Wednesday, November 30, 2005
'What If'? Wednesday - Republican party
Permit me to put this question to you:What if we had a truly republican party in Ireland?
First off do you feel that we do have a truly republican party in Ireland at present? If you don't think so and are of the view that no party measures up to the values espoused by Wolfe Tone and the United Irishmen, how do you feel a party which did espouse these values would do?
There is a good article in the Irish News by Brian McCaffrey, that you can read here, which examines how a range of parties now claim to be the true voice of 'republicanism'.
McCaffrey analyses the claims made by the various parties. He mentions comments made by Fianna Fáil leader Bertie Ahern who spoke of the need for the Irish people to "reclaim the spirit of 1916, which is not the property of those who have abused and debased the title of republicanism".
McCaffrey goes on to quote comments made by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny:
"Today's Sinn Féin merely offers outdated and discredited policies, and an approach to politics that only serves as a warning to the present generation of the risks associated with a flirtation with a party that shares nothing but the wording of the party founded by Griffith and none of the true republican idealism of Collins."
McCaffrey notes the claim made by the SDLP's Mark Durkan that his party reflects "true republicanism":
"Those of us that share in the true republican ideals of unity among Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter must stand against those that would denigrate and degrade those ideals in a rush for domination over other traditions."
Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly has also gotten in on the act for good measure:
"People will not be fooled by what Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the SDLP are trying to do.
"They chose to ignore the ideals of republicanism for decades and are now trying to rebrand themselves for political gain."
The problem with analysing republicanism in Ireland is that the very term 'Republican' takes quite a different meaning in this island of ours in contrast to our friends overseas.
Over on Raiméis, Gerry O'Sullivan eloquently described the problems:
"I used the term ‘nationalist’ reluctantly, as like yourself, I wouldn’t describe myself as a nationalist. However it is recognised as a shorthand term for those of us who advocate a united Ireland by peaceful means.
"The Irish use of the terms ‘Republican’ and ‘Nationalist’ is arseways, imo. Sinn Féin is a classic example of an ethnic nationalist movement. Republicanism in its most definitive sense is an inclusive ideology, something SF manifestly is not.
"I would much prefer to describe myself as a republican, but I don’t want to be mistaken for a SF supporter."
Gerry is spot on. I share his discomfort with the Irish terminology. I class myself and this blog as nationalist - however I am in favour of a United Ireland which gives respect to Britishness. That is another nationality. I favour protecting people of all races, colours and creeds. Am I therefore a Republican? To me, the word 'Republican' conjures up images of close-minded people who prefer to drape themselves in Irish tricolours rather than extend the hand of friendship to others. What about my position on issues like rejoining the commonwealth? Personally I think such a move would be of benefit to Ireland and I don't necessarily mind a United Ireland having a link to the British crown. That must surely disqualify me from being a Republican? Then again, Sinn Féin have been recently celebrating Arthur Griffith, a man who held views like this. Indeed Eamon de Valera flirted with all kinds of ideas later in his life in an effort to convince unionists of the merits of the all-Ireland argument. Eamon O'Cuiv, grandson of de Valera, is perhaps the most well-known advocate of Commonwealth re-entry. O'Cuiv is a member of Fianna Fáil - the 'Republican party'.
Gerry summed it up nicely. The whole thing is arseways.
It's almost perverse to hear Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly accuse others of ignoring 'the ideals of republicanism' when his party has been aligned with a group that has, in the words of John Hume, committed 'sectarian genocide'.
In his article, McCaffrey mentions these interesting comments from Professor Paul Bew of Queen's University Belfast:
"Every generation of politicians that comes along tries to reinvent the traditional ideological mantle, but the reality is that things move on.
"Despite what the various leaders have said about laying claim to the title of republicanism there is no sense that anyone has gained any ground.
"The reality is that the status quo has remained the same.
"It remains to be seen who, if anyone, will win out in the end."
I think these are fair remarks. As for who will win out in the end, it's hard to say. Looking ahead into the future, and bearing in mind that things are arseways in this country, I can see a situation where nationalists succeed in achieiving an all-Ireland Republic...which will not be nationalist in character. And this all-Ireland Republic...will not prove attractive to Irish Republicans. Unionists will find this new Republic attractive...at the expense of the Union. Which will lead to the creation of divisionists (those hostile to the United Ireland) and they will push for a division of Ireland...on the basis that they have been divided from Britain.
Arseways indeed.
This is a man's country!
Lois: I guarantee you a man made that commercial.Peter: Of course a man made it. It's a commercial Lois, not a delicious thanksgiving dinner. ~ Family Guy
Great news people! (and by 'people' I of course mean the men)
According to a study carried out by the Government's Economic and Social Research Institute, housework is still largely the preserve of women in Irish society.
The study of the domestic habits of 1,000 adults found that 81% of men involved did no cleaning work or laundry on weekdays, while 71% avoided all cooking or food preparation.
By contrast, almost 70% of women engaged in all of these activities on a daily basis.
Wow, I find that shocking. That means that 30% of women aren't engaged in these activities on a daily basis.
The women involved in the research were found to spend five hours on caring or housework every weekday, compared to an average of one hour and 40 minutes for men.
Obviously this will raise a few eyebrows amongst certain loonies (ie women), but at the end of the day, this country is built on a solid foundation of women doing everything. Without that, this nation would descend into anarchy.
What do people expect? Men to actually do stuff? Let's be realistic. It's bad enough that we men have to squash big creepy-crawlies for women. Sometimes we have to leave the couch and the TV programme we've been watching in order to do that but is that ever talked about or commended? Hell no.
Look, here's the thing. Every man needs a cup of tea. And it's a scientific fact, backed up by NASA I think, which states that women make it better than men. Therefore women should regard making the tea as a great honour. Same goes for all their mandatory chores. Women are so good at them that men have to sit down and preoccupy themselves with the TV. Is there a greater compliment than that?
This is a country for men. But that doesn't mean women can't play a big part!
"Men are irrelevant. Women are happy or unhappy, fulfilled or unfulfilled, and it has nothing to do with men." ~ Fay Weldon
Ugh. Don't you just hate sexists?
Hain hits back over OTR legislation
I came across this letter in the Guardian from British Secretary of State Peter Hain in response to this article from Simon Jenkins.Jenkins was critical of the "blathering" Secretary of State and accused him of treating parliament as "a colonial official might have treated Victorian Nigeria" and of dispensing "political expediency as justice".
Peter Hain has hit back at Simon Jenkins accusing him of "ranting from the comfort of his moral maze" and claiming that he "does not have a clue about the realities of trying to bring a complete end to a horrific conflict in Northern Ireland that has cost more than 3,500 lives."
"This was an immensely difficult move, but it was right. The subsequent decision to grant early release to paramilitary prisoners was difficult and victims of terrorism found it abhorrent. But it was the right thing to do to seal the agreement," said Hain.
"The intense moral and political dilemmas inherent in taking the peace process forward have to be worked out in the real world and not in the philosophic abstract. In the early 1990s John Major began the secret engagement with the IRA that ultimately led to the Good Friday agreement. This was an immensely difficult move, but it was right. The subsequent decision to grant early release to paramilitary prisoners was difficult and victims of terrorism found it abhorrent. But it was the right thing to do to seal the agreement."
I was fond of the previous Secretary of State Paul Murphy and I'm quite fond of Peter Hain too but I think Mr Hain is wrong on this issue. Terribly wrong.
A society needs justice. The terrorists and British State forces who murdered and maimed should be brought before a court of law and made to pay for their crimes against humanity.
They deserve no amnesty.
NI economy weakens
Yet more bad news for the North's economy I'm afraid!
The NI economy has weakened during 2005, according to a report published yesterday.
Despite a fall in consumer confidence experts claim house prices in the province are rising at 20% per annum.
Some of the forecasts from The Economic Outlook report:
- Slower economic growth in the province over the next three years
- Consumer spending growth is expected to remain sluggish over the next 12 months
- Public expenditure growth will decline over the next two years while property tax is expected to rise
Economists said business owners should be aware that public expenditure can no longer be expected to be the prime mover in economic growth, while there is no escape from higher rates.
I feel bad for my Irish compatriots in the North. I don't understand why we in the South should remain prosperous while the North's economy looks set to stagnate.
There's wealth to be shared so let's share it. It's time to establish an all-Ireland economy.
The NI economy has weakened during 2005, according to a report published yesterday.
Despite a fall in consumer confidence experts claim house prices in the province are rising at 20% per annum.
Some of the forecasts from The Economic Outlook report:
- Slower economic growth in the province over the next three years
- Consumer spending growth is expected to remain sluggish over the next 12 months
- Public expenditure growth will decline over the next two years while property tax is expected to rise
Economists said business owners should be aware that public expenditure can no longer be expected to be the prime mover in economic growth, while there is no escape from higher rates.
I feel bad for my Irish compatriots in the North. I don't understand why we in the South should remain prosperous while the North's economy looks set to stagnate.
There's wealth to be shared so let's share it. It's time to establish an all-Ireland economy.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Top Ten Tuesday - Why blogging's bad
I know alot of you who visit United Irelander have blogs of your own but a number of you who visit do not. I would certainly recommend that if you have a desire to try blogging that you do so. It can be fun. However...most of the articles I read on getting started with blogging only detail the good parts and while they give plenty of advice for newbies, they don't exactly warn of the bad side of blogging. Like everything in life blogging has a bad side and seeing as it's early in the week, I'm in the mood to get negative. So with that being said, I thought I'd give you the top ten bad things about blogging. So without further ado:
1. It's time-consuming - If you decide to take blogging seriously, you have to post regularly and regular posting can kill alot of your free time.
2. It's addictive - I think it's fair to say I'm a bit of a blogging addict. I was even worse when I first started getting into it. I even posted on Christmas Day for crying out loud! Be prepared to catch the blogging bug.
3. It can be draining - If, like me, you are a blogger who engages with the blog's readers, this eats up alot of your time as well. You can find yourself dealing with several threads which can be a hassle if debating is not your cup of tea.
4. Have to deal with criticism - If you don't take criticism well then you probably shouldn't blog. Or else if you must, set up a blog that's light-hearted but you'll still end up with critics eventually I'm sure. Not everyone will like what you write and it wouldn't be much fun if they did but if you can't deal with that, don't take up blogging.
5. You can become obsessive - As I hinted above, in my first few months I really got into blogging and tried very hard to get as many hits as I possibly could. This led to me getting fed up with blogging but I came back and managed to get over that. It's possible though that you yourself will end up obsessing over SiteMeter, Statcounter etc.!
6. You have to deal with losing a post now and then - I'm sure every blogger has experienced this terrible feeling. It's similar to the feeling you get when you're hit in the nuts. Really hard. You spend all that time working on a post, you hit 'Publish' and then boom! The thing vanishes into cyberspace. Sniff.
7. You can feel pressured on your own - It's probably best to get a partner to lighten the load. Having a blog with just one person and trying to take it seriously is far from easy and can leave you feeling burnt out.
8. You want to please your readers - If you dont have a partner and you can't post for a while, you can feel under pressure and can find yourself wanting to satisfy your readers by giving them a post to through. This can lessen your enthusiasm for blogging.
9. You think about blogging too much - If you really get into blogging, you may find yourself thinking about things that happen to you which would make a good read on your blog. In other words, the blog world and the real world become blurred. You might not want that.
10. You become immersed in the blogosphere - The term 'blogosphere' itself is probably unknown to most of those who aren't actually bloggers. If you start a blog you basically become part of a little word within the net and find yourself creating your own personal blogging faction through your links. Do you really want to become that involved in the blogging scene?
So there you have it. The top ten reasons why blogging's bad. Feel free to comment on my choices or to offer up some of your own.
Now get blogging!...or not.
1. It's time-consuming - If you decide to take blogging seriously, you have to post regularly and regular posting can kill alot of your free time.
2. It's addictive - I think it's fair to say I'm a bit of a blogging addict. I was even worse when I first started getting into it. I even posted on Christmas Day for crying out loud! Be prepared to catch the blogging bug.
3. It can be draining - If, like me, you are a blogger who engages with the blog's readers, this eats up alot of your time as well. You can find yourself dealing with several threads which can be a hassle if debating is not your cup of tea.
4. Have to deal with criticism - If you don't take criticism well then you probably shouldn't blog. Or else if you must, set up a blog that's light-hearted but you'll still end up with critics eventually I'm sure. Not everyone will like what you write and it wouldn't be much fun if they did but if you can't deal with that, don't take up blogging.
5. You can become obsessive - As I hinted above, in my first few months I really got into blogging and tried very hard to get as many hits as I possibly could. This led to me getting fed up with blogging but I came back and managed to get over that. It's possible though that you yourself will end up obsessing over SiteMeter, Statcounter etc.!
6. You have to deal with losing a post now and then - I'm sure every blogger has experienced this terrible feeling. It's similar to the feeling you get when you're hit in the nuts. Really hard. You spend all that time working on a post, you hit 'Publish' and then boom! The thing vanishes into cyberspace. Sniff.
7. You can feel pressured on your own - It's probably best to get a partner to lighten the load. Having a blog with just one person and trying to take it seriously is far from easy and can leave you feeling burnt out.
8. You want to please your readers - If you dont have a partner and you can't post for a while, you can feel under pressure and can find yourself wanting to satisfy your readers by giving them a post to through. This can lessen your enthusiasm for blogging.
9. You think about blogging too much - If you really get into blogging, you may find yourself thinking about things that happen to you which would make a good read on your blog. In other words, the blog world and the real world become blurred. You might not want that.
10. You become immersed in the blogosphere - The term 'blogosphere' itself is probably unknown to most of those who aren't actually bloggers. If you start a blog you basically become part of a little word within the net and find yourself creating your own personal blogging faction through your links. Do you really want to become that involved in the blogging scene?
So there you have it. The top ten reasons why blogging's bad. Feel free to comment on my choices or to offer up some of your own.
Now get blogging!...or not.
Top economist backs all-Ireland economy
You may remember a post I made a while back based on this article by respected economist Douglas Hain who argued that a United Ireland was economically viable. Recently, British Secretary of State Peter Hain said that the North's economy was "not sustainable in the long term" and stated that it would become increasingly difficult to look at the economy of North and South except as "a sort of island of Ireland economy", much to the chagrin of unionists. Well guess what? Yet ANOTHER top economist has backed an all-Ireland economy.Stephen Kingon, managing partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Northern Ireland, told a meeting of the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body today said that he believes that better co-operation between North and South would benefit both economies.
Some details on Kingon:
"Kingon is one of the top economists in Northern Ireland. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and the Institute of Management Consultants, Kingon is also the chairman for the Centre for Competitiveness and Economic Development Committee of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and he serves on the Northern Ireland Economic Development Forum and the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland."
Hey, he might have a surname that resembles a race from Star Trek but the guy seems to know what he's talking about!
I personally welcome increased economic integration north and south. It's time we tackled sectarianism on this island of ours and got down to the nitty-gritty details of the United Ireland argument - making Ireland prosperous for everyone on the island and improving the standard of living for all Irish people.
"It's the economy, stupid." - Bill Clinton
It sure is, Bill. It sure is.
Mary Lou talking poo
Do you think Mary Lou McDonald is given scripted promos by the Sinn Féin hierarchy or do you think she comes up with the nonsense she spouts all by herself? I hope it's the former but I suspect it might actually be the latter. The Irish Times' Olivia Kelleher reports that on Sunday, the Sinn Féin MEP spoke at a commemoration of the Kilmichael ambush, where one of the bloodiest battles of the War of Independence took place in which three volunteers died and 17 Auxiliaries lost their lives at the hands of Tom Barry's flying column.
Ms McDonald used the occasion to declare that Republicanism was 'more popular than at any period since the time of Tom Barry and his famous flying columns'. Hmm. Was Republicanism really all that popular back then? Originally the actions of the volunteers, later the IRA, were criticised by the Dáil and by the Irish people and it's often overlooked that in the elections in 1922 for the 3rd Dáil, about 40% of the Irish people voted for non-Sinn Féin parties.
No matter, here's where her really stupid comments come into play:
"In July of this year the IRA, undefeated and confident in the future, declared a formal end to the armed campaign...There is pace for everyone on the ground of Irish republcian politics and plenty more work to be done."
Undefeated army? What happened to "not a bullet, not an ounce"? If the IRA are undefeated, why are they relying on a British government to grant an amnesty to IRA terrorists - even if it means granting an amnesty to British State murderers? The IRA were defeated by the people of Ireland who demanded peace!
"Irish unity will come about much more speedily if we can build a broad-based coalition to end partition. Such a coalition needs to be built on the realisation that partition has failed - and failed miserably."
Dear oh dear. This is just utter horseshit. Someone give these guys a history book because the Southern parties tried an anti-partition campaign for many years in the 20th century and it FAILED MISERABLY. Why are Sinn Féin rehashing old ideas - WHICH DO NOT WORK? What will they propose next? Reinstating the old Articles 2 and 3?
Ms McDonald added that Irish unity was "too big a job" to be delivered and undertaken by one party. Well then why the hell is your party going on about it Mary Lou?
Irish unity IS too big a job, not just for one party, but for all parties. There are many factors that need to be considered for Irish unity to occur and many of these issues transcend party politics. I don't see Sinn Féin showing an eagerness to tackle these issues. The sectarian green card is the card to play in their eyes.
I'm afraid the Sinn Féin hierarchy need to write something more original for Mary Lou. Sadly we're being told the same old story. Zzzzz.
Fears over return of Best's body
The return of George Best's body to Belfast may be delayed due to concerns that the city could grind to a halt as fans prepare to pay their respects, it has emerged."Police are very concerned we will close Belfast down if we arrive on Wednesday," said Phil Hughes, the late footballer's agent.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to come out and pay homage to the sporting legend.
I truly hope that the ceremony gets a good turnout because the man's greatness deserves to be acknowledged.
If I was a native of Belfast I would certainly go out and pay tribute to the man.
Make him proud, people.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Monday Madness - 1916 bashing
Why do so many unionists feel the need to bash the 1916 Rising, an event which played a great part in the formation of the Irish State? I was disgusted to read this trashy, historically inaccurate letter in the News Letter, by someone called 'Braidman', who wrote a piece that is absolutely brimming with vitriol. Permit me to tackle this individual's misunderstanding of the Rising by highlighting some of his/her remarks:"The Easter Rising is a malign myth which has cast a dark shadow over events since 1916.
"It stands in comparison, for example, to a similar myth, sedulously promoted by Hitler and the Nazis, that the German army had not actually been defeated in the Great War, but had been "stabbed in the back" by defeatist politicians at home."
The author didn't waste much time going for the obligatory Nazi reference, did s/he? This is a flawed analogy to put it lightly. The view of the 'November Criminals' who had stabbed Germany in the back in World War I was easy to promote because Germany itself was not reduced to rubble in the way the country later was in the Second World War. Dublin in 1916 however was reduced to rubble. A view was definitely not put forward in Ireland that the Rebels had not lost. It was blatantly obvious to the man on the street that they had lost! However in losing, they mananged to attain a reawakening of Irish separatist thinking - thanks largely due to British incompetence it must be said.
"Contrary to the received wisdom of Irish nationalism, those who celebrate 1916 worship an empty tomb."
Wrong. The way I see it, the 'empty tomb' was Ireland's involvement in the UK. After all, the things that were promised to bring about the Union originally, like greater rights for Catholics, were not given and had to be attained by Daniel O'Connell at a later date. The way I see it, 1916 opened up a light in the tomb of Irishness which had been closed for some time.
"As Enoch Powell, the most profound and original political thinker of the 20th century, has pointed out..."
Yes I laughed at that myself!
'"No power on earth could have prevented Britain" from granting selfgovernment to nationalist Ireland in the early decades of the 20th century'
The point is, Britain didn't want to grant self-government to Ireland (the island) in the early decades of the 20th century. Unionists were getting results through threat of force and in my eyes, the proposal for division of the natural territory gave Irishmen the right to use force.
"In other words, an independent Irish state would have come into existence in much the same timescale had there never been a shot fired in anger or a bomb planted with malice."
That is far from certain. The Irish Free State ended up with far more power than the Southern Ireland parliament would have received under Home Rule.
"The 1916 Rising, therefore, was not merely a mistake - it was a crime."
It was neither a mistake nor a crime. The real crime was on the part of the British for denying the Irish people their right to self-determination.
"It falsely established the IRA as the driving force of Irish nationalism where it has remained to this day - a malign tumour in the body politic."
This is historically inaccurate. The Easter Rising established Sinn Féin as the driving force of Irish nationalism not the IRA, and the Irish volunteers (later the IRA) who kicked off the War of Independence were not acting on the orders of Sinn Féin. It took some months before the Dáil accepted responsibility for the IRA's actions. I would argue that British ineptitude helped establish the IRA as the driving force of Irish nationalism though I do not accept the author's attempt to portray the IRA of the War of Independence as akin to the Provisional IRA as they are two very different groups, just like the UVF of 1912 are very different to the modern version.
"Bertie Ahern and his Fianna Fail party cannot denounce the IRA on one hand while, at the same time, plan a major celebration of 1916 on the other, since their actions clearly contradict their words."
They don't contradict as I pointed out above. Indeed, Fianna Fáil can trace their roots to the Sinn Féin and the IRA of the War of Independence. Fianna Fáil are more than entitled to distinguish between the IRA of the War of Independence and the Provisional IRA as most Irish people currently do.
"It should never be forgotten that, in the context of the Great War, the 1916 Rising is only a mere footnote."
Cheap shot. Inaccurate yet again. The Rising is of significance to the British and most certainly to the Irish.
"Within weeks of Easter 1916, countless thousands of young men - the flower of a valiant generation - would perish in the terrible Somme offensive. To the unionist people, these are the real heroes of 1916 and truly worthy of everlasting remembrance."
To most nationalist people, you can regard the men of 1916 and the men who died at the Somme as equally heroic. Many of those who died at the Somme, such as those of the 16th Irish Division, were fighting for Home Rule and these men weren't always acknowledged by unionists.
Here's an interesting bit of information for my readers. The Ulster Unionists were quick to latch on to the Battle of the Sommes for its significance but did you know that a memorial was erected on the Sommes in 1919 to the Ulster Division and the Ulster Division ONLY? It was formally dedicated in 1921.
If the author wants to talk about myths, let's talk about the myth that the Irish people thought badly of the men who fought in World War I. Did you know that in 1919, the Irish National War Memorial Trust raised a huge sum from the Irish people to remember the Irishmen who fought in World War I? The original intention was to build a hostel for British soldiers but due to the War of Independence, a proposal was instead put forward for an official war memorial. That war memorial is today located at Islandbridge here.
In closing, I'd like to say that I find it very annoying and disappointing that some unionists continue to berate the men of 1916. Let's not forget that unionists too took up arms at this time over the Home Rule issue. I believe in order to move on we need to show respect for events of the past and while I disagree fundamentally with what the UVF and those who signed the Ulster Covenant did, I don't hold any hatred towards them.
It's time to look forward. We are where we are so let's make the most of the present and build a better future.
Donkeys stolen!
Stop everything!BBC reports that four donkeys have been stolen from a shed in County Armagh!
The owners are said to be devastated by the loss of Nelly (pictured far left), Maggie (pictured on the right), Blaney and Tessa.
Nelly is said to be inseparable from her friend Blaney.
The animals were driven off in a trailer used by their owners for transporting them.
The police have urged anyone who is offered a donkey for sale that matches any of these descriptions to contact detectives at Tandragee.
I suppose I shouldn't mock this story it's just I'm surprised the BBC are reporting on it! Now I can understand UTV doing that (which they have, see here). Of course I hope the donkeys are returned and I guess it's a good thing that these kinds of incidents are in the news rather than stories about pipe bombs and beatings and so forth.
With all that being said though, where's the consistency here? I mean, donkeys often go missing here in Ireland. For example, this donkey.
He goes missing every time he comes to Lansdowne Road!
