to represent dealing with the political substance of joining or voting for Sinn Féin or Fianna the disenfranchised of the fourth green Fáil. That is an enduring impossibility. Sinn Féin. For a few years now Fianna Fáil field. Until his death (in 1943 or so, I has had two choices with regard to Sinn There is no immediate likelihood of them think) he made de Valera’s life a misery joining or voting for all-Ireland Labour, Féin; either to take it on in its substantial with constant agitation for Fianna Fáil to aspect as an all-Ireland party, with the but it is in no way such an enduring organise in the North and legislate for the impossibility. Old traditions of trade union prospect of winning to become Fianna Dáil to accept northern representatives. Fáil the Really Republican party, or of affiliation which the NILP squandered surrendering its own shadow to the and the SDLP was impervious to may just Donnelly’s correspondence with six provide a way back to the working class substance of Sinn Féin in a coalition which county nationalist representatives eviden- can only end in the end of Fianna Fáil. For political diversity which still existed (if ces a constant aspiration to, if not exactly only barely) thirty-odd years ago. the moment Bertie’s bouncing bounders an underground tradition of, Fianna Fáil would seem to have chosen to end it all. Ah in the North. well, perhaps they’ll reconsider. Unless That’s where the political fluidity to they really are suicidally stupid they will When Sinn Féin in the eighties which Pat Rabbitte referred comes in. reconsider. abandoned the sentiment of its abstention- That’s where an enormous amount of work ism it tapped into that aspiration and in so over however many years comes in. And An electoral contest in the North that is as they say what makes the game of between Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil would doing found a ready-made constituency that both spanned and superseded the it. be a very close run thing of very great Joe Keenan significance. It would, in the time- sentimental republican and practical honoured phrase, change the face of Irish nationalist wings of Northern Catholic POSTSCRIPT. politics. politics. There is an element of Sinn Féin’s The online version of the Sunday vote which is a salute to its war record, Business Post on October 31st, in an article There is an idea about, mainly in the and it will hold that element of its vote by Pat Leahy, reported that:— 10 “Fianna Fáil has decided to admit or local branch. de facto—the British constitution. members from the North for the first “Several senior party sources have Unionist themselves have closed the Brit- time in its history, paving the way for the indicated that they believe that a large ish Road. As a consequence, “Unionist” party to organise in the North or establish number of SDLP members, including policy is barely Unionist at all. It amounts a strategic alliance with the SDLP. public representatives, wish to join to supporting communal politics within “The party’s National Executive Fianna Fáil. “If we organise there, we’ll Stormont, with the Brits paying. meeting in Dublin last Thursday get a lot of SDLP members,” said one On the Nationalist side, many SDLP amended the party’s rules to open up senior Fianna Fáil source. “To be membership in the North, a departure honest,we think the vast bulk of the voters are content with the position of the seen as a milestone by many in the party. SDLP’s membership would come to us.” Catholic middle class, in particular, within Previously, people in the North who The significance of that can’t really be the UK. And Sinn Fein shed tears at the wished to join Fianna Fáil could only be brought to mind until the SDLP leadership loss of Stormont classed as ‘registered supporters’. has delivered itself of a considered res- That Protestant versus Catholic politics “Under the amended regulations they ponse, or cried its eyes out, in the Irish is incapable of any evolution is the core can be classed as ‘individual members’, News. Then or thereabouts this magazine problem. although they cannot yet form a cumann, will comment appropriately. NORTHERN IRELANDERS VS GOVERNMENTAL POLITICS. However, another important division is being to emerge, and it is not quite as REPORT straightforward as Prods vs Taigs. Cllr Mark Langhammer Increasingly, there is a division between (Labour Party) Northern Irelanders and those who want to develop Governmental politics. Of “State Funded Sectarianism And the so called “major” parties (parties who Pandering To Paramilitarism!” have never formed a Govt at the level of State) only Sinn Fein are evolving towards Governmental Politics. Speech to the conference, Interpreting ongoing crises in the Northern Ireland I would be someone with no time for peace process: Civil Society Dimensions on 30th September 2004 at the Sinn Fein’s social policy—its social policy Queens University School of Politics and International Studies. is always secondary to its Nationalism. It I want to talk today about the corrosive ency has been one of Northern Ireland’s was socialist in the early 30’s, Fascist in effect on civil society that the state funding principal killing fields. the 40s, Corporatist in the 50s, Communist of communal politics has had in the post in the 60s, Vocationalist in the 70s, back Agreement period. I should, however, FIRST BASICS: to socialist in the 80s to woo the Ken introduce myself first. I’ve been a The first basics of political life here is Livingstones of this worls, and they are community activist, a Labour represent- that there is a settled will on the part of now in a Thatcherite phase, supporting ative and an elected councillor in New- both the British political establishment the Reform and Regeneraton Initiative townabbey for the past 20 years. and, to a lesser degree, its Irish counter- and actively implementing the Private I’m very proud to have played a role, part, to keep Northern Ireland ‘at arm’s Finance Initiatives. in the pas three years, in establishing the length’. The British ‘arm’s length’ policy However, Sinn Fein were serious and Labour Party (Irish Labour Party) in dates from the home rule crisis of 1912- proprietorial about the Stormont Northern Ireland, and consider that to be a 14, and it this policy which has seen the institutions. They took most of the few political achievement of some signifi- machinery of a separate “Government of hard decisions taken in the latest failed cance. With Pat Rabbitte TD due in Northern Ireland” kept in place whether a version of Stormont—on acute hospitals Belfast next month to undertake the formal devolved administration is in place or not. and on school selection. They take a long launch of the Labour Party, it is an achieve- The Irish arms length instinct probably view. And it is likely that Sinn Fein will ment which may be more important in 20 dates from the 1974 Monaghan and Dublin be in Government in the Republic within years time than it appears today. It is, in bombings. This arms length policy has 10 years, if not before. effect, the fledgling development of been difficult to shift, leaving Northern All the others, DUP, UUP, Alliance governmental politics, and I will say more Ireland a semi detached entity to stew in and SDLP are Northern Irelanders, wedded on this later. its own juices—leaving politics as to the treacle of communal politics. I am in favour of the Peace Process, Protestant Versus Catholic. The divisions demonstrated at Leeds but consider the Good Friday/Belfast There is no internal dynamic to NI Castle have shown this. Sinn Fein seek Agreement to be a very poor political politics. With “Prods Vs Taigs” the only maximum fluidity in the institutions, to return for the process. Indeed, that we functional division, there is no internal enable an island wide Governmental have to call this the Good Friday-stroke- dynamic to Northern Ireland politics. politics to develop. The DUP seek to Belfast Agreement—like Derry/stroke/ “Prods vs Taigs” is incapable of evolution, develop Stormont into a blocking device, Londonderry, says it all. except towards bloodshed. an instrument to internalise the solution to I am in favour of devolution, localism And politics is only barely Unionist Northern Ireland. and the maximum degree of subsidiarity versus Nationalist. in decision making, but am against the On the Unionist side, there are no THE AGREEMENT: devolution of any power to a single entity Unionists left. All Unionist parties have The distinctive characteristics of the at Stormont, which I consider a wholly rejected the normal politics of the Union. Agreement, i.e., those essentials which destructive and dangerous institution. In They’ve rejected Labour, rejected Conser- allowed it to be agreed in the first place, the post Agreement period, my constitu- vative, rejected British politics rejected— were threefold. 11 Firstly, the provision through fascinating spatial studies to map a lot of setting up of the Assembly, the salaries, ‘confessional’ designations of two this), we live in a more segregated, the office costs, the wives and spouses autonomous electorates whose parties demarcated, ghettoized and polarised who worked as MLA assistants and the must be represented in Government as of society than we did ten years ago. Indeed ICT systems for MLAs. Scandalous! right. It might have been more honest to we are more segregated than at any time in How this works out on the ground is follow this logic through to the natural history. Worse than the 1920’s, worse instructive. A few years ago, when conclusion of creating separate electoral than the 1930’s, worse than the 1970’s. Stormont was going, I had to attend two rolls for the three designated groups, but Worse than any time, ever! tenants association meetings in my there you go. But is this surprising? The Good Friday constituency in the same evening, one in a Secondly, the provision that Northern Agreement has formalised the ‘two tribes’ largely Protestant estate, the other in a Ireland Governmental Departments are view of society as never before. It is a largely Catholic estate. In the first, the ‘party fiefdoms’, essentially independent form of institutionalised sectarianism par issue was “Why are the Taigs getting an of the Assembly. The First Minister (or excellence. option of Gas Fired Heating and we’re Ministers) were not head of a Cabinet. only getting an Oil Fired option”. In the Indeed, the fact that there was no STATE FUNDING SECTARIANISM: second meeting, the issue was the reverse Government, only Ministries, was what One aspect of the Agreement package “Why are them Snouts (Protestants) allowed the DUP to participate. is the generous state funding of sectarian getting three foot board fencing when Thirdly the provision, known as politics through the Assembly. The 108 we’re only getting two foot picket fencing” “parallel consent”, that measures adopted MLAs is deliberate overkill—aimed at You couldn’t make it up. A sense of require a threshold of support amongst the getting Loyalist representatives “in the grievance is manufactured from nothing, representatives in the Unionist and tent”—the equivalent of some 4000 MPs and stoked up by representatives keen the Nationalist electoral blocs but no threshold at Westminster. With their £70,000 plus “lead” their people. No issue is too small of support whatsoever in the “Other” bloc. MLA packages, through party office grants or trivial for communal politics to find an This is the thing that makes the Alliance and party “research” grants, there is direct angle. and Womens Coalition vote worthless. financial interest to subsidize an array of And I am immovably of the view that, Cabinet government, with or without a people paid to represent “their side” with regard to local sectarian politics, the weighted majority may be desirable to the This has had a number of consequen- old adage holds true, that “Less is more”. DUP or the Alliance Party, but it would ces. There is a rich local newspaper also be a complete abrogation of the tradition in Northern Ireland. Most of FIRST DUTY: “TO DO NO HARM” Agreement. The sectarian discrimination these are driven by advertising, and bought It is the first duty of the two Govern- at the heart of the Agreement is not a for the photos of all manner of community ments is to “do no harm” Cajoling, bribing, ‘design fault’—it’s the conscious design. events: school fetes, Womens Institute arm twisting towards another Assembly And a system better suited to stimulate reports, pages and pages of sports, perhaps will only increase the capacity of communal politics is hard to envisage. a page on the stuff the local Council is communal protagonists and increase But that’s not all. doing. These papers have been trans- sectarian tension and enmity communal. formed. They contain page after page of And this “benign apartheid” flows SINCE THE AGREEMENT: sectarian bile, mainly from state paid throughout Government and society. This confessional Agreement has had communal protagonists