here - Connolly Association

- 9 FED 1937
CONFERE#§¥
a
The building trade and the
Irish Community"
Speakers;
No. 516
30p
FEBRUARY 1987
GEORGE HENDERSON (ITGWU)
ERIC FLEMMING (ITGWU)
TOM MERNAGH (UCATT)
SINN FEIN
SENDS UP
27 CANDIDATES
Saturday, 21 March
2 pm
MARCHMONT STREET CENTRE, WC1
LAST COPY FOR
NEXT ISSUE
FEBRUARY 18
TORIES
BUG IRISH
EMBASSY
IS Mrs Thatcher going off her head?
That arrogant, assertive, alwaysdead-right manner might be thought a
symptom of megalomania. But her
obsession with spying might more
betoken paranoia.
Let the American-owned press
hush them up as much as they can, spy
scandals seem lined up to batter the
doors of the editors' offices.
BUT THE GAG REMAINS
THE QUEEREST ELECTION YET
It seems she tTugged the Irish
Embassy!
So letters that were really
confidential had to be sent by special
courier.
THE Irish General Election of February 1987 bids fair to be the queerest in the history of the
state* Yet everybody seems to agree that the winner will be Fianna Fail, which is expected to
have a small overall majority.
D o you remember that great outcry
about bugging the American Embassy
in Moscow by sprinkling purple
powder round the place?
Well Mrs Thatcher's bugs worked.
She used them during the negotiations
for the Anglo-Irish agreement. N o
wonder she got everything she
wanted. She knew the weakness of the
Irish team.
There was no purple powder, but
wouldn't you expect a bit of an outcry.
There was none. Dr Fitzgerald did
not even protest or request that the
practice be suspended. Can you
imagine such spineless sycophancy?
When challenged he tried to brush
it aside. Sure, everybody does it. "I
never pick up a telephone without
taking it for granted it's tapped."
Wise man for once. But why all the
fuss when Mr Haughey (in our
opinion quite mistakenly) tapped the
lines of two journalists w h o
successfully sued the government?
The Labour MP who asked the
Prime Minister whether any
communication had been received
about the phone-tapping replied there
had not. He described her manner as
"arrogant and provocative."
m
If it doesn't, then the queerness will show up. For there are two new
factors. First the Progressive Democrats, a breakaway from Fianna Fail,
but already showing themselves more reactionary and West-British in
their outlook than Fine Gael.
Second, Sinn Fein are sending up
twenty-seven
candidates,
they
admit they don't expect to win.
Again if they do, they will take their
INFLUENCES
It would be i m a g i n e d that the
government
would
have
welcomed any step that brought
the advocates o f physical force
closer to the s o f t e n i n g influences
of purely political life.
On the contrary, the gag
remains. They are not to be
allowed on television, and a body
dedicated to the increase o f
women's representation
in
Parliament has refused to see the
o n e Sinn Fein w o m a n candidate.
S o the election is rigged from
the start. And this is a purely Fine
G a e l decision. F i a n n a Fail would
have let them speak.
The thin excuse that men w h o
advocate violence must
be
THIS TIME THEY PROTESTED
the agreement by saying he would
I F there's one classification of a
talk with the British Government if
m a n you couldn't watch, it's an
it was suspended.
English Tory.
S o Mr King thought he saw an
They're prepared to try anything
opportunity when the Irish General
on.
Election looked like interrupting
And one of the best at it, albeit a
the
Anglo-Irish
talks
at
bit clumsy betimes, is Mr Tom King
governmental level.
o f the six-county office.
Remember when he said the
"There you are," he said, "there's
Anglo-Irish Agreement meant that
your suspension. Come into my
partition was here for all time? It
parlour."
w a s most unneighbourly when Dr
Of course he was only trying to fool
Fitzgerald was pretending as hard , Paisley, or help Paisley fool his
a s he could that the agreement (like followers. But he made it more difficult
the Single European Act) didn't
for Dr Fitzgerald to fool the electorate
m e a n what it said.
he was facing In an election.
