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Sacred Heart University DigitalCommons@SHU American Irish Newsletter The rI ish American Community Collections 10-1989 American Irish Newsletter - October 1989 American Ireland Education Foundation - PEC Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/irish_ainews Part of the European Languages and Societies Commons, Other American Studies Commons, and the Political Science Commons Recommended Citation American Ireland Education Foundation - PEC, "American Irish Newsletter - October 1989" (1989). American Irish Newsletter. Paper 140. http://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/irish_ainews/140 This Newsletter is brought to you for free and open access by the The rI ish American Community Collections at DigitalCommons@SHU. It has been accepted for inclusion in American Irish Newsletter by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@SHU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AMERICAN Irish Political Education Committee______________________________________ i Volume 14, Number 10 October 1989 NEWS BITS by Kathy Regan MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL NOTICE APPEARS Commencing a six day tour of the north where he would be ON PAGE 6 JUST BELOW YQUR ADDRESS meeting with representatives of Sinn Fein and the SDLP and wishing to be fair to all sides in the northern conflict, John LABEL. Finucane of the American Irish Political Education Committee called upon Loyalist politicians to meet with him as well. “I IRISH SOLIDARITY DAY would like to tell them that, as far as we are concerned, their Sunday, October 15,1989 -12 noon to 3pm position would be safeguarded if and when there is a united Ireland. If in that scenario Protestants were to find their liberties under threat, I can assme them that our group...will be New Location: 240Street & Broadway in the Bronx the first to defend them. Our group is not anti-Protestant in any For information call way, and the purpose of my visit is to gather information and (212) 924-2000 or (914) 947-2726 . take home a cross-section of peoples’ views and opinions.” (The Irish News & The Newsletter, 7/28/89) The British government proclaims that it wishes to help Bring Your Family & Friends!!! develop the economy in the north of Ireland. To that end, it has AMERICAN IRISH REAWAKENING spent £63 million developing shipyard jobs and at times has de­ veloped jobs at a cost of from £25,000 to £60,000 per job. At the by Kevin P. Murphy same time, it has denied funds to a program organized with the help of Father Desmond Wilson which planned to create 200- In recent years we have been witnessing a dramatic increase in .250jobs at a cost of approximately £400 per job... When Father American Irish awareness. This new awareness, much of it Wilson and a group of unemployed people got together, took fostered by the American Irish PEC, has taken a political as over an abandoned mill and began to establish businesses in it, well as cultural flavor. MacBride Principles legislation is sweep­ the government moved in and, at a cost of approximately £10 ing the United States. The MacBride success, which England million, re-did the factories to make an army barracks on the has spent millions of Pounds to lobby against, could not even be site. Clearly the goal is not to help the economy, but to stifle imagined 4 years ago. Even the most dedicated American Irish native Irish industry...Since partition. Northern Ireland has activist could not fathom the impact of American Irish unity gone from being the richest part of Ireland to the second through this campaign. poorest economy in Europe (AIN-PEC). Most major metropolitan areas now have cultural radio and Comment on the north by a woman from Liverpool. “It is TV shows that foster the Irish language and musical traditions. very important that the English people come forward and The growth of American Irish publications is something that agitate for withdrawal of British troops from Ireland but it is even our most optimistic members could have never predicted. equally important that they do so for the reason that the troops Yet despite this progress we as an American ethnic group -should not be there in the first place. Far too many of the have only just begun to tap the powerful resource of our English people feel that ‘their boys’ should be brought home community. As one of America’s most educated and economi­ and that ‘the/ (the Irish Catholics and Protestants) should be cally successful ethnic groups, we really have not had the left to fight it out among themselves.” (AIN- PEC) impact on our Goverment in regards to the cause of Irish An article in the London Times commemorating the Twen­ freedom that one would expect. tieth Anniversary of troops being introduced into the north was Despite the profound reawakening of Irishness here in Amer­ titled Falklands Won on the Falls. Its conclusion was, “The pro­ ica, we still have many of our fellow American Irish who are not ficiency of those who landed at San Carlos owed much to their aware of their Irishness or