I >>>> l I i i i i i i i i I I I i i i • 11111M11111111111111111111 M • I I I I I I Mill II I I I I I I II I I I I I I I I I I P2 p4 p8 At last! Connolly statue unveiled Time to talk peace says Sinn Peter Berresford Ellis on Bram in Dublin Fein's Mitchel McLaughlin Stoker, Dracula and social reform I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I | | | • I | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | I I I I I I I I I I I toish Demcxmt August/September 1996 • Price 50p ConnoHy Association: campaigning for a united and independent Ireland Plea for action on marches Democrat reporte diate action is needed if the current distrust and he RUC's deci antipathy is to be over- sion to give in to come and the security of the Orange local communities guar- mobs at Drum anteed. cree, and the The Association wel- . Tsectarian violence Un- comes the dialogue leashed against the between some marching nationalist community of organisations and local the North, have high- community repre- • The RUC caves in to unionist thuggery and gives Orange marchers safe passage where they weren't wanted... Photo: Pacemaker Press International lighted the need for sentatives. However, urgent action to protect additional measures will communities from inti- almost certainly be midation, triumphalism needed where agreement and violent, bigoted at cannot be reached. tacks. It is also clear that The inter-community questions must be tensions which have answered as to why the Parity of esteem? decision to ban the been stoked by the Orange Order's insist- Orange march from the ence on flaunting what's Garvaghy Road was left of unionism's tarn- overturned, and what ac- ished and flagging tion the security forces supremacy can only hin- are taking against those der efforts to rebuild the responsible for holding peace process. the Six Counties to ran- The Connolly Associ- som. ation has therefore called If the police have in- upon the British govern- formation about a ment to ensure that no conspiracy to endanger marches are allowed lives, what is the source through areas where of this information, and there is substantial and what action have they legitimate opposition taken in response to it? from local residents. The issue of Orange Such a measure would marches through pre- also have to apply to the dominantly catholic routeing of nationalist areas has huge implica- marches through tions for the peace residential areas where process. So far the actions objections are raised by of the RUC and the Brit- local protestants. ish government have While having no ob- done little to convince jections to the setting up catholics that parity of es- of an international com- teem and equality of treatment are anything • ...but it's open season on anyone who complains mission to look into the Photo: Pacemaker Press International issues of marches, imme- more than warm words. HEADLINES HEADLINES Parity of Labour movement looks OPINION esteem? Connolly statue unveiled On not keeping had delivered an election ad- towards options for peace our heads down f there are two lessons to be learned from the Dublin trades dress to Jewish workers in events of Drumcree and their aftermath, the first is Yiddish as a mark of respect to that they have served to expose to the world what unionists and an important minority, she AN I press you to a Wolfe Tone mug?" I was the British Government and the RUC really mean said. contribution was in marked chancing my luck for the fifth time at the by 'parity of esteem' and 'equality of treatment7. people throughout Connolly's testament was contrast to the majority of par- Four Provinces bookstall at this year's Irish IThat the British government and the RUC were "a challenge to us to move for- ticipants, even those critical of Book Fair. The tall aesthetic-looking Irish publicly seen to cave in to threats to intensify violence Ireland can feel ward, not as a society where Sinn Fein and the IRA, and re- man laughed. He was casting a discerning Ceye over the Irish-language manuals. against catholics has caused widespread anger throug- the divide was widening, but ceived little support from dele- hout the nationalist community and beyond. proud in as a people with a strong sense gates. Our ensuing conversation was different from most However, whatever the disquiet experienced by Sir of community". Labour MP Ken Living- at the bookstall, when the customer relaxes into a per- Patrick Mayhew and John Major over the role played honouring the Other speakers at the cere- stone told the conference that sonal saga of life in Britain or a scholarly reflection on by David Trimble at Drumcree, they showed no desire mony included senior repre- the mortar bomb attack in Os- Irish history and literature, always intriguing for sales even to upbraid him for breaking the law or breaching great labour leader sentatives from the American nabruck signalled the end of staff but bad for turnover! My irresponsibly long con- the Mitchell principles on the use of violence and trade union centre AFL-CIO, the peace process. versation with the aforesaid Irishman, a plasterer by trade, sparked off a train of thought I'd like to share force to attain political ends, let alone threaten his James Connolly, Irish trade unions organisa- "The opportunity for peace with Democrat readers. party with exclusion from the talks process. tions and James' grandson, had been lost due to the machi- Just in case any of us missed the point, a few days reports CHARLIE Ross Connolly. nations of John Major," he told Like so many of his generation he had no univer- later John Major, legitimately concerned about a Special consideration was delegates. sity education, but demonstrated the comprehensive understanding of Irish history and sophisticated possible breakdown in the loyalist ceasefire, invited CUNNINGHAM also given to members of the Mr Livingstone urged the powers of political analysis which mark out the Irish- members of the new unionist parties for talks at Num- Connolly family and to the sur- Labour left to 'establish a dia- man of integrity. I asked if he belonged to any group. ber 10 Downing Street. The involvement in political viving members of the Con- logue' with working-class He did not. Years ago in London he had been a regular and sectarian violence of some of those involved was nolly Column who fought with unionists' in much the same reader of the Irish Democrat but had moved away to a well known to Mr Major and his colleagues. the republican forces in the way that dialogue had been es- town where it was not on sale. Whatever our reservations about the PUP or the Spanish Civil War. tablished previously with re- UDP, we welcome any genuine commitment to work As heirs to the aspirations publicans. I suggested he might like to join the Connolly Asso- for a political solution to the conflict. What is both of- of Connolly — that working Fianna Fail spokesperson ciation, receive the paper and keep in touch with fensive and politically suspect, given the unravelling people should be masters of on prisoners Eamon O Cuiv people who were as well informed as himself. He pre- peace process, is what the meeting says about the Brit- their own destiny, and if this is TD reminded delegates that varicated but began explaining his hesitation in lo- ish government's idea of equality of treatment After not yet attainable, that they the struggle of the past 27 years wered tones. "You've got to understand," he said, all, this is a prime minister who refused to meet Sinn should at least be the main con- "had not been a one-sided "how do you think the Irish have survived over here? Fein after the IRA ceasefire and who placed endless Photo: Charlie Cunningham tenders for power — it re- catalogue of IRA atrocities, but By keeping our heads down. A long time ago I didn't precondition in the way of its inclusion in all-party AMES CONNOLLY was throughout Ireland with ship card of the Socialist La- mains evident that the a two-sided problem" which and they put me in prison for seven years." talks. not just a trade union or- schools, roads squares, rail- bour Party and in the pro- overriding barrier to progress had arisen as a result of parti- I caught my breath. It was the old story. "Was it pol- It is a matter of record that the British government Jganiser, for that is how he way stations, office buildings gramme of the Chesterfield in Ireland remains imposed tion. itical?" I asked. "They charged me with conspiracy to • Ken Livingstone and Ann! Marjoram at July's Agreed Ireland Forum conference rob...to fund terrorism." I did not need any more de- neither insisted that the loyalist paramilitaries hand in earned his living, but also a and hospitals named after him, May Day event disunity. While accepting that noth- political analyst, one of the Pic: David Granville tail. All I felt again was gratitude and respect. You are their weapons, nor asked them to guarantee that their and now, eighty years since his Unveiling the statue, Irish In 1914 Connolly correctly ing could change without the foremost socialist thinkers of innocent until proved Irish: the old maxim remains as ceasefire was permanent, before allowing them to take execution, a fine statue has President Mary Robinson predicted that partition would the workplace, civil liberties democratic and peaceful consent of the unionist people, this century, a poet, historian, Labour movement true today as it ever was.