Since then he's been at it again.
They'll not stand firm when there's a
M r Paisley, trying to wriggle out of
principle inwrtfed. Bat they chase their
his strait-jacket, clim&d down hrarf and cheese like a cat a mouse,
from demanding the abrogation of T h , s , 1 m e ^ r e w a s •
>
silenced doesn't hold water. Is it
proposed to silence President
Reagan w h o mines the waters o f
Nicaragua,
asks
a
thousand
million for forcible overthrow o f
the elected
government
of
Nicaragua,
and
is
currently
preparing the explosion of a war
that will end civilisation?
Is it proposed to silence Mrs
Thatcher
for
her
Falklands
adventure, or sending police to
kick in the d o o r of Mr D u n c a n
Campbell?
For thai matter Dr Fitzgerald is
a fair candidate for silencing
h i m s e l f , f o r he s i g n e d
an
agreement that abandoned the
nationalists o f the north leaving
them no political road
to
salvation. Moreover he did it for
the purpose o f bringing the
republic into N A T O by way o f the
Single European Treaty Dr Crotty
has had the courage to challenge.
It is natural that people s h o u l d
wonder at the Sihn Fein decision.
But there is o n e vital fact. While
people like Dr Fitzgerald are s o
brazenly and successfully selling
their country to the international
military-financial machine, it is
URGENTLY
WANTED
duplicator,
cheap and good, preferably
Roneo or Gestetner, for use of the
C o n n o l l y A s s o c i a t i o n , in
Liverpool. Can be collected in
Liverpool/Manchester areas.
Maybe you know an office that is.
going over to the new technology.
A
SECONDHAND
surely right that
republicans
should speak out against it.
H o w can they d o so effectively
if they ignore the o n e place where
their speeches cannot be gagged?
For if any o f them are returned
RTE will be unable to refuse them.
And Fianna Fail is not so safe a
bet that a lew first preferences
g i v e n t o the left
mightn't
concentrate their minds a bit. Dr
Fitzgerald is seen as such a total
wash-out that Mr Haughey can
confidently g o to the country and
say he won't promise anything!
If, and this is a possible danger,
Sinn Fein deputies gel involved in
European politics by acceptance
of the C o m m o n Market and
suchlike, Mr O'Bradaigh's group
may find themselves in the
position of a national insurance
policy.
The Irish electoral system is
such that Sinn Fein can g o boldly
forward without the fear, o f
splitting the Fianna Fail vote,
simply by asking their supporters
to give their second preferences to
Fianna Fail.
At this time it is not yet clear
whether the CPI will be sending
up candidates. I f t h e y d o , a n d they
are o f course o p p o s e d to physical
force in the six county contcxt,
they are likely to be the only ones
apart from Sinn Fein w h o put
s o m e real issues in front o.f the
people.
For the other parties offer
merely variants o f one basic
policy, and that is based on the
paranunmicy o f big business.
While the Fianna Fail variant may
be the most attractive, we can say
definitely that the issues before the
country in this election, will still
be there in the next.
Nearer to the
police state
T H E police raid o n the G l a s g o w
premises of the B B C exposes the
shallow fraud that Britain is a
democracy.
They descended in forcc on the
premises, dragged technicians out
o f their beds in the middle o f the
night and hauled them o f f to
work.
They then seized vanloads of
documents and m a d e off with the
lot.
What's the purpose? Essentially
that of Hitler's stormtroopers —
intimidation, the essence of the
police state.
What's m o r e , internment is
coming. The g o v e r n m e n t intends
to increase the length of time a
suspect can be held without
charge to 28 days. W i t h o u t a
doubt this will be extended at a
later date. But as it then will be,
only twelve remands will be
needed to make a year.