of their culture’s great impact on 'experience in Ulster. Since the end of World War II, the British American society. These are the American Irish that need to be army was continually in action - in Palestine, Indonesia, educated. Many feel that their cultme consists of wearing -Malaya, Korea, Kenya, Cyprus, Suez and Aden. Then came green on St. Patrick’s Day and being portrayed as misfits in St. 1968 and rio action at all. Not a single British soldier Patrick’s Day greeting cards. We should not scorn these people, died...Northern Ireland put everything back on course and rather, we should inform them of the greatness of their culture. •helped produce a new and better army...There were lots of new Today there are many of our people who are active in 'weapons and better infantry tactics. Most of all Northern lobbying fet MacBride legislation andTrish freedom who just Ireland has given several generations of officers and NCOs the a few years ago were almost totally ignorant of their culture. Continued on page 5 Continued on page 6 Page 2 American Irish Newsletter - October 1989 MACBRIDE PRINCIPLES UPDATE committee members, to numerous to mention, for their out­ standing efforts and sacrifice. We also want to acknowledge the On August 31 the California State Senate voted 25-6 in favor of help of Fr. Sean McManus of the INC, the AOH, lAUC and the MacBride Prindples legislation. California, with the world’s Irish Northern Aid. BOSTON - On August 29 the Boston City 7th largest economy, is a very significant victory. Of course the Council, led by Councillor Hennigan Casey, voted to pursue prime victory will be when the Bill is signed by Governor the possibility of adopting the MacBride Principles. Mayor Ray George Deulcmejian. We are very proud of the fact that the Flynn of Boston has signed an executive order prohibiting city American Irish PEC played the key role in this major success agencies from entering into contracts with American compa­ in a state with a population of over 24 million people.. nies operating in Northern Ireland that do not adhere to the The bill was originally introduced by Assemblyman Tom MacBride Principles. OHIO - In September the American Hayden m January 1987 at the request of Roger McGrath, PEC Irish PEC sent Fr. Des Wilson to Ohio to meet with leading Western Regional Director. Hearings were held and it was members of the Senate to lobby for the MacBride Principles. decided the bill would be held over to 1988 during which time His iteniary was arranged by Kathy Whitford, Ohio State PEC no significant action was taken. During this time, Joe O’Neill, Director and Mike Hall. PENNSYLVANIA - According to the PEC California State Director, Sean Prendiville, PEC rep and Northern Ireland Fair Employment Trust, SDLP employment Brian Blake, chairman of the Southern California MacBride spokesperson Sean Fearon will travel to Pennsylvania on Sep­ Principles Coalition, with the help of Jack Henning, President tember 15 to publicly endorse the British Government's new of California AFL-CIO and representative of the Irish Ameri­ Fair Employment Bill and to lobby against the MacBride can Labor Coalition, began to effectively organi2:e support Principles. In Belfast, prior to the recent elections, the SDLP throughout the state at the grass roots level. At the request of in order to win votes, informed the electorate that it now Joe O’Neill, Assemblyman John Burton of San Francisco, supports the MacBride Principles. The SDLP have never introduced a new bill in January 1989. It was their efforts and debated the Principles with its membership. According to the those of their committee members that brought the bill to the Trust, members of the North's middle-class community and the Governor’s desk. We want to commend Joe O’Neill, Roger SDLP are willing to be enrolled as paid agents of the British McGrath, Brian Blake, Sean Prendiville, and their fellow government for personal gain and are under pressure from the United States because of the annual subvention of $250,000 provided the SDLP by the National Democratic Institute. The American Irish PEC _____________ Say Yes Ta MacBride!______________ founded 1975 National President...................................................John J. Rnucane FROM THE EDITOR by John J. Finucane Vice-President................................................................ Albert Doyle Treasurer................................................................ John Me Cormack Ftecording Secretary.....................................................Kathy Ftegan Some newspaper articles have stated that the MacBride Prin­ Rnancial Secretary...................................................... Tom Sheridan ciples campaiffi in the United States is run by politicians. National Headquarters; Malloy Building Recently, in one American Irish newspaper, it was suggested that Stony Point, N.Y. 10980, (914) 947-2726 a group o f politicians were preparing to take over control o f the WESTERN REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Dr.

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