The Irish are well versed in the saying “don’t speak ill of the dead” but the roots of this adage go back to Chilon of Sparta in the 6th century BC.
When former British Prime Minister Ted Heath was asked to comment on the death of the right wing firebrand Enoch Powell, Heath declined to make comment. Thatcher on the other hand waxed lyrical about the deceased arch bigot.
As a political columnist and writer I am often asked to write obituaries about recently deceased politicians or high profile individuals and I am conscious of the Latin maxim, ‘De mortuis nihil nisi bonum’ (Of the dead (say) nothing but good).
But my consciousness of this is more out of respect for families and friends in the immediate aftermath of a death rather than any desire to polish up the life of the deceased.
When the late Ian Paisley died, writing in this paper I sympathised over the loss of a husband, father and grandfather but saw no need to gloss over the politically toxic contribution of the recently departed within Northern Ireland.
Allowances, says the journalist Colum Kenny, should always be made “for the sake of the surviving family, and in humble recognition of human nature”.
So when there was a furore over Sinn Féin’s eulogising about hunger striker Thomas McElwee on the fortieth anniversary of his death, I cringed.
McElwee was only 23 when he died following 62 days on hunger strike.
Whilst disagreeing entirely about the hunger strike I can recognise his courage.
That said, he was also convicted of the manslaughter of an innocent young woman, Yvonne Dunlop. She was just 26 years and the mother of three young children. In a normal world, in a different place or time, both Thomas McElwee and Yvonne Dunlop should by now be enjoying their retirement and the laughter of grandchildren.
The Sinn Féin video commemorating McElwee was ill judged. It demonstrates how tone deaf that party is towards victims of the Troubles. Their constant rejoinder - “Sinn Féin regrets the death of all victims” - rings hollow. The families of victims don’t want regrets, they want protagonists to take responsibility. Above all they want them to be honest.
The shameful attempts by the British government to airbrush away the murders carried out by British soldiers on innocent victims is stomach churning. It adds insult to injury after years of lies and cover up. Higher standards are expected of governments and those entrusted with implementing the rule of law and justice. The actions of the Johnson government in relation to victims and legacy is a new low for a British administration for which there are few expectations.
But Sinn Féin can’t squirm away from their ‘official’ responsibilities to victims. They too are in government with responsibility for administration of justice and policing within Northern Ireland. The vast majority of the atrocities which resulted in the creation of victims took place within the jurisdiction of the north. The standards Sinn Féin rightly expect of the British government in relation to legacy also apply to them. Their leadership don’t get to walk the moral tight rope.
In the Republic of Ireland, Sinn Féin stand on the cusp of taking office, though their stance on the special criminal courts suggests an ambivalence toward justice which could yet deny them power.
Sinn Féin TD, Eoin Ó Broin is an articulate and street savvy politician. He said that all sides in the conflict have a “right to honour their dead”. That’s true but they don’t have a right to glorify them in a way which creates further hurt and distress to victims. Even Ó Broin seems to recognise this.
But those voting Sinn Féin have factored in the past and Sinn Féin know it. A bit like English voters factoring in the flaws of Boris Johnson.
After all is said and written there are still two families with empty chairs where once sat a son and daughter. Spare them a thought.