As
the "Irish
Democrat"
warned
when
British
publicopinion accepted the emergency
measures introduced in Northern
Ireland, they were automatically
bringing these s a m e things u p o n
themselves.
THERE will be a special meeting at the Star Club,
Carlton Place, at 3 pm on Sunday, 8th February.
Its general purpose is to proceed with the
reorganization of the Connolly Association branch,
and particularly to discuss the best way to celebrate
's night.
Page Two
IRISH DEMOCRAT
February 1987
GUILDFORD 4
From D O N A L L M a c C R A I T H
THE end of an era in Irish dancing in
Kilburn was marked at the Irish Centre in
Camden when Ted Kavanagh - who for
years taught a weekly class in Carlton
I ale, and will he remembered as one of
the greatest Irish dance tutors of all time •
gracefully ho wed out.
To the evening of tribute to him came
farmer pupils, fellow-teachers and
numerous friends They came from all
over Britain and some from his native
Derry. The evening was organised by
Margaret Troy, who takes over Ted's
school, and who will run it under her own
name.
Ted Kavanagh first learned his Irish
dancing in Derry from Nellie Sweeney
and then went on to win numerous
titles,
PADDINGTON
\ HI S^ V ' « Near is e x p e c t e d h\
Parents'
\i.
foundation,
the
registered
charity
which
was
formed last year by a local Irish
community worker to assist parents
of children in council care and
which distributed to>s and food to
OUT a hundred local f a m i l i e s at
( hristmas.
including becoming the first Ulster
dancer to take an all-Ireland crown.
HE came to London in 1952 and
founded his school, which went on to
establish an unmatched record • winning
the seniorfigure dancing championship of
Britain for 21 consecutive years.
ft hen Ted Kavanagh School w< n the
world senior figure championshi/, the
world senior ceili championship and the
world juniorfigure championship - as well
as innumerable all-Britain and allIreland titles.
Among his former pupils are Marion
Kennedy and her brother Seamus, of
Shirland Road, Paddington, who are both
qualified dancing teachers with regular
classes at various venues in north-west
London.
KILBURN
BRENT FEIS
IHL
Kilburn-based
Innisf/ee
H o u s i n g A s s o c i a t i o n , w h i c h Mas
started |list over a y e a r a g o . is
a l r e a d y s h o w i n g that by w o r k i n g
together
and
pooling
their
r e s o u r c e s . Irish p e o p l e c a n b e g i n
to t a c k l e t h e h o u s i n g p r o b l e m s o f
their c o m m u n i t y in a p r a c t i c a l a n d
e f f e c t i v c way-
THERE
is
tremendous
excitement among the many Irish
dancing schools in north-west
London as the young pupils practice
their steps for the premier event of
the competition calender - Brent
Feis, the Irish Dancing section of
the annua! Brent Festival - which
opens at Brent Town Hall in
Wembley next Friday evening
IJanuary 16).
Mthough based in the City of
\V e s t m i n s t e r ,
the
charity
T h i s w a s stated b \
Coluin
e nde a \ o u rs
to
cover
the
the
Longford-born
surrounding a r e a s of north-west M o l o n e y ,
c h a i r m a n o f Brent Irish A d v i s o r y
London. f o u n d e r Anthony D o n l a n ,
Service,
on
the o p e n i n g
of
of f o u r t h \ \ e n u e , Q u e e n ' s Park,
lnnisf'ree's n e w hostel w h i c h he
was born in M u l l a g h , f u n i s , C o .
said w a s a small tribute t o t h e
( lare and
has
liud
in
the
great w o r k of the late C a t h e r i n e
Paddin^ton area for more than 20
C o l e m a n a l t e r w h o m the h o s t e l in
uars.
C n c k l e w o o d is n a m e d .
N L V E R m the history o f L o n d o n
Mr D o n l a n , who is the f a t h e r of
has there b e e n a s m u c h Irish
two children
in the c a r e
of
" W e f eci s a d that she c a n n o t be activity a s there is t o d a y .