representing Human (group) Rights: When I consequences on the ground—in civil “their” side. State funded politicos with presented a solid case to the Human Rights society. Since the Agreement, there has nothing to do other than play the communal Commission to contest the Assembly’s been an explosion in what I would call zero sum game. “The Prods are getting discriminatory voting system, the Com- ‘dog leg’ activity. Through flags, murals this, the Taigs are getting that”—page mission (itself a child of the Good Friday and bunting, territory has been ‘marked after page after page of this sectarian diet. Agreement) wasn’t interested. And recent out’ as belonging to one side or another. And this has a corrosive effect. events show the Commission under The Housing Executive, and other Civil servants will openly tell you that pressure to move, even more, towards an agencies, report an increase in housing the MLAs and their machines are forever apartheid style “group rights” perspective intimidations. A litany of pipe bombings, firing Questions at the administration. In —a perspective which last enjoyed an attacks on schools, attacks on village and many cases the sole purpose of the outing in apartheid South Africa.. Orange Halls and the like contribute to a Question is to act as the basis for a press daily tightening of sectarian demarcation. statement. In some cases the Press Census: In the recent census, nearly Engineered confrontations are hosted at a Statements lands at the local newspaper 15% designated themselves as neither growing number of interfaces. In my before the Question arrives on the Protestant, nor Catholic. But that couldn’t constituency, sectarian gangs travel almost Permanent Secretary’s desk! And all stand, could it? By applying unexplained a mile along a railway line to confront because the state has state funded the secondary mechanisms this 15% was each other at an ‘interface’. There are capacity of communal parties ability to whittled down so that all but 3% were interfaces in the middle of public parks, generate this nonsense. allocated to either Protestant or Catholic hundreds of yards from the nearest house, In the area where I work, Vocational camps—never mind what they themselves even on railway lines! And the marching Education, there was massive money stated! issue provides ample opportunity for more pumped into ICT Learning Centres for the In education, supply of integrated territorial staking out. As I say, like a dog disadvantaged in England, Wales and places nowhere nears meets demand. In pissing round its territory. Scotland through the Capital Modernis- housing, increased demand for integrated By any standard or measurement (and ation Fund. Gordon Brown ring fenced public housing is failing to roll back people like Brendan Murtagh of Queen’s this money for the disadvantaged. Where increased segregation on the ground. In University and Peter Shirlow of the did Northern Ireland’s CMF money go. employment, “group rights” has long been University of Ulster have undertaken Not to the disadvantaged, but to feed the established. From international statute, 12 right throughout the administration, we than collective or participatory fora. and last week Ruud Van Nistelroy won have legislated for a segregated, apartheid In most predominantly Protestant the game for Manchester United with a society. districts today, most of the “social cement” penalty. But if Ruud Van Nistleroy missed is provided by, or within the sphere of nine penalties out of nine for Manchester HOLY CROSS—THE HIGHEST influence of Churches. The Boys and United, would he still be Alex Ferguson’s EXPRESSION OF THE AGREEMENT Girls Brigades, the Scouts, the Mother spot kick taker? We all know the answer And then we look at grass roots level. and Toddlers groups, Senior Citizens lunch to that one. In my constituency the last few years have clubs, bowls clubs and tea dances are We just need to wake up and smell the the Red Hand Commando and other bigots typically run by Churches or in Church coffee—Stormont doesn’t work! Never have organised a demonstration against premises. In sporting life the Old Boys (ie has, never will. the Catholic Cemetery Sunday “Blessing former Boys Brigades) league and The short facts are that there’s no of Graves” ceremony at Carnmoney Churches League arrangements in soccer need, and no demand for another Assem- Cemetery. This year was quiet, but the are replicated across a number of sports. bly. I’m a busy politician at local council few years before that were raw, primitive, In many districts over the past twenty level. I get constituency complaints about brutal “in your face” and moronic. But years, Churches have acted as intermedia- all manner of things—from housing to was it an aberration? I believe that ries for Government training schemes such benefits, from consumer affairs to neigh- Carnmoney, like Holy Cross and Harry- as Action for Community Employment bour disputes, thousands in the course of ville, was an inevitable outworking of the (ACE), the Job Training Programme, com- any given year. But not one person has politics of Good Friday. Carnmoney, far munity Jobclubs, Worktrack and so on. raised the need for Stormont. Ever! It’s from an aberration, was the highest Yet the approach of Government, and not wanted. It’s not needed. It passed no expression—the logical outcome—of the of the European Union in the distribution laws that wouldn’t have been passed by a Good Friday Agreement. of peace monies deliberately engages, not Direct Rule Minister. And, given its head, And then, having elevated sectarianism on the basis of representative leadership it is only likely to be reactionary. It’s sole into a system of Government, we feign (which favours local democratic politics significant contribution has been in raising surprise at Holy Cross. We get shocked at and church) but through “participatory” political temperature needlessly, stimulat- Harryville. We condemn Carnmoney. or “bottom up” initiatives (which favours ing communal antagonism and stoking up We need to get real. It’s simple cause and paramilitarism). sectarian enmity. effect. You can’t turn on a kettle and then There isn’t really time to do this aspect The last thing Northern Ireland needs blame the water for boiling over! justice today, but the approach of is another Assembly “When you’re in a Government is deeply misguided, and hole, stop digging” It’s time to stop OTHER BRIBERY: digging. The other bribery contained within the feeds the cynicism within the Protestant Agreement settlement have been a community that gangsters and sectarian GOOD SIGNS: determination to “keep the paramilitaries thugs are subject to special favoured status. The sight of successive Secretaries of I hope I haven’t depressed you all. I’d onside”—mainly on the Loyalist side, as like, finally, to say something of several Loyalist paramilitaries are not really State entertain sectarian gangsters has had a corrosive effect on decent leaderships good omens in the offing. Some good involved (at least on the UDA side) in signs arose from the Leeds talks—not politics. There are broadly two poles, or within Protestant civil society. And, from a position where Paisley was jeered out of least the Government joint statements, two “spheres of influence” in Protestant which finished “We are determined to working class life, the Churches and the the Kings Hall in 1998 by paramilitaries, this corrosive bribery is part of the reason move ahead … If Agreement cannot be Paramilitaries. Everything, post Agree- reached, when it is clear it should be, we ment, has been done to bolster the why the DUP has been buoyant in recent years. will find a different way to move this paramilitary sphere. And, with the two process forward.” DO WE NEED STORMONT ? main civilising influences within the Throughout this whole process when- Loyalist community—the Labour After all this, apparently, what we urgently need, is the restoration of a ever the Governments have their hands to movement and the Churches—both in the tiller, progress can be made—when it decline, the omens are not good. Stormont Assembly. That, apparently, would “move the Agreement process was left to the “parties” the “process” gets In grass roots social and community caked in treacle. If the two Governments life there is a less active “civil society” in forward”. Am I the only one unconvinced?. Stormont doesn’t work: Since take centre stage, and assume responsib- Protestant areas than in Catholic districts— ility, that will be a good thing. that is, the layer of collective activity in Stormont was prorogued in 1972, every solution proposed has been predicated on Tenants Associations, Credit Unions, THE RPA: single issue campaigning groups, cultural the restoration, in some form or other, of The other good sign is in the Review of activity, publishing, community arts and a Stormont Parliament. Yet Stormont Public Administration, with the prospect the like - all below the level of politics, but failed in 1972. Then Whitelaw’s power of a smaller number of more powerful nonetheless feeding successful active sharing Executive ran out of power in Councils as one of the outcomes. The politics. Leadership is not found, within 1974. Rees’ Convention failed to convene trade off will be political fairness (in the the Protestant community, in self in 1975. Prior’s 1982 rolling devolution form of some form of proportionality) in organising or issue based community rolled out and rolled up in 1986. The 1996 return for more powers. The sting will be activity. Civil society, outside of the Forum moved away from Stormont but drawn from politicking over positions. Churches, barely exists (unless one counts failed nonetheless. And the latest These Councils will have sufficient critical paramilitary drinking clubs). It is that “confessional” Assembly has failed four mass to act as an important grounding for aspect that suggests that representative times since 1998. By my count that’s nine politics. And they will be “workaday” forms of organisation are more likely to failures out of nine in thirty years. institutions. And, particularly in border be successful in Protestant Ulster, rather I’m a Tottenham Hotspur supporter, areas, the potential for cross border 13 collaboration in range of areas will be More On The Irish Times significant. Some 581 councillors will reduce to less than 200. Taken together with the “loss” of 108 MLAs, that will be a massive blow to the capacity of local communal Gageby And McDowell politics. And that is, unambiguously, a What makes one leader a success and was better than other editors; that he very good thing. another a failure? Napoleon was supposed surrounded himself with able people such So, there are positive signs. If the two to have preferred lucky generals to as Donal Foley who in turn recruited Governments take centre stage, if we avoid competent ones. I suspect that he meant talented journalists including many women Stormont, and embed a new Council that the really successful leaders create journalists. system, those will be real signs of progress. the illusion of ‘luck’ by being able to Although political punditry is usually Talent, of course, helps but is rarely prevent crises rather than having to deal enough. best avoided, it seems likely that the with them albeit in a competent fashion. It Westminster election sometime next year is very often the case that a competent The Irish Times itself would like to will alter radically the balance of powers number two, who assumes a leadership think that it adapted to changes in the between the local parties, such that a position, finds that the effortlessness of 1960s better than other newspapers. In its realignment in Irish politics, dynamic is a his predecessor was an illusion and that more lucid moments it even claims to have possibility. The political dynamic is the job was not quite as easy as he had pushed out the frontiers. moving towards an island wide (not thought. All of the above may be true, but is not necessarily Nationalist) consensus. the whole truth. The Irish Times had a My guess is that more people, perhaps It is much easier to recognise success commercial interest in change. Its tradi- less so in the relatively apolitical Protestant than to explain it. There is no doubt that tional Protestant readership was in decline community than in the Catholic com- Douglas Gageby was a ‘lucky’ Editor of and it could hardly detach readers from munity, will start to develop an interest in The Irish Times. In his first period in the either the Independent by being more Governmental politics. And then, with job (1963 to 1974) he doubled the sales of Catholic or the Press by being more Governmental politics gaining a foothold the paper and in his ‘second coming’ nationalist, so it had to find a new in political argument, the game will start (1977 to 1985), he reversed the slide that constituency. to become interesting. Politics, for so occurred during Fergus Pyle’s tenure long frozen in sectarian forms, can look (1974 to 1977). It is a myth that Ireland was a closed forward to a thaw, and to the interesting introspective society before the 1960s. The mess of who governs and in who’s interest. It is not easy to explain Gageby’s fall of China in 1949 was felt keenly by Thank you. success. The simple explanation is that he Catholic Nationalist Ireland. Irish