Follow the blue ball
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Bullying - British-style
This disturbing image to your left depicts two naked British Royal Marines who were forced to fight each other in a bullying incident that has rocked the British Army.Film footage obtained by the News of the World shows one of the men being beaten unconscious - because he complained that he didn't want to fight any more.
"It is some form of initiation ceremony. It is clearly booze-fuelled," said former Commander of British forces in Bosnia, Colonel Bob Stewart.
"It is absolutely wrong and horrific, simply because this is not what our soldiers should be undergoing."
"Why are they naked, for goodness' sake?"
Former Liberal Democrat MP and ex-Marine John Burnett said the episode was "repugnant to generations of Royal Marines".
The Conservative party's spokesman for homeland security Patrick Mercer said he had come across this sort of thing occasionally during his 26 years in the Army.
"I can't tell you how damaging it is," he said.
"Just imagine a young man turning up in his unit and being made to wrestle naked in a field while his non-commissioned officers are dressed up in women's frillies. I mean, it's not very dignified stuff, is it?"
The BBC details in full the 'naked ritual':
Twelve soldiers who had just finished their 32-week commando training were alleged to have taken part in the initiation ritual, while around 40 other marines - also stripped naked - watched.
The fight appears to have been "directed" by two non-commissioned officers. One was dressed in a surgeon's outfit, the other dressed as a schoolgirl.
The marine who filmed the alleged fight told the newspaper the ritual had been more than drunken antics and that the protagonists were forced to fight in a humiliating manner.
The images show two naked men in the centre of a large group. At first the pair appear to fight with large mats rolled round their arms.
But then a man dressed in a blue surgeon-style outfit motions for them to use bare fists.
When one of the soldiers complains, the man appears to kick him in the face, allegedly leaving him unconscious on the grass.
An MoD spokesman said: "The Royal Marines take these allegations extremely seriously and have a zero-tolerance policy on bullying and harassment."
I think this is absolutely appalling stuff. To put young British men through this kind of thing is disgraceful. Is it any wonder that British soldiers tend to get such a bad reputation? It seems like a bad attitude is being instilled in these men!
You can watch the footage in action on the News of the World's site here. (warning - contains scenes of violence and nudity)
Unity's coming beeyatches!
Sinn Féin general secretary Mitchel McLaughlin, seen here in this picture to your left with what appears to be a slug on his lip, has said that unionists must now accept that Irish unity will eventually become a reality.Mr McLaughlin however warned that unity will not be brought about without continual pressure on the mainstream political parties on both sides of the Irish Sea. (Pressure! Of course! I mean that's worked so well over the years!)
The Sinn Féin view that Irish unity was inevitable coincided with the party incorrectly celebrating its 100th birthday.
Here are some other things which Sinn Féin have said are inevitable (cough):
- Ireland to win the 2010 World Cup
- Dana to become President
- Bono to become Pope
- Shirley Temple Bar to make it in Hollywood.
- Ryan Tubridy to stop being a twat.
Wishful thinking at its best...
Blogroll update
I've decided to update my blogroll with some blogs which have caught my eye.
One site worth checking out is Pretty Cunning. I liked the post on Willie O'Dea's recent scandal regarding his fondness for holding a big black weapon (though I suppose it could've been worse). It's also nice to see a blogger who keeps visitors entertained while he's away.
Another site worth visiting is The Levee Breaks. It's nice to read the views of unionists who are articulate and sensible, which Mr. Levee certainly is. He's also done well lately to tackle the disgraceful conduct of Sinn Féin which certainly earns him my respect. Not only that but I also love the Led Zeppelin song 'When The Levee Breaks'!
Lastly, I've added an excellent Irish language site called Beo. What I like about this site is that even though it's primarily written in Irish, you can hover over some of the words which are in English which makes it alot easier to comprehend.
On another note, I've taken Caoimhin's Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú off of my blogroll seeing as the guy hasn't posted anything since September! A blog's not just for Christmas you know!
One site worth checking out is Pretty Cunning. I liked the post on Willie O'Dea's recent scandal regarding his fondness for holding a big black weapon (though I suppose it could've been worse). It's also nice to see a blogger who keeps visitors entertained while he's away.
Another site worth visiting is The Levee Breaks. It's nice to read the views of unionists who are articulate and sensible, which Mr. Levee certainly is. He's also done well lately to tackle the disgraceful conduct of Sinn Féin which certainly earns him my respect. Not only that but I also love the Led Zeppelin song 'When The Levee Breaks'!
Lastly, I've added an excellent Irish language site called Beo. What I like about this site is that even though it's primarily written in Irish, you can hover over some of the words which are in English which makes it alot easier to comprehend.
On another note, I've taken Caoimhin's Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú off of my blogroll seeing as the guy hasn't posted anything since September! A blog's not just for Christmas you know!
Saturday, November 26, 2005
The Best there ever will be
I've been looking for some clips of the legendary George Best in action but I've struggled to find some, however I have found this nice tribute.Men die. Legends do not. RIP George.
Caption Time
I just love this picture!Can anyone come up with a good caption for it?
The winner will receive a free trip to China!*
*(promise will not be honoured)
Friday, November 25, 2005
RIP George Best
I'm terribly saddened at the news that Irish footballing legend George Best has died today in hospital.Best had his demons which are well documented but I'm sure he will be remembered primarily for being one of the best, if not the best, footballer to ever play the game.
Best had his critics but it always seemed to me that here in Ireland, both north and south, he always got respect. He had a great affinity with the Irish people and any time he appeared on Irish television he was always warmly received.
He was, in my opinion, the greatest player to ever emerge from the island of Ireland.
Rest in peace, George. You may be gone but you certainly won't be forgotten.
Fun Irelander Feature - List of enemies
We all have our enemies. Superman has Lex Luthor, Luke Skywalker has Darth Vader, Madonna has people who enjoy decent music, and likewise yours truly has plenty of enemies as well. So with that being said, I will now give you United Irelander's list of enemies:
Ryan Tubridy - What an absolute muppet this guy is. He seems to look on himself as some sort of drawback to the America of the thirties with his OTT smarmy demeanour. How this guy got on TV is a mystery to anyone who likes to be entertained.
DUP bigots - The party is filled with religious fundamentalist types who would make their American counterparts blush. Homophobia, sectarianism, anti-Irishness, they've got it all. Twats.
Dublin scangers - Decked out in their white runners, sports gear and baseball caps these Dublin scumbags are an out and out menace to society. One is almost driven to violence when forced to hear their high-pitched ramblings. "Whaaaat's the staaarrrrryy buuudddddd?" Aaarrrgghh! They're a strong argument for eugenics it must be said...
Sinn Féin sheep - Oh how I detest these Sinn Féin apparatchiks who tow the party line every single time. At least Francie Molloy had the balls to stand up for himself and show a bit of backbone. Sadly the vast majority of Sinn Féin supporters can't seem to see straight as they have Gerry Adams' rear end blocking their view on key matters.
Anti-American lefties - Some of them are right loons and are so vehemently anti-American that they are willing to tamper with aeropanes to vent their hate! I detest Irish people who say bad things about America and Americans!
Tim Henman - The guy's lame. Simple as that.
The FAI - They have fancy suits and make alot of money but it doesn't change the fact that they are inept, moronic arseholes. Only in Ireland would a football association, on the eve of the biggest competition in world football, not bother to check that they have the necessary equipment for the players. Who knows who the next manager will be with these guys in charge. Wouldn't surprise me if it turned out to be Roddy Collins...
Corkonians (exceptions being certain sports athletes and politicians) - No need to explain this obvious one.
Bleeding Heart brigade - You know the types. Bloody insufferable. These are the eejits who are always seeking to find something politically incorrect to pounce on - and if nothing politically incorrect is said that still doesn't stop them! For example, you try and talk calmly about your concerns regarding immigration and the word 'racist' is often trotted out. You try to talk calmly about your concerns regarding gay marriage or gay adoption and the 'bigot' word is trotted out. I can't stand these fools.
Panel planks - I really can't stand the RTE show, 'The Panel'. An outsider from overseas who tunes into this show probably thinks it's a reality show based on the observations of a group of mental patients. I really can't stand two people on that show in particular. Dara O'Briain, who is about as funny as a verruca and who has a really annoying voice (even by Irish standards), and Irish metrosexual Ed Byrne who needs a haircut even more than David Seaman. How do these guys get on TV? Is it a case of 'collect twelve crisp packets and get your own TV show'?
Chuggers - As someone who walks through O'Connell Street regularly, I have to put up with these hippy-types who have the audacity to stop me as I make my way around the city. These guys make a very tidy sum doing what they do and perhaps if they did this charity work FOR FREE then I would show them some more respect. However it's hard to show respect to people who sometimes even come up to you when you're standing at a bus stop! This is Dublin - no one talks to anybody! It's tradition and don't you forget it!
So there you have it. My list of enemies (Draft 1). I'm sure I've left some people out. Anyway, feel free to comment on my choices or even come up with your own list.
Ryan Tubridy - What an absolute muppet this guy is. He seems to look on himself as some sort of drawback to the America of the thirties with his OTT smarmy demeanour. How this guy got on TV is a mystery to anyone who likes to be entertained.
DUP bigots - The party is filled with religious fundamentalist types who would make their American counterparts blush. Homophobia, sectarianism, anti-Irishness, they've got it all. Twats.
Dublin scangers - Decked out in their white runners, sports gear and baseball caps these Dublin scumbags are an out and out menace to society. One is almost driven to violence when forced to hear their high-pitched ramblings. "Whaaaat's the staaarrrrryy buuudddddd?" Aaarrrgghh! They're a strong argument for eugenics it must be said...
Sinn Féin sheep - Oh how I detest these Sinn Féin apparatchiks who tow the party line every single time. At least Francie Molloy had the balls to stand up for himself and show a bit of backbone. Sadly the vast majority of Sinn Féin supporters can't seem to see straight as they have Gerry Adams' rear end blocking their view on key matters.
Anti-American lefties - Some of them are right loons and are so vehemently anti-American that they are willing to tamper with aeropanes to vent their hate! I detest Irish people who say bad things about America and Americans!
Tim Henman - The guy's lame. Simple as that.
The FAI - They have fancy suits and make alot of money but it doesn't change the fact that they are inept, moronic arseholes. Only in Ireland would a football association, on the eve of the biggest competition in world football, not bother to check that they have the necessary equipment for the players. Who knows who the next manager will be with these guys in charge. Wouldn't surprise me if it turned out to be Roddy Collins...
Corkonians (exceptions being certain sports athletes and politicians) - No need to explain this obvious one.
Bleeding Heart brigade - You know the types. Bloody insufferable. These are the eejits who are always seeking to find something politically incorrect to pounce on - and if nothing politically incorrect is said that still doesn't stop them! For example, you try and talk calmly about your concerns regarding immigration and the word 'racist' is often trotted out. You try to talk calmly about your concerns regarding gay marriage or gay adoption and the 'bigot' word is trotted out. I can't stand these fools.
Panel planks - I really can't stand the RTE show, 'The Panel'. An outsider from overseas who tunes into this show probably thinks it's a reality show based on the observations of a group of mental patients. I really can't stand two people on that show in particular. Dara O'Briain, who is about as funny as a verruca and who has a really annoying voice (even by Irish standards), and Irish metrosexual Ed Byrne who needs a haircut even more than David Seaman. How do these guys get on TV? Is it a case of 'collect twelve crisp packets and get your own TV show'?
Chuggers - As someone who walks through O'Connell Street regularly, I have to put up with these hippy-types who have the audacity to stop me as I make my way around the city. These guys make a very tidy sum doing what they do and perhaps if they did this charity work FOR FREE then I would show them some more respect. However it's hard to show respect to people who sometimes even come up to you when you're standing at a bus stop! This is Dublin - no one talks to anybody! It's tradition and don't you forget it!
So there you have it. My list of enemies (Draft 1). I'm sure I've left some people out. Anyway, feel free to comment on my choices or even come up with your own list.
Have the British given up on NI?
It has been an interesting couple of weeks in Ireland's north. Then again, things always tend to be interesting in the northern part of this island. What I've found most intriguing however has been the attitude of the British towards the north of Ireland of late. Not long ago, British Secretary of State Peter Hain, much to the disgust of unionists, declared that the NI economy was unsustainable in the long-term and he recommended an all-Ireland model, the British government this week has also pushed ahead with the On-The-Run legislation and the reduction of district councils in the North - two measures which both main unionist parties oppose. There was also the little matter of this survey, conducted in 2001, which found that 41% of Britons wanted rid of NI and favoured a United Ireland with only 26% favouring the status quo.This was at a time when the IRA were still around and when Paisley was NOT the voice of unionism so it wouldn't be surprise me if that 41% has grown considerably.With all that being said, I've added a new poll to the sidebar of United Irelander which asks the question:
"Have the British given up on NI"?
This is a question that raises interesting points for both nationalists and unionists so I'm interested in your views. As always, please use the comments section of this post to explain how you voted and why.
Personally I voted Yes because I think it is abundantly clear that the British want rid of NI and that they see it as a white elephant which sucks up too much money.
What is your view though?
Ronaldinho - Genius
Ladies and gentleman, behold the greatest footballer on this planet. The genius that is - Ronaldinho.If only he had an Irish grandmother eh?
Friday Fun's Fascinating Fact
Banging your head against a wall burns 150 calories an hour.
Forget 'Celebrity Fit Club', if Vanessa Feltz wants to lose weight I'll gladly help her burn those calories!
Forget 'Celebrity Fit Club', if Vanessa Feltz wants to lose weight I'll gladly help her burn those calories!
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Well said Mr Durkan!
SDLP leader Mark Durkan quite rightly accused Spin Féin of selling out on the families of victims of alleged state murders and collusion in the North.
Mr Durkan also called on Sinn Féin party president Gerry Adams to withdraw his support for the controversial legislation involving so-called on the runs which is passing through Westminster.
Under the proposed new laws, members of the security forces allegedly involved in killings would not have to stand trial – a deal with the republican leadership agreed with the British and Irish governments, according to Mr Durkan.
If and when the legislation is passed, several republicans who fled the North years ago after being allegedly involved in terrorism will be free to return home without running the risk of going to jail.
Mr Durkan said: "In return for the greater advantage of getting their on the runs back with no questions asked, Sinn Féin sold out the families that for years they claimed to fight for.
"They let state killers and loyalists totally off the hook."
Yesterday in London, Mr Adams said no members of the security forces involved in killings should be free from prosecution.
Mr Durkan added: "But if a panicked Gerry Adams is now changing position, there is a simple thing that he must do – call on Tony Blair to withdraw this legislation immediately and entirely.
"That is what Gerry Adams must now do. The British have made clear that they do not like this legislation. So Sinn Féin should release them from the side deal and call the whole thing off."
Well said Mark. This is clearly an important moment for Gerry Adams. Yesterday Adams admitted that the legislation was flawed and that it protects British state killers saying:
"In our view, it (the legislation) represents the latest attempt by the British state to conceal the truth about its involvement in the killing of citizens."
Well then Gerry, be a true republican and oppose this legislation!
The people of Ireland are watching and we're waiting for you to do the right thing and oppose this disgraceful measure...but I for one won't hold my breath!
Mr Durkan also called on Sinn Féin party president Gerry Adams to withdraw his support for the controversial legislation involving so-called on the runs which is passing through Westminster.
Under the proposed new laws, members of the security forces allegedly involved in killings would not have to stand trial – a deal with the republican leadership agreed with the British and Irish governments, according to Mr Durkan.
If and when the legislation is passed, several republicans who fled the North years ago after being allegedly involved in terrorism will be free to return home without running the risk of going to jail.
Mr Durkan said: "In return for the greater advantage of getting their on the runs back with no questions asked, Sinn Féin sold out the families that for years they claimed to fight for.
"They let state killers and loyalists totally off the hook."
Yesterday in London, Mr Adams said no members of the security forces involved in killings should be free from prosecution.
Mr Durkan added: "But if a panicked Gerry Adams is now changing position, there is a simple thing that he must do – call on Tony Blair to withdraw this legislation immediately and entirely.
"That is what Gerry Adams must now do. The British have made clear that they do not like this legislation. So Sinn Féin should release them from the side deal and call the whole thing off."
Well said Mark. This is clearly an important moment for Gerry Adams. Yesterday Adams admitted that the legislation was flawed and that it protects British state killers saying:
"In our view, it (the legislation) represents the latest attempt by the British state to conceal the truth about its involvement in the killing of citizens."
Well then Gerry, be a true republican and oppose this legislation!
The people of Ireland are watching and we're waiting for you to do the right thing and oppose this disgraceful measure...but I for one won't hold my breath!
Cruise in for a bruisin'!
Those boys at South Park have done it again!Apparently a recent episode of the hit cartoon show poked fun at Tom Cruise over his religious beliefs as well as his sexuality.
Cruise is notorious for being protective about his private life however he's now at the centre of a South Park episode, during which his animated double refuses to come out of a closet after a meeting with his hero, Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard, who criticises his acting skills.
In the episode, Cruise's ex-wife Nicole Kidman and fellow Scientologist John Tracolta attempt to coax him out of the closet. Kidman's animated double says: "Don't you think this has gone on long enough? It's time for you to come out of the closet... You're not fooling anyone."
Nobody's safe from South Park!
Thursday Thoughts: Repartition
I haven't commented yet on the big talking point of the week in Ireland's north - the reduction of district councils in the North from 26 to 7. According to the Secretary of State Peter Hain, the moves would simplify matters."For a place the size of Northern Ireland, 5,400 square miles with a population of 1.7m people, we are both over-governed and over-administered."
Hain added that it was "a people agenda, not a party agenda".
I disagree. I see this move as yet another sop to Sinn Féin.
Unionists have opposed the measure with the DUP leader Ian Paisley arguing that it will allow nationalists to pursue a United Ireland through the councils they control, however the SDLP believe it will only lead to increased division in the north of Ireland. It seems some within Sinn Féin feel the same as Sinn Féin this week suspended one of their councillors Francie Molloy who said the reduced number of councils amount to "a sectarian headcount".
There is a feeling among many that the councils in the counties adjacent to the Republic - Derry, Armagh and Fermanagh - will end up being dominated by nationalists and that Belfast council will end up this way too with the remaining three councils being dominated by unionists.
So then, what to make of these proposals? Well I think there are two things going on here.
First of all, quite clearly this is a forceful message from the Shinners and their British government pals to the unionists - get devolved institutions up and running again or else deal with this.
However there is a second thing going on here. A tactic that the Shinners know all too well - divide and conquer. Sinn Féin have been the political wing of a military war machine for decades now and for decades they defined their political tactics on a military strategy. They successfully managed to bring unionism to a point where the two main unionist parties were at each other's throats. By adopting this divide and conquer strategy, David Trimble and his Ulster Unionist party were reduced to a bumbling, incompetent mess which became associated with weakness and surrender in the eyes of many unionists. Now this divide and conquer strategy is being played out on an even grander scale - the NI polity itself.
Francie Molloy, the SDLP and the unionists are right to be concerned. This IS a "sectarian headcount". The plan will be to make sure that the councils dominated by nationalists become more and more nationalist in character.
Reg Empey made some interesting comments in the News Letter on this issue:
"The more you look at, the more you realise this is actually about moving the border up to Portadown, Dromore and Limavady.
"I think people must see the significance and seriousness of this. This is another step towards the Balkanisation of Northern Ireland and plays right into the hands of the republican agenda."
I don't personally support repartition. I think for an Irish nationalist to do so is to pour scorn on what Irish nationalism is about - opposing the segregation of the Irish nation. I want to see a United Ireland based on equality, justice and respect for all that comes about because unionists feel it will be of benefit to them, not a sinister sectarian plot which involves certain counties in the North being swallowed up by the Republic while we see the creation of yet another sectarian NI state where unionists dominate nationalists. That is letting a dirty history repeat itself.
A true Irish republican should see beyond defining people as nationalist and unionist and should instead work for all Irish people regardless of race, colour or creed. Not Sinn Féin though!
With all that being said and while I oppose these measures, it does raise an interesting question for unionists and perhaps some on United Irelander would care to answer it - how would you feel if Northern Ireland were to be partitioned and divided in two? Wouldn't you regard that as the most horrible form of irony?
So much for British justice...
The Guardian has reported how MPs last night backed controversial legislation allowing terror suspects on the run in the north of Ireland to escape full prosecution, despite fierce criticism from opposition parties. You can read the article in full here."The Democratic Unionist leader, Ian Paisley, said the bill was a "complete sellout of the British justice system" and would allow the slate to be "wiped clean" in many murder cases, possibly including unsolved murders currently under investigation by a special police review team.
"The SDLP leader, Mark Durkan, said that if police officers and soldiers accused of crimes or colluding with paramilitaries during the Troubles could benefit from the law, the truth about state-sanctioned murder in Northern Ireland would never be known. He asked why loyalist paramilitaries could benefit from the scheme when they had not yet decommissioned or declared an end to violence.
"Up to 150 paramilitaries accused of terrorist offences before 1998 could benefit from the legislation, as well as soldiers and police officers accused of crimes while combating terrorism during the 30-year Troubles."
These British MPs have acted against the wishes of the majority of decent people in Ireland.
Why do Unionists wish to remain linked to a country which doesn't give a damn about innocent Irish victims and who are instead more interested in protecting rogue British State forces as well as loyalist and republican thugs?
It's time we all disassociated ourselves from the British government and their best friends Sinn Féin so that we can instead set about making a proper republican United Ireland based on equality and justice rather than the sectarian green Sinn Féin version of republicanism which has no realistic hope of uniting Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter.
Miscarriages of justice such as this legislation will continue to occur unless we move away from the Shinners and the British government. They are both as bad as each other.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Adams admits selling out victims
So finally the truth comes out! Spin Féin President Gerry Adams has admitted what the SDLP and indeed myself have been saying for the last few weeks - that British State forces are to get an amnesty from the On-The-Run legislation so that Provo criminals can get an amnesty.The DUP's Jeffrey Donaldson has today quite rightly accused Gerry Adams of hypocrisy after he demanded no amnesty for police officers and soldiers involved in terrorist killings.
Adams today said: "The scheme that we negotiated was published by the two governments at Weston Park (peace talks) in 2003 and related only to OTRs. It did not include members of British state forces.
"Sinn Féin’s position is absolutely clear: we are opposed to the inclusion of British state forces in the current legislation.
"In our view, it represents the latest attempt by the British state to conceal the truth about its involvement in the killing of citizens."
So he has admitted that the British State is trying to conceal the truth about the activities of British State forces! So why the hell are his party backing the legislation? In order to protect their criminal Provo friends, that's why!
Let me now cut through some of the bullshit comments uttered by Shinners here on United Irelander who attacked me and the SDLP for suggesting that Sinn Féin had negotiated an amnesty for the British forces who murdered Irish civilians:
PS from Balrog on the 22nd November said: "This legislation DOES NOT cover up the truth nor suppress it, the fight to ensure the truth on collusion is uncovered will go on and it will be SInn Féin driving that fight while the SDLP continue to do what they do best - switch to the issue whenever it suits them."
frodo from Ireland Free today said of one of my posts on the matter: "rubbish post, watch bbc parliament live today wednesday to get over your prejudices."
hensons on the 14th of November said: "there is nothing in this legislation that prevents the truth being established - on the contrarty fact the legislation provides an incentives for the truth to be told."
Now let's remind these Shinners of what Gerry Adams said today: "In our view, it (the legislation) represents the latest attempt by the British state to conceal the truth about its involvement in the killing of citizens."
Ladies and gentleman this is yet ANOTHER example of the lies and bullshit that Spin Féin give to their naive supporters who actually think they have the potential to fulfil their lofty promises!
I would appreciate an apology from the above people for their criticism of my position which has now been proven to have been based on inaccurate beliefs, however I know full well that Shinners don't do apologies.
Fly your republican flags, sing your republican songs - and sell out on true republican ideals.