Westminster S o c i a l S e r v i c e s for
here w i t h us today to s e e her
the past X u a r s , said: " P a r e n t s ' Aid
T h i s is e x e m p l i f i e d b y t h e ' T r i s h
e f f o r t s c o m e to fruition, b u t w e
first started a s a group of people
V o i c e " , o r g a n o f the H a r i n g e y
will c o n t i n u e to p r o v i d e vital
like me w h o have children in c a r e
I B R G w h i c h m e e t s every f o r t n i g h t
assistance with housing to b o t h
and felt that they needed the
o n T u e s d a y e v e n i n g s at the
new a r r i v a l s a n d to t h o s e w h o
support and help of others in the
have b e e n resident here f o r a l o n g
T o t t e n h a m C o m* m u n i t v Project.
same plight."
time, a n d t o highlight their u n m e t
T his m a g a z i n e lists the activities
" I he group h a s since been j o i n e d n e e d s . " he said.
o f the Irish in Britain H i s t o r y
In others, like d o c t o r s and l a w y e r s ,
Centre, t h e L a b o u r C o m m i t t e e o n
who do not have children in c a r e
Ireland, t h e L o n d o n B i r m i n g h a m
themselves, but w h o s y m p a t h i s e
Six C a m p a i g n , the G u i l d f o r d
with our aims. T h e group first c a m e
Four C a m p a i g n , the Irish in
into being b e c a u s e of the need
FA THEIR Gilmore, Director of
Islington
Project,
Haringey
which e \ i s t s in north-west London
the Irish Chaplaincy in Britain, has
L a b o u r Party Irish S e c t i o n a n d
with a total of nearly 2,000 children
announced a star-studded line-up
the
Irish
Pensioners
Action
in care."
for the annual fundraising St.
Group.
IRISH LIFE IN
HARINGEY
CONCERT
Patrick's Festival Concert to he
held at the Wembley Conference
Centre on March 7th, and he
M.ASDES-B
ASED
Irish advised that early hooking is
herbalist Joan O'Brien is offering advisable.
new training opportunities to young
The artistes include singer
people at her [Suture's Own
Daniel
() 'Donnell and his band; the
Institute of SaturaI Health, Beauty
Morrisseys
ballad and folk group;
and Sutrition which has been
Sean
()
Se,
the Cork tenor; Mary
operating for ten years and recently
opened its new and larger premises Hegarty, soprano; the Galwayat Johnston House. Coronation hased Shaskeen traditional group;
Road, Park Royal NU10 (961 Irish dancers; and comedian
Brendan Blake as compere. For
XI59)
information phone 263 1477.
TRAINING
NORTHERN CONFERENCE
"The Irish question and the British
Labour movement"
13 APRIL, 1987
Socialist Club, Bolton, Lanes.
There is a l s o a " S t o p
searches c a m p a i g n . "
strip
W h e t h e r t h e I B R G is wise to
s u b d i v i d e its a c t i v i t i e s t o o m u c h is
something worth thinking about,
but n o d o u b t t h e y h a v e the m e a n s
of co-ordination.
H a r i n g e y I B R G is f u n d e d bv
Haringey B o r o u g h Council, and
"Irish V o i c e " is c o n t a c t a b l e at
H o r n s e y L i b r a r y , H a n n g e y Park,
London. N8. telephone 348-3351,
e x t e n s i o n 3.
CONGRATULATIONS
to
Tottenham UCATT who organised
a deputation to the Irish Embassy
on the subject of the imprisonment
of the Birmingham si\ and the
Guildford Four.