publishers of Starry Plough, and in many on an all-Ireland basis. Sinn Féin is capable Letter to Editor ways still a ‘splinter’ group of the Stickies) of doing the things the WPI and IRSP probably agree. The ‘Provisional could only fantasise about. Alliance’ (according to the Officials’ This ideological fantasy-trip is the major Captain Kelly’s Detractors strange designation of the early 1970s) in reason (apart from Johnnie White’s macho In the article Captain Kelly: Post- its personnel was not especially “right self-image) why the Official IRA killed humous Revenge, Angela Clifford wing”. Insofar as the Hannaway and Ranger Best. It also explains why their mentions Liam Ó Comain, (whose web- Shannon families (main founders of the response to the working class women who autobiography is called Memoirs And Provisionals in Belfast) were concerned went to their offices to complain about the Thoughts). Ó Comain seems eager to their ‘politics’ were geographically, so to shooting, was to describe them as agree with the smearing of Captain James speak, fairly sharply Left (Labourite as “slobbering liberals”. In a sense it is Kelly by former OC (Officer Command- opposed to fancy stuff like the ideological satisfying that these people are reduced to ing, IRA) Johnnie White and former IO gibberish introduced by Anthony scandalising the name of Captain Kelly. (Intelligence Officer) Peter Collins (of Coughlan and Roy Johnston). They are on the proper side in this campaign: the Derry Brigade [Official] IRA). In the The Coughlan / Johnston / CPGB the wrong side. interview with The Starry Plough (Communist Party of GB) infusion led Seán McGouran (formerly their ‘own’ paper) White and Official SF, and its various aliases, to Collins claimed that, in 1969, the Dublin oppose entry into (then continued Nearly one thousand Government wanted to physically “elim- membership of) the ‘Common Market’ have now signed the inate” the Left in the Republican for essentially Soviet strategic reasons. Petition to clear Captain Movement, and that Captain Kelly offered (The Provisonals also opposed the EEC Kelly's name. them £50,000 to do the job. This would for essentially the same reason, until they have led to the formation of a “right wing actually applied some thought to the You can do so and Catholic leadership that would have matter, and gave it guarded support.) The and obtain information about been willing to dance to the tune of the self-conscious left-wingery indulged in Dublin regime”. by elements in the Stickies and the Erps his life and work on the The implication of this interview is (the IRSP’s nickname; Divis Flats were dedicated website at: that the “Dublin regime” got its way known in the mid-1970s as ‘Planet of the without any assassinations. This is Erps’) looks a bit sick now that Sinn Féin www.captkelly.org something with which the IRSP (now is an effective party of the working class 14 missionaries had a presence throughout in part attributed to the resources it devoted But it was not just Pyle. McDowell Africa, Asia and Latin America. And to the North. decided to appoint Peter O’ Hara as apparently the Skibbereen Eagle kept a But Pyle’s Northern Ireland reports Managing Director in 1975. O’Hara was close eye on Moscow. But in the 1960s appear to have been quite long-winded. originally one of the Board of Governors Ireland ceased to just influence the world, There was a famous quote from a Unionist of The Irish Times Trust Ltd. It appears the world began to influence it. The politician of the time who said: “I prefer that he introduced a crude regime of opening up of the economy to foreign Hansard to Pyle. It’s much shorter!” cutbacks which hastened the downward capital encouraged consumerist values. (Business and Finances, 11.7.74). spiral in the circulation figures. However, this economic liberalisation Kerrigan in his article says that Pyle would have had limited effect if the devoted a 13,500 word report to the firing Whatever claims The Irish Times had spiritual centre of Catholic Ireland was of Bill Craig by Captain O’ Neill. to liberalism in the first period of Gageby’s not in crisis. Vatican 2, which was a editorship, Kerrigan says that under Pyle response to problems elsewhere, cut the The most obvious choice to succeed the paper experienced a retrenchment. On ground from underneath Irish culture. It Gageby was Donal Foley who had been the north its position was that the violence exposed the weakness of a religious culture the retiring Editor’s right hand man for was caused by mindless thugs. When the with its source outside the society. many years. Kerrigan says the following Peace People phenomenon emerged in concerning Pyle’s appointment: 1976 they were enthusiastically supported. Perhaps the most destabilising element Pyle organised a booze-up between Irish “What, in the liberal Irish Times, was the outbreak of war in Northern Times journalists and the Peace People in seemed an almost heretical suspicion, Ireland. All the evidence (e.g. The Arms Hunters Lounge near Leinster House. began to grow among the journalists, Trial) suggests that this caught the political both Catholic and Protestant. establishment in the South completely In his obituary of Douglas Gageby, “Could it be that Foley was denied unawares. The brittleness of the official Conor Brady gave the impression (inten- the job because he was a Catholic? ‘One Nation’ ideology was cruelly tional or otherwise) that Pyle’s editorship Despite all the changes in the paper exposed. was more liberal than Gageby’s (The Irish might the old sectarianism be alive at the Times 28.6.04). Brady revealed that heart of the paper which had presented It was in this era of flux that Gageby Gageby had said to him that he would not itself as the champion of liberalism?” became Editor of The Irish Times. It is not have published the series of articles surprising that the newspaper with the Whatever about the truth of this, Pyle alleging Garda brutality by the ‘Heavy most tenuous roots in the society should Gang’. But Kerrigan gives a completely was the first Editor appointed following be the one best adapted to change. It had the establishment of The Irish Times Trust different perspective on the publication of the least to lose and the most to gain. Ltd. His position in relation to the Board this series in 1977. Foreign journalists such as Mary Maher of Directors of The Irish Times Ltd, and could look at the society with fresh eyes Major McDowell would have been The Irish Times had become dull and and reflect interestingly on matters that completely different to that of Gageby’s. was losing circulation. Pyle was beginning escaped the notice of native journalists Gageby was a joint managing director of to lose the respect of his staff. Although he because they were so obvious. was aware that Irish Times journalists The Irish Times Ltd (1959 to 1963) before he became Editor. He was also a substantial were investigating allegations of Garda Gageby was only in his mid fifties shareholder. He had been in The Irish Brutality he didn’t have the explosive when he decided to retire in 1974. The details until two days before publication. Times before McDowell and it was only windfall of £325,000, which he received following the sale of John Arnott’s shares His response was to demand that the following the sale of his shares, meant that in the late nineteen sixties that McDowell journalistic sources for the story sign sworn he didn’t need to work. But it is still affidavits. Kerrigan says that the staff’s had the same amount of shares as Gageby difficult to understand why he resigned. (20% each). So the relationship between response was to suggest contemptuously McDowell and Gageby was not a boss/ that he employ lawyers instead of jour- The most substantial article I’ve seen nalists to write his stories. Pyle had lost all subordinate one. on The Irish Times is one by Gene Kerrigan authority. The publication of the story in the December 1979 issue of Magill. Pyle on the other hand was not his own reflected an abdication by the Editor rather The title of the article is: The Life And than approval. man. He was there to do as he was told. As Irish Times Of Douglas Gageby. But readers of this magazine will know, Major Understandably but unjustifiably, in despite running to about fourteen thousand McDowell was the dominant influence in later years Pyle took some hesitant pride words, there is very little about either his appointment (see July 2004 Irish that the story was published and might Gageby or The Irish Times. It is not easy Political Review). It also appears that he have done some good. to penetrate either the individual or the was there to make sure that the journalists institution. But it is very informative on of The Irish Times Ltd did what they were But within a few months of ‘his Gageby’s successor Fergus Pyle. told. triumph’ Pyle was forced to resign. Pyle was not a ‘lucky’ Editor. His Kerrigan implies that the Board of editorship coincided with the recession Kerrigan says that lengthy memos were Directors were responding to the journal- following the oil crisis in 1973. He left issued to staff outlining how each story ists, but I suspect that they were merely just before the economy recovered. was to be covered. Unlike Gageby who allowing the journalists indulge had a desk in a large open-plan office, themselves. The real reason for Pyle’s Talent, of course, is rarely enough, but resignation was pressure from the banks it helps. Pyle withdrew into a small office for privacy. (the London Times obituary of Gageby Pyle’s appointment was surprising and confirms this view, 7.7.04). was not popular among the staff. There Lengthy editorial meetings replaced was nothing in his career which indicated the snappy twenty minute affairs of the The newspaper made a £100,000 loss his suitability. However, he was the Gageby era. Often the newspaper missed in 1974 and the losses continued in 1975 journalist reporting from Northern Ireland production and distribution deadlines and 1976. Towards the end of Pyle’s tenure before and after it erupted. The news- resulting in a loss of readers outside the the loan from the Bank of Ireland had paper’s success in the early seventies was Dublin area. escalated to £2.5 million. 15 Pyle’s resignation as Editor automati- McDowell’s commercial acumen in 1974 interesting that the speaker doesn’t wonder cally resulted in his resignation from the it must have had second thoughts by 1977. whether he is a good businessman or a bad Board of Directors, but significantly The newspaper was on the verge of businessman, but whether he is a McDowell used his powers to reappoint bankruptcy and this period of decline businessman at all. him to the Board. O’Hara, on the other coincided with McDowell’s heightened hand, had no further involvement with the powers. It looks like the Bank made a Elsewhere in the article there is the newspaper after his dismissal. reassessment and concluded that the following opinion about Major Mc substance behind the newspaper’s success Dowell’s relationship to the newspaper: It is likely that the Board of Directors before 1974 was down to Gageby all along “The Major has always tried to and McDowell had limited influence over and not McDowell. preserve its British essence”. Gageby in his ‘second coming’: he was The Sunday Times did a profile of not their man, he was the Bank’s and the McDowell (18.11.01) in which there is It has never been explained by The Bank was only interested in recovering its the following rather curious quote from a Irish Times itself what McDowell’s role money. fellow member of McDowell’s Kildare was. Nor has it ever been explained why Street Club: he was given such extraordinary powers Gageby’s ‘second coming’ was greeted “He looks like a man of affairs; he and retained them for so long after he had with joy unconfined among the staff. talks like a man of affairs; but is he one?” disposed of his capital in the company. According to Kerrigan there was dancing in the newsroom on the return of the The term “man of affairs” is a Was he good; did he receive help; or conquering hero. But what Gageby euphemism for a businessman (the French maybe he was just ‘lucky’? brought on his return was competence word is “homme d’affaires”). But it is John Martin rather than adventurousness. The paper became more commercial. £100,000 was spent on promotion in Gageby’s first year after his sabbatical. Stories were written to facilitate sales of the paper. In an attempt to expand beyond its urban market there was a series on rural issues. The paper quickly returned to profitability. Gageby Irish Establishment had not let the Banks down.

