“AN historic occasion it was,” said a lady sitting in front of me at the 3Arena in Dublin last Saturday, and I would have to agree. The first time that 10 different strands of politicians sat down to give their opinion on the concept of a new united Ireland in front of an audience of 5,000 people. The spirits were lifted to begin with when a trio of Irish dancers took to the stage and delivered an energetic display that would make Michael Flatley envious. There were different panels such as the National Women’s Council, IFA, Ibec, ICTU, who delivered objective ideas and scenarios in the event of reunification.
Raspberry of the day went to Leo Varadkar for suggesting that two jurisdictions should remain on the island. This is the same man who not so long ago made a grand speech about “never again would the nationalist people of the six counties be left behind’’. Needless to say he left the stage to boos rather than applause. Two teenagers from a unionist background made sensible reasoning on why they saw themselves as being Irish without forsaking their unionist heritage – as did a number of others from the Shankill Road which would be viewed as the heartland of unionism. On the panel was a former British government press officer, Ben Collins, who recently published a book on the case for Irish unity – Time to Prepare. He told his story of coming from a strong unionist background, campaigning on behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party, before coming to the realisation that he was Irish – which he has embraced with both hands. This turnaround came when he went to England and everyone greeting him said “oh you are Irish”. No-one ever thought of him as British, which prompted him to have a closer look at history from an Irish point of view rather than the British version that was instilled in him. He is now the proud owner of an Irish passport having decided that he is no longer in need of a British one. The delightful Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh enthralled all present with her fiddle playing and singing. This was what the event was all about, different views and aspirations culminating in a logical conclusion of togetherness on the one island. It was a pity that mainstream political unionism felt that they had no reason to attend, or are they afraid of the realisation that many from that background are applying for Irish passports that confirms their true identity of being part of one united island and not a divided one? Mary Lou McDonald almost brought the house down with thunderous applause, and left the stage to the sounds of a standing ovation after delivering a level headed speech that left no-one out.
JAMES WOODS
Gort an Choirce, Dún na nGall
Britain’s design for Ireland’s future given centre stage in Dublin
At the ‘Ireland’s Future’ event on Saturday, Jim O’Callaghan of Fianna Fáil and Leo Varadkar of Fine Gael mounted a case for the current Northern Ireland statelet to be continued into a so-called united Ireland. In truth, however, this is far from a new idea on their part. It has been built towards across recent years by voices of the new Sinn Féin in this very paper. You would almost think that they’re working as one towards an agenda that seeks to ensure that a dis-united united Ireland is all that Irish unity should amount to. The republican notion that all Irish people can live together as one citizenry – regardless of divisions contrived to divide a minority from the majority in the past – sadly seems lost on them all, in their headlong rush to do the bidding of Britain and advance her strategic imperatives in Ireland, whether wittingly or otherwise.
Surely the Irish people deserve better than to be further divided as this is going forward. For people as myself, from Co Tyrone, having waited for so long for the chance to be part of our own country, we want nothing less than our rightful place within the body of the nation. ‘Lest they forget’, we too are from Ireland. Why, then, must we be denied a full place in any future united Ireland? Does OUR identity and OUR aspirations really count for so little? Sadly, it sure seems so.
SÉAN BRESNAHAN
Omagh, Co Tyrone
Pathetic but predictable
Let me start by saying that Stephen Farry’s comment: “We are not attending this particular event that is portrayed as supporting constitutional change” is politically spineless. Can I just point out to Stephen that the gathering in Dublin organised by Ireland’s Future was a debate around Irish unification and not a Nuremberg Rally. However, I do take the view that the event was preaching to the converted. But the failure of unionists or pro-union voices to attend and make their case for the union or critique the process, is a dereliction of duty. Stephen Farry has represented a party that has built its recent successes on the failure of others and a political strategy of being all things to all people; politically vanilla; navigating the middle of the sectarian road; being inoffensive which in public policy terms means ineffective and finally, never mention the ‘C’ (constitution) word. All its recent achievements and electoral gains have been made without a compelling political narrative.
Mr Farry’s comment that he wants to engage in constructive dialogue and shape the debate on a “without prejudice basis” is simply political nonsense at best and political cowardice at worst. What political planet are the Alliance Party on? All the above is further exacerbated by even more political gobbledygook, “We are proudly a cross-community party.” What that means in terms of class politics, is nothing, what it means in terms of my politics, which are left of centre, is absolutely nothing. I should not be surprised by these comments as the party he represents has no political soul – let alone a political ideology – and are the only party that can get away with a politically meaningless strapline such as: “We are proudly a cross-community party.” Again, no surprise if you can remember some of their past election posters, saying – ‘Forward Faster, Better Sooner’.
SUNEIL SHARMA
Belfast BT10
Fantasy government
There appears to be a series of ‘towards Ireland free’ gatherings getting underway – peopled by a celebrity hotchpotch of faces from the world of film and entertainment. Throw in the odd professor of something or other, plus the earnest minor smattering of politicians and it all appears to be a done deal, going forward.
Mention of a ‘citizens assembly’ to ‘decide’ the future of the island appears to be the rainbow coalition of views which will copper-fasten the Dáil’s determination to step aside from such a vital and potentially dangerous issue like partition.
Letting the unelected take over as a form of fantasy government in a world of self-promotion through pseudo patriotic fervour is no longer a fictional notion in a world gone mad with opportunistic melodrama.
I just hope that in time the vaccines for this nationalistic crackpottedness will be developed with greater urgency in the face of such trepidation which could lead to chaos and possibly fierce unrest across the country. Think on.
ROBERT SULLIVAN
Bantry, Co Cork