For shame.
Men of Shame - Black and Tans
The image to your left depicts a family leaving their home in Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, in September 1920 as a result of the British State force, the Black and Tans, who razed Balbriggan and several other Irish towns.Over the last few weeks I have covered shameful episodes in Irish history on the part of the British and today I will look at the Black and Tans, one of the most hated groups in Irish history.
The Black and Tans were sent in to counter the threat of the Irish Republican Army whose attacks on the Royal Irish Constabulary led to a loss of morale amongst RIC members as well as many resignations. The Black and Tans were so named due to their uniforms and they were ex-soldiers who had fought in the First World War. They were backed up by a second force, the Auxiliaries, popularly known as 'Auxies', who were demobilised Army Officers. Both the Black and Tans and the Auxiliaries knew little about Ireland and were not used to the guerilla war tactics which were used in the War of Independence - this led to reprisals.
These reprisals were tolerated by the British Prime Minister Lloyd George. They included the first Bloody Sunday on the 21st November, 1920, when Auxiliaries who were despatched to a football match at Croke Park to search for wanted men, fired indiscriminately into the crowd, causing 12 deaths and wounding 65. This was in retaliation for the 19 suspected Army intelligence officers in Dublin who had been killed by the IRA earlier that day.
As well as that, two days after a an ambush by an IRA 'Flying Column' in Cork, Auxiliaries and Black and Tans sacked and burnt Cork city centre. Under the British government, if an IRA 'outrage' occurred, troops were given authority to blow up the property of those suspected of involvement.
Some of the policemen of the RIC were opposed to the Black and Tans. Daniel Francis Crowley, who served in the RIC from 1914 to 1920, resigned 'because of the misgovernment of the English in Ireland', and fled the country under Black and Tan threats after his friend Constable Fahey was shot by them.
Another notable incident occured in November 1920, the Tans arrested a Catholic priest, Fr. Michael Griffin, in Galway. His body was found in a bog in Barna.
In January of the same year, the British Labour Commission had produced a report on the situation in Ireland, highly critical of the government's security policy. It stated that, in forming the Black and Tans, the government had "liberated forces which it is not at present able to dominate."
Séamus Breathnach in his book, The Irish Police, outlines the role the British saw for the Black and Tans in Ireland:
"The RIC Divisional Commissioner for Munster, Gerald Bryce Ferguson Smyth, called his men to a meeting at the Listowel police barracks and told them that the British Government had instructed him to implement a new policy, which he enthusiastically outlined:
- I am getting 7,000 police from England.
- If a police barracks is burned, the best house in the locality is to be commandeered.
- The police are to lie in ambush and to shoot suspects.
- The more you shoot the better I will like you ... No policeman will get into trouble for shooting any man.
- Hunger strikers will be allowed to die in jail - the more the merrier.
- We want your assistance in carrying out this scheme and wiping out Sinn Féin."
As with the aftermath of the 1916 Rising, the British handled things incompetently and the role of the Black and Tans only served to alienate Irish public opinion. The British public were also disgusted at the actions of the Black and Tans it must be said. King George V was one of their strongest critics as was British cabinet minister Sir Samuel Hoare.
The Black and Tans were a disgraceful force in Ireland without a doubt. Many Irish people today could still tell you accounts of their brutality. I remember a teacher of mine telling my class about how his family had been on the receiving end of such cruelty. If I recall correctly, he spoke of his grandmother being viciously knocked to the ground by one of them. There is also the legendary account of what happened to the great Irish explorer Tom Crean. Crean of course made up part of the heroic three-man expedition led by Ernest Shackleton which saved the lives of the men of the ship Endurance. Crean had been honoured by the British for his heroism on an earlier expedition, the Terra Nova, when he had walked 18 hours through a blizzard to get help for his friends. Crean had retired to Kerry and one day, the Black and Tans came knocking on his door and had him up against a wall as they ransacked his house. Crean had no idea what would happen to him. The Black and Tans however stumbled across his British medals and knew they weren't dealing with any old Irishman and so they simply walked off leaving Crean standing against the wall.
The Black and Tans brought great shame on the British government and their actions are exactly why British rule could not and cannot be tolerated by Irish people here in Ireland.
Shame on them.
Rewarding bigotry
I just HAD to comment on this story!Lodges and members of the Orange Order are in line for the inaugural Orange Oscar awards.
"These Orange Oscars have been designed specifically for those lodges and individuals who work so hard behind the scenes to further the Order's religious and cultural aims, often with little recognition outside their own district," said Dr David Hume, the Order's director of services.
What a great idea! I mean we all know that the Orange Order is a society that's based on vile bigotry but we don't actually know WHO the biggest bigots are! You won't believe this, but I've actually managed to grab a sneak peek (cough) at some of the proposed nominations for these 'Orange Oscars'. Let's have a look at some of the categories:
- Best bigot
- Best pipe bomb thrower
- Best supporting pipe bomb thrower
- Best animated rant
- Best mayhem director
- Best foreign bashing
- Best chant
- Best story (told to the media)
- The Dr Paisley Special Achievement award (Dawson Bailie's hotly tipped!)
I'm not sure who the presenter is though. It ought to be someone who captures perfectly what the Orange Order stands for. I suggest Maurice 'Gay's not the way' Mills. He'd be great!
As long as the ceremony isn't too glamorous of course!
The only gripe I have is with the name. Orange Oscars? That's lame. Let's come up with a catchier title. Based on the Orange Order's rioting earlier this year and the attacks they carried out on the Police, I suggest - The Kablammies!
What do you think?
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Shinner shame
More details are emerging on Sinn Féin's Faustian pact with the British government in order to secure an amnesty for their criminal Provo buddies - a deal which will prevent victims of British state collusion from attaining justice.London-based British Irish Rights Watch has campaigned for inquiries into the 1989 murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane and other victims of alleged security force collusion with loyalist paramilitaries.
It claimed the Northern Ireland Offences Bill, which receives its second reading on Wednesday, would only suppress the truth further.
In an appeal to MPs to vote against the Bill, the organisation said: "This Bill, if enacted, will allow anyone who committed a crime prior to April 10 1998 to claim that his or her motive was terrorist to get out of jail free.
"While in some cases it will be possible to prove beyond reasonable doubt that a crime was not motivated by terrorism, once a criminal claims to have been a member of a proscribed organisation and, for example, to have killed someone because she or he feared that the fact of his or her membership of the organisation would be exposed, it will be virtually impossible to disprove such assertions.
"Sir Hugh Orde, chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, has recently established a Historic Enquiries Team to re-examine every conflict-related unsolved murder prior to April 10 1998.
"It will examine over 3,000 deaths and will cost £24.2m (€40m) over six years. On our reading of the Bill, every single person charged by the Historic Enquiries Team will never serve a day in jail.
"What concerns British Irish Rights Watch most is that agents of the state who colluded with terrorists will not be held to account because they will be able to claim that any crimes they committed were carried out in the efforts to combat terrorism."
Victims’ organisations, the nationalist SDLP, the cross community Alliance Party and unionist parties have been highly critical of the Northern Ireland Offences Bill, accusing the British government of handing out an amnesty to anyone who committed an offence before the Good Friday Agreement.
Visitors to United Irelander know that I feel strongly about the issue of British State collusion. There is an entire section on my sidebar devoted to the subject. I must confess that I'm finding it quite hard to express the sense of utter shame and sorrow I feel right now as a result of the actions of the Shinners on this particular issue. This issue, to be frank, leaves me sick to my stomach.
I have no idea if the leadership of Sinn Féin read United Irelander but I will use this medium to say the following to them directly.
For decades you conducted a war in the name of myself and in the name of all Irish people. A war that we didn't ask you to carry out for us. You blew up men, women and children of all races colours and creeds in a dirty vile episode of this island's long and dark history. As a result of this war, civilians from your community who you claimed to be fighting for were killed by Loyalists who were working for British State forces. You have claimed for years that you care about these victims of collusion and that you have been fighting for them all along.
You are LIARS.
You have pissed away any chance these people may have had to attain justice. You have pissed all over these murdered civilians in order to protect murderers who happen to be pals of yours. You have pissed all over true republicanism which does not believe in putting certain people on pedestals but rather treating all people as equals before the State.
You have pissed all over the Irish people for decades and you continue to do so.
Unfortunately for you, not everyone buys into your flag-waving, motion-proposing, backroom-deal making bullshit.
I don't. And most Irish people do not.
I can only hope that one day your supporters will wake up and realise that they've been had. That they will ask themselves what voting for a shower of liars and fascists like yourselves has actually gotten them and that they will realise all it has gotten them is a home called Northern Ireland which is far removed from the true republican ideals of the Republic of Ireland.
In times like these, the only thing United Irelanders can cling to is hope.
All changed, changed utterly:
A terrible injustice is born.
Poll Results - No OTR legislation!
I have closed the poll on UI's sidebar which asked the question:
"Do you support the OTR legislation?"
The results were:
Yes, I support it - 12% (2 votes)
No, I oppose it - 88% (15 votes)
I'm pretty sure this is the most one-sided poll result ever on United Irelander and I think if a poll was done on a grander scale, the result would be the same. I applaud those who voted No.
The majority of Irish people on this island don't support this disgraceful OTR legislation. It needs to be condemned wholeheartedly by everyone.
"Do you support the OTR legislation?"
The results were:
Yes, I support it - 12% (2 votes)
No, I oppose it - 88% (15 votes)
I'm pretty sure this is the most one-sided poll result ever on United Irelander and I think if a poll was done on a grander scale, the result would be the same. I applaud those who voted No.
The majority of Irish people on this island don't support this disgraceful OTR legislation. It needs to be condemned wholeheartedly by everyone.
British feared spider plot by IRA
This story by Allison Bray in the Irish Independent made me laugh. According to newly released documents from the British Public Records Office, Scotland Yard feared the IRA would release deadly Black Widow spiders from London Zoo in 1940 in a sinister plot.Scotland Yard was worried about a so-called "arachnid gap" in its military and counter terrorism measures.
Scotland Yard Inspector, Christopher Rolfe, urged officials to destroy the creatures before they had a chance to breed.
"The escape of these huge, ugly and dangerous spiders would have, undoubtedly, a very unnerving effect upon the majority of people in this country, accustomed as they are to small harmless varieties," he wrote.
"The puerile wishes of a few professors of insectology should not be allowed to endanger the national welfare."
Rolfe added: "The IRA may already have devious plans up its sleeves to capitalise on a bombing campaign by the Nazis or themselves that would set the spiders loose."
However according to a London Zoo spokeswoman, the spiders would have likely been locked away in a safe place during the war anyway.
An amusing story don't you think? It's one thing to gain inspiration from a spider à la Robert the Bruce, but it's another thing entirely to actually use spiders to achieve your aims!
I get the impression Inspector Wolfe might have been quite a fan of B-movies!
Monday, November 21, 2005
Move along people
OK people, nothing to see here. There will be no posts from me today as I am quite busy right now. Yes I have alot of work to do and work must come first as any Irish person knows. (cough)So with that being said, I'll sum things up rather neatly:
- The entity known as 'Northern Ireland' has failed.
- The island of Ireland should be reunified.
- Padraig Nally should not be in jail.
- Maurice Mills and the DUP are a disgrace.
- Cork smells.
That's about right. Oh and by the way, this is my 1400th post. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
PS: For your amusement, I give you the most powerful man in the world! What a guy!
Now move it along!
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Padraig Nally's defence
As alot of you know, here on United Irelander I have been covering the story of Padraig Nally, the 61-year-old Mayo farmer, who was recently jailed for 6 years for killing a Traveller who had broken into his home.I've found the RTE report from July 2005 which details Padraig Nally's defence. Nally stated that he never intended to kill Mr Ward and was sorry for what happened. According to RTE:
"He told the fourth day of his trial that he had been living in fear for the five months before the fatal shooting, and that he often sat in his shed with a loaded shotgun for up to five hours at a time. The gun belonged to his father and had been in the house for 65 years.
"He said he was afraid of being broken into and killed in his bed. He often only slept a few hours at night and the pressure was almost unbearable.
"On the day Mr Ward came into his farmhouse Mr Nally got the gun from the shed and as he confronted him at the back door, it went off accidentally. He said he did not aim at Mr Ward and his hand was shivering as the trigger went off.
"The defendant said Mr Ward took the gun off him and tried to hit him with it but he got it back. And in an ensuing scuffle he hit Mr Ward at least ten blows with a stick.
"He then reloaded the gun and followed Mr Ward down the road and fired a second shot at him. Mr Nally said he meant to frighten the Traveller and the shot accidentally hit him.
"The accused said he believed his mind was gone at the time and he was sorry for doing it. He said he never intended to shoot anyone in his life and it just happened on the spur of the moment.
"Mr Nally said he was in such a state that he reloaded the gun and for a time he thought of taking his own life."
As I have stated already, if we lived in a society which gave consideration to the victims of crime rather than the perpetrators of crime, Padraig Nally would not be in jail right now.
Mr Nally is not a criminal and doesn't deserve to be locked up with criminals.
Free Padraig Nally now!
It's not 'soccer' and it's not boring
For some inexplicable reason, our American friends across the water do not appreciate the beautiful game aka football the way people from Europe, Africa, South America and the rest of the world do.Shockingly, some Americans even look on football, or as they incorrectly call it, 'soccer', as boring!
People of America, you are wrong on this one and I shall prove it to you!
Please view this. When you're done watching that, watch this.
It's not called 'soccer'. It's called the greatest damn sport on this planet!
Damn Aussies!
I think we need to stop playing these guys!Ireland 14 Australia 30
They're also going to the football World Cup unlike ourselves.
Damn them and their competitive spirit!
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Tsunami really WAS punishment - Mills
DUP councillor Maurice "I'm not too fond of homosexuals" Mills has stood by his controversial comments which alleged that God sent the tsunami to punish Asia for being godless and AIDS as retribution for homosexuality.Ian Paisley is facing demands to expel Mr. Mills from the party after his comments provoked outrage.
Ian Paisley of course infamously ran the "Save Ulster from Sodomy" campaign in the 70s and 80s. (Gee, d'ya think he'll be upset at Mr Mills' remarks?)
Responding to the criticism he has faced for his comments, Maurice Mills maintained his position.
"Asia was hit by the tsunami because of the continent's people not being Christian".
"God had marked their cards" he added.
Trade Union officials holding a national anti-prejudice conference in Belfast however were stunned.
One said that talking as if God murdered people because of a gay event was "horrific" while another said Mr. Mills should be "drummed from office".
Visitors to United Irelander from Britain, America and further afield might be wondering why the DUP are the largest unionist party in the North. I'm afraid I can't answer that because I myself have no idea why this party full of bigots and nutcases has the backing of the majority of unionists!
All I know is, if the DUP fail to take action against this homophobe by expelling him then it must mean that they not only condone his words, but support them - and that is a very worrying thought indeed.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Katrina was punishment for gays - DUP
I'm flabbergasted by this news. A DUP councillor from Ballymena has claimed that Hurricane Katrina was sent to the United States by God to punish the New Orleans gay community.Maurice Mills said that the natural disaster - which killed 1,300 people, caused $130bn worth of damage and left tens of thousands homeless - was an act of God against those who practise homosexuality.
He pointed out that the massive storm arrived just days before party-goers were due to gather in New Orleans to celebrate the annual 'gay mardi gras'.
"The recent Hurricane Katrina descended on New Orleans and took many people suddenly into eternity," Mr Mills said.
"However, the media failed to report that the hurricane occurred just two days prior to the annual homosexual event called the Southern Decadence Festival which the previous year had attracted an estimated 125,000 people.
"Surely this is a warning to nations where such wickedness is increasingly promoted and practised.
"This abominable and filthy practice of sodomy has resulted in the great continent of Africa being riddled with Aids, all at great cost to the nations and innocent children."
If you think that's bad, listen to what Mr Mills said to PA MagLochlainn, President of the Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association (NIGRA). Mr Mills said that men would be judged by God for their sins.
"What an executor Christ will be on that awesome day," said Mills.
"Christ alone died for my sins on Calvary's cross and my personal faith exercised in his finished work upon that cross and by the cleansing of his precious blood I have the assurance of sins forgiven and peace with God."
Is anyone else deeply disturbed by this guy's views? Can the British please lock this moron up like they did with that radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamza? It seems to me that Mr Mills is equally deranged. To say that Hurricane Katrina was done by God I find, as a Christian, to be incredibly insulting.
What kind of God does Mr Mills believe in? It seems to be a God who delights in destruction and pain and that's not the one I read about in my Bible! I read about Jesus being a man of love and forgiveness. Mr Mills is a very sick individual coming out with remarks like:
"What an executor Christ will be on that awesome day."
The DUP are without a doubt a disgustingly bigoted party. Led by a bigot, filled with bigots who preach unadulterated bigotry.
They do not have anything positive to contribute to the people of Ireland's north and the people of the North would do well to distance themselves from these fanatics.
NI economy unsustainable - Hain
I have written in recent weeks about how a United Ireland offers the best economic situation for the people of Ireland's north and today this has been confirmed to me by none other than the NI Secretary of State, Peter Hain, who has declared that the NI economy was "not sustainable in the long term". Mr Hain told the New York weekly newspaper the Irish Echo, that "the island of Ireland should in future be marketed as a single entity".
While I think Mr Hain's comments are correct, I'm astonished that he has come out and made them public!
The DUP aren't happy campers and DUP assembly member George Dawson laughably suggested that Mr Hain should resign!
Does the truth hurt, Mr Dawson?
These comments pose some very interesting questions for unionists everywhere. A senior British government official has come out and effectively declared that the North's future economic situation is "not sustainable" and has recommended an all-Ireland model.
Proof if any were needed that the British want rid of the white elephant that is 'Northern Ireland'.
The best possible future for the people of Ireland's north is to be part of a United Ireland - a state where their presence is welcomed rather than seen as a nuisance - and where they can enjoy a prosperous standard of living.
It was pointed out to me today on A Tangled Web of all places that for the first time, the Irish Republic has overtaken the Gross National Income of the United Kingdom. Ireland came in with $34,280, while the UK came in with $33,940.
While the British may not want NI or its people, there IS an alternative!
The legend departs
Man I was not expecting this!Manchester United's long-serving captain Roy Keane has left the club by mutual consent.
A statement released by the Old Trafford outfit confirmed that their long-serving captain has departed with immediate effect after it became clear that his future at the club was untenable.
The 34-year-old Irishman’s representative Michael Kennedy met United chief executive David Gill at Old Trafford to thrash out details of Keane’s severance.
Keane is expected to seek out a new club and to continue playing.
I'm very saddened by this news. Roy Keane was an outstanding player for club and country and I think it's fair to say that Manchester United's slim chances of catching Chelsea in the Premierhsip have all but disappeared. I don't know if there's more to this than meets the eye but whatever the story is, I wish Roy well.
What next for everybody's favourite Corkonian? I think we'll end up seeing Keane donning the famous green and white hooped shirt of Celtic.
Thanks for the memories, Roy. There's only one Keano!
Fun Irelander Feature - Chat-up lines
Chat-up lines. The great mainstay of the Irish party scene. Most of us have at least one friend who delights in using them. Some of you may even be that guy! Not me though. I can't say I've ever used one...whilst sober. Here's a recent conversation I had with a mate of mine not too long ago who fancies himself more than the ladies ever could. We were in a bar and an attractive lady had been spotted. So my mate turns to me and he says:"Right I've got this great chat-up line that I'm gonna use tonight."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. This is what I'm going to say to her, "Wow your father must have been a baker 'cos you've got a great set of buns."
"....."
"Well, what do you think of it?"
"How many drinks have you had?"
"Yeah make fun but I'm telling ya it will work. You watch."
So I watched. It didn't work. Big surprise! I think the only chat-up line I've ever used has been "Hi". It's simple yet effective! Some of the chat-up lines that are out there are crazy though and shockingly some guys actually use them. The BBC have highlighted a few of them:
"Excuse me, I'm a little short on cash, would you mind if we shared a cab home?"
"You might not be the most beautiful girl in the world, but beauty is only a light switch away..."
"Hi, I'm Mr. Right. Someone said you were looking for me."
"My name's.............. That's so you know what to scream."
"Do you sleep on your stomach? Do you mind if I do?"
"Is your dad a terrorist? Because you're the bomb!" (Careful about using this in certain parts of Ireland)
"Put your crash helmet on, you're going through the head board."
"Excuse me, but does this smell like chloroform to you?"
What I'd like to know is have any of you guys out there ever used any chat-up lines? Have any of you ladies ever been on the receiving end of some? Any interesting stories to share? Feel free to do so!
Fighting the good fight
I've been getting quite alot of hits lately and yesterday saw United Irelander get the biggest number of hits so far this month. It seems that United Irelander has become the unofficial voice of support for the incarcerated 61-year-old Mayo farmer Padraig Nally:Padraig Nally
I'm not ashamed to once again reiterate my support for Mr Nally who I believe has been treated disgracefully by the Irish judicial system.
Mr Nally killed a man who broke into his home. A man who had a history of criminality unlike Mr Nally who had never been in trouble with the law in his whole life. Mr Nally had been the victim of burglary before and was isolated and vulnerable. In the case, the consultant psychologist Dr John P Bogue described Nally as "a sincere and forthright man who showed pronounced symptoms of anxiety and obsessionality" but because we live in a society where more consideration is shown to the perpetrators of crime rather than the victims, this didn't mean a damn thing.
What sentence did Mr Nally get? Six years in jail. Now let me highlight to you why the Irish judicial system is a disgrace.
RTE reports that a 21-year-old Dublin man who was involved in a series of car jackings and rammed a garda car has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Patrick Healy from Buttercup Park in Darndale pleaded guilty at Monaghan Circuit Criminal Court to a total of nine charges including false imprisonment, assault, robbery and the unlawful taking of a car.
Mr Healy and an accomplice had stolen a jeep in Dublin and had proceeded to rob a filling station in Monaghan. During their escape, they rammed a garda car.
As a result their jeep was damaged and they then forced another car off the road. Travelling at a speed of up to 185kph in a second stolen car, the defendant who was driving crashed, killing his friend and accomplice.
He later stole another car belonging to a nurse who had stopped to give assistance.
Now let me set out this story. This guy Patrick Healy steals a jeep, robs a filling station, rams a Garda car and forces another car off the road whilst escaping, kills his friend and accomplice in the process, and then later steals another car belonging to a nurse who had stopped to help him and what happens?
He gets five years in jail.
Padraig Nally gets six years in jail, Patrick Healy gets five years.
Is this an example of justice being done? Can we all sleep easy in our beds at night knowing that this is the law of the land?
I can't speak for any of you, but to me, this is a travesty.
All I'll say is this - Free Padraig Nally and make our streets a safer place again. Restore law and order to this country before it's too late.
I don't know what we have right now in this country but whatever it is, it isn't justice.
"First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me."
- Pastor Martin Niemoller
Charles gives up polo - World doesn't end
I'm sure you'll all be devastated to hear the news that Britain's richest sponger, Prince Charlie Windsor, has decided to stop playing polo.A spokesman from Clarence House said the prince had recently decided it was the right time to retire "gracefully, but regretfully".
This is just...so sad. I mean...wow. There are obviously tragic news events that occur be they natural disasters, people dying in wars or from starvation etc. but to actually hear that Prince Charles is to give up playing polo...wow. Words fail me. Simply devastating.
This is a deeply troubling time for us all but I think this sombre occasion is summed up well with this eloquent piece.
I couldn't have put it better myself.
Can you feel the love? Well, can you?
It always brightens up my day to read what those caring, lovable scamps over at Love Ulster have to say about the Irish people (sniff). Let's take a look at one comment which is dripping in love and good will from 'DV9' on a thread entitled 'United Ireland':"All-Irish and all-Ireland situs can go and jump!....the republics media machine and future marketing can piss-off back home to their republic as far as i'm concerned, us people in N.Ireland do not want any part of your society and your government and people shouldn't want us protestants to side with you to defeat the British
"You kill our folk and then have the cheek to tell us that we should unite as one and that the British are wrong!"