By 1985 Gageby was a wealthy man in Steals The Presidency his late sixties. However, it may not be a At 12.30 pm on Friday, 1st October, in Notable by their absence from this complete co-incidence that his retirement the Custom House in Dublin, Mary cosy ceremony were Sinn Féin and the was in the same year as the repayment of McAleese was, as she (a lawyer) put it, Greens, presumably the former were not the bank loan. From 1985 onwards the ‘elected’ President of Ireland (again, as even invited. These two parties constitute, Board of Directors and McDowell would she put it, rather than Úachtaran na along with the large number of independ- have been in a stronger position to assert hÉireann). There was no election in the ents, a ‘Technical Group’ (for their authority. country supposedly because there was no parliamentary purposes) in the Dáil. The The period from 1974 to 1979 that viable candidate to oppose the sitting tenant Labour Party stood aloof from the Kerrigan wrote about is interesting, but of Aras an Úachtrain. Mary McAleese, ‘Technical Group’ and insisted that it was not as interesting as the previous five year had been prepared to fight an election, and the third element in the Dáil, though it has period. In August 1969 the British had an ‘election team’ which consisted of fewer TDs than the others combined. The Ambassador wrote his notorious ‘white Seán Barrett, described in the Irish Times parliamentary authorities agreed with the nigger letter’ indicating that McDowell for Saturday, October 2, as a former Fine Labour Party, in a deal to save Taoiseach wished to place the newspaper under Gael Minister, and Pat Farrell, described Ahern from the second Question Time British State influence. In 1974 we know in the same article as a former “secretary appearance which was customary. Despite that McDowell became the dominant general” of Fianna Fáil. (FG and FF are that dubious deal, the Labour Party was influence in the paper. Three of the other the Establishment parties of the Irish not represented in the Custom House, nor ‘Pre Trust owners’ had resigned (the Republic.) Other political parties did it send congratulations to President Walkers and George Hetherington) and represented at the Custom House (which McAleese. the remaining one, Douglas Gageby, had is government–owned and has not been resigned as Editor and retired from the an actual custom house for a very long On Saturday, 2nd October, the Irish Board of Directors the following year. time) were the Progressive Democrats, in Times carried a letter from a Paul Dalton the person of Michael (‘If your Irish— of Dublin 7, which it headlined Politics Of McDowell was left with a free hand. show me your skin-tint’) McDowell, The Presidency. Mr. Dalton expressed But why was he given such extraordinary Minister for (cough) Justice, and Mary “disgust” at the political parties in “this powers in 1974? The Irish Times had Harney, Führerin of the PDs, Tanáiste so-called democracy”, and said that he achieved commercial success by then and (Deputy Prime Minister and now Minister was not aware of anyone who had been it would be understandable for the Bank to of Health, a position in which she may canvassed by opinion pollsters on the give the credit to McDowell, the Chief have to make some really hard, unpopular, alleged lack of interest in a presidential Executive from 1962. But why institution- decisions). The PDs are, in essence, a election. He said that McAleese had alise his powers in the Company’s Articles breakaway from FF, and now appear to carried out her duties “without fault” but of Association and make it almost impos- have the leadership of that party under “no other eligible citizens are allowed to sible to get rid of him? And then there is their collective (if that word is allowable offer themselves for election to the people the secret ‘Oath’ contained in those in discussing the ‘Progos’) thumb. The of Ireland”. And “I say to Fianna Fáil, Articles. The above elements cannot be SDLP, in the persons of John Hume and Fine Gael, Labour, Progressive explained by commercial considerations. Mark Durkan, the current leader, sent Democrats, Greens and Sinn Féin: Shame congratulations to McAleese on her on you. It is a sad day when the people If the Bank ever had faith in ‘election’. have been denied a democratic 16 constitutional right by their elected were now living in a “tyranny”. He also President (Mrs. McAleese). They engaged representatives.” echoed John Brown, claiming that in what the papers simply called It is also not quite accurate, in that Senators, TDs and Councillors from “technical” matters with Messrs. Finne- Michael Higgins was prevented from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were warned gan and Coughlin. Dana also suggested to standing by Labour Leader Pat Rabbitte; that they would be expelled from their Mrs. McAleese, through Brian McCarthy, and one Green TD, Éamon Ryan suggested parties if they nominated a candidate for that she “voluntarily stand down so that that the Greens put up a candidate, if only the election: the candidate in question an election could take place” (Alison to get some sort of discussion “about being, presumably, Dana. O’Connor, Indo, Sat., 02.10.04). where Ireland is going, about what kind of O’Connor reports Dana, rather wryly country we have and about where we want The Irish Independent (aka Indo) for saying, “I didn’t get an answer to that to be in the wider world” (IT 02.10.04). the same day (02.10.04) gave more one”. She, and her team, left the building He also suggested that the Oireachtas background on Harry Rea. He is the as the political Establishment were Constitutional Review Group look into founder, organiser (and probably only congratulating themselves on (at the least) sitting Presidents nominating themselves member of) an invigoratingly reactionary stitching-up the Presidency. —though Mrs. McAleese, a former anti-feminist (and nearly everything else The Irish Times, (Sat., 02.10.04) had member of Fianna Fáil—presumably that has happened since the Second Vatican an editorial titled Platform For The nominated herself because the political Council) group. But the interesting thing President: it was a very odd piece of establishment told her to. about the reporting of his intervention is writing. It did not mention Rosemary that the IT and Indo both described him in Another aspect of this matter is that Scallon. But Mrs. Scallon is of the essence headlines as a “Cork plumber”. And of this matter. She represents a very there was a candidate for the Presidency there is very little doubt that we were who was quite determined to fight an substantial element in society in the being asked to sneer at a mere plumber Republic. The editorial claims the election. This person was ‘Dana’ intervening in such important matters. (Rosemary Scallon née Brown), she stood “outcome” of an election would have Modern ‘revisionist’ journalists are forever been “the same”—as last time, presum- against the Establishment candidates in asking their readers to sneer at ‘De Valera’s the last presidential election and gave ably. But, apart from any other considera- Ireland’—but Dev’s Cabinets were full of tion, it is a questionable assertion. In 1997 them a run for their money, and then was carpenters, former draper’s assistants and an MEP for four years. That was for the Dana and Mary McAleese were, in many similar persons. But they were the bad old ways, putting forward the same general erstwhile Ulster / Connacht constituency backward days, weren’t they? before we which has been done away with. This was point of view. McAleese’s being some- re-became an intellectual colony of what more guarded and politic, but the Dana’s heartland in the presidential elec- England, where even (or especially) the tion, though she did well all along the public knew her and her opinions. In pinko-liberal ‘quality’ press is quite 2004, in a run-off between her and Mrs. Western seaboard, and even in the unrestrained about abusing working class Midlands, and in the area around Dublin. Scallon, all sorts of matters would have people and their behaviour. come into play. McAleese probably would Dana got onto the list in 1997 by using Dana / Mrs. Scallon fought on a number have been deserted by the people who, last elements of the Constitution and the rules of other fronts right up to—and past—the time, took her stance on traditional on the election of the President which had official cut-off point for nominations (Mrs. Catholic-Nationalist values at face value. not been utilised before. (This was due to McAleese ought to have become President Dana might well have been supported by all former such elections being party fights, on the dot of midday). She had nomina- the people who support the smaller parties, usually between FF and FG candidates.) tions from Senators Shane Ross and David for anti-Establishment reasons. The Brown family canvassed Local Norris (which shows them in a good— The President has very little volition in Government bodies and Dana was spon- democratic—light, as Dana’s politics must what she or he is required to do, which is sored by a number of County and City be anathema to both of them. If for why this editorial’s praising of Mary Councils—mainly in the West. (The somewhat different reasons.) Michael McAleese is nonsensical. The IT, reference to ‘the Brown family’ is due to Ring, a Mayo Fine Gael TD, and Finian characteristically, congratulates her on the fact that in essence that is what her McGrath an Independent, also leaned “attending a memorial service for team consisted of in 1997 and for the partially to Dana. But they both demanded Ireland’s (sic) first World War Euro-election. The Dublin press are so that she should get a ‘critical mass’ of dead…and…the funeral service for the lordly these days that her brother, spokes- other nominations before they put their British Queen Mother”. If Dana were man, and presumably potential election own names forward. McGrath, in parti- elected she would have to do what the agent, was described by an IT columnist— cular, was adamant, speaking to the Indo’s elected representatives told her. And that Joe Humphreys—as “John Browne”. But Senan Maloney (Sat., 02.10.04), he made might, soon, include welcoming the Queen the Browns are very sharp political the proviso that there had to be nineteen (of the United Kingdom of Great Britain operators, as Éamonn McCann noted in signatures on Dana’s nomination form and Northern Ireland) to Phoenix Park. before he would add his own. John Brown his column in the Irish (effectively Dublin) The above matter may even be the edition of The Big Issue, in 1997. seemed (according to the Indo) to be suggesting that Ring and McGrath were crucial point in the major parties stealing A man called Harry Rea from Cork in the bag. Mr. Brown also seemed to be the presidency. There can really be very city went to the High Court, over the same claiming that Labour and Green TDs and little doubt that the presidency was few days. He was attempting to force an Fianna Fáil Senators were interested in stolen—and specifically—stolen from election for the office of President. He signing up for Dana’s nomination. Dana. She was not able to canvass the was attempting to get more time for Dana Local Government authorities