The case of the Birmingham six is
now sub-judice and the outcome is
anxiously awaited. It is to be hoped
there will be no undue dela\
The building w orkers handed in a
letter to the Ambassador which said
of the Tory Home Secretary Mr
Douglas Hurd:
"His ruthless disregard for
justice show n in the eases of the
Guildford Tour and the Maguire
family framed and jailed for
CHARLES DONNELLY
crimes they could nor have
commuted. .. lie therefore call
AMOSG the heaviest losses
on you to speak out in the name
in the war for the defence of the
of the innocent and for justice."
Spanish Republic was that of the
Prominent in the depuation w as
Tyrone-born
poet
Charles
Secretary Mr Andy Higgins, well
Donnelley.
know n in the Connolly Association
Active in the Republican
and Irish community.
Congress in Dublin he was
unable to obtain employment
and emigrated to London.
There, together with Leslie
Daiken and Ewart Milne, he
LONDON
members of
the
founded "Irish Front" the foreC o n n o l l y Association went to
runner of the "Irish Democrat."
the H o u s e of C o m m o n s to lobby '
Repeal PTA
their M P s on January 28th.
T hey were protesting at the
failure o f the Home Secretary to
allow the Guildford four to
appeal against conviction for
c r i m e s to which other p e o p l e had
confessed.
T h e y were a l s o d e m a n d i n g the
| repeal o f the Prevention of
Terrorism
Act a n d
other
e m e r g e n c y legislation which w a s
only necessitated by a situation
the
Tories created
for
themselves.
A T a w e l l - a t t e n d e d m e e t i n g in t h e
Friends' H o u s e , E u s t o n R o a d ,
L o n d o n , M r Michael O ' R i o r d a n
s p o k e o f t h e Irish c o n t i n g e n t o f
the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Brigade w h i c h
went t o f i g h t for the S p a n i s h
Republic
fifty years a g o
in
January 1937.
IRISH WOMEN
S u p p o r t i n g speakers w e r e M r
Bill A l e x a n d e r a n d Mr B o b D o y l e .
THE first ever Irish Women's
Conference
in London
was
organised around the theme of
"Our experience of emigration"
the second following on from this
with the title "Living in England."
Dr F l a n n C a m p b e l l w a s in t h e
chair.
The
following evening
Mr
O ' R i o r d a n s p o k e in L i v e r p o o l
together
with
Liverpool-Irish
international Brigader M r F r a n k
Deegan. T h e chairman w a s M r
Bernard M o r g a n .
The third which takes place on
Saturday February 14th, 1987 will
concentrate on the question of
identity.
There is a wide range of Irish
women's groups operating in
London and it is planned to give
each group an opportunity to
address the conference.
The conference begins at 10am.
and continues until
5.30pm.
followed by a play "Only the rivers
run free" and then a Ceili with The
Sheclas.
The venue is the Albany Theatre.
Douglas Way. Deptford SE8.
Lunch, tea and coffee and a creche
are provided, and further details
are obtainable from Irish Women's
Centre, 59 Stoke
Newington
Church Street. London N.16..
telephone 249-7318.
CONNOLLY ASSOCIATION
LONDON MEMBERS'
MEETING
SATURDAY, 14 FEBRUARY
:: 2 30 pm
MARCHMONT ST COMMUNITY CENTRE
BOOK THE DATE
SPANISH WAR
REMEMBERED
TO DISCUSS REORGANISATION
Mr O ' R i o r d a n said t h a t a p a r t
from h i m s e l f there were o n l y t w o
survivors f r o m the S p a n i s h w a r
left in Ireland.
Sustentation Fund
WF. D I D N ' T need Donal Kennedy in the
bookshop, fresh from his C h r i s t m a s
adventures with pipes and drains. For D i d n ' t
the freeze-up burst the pipes in the p r e m i s e s
over our heads and put the book-shop k n e e deep.
Having quite a few building workers in t h e
Connolly Association it wasn't long b e f o r e
John Macl.aughlin. Michael Keane, a n d a
few others sawed their way into the cellar l o
cut the water off and see nobody got
electrocuted.