While I am obviously touched by all this love (that goes without saying), I regret to say that I don't understand what the author means when he/she says that we in the Republic want protestants to side with us 'to defeat the British'.
Also, what folk have we in the Republic killed?
Perhaps I'm just lacking the necessary love to understand these things. (sigh)
Friday Fun's Fascinating Fact
The most common time for a bank robbery is Friday, between 9 and 11am. The least likely time is Wednesday, between 3 and 6pm.
This fact has been carefully verified by Sinn Féin officials. (may not be true)
This fact has been carefully verified by Sinn Féin officials. (may not be true)
Thursday, November 17, 2005
O'Dea Hard With a Vengeance
Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea has rejected criticism of his decision to pose for photographers while holding an automatic pistol.Mr O'Dea is pictured on the front of two national newspapers this morning looking down the sight of the gun with a smile on his face.
Opposition politicians have accused the minister of engaging in a tasteless and insensitive publicity stunt at a time when gun crime is creating real fear on the streets.
Mr O'Dea later said he was sorry if anyone was offended, but he accused the opposition of trying to make a big issue of something meaningless.
Mr O'Dea added that if anyone says anything else about the photographs he'll pop a cap in their arses.*
*(not confirmed)
Thursday Thoughts: What kind of Union?
Why do Unionists care so much about the Union between NI and Great Britain? What is the purpose of this Union? Let me quote you a piece from a book called 'Politics in the Republic of Ireland' by John Coakley and Michael Gallagher as it explains why I ask this question:"Throughout the entire period of the union (1800-1922), the existence of a 'Government of Ireland' was recognised - a critical weakness in the scheme for Irish integration with Britain. The Lord Lieutenant, as representative of the sovereign, was formal head of this government. This post was always filled by a leading nobleman who, in addition to his governmental functions, was 'the embodiment of the "dignified" aspects of the state, the official leader Irish social life'. He left the actual day-to-day running of the process of government, however, to his principal assistant, the Chief Secretary."
It is clear then that the Act of Union did not create as united a state as some would have us believe! Bearing that in mind, I'd like to put the following questions to unionists ...
1. What is the desire for Union with Great Britain based on?
2. Doesn't the fact that the British continued to regard Ireland as a separate unit even when it was part of the Union prove that the British were never as interested in integration as Unionists were?
3. Since the Act of Union allowed for Ireland to be treated as a distinct unit, must there be a technical link between the two islands? Surely a United Ireland that is independent of Britain in a technical sense can still retain an emotive link between the two islands? Would this really be so different from the Act of Union?
The British did not regard Ireland and Britain as one and the same. With that being said, is an independent Ireland really such a radical and terrible thing for unionists? If a United Ireland upholds the civil and religious rights of unionists, and I believe it would, then should we regard the creation of new legal technicalities with hostility?
In my view, no. It is clear that the people of the Irish Republic and Britain have a bond that transcends legal technicalities and things would be no different in a United Ireland.
Is Ireland the greatest republic?
The Irish Examiner's Ronan Mullen has written a very good article about the recent rioting in France and the problems the French Republic faces. As Mullen states:"Liberty, equality, fraternity: France fails test it set for rest of the world."
That other great historical bastion of republicanism, the United States of America, doesn't seem to be doing too well either. We all witnessed the poor, homeless African-American people in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina who, as the American administration has since acknowledged, were let down by the authorities.
Intolerance and discrimination seems to be rife at the moment within France and America respectively yet here in Ireland, we haven't had to deal with any serious problems as it relates to minorities.
I think we should give ourselves a pat on the back for that. We have a lovely little country that is run efficiently and effectively, whilst maintaining the core values of republicanism.
Up the Republic!
Taking the Mick!
I found this hilarious comment in a post by Michael Shilliday over at the Young Unionists site:"Sinn Féin are a sectarian party..."
Well then it's something they have in common with your own party, Michael!
Let's not forget that it was only earlier this year that the Ulster Unionists finally broke their long-standing link with the über-bigots known as the Orange Order!
And who could forget that wonderfully inclusive slogan that Trimble and co. used during the North's election's campaigns -'simply British'. There's nothing sectarian in that slogan at all, is there?!
When it comes to sectarianism, Ulster Unionists shouldn't be so quick to rush to the moral highground. They might get a nosebleed.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
The role of the nation
I believe the role of the nation is important in society. Nowadays it appears to be trendy to knock the role of the nation as we're living in a world where the role of the nation-state seems to be diminishing while the European Union gains more and more influence. I still believe the nation is very relevant to us. Allow me to first look at what the nation gives us from a social perspective, how this relates to Ireland and lastly the role of the nation in the future.First of all, I think the nation plays an important part in helping maintain stability in society. Contrast a human being in the 20th century, who would more than likely have been part of a nation of some kind, with someone from the Middle Ages, who would have been without a nation. There's a marked difference. I look on the nation as being akin to a family. It gives the individual a sense of belonging, a sense of purpose. Some people are of the view that it is foolish to love a nation because you can't do anything about the nation you're born into. You can't choose it in other words. Well, the same is true of family! We can't choose what family we're born into but surely no one would begrudge us showing love towards our families? I believe the nation is an essential component of society. A nation is defined as 'a large community of people of mainly common descent, language, history, etc., usually inhabiting a particular territory and under one government'. The connection that people feel for one another within a nation is important from a social standpoint as it makes life under a State's authority far more pleasant and tolerable.
With all that being said, let's analyse how this relates to Ireland. Ireland is a divided nation. It contains many similarities to a divided family, I feel. A longing to bury the old enmities, a desire to feel a shared belonging once more with one another and the desire to be rid of that unwanted feeling of sorrow as a result of such conflicting attitudes. This goes right to the very heart of Irish nationalism. I believe that most Irish people have, at some point, felt a sense of injustice having looked up at a map of Ireland and having had to see a divided nation stare right back at them. I believe it has plagued Irish people for generations since the border's very inception. It has become a part of who we are. It defines us. Like a son who wishes to make amends with his father, nationalists wish to make amends with their unionist compatriots. A failure to do so will always eat away at nationalists as it would the lowly son who yearns for a bond once again with his father. That is why the desire for Irish Unity continues to exist. It is human nature to want to build bridges. Therefore it should be acknowledged that the nation is a powerful social construct. Something highly emotive and very significant.
What then for the role of the nation in the future? Well in contrast to some other political thinkers, I do feel the nation will continue to have a role. I do believe that the continued expansion of the European Union is a grave threat to nation-states throughout Europe, and particularly small nations like Ireland. Nevertheless I think the rejection of the despicable European Constitution by French and Dutch voters highlights a desire to maintain the nation and to not see it subsumed by a European national construct. To once more use the analogy of the family, while it is good to be part of a large family, we still tend to live in smaller family units. A good relationship with cousins, aunties and uncles is welcome but you don't necessarily want to live with them! Likewise, a good relationship with our European neighbours is also welcome but we don't want the relationship to extend beyond that point. We seek to stay within smaller national units in the way that we seek to stay within smaller family units.
All in all, I think the role of the nation will continue to be paramount in society. It gives us a sense of belonging - when it is damaged, so too are we, and I think it will retain its significance as we continue to deal with the threat of European expansion.
"Territory is but the body of a nation. The people who inhabit its hills and valleys are its soul, its spirit, its life." - James A. Garfield, 20th President of the United States
Ignorance of Unionism
I'm probably going to upset a few of my fellow nationalists with this post (wouldn't be the first time!) but I feel the need to highlight the ignorance that so many nationalists have towards their unionist brothers and sisters. Let me highlight this thread on Slugger O'Toole which contains comments from people in response to this article by Roy Garland in the Irish News. It's an excellent article by Mr Garland in my opinion and well worth a read as he highlights what is really required in order to have a United Ireland and he condemns the typical Sinn Féin rhetoric and bullshit. However, for many Slugger contributors, it was a case of in one ear and out the other. Let me highlight and also analyse some of the comments left by Slugger's nationalist contingent. So without further ado:
Henry94
"It is clear that a lot of unionists are unhappy with the way the north is being run now by the British government and many are also unhappy with the only alternative to that which is power-sharing with Sinn Fein."
In fairness I think unionists are unhappy with the litany of concessions which have been granted to Republicans, most recently the OTR legislation. This legislation is a disgrace and who can blame unionists for being unhappy with the status quo?
"So instead of giving out about Sinn Fein for offering an alternative future they should be themselves putting forward a vision for a partitioned future that works. If they have one."
People are giving out about Sinn Féin because they aren't offering an alternative future. One would be forgiven for thinking that their raison d'etre is to defend partition seeing as almost all their proposals wind up the unionist community in some way!
smcgiff
"If SF can do no right in the eyes of unionists, then why not at least push their own agenda?"
What do you think they are currently doing?!
Fraggle
"Unionists are pushing their agenda - it doesn’t include nationalists, in any other role than sitting down, shutting up and taking wahtever (sic) is handed to them, they should be honest enough to admit that."
MOPEry. (sigh)
George
"One way to avoid surrender and humiliation is for unionism to finally accept that to be Irish and independent is as honourable a tradition as to be unionist and British."
Hold on, what? Is he seriously advocating that unionists throw away their national identity?
spirit-level (commenting on George's comments above)
"That’s the solution to the “identity” problem, also the solution for the one flag to be adopted, representing the green and orange traditions equally. The tri-colour."
Sorry mate but it's not the solution to the identiy problem. What George advocates is for unionists to denounce their national identity and it is not acceptable for nationalists to demand that of them. That is asking unionists to surrender their heritage. Adopting the tricolour is not necessarily a solution either. If unionists don't want the Irish tricolour as their flag in a United Ireland then it shouldn't be used. Simple as that.
Fraggle (again)
"If politcis is uncomfortable for unionists, it’s their own fault, after all, they are the ones who currently have things their way."
More MOPEry.
irishman
"One would think unionists had committed no wrongs upon nationalists in the past."
D'oh! Even more MOPEry! Why does it always come back to the past when we are discussing issues for the future?
"It illustrates how bereft some unionists are of vision and confidence."
Yikes. Any more insults you want to throw at the unionist community?
Having read the above comments, I can't believe unionists don't want to be part of a United Ireland! I mean, nationalists clearly understand their needs so well!
When are these people going to realise that the border on maps and globes is not the real dividing line? The real dividing line is the ignorance nationalists have towards the unionist community!
A United Ireland needs to be a compromise - not a humiliating surrender for unionists!
Henry94
"It is clear that a lot of unionists are unhappy with the way the north is being run now by the British government and many are also unhappy with the only alternative to that which is power-sharing with Sinn Fein."
In fairness I think unionists are unhappy with the litany of concessions which have been granted to Republicans, most recently the OTR legislation. This legislation is a disgrace and who can blame unionists for being unhappy with the status quo?
"So instead of giving out about Sinn Fein for offering an alternative future they should be themselves putting forward a vision for a partitioned future that works. If they have one."
People are giving out about Sinn Féin because they aren't offering an alternative future. One would be forgiven for thinking that their raison d'etre is to defend partition seeing as almost all their proposals wind up the unionist community in some way!
smcgiff
"If SF can do no right in the eyes of unionists, then why not at least push their own agenda?"
What do you think they are currently doing?!
Fraggle
"Unionists are pushing their agenda - it doesn’t include nationalists, in any other role than sitting down, shutting up and taking wahtever (sic) is handed to them, they should be honest enough to admit that."
MOPEry. (sigh)
George
"One way to avoid surrender and humiliation is for unionism to finally accept that to be Irish and independent is as honourable a tradition as to be unionist and British."
Hold on, what? Is he seriously advocating that unionists throw away their national identity?
spirit-level (commenting on George's comments above)
"That’s the solution to the “identity” problem, also the solution for the one flag to be adopted, representing the green and orange traditions equally. The tri-colour."
Sorry mate but it's not the solution to the identiy problem. What George advocates is for unionists to denounce their national identity and it is not acceptable for nationalists to demand that of them. That is asking unionists to surrender their heritage. Adopting the tricolour is not necessarily a solution either. If unionists don't want the Irish tricolour as their flag in a United Ireland then it shouldn't be used. Simple as that.
Fraggle (again)
"If politcis is uncomfortable for unionists, it’s their own fault, after all, they are the ones who currently have things their way."
More MOPEry.
irishman
"One would think unionists had committed no wrongs upon nationalists in the past."
D'oh! Even more MOPEry! Why does it always come back to the past when we are discussing issues for the future?
"It illustrates how bereft some unionists are of vision and confidence."
Yikes. Any more insults you want to throw at the unionist community?
Having read the above comments, I can't believe unionists don't want to be part of a United Ireland! I mean, nationalists clearly understand their needs so well!
When are these people going to realise that the border on maps and globes is not the real dividing line? The real dividing line is the ignorance nationalists have towards the unionist community!
A United Ireland needs to be a compromise - not a humiliating surrender for unionists!
A toast to Michael Jackson
Slices of toast with Michael Jackson's likeness and slogans such as "not guilty" have appeared on internet auction site eBay!Vendors claimed the slices were not faked - but popped out of their toasters before or during the verdicts.
Remember, it don't matter if you're black or white - as long as you're not burnt!
El Hell?
So Terry "El Tel" Venables has described the prospect of the Ireland job as 'interesting'. Hmm.Venables has become favourite for the position, with one bookmaker last week suspending betting following a number of significant wagers placed on the former England coach.
"I have been offered quite a lot of positions," confirmed Venables, who apparently is waiting for the FAI to approach him, rather than the other way round.
"But if something came up that was special, and something like Ireland which is international, it might be interesting."
What do you think then? Would Venables be a good choice as manager? Personally I'd prefer an Irish manager but seeing as there aren't alot of quality Irish managers available at this time, a foreign coach seems inevitable and I actually thought Venables did very well with England.
Perhaps the answer though is to go for a certain Scottish manager! A certain Scottish manager who has been under alot of pressure this season!
That's right! I'm talking about...this man!
G'wan Alex!
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Donegal cancer patients for North
I'm delighted to hear that cancer patients from County Donegal who need radiotherapy will be given their treatment in Belfast.Health minister Shaun Woodward said spare capacity at the new cancer centre at the City Hospital will be used.
"We are saying that if we have spare physical capacity and (the Irish government) are prepared to pay, it only makes common sense," he said.
He said the costs of staffing would also be covered by the Irish government.
This is common sense and it is a smart move on the part of both governments. It was farcical to have a situation where patients from Donegal had to travel all the way down to Dublin for treatment. People from Ulster should be treated in Ulster. It's more convenient and puts less stress on the patients.
I would like to see more cross-border cooperation such as this.
Top Ten Tuesday - Crisps
Like any sensible Irish person, I'm a big fan of crisps. Always have been. They are, in my opinion, the food of choice for those who love a good snack. I know that some people are of the opinion that they are bad for you but let's face it, nothing's good for you these days. Some crazy people even have the nerve to propagate the myth that alcohol is bad for you! Anyway I'm not too aware of the crisps that they have abroad but I do know that here in Ireland, we have a wide selection of tasty crisps. So with that being said, I give you my top ten favourite crisps. So without further ado:1. Tayto's Honest Crisps (Cheese and Onion) - Oh man I love these crisps! They're so dry and salty! Mmm!
2. Chipsticks - So salty and delicious! They go great with bread rolls. Best thing to do is to crunch them all up and then pour them on. Trust me.
3. King Crisps (Cheese and Onion) - Another bag of crisps which go well on bread rolls. I find I go off them when I have them too much but right now I'm still finding them tasty!
4. Pringles (Sour Cream & Onion) - This is the only flavour of Pringles I enjoy and as the slogan says, once you pop you just can't stop!
5. Hunky Dorys (Buffalo flavour) - I recently started eating these and while the flavour is very strong it's also very satisfying. I find these crisps quite filling too.
6. Tayto Original (Smokey Bacon) - Faced with the choice of Tayto's Cheese and Onion or Smokey Bacon, I'd probably go for the Smokey Bacon though it's been a while since I've had them. Salt and Vinegar is ruled out what with it tasting like shite.
7. Jonnie Onion Rings - As with the King Crisps while I do like these alot, if I have them too much I go off them. They are a great snack though although your breath stinks of them afterwards!
8. Chickatees - OK these are geared towards children but they taste so damn good! The problem is they're not very filling so you need to have about two or three to feel full!
9. Waffles - Good oul' Waffles. You can't go wrong with a bag of Waffles and they certainly taste better than regular waffles...
10. Tayto Snax - Again, these are primarily aimed at kids I guess but a delicious bag of crisps is a delicious bag of crisps! They aren't filling at all though sadly.
So there you have it. My top ten favourite crisps. Feel free to comment on my choices or to offer up some of your own.
Hmm, all this talk of crisps has made me hungry...
Events of Shame - Cromwellian invasion
Continuing my feature on events of shame in Ireland's history which last time focused on the Penal Laws, this time I shall focus on the vile sorry excuse for a human being that is Oliver Cromwell and his invasion of Ireland. Most of the following facts are taken from the excellent book, Six Days to Shake an Empire by Charles Duff.- Oliver Cromwell was commissioned by his Council in England to bring the whole of Ireland under subjection and he landed in Dublin on 14th August, 1649
- He decided to make a start on Drogheda and he battered the walls for two days with cannon until a breach was made and then he gave the order to storm. The first two attempts were repulsed but the third succeeded and Cromwell gave the order ('in the heat of battle', he afterwards explained) for the general massacre that followed, lasting several days.
- The military defenders were cut down to a man and for five days the indiscriminate slaughter of the defenceless civil population of Irish continued: old people, youths, women and children were cut to pieces and not many others were able to escape. Friars and priests were 'knocked on head' as soon as seen.
- Cromwell's practical working mottoes in such circumstances were 'no quarter to be given' and in justification his explanation was that 'nits breed lice'.
- After the massacre, Cromwell sought to explain his actions in a letter to William Lenthall, speaker of the English Parliament:
"...I am persuaded that this is a righteous judgement of God upon these barbarous wretches, who have imbued their hands in so much innocent blood, and it will tend to prevent the effusion of blood for the future, which are satisfactory grounds to such actions, which otherwise cannot but work remourse and regret..."
- One garrisson after another soon surrendered in the face of hopeless odds and under 'The Cromwellian Act of Settlement', all Catholics who had lived in Ireland between 1641-1650 were to lose one-third of their lands absolutely, and in lieu for the remainder get lands wherever the government chose to send them - unless they could produce proof that they had supported Cromwell's 'Parliamentarians'!
- In September 1653, those who failed to produce proofs and whose lands were worth more than £10 a year were ordered to remove themselves to Connacht (including Clare).
- This iniquitous diktat-law was regarded by the Irish as giving the Catholics the choice of 'going to hell or Connacht', the most barren and poorest part of Ireland. Catholics living in towns were banished and, as far as possible, replaced by Protestants. The goal was to impoverish all Catholics, about nine-tenths of the population.
- There were some fine touches of English ironical humour about the Cromwellian Settlement: in effect Ireland was made to pay for her own conquest and, as an English historian tells us, 'was the great capital out of which the Cromwellian government paid all debts, rewarded all services, and performed all acts of bounty".
- There were incidentally some highly profitable by-products. Swarms everywhere of Irish orphans and starving unemployed, and wandering youths of both sexes had, somehow, to be dealt with by the government. So the government stepped in, rounded them up and sold them to commerical agents to dispose of. The agents soon found a market for these souls and shipped them to the West Indies, where they commanded good prices - as 'indentured labourers' for European colonizers. The agents were pleasantly surprised when the profits proved to be so good that they asked for more of the human merchandise. So when supplies failed, the agents just kidnapped suitable Irish and even expanded their export trade to include kidnapped English in both Ireland and England!
- Elizabeth's wars had all but finally destroyed the old Gaelic culture and civilization of Ireland. The Cromwellian settlement all but destroyed the vestiges of these which remained. It made Ireland an English colony in a fuller sense than any previous plantation before then, including that of Ulster.
It's important to highlight this shameful episode in Irish history as it adds greater context to later events which were to occur. Can anyone seriously begrudge the actions of Tone, Emmet, the Young Irelanders, the IRB and the men of 1916 for wanting to break the connection with England? It is hardly surprising that even today, Oliver Cromwell is despised in Ireland. He is arguably the most hated Englishmen who ever drew breath in the eyes of the Irish people.
The actions of Oliver Cromwell and the Cromwellian invasion of Ireland make up a disgraceful chapter in Irish history and it is important that modern generations acknowledge this terrible point in time.
In 2003, Oliver Cromwell was voted the tenth greatest Briton of all time by the British people in a poll conducted by the BBC.
An bhfuil sé dáiríre?
Is léir go bhfuil sé alán fadhbanna le Gaeilge sa tír seo. Mar sin féin, ni dóigh liom go bhfuil sé maith a dheanamh Gaeilge roghnach. Ach creideann Enda Kenny go bhfuil sé an-mhaith.I mo thuairim, is dioma é seo.
Tá súil agam go bhfeicimid roghaí eile.
Dála an scéil, conas atá post seo? An bhfuil sé intuigthe?
Seo é mo chead post as Gaeilge!
Caption Time
It's been a while since I've done one of these. Can anyone come up with a good caption for this picture to your left? I'll have a go:
"Adams gloats over his latest work."
Anyone else fancy a go?
Monday, November 14, 2005
Monday Madness - OTRs
I still cannot quite believe how low Sinn Féin are willing to stoop to protect Provisional IRA terrorists. They have secured legislation that covers up the truth about collusion between loyalist terrorist groups and British State forces. On Thursday, SDLP leader Mark Durkan pointed out how disgraceful this legislation is:
"It will certainly go down well with the (British ) army’s Secret Forces Research Unit that spearheaded collusion.
"But it will bother victims of state planned murder. They have not been consulted about a word of this.
"We have seen collusion in the past between the state and paramilitaries. Now we are seeing collusion on the past between Sinn Féin and the British government - each helping the other to cover up their dirty secrets."
The SDLP's Justice Spokesman Alban McGuinness hit the nail on the head:
"It covers not just Provisionals, but loyalists and people in the police or (British) army who committed murder," the North Belfast MLA said.
"Not one of them will do time, and that is what Sinn Féin has signed up to.
"It is a good deal for Sinn Féin, whose Provo associates walk scot-free without even having to turn up in court.
"It is a good deal for the British government, which can close the books on everything from the Finucane murder to the Dublin/Monaghan bombings without answering awkward questions."
My best efforts to explain how outrageous this is to Shinner supporters fell on deaf ears! However, any sensible person need only to listen to Martin McGuinness' pathetic performance on Hearts and Minds to see how spineless and depraved Sinn Féin are. Here's a transcript of the best bits as Noel Furlong took Martin McGun-slinger to task:
McGuinness: "I don't envisage that any of the people involved in the murder of nationalists is ever going to be brought before a court in this day and age."
Furlong: "But what you have effectively done is taken away the possibility from the victims of those killings that anything will come to light."
McGuinness: "Well I think the victims and the relatives of those victims know...what's the likelihood of these people being brought before a court?"
And better yet:
Noel Furlong: "Well Mark Durkan is pointing out that it's you who is putting them in that position. You have secured an amnesty for the British security forces. He wants their (the victim's) voices to be heard!"
Martin McGuiness: "Well Mark is very naive if that is the case. These people have effectively had an undeclared amnesty for thirty years."
The man and his party are a disgrace. But don't take my word for it, listen to the opinion of a Republican source on the OTR proposals:
"Our negotiations were only about the OTRs – a very small number of people.
"It was only meant to deal with people who had been charged and, had they been convicted, who would have been eligible for release under the Good Friday Agreement.
"What the British government has done is to introduce a catch-all to defend its own people, both the agents on the ground and the political leadership. There is good reason to believe that a lot of decisions in the 1980s and 1990s, such as shoot-to-kill, went as far up as prime minister Margaret Thatcher. This is to stop them from being exposed in court."