because to gather nominations. What the IT These people did not actually publicly they did not meet in time to endorse her described as “Mr Justice Butler” (an back Dana. She, and her team (herself, her candidacy. This may have been by design: English rather than an Irish legal locution) husband Damien Scallon and John Brown) a fair number of TDs in an arc from said that the correct way of nominating a then deployed other tactics. They were Donegal to Wexford might find themselves presidential candidate was laid down in closeted with the President of the High being asked ‘searching’ questions by their the Constitution. He rejected Mr. Rea’s Court, Justice Joseph Finnegan, and the constituents and even party colleagues application. The latter reacted very sharply returning officer, Maurice Coughlin—and over the next few months. and said that the people of the Republic Brian McCarthy, the secretary to the Seán McGouran 17 a matter of weeks, months, or possibly Report even years? Perhaps you might clarify. “3 You say you respect Dr Brian Murphy and Meda Ryan. Ryan’s book Readers my be interested in the following exchange which is part of a debate on the Indymedia website on Tom Barry has been in the bookshops since December 2003. You have not responded as far as I can see in any way to the challenge it has posed for your analysis. Peter Hart Responds “4 Dr Murphy has been waiting for six years for a response to his criticism Peter Hart wrote on Thursday, Oct 21 to my many articles and two other books, that you refused to cite relevant evidence 2004, 9:17pm: the latest being The IRA at War, 1916- from one part of a document, while “I normally never respond to these 23. quoting liberally from other parts. sort of attack pieces—they are in- “6.) To readers of this discussion: if Murphy’s position is that the information substantial and politically motivated and you want to know what I think about the you omitted was highly relevant. It if I made a habit of it I would be it at it revolution, read my work for yourself— contradicted a substantive point you were forever. you may be surprised to find how little attempting to make. “However, since so many people I space in it Tom Barry and Kilmichael “5 While it is apparently a “smear” to know took the trouble to respond, for occupy, and how much evidence is mention you in connection with Canada, which I’m grateful, I thought I should presented on a wide range of subjects. Newfoundland, wargamers, the Ewart make a statement. “7.) I am further damned by Biggs Prize and Roy Foster, it is “1.) I will not be responding to the association. With Roy Foster, with the somehow legitimate for you to write substantive historical points mentioned Ewart-Biggs award, with Newfound- without evidence of any kind that I here. They originate with Brian Murphy land, with Canada, with wargamers. This “probably belong to [a] specific Irish and Meda Ryan, both of whose contri- of course has nothing to do with the Political organisation”. I leave others to butions to Irish history I respect, and I argument but is so blatant a smear that it judge a possible double standard. Your will respond to them (and to critics in prompted most of the earlier responses. suggestion is without substance, as I do general) in full and in an appropriate “8.) How can anyone take such a not – were I to be, it would be without form. Apart from anything else, there level of argument seriously? What relevance to the debate over analysis of isn’t space here. But in any case, why unbiased reader would accept these what happened in West Cork during the respond to Jack Lane and Niall Meehan insinuations and accusations as relevant? War of Independence. on these matters when they have nothing “9.) As already noted, such methods “(It may be a slip of the pen, but when original to say and say it in such an are not used by serious critics of my you write that you “do not” belong to a objectionable way? work. I disagree with almost all their “specifically Irish” political “2.) Meehan and Lane—and others— substantive points and stand by my work organisation, I assume you to mean you have a political agenda and probably completely, but I by no means reject do not belong to a political organisation belong to specific Irish poltical criticism in general. My last book was in any country.) organisations. I do not. Nor do I have written as a call to debate, and rational “6 Your analysis of my criticism of any religious affiliations. I am not an debate is what develops better your work is as flawed. Your suggestion Irish or British unionist, nationalist or understanding. I have responded to many that Tom Barry and Kilmichael form socialist. I am not a Protestant or a of the points raised by Murphy and Ryan only a small part of the overall body of Catholic. I am a Newfoundlander and a already in print and I will do so again. work you have produced omits the fact Canadian. As my friends can attest after “10.) If readers are interested in that it forms a major part of one book, our many many conversations on world reading a relevant debate between myself your first. That is only one aspect of the politics, I am neither conservative nor and another historian, in a few weeks debate. Ryan and Murphy have raised right-wing. one will be posted at www. history.ac.uk/ other issues. I have read some of your “3.) Yet, proceeding from their strong reviews in a few weeks (sorry, don’t work, but not all. You write well, but my bias, M and L assume I have some know exaclty when). criticism stands. countervailing politics or prejudice that “11.) When the book or whatever it is “7 To sum up: you say there is not must have driven me to write on the Irish on Kilmichael and all that comes out, I “space” here to respond. But that is one revolution. This is simply false, based hope you all will read it and that the thing about the Internet; the space is on the false premise that my work is debate will continue.” fairly much unlimited. As Dan Quayle somehow partisan. said about ‘Space’: it is a big area. You “4.) Readers should note the method could fill some of it up here for the used by Meehan, who apparently teaches Niall Meehan made the following reply to benefit of your friends and critics (and journalism. I wrote something he thinks Peter Hart on Friday, Oct 22 2004, 1:23pm the interested neutral) on the points in is antithetical to the IRA’s historical “Dear Peter, contention. reputation so I must be anti-IRA, “1. You say you issued a “call to “8 However, as you confirm that you therefore anti-republican, therefore anti- debate”. Is it directed solely at others will, at last, respond (in the near future nationalist and even anti-Irish, therefore and not at yourself? You say you will not hopefully) my role in this matter is now pro-British. My conclusions cannot respond to the substantive issues. But finished and I look forward to your reply simply be derived from a study of the why, if you are so confident about your to Meda Ryan and Dr Brian Murphy on evidence—there must be a hidden methodology and your evidence? A basic the substantive points in contention motive. principle of historical scholarship is a between you. “5.) I am accused of using evidence willingness to debate substantive Yours sincerely, Niall Meehan” selectively (as can every historian ever historical issues. of course) to further this agenda. Yet M “2 You say that you will respond. I http:64.4.53.250cgibinlinkrd?_lang=EN&lah=7bdfbd 9fd6dc3bc03e3944ed71f4eef0&lat=1099486730&hm___action=http refers, at best, to only 2 chapters of my congratulate you, though the timescale %3a%2f%2fwww%2eindymedia%2eie%2fnewswire%2ephp% 1st book (out of 13 in total) and not at all is still a little indeterminate. Would it be 3fstory_id%3d66994 18 and he issued a statement to that effect, making it necessary for his colleagues to denounce him as a backslider. Perhaps one should say a Recusant, because Bruce Arnold’s denunciation takes us back over A Right To Return ? the years to a mental world for which It is not often that a state turns against the leadership, what he stood for in the secular terms are inadequate. John A., he itself, judges itself not worthy of existence, culminating years of his life was sectarian says in a letter in the Irish Times, lacks and yearns to crawl back into the womb— hostility towards the Ulster Protestants “the more rigorous discipline of the Protestant mind” (28th October 2004). but that would be the condition of the Irish (the secret Catholic organisation, the State today if its academic life were taken Hibernians, became the directing force in This seems a suitable moment to reprint to be an expression of its general life. A the apparatus of the Irish Party under his an Irish Times editorial on the importance movement has been formed to carry it leadership) and active participation in the of Freemasonry in Ireland. The occasion back where it came from. It calls itself apparats of the British State as a world was the defeat of the Free State Govern- Reform but it could be more aptly called power, including military participation. ment on a pensions issue because some Return. On 18th September it held a Independents withdrew support from it: meeting on the site of the great national Bruton was misunderstood as saying movements of the past, the Mansion that an independent Irish State might have Irish Times House. It was patronised by the British been established without the use of force, 18th January 1929 Ambassador, organised by Geoffrey which is absurd in the light of the clear Roberts (formerly of the British British position on the matter, and this “Freemasonry In The Free State Communist Party and now of Cork Univer- misunderstanding provoked an unexpect- “The Star, ‘a national weekly devoted sity), and addressed by Bruce Arnold (the edly strong rebuttal in correspondence in to politics, economics and social affairs’, Englishman by birth and culture who has both the Irish Times and the Irish is published in Dublin. It is the official been the chief columnist on the Irish Independent. It is more reasonable to organ of the Cumann na nGaedheal Independent for thirty years), Roy Garland assume that what he meant was that an Party and is maintained by that party’s (whose political origins are in the Loyalist independent Irish State should not have funds; and since Cumann na nGaedheal paramilitarism of the North and who was been established, and therefore the means is the Free State Government’s political organisation, we assume that The Star involved with the “Tara” episode of the by which it was established were wrong. twinkles under the Government’s aegis. late seventies), and a series of minor (That the end justifies the means is the Unless and until we are corrected, academics, including Emeritus Professor universally applied maxim of political therefore, we must suppose that The John A. Murphy of Cork University, who practice. Not even Tony Blair thinks that Star’s references to the Masonic Order, has been associated with the vagaries of killing 100,000 Iraqi civilians was a good in the leading article of its current issue, “Official Republicanism” over the thing in itself.) The substance of Bruton’s are at least a semi-official expression of decades. It was not attended by the leading argument, as a Redmondite, can only