Opinion

Deaglán de Bréadún: Aftermath of coronavirus could bring recession and another election in Republic

A healthcare worker testing a patient for coronavirus
A healthcare worker testing a patient for coronavirus A healthcare worker testing a patient for coronavirus

ARTICLE 4 of the Irish Constitution declares that, “The name of the State is Éire, or, in the English language, Ireland”. In light of the current atmosphere, however, “Eerie” might be a better title and, in truth, that description could be extended to the rest of the world, given the spread of the coronavirus.

I find myself reflecting that the prevailing mood of fear and uncertainty must have similarities to how it felt in London during the wartime blitz. Describing the experience as she listened to the drone of German bombers hovering overhead, Virginia Woolf wrote that, “during those seconds of suspense all thinking stopped. All feeling, save one dull dread, ceased.”

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The Germans also launched a blitz on Belfast in April and May 1941, resulting in almost 1,000 deaths. Legendary journalist Paddy Scott (1906-99) recalled in an interview with the present writer how the front door and all the windows of his Antrim Road house were blown away and he had to deal with a fire which started when two incendiaries landed on his bed. We are also told that during one of the raids almost 300 people, mostly Protestants from the Shankill area, crossed the religious divide and found refuge in the crypt and cellar of the Clonard Monastery off the Falls Road; Catholics also found shelter in Presbyterian and Church of Ireland buildings.

Deaglán de Bréadún
Deaglán de Bréadún Deaglán de Bréadún

Unforeseen circumstances can lead to unprecedented events. At 4.35 am on April 15, 1941, Northern Ireland Minister of Public Security John MacDermott sent a telegram requesting assistance from Taoiseach Eamon de Valera. Within two hours, 71 firefighters were travelling on 13 fire tenders towards the border and from there to Belfast. You can’t help thinking of the lorry that carried Sean South and another group of volunteers towards Brookeborough police barracks 16 years later in 1957 – but with rather less peaceful intent.

The greatest possible cross-community and north-south cooperation is needed in the current crisis. Although this is an awful time where all of us are under threat, it is inspiring to see the bravery and devotion to duty of healthcare personnel throughout the island, who are risking their lives for the welfare of other human beings.

It is startling to recall that, when the multi-party executive in the north returned to office in January, a primary focus was the status of the Irish language: a serious issue, indeed, but little did we realise what dark days lay ahead. In the south, meanwhile, the housing shortage was very much to the fore in the recent general election, but now the focus has shifted from finding a place where people can live to ensuring that they actually stay alive.

Trying to keep ourselves, our loved ones and our fellow-citizens above ground is “the only game in town”. The sole measure by which politicians are being judged is how rapidly and effectively they ensure that the necessary measures are put in place for that purpose.

Despite having a pretty dismal general election, Leo Varadkar remains in office at the head of a caretaker government in Dublin because cross-party agreement has yet to be reached for a new administration. He and his colleagues are perceived as having performed well in present circumstances and a recent Business Post/Red C opinion poll has their Fine Gael party at 34 per cent, 13 points up on their election showing.

It looks at present as if Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are prepared to serve together in a coalition but their combined numbers fall short of a Dáil majority and they have, rather short-sightedly, ruled out an alliance with Sinn Féin. The Greens, Labour and the Social Democrats are all standing aloof, although some believe Labour’s new leader Alan Kelly might yet be open to persuasion. Even if the smaller parties won’t join up, there are still enough Independents to create a majority.

If the coalition efforts ultimately fail, then a second general election could happen as soon as the early autumn. Whoever ends up running the show will not only have to deal with the health crisis but also its economic aftermath. “Global economy set for sharpest reversal since Great Depression” said Saturday’s front-page headline in the Financial Times. Now there’s an eerie thought.

Ddebre1@aol.com

Twitter: @DdeBreadun