Is this what being an Irish Republican is all about? Protecting criminal scumbags?
These OTR proposals need to be vociferously opposed by all decent people in Ireland who believe in justice and equality for all. This goes above and beyond nationalism and unionism, it's about decent people standing up to terrorists acting under the pretense of democracy.
It's funny. For years Shinner supporters could be heard to utter the phrase, "Brits Out". Who knew that "Brits Out" would later come to be associated with British criminal scum who ought to be behind bars but who instead are given an amnesty through Sinn Féin!
Brits Out indeed.
Do you support the OTR legislation?
Within a fortnight the British government is due to pass legislation which will deny the victims of the Provisional IRA, collusion, and British state killings the truth about what happened.
The legislation secures an amnesty for the IRA and British state forces and allows IRA fugitives the chance to return to Ireland's north while it prevents the actions of British state forces, who had a hand in the murder of innocent Irish civilians, from being exposed in court. With that being said, I have added a new poll to United Irelander's sidebar which asks the question:
Do you support the OTR legislation?
Please take the time to vote in the poll and please use the comments box of this post to explain your position.
Personally I vehemently oppose this legislation. The current British government have done a deal with the devil to prevent the murky dealings of Britain's past from being uncovered and the Shinners have jumped at the chance to safeguard Provisonal IRA criminals.
It's a bad deal for all decent people in Ireland and Britain and in my opinion should be condemned by all!
The legislation secures an amnesty for the IRA and British state forces and allows IRA fugitives the chance to return to Ireland's north while it prevents the actions of British state forces, who had a hand in the murder of innocent Irish civilians, from being exposed in court. With that being said, I have added a new poll to United Irelander's sidebar which asks the question:
Do you support the OTR legislation?
Please take the time to vote in the poll and please use the comments box of this post to explain your position.
Personally I vehemently oppose this legislation. The current British government have done a deal with the devil to prevent the murky dealings of Britain's past from being uncovered and the Shinners have jumped at the chance to safeguard Provisonal IRA criminals.
It's a bad deal for all decent people in Ireland and Britain and in my opinion should be condemned by all!
Well said, Bertie!
This is great news for those of us who appreciate democracy here in Ireland - Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he would rather be in opposition than go into a coalition with Sinn Fein! Oh yeah!Mr Ahern said he believed Sinn Fein in government would lead to a flight of investment untenable for the economy. (Damn right. Communism makes more sense than their economic proposals!)
Mr Ahern said he believed the public concern, over the potential economic damage of Sinn Fein's policies in government, justified his position. (Indeed it does!)
"Even a radical overhaul of Sinn Fein economic policy would have little real credibility after 35 years of Marxism."
Mr Ahern told the Sunday Independent newspaper: "I believe Sinn Fein are agents of poverty and disadvantage.
"I believe the very notion of Sinn Fein in government would lead to a flight of investment, which is untenable in a small open economy."
Oh wow! How will Spin Féin put a good face on this one?!
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Michael McDowell has said Sinn Fein's aim was to get the balance of power in the next election and "use it to control the next government", Irish state broadcaster RTE reported.
Mr McDowell said there was no room in democratic government for any party or movement which did not support the police and the rule of law.
Well said, Mr McDowell. We can't allow the Irish State to be used as a pawn in evil Sinn Féin games.
Mr Ahern and Mr McDowell's remarks remind us all that the Irish people are no mugs and will not be taken in by the lies of Spin Féin under any circumstances!
Shinners, it's real simple - if you want to get into government, talk to Dr Paisley!
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Poll Results - Yes to Treaty
Seems like a narrow majority of you are in favour of the way history turned out. I've closed the poll on my sidebar which asked the question:
Should the Treaty have been signed?
The results were:
Yes - 53% (10 votes)
No - 47% (9 votes)
I still say it shouldn't have been signed!
Should the Treaty have been signed?
The results were:
Yes - 53% (10 votes)
No - 47% (9 votes)
I still say it shouldn't have been signed!
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Free Padraig Nally!
This issue is certainly the most controversial in Ireland right now and was debated last night on the Late Late Show. It bears alot of similarities to the Tony Martin case in Britain a few years ago. To those unfamiliar with it, allow me to explain it.61-year-old Co Mayo farmer, Padraig Nally, has been jailed for six years for the killing of a Traveller, John Ward, at his farm in October last year.
John Ward and his son Thomas had gone to Padraic Nally's farmhouse near the village of Cross just after lunch time on October 14.
It was heard in court that Thomas Ward asked Mr Nally if his white Nissan car was for sale.
John Ward was seen by Mr Nally entering his home by the back door.
The farmer got his loaded shotgun from a hay shed and the Traveller was shot in the hip and hand as he emerged from the house.
In a violent struggle, which followed, Ward was hit 20 times with a thick piece of ash.
As he made his way from the farmyard, Nally returned to the hay shed, reloaded and followed Ward down the road.
John Ward was shot a second time and died at the scene. Padraic Nally pulled his body across the road and put it into a field.
Sgt Carroll told Mr O’Higgins SC that Mr Nally is a bachelor who lives alone and has never come to the attention of the gardaí before this incident. He said Mr Nally is a small farmer who is "well regarded by his friends and neighbours in the Funshinagh and the surrounding area".
Sgt Carroll agreed with defence barrister Mr Brendan Grehan SC, that Mr Nally had been living in fear after being robbed and unwelcome strangers had come to his house.
Sgt Carroll agreed with Mr Grehan SC that Mr Nally was "out of his mind with fear" on the day of the fatal shooting.
Sentencing Nally, Mr Justice Paul Carney said it was the most difficult matter he had to deal with in more than 14 years on the bench.
My take on this is that Ireland has witnessed a grave miscarriage of justice. Should Padraig Nally be in jail? Certainly not!
The most important right a person has in society is the right to defend themselves. When the English political scientist Thomas Hobbes outlined his views on the social contract (which detailed how a society ought to be governed), he was in favour of giving up all rights to the Sovereign with the exception of one right which he believed could not be sacrified under any circumstances - the right to defend oneself.
People have argued that Mr Nally should be locked up as he went too far in the way he acted towards Mr Ward. Well isn't hindsight a beautiful thing? The fact is, when faced with a situation akin to the one Mr Nally faced, reason and rational thinking go out the window. Something primeval takes over, based on instinct. It's unfortunate that nowadays in society more concern is shown to the perpetrators of crime than the victims themselves!
If Mr Ward had not set out to commit a crime in the first place then none of this would have happened. In my opinion, when you set out to commit a crime and to deny people their rights, you should automatically forfeit your rights!
Mr Nally was under tremendous psychological strain. What about showing some consideration to him? A man who had never had trouble with the law previously?A suspended sentence would have been far better than six years in jail.
Right now a man is in prison who shouldn't be there. A man who was imprisoned pyschologically by perpetrators of crime, who found himself compromised and who took action to defend himself, now is literally imprisoned at the behest of the judicial system we have in this country.
It seems to me that the majority of popular opinion in this country is on the side of Mr Nally and the elected representatives of this country would do well to take notice of that.
Criminals get a slap on the wrist in modern society whilst the men who take action to defend themselves and their property against criminals get locked up! Utter madness!
Free Padraig Nally now!
Unionism, Ireland and World War I
I spoke already about how remembrance celebrations relating to World War I can be an awkward time for Irish people in light of the more pressing events which occurred at home at the time. One major issue of the time was to do with the proposed idea of conscription. In Ireland, this was vehemently opposed, much to the anger of unionist leaders. I've been reading a book called 'Dividing Ireland: World War I and Partition' by Thomas Hennessey and I thought these comments from the two unionists leaders, Edward Carson and James Craig, were very interesting and particularly relevant at this point in time.Edward Carson stated that:
"...in my heart...when the hour of victory comes...we who are Irishmen will feel ashamed to remember that we expected others to make sacrifices from which we provided our own exclusion."
Captain James Craig had this to say:
"My...words to my Nationalist...country-men are these: It has always been a pride to a man, no matter what part of the country he came from, to say he was an Irishman. If he was travelling abroad and he was taxed with the question as to where he came from, he would not hesitate to say in the past that he was an Irishman. But if Ireland, if the Irish nationalist representatives...refuse to come forward and take their fair share...alongside...the rest of the United Kingdom, then I say for my part if this victory is gained it will be no pleasure to me to call myself an Irishman, and in future it will either have to be a Britisher or an Ulsterman."
I do disagree with the stance taken by both unionist leaders on the conscription issue because massive public demonstrations took place both in Belfast and in the south in opposition to conscription and clearly the majority of Irish people opposed it. It's never really been popular and NI was even exempt from conscription in the Second World War, and was also excluded from the post-war National Service.
What I find most interesting though from the above quotes is the fact that here we have two unionist leaders, who identify themselves as Irishmen, who contemplate (and in Craig's case go through with) repudiating their Irishness over a political issue. In subsequent decades, more and more northern Irishmen repudiated their Irishness over political (and more specifically terrorist) issues. So with that being said, it begs the question...
Can those unionists who have repudiated their Irishness be reconciled to it?
Googlism + maca = Hilarity
Hey I've come across my new favourite thing on the internet - Googlism!
Ladies and gents I give you the best of United Irelander contributor and editor of Raiméis, maca:
maca is an adaptogen herb
maca is available for menopause
maca is the herb for menopause
maca is used for menopause (Seriously maca, whats with you and the menopause?!)
maca is not viagra™
maca is nature's gift to men (I knew it!)
maca is often overlooked (Not today!)
maca is used to improve impotence (?!)
maca is a food (Eh?!)
maca is your answer to increased sexual enjoyment (Ooh er!)
maca is a valuable commodity (He sure is!)
I won't pick on maca alone though how about some things on A Tangled Web's Plastic Paddy Andrew McCann?:
andrew mccann is a culmination of fine talents and expertise in lawn irrigation (Wow, who knew?!)
andrew mccann is a 16 year old high school student who expects to earn $6 (Ah that explains alot!)
And last but by no means least, I give you the dirt on Slugger O'Toole's Pete Baker:
pete baker is indeed part of the programming team and you can catch him weekday evenings 7
pete baker is wondering why anyone would lock him into a jiffy john
pete baker is currently working in the soft porn industry in la (altogether now - LOL!)
Googlism - it's gonna be huge I'm tellin' ya!
Ladies and gents I give you the best of United Irelander contributor and editor of Raiméis, maca:
maca is an adaptogen herb
maca is available for menopause
maca is the herb for menopause
maca is used for menopause (Seriously maca, whats with you and the menopause?!)
maca is not viagra™
maca is nature's gift to men (I knew it!)
maca is often overlooked (Not today!)
maca is used to improve impotence (?!)
maca is a food (Eh?!)
maca is your answer to increased sexual enjoyment (Ooh er!)
maca is a valuable commodity (He sure is!)
I won't pick on maca alone though how about some things on A Tangled Web's Plastic Paddy Andrew McCann?:
andrew mccann is a culmination of fine talents and expertise in lawn irrigation (Wow, who knew?!)
andrew mccann is a 16 year old high school student who expects to earn $6 (Ah that explains alot!)
And last but by no means least, I give you the dirt on Slugger O'Toole's Pete Baker:
pete baker is indeed part of the programming team and you can catch him weekday evenings 7
pete baker is wondering why anyone would lock him into a jiffy john
pete baker is currently working in the soft porn industry in la (altogether now - LOL!)
Googlism - it's gonna be huge I'm tellin' ya!
NI's citizens second-best to the rest
I came across the following courtesy of Jefferson Davis over on his blog. - NI has the lowest salary wages of any other region in the UK; in fact, the national average is £22,411 and NI is £17,366.
- The north of Ireland's cost of living is 4.9% less than the national average, but that does not cover the low wages.
- In addition, the NI elite civil servants have an average salary of £100,000 plus expenses.
Says Jefferson:
"I’ve always wondered why the Northern Irish are always rioting, I have a good understanding now. This is pure bunk."
It's not a great endorsement of NI is it? Is NI really working for the people of the North?
To unionists I ask, why play second fiddle to the rest of the inhabitants of the UK who, if opinion polls are anything to go by, don't really care whether you're part of their country or not, when you can join in with your fellow Irishmen in the south and create a new state where you are wanted and welcomed and where you can offer your families a greater quality of life?
Why let the Brits regard you as the spongers of the United Kingdom when your compatriots in the island of Ireland see you as an integral part of a reunified Ireland?
Friday, November 11, 2005
United Irelander and a United Ireland!
Hey if you try typing 'United Ireland' into Google, you'll get this result:
'United Ireland'
That's right! Yours truly is on the front page! ('Bout bleedin' time!) Now I just need to work my way to the top!
'United Ireland'
That's right! Yours truly is on the front page! ('Bout bleedin' time!) Now I just need to work my way to the top!
Shannon stopover to be phased out
The Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, has signed an agreement with the US Secretary of Transport, Norman Mineta, which will see the phasing out of the Shannon stopover by April 2008.The stopover will go under an open skies agreement between the EU and the US due to be finalised next week.
The transition period will begin in November of next year; during that time the number of flights having to stop in Shannon will be reduced to one in four on any scheduled route.
Also three new US destinations will be made available to Aer Lingus.
I guess it's good to see this happen because, if nothing else, it will mean an end to these loony lefties who are on our screens all the time whining and groaning, pissing and moaning about Shannon airport being used by the US military. Some of them actually believe the mythical horseshit about Ireland having a 'tradition of neutrality'. Maybe if they picked up a history book they would realise how misguided they are but they only like to read books about America wanting Iraqi oil, it would seem.
No doubt they'll find some other American thing to protest about. Is a McDonalds boycott on the cards? Hey with these nutcases, anything's possible...
In remembrance
Today is a day to reflect on the great sacrifices made my men of amazing courage, 'lions led by donkeys', who have died in war.In Britain today, millions of people held a two-minute silence to mark Armistice Day.
The silence, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, represented the moment when all guns stopped at the end of World War.
For Irish people, days like today can be awkward because events like the two World Wars were overshadowed by events closer to home. Still, I don't think that should mean we ought to forget the role played by Irish people in these major events.
The man pictured above left is Francis Ledwidge, perhaps the most renowned Irish war poet of the time. Ledwidge, born in Slane,was a founder member of the Irish volunteers and on the outbreak of war, he joined the Royal Inniskillen Fusilliers in Dublin. In 1915 he saw action at Suvla Bay in Turkey. Having survived Gallipoli, he was dismayed by the news of the Easter Rising and the execution by the British of his good friend and fellow poet Thomas MacDonagh and felt he had to get out of the British army as soon as possible. He was court-martialled and demoted for overstaying his home leave and lost his lance corporal stripe, though this hardly bothered him. On July 31st the 1st Battalion of the Royal Inniskillen Fusiliers of which Frank was a member were repairing the road to Pilkem near the village of Boezinghe northwest of Ieper (Ypres). In the afternoon of that day a shell exploded beside them, killing one officer and five enlisted men, among them Ledwidge. Chaplain Father Devas was among the first to arrive on the scene. That night he wrote in his diary:
"Ledwidge killed, blown to bits…"
Francis Ledgwidge's most notable work is the poem he wrote for his executed friend, 'Lament for Thomas MacDonagh'. However, I feel a more apt poem to highlight at this time would be the poem he wrote called 'Home' written days before he would meet his death. Ledwidge's unit was ordered north into Belgium in preparation for the third Battle of Ypres. Despite the horror of war his love for nature and his home remained unabated and one day during a lull in the bombardment he heard a robin singing which inspired this poem...
HOME
A burst of sudden wings at dawn,
Faint voices in a dreamy noon,
Evenings of mist and murmurings,
And night with rainbows of the moon.
And through these things a wood-way dim,
And waters dim, and slow sheep seen
On uphill paths that wind away
Through summer sounds and harvest green.
This is a song a robin sang
This morning on a broken tree,
It was about the little fields
That call across the world to me.
You can read more about the life of Francis Ledwidge here. On this day, let us remember all the brave men like Francis Ledwidge who fought with their lives in horrific circumstances and who showed more courage than any of us could ever dream of. God bless them.
Fun Irelander Feature - Let me finish...
Emma has come up with a post which requires blogger participation in finishing off a few sentences. I thought that I too would come up with a post which requires you to finish off a few sentences but I thought I'd make it a bit more relevant to our little green island. Non-Irish people are more than welcome to complete the sentences too of course! So without further ado:
1. The most beautiful part of Ireland is...Tramore, County Waterford. I have always loved it there and I think Tramore beach is beautiful. If you've never been to Tramore, consider going!
2. The worst part of Ireland is...Cork's city centre. It lacks the charm and tradition you associate with Dublin's city centre and I found it quite soulless myself.
3. When I think of Ireland, I think of...O'Connell Street. To me, O'Connell Street IS Ireland!
4. The great thing about Ireland is...we're still standing even after all the difficulties we've been through.
5. The great shame about Ireland is...that we've had to put up with so many difficulties!
6. I think Irish politics is...complex, intriguing, frustrating, depressing and quite amusing.
7. My favourite Irish saying is...Ah would you g'way outta that!
8. The Irish person I'd most like to slap is...Ryan Tubridy. There are plenty of other contenders though...
9. The greatest Irishman of all time is...Eamon de Valera. He did it all!
10. The future for Ireland involves...a United Ireland!
So there you have it. Feel free to comment on my choices or better yet, offer up some answers yourself!
1. The most beautiful part of Ireland is...Tramore, County Waterford. I have always loved it there and I think Tramore beach is beautiful. If you've never been to Tramore, consider going!
2. The worst part of Ireland is...Cork's city centre. It lacks the charm and tradition you associate with Dublin's city centre and I found it quite soulless myself.
3. When I think of Ireland, I think of...O'Connell Street. To me, O'Connell Street IS Ireland!
4. The great thing about Ireland is...we're still standing even after all the difficulties we've been through.
5. The great shame about Ireland is...that we've had to put up with so many difficulties!
6. I think Irish politics is...complex, intriguing, frustrating, depressing and quite amusing.
7. My favourite Irish saying is...Ah would you g'way outta that!
8. The Irish person I'd most like to slap is...Ryan Tubridy. There are plenty of other contenders though...
9. The greatest Irishman of all time is...Eamon de Valera. He did it all!
10. The future for Ireland involves...a United Ireland!
So there you have it. Feel free to comment on my choices or better yet, offer up some answers yourself!
Anti-Americanism evident amongst TDs
This story leaves me sick to my stomach and leaves me shaking my head at the stupidity of some of the democratically elected represenatives of my country. Get this - a number of opposition TDs have called on the State to drop charges against five anti-war activists accused of causing criminal damage to a US warplane.That's right. You read that correctly. DROP CHARGES!
The five, who are all members of the Catholic Worker organisation, attacked the aircraft with axes and hammers at Shannon Airport in February 2003, as the US was preparing to invade Iraq.
What's really pathetic here is the reason they gave for why they shouldn't be imprisoned for their activities. They have argued that they had a lawful excuse as they were trying to save the lives of innocent Iraqis and prevent a greater crime from taking place. Dear oh dear! Absolutely pathetic!
The TDs calling for their release include Green Party chairman John Gormley, Sinn Féin's Aengus O Snodaigh and independents Finian McGrath and Tony Gregory.
Now I can understand a Shinner defending criminality but what's the deal with the others? Gormley is an utter disgrace and should do us all a favour and find a few trees to hug.
These people who attacked the aeroplane are criminals. CRIMINALS.
I respect that the war in Iraq is a divisive issue and that people are entitled to their opinions on the issue but there should be no division as it relates to these people. They tampered with an aeroplane for feck's sake - with axes and hammers! Only 17 months after 9/11!
These people should be locked up and the key should be thrown away. They disgraced this country and they disgraced themselves and I don't have one bit of sympathy for these criminals. They brought shame on my nation as have the very politicians who have come out in defence of them. Shame on all concerned!
No football please - we're Scottish
I welcome the recent decision by the Scottish FA who have ruled out particpating in a Great Britain football team at the London 2012 Olympics.The Scottish FA had been given written assurances by Fifa president Sepp Blatter that taking part in the 2012 Games would not affect their separate identity in world football.
But the Scots fear that Blatter may not be in power in 2012 and his successor may have other views.
The Welsh FA, having initially opposed the idea, are now deciding whether to reconsider but most worryingly of all is the news that NI are in favour of such a team.
I think it ill behoves the IFA to allow Irish players to particpate in a British team. It also makes the IFA out to be liars as they have preached before about how inclusive they are yet here they are ready and willing to participate in a venture that they know nationalists will not support!
The union jack isn't even used at NI matches so why are the IFA intent on alienating nationalists in this way? This is a particularly pertinent question as apparently it's acceptable for Belfast city council to restrict nationalists from, to quote some unionists, 'hijacking' St Patrick's Day yet the IFA are seemingly intent on 'hijacking' the London 2012 Olympics for unionists! What gives?
The IFA and the Welsh FA should adopt the stance taken by the SFA which is definitely the correct one.
Hello Mary Lou...
I came across this letter in Daily Ireland by Sinn Féin's favourite Dub Mary Lou McDonald regarding Sinn Féin's celebrations for its SUPPOSED centenary. (We all know better!) I have to say, she does talk some rubbish! Permit me to explain what I mean by highlighting some excerpts from the piece:"One hundred years old, Sinn Féin celebrated our centenary year with a birthday bash in the City West Hotel, Co Dublin on Saturday evening last. It was an occasion to re-evaluate republicanism past, present and future."
Wow there must have been some looks of bewilderment on Shinner faces when you re-evaluated Arthur Griffith's brand of Republicanism which bears no resemblance to your own!
"The keynote address by Party President Gerry Adams focused on the journey which Irish republicans have taken and the emergence of a strong confident nationalist people prepared to reach out the hand of friendship and reconciliation to unionists and others."
There was alcohol at this celebration, wasn't there?
"It certainly seems that everyone wants to be an Irish Republican these days."
Everyone except Sinn Féin. Huh-ho!
"Fianna Fail, the SDLP and even Fine Gael want to get it in on the act lately."
Very revealing how Mary Lou refers to Republicanism as an 'act'. Freudian slip?
"The fact that not one other party in the Dail could bring themselves to support the Sinn Féin motion on Irish Reunification last week is disappointing."
It sure is. I guess Sinn Féin need to stop putting forward disappointing ideas! Perhaps a tad more re-evaluation is in order?
"What is required is more than an aspiration for Irish unity, but the real practical planning for how the island can be shared post partition. The other parties need to move beyond the rhetoric and sit down with all of those interested in bringing this about."
Um, surely what's needed is to sit down with all of those who aren't interested in bringing this about?
"Part of the process of building our new Ireland is through the recognition of and respect for diversity in Ireland."
What, you mean like this?
Good old Mary Lou. She's good for a laugh at least!
I said Hello Mary Lou
Goodbye common sense...
Davis desires England-only voting
This may be of interest to our English friends here and here across the sea. Conservative leadership hopeful David Davis has said Scottish, Welsh and NI MPs will be barred from voting on English laws if he becomes Prime Minister.He pledged England-only votes in the House of Commons - but ruled out a separate English Parliament.
"Only English MPs could vote, let's say, on English education policies or English health policies," he said.
The British government has been criticised for relying on votes of Scottish MPs to get controversial English laws through.
"We would have an English vote, which only allows English MPs to vote on matters which affect England only," said Davies.
Even though he is not in favour of an English parliament it's an interesting stance he has taken. How will English nationalists greet this news I wonder?
Friday Fun's Fascinating Fact
Dog owners in Turin, Italy can be fined up to $650 if they don't walk their dog at least three times a day!
Wow that's a lot of euros! I'd be broke if I lived there! Perhaps Antonio can shed some light on this bizarre law?
Wow that's a lot of euros! I'd be broke if I lived there! Perhaps Antonio can shed some light on this bizarre law?