be the Government’s views. The article is Protestant in the life of the State, Senator that Ireland got more independence than an attack on the Masonic Order in the Mansergh, whose absence was noted, and was good for it, and that it should have Free State, but we must explain that it is was taken as an indication that he was not been content to be a regional structure an indirect and qualified attack. The actually part of the Irish Protestant with domestic self-government under Star’s main concern is with some project—of which we know nothing— community. British supervision, which is what for the establishment of ‘a Catholic Redmond’s Home Rule Bill provided for. organisation of the Masonic type’. It But the star of the show was former condemns that project on grounds of Taoiseach, John Bruton—for whom Unfortunately Redmond jumped the private and public morality, and then Mansergh refused to act as adviser when gun in the Autumn of 1914, and committed draws analogies from the alleged he became Taoiseach unexpectedly when nationalist Ireland to a great deal of methods of the Masonic Order. The the Labour Party, in a lunge to the right, violence in the British Army without first article pretends to be scrupulously fair ended its alliance with Fianna Fail and setting conditions, while the Home Rule to the large company of Freemasons in turned towards Fine Gael and the political Bill was only on the Statute Book and the the Irish Free State. It refuses to believe wilderness. Bruton needed a crash course altered political situation in Britain made that they are outside the pale of Christian in being Irish, and was refused it. And it very unlikely that it would ever take salvation, and dismisses as “patently absurd” the charge that they take part in now, as EU Ambassador to Washington, shape as an administration in Ireland. In a blasphemous and obscene ritual. The and with no possibility or inclination of other words, he bought a pig in a poke, Masonic Order’s real offences are less returning to the small time, he has no which was a very unBritish thing to do. theatrical, but, perhaps more further need to dissimulate. So he was the This was bad for Britain in the long run, mischievous, since, after all, devil- star turn at the Return Conference, went and British historian, Professor Nicholas worship—the thought is our own, not along with the claim that the State which Mansergh, later censured Redmond for it. The Star’s—has no economic reactions. he had governed oppressed its Protestant ‘It is impossible’, says The Star, ‘not to citizens, declared that the 1916 Rising Was Bruton the first swallow of a accept the view that one of the main was unnecessary (and therefore wrong, of Return Summer? It seems doubtful. The purposes and achievements of course), and said that he was a Redmondite. immediate effect of the Conference was to Freemasonry in this country as in Great disrupt revisionist harmony. John A. Britain, has been the perpetration of graft’. That view, it adds, ‘represents He did not spell out what Redmondism Murphy could not bring himself to go the only hypothesis upon which the was. Leaving aside Redmond’s youthful along with the pretence that Protestants existence and persistence of political extravagance which gained him were an oppressed minority in the Republic Freemasonry amongst the classes who 19 are connected with it can be explained’. magnificent benevolence, requires no 12,000 lost days. “Here again, however, The Star defence from us; and The Star’s attack, professes a studious moderation. It a sorry compound of ignorance and * The year 2003 saw just 24 industrial grants, in the first place, that the Free prejudice, would be negligible if The disputes compared to 192 in 1984. State’s Freemasons practise ‘not crude Star were not the official, or at least or criminal graft’, but ‘subtle, respectable semi-official, organ of the Free State ************************************************************************ graft’, and, in the next place, that their Government. If, indeed, it speaks here opportunities for graft have been for Mr. Cosgrave’s Ministry, how does curtailed severely by the operation of that Ministry reconcile its loathing for SIPTU is planning to extend a small national self-government. ‘Public Masonic principles with its grateful credit union run by union volunteers to all administration in all its branches, is acceptance of Masonic services? The its 70,000 members in the Dublin area. directly or indirectly under Catholic Order’s substantial contributions to the The new look Jim Larkin Credit Union control, and a Freemason here and there two National Loans were not spurned. was officially launched on September 7, is powerless to do any harm. Every one Some of the ‘Independent’ members 2004, and if it proves successful, it is of them who is in a position of any whose votes now keep the Government likely to be extended to other cities such as importance or influence is known and in office are leading Freemasons. What Cork and Galway. watched. If he attempted to play any will they think of The Star’s disclosure tricks, the effort would be detected and that, even while they are hurrying into ************************************************************************ frustrated, and he himself would suffer the division lobby, they are ‘known and for it’. Nevertheless—such is The Star’s watched’? Has the strain upon the “THE development of closer links conclusion—Freemasonry is contrary to conscience of the Cumman na between the three main teaching unions, the national interest, injures the public, nGaedheal Party become intolerable at which may eventually lead to a single and ‘sends to every nostril a disquieting last, and, when the next general election union representing 47,000 teachers, is to odour of corruption’. Perhaps we have arrives, will it proclaim, Non tali auxilio be considered at a meeting of union quoted enough. The Masonic Order, as nec defensoribus istis? We shall wait leaders next month.” (Irish Times, revealed by the quality of its membership, and see.” 31.8.2004). its high standards of citizenship and its Brendan Clifford The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation has 20,000 members; the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland 17,000 everybody’s rights and the healing of members and the Teachers’ Union of THE the hurts of the past.” (Unfinished Ireland over 10,000 members. CLONBANIN Business—State Killings And The Quest For Truth, Bill Rolston, Beyond The Despite an amount of good will for COLUMN Pale, publishers; 2000). closer links there are significant obstacles to teacher unity, not least the ASTI.s ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ decision to leave the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. “They were waiting and watching at ten “THERE was surprise in union circles There would also have to be special minutes to Two when the signallers on the last night when it emerged that the Irish provision for the INTO’s 5,000 members left flank indicated that five motor vehicles Congress of Trades Unions has hired a in Northern Ireland. were approaching from the West. The first third executive from the Concern charity of these came into view almost organisation. ************************************************************************ immediately. Commandant Moylan had “It was confirmed that the agency’s ordered that the first lorry was not to be press officer, Macdara Doyle, has been SOCIAL PARTNERSHIP: “THE social offered the position as media manager engaged until it reached the more Easterly partnership experiment at work has of the trade union umbrella group. He positioned Sections. His object was to suffered a setback with the collapse of the was appointed by Congress Deputy ensure, as far as possible, that all the flagship management-worker group at the General Secretary, Sally Anne Kinihan vehicles would be in the ambush before U.S. Bausch and Lomb factory in who, up to two years ago, was a firing started.” (Rebel Cork’s Fighting Waterford” (Irish Independent, 9.9.2004). Story by Pat Lynch-Anvil Press, Tralee) marketing executive with Concern. “Ms. Kinihan, in turn, had been The Waterford project had been hailed recruited by Congress General Secretary, by the National Centre for Partnership and ************************************************************************ David Begg, a respected former Chief Performance as an example for other Executive of Concern for five years up private companies. “THE terror was that England was to 2001. Mr. Doyle is expected to start “The collapse was attributed to the going to back her soldiers and police no within two months.” (Irish Independent, union members’ disillusionment with matter what they did. For fifteen years 5.8.2004). partnership at the Waterford contact lens they did everything they could, then plant, even though the joint management- they caught on. That was 1986 and the ************************************************************************ union partnership has functioned for six Anglo/Irish Agreement; up until that it years.” was state terrorism all the way. They got DAYS LOST THROUGH STRIKES: With SIPTU representing 1,450 workers frightened when the Provos started to hit Last year saw 37,482 days lost to strikes. or 85% of the employees, the workplace home. I’d say the Brighton bomb scared partnership experiment is effectively dead. the Brits; when they saw that the Provos “According to ‘Industrial Relations could bomb England, they soon shut up * Disputes in the health service made News’, the SIPTU members said: “The and started looking for peace. They up close to half of that total with almost company was just using the partnership thought they could crush the Irish with 16,000 days lost. process to float issues on its own terrorism; it was a very wrong, illegal and immoral procedure. Now is the time * The public administration and agenda”.” for peace and reconciliation, respect for defence sector accounted for more than ************************************************************************ 20 Pat Brennan of County Laois has written The Scarlett Pimpernel: Congratulations ○○○○○○○○○ A large area of Killynure, within the following to the Irish Independent: to Eoghan Harris for seeing through Jack Carryduff, remains somewhat remote and “…The National Anthem was written Lane’s heavy disguise at the Reform the Free Presbyterian Church is rapidly as A Soldier’s Song by Peader Kearney Movement’s public meeting on September expanding there. They now find the old in 1907. The Irish translation by Liam 18th. No one else spotted that the short Killynure school too small and have O’Rinn, first published in 1923, has balding rather articulate gentleman with already bought land nearby in order to since become the version generally sung. the Dublin accent was in fact the ubiquitous ○○○○○○○ build a much larger church. There is no “In 1924, the chorus of Amhran na member of the Aubane society. They seek doubt that the Free Presbyterians are bhFiann became the de facto anthem of him here. They seek him there. But Eoghan beginning to overshadow the traditional the Irish Free State, officially confirmed Harris sees him everywhere! in July 1926, in Clontarf.” (29.9.2004). local Presbyterians by their optimism and vibrancy.

○○○ ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ Personally I see this renewed interest

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Letter To The Editor TRUTH WILL ALWAYS OUT: in 1798 by sections of the Protestant “TRAIN drivers at the centre of the population as a warning to Whitehall to controversial rail dispute in 2000 have keep the Ulster dimension. How ironical been awarded thousands of Euros in Carryduff And 1798 and naïve of Catholic Nationalists to think unemployment benefit in a landmark that when the Protestant re-awoke to his/ finding that has provoked fury at Iarnrod I was invited recently to give a talk to her past history that the United Irishman Eireann. the Carryduff Historical Society about the (woman) would be re-born to create a “The drivers were members of the unified country. former ILDA union, and the ruling area as I remembered it from 1938-1946. Parts of Carryduff in Mid-Down is rapidly supports their contention that the 10- It was interesting to hear a local week industrial action was an being built on and has already been roped Catholic in Carryduff realise that he had unreasonable lock-out by the company. in as a Belfast suburb and those who “The Social Welfare Tribunal, the remember it as it was are beginning to die once saw the Protestant as an interloper. state body which rules on cases where off. Now he insisted that the Protestant is as social welfare is refused due to part of that area as the very soil itself. I involvement in a trade dispute, has found What is interesting about the area is also felt that the Irishness of the Protestant in favour of the 104 workers, who at the the reclamation of Protestant history, the in this part of Mid-Down is such that time were members of ILDA, and against taking back of 1798. I wrote a letter some people from Cork would feel at home Iarnrod Eireann. time back to the Irish Political Review among them. “It is estimated that the total pay-out to workers from the state could be close concerning a work by two Carryduff historians which brought in something of In talking later to some other Catholics on 300,000 Euros.” (Sunday Tribune- in the area about 1798 one of them said 26.9.2004). 1798 and how it affected the area. I they supported its history in the past The finding is a major embarrassment to thought Brendan Clifford summed up very because the Protestants had abandoned it. Iarnrod Eireann and something of a well in the September 2004 issue of the But now that there was renewed interest in vindication for the former ILDA leader, IPR what 1798 meant in reality to both it by the Protestant community they had Brendan Ogle, says the “Sunday Tribune”. Protestant and Catholic. handed it back because it had ceased to be Brendan Ogle stated: “We always felt a Catholic myth. The Catholic community we were right. But it is important the Now 1798 is becoming alive again in public know that the company was found Carryduff. This was once a subject which there appear strong and confident in their to have acted unreasonably”. He added couldn’t be mentioned in this area because identity and have introduced Gaelic that ILDA had always felt it had done of its hijacking by Irish Nationalism. Now football to the area. This is a great change “everything possible before and during you get lectured on it everywhere you go. from how the few mixed and whole the dispute to prevent and resolve it”. After speaking to the historical society I Catholic families in Carryduff had to skulk The Story Of ILDA by Brendan Ogle, was asked by the Principal of Carryduff about in the past. They were reviving the Currach Press, 2003 is still for sale at Primary School to speak to the children old Irish place names such as Ceathra 18.99 Euros. 352 pp. Index. The book was and their teachers. After that I was given Aodha Dhuibh for the anglicised Carryduff reviewed over the last two months in Irish a tour of the area and visited the old on their notepaper and websites. The Political Review (August and September, Killynure school which has been converted mainly Protestant Carryduff Historical 2004). It is a book every trade unionist into a small church by the Free Presbyterian Society in their literature has also helped should read, especially younger workers. Church. The minister in charge told me to stimulate interest in the old Irish On Friday, October 29, 2004, Brendan about the history of the school and how it placenames. Ogle took up duty as ATGWU Regional first opened during the 1798 Rebellion. Organiser within the ESB, responsible for Catholics tell me their population has its 3,000 members. It is the largest union Driving back through Killynure with risen in numbers and that Carryduff has in the state’s national electricity company. the Principal, the retired caretaker of the become a peaceful place for many mixed “Earlier this year the ESB group of school accompanying us constantly asked Catholic/Protestant families. I had a last unions made repeated threats of for the car to be stopped a number of times look around and except for one small area disruption in a bid to secure a special in order to point out the farms of the in Killynure, Carryduff is politically and 18.5% wage rise above the national pay Protestant families whose forebears had religiously free of graffiti. No flag or agreement and be given a 20% stake in bunting flies and no kerbstones are painted. the company.” (Irish Independent, fought in 1798. His family has lived in the 28.10.2004). area during that period. He spoke of the 1798 fighters as revolutionaries. Wilson John Haire ************************************************************************ 21 is perfect routinisation but no spontaneity. a premium on slovenly work, slow-downs, WORK ? continued Aversion to work becomes natural and and other tactics to get the same pay for only money, prestige or power make any less work. Where forceful methods are were once freed from the tentacles of sense. The more complex the labour unit, used, workers use the time-honoured capitalism with the power to chart his own economic structures, then drudgery and the more the power of the individual practices of self-protection which ante- suffering would be abolished and all man’s decreases. Even among the workers his date any time-study formulae. It is an time-honoured aspirations for a better voice is lost in majority sway which is indictment on both sides of the industrial world would come to full fruition. generally spearheaded by the most field that, despite the establishment of the We cannot, however, as Marx does, vociferous but not always most principled. most sophisticated processes for subordinate all other human aspects to the containing and solving disputes, the strike economic one, important though it is. THE FUNCTIONARY: weapon is resorted to as much as ever Labour, whether noble or sordid, is rather We live to a great extent according to before. Employers are too slow to grasp the social situation in which human the social status of our functions. Some the realities facing them and the work activities are performed. Man lives not by potentially interesting jobs are given such force often act ‘on the drop of a hat’. A bread alone and it would be spiritual negative social and income rating that recent approach which referred to the homicide to sacrifice all other values. they are avoided if possible. There is no Labour cannot explain the essential “human problem of industry” was turned guarantee that the current evaluation in on its head by Eric Fromm who said that characteristics of human existence because the social status and remuneration of our they precede and supersede it. To reduce the tendency should be rather to consider job pyramid is the most desirable or the man simply to “the animal that produces” the “industrial problems of human is to deny him his real nature. It is salutary most just. We accept a situation but we beings”. must not let it engulf us. There is the once in a while to suspend total absorption THE ‘TAKE-OVER”: in our task here and now, and consider danger that, when immersed in a labour Modern labour owes much of its how it relates to the whole of life. The situation over a long period, we become success and expansion to scientific subordination of all other values to totally identified with our function. This development. Science has been embodied economic domination is the threatening may be highlighted at retirement when in practice and we can now speak of ‘the evil of our times. We can, for instance, one finds oneself with empty hands. It is scientification of labour’. A humanisation organise charity but this is no guarantee of as bearers of functions that other people love. In a society obsessed with material of labour has taken place as many inhuman, encounter us and it seems that our func- soul-destroying, mechanical jobs are success, charity could lose its fundamental tional being is like some kind of artificial inspiration. The old dream of mankind removed from hands. We may say that dress which we don at certain hours, that, in a worker-orientated world, life any act that can be performed by automa- would be idyllic is illusory because man is obliterating our personality. Employers tion is inhuman and better left to the incorrigible and Utopia still as far away as sometimes encourage this kind of self- machine. But recent technology has been ever. effacement as in hotels. The function so bewildering in its versatility that Trade pursues us into our private life outside the THE AUTOMATON: Unions are apprehensive about its workplace and inhibits us in developing But we must not arraign Marx too possibilities for decimating the work-force our true vocation as men. Teachers are severely or blame him for twentieth overnight and consigning many workers century failure. Marxism would not pose sometimes observed to carry their teaching to the scrap-heap. any threat if it did not contain certain real manners outside the classroom but of The problem is indeed a strange and values. We must learn from the systems course this trait is not the monopoly of unnatural one; production can be increased we reject by correcting the mistakes which teachers. In the process many other drastically by far fewer hands. Society, it they produced. Marx saw clearly how the interesting avenues of one’s personality is feared, may not be able to cope with the worker was being exploited and that remain unexplored. burden of a large number of unproductive industrialised, mechanised toil cannot, by THE REMEDY: workers. its very nature, give meaning or satisfaction. Highly routinised work in Although the great confrontation This latest technology could radically industry served only to ‘alienate’ the between employers and workers of the change our way of life, for good or ill, worker. Although it is unprofitable to past are not now a feature of the depending on how we approach the apply all the precepts of Marx to our contemporary scene there is still much problem. Many changes take place in vastly changed world, it would seem that industrial disruption in the free world. manufacturing industry and this is one of some of his insights have still relevance While worker participation has been the troublesome areas unless proper today. Work often appears as something accepted in principle in the management planning is enforced. Governments will unnatural; a disagreeable, meaningless, of certain enterprises, the process has been have to take decisions but these should not and stultifying condition of getting the slow and fitful. The worker must be be left to the experts alone; the stabilising pay-check, devoid of dignity and provided with reasons and reasonable participation of an informed and importance. A pay-check alone is not motives for full commitment. Conversely responsible public is required. With proper enough on which to base one’s self-respect. The mass-produced product no longer the position of employers is no longer decision-making, careful planning, and reflects the artistic skill of the artisan. He smug as heretofore and projects require astute direction this latest threat may well is concerned with a small, repetitive, the full co-operation of management and result in higher standards of living and isolated intervention in a complicated and staff to keep afloat. Job satisfaction seems more leisure hours. Nothing is to be gained highly organised process. He is never to be often lacking and work situations from sectional confrontations. This latest confronted with ‘his’ product, at least not might be improved if the social context of hazard to man by a product of his own as a producer, nor consulted as to its enterprises were different. Ill-will and inventiveness may well appear to future design or social merits. Nothing more resentment thrive where there is a serious generations as pitiable as the obsession of than the proper performance of his allotted and deep-rooted reaction to the boredom the seventeenth century religious beliefs. task is expected or wanted of him. There and apparent absurdity of work. This put Robert Cotter (1981)