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Sinn Féin covering up collusion
A row has erupted today in Ireland's north between the two nationalist parties over claims that Sinn Féin had secured legislation which would cover up the truth about collusion between members of the security forces and loyalist terror groups.SDLP leader Mark Durkan was accused of making insensitive and ill-informed comments after he claimed Sinn Féin had negotiated an amnesty for rogue members of the police and British army which would keep them out of jail.
The Foyle MP said yesterday: "That may not bother the British Government or Sinn Féin.
"It will certainly go down well with the (British ) army’s Secret Forces Research Unit that spearheaded collusion.
"But it will bother victims of state planned murder. They have not been consulted about a word of this.
"We have seen collusion in the past between the state and paramilitaries. Now we are seeing collusion on the past between Sinn Féin and the British government - each helping the other to cover up their dirty secrets."
"Unlike the SDLP, Sinn Féin has always supported the victims of state violence and collusion," Alex Maskey responded.
The SDLP's Justice Spokesman Alban McGuiness backed his leader's claims though.
"It covers not just Provisionals, but loyalists and people in the police or (British) army who committed murder," the North Belfast MLA said.
"Not one of them will do time, and that is what Sinn Féin has signed up to.
"It is a good deal for Sinn Féin, whose Provo associates walk scot-free without even having to turn up in court.
"It is a good deal for the British government, which can close the books on everything from the Finucane murder to the Dublin/Monaghan bombings without answering awkward questions.
"But it is a very bad deal for everyone else."
This is an outrage! The Shinners have signed up to proposals which deny Irish people justice purely so they can protect their terrorist friends!
They are an absolute disgrace to Irish Republicanism. I salute the SDLP for tackling Sinn Féin on this issue. Sinn Féin have sunk to a new low. Shame on them.
Thursday Thoughts: Gordon Brown
Henry MacDonald has written this interesting article in relation to the UK's chancellor and future British PM, (come on you know it's gonna happen), Gordon Brown, and his attitude towards Ireland's north, particularly as it relates to the North's economic situation. He writes:"Mr Brown and the Treasury are all too aware of the economic black hole that is parts of Northern Ireland, particularly those completely dependent on welfare. The chancellor has made no major pronouncements about Northern Ireland policy, appearing aloof and above the problems that have dogged Tony Blair's Good Friday agreement. Both the DUP and Sinn Féin may therefore end up as disappointed as Beckett's characters waiting for Godot. The only thing these parties can be guaranteed, is that while direct rule from Westminster pertains and Brown seeks to slash the public spending bill across the UK, is pain in terms of water charges, massive cuts in the numbers of civil servants and a general reduction in the welfare budget."
Personally, I believe that Gordon Brown will follow the line of thinking that recent British governments have been following towards Ireland's north - that the annual subsidy of £1.5bn needs to be gotten rid of as soon as possible for the benefit of mainland British citizens and therefore every effort should be made to bring about a United Ireland. The north of Ireland is a sponge that soaks up British time and money and it is in Britain's interest to be free of its grip.
Brown knows that better than anybody because of his current post and he knows that further down the line a United Ireland is best for all concerned. For the economic well-being of Britain, Ireland and the EU.
In other words, it makes cents.
Rename 'queen's highway' - Sinn Féin
This won't go down too well in the Unionist community! Sinn Féin have proposed renaming 'Queen Elizabeth' road in Enniskillen, along which a boulevard is currently being constructed.The idea was proposed by Brian McCaffrey, the leader of the Sinn Féin grouping in the Townhall, at an earlier committee meeting, but only got a short mention at Monday's Council Meeting.
Unsurprisingly, unionists are against the idea.
"There are alot of streets that would be nationalist but at the same time, I wouldn't like to see them taken away. I would not like to think our heritage would be tampered with whatsoever. That's the way I would feel about it," said DUP Councillor Bert Johnson.
I must say I agree with the Unionists on this one. Is this what we in the Republic have to look forward to if Sinn Féin gain a greater foothold down here? Traditions being tampered with? Would Henry Street in Dublin be in for a name change too?
Let's not forget this bit of news from a few months back where Sinn Féin's Brian Crowe called for the removal of 1,000 pre-1922 post boxes which, although painted green, still carried the Royal crown and insignia!
Come on Sinn Féin! Stop rewriting the past and instead plan for the future!
The horrors of war
Check out this video. (Not for the faint of heart)
It's a video, obtained by ABCNEWS, which shows grainy images of three Iraqis on the ground handling a long cylindrical object that the helicopter pilots believe is a weapon. The pilots, from the Army's 4th Infantry Division, ask their commanders for permission to engage, then take the three men out one by one, using the Apache's devastating 30 mm cannons.
Shockingly however it appears the people in the video are innocent civilians and that the targets respectively were a tractor and a grain drill and a truck full of seed and fertilizer next to a pick-up truck full of tools.
More information can be read here.
"A senior Army official who viewed the tape said the pilots had the legal right to kill the men because they were carrying a weapon. He said there were no ground troops in the area and if the Apache pilots had let the three Iraqis go, the men might have gone on to kill American troops."
The video reveals the true horrors of warfare. I must say that the gung-ho attitude of the US military, as evidenced in the video, is terribly disturbing indeed.
God bless those civilians.
It's a video, obtained by ABCNEWS, which shows grainy images of three Iraqis on the ground handling a long cylindrical object that the helicopter pilots believe is a weapon. The pilots, from the Army's 4th Infantry Division, ask their commanders for permission to engage, then take the three men out one by one, using the Apache's devastating 30 mm cannons.
Shockingly however it appears the people in the video are innocent civilians and that the targets respectively were a tractor and a grain drill and a truck full of seed and fertilizer next to a pick-up truck full of tools.
More information can be read here.
"A senior Army official who viewed the tape said the pilots had the legal right to kill the men because they were carrying a weapon. He said there were no ground troops in the area and if the Apache pilots had let the three Iraqis go, the men might have gone on to kill American troops."
The video reveals the true horrors of warfare. I must say that the gung-ho attitude of the US military, as evidenced in the video, is terribly disturbing indeed.
God bless those civilians.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Blair suffers defeat - So what?
I see the British media are in a bit of a tizzy over the fact that Tony Blair suffered his first House of Commons defeat as PM.MPs voted against a proposal to detain terror suspects for up to 90 days without charging them by 322 votes to 291, with 49 Labour MPs rebelling.
Conservative leader Michael Howard said Mr Blair should resign. Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy warned Mr Blair could become a "lame duck" leader.
Pardon my ignorance on this matter but as a neutral observer of this, why is it such a big deal? It's his FIRST defeat. Maybe if it was a recurring thing there would be cause for concern.
Not only that but most of his party's MPs supported the proposal and it only failed because the Tories and the Liberal Democrats rejected it en masse.
Also, as I understand it, popular support was behind the proposal. So again I ask, why is this such a big deal?
Anyone?
Irish Unity - Why not?
Jo over at JoBlog made this interesting post asking any nationalists or Republicans who thought they were 'ard enuff' to convince her that a United Ireland would be a good thing. I gave her a list of reasons as to why it was of benefit but the cheeky thing didn't reply so I don't know what she made of them! (Unionists eh?) Anyway, I thought I would post up the reasons I gave and ask any unionists here on United Irelander to give their thoughts on what I said. So with that being said, here's why unionists should consider a United Ireland:
- More power and more sway. Unionists are a tiny minority in the United Kingdom but would be a very significant minority in a United Ireland.
- More prosperity. The North's economy has been a failure but if there was an all-Ireland economy there would be increasing north-south trade flows and, more importantly, a strengthening of indigenous industries.
- There would be a greater standard of living. Ireland has been mentioned as one of the best places to live by economists in recent times.
- The 'Irish problem' which has plagued people for centuries and which has been a general nuisance for people and politicians alike would be solved, which would give future generations the chance to build an Ireland free from the shackles of history.
- A chance to unite the province of Ulster as well. I favour a federal system of government in which Ulster could run its own affairs and this would mend the split between the 6 Ulster counties and the three Ulster counties of the Republic - Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan. Irish unity as well as Ulster unity.
- An end to the tribal politics which has plagued the North for decades. An end to people defining themselves based on 'unionist' and nationalist' tags.
In short, it would offer us all in Ireland - north, south, east and west - the chance of a new state with a new set of principles. A new future with new goals. It would also send a message to the people of the world that peaceful solutions can be reached which can satisfy all of us. I believe we can have a United Ireland that unionists, nationalists and everybody else can identify with.
So with that being said, why don't we go for it? Your thoughts?
- More power and more sway. Unionists are a tiny minority in the United Kingdom but would be a very significant minority in a United Ireland.
- More prosperity. The North's economy has been a failure but if there was an all-Ireland economy there would be increasing north-south trade flows and, more importantly, a strengthening of indigenous industries.
- There would be a greater standard of living. Ireland has been mentioned as one of the best places to live by economists in recent times.
- The 'Irish problem' which has plagued people for centuries and which has been a general nuisance for people and politicians alike would be solved, which would give future generations the chance to build an Ireland free from the shackles of history.
- A chance to unite the province of Ulster as well. I favour a federal system of government in which Ulster could run its own affairs and this would mend the split between the 6 Ulster counties and the three Ulster counties of the Republic - Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan. Irish unity as well as Ulster unity.
- An end to the tribal politics which has plagued the North for decades. An end to people defining themselves based on 'unionist' and nationalist' tags.
In short, it would offer us all in Ireland - north, south, east and west - the chance of a new state with a new set of principles. A new future with new goals. It would also send a message to the people of the world that peaceful solutions can be reached which can satisfy all of us. I believe we can have a United Ireland that unionists, nationalists and everybody else can identify with.
So with that being said, why don't we go for it? Your thoughts?
Deserted, not deserters
Did any of you watch the Spotlight programme which aired on the BBC on Tuesday night? It centred around the 26 Irish born soldiers, who had volunteered to fight for the British, who were executed by the British military for desertion. Most were clearly victims of shellshock but at the time they were branded "cowards".There is a campaign underway to attain pardons for these men and it has attracted support from various strands of political opinion, from John Hume to Ian Paisley. Brian Cowen has pledged the Irish government's support.
I think that it's high time these men were pardoned. They were wrongfully branded cowards and this must be an awful burden to carry for the descendents of these men. They weren't cowards. They were victims - and they didn't deserve the fate that awaited them.
What is particularly interesting is the number of Irish soldiers executed. Dr Gerard Oram has researched the number of Irishmen executed and has concluded that "More Irish troops were being executed than any other in the British Army". You can read about his findings here.
What are your thoughts on the men who were executed for desertion? Do they deserve pardons?
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
A bit of craic in the sack
Here's a bit of racy news for you. Apparently Irish people have sex around twice-a-week on average, according to an online survey conducted by a leading condom manufacturer.The company said Irish respondents to the survey indicated that they had sex an average of 98 times a year, compared to 138 times in Greece and just 45 times in Japan.
It also said the average Irish respondent had 11.1 sexual partners in their lifetime, while half of respondents said they used a sex toy or enhancement product and 30% said they had engaged in bondage.
Elsewhere, 62% of Irish respondents said they had experienced a one-night stand, 12% admitted having an affair and 58% admitted having unprotected sex without knowing the sexual history of their partner.
I would normally sum up this kind of post with a cheeky and perhaps inappropriate comment but I think this time I'll leave that up to yourselves.
Now where did I leave those handcuffs?
Top Ten Tuesday - Unionist gripes
To say unionism is a negative political ideology would be a bit of an understatement. Surely the most ardent unionist supporter would have to concede that unionism is and always has been most effective and cohesive when it is in opposition to something. Enemies bring out the best in unionism, be they real or imaginary. With that being the case, it's not surprising that unionism has alot of gripes and seeing as there seems to be alot of whingeing from unionist circles these days (mostly from Dr Evil and the gang) I thought that for this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday I'd list the top ten unionist gripes. So without further ado:
1. United Ireland - Of course this is the main gripe for unionists. The idea of all Irish people in Ireland coming together in one Irish state. The siege mentality is still prevalent within unionism and despite the fact that many real and legitimate concerns about a United Ireland have now disppeared, imaginations still run wild regarding how this all-Ireland state would function.
2. Blocked marches - God forbid we stop some unionists marching down nationalist roads and deny them their right to antagonise the locals! Unionists cannot grasp why nationalists oppose these marches which hark back to the days of unionist dominance over Irish nationalists. The violence from the Orange Order a few months back still hasn't given them food for thought!
3. The past - Don't mention the oppression! Many unionists don't like it when the past is brought up as evidence of their shocking abuse of power. The discrimination that nationalists suffered in the NI state is a non-issue and is dismissed as 'MOPEry'. And you really don't want to mention the discrimination whilst throwing in the word 'Nazi'...
4. The Irish Republic - Unionists don't like the state of IRELAND having a role in events in 'Northern IRELAND'. Northern nationalists feel an affinity with southern nationalists but unionists want nothing to do with southern nationalists thus alienating themselves from northern nationalists! A vicious circle. Do they care? Do they 'eck! As far as they're concerned, the Republic has no right to interfere in the North's affairs!
5. Colombia Three - This is an interesting one. Three men who are from the Irish Republic who got involved in an international dispute and yet unionists feel so strongly about the issue that they bring it up with the EU and even send MPs to visit Colombia! Now remember - it's not acceptable for the South to take an interest in the North's affairs but it is OK for the North to take an interest in the South's affairs! Hypocrisy? Of course not!
6.Irish nationalism - Of course it's unacceptable for nationalists to be nationalists! How dare Sinn Féin desire a United Ireland! How dare Fianna Fáil take on a Republican stance! It is all so very insulting towards unionists don't you know?!
7. Cross-border structures - This is the new complaint. Any structure which is seen to promote the idea of co-operation and cohesion is of course frowned upon.
8. Irish flag - As evidenced in recent days, the Irish tricolour is looked upon as a hate symbol. On bonfire nights, many unionists delight in burning the Irish flag. In that sense it is a hate symbol. It symbolises their hate.
9. Irish anthem - Amhran na bhFiann is of course vehemently opposed. Apparently it sends out a bad message to the unionist community. The fact that the majority of the Irish people don't know what the words are in Irish never mind English is unimportant!
10. St. Patrick's Day parade - The most recent issue. Apparently wearing the colours most associated with Irishness, green, white and orange, sends out a bad message! A message of hatred and intolerance! Orange Order parades in which NO Catholics are permitted to join in the festivities are perfectly acceptable but an expression of Irish culture is totally unacceptable! Hey, fair is fair right?!
So there you have it. The top ten unionist gripes. Feel free to comment on my choices or to offer up some of your own. (I'm sure you can offer up plenty more!)
1. United Ireland - Of course this is the main gripe for unionists. The idea of all Irish people in Ireland coming together in one Irish state. The siege mentality is still prevalent within unionism and despite the fact that many real and legitimate concerns about a United Ireland have now disppeared, imaginations still run wild regarding how this all-Ireland state would function.
2. Blocked marches - God forbid we stop some unionists marching down nationalist roads and deny them their right to antagonise the locals! Unionists cannot grasp why nationalists oppose these marches which hark back to the days of unionist dominance over Irish nationalists. The violence from the Orange Order a few months back still hasn't given them food for thought!
3. The past - Don't mention the oppression! Many unionists don't like it when the past is brought up as evidence of their shocking abuse of power. The discrimination that nationalists suffered in the NI state is a non-issue and is dismissed as 'MOPEry'. And you really don't want to mention the discrimination whilst throwing in the word 'Nazi'...
4. The Irish Republic - Unionists don't like the state of IRELAND having a role in events in 'Northern IRELAND'. Northern nationalists feel an affinity with southern nationalists but unionists want nothing to do with southern nationalists thus alienating themselves from northern nationalists! A vicious circle. Do they care? Do they 'eck! As far as they're concerned, the Republic has no right to interfere in the North's affairs!
5. Colombia Three - This is an interesting one. Three men who are from the Irish Republic who got involved in an international dispute and yet unionists feel so strongly about the issue that they bring it up with the EU and even send MPs to visit Colombia! Now remember - it's not acceptable for the South to take an interest in the North's affairs but it is OK for the North to take an interest in the South's affairs! Hypocrisy? Of course not!
6.Irish nationalism - Of course it's unacceptable for nationalists to be nationalists! How dare Sinn Féin desire a United Ireland! How dare Fianna Fáil take on a Republican stance! It is all so very insulting towards unionists don't you know?!
7. Cross-border structures - This is the new complaint. Any structure which is seen to promote the idea of co-operation and cohesion is of course frowned upon.
8. Irish flag - As evidenced in recent days, the Irish tricolour is looked upon as a hate symbol. On bonfire nights, many unionists delight in burning the Irish flag. In that sense it is a hate symbol. It symbolises their hate.
9. Irish anthem - Amhran na bhFiann is of course vehemently opposed. Apparently it sends out a bad message to the unionist community. The fact that the majority of the Irish people don't know what the words are in Irish never mind English is unimportant!
10. St. Patrick's Day parade - The most recent issue. Apparently wearing the colours most associated with Irishness, green, white and orange, sends out a bad message! A message of hatred and intolerance! Orange Order parades in which NO Catholics are permitted to join in the festivities are perfectly acceptable but an expression of Irish culture is totally unacceptable! Hey, fair is fair right?!
So there you have it. The top ten unionist gripes. Feel free to comment on my choices or to offer up some of your own. (I'm sure you can offer up plenty more!)
Proper respect
I was heartened to read of this story on Monday in the Irish Independent about a remembrance service which took place in Derry where the Union Flag flew beside the Irish Tricolour for the first time at such an event in Ireland's north.People from across Ireland stood at the cenotaph in Derry to remember men from both sides of the border who died fighting for British forces.
Glen Barr, who works to promote reconciliation through remembrance, said it was an important day.
"We're saying it's great if we can do it in Belgium, now we have to start doing it in Ireland and that's exactly what we're starting to do," he added.
Retired Garda PJ O'Halloran from the Inishowen Partnership in Co Donegal told the Irish Independent he found the ceremony deeply moving.
"A lot of work has gone into this over the last few years," he said.
"I honestly didn't ever think I would see the day when the tricolour and the union flag would be carried alongside each other at an event such as this, but I am delighted to be a part of it," he added, noting that it was a sign that people were working to overcome their problems through dialogue rather than with guns.
The eloquent words of Mr Barr and Mr O'Halloran will hopefully send out a message to those people in the North, particularly Belfast city council, who seem to think that such events cannot or should not be done!
Instead, these sad people choose to look on the Irish tricolour as a hate symbol rather than what it really is - a symbol of pride and hope, respected and supported by millions of people across the island.
Thanks to Belfast city council, bigotry gained a victory as both communities will now be denied the chance to show pride in their respective identities on St. Patrick's Day. However, thanks to the sensible folks involved in the remembrance celebration in Derry, a victory was gained for those who believe in respecting all races, colours and creeds. A victory was gained for all those who believe in equality and tolerance.
In short, a victory was gained for those who believe in people!
Monday, November 07, 2005
Monday Madness - Paddy's Day farce
I came across this article in the Sunday Times (hat-tip A Tangled Web) regarding Belfast city council's plans to organise a politically neutral St Patrick’s Day festival with neither a drink nor a tricolour in sight. As they report:"The council seems set to approve a £110,000 (€164,000) budget for a politically correct festival in which the crowd will only be allowed to wave culturally neutral rainbow-coloured shamrock or the cross of St Patrick.
"Those wearing partisan clothing, such as Glasgow Rangers or Celtic tops, will be offered large green T-shirts to put over them. There is also expected to be a ban on people painting their faces green, white and orange, or in the colours of the Union Jack."
What a disgrace! Let's get something straight here. St. Patrick's Day is IRELAND'S DAY. It's the one day in the year that we actually get to show how proud we are of our country - and now not all of us will be allowed to!
Belfast city council should be ashamed of themselves. There is absolutely nothing wrong in young Irish children waving tricolours and sporting faces painted green, white and orange. I have done it myself as a young child for the St. Patrick's Day parade in Dublin. It's a truly great day (weather permitting of course) in which we witness the floats, watch the acts on show and generally have a great time. Strangers all coming together for one day in a show of patriotism.
So why then must this be denied to the people of Belfast? They are just as Irish as I am. No more, no less. When a child from Dublin, Cork or Galway waves a tricolour it's alright but when a child from Belfast does it, apparently they are racist pigs! It makes me sick to my stomach!
The ludicrous thing about this is, there will be more Irish tricolours on display in the Patrick's Day parades in London and New York than in Belfast!
I find this hatred of the Irish flag particularly ghastly and how dare they have the audacity to proclaim the St. Patrick's cross a neutral symbol! This is the symbol that the British regard as the Irish flag, not the Irish! It is seen in the Union Jack for crying out loud! The Irish flag on the other hand has a noble symbolism and is a truly neutral symbol as it symbolises the green and orange of Catholicism and Protestantism respectively coming together in peace, symbolised by the colour white. It's unfortunate that Belfast city council regard my national flag as some sort of hate symbol!
Belfast city council has once more poured scorn on the great tradition of St. Patrick's Day with their own annual tradition - spitting on displays of Irish patriotism.
Shame on these bigots.
Should the Treaty have been signed?
On Wednesday I made this post regarding the story that recently-published memoirs of former Irish government minister and Nobel Peace prizewinner Sean MacBride revealed Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith were drinking excessively throughout the crucial Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations in London in December 1921. In the words of McBride, "I felt that they were letting down the country, that matters were not being taken sufficiently seriously." What I want to know though is whether or not you think the men did let down the country by singing the Treaty which culminated in the Irish Free State. Therefore I've added a new poll to United Irelander which asks the question:
Should the Treaty have been signed?
This was perhaps the most divisive issue in Irish political history and it lead eventually to a civil war. My own view on it is that the Treaty shouldn't have been signed and that the delegates made a big mistake. Even though the IRA were down to counting bullets at that stage in the view of Collins, they at least retained the moral superiority and I don't believe Lloyd George's threats would have been as "terrible" as he made out with American and global opinion watching closely.
I don't think it should have been signed. But what do you think?
Should the Treaty have been signed?
This was perhaps the most divisive issue in Irish political history and it lead eventually to a civil war. My own view on it is that the Treaty shouldn't have been signed and that the delegates made a big mistake. Even though the IRA were down to counting bullets at that stage in the view of Collins, they at least retained the moral superiority and I don't believe Lloyd George's threats would have been as "terrible" as he made out with American and global opinion watching closely.
I don't think it should have been signed. But what do you think?
Remember the brave, forget the politics
There's an interesting discussion going on over at Slugger in relation to who will be wearing a poppy in remembrance of those who died in British uniforms in World Wars I and II.I thought this was an interesting comment from 'Conor':
"I will remember those dead but wont wear a poppy, a truly one sided unionist symbol."
I find it both funny and strange that a flower can evoke such hostility!
I'd like to ask those who refuse to wear a poppy on the grounds that it's a British symbol if they would ever buy their loved ones a rose, which is of course an English symbol?
Well?
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Gregory Campbell - Thick as two planks
It seems like the DUP have returned to their comfort zone of whining and whingeing and general negativity as they have come out in criticism once more of the Good Friday Agreement and the cross-border structures.It was East Derry MP Gregory Campbell's turn to moan and groan this time and he didn't disappoint:
"The DUP desires a constructive relationship on issues of shared concern with our neighbours in the Irish Republic that is firmly built upon the foundation of mutual respect for one another's constitutional basis. That relationship cannot be based in any way, shape or form upon the unaccountable cross-border structures established by the Belfast agreement."
Gregory, you are aware that the European Union has structures in place which are of more relevance than the cross-border structures aren't you? I would have thought so seeing as your party used the European Parliament to complain about the Colombia Three which was an issue for the Irish Republic. That must be part of "the foundation of mutual respect for one another's constitutional basis" that Gregory is talking about!