22 WORK ? continued cannot go on deliberating indefinitely. So But it is likely that neither worker would at some stage and perhaps on very say that he was put into the world to do just incomplete evidence, we make our choice, his particular job. There must be occasions society’s entrance fee (waived only for much the same as at some particular time children, the infirm, the aged and some when they look for some deeper meaning we decide to marry some chosen partner. that will give some substance of idealism others). Work is necessary if one is to (“Wives are the only heavenly bodies to their lives. Many reap the manifold survive with any kind of dignity in today’s whose orbits are as yet uncertain”—David world. It is demanded of all able-bodied Hume). In both cases, the first choice may benefits of gainful employment and yet people as, without it, life in this techno- be for life; it may be a life of providence lead monotonous lives. We have only to logical age could not advance. And that is or endurance. consider the daily tediousness of a worker why the deliberate choice not to work is in an industrial city, where men and women THE VOCATION: itself a renunciation of society; and not to work together in profusion. They stream Many people hope they will find have work to do can be humiliating and into the offices and plants; they work satisfaction in their work, especially if counts for many as a rejection by society according to a rhythm measured by special- itself. Having a function is an important they have chosen it themselves. If work ists of time and motion. In the evening, element in self-affirmation. Long periods means what one chooses to do this may be of idleness and exclusion from the very closely related to what gives meaning they flow back like the tide to their mainstream of social activity seem to to life. Does work in itself, no matter what newspapers and their television screens. provoke subversive tendencies. sort, give direction to life? Is a man better They produce, consume, and seek amuse- off with work than without it? Most people, ment in step, without asking questions. THE PAIN: it seems, believe so but for varying reasons This is the rhythm of their lives. It is In primitive societies, the necessity for and it is significant that one reason quite probably that work represents a man’s work was obvious to all but, ironically, in often given is that it keeps one from this age of feverish activity it is not always most important function in society; but thinking. Some are obviously driven to unless there is some sort of integral social so. There are those who do not share the work to avoid an unbearable boredom. It background to his life, he cannot even social aims or views of life of the group in answers to man’s sense of aloneness and which they find themselves. They feel isolation. Work helps ‘to kill time’, that assign a value to his work. they cannot conform to society’s demands time which is man’s all too brief and THE DOCTRINE: and decide to make the great contracting- precious life-span on earth. The ills and drawbacks that would out—by idleness, crime, drugs, or pseudo- In some cases work can be a means to haunt mechanised labour were foreshad- religious grouping. Some feel that to sell some end or mission in life. If they believe owed by Marx in the last century. As the their labour is tantamount to selling part life has an end, they may want their whole Industrial Revolution with its ‘dark satanic of themselves, or their self-expression, life to contribute to the success of that end. mills’ began to change the economic face and this can be an essential misery. People with high social or religious ideals of Europe, Karl Marx appeared as the Adaptation and adjustment to a new have motives for working which transcend champion of the exploited growing work- situation may be distressing. This is the ideology of profit. For some work force. His doctrine radically changed the commonly felt as an affront to one’s brings a great bonus when it involves the notion of work and awakened man’s individuality and dignity as a person. The exercise and perfection of their own skills, consciousness to the work dimension of realisation that quite obviously the world projects, and ideals. John Stuart Mill his existence. For centuries the craftsman or the work situation was not simply tailor- thought of his book on Logic as a task of had enjoyed profound satisfaction in his made to one’s particular satisfaction can paramount importance which gave point work and his craft infused his entire mode be rude. The new operative may feel and justification to his life. He believed he of living as work, leisure, and culture resentment if he does not readily bend to was fulfilling the work which was ordained were inextricably fused. But with the the norms of management and workers for him to do, not by God but by circum- coming of the modern means of produc- alike. The job disappoints; in a sense it is stances. Isaac Newton was more sublime tion, the nature and function of work bound to fall short of expectation, simply still when he regarded his great works on changed fundamentally. For the middle because it was not designed to satisfy the the Universal Laws of Gravitation as class it became a duty and even an obses- worker but for some other end. There is undertaken for the greater Glory of God. sion; a pure means to the ends of wealth more poignancy still for those who through Ironically he was later given a post in the and success. But for the majority, without no apparent fault of their own fail in their Treasury as Master of the Mint where the property, it became nothing less than work. They feel that not only was the problems of Mammon and not of harmony forced labour. Money represented the world not specifically designed for them; were to occupy his great mind. abstract expression of work. A man if he it was not designed for justice. did not wish to starve had to sell his energy THE CONTRACT: THE ROUTINE: to those who had the means to exploit him. There is undoubtedly some restriction For men of lesser talent and limited Marx, more than any of his contempor- of freedom caused when an individual opportunity, work may not be so enthral- aries, trumpeted these changes and the binds himself to the labour contract but ling. Some kinds of work are obviously consequences that would flow from them. most people see this more than counter- more satisfying than others and those with Because of Marx’s astounding insights balanced by the security and benefits of the dullest jobs may find it impossible to we can now speak of ‘a civilisation of social living. Work is an advantage and a understand why they need to be done at work’. Marx considered the economic burden; we gain an advantage by assuming all. A pointless job seems to deprive life of order the heart of human life and this heart a burden. So normally the truth seems to all meaning. Or is it not enough that the determined the whole of life. For him, the be that work is a necessary ingredient of a modern world was essentially a labour work would be necessary? Necessary to meaningful existence, if one is to pursue world and labour was the true role of social aims, the arts and sciences or perhaps what? If the wheels of industry cannot humanity. Labour was the absolute centre most important of all, to marry and raise a turn without coal, does this not bestow of human living. The economy was no family. For many there is very little option importance on the work of a coal-miner? longer a sector of human life but economic in the choice of worthwhile work (for If the collection of refuse is vital in order factors alone determined the life of society. some even no work). We may consider to maintain the hygiene of a city, is not Marx firmly believed that, if the worker carefully the options open to us but we refuse collection a necessary function? continued on page 22 23 VOLUME 22 No. 11 CORK ISSN 0790-1712 To Work Or Not ? FUNDAMENTAL to the moral law of once meant little more than back-breaking a steely integrity which was greatly ancient Judaism as expressed in the Torah drudgery has now come to designate not admired by all who had the privilege of were, among other things, the right to live, only manual work but the whole range of knowing him. the right to liberty, the right of possession, human endeavour, including scientific, We are indebted to Jerry Condon, and the right to work and to leisure. St. moral, and even speculative engagement. himself a postal union activist and former In a proper environment man can, through Paul, though a Rabbi, was a tent-maker by President of the CWU for bringing the work, develop his skills and creativeness trade and preached the central therapy of as well as his powers of co-operation, article to our attention. work, the one Jewish concept he trium- reason and a sense of beauty. It can liberate Bob’s article, written in 1981 predates phantly transmitted to Christianity. There man from being a slave to nature to being the rise of Social Partnership in 1987, the was a traditional religious assumption that its master. fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the man was born to labour; that God meant rampant march of Globalisation into the ****************************************************************** man to be punished for his transgressions new century. “TO WORK OR NOT?” first appeared in by work; and presumably it is for the sake the trade union journal of the Post Office ****************************************************************** of paying the just penalty that man must Workers’ Union (now the Communic- Common human needs create a system work. Labour, then, may well be a ations Workers’ Union-C.W.U.) in 1981. of provision in society to cater for the necessary good rather than a cursed evil. It was written by the late Bob Cotter, who demands of its citizenry. This entails an But man’s enthralment in work needs died shortly after publication. Bob was a order of rights and duties. We make only some explanation. It is hardly in itself a remarkable man who was dogged by ill- a very small proportion of the things we sufficient account of man’s presence on health for many years. He spent a long need so we depend on the services of time in Sarsfield’s Court T.B. sanatorium, earth although Marx came very close to others. Work normally produces some Cork. The infection led to the removal of this view at times. Some Greek thinkers useful product or provides a service. As deemed work to be unworthy of man. a lung. He was a life-time, unpaid trade union society evolves the service aspect is more Some civilisations thought work improper activist at a time when such involvement pronounced. The ideology of profit sought for man but natural for woman. Greek and carried with it the extra stress of dealing to ignore the service motive which was Roman slaves had no civil rights. Media- with the activities of an unrecognised not a natural attitude but a perversion. eval menials had to accept the political organisation called the Post Office Society now consists of a system of decisions of their feudal lords. The Officials’ Association. Bob Cotter was a services and functions in a sort of labour religious attitude towards work as a duty regular contributor to his own union network. Where formally one class served was still prevalent in the 19th century but journal. His mild, timid manner disguised another elite class, now every citizen has changed radically since. What was a renders a service to the community and moral and religious obligation is now Subscribers to the magazine are regularly service no longer implies just domestic offered special rates on other publications essentially an economic necessity. service. Irish Political Review is published THE NORM: THE NAME: by the IPR Group: write to— There are no longer labour-free classes. In our society, obtaining and holding a Management and labourers share a PO Box 339, Belfast BT12 4GQ or job is the fate and the hope of most school- common concern in a labour situation in PO Box 6589, London, N7 6SG. leavers. Their whole education and which human activity is involved. Work Labour Comment, upbringing conditions them for a role in is no longer regarded as an inescapable C/O Shandon St. P.O., Cork City society. In our labour world, a person is necessity, nor a status which prevents us mature, adult, and independent when from living on a truly human level. Now Subscription by Post: filling a place in the labour pool. The labour engages man’s best talents and Euro 25 / £17.50 for 12 issues majority work for somebody else and so even those with inherited means or more Electronic Subscription: are dependent on an employer. This fact wealth than they can ever spend still don seems to suggest that the work is essentially the mantle of work. Although work is so Euro 15 / £12 for 12 issues elemental in our lives, it now encompasses (or Euro 1.30 / £1.10 per issue) a means of earning a living, and not such diverse activities that it is difficult to You can also order both postal and necessarily a meaningful activity. If work circumscribe it in a neat definition. What electronic subscriptions from: is taken to mean earning a living, then it is www.atholbooks.org continued on page 23