Gregory wasn't done though. He came out with one of the dumbest comments uttered by a DUP member in a long time (well, in about a week I guess):
"Unionists did not support the agreement in 1998 and they certainly don't support it today."
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Fair enough you could make an argument that unionists don't support the agreement today but unionists did support the agreement in 1998. That is a widely held view.
Gregory Campbell eh? I'm sure he's great fun at parties though...
Saturday, November 05, 2005
So what do you want to hear?
So more than 1,000 Sinn Féin supporters are gathering in Dublin today to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the party (sic).Sinn Féin (wrongly) claim a direct link to the party that was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffin.
Party president Gerry Adams will deliver a keynote address at the Céad Bliain event in the City West Hotel at 9pm.
He is expected to speak about the party’s campaign for re-unification in the wake of IRA decommissioning and the restoration of powersharing government in the North.
This will be interesting indeed. I hope it's not going to descend into political point scoring though. "We're the only ones interested in Irish Unity blah, blah, blah"...
I thought I'd put the question to you all - what would you like to hear from Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams in relation to the issues of a United Ireland as well as the restoration of devolution in the North?
Events of Shame - Penal Laws
I thought for today I'd do a new feature, this time highlighting significant events of shame in Irish history, and what better event to start with than the Penal Laws. The Penal Laws were imposed on the Irish people (my ancestors), in the interests of both the Protestant Ascendancy and English sovereignty. Let's outline what these Penal laws meant to the Irish people:Laws applying to Irish Catholics
- No Catholic permitted to vote in parliamentary, county, borough or corporation elections.
- No Catholic permitted to stand for parliament, or for a county or borough or corporation.
- No Catholic permitted to hold a commission in the army or navy, or a post in the civil service.
- No Catholic permitted to be a member of a learned profession, except medicine, and in that only a chosen few.
- No Catholic permitted to open or administer a school.
- No Catholic permitted to teach.
- No Catholic permitted to carry a firearm without a license, seldom granted.
- No Catholic permitted to own a horse worth more than £5.
- No Catholic in trade or industry permitted to have more than two apprentices (except in the linen industry, which was to the Ascendancy's advantage).
- No Catholic permitted to manufacture or sell books or newspapers. (This included all printing.)
- No Catholic permitted to marry a Protestant.
- No Catholic estates permitted to be entailed.
- No Catholic permitted to take or grant mortgages.
- No Catholic permitted to take a lease for more than 31 years, and then at two-thirds the annual value.
- No Catholic priest permitted to enter the country from abroad.
- All Catholic archbishops and bishops must leave Ireland under the penalties for high treason. One priest only permitted to each parish, however large.
- All Catholics were made to pay special taxes.
- All Catholic owners of land were subjected to special restraints and disabilities.
- All of any Catholic's estates must at death be divided among all his children.
- No Catholic priest permitted to move one step outside his own parish.
Laws affecting Protestants
- No Protestant permitted to marry a Catholic.
- By conforming to Protestantism, a Catholic wife acquired the right to live apart from her husband and make him support her.
- By becoming a Protestant, a Catholic ipso facto made his father a tenant on that father's land, which the son could inherit entirely.
- Catholic orphans must be brought up as Protestants.
- Protestants were forbidden to take Catholic apprentices.
- A Protestant landowner lost his civil rights if he married a Catholic.
- A Protestant heiress who married a Catholic, forfeited her inheritance.
(It's worth pointing out that Dissenters were subjected to other disabling laws, mostly in Ulster)
In my previous post I took issue with the News Letter talking about "the tragic legacy of militant Republicanism". Perhaps now you can understand why because the real "tragic legacy" was the legacy of hatred and intolerance practised by the British occupiers here in Ireland.
They embarrassed my nation. They slapped the taste out of the mouth of the Irish people. They bloodied Ireland's nose.
Am I supposed to feel shame therefore that my country drove the British Army out by force? If you beat down a people you can expect a backlash. The backlash was consistent in one form or another for centuries and it was post-1916 that ultimately drove the British out of most of Ireland.
Considering what they done to my country (and my ancestors), I feel no shame in the Republicanism that was evident in Ireland in the 20th century.
These Penal Laws were what were really tragic!
Seeing as some unionists frequent United Irelander perhaps they could answer me three questions:
1. Were you taught about the Penal Laws in school as children?
2. Do you acknowledge that these Penal Laws were a disgraceful and ugly chapter in Irish history?
3. Do you accept that they played a key part in later generations wanting to make the British pay for their mistreatment of the Irish people?
I'd be interested in a unionist perspective. From my own perspective, these Penal Laws make me sick!
Anti-Irish News Letter taints moment
I was very disappointed to read this editorial from the News Letter as they have taken a very noble and decent gesture made by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern on Thursday, which I posted on here, and they have effectively pissed all over it with what I consider to be a diabolical, anti-Irish diatribe. Permit me to take some excerpts from the piece.
"There are a great many people in Northern Ireland with family connections to the First World War who would vehemently disagree with the political philosophy of Bertie Ahern and the tragic legacy of militant republicanism which his party inherited in the 1920s."
Actually the republicanism of Mr Ahern's party wasn't militant but there are a great many people in Ireland who would 'vehemently disagree' that militant republcianism was 'tragic'. I'm sure they would say that the militant actions of the British were truly 'tragic' such as how the soldiers of the 2nd/6th South Stafforshire Regiment killed no less than fifteen civilians while the Rising took place. Civilians bayoneted in cold blood despite their pleas!
"Indeed, later during the Second World War, when the then Irish premier Eamon de Valera was closing the Republic's ports to British ships and fostering a cosy relationship with Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime in Germany, the southern Irish recruitment to the uniform of the Crown was quite pronounced."
This old horseshit again. It's disgraceful that a newspaper can come out with such historically inaccurate and insulting phrases about Eamon de Valera 'fostering a cosy relationship with Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime'. De Valera was NOT sympathetic towards Hitler or the Nazis. The 'condolences' he sent to Hitler were as a mark of respect to Edouard Hempel, the German ambassador to Ireland, who had respected Ireland's neutral stance throughout the war.
As John Bowman states in 'De Valera and the Ulster Question 1917-73':
"With the news of Hitler's death on 30 April 1945 de Valera insisted - ignoring his closest advisers - on expressing his sympathy to Hempel (Hempel was German ambassador to Ireland). He believed Hempel's conduct throughout the war to have been 'irreproachable' and he believed it would have been 'an act of unpardonable discourtesy' not to have called. He was aware of the inevitable propaganda, telling Hempel:'No matter. I do what I think is right.' Maffey, (Sir John Maffey was Britain's representative in Ireland)...believed that de Valera's condolences to Hempel, particularly as they had been followed by the revelations of Buchenwald, 'gradually took on a smear of turpitude'."
This article, courtesy of the Guardian, also contains interesting reading:
"Sir John (Maffey), however, observed in 1940: "I dined with [de Valera] and he expressed the strongest anti-German and anti-Russian sentiments and deeply regretted our inability to help Finland."
God forbid the News Letter actually CHECK THE FACTS. We wouldn't want to destroy their MYTHICAL view on Irish history now would we? The News Letter weren't done though:
"Bertie Ahern's visit to the Somme Museum was a welcome break from the "Ourselves Alone" mindset and anti-British rhetoric which marred Anglo-Irish and Ulster-Eire relations in the the 20th century."
Of course "Ulster will fight and Ulster will be right" did absolutely no harm to Anglo-Irish and Ulster-Eire relations, isn't that right?! "Ourseves alone" referred to Irish self-sufficiency by the way. Nothing shameful about that.
"There is no contradiction in people of all creeds and classes in Ireland marking the "shared history" of our war veterans."
Indeed there isn't - until of course you start writing the most heinous, inflammatory anti-Irish guff that many of us have read in a long time!
Shame on the News Letter. If you want to take issue with the idiocy of this newspaper and their facts (cough) then you can contact them here.
Believe it or not but the News Letter claim to be 'The pride of Northern Ireland'. Apparently they are making NI proud by talking absolute rubbish!
One thing's for sure - they're not the pride of NI's education system!
"There are a great many people in Northern Ireland with family connections to the First World War who would vehemently disagree with the political philosophy of Bertie Ahern and the tragic legacy of militant republicanism which his party inherited in the 1920s."
Actually the republicanism of Mr Ahern's party wasn't militant but there are a great many people in Ireland who would 'vehemently disagree' that militant republcianism was 'tragic'. I'm sure they would say that the militant actions of the British were truly 'tragic' such as how the soldiers of the 2nd/6th South Stafforshire Regiment killed no less than fifteen civilians while the Rising took place. Civilians bayoneted in cold blood despite their pleas!
"Indeed, later during the Second World War, when the then Irish premier Eamon de Valera was closing the Republic's ports to British ships and fostering a cosy relationship with Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime in Germany, the southern Irish recruitment to the uniform of the Crown was quite pronounced."
This old horseshit again. It's disgraceful that a newspaper can come out with such historically inaccurate and insulting phrases about Eamon de Valera 'fostering a cosy relationship with Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime'. De Valera was NOT sympathetic towards Hitler or the Nazis. The 'condolences' he sent to Hitler were as a mark of respect to Edouard Hempel, the German ambassador to Ireland, who had respected Ireland's neutral stance throughout the war.
As John Bowman states in 'De Valera and the Ulster Question 1917-73':
"With the news of Hitler's death on 30 April 1945 de Valera insisted - ignoring his closest advisers - on expressing his sympathy to Hempel (Hempel was German ambassador to Ireland). He believed Hempel's conduct throughout the war to have been 'irreproachable' and he believed it would have been 'an act of unpardonable discourtesy' not to have called. He was aware of the inevitable propaganda, telling Hempel:'No matter. I do what I think is right.' Maffey, (Sir John Maffey was Britain's representative in Ireland)...believed that de Valera's condolences to Hempel, particularly as they had been followed by the revelations of Buchenwald, 'gradually took on a smear of turpitude'."
This article, courtesy of the Guardian, also contains interesting reading:
"Sir John (Maffey), however, observed in 1940: "I dined with [de Valera] and he expressed the strongest anti-German and anti-Russian sentiments and deeply regretted our inability to help Finland."
God forbid the News Letter actually CHECK THE FACTS. We wouldn't want to destroy their MYTHICAL view on Irish history now would we? The News Letter weren't done though:
"Bertie Ahern's visit to the Somme Museum was a welcome break from the "Ourselves Alone" mindset and anti-British rhetoric which marred Anglo-Irish and Ulster-Eire relations in the the 20th century."
Of course "Ulster will fight and Ulster will be right" did absolutely no harm to Anglo-Irish and Ulster-Eire relations, isn't that right?! "Ourseves alone" referred to Irish self-sufficiency by the way. Nothing shameful about that.
"There is no contradiction in people of all creeds and classes in Ireland marking the "shared history" of our war veterans."
Indeed there isn't - until of course you start writing the most heinous, inflammatory anti-Irish guff that many of us have read in a long time!
Shame on the News Letter. If you want to take issue with the idiocy of this newspaper and their facts (cough) then you can contact them here.
Believe it or not but the News Letter claim to be 'The pride of Northern Ireland'. Apparently they are making NI proud by talking absolute rubbish!
One thing's for sure - they're not the pride of NI's education system!
Friday, November 04, 2005
A great day to be Irish
I came across the following story on A Tangled Web:
"A Derry woman has been granted €20,000 compensation after a county council was found to have discriminated against her because she was a UK citizen.
The Equality Tribunal upheld the complaint of Paula Alderdice who claimed she was discriminated against by her employer, Donegal County Council, because she was born in the North.
Eimer O'Shea, IMPACT trade union assistant general secretary, said it was a landmark judgment.
It was the first successful case the union was aware of that was taken by a worker from Northern Ireland on grounds of race.
Ms Alderdice joined the Donegal County Council in 1996 and competed for promotion on six occasions without success.
"This is despite the fact her own contemporaries in the organisation were progressing up the ladder and despite the fact she had worked as a manager in the North and was very well qualified. She has an honours masters degree in law and communications," Ms O'Shea said.
Ms Alderdice stated she had been discriminated against because she was a UK citizen. She had superior qualifications and experience than the successful candidates."
First off let me say that the members of Donegal County Council who discriminated against this woman are a disgrace and should be ashamed of themselves. These fools just show how damn hateful they are.
However, with that being said, this is a great day to be Irish as it was the Irish public sector trade union, IMPACT, as well as the Irish Equality Tribunal who stuck up for this UK citizen, Ms Alderice.
What does that tell you? The system works.
It tell us that if people of a British persuasion in Ireland have to face bigotry from sectarian individuals then the law will sort them out!
And you know what? It would be no different in a United Ireland. Well done to those involved in resolving this case. It's a great day to be Irish!
"A Derry woman has been granted €20,000 compensation after a county council was found to have discriminated against her because she was a UK citizen.
The Equality Tribunal upheld the complaint of Paula Alderdice who claimed she was discriminated against by her employer, Donegal County Council, because she was born in the North.
Eimer O'Shea, IMPACT trade union assistant general secretary, said it was a landmark judgment.
It was the first successful case the union was aware of that was taken by a worker from Northern Ireland on grounds of race.
Ms Alderdice joined the Donegal County Council in 1996 and competed for promotion on six occasions without success.
"This is despite the fact her own contemporaries in the organisation were progressing up the ladder and despite the fact she had worked as a manager in the North and was very well qualified. She has an honours masters degree in law and communications," Ms O'Shea said.
Ms Alderdice stated she had been discriminated against because she was a UK citizen. She had superior qualifications and experience than the successful candidates."
First off let me say that the members of Donegal County Council who discriminated against this woman are a disgrace and should be ashamed of themselves. These fools just show how damn hateful they are.
However, with that being said, this is a great day to be Irish as it was the Irish public sector trade union, IMPACT, as well as the Irish Equality Tribunal who stuck up for this UK citizen, Ms Alderice.
What does that tell you? The system works.
It tell us that if people of a British persuasion in Ireland have to face bigotry from sectarian individuals then the law will sort them out!
And you know what? It would be no different in a United Ireland. Well done to those involved in resolving this case. It's a great day to be Irish!
You're the hypocrite, Ingham!
The former press chief to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Bernard Ingham, has lashed out at the McCartney sisters after they refused to attend an award ceremony yesterday upon learning they would be sharing the stage with Thatcher.The McCartneys said Mrs Thatcher had inflicted injustices on their community in the North and they would not share the platform with her.
Ingham raged:
"I think it is very interesting that the McCartney sisters protested at IRA thugs killing their brother."
"Where were the protests when IRA thugs were killing thousands of people and were trying to blow up Mrs Thatcher? I think it is monumental hypocrisy."
Bullshit, Ingham. You want to know about 'monumental hypocrisy'? How about the fact that YOUR COUNTRY was actively colluding with Loyalist scum to murder Irish civilians north and south.
Readers to UI might find this interesting reading not to mention what is on my sidebar under the heading 'British State Collusion'.
Margaret Thatcher is no friend of Ireland or the Irish people. This is a woman who not only played a part in letting the Hunger Strikers like Bobby Sands die, but who was so vehemently anti-Irish that she refused to call Cardinal Tomas O'Fiach, the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, by his chosen name, insisting on calling him "Cardinal Fee".
I probably wouldn't have shared the stage with her either. I applaud the McCartney sisters. And I condemn disgraceful hypocrites like Bernard Ingham.
Google Fight!
Ireland vs Britain?
Take that, beeyatch!
Dublin vs Cork?
Take that, you boggers!
United Irelander vs Slugger O'Toole?
Ah, bollocks anyway!
Take that, beeyatch!
Dublin vs Cork?
Take that, you boggers!
United Irelander vs Slugger O'Toole?
Ah, bollocks anyway!
Fun Irelander Feature - Shopping
Look at this image to your left. It's taken from the Roches Stores' website from their fashion section.First off, I should mention something. I hate shopping. HATE IT. I never know what to buy when I go into stores and I always wind up being treated by one of those fancy salesmen who will say anything to get you to buy their stuff.
"This is what you want mate. It's all the range, I'm telling ya. I've actually got one of these jackets myself."
Yeah right. What, left it at home did you?
It's all rather unfortunate but I don't seem to have a great fashion sense. With that being said, is what this guy in the picture is wearing considered trendy? I mean, really? Surely not! I can't really see myself going into Roches tomorrow...
"Um, Hi. Could you tell me where the orange shirts are please? And also the orange ties?"
That might be OK for Dawson Bailie or one of those fellas but not for me!
What about yourselves though? Do you consider yourselves fashionable and trendy? And do you like what this guy in the picture is wearing?
We need a Fourth Level Island - Ahern
Business leaders in both Ireland's north and Ireland's south must wake up to the challenges and opportunities of globalisation, the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said at a lunch organised by the Institute of Directors' NI branch.
"Future generations will not look kindly on us if we fail to be strategic," Mr Ahern told the gathering in the Culloden Hotel, Cultra.
Mr Ahern said the best way to face globalisation, and competition from countries such as China, India and Brazil, was by working together and in partnership.
"We both need to develop our skills so that our people and our enterprises can succeed in the knowledge economy of the future. We need to build our research and development capability," he said.
The Taioseach said there was a need to draw on the collective strengths of higher education institutions in both Ireland's north and south to produce future knowledge leaders and underpin a climate of innovation.
He said: "Why not work together for a Fourth Level Island, to build a global reputation for world class education and research that keeps our young people here and attracts others to return?
"Why not work together to ensure that people on this island have the skills and opportunities to take up high-paid employment and to build new enterprises?"
Mr Ahern insisted it was in everyone's interest to create the conditions for an all-island economy to flourish.
He said: "The Northern Ireland economy has performed very well in recent years. I believe much of this success is due to the peace and stability brought about by the Good Friday Agreement."
The Taoiseach is right. If we are to be as prosperous as we possibly can be then we need to create the conditions for an all-Ireland economy.
A United Ireland offers the best chance for the people of this island to have a higher standard of living as well as resourceful and vibrant enterprises.
We need to start planning for the future and the best future for the people of Ireland's north and south is an Ireland united. We owe it to the future generations.
"Future generations will not look kindly on us if we fail to be strategic," Mr Ahern told the gathering in the Culloden Hotel, Cultra.
Mr Ahern said the best way to face globalisation, and competition from countries such as China, India and Brazil, was by working together and in partnership.
"We both need to develop our skills so that our people and our enterprises can succeed in the knowledge economy of the future. We need to build our research and development capability," he said.
The Taioseach said there was a need to draw on the collective strengths of higher education institutions in both Ireland's north and south to produce future knowledge leaders and underpin a climate of innovation.
He said: "Why not work together for a Fourth Level Island, to build a global reputation for world class education and research that keeps our young people here and attracts others to return?
"Why not work together to ensure that people on this island have the skills and opportunities to take up high-paid employment and to build new enterprises?"
Mr Ahern insisted it was in everyone's interest to create the conditions for an all-island economy to flourish.
He said: "The Northern Ireland economy has performed very well in recent years. I believe much of this success is due to the peace and stability brought about by the Good Friday Agreement."
The Taoiseach is right. If we are to be as prosperous as we possibly can be then we need to create the conditions for an all-Ireland economy.
A United Ireland offers the best chance for the people of this island to have a higher standard of living as well as resourceful and vibrant enterprises.
We need to start planning for the future and the best future for the people of Ireland's north and south is an Ireland united. We owe it to the future generations.
Well said, Bertie
The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he wants to remember World War I and the 1916 Rising sensitively.Speaking during a visit to the Somme Heritage Centre near Newtownards, he said there was a shared history on the island that he wanted to recognise.
Mr Ahern was welcomed to the Somme centre by Ulster Unionist councillor and chairman of the Somme Association Ian Adamson.
He was presented with a number of gifts and invited to become an honorary member of the association.
The Taoiseach said he was visiting in solidarity and friendship.
Progressive Unionist Party leader David Ervine welcomed Mr Ahern's visit to the centre.
"The Taoiseach's visit, I think, is just a follow-up to things he's been involved in, in relation to the First World War," he said.
"The First World War is very much a shared experience and I think the Taoiseach, for some time now, has been involved in programmes both in Belgium and in Ireland."
I would like to say how pleased I am that the Taoiseach is taking these steps to acknowledge the utterly despicable and shameful way that Irishmen who served in World War I were written out of history. It was not what these great men of courage merited after the heroism they displayed.
I posted a few months ago about plans to release an Irish poppy with a shamrock in the centre as a way to acknowledge the soldiers of World War I though I haven't come across them yet myself. Has anybody else? If I see them available I will certainly buy one.
All in all, I'm heartened at the fact that Fianna Fáil's recent comments regarding their Republicanism has not led to an ugly revival of old anti-British attitudes.
Good job, Taoiseach.
Friday Fun's Fascinating Fact
Turkeys can reproduce without having sex.
That's good to know - but I feel sorry for Dustin. I mean the chances of that annoying git getting laid were were bad enough, but now that the females don't actually need him...
That's good to know - but I feel sorry for Dustin. I mean the chances of that annoying git getting laid were were bad enough, but now that the females don't actually need him...
Thursday, November 03, 2005
The noose is tightening
The noose is tightening for Sinn Féin.Building contractor Dominic McEvoy, of Kilcoo, Co Down, was tonight charged with the £26.5m Northern Bank robbery in Belfast.
Earlier today, top republican Brian Arthurs, 40, was arrested in Dungannon while a 43-year-old suspect was detained in Coalisland.
Brian Arthurs is understood to be a member of Sinn Féin.
The Sinn Féin MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone (and apologist for criminal behaviour), Michelle Gidernew, claimed support for the reformed police service would evaporate because of the arrests.
"These are not the actions of an accountable and acceptable policing service," she said. (What? Bringing people to justice?)
"The operation in Tyrone will further undermine the confidence of the nationalist community in the ability of the PSNI to deliver impartial, accountable policing."
Er, not really. The operation in Tyrone will reveal to the people of Ireland that the two governments and the rest of the political parties were right to believe that the Northern Bank raid was carried out by Sinn Féin/IRA.
Things are set to get quite interesting indeed!
Poll Results - Colour scheme approved!
OK having been up a week, I've closed the poll on United Irelander's sidebar which asked the question:
What do you think of UI's colour scheme?
The final results were:
I like it. Good job. - 47% (15 votes)
I hate it. Bring back the green! - 16% (5 votes)
I think you need to try again... - 38% (12 votes)
Clearly some of you don't like it but most of you seem to approve of it which is good as I don't intend on changing things! I'm sure those of you who dislike it will get accustomed to it eventually. I do worry however about those 5 individuals who voted for the green to be brought back. Whoever you are...seek help!
Anyway, I've been back blogging a week now and I'm far happier with what I've been writing recently as I feel it's been alot better than the formulaic stuff I was coming out with before I took my hiatus. I feel that limiting the number of posts was a wise decision.
You may have also noticed that United Irelander has cranked up the nationalism in recent days and that's set to continue as this is fundamentally an Irish nationalist blog and I think it's important to have an alternative pro-unity view put out there!
What do you think of UI's colour scheme?
The final results were:
I like it. Good job. - 47% (15 votes)
I hate it. Bring back the green! - 16% (5 votes)
I think you need to try again... - 38% (12 votes)
Clearly some of you don't like it but most of you seem to approve of it which is good as I don't intend on changing things! I'm sure those of you who dislike it will get accustomed to it eventually. I do worry however about those 5 individuals who voted for the green to be brought back. Whoever you are...seek help!
Anyway, I've been back blogging a week now and I'm far happier with what I've been writing recently as I feel it's been alot better than the formulaic stuff I was coming out with before I took my hiatus. I feel that limiting the number of posts was a wise decision.
You may have also noticed that United Irelander has cranked up the nationalism in recent days and that's set to continue as this is fundamentally an Irish nationalist blog and I think it's important to have an alternative pro-unity view put out there!
Thursday Thoughts: Irish parties correct
I see Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has reacted with anger at the lack of support from the Government and opposition parties towards Sinn Féin's motion in support of a united Ireland.The motion calls on the Irish Government to draw up a Green Paper to prepare for the political, social, economic and cultural unification of the island and to engage in dialogue with unionists.
Outside the gates of the Dáil, Mr Adams said he could not understand the lack of support from the Government and opposition parties.
"For the life of me, why these parties which have as stated policy positions the objective of Irish unity, cannot support this motion, it’s beyond me," he said.
Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghin Ó Caoláin defended the motion by saying that it was imperative for all parties to work towards a United Ireland.
"We’re asking them to join with us to change it from an aspiration into a proactive achievement. Working together we believe that we can indeed hasten that day," he said.
Mr Ó Caoláin said he believed that re-unification could have benefits for all communities.
"As republicans, we’re absolutely committed to working towards a United Ireland not only in the interests of Irish republicans and nationalists, but we believe in the interests of all those who share this island," he said.
"We believe it’s a process of convincing, it’s a process of persuasion and we are up to the dialogue and the engagement."
I would like to say that I commend the decision made by the Government and the Opposition to oppose this motion. We must remember that the Government and the Opposition have not found fault with the idea of Irish Unity, rather they have found fault with Sinn Féin's method of achieiving it.
You see, the logic behind this 'Green Paper' is deeply flawed and takes one back to the dark old days of when Irish nationalism showed a shocking failure to acknowledge or understand the unionist position.
The Green Paper calls for 'dialogue with unionists' - yet Sinn Fein are more interested in preaching to the converted!
Caoimhghin O'Caoláin calls for a "process of convincing" and a "process of persuasion" yet he is trying to "convince" and "persuade" the wrong group! If Sinn Féin truly want dialogue with unionists, why are they ignoring them?
Irish nationalism needs to learn from it past mistakes. Unionists don't want the spectre of the South looming over them, irredentist twinkle in eye. Articles 2 and 3 were amended for a reason.
Of course, the Irish parties saw what this motion was really about - political point scoring. If the motion passes, Sinn Fein give themselves a nice big pat on the back and declare to the Irish people that what they have been saying all along has been the truth, that they are the ones who are most concerned with attaining Irish Unity. Now that the Southern parties have seen through that old rubbish, Spin Féin will churn out some other propaganda about how they are now the only Irish party who want Unity and how they have shown the Irish people that the other parties are not interested in it.
Irish people must see through these lies and must not be fooled.
I believe that the majority of people in Ireland are still nationalist and do still want a United Ireland. Just because we differ from the route that Sinn Féin wish to take does not mean we have decided to stop our journey. We're all heading in the same direction but we're taking different routes. Would it be better if we were all travelling on a single, united path? Yes. But for now, that is not feasible and this 'Green Paper' will not change that.
The reality is, this 'Green Paper' offers a safety blanket for Republicans. It's a way back into the comfort zone of green values. It's a scary time for Republicans as they are heading out on to a new path where the road is bumpy and fraught with difficulty. Even so, they will not find solace in these green gestures.
Rhetoric sounds good to the ear, but it doesn't change what looks bad to the eye - the border. That is the problem.
So come on Sinn Féin. Put away the paper and instead get out there and get talking to unionists. It's a tough journey alright - but it will be worth it when we get there.
Rethinking James Connolly...
I've been reading a book called 'Political Violence in Ireland' by Charles Townshend which is a fascinating read, particularly in relation to information given on James Connolly, one of the Easter rebels shot by the British. I had always looked on Connolly as being a far more pragmatic figure than Padraig Pearse but I may have to rethink my views.I was aware that Connolly rebuked Pearse for his comment about the 'red wine of the battlefield' by saying, "we do not think that the old heart of the earth needs to be warmed with the red wine of millions of lives. We think anyone who does is a blithering idiot. We are sick of such teaching, and the world is sick of such teaching". However, as Townshend acknowledges, Connolly did not escape from such rhetoric himself:
"...though Connolly viewed the international conflict in completely different terms, he failed to escape from the rhetoric of blood. Indeed, in his doomed attempt to fuse international socialism with Catholic nationalism, he was even drawn at last into giving it a specifically religious inflection. In February 1916 he announced that...
deep in the heart of Ireland has sunk the sense of degradation wrought upon its people - so deep and so humiliating that no agency less powerful than the red tide of war on Irish soil will ever be able to enable the Irish race to recover its self-respect, or establish its national dignity in the face of a world horrified and scandalised by what must seem to them our national apostasy...Without the slightest trace of irreverence but in all due humility and awe, we recognize that of us, as of mankind before Calvary, it may be truly said 'without the shedding of Blood there is no Redemption'.
By then Connolly, as Sean O'Casey, the secretary of the Irish Citizen Army, ruefully observed, had 'stepped from the narrow byway of Irish Socialism on to the broad and crowded highway of Irish Nationalism':
The high creed of Irish Nationalism became his daily rosary, while the higher creed of international humanity that had so long bubbled from his eloquent lips was silent for ever, and Irish labour lost a leader.
I find this all very interesting, particularly because I know alot of Republicans have a special place in their hearts for Connolly due to his socialist leanings, however Connolly's socialism appears to have waned in what proved to be his final years. As well as that, as I said above, I was under the impression that Connolly was one of the few key figures involved in the Rising who actually believed the Rising had a chance for success but this doesn't seem to be true either. Townshends speaks of...
"his grim remark to William O'Brien on Easter Monday morning, 'We are going out to be slaughtered'. And in reply to O'Brien's question, 'Is there no chance of success', he replied unambiguously, 'None whatever'.
It's all very interesting stuff. It doesn't change my personal opinions of Connolly as I don't class myself as a socialist and so that aspect of his beliefs do not appeal to me particularly, but it just goes to show you that Irish history can always prove intriguing!
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
'What If'? Wednesday - Consistent DUP?
Here's today's thought - what if the DUP were consistent in their political beliefs as opposed to being a bunch of unbelievably pathetic hypocrites?Res Publica has posted up some VERY interesting information from the Irish News regarding former loyalist paramilitary turned DUP official Gary Blair who has demanded the release of the two Poyntzpass killers.
The two Loyalist Volunteer Force men murdered Protestant and Catholic friends Philip Allen and Damian Treanor in a bar in Poyntzpass.
The SDLP's spokesperson Sharon Haughey has hit out at the DUP.
"This is a very wrong time for the DUP to be calling for the release of these brutal killers," she said.
"The ink hasn't even dried on the LVF statement."
Indeed it hasn't. Deaglan at Res Publica summed up the DUP's hypocrisy very well:
"...it seems some of Big Ian's team would like to see them out. Strange, I thought the DUP was opposed to early release of paramilitaries.
"Except possibly those of the LVF - as we know, some in the DUP had quite a cosy relationship with its former leader, Billy Wright."
Deaglan has hit the nail on the head here. The DUP's hypocrisy is disgusting. One minute they're lambasting the two governments over the early release of paramilitaries as evidence of the evils of the Good Friday Agreement, yet the next minute they're calling for the release of loyalist murderers.
I'm delighted that the people of Ireland and Britain have now been shown how two-faced the DUP really are.
It is clear that the DUP are of no benefit to the decent people of Ireland's north. Shame on them.
UI's Irishness Test
Very soon, immigrants who apply for British citizenship will have to take a 'Britishness test' where they will be expected to demonstrate a broad knowledge of life in the UK. I came across these 10 sample questions on the BBC (hat-tip N.Irish Magyar) and I actually got eight out of 10 right (don't mock!). I have to say, I think this is a great idea and it got me thinking - there should be an Irishness test. So, I've come up with one. Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you...
United Irelander's Irishness Test.
Just how Irish are you?
United Irelander's Irishness Test.
Just how Irish are you?
1921 Treaty talks were a boozefest
Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith were drinking excessively throughout crucial Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations in London in December 1921, according to recently-published memoirs of former Irish government minister and Nobel Peace prizewinner Sean MacBride.MacBride was a lowly courier at the crucial talks, which led to a British commitment to withdraw and the setting up of the Free State. Says McBride:
"My colleagues did far too much drinking, everybody, Collins included. There were bottles of whiskey around the place and everybody went to help themselves whenever they wanted."
"I was rather horrified when I learned that Griffith (founder of Sinn Fein) was also drinking," wrote McBride of the man seen as the most sober and serious member of the Irish negotiation team.
"The drinking was excessive and I became conscious of this rapidly," he says in a book published posthumously this week.
"I was rather revolted by it, though I did drink a good deal with them.
"But I felt it was having a bad influence on the delegation - on Collins, on Dan McCarthy and Eamon Duggan. I felt that they were letting down the country, that matters were not being taken sufficiently seriously."
McBride said that he learned subsequently that Michael Collins was also going out a good deal from his London base because he "had some relationship with a woman" at the time of the negotiations.
"I have heard the accounts of the various houses visited by Collins and other members of the delegation in London, but I was not aware of any of this.
"What I do remember were the long sessions of drinking at night by my colleagues, and sometimes by Collins and Dan McCarthy."
Speaking of Griffith, McBride says:
"I remember there was a great 'hoo-hoo' on one occasion: Arthur Griffith had gone off with a couple of the girl secretaries, Miss Lyons and somebody else, to the theatre. They had lost their way on the Tube."
Dear oh dear. What can you say? Is it a true account? Who knows, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was. Only in this country could people turn such an important moment in a history into a massive party! You can just picture the following scene, can't you:
Lloyd George: Alright gentleman, I think that just about wraps up busin-
Collins: Hold on, ye miserable shite. We have one more demand.
Lloyd George: We already told you, the Oath of Allegiance stands.
Collins: Not that ya langer - we demand more whiskey!
Churchill: Piss off, it's mine!
Oh to be Irish, eh? I need a drink...
Love Ulster - The tour!
Oh happy days! Those fun-loving, kind and caring scamps from Love Ulster could be going on tour! Believe it, baby!Apparently Love Ulster are going to be rocking venues around the North as well as in Glasgow, Liverpool, London and my own home town of Dublin.
I may actually have the opportunity of seeing the folks from Love Ulster live! The bands are meant to be crazy and I've heard Dawson Bailie is great a cappella. We might even see those 2,000 groupies make the trip down. Boo yah!
What we really need to know though is whether or not the tour contains Love Ulster's most renowned songs...
Can't get you out of my estate
Irish-American Idiot
Drug Bootylicious
Another Brick in the Window
No (Catholic) Woman No Cry
Rocket (Launcher) Man
We Gotta Get Out of this Place (sharpish)
If so, then this tour is not to be missed! Rock on dudes!
Try not to laugh...
This clip has been ripping through the internet so I just have to post about it...
The Laughing Interview
I'm not sure if this is real or not but I do know one thing - it's pretty damn funny!
The Laughing Interview
I'm not sure if this is real or not but I do know one thing - it's pretty damn funny!
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Top Ten Tuesday - Why winter's bad
Well today is officially the first day of November, also known as All Saints Day (not a day dedicated to the pop band but rather a Catholic holiday). There's another reason though why the 1st of November is significant. Here in Ireland it is now officially the first day of winter, the most depressing season of them all. With that being said, permit me to give you the ten things I hate the most about winter. Without further ado:1. Weather - The weather is what we associate winter with the most. It's bloody freezing! Here in Ireland it's very bad. We're used to cold weather all year round but in winter things are really cranked up a notch. Better wrap up!
2. Flu season - Winter sees everybody with colds, even the people who don't tend to get colds earlier in the year. This is the season where doctors come home to their families with a turkey under one arm and a bottle of wine under the other. Enjoy using public transportation too as you pray you don't end up sitting in front of some guy coughing and splurting behind you. You will.
3. Shorter nights - Bye-bye sunshine. What fun it is to wake up in darkness and to come home from work in darkness! Solar power will never catch on in this country...
4. Runny noses - You might get lucky and avoid the flu but you won't avoid having your nose dripping like a faucet. Make sure you bring a few hankies with you otherwise your sleeves are going to have some very nasty marks indeed...
5. Depressed people - When it's warm out people are fairly cheerful, when it's cold...well, people aren't. This is the season of the 'winter blues' and for some people it's serious as they have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Those people would do well to avoid the weather reports at this time of year.
6. Snow - There's not always snow in Ireland but there was some last year. Last year we had the 'White Christmas' which wasn't bad but when it comes on any other day it's just a pain in the arse. Snow is fun when you're a kid but when you're older you find yourself bemoaning that lazy milkman who decides not to bother delivering because of it...
7. Don't go out as much - What with the cold weather and all you tend to find yourself spending most of the time cooped up at home. Granted the quality on TV is alot better at this time of year but it's better to be out and about instead of watching Harry Hill on TV (as great as he is).
8. Football season - This year it's particularly bad. The Premiership looks done and dusted already and to make matters worse, we'll have to watch the World Cup play-offs bemoaning the fact that we're not there. Still, maybe we'll do alright in the Six Nations. Ah, who am I kidding...
9. Christmas build-up - I love Christmas and it's probably my favourite holiday of the year but it is but one day whereas the build-up will be non-stop from here on in!
10. Dodgy fashion accessories - A big heavy jacket, big gloves and a wooly hat do not make for an attractive combination. Throw in the obligatory runny nose and you're left looking forward to the advent of Spring as soon as possible!
So there you have it. The top ten reasons as to why winter is bad. Feel free to comment on my choices or to offer up some of your own.
Questions for Nationalists...
I came across this interesting piece courtesy of A Tangled Web from the Cadogan Group . It's an anti-Agreement article that touches on both nationalism and unionism today in Ireland's north. It's quite a long piece but the part that caught my eye was the section regarding Irish nationalism called 'Questions for Nationalists'. The Cadogan group state that "some serious thinking on what constitutes nationalism within the circumstances now prevailing in Northern Ireland is long overdue". They pose a number of questions for nationalists so permit me to answer them...
- "Is an unrealistic adherence to Irish Unity worth more decades of communal antagonism?"
First off, the adherence to Irish Unity is not unrealistic unless your method of achieving it involves some moronic effort to outbreed unionists. Irish nationalism is entering a new phase. We have been witnessing recently in the North the evolution of Irish nationalism from pursuing violence to pursuing peace. The playing field has changed and the onus is now on nationalists to put forth a sensible argument for Irish unity to those of the unionist tradition. Secondly, I would argue that the 'communal antagonism' has not emanated from the nationalist community but rather from the unionist community who have historically shown little to no interest in respecting or understanding the nationalist position.
- "Is it time that more discussion was held on the linkages between the aspiration to Irish unity and communal mistrust and the street level sectarian outrages practised by extremists on both sides but particularly by loyalist paramilitaries and their supporters?"
I see no harm in such discussions though I don't believe the aspiration to Irish unity is responsible for communal distrust. I think it is rather a case of ignorance and prejudice.
- "Does ‘Irishness’ have to be linked to an independent Irish political entity? Many Irish people remain thoroughly Irish while living in Great Britain or other parts of Europe, or America or elsewhere. How much easier could it be to be Irish in that part of the island called Northern Ireland, linked culturally and in a thousand other ways with the rest of the island, just as many, including Protestants and even unionists, have already found?"
I think the author answers his/her own point here. Of course Irishness does not have to be linked to an independent Irish political entity. As the author points out, Irish people can feel Irish when living in other parts of the world.
- "If it is felt to be impossible to be fully Irish without being able to give full allegiance to an Irish state, the same would be true of unionists if they were forced against their will to be part of a non-British state. What answer do nationalists have to the charge that this would merely substitute one injustice for another?"
As I pointed out, I feel it is possible to be Irish without giving full allegiance to an Irish state. Furthermore, I believe a United Ireland would need to provide for those people in Ireland who consider themselves British to continue to feel that way. Britishness needs to be protected in a United Ireland.
- "If Northern Ireland exists by virtue of the will of a majority, as the Belfast Agreement says, then its existence is legitimate. Can an argument based on the injustice of Partition remain valid? If it is not, then what is the basis of a demand for unity?"
The existence of the NI state is of course legitimate, however I believe from a nationalist pespective an argument can be based on the injustice of partition. The basis for the demand for unity is the desire to have a 32 county nation-state which is not currently in existence.
- "All nationalist politicians continue to insist that if 50% plus one voted for unity in a referendum, it should happen. What would be the moral argument for incorporating, without their consent, the 50% minus one opposed to it in an Irish Republic at some future date?"
The author uses the word 'incorporating' here to imply that if 50% plus one is achieved, the Irish Republic will then end up swallowing the North for itself so to speak. This is not how I see it. The fact is, 50% plus one will involve the end of not only 'Northern Ireland' but also the 'Republic of Ireland'. It will bring about an entirely new state - 'Ireland'. The moral argument for that in my opinion is that unionists and nationalists will both benefit from this new polity.
- "Would the action of exchanging a disaffected nationalist minority in one jurisdiction, the UK, for a disaffected unionist minority in another (the Republic) solve anything?"
It is my belief that The Troubles would not have occurred had unionists shown more concern towards nationalists upon NI's inception. I believe in a UI, great concern will be shown for ALL people and that no group will be left 'disaffected'.
"Would not a demand for re-partition of Northern Ireland have a stronger moral base?"
I see no moral base whatsoever regarding the demand for re-partition.
- "Is the aspiration really territorial rather than a wish for a culturally Irish people to live in an Irish state?"
This question is too simplistic. Ultimately a nation-state is a state which encompasses the nation. France, for example is a nation-state. However, unionists too make up an important part of Irish culture in my opinion - the orange culture. The aspiration for unity can be both territorial and cultural in my view.
- "Could it be that the policies of both nationalist parties put short-term triumphalism based on unionist discomfiture above the real interests of the nationalist community?"
I would not disagree with this viewpoint.
I think the above questions are indeed important for Irish nationalists and it's time we all set about answering these questions to prove that the cause for a United Ireland is noble and that our concern for unionists is sincere.
- "Is an unrealistic adherence to Irish Unity worth more decades of communal antagonism?"
First off, the adherence to Irish Unity is not unrealistic unless your method of achieving it involves some moronic effort to outbreed unionists. Irish nationalism is entering a new phase. We have been witnessing recently in the North the evolution of Irish nationalism from pursuing violence to pursuing peace. The playing field has changed and the onus is now on nationalists to put forth a sensible argument for Irish unity to those of the unionist tradition. Secondly, I would argue that the 'communal antagonism' has not emanated from the nationalist community but rather from the unionist community who have historically shown little to no interest in respecting or understanding the nationalist position.
- "Is it time that more discussion was held on the linkages between the aspiration to Irish unity and communal mistrust and the street level sectarian outrages practised by extremists on both sides but particularly by loyalist paramilitaries and their supporters?"
I see no harm in such discussions though I don't believe the aspiration to Irish unity is responsible for communal distrust. I think it is rather a case of ignorance and prejudice.
- "Does ‘Irishness’ have to be linked to an independent Irish political entity? Many Irish people remain thoroughly Irish while living in Great Britain or other parts of Europe, or America or elsewhere. How much easier could it be to be Irish in that part of the island called Northern Ireland, linked culturally and in a thousand other ways with the rest of the island, just as many, including Protestants and even unionists, have already found?"
I think the author answers his/her own point here. Of course Irishness does not have to be linked to an independent Irish political entity. As the author points out, Irish people can feel Irish when living in other parts of the world.
- "If it is felt to be impossible to be fully Irish without being able to give full allegiance to an Irish state, the same would be true of unionists if they were forced against their will to be part of a non-British state. What answer do nationalists have to the charge that this would merely substitute one injustice for another?"
As I pointed out, I feel it is possible to be Irish without giving full allegiance to an Irish state. Furthermore, I believe a United Ireland would need to provide for those people in Ireland who consider themselves British to continue to feel that way. Britishness needs to be protected in a United Ireland.
- "If Northern Ireland exists by virtue of the will of a majority, as the Belfast Agreement says, then its existence is legitimate. Can an argument based on the injustice of Partition remain valid? If it is not, then what is the basis of a demand for unity?"
The existence of the NI state is of course legitimate, however I believe from a nationalist pespective an argument can be based on the injustice of partition. The basis for the demand for unity is the desire to have a 32 county nation-state which is not currently in existence.
- "All nationalist politicians continue to insist that if 50% plus one voted for unity in a referendum, it should happen. What would be the moral argument for incorporating, without their consent, the 50% minus one opposed to it in an Irish Republic at some future date?"
The author uses the word 'incorporating' here to imply that if 50% plus one is achieved, the Irish Republic will then end up swallowing the North for itself so to speak. This is not how I see it. The fact is, 50% plus one will involve the end of not only 'Northern Ireland' but also the 'Republic of Ireland'. It will bring about an entirely new state - 'Ireland'. The moral argument for that in my opinion is that unionists and nationalists will both benefit from this new polity.
- "Would the action of exchanging a disaffected nationalist minority in one jurisdiction, the UK, for a disaffected unionist minority in another (the Republic) solve anything?"
It is my belief that The Troubles would not have occurred had unionists shown more concern towards nationalists upon NI's inception. I believe in a UI, great concern will be shown for ALL people and that no group will be left 'disaffected'.
"Would not a demand for re-partition of Northern Ireland have a stronger moral base?"
I see no moral base whatsoever regarding the demand for re-partition.
- "Is the aspiration really territorial rather than a wish for a culturally Irish people to live in an Irish state?"
This question is too simplistic. Ultimately a nation-state is a state which encompasses the nation. France, for example is a nation-state. However, unionists too make up an important part of Irish culture in my opinion - the orange culture. The aspiration for unity can be both territorial and cultural in my view.
- "Could it be that the policies of both nationalist parties put short-term triumphalism based on unionist discomfiture above the real interests of the nationalist community?"
I would not disagree with this viewpoint.
I think the above questions are indeed important for Irish nationalists and it's time we all set about answering these questions to prove that the cause for a United Ireland is noble and that our concern for unionists is sincere.
Loyalist violence proves costly
About £3 million was spent on policing the controversial Orange Order Whiterock parade in Belfast which descended into violence, it has been confirmed.Another £938,000 was spent on repairing police vehicles damaged during disturbances on the streets of Ireland's north this summer, the PSNI said.
In a statement responding to SDLP claims that the Whiterock parade had cost the police £2.2 million, the police also said that between September 10 and 17 in the wake of the Whiterock parade, 82 people were arrested and 12 weapons recovered. A total of 93 police officers were injured.
PSNI Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde said: "The events of the weekend of September 10 were unprecedented.
"My officers, as I have said before, acted like heroes in the face of the worst public disorder this police service has ever witnessed.
"The costs are unacceptable, not only in financial terms but more importantly the human cost both to the police service and local communities. Ninety-three police officers were injured as a result of the disorder."
SDLP councillor Tim Attwood said the sums announced by the police amounted to a shocking waste of public money.
"The violence that followed the Whiterock parade made no sense and only damaged community relations," he said.
"Now these figures highlight the staggering cost to the taxpayers of policing parades in Northern Ireland. This money could be far better spent on essential public services.
"£3 million could pay for 119 additional nurses. It could pay for improved schools or more police on the ground tackling local crime.
"£3 million is the cost of only one parade. Compare it to the £1.5 million in additional money pledged to victims groups by the British Government last week.
"Furthermore we also know that the repair bill for police vehicles damaged in the rioting the entire summer was over £900,000.
"What was the cost of the policing operations around other parades? What was the cost of the entire summer?"
Mr Attword raises some very important points. The disgraceful behaviour of the Orange Order and the loyalist thugs during the Whiterock parade has hit the decent men and women of the North in the pocket. Is this all the unionist community has to offer? Violence, mayhem and then to top it off, hurting the decent folks of Ireland's north financially?
If so, let us instead look forward to a brighter future. One without partition, one without violence and anarchy, one in which the people throughout the island of Ireland can work together to give future generations of Ireland a country they can really be proud of.
The violence which has plagued Ireland's north for decades has been too costly. We need to instead work towards a United Ireland that all people on the island can believe in and feel proud of. Such an Ireland would truly be priceless. For us, and for future generations.
© 2008 United Irelander.