C asualties? Just a few books, though it
didn't do Paddy Bond's nerves any good
But we hope the pipes of our r e a d e r s
generosity will do the same and the
donations will gush out till we're knee-deep
in five pounds notes instead of aqua p u r a .
In the pipeline is publication of J o h n
Boyd's r e m a r k a b l e pamphlet "The m u r d e r
of British i n d u s t r y . " And we're trying t o get
the Edinburgh Connolly Exhibition south of
the border. So t h e r e ' s plenty to spend it on.
Our t h a n k s t o :
S. Healv £3.20. T & G . Shields £5. R
Harmon £5. M. P o r t e r £4. P. W. L a d k i n
£1. .1 T a t e £5. J. M c G r a t h £ 4 . C
T h o m p s o n £10. M. G u i n a n £44. G
O'Reilly £ 3 4 18. S. McKeever £ 5 . S
Padgham £ 8 81. P. Greene £4. S o u t h
London C.A. £ 1 5 , M . Morrissey £11. F
O ' C o n n o r £2, D . Belgrave £5. R. H. £5. C
Martin £5. N. M o o r e £5, Ji King £2.40, M
Clinton £2.50, P. J . Kenna, £4. A . W a l s h
70p, P. D o p ^ y £ 5 , supporters, in S ^ t h
London £I6,Q5. T O T A L : £ 2 | l , « 4 .
February 1987
Page Three
IRISH DEMOCRAT
NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE - WHOSE FAULT? •PE"*?!
IN NOVEMBER
last,
in
Manchester,
the Tory Party
chairman said most of the north of
England's economic wounds were
self-inflicted. At fault, he said, were
bad industrial relations, a failure to
tackle new technologies and
leftwing councils.
Since then differences between
the north and south of England have
been quantified in job census
reports. The census showed that
94% of jobs lost since 1979 have
occurred in the North of England.
The Tory government took office in
1979. One of their first acts lifted
alt restrictions on the export of
capital in line with a policy
supporting the internationalising of
capital investment.
The catalogue of lost jobs and
shut down industries is now long
and still growing. This government
has no intention of reversing that
process - whatever it says. Judge
people by their actions not what
they say. The following two
examples suffice to illustrate the
point.
By
JOHN BOYD
half its workforce in order to take
account of price controls and
quotas imposed by the EEC in
1980.
The action of the Government
can also be seen in the takeover of
British Sugar by the Italian
monopoly Ferruzzi. Following this
takeover Ferruzzi will control 25%
of all EEC sugar production. The
French part of Ferruzzi has
600,000 tonnes of surplus sugar.
This is just part of the huge surplus
of sugar within the EEC which has
to be dumped somewhere through
European
outlets.
Hence it
becomes clear that a major purpose
of this monopoly takeover is to buy
up or put out of business sugar beet
growers, and, Tate & Lyle who
have 50% of the market in Britain.
The eventual consequence will be a
further loss of jobs. This is a case in
point where once again the
government
support
the
internationalising of capital for
maximum profit for those who run
the City and to hell with the
workforce.
DURING
November
EEC
industry ministers discussedfurther
cuts in steel production capacity,
removal of subsidies and quotas.
The cuts amount to 20 million
tonnes out of 140 million. The
DURING the Christmas period
British minister, aptly named Mr
Butcher, stated that "the UK a great publicity stunt told all of us
remains fully
committed
to that the EEC farm ministers had
progressive liberalisation of the worked very hard without sleep for
quota system..."
Since
this several nights. The object of the
government has been in office the exercise was for the outgoing
British Steel Corporation has shed British chairmen of the Council of
•
a 1 9 1a s a a
LiECJURES
T H E 1987 series, o n alternate
S u n d a y evenings at 6 pm at the
Irish Centre are: F e b r u a r y 8th, Dr
J o h n McGurk on " O w e n Roe
O ' N e i l l " soldier of
Ireland;
February 22nd, D e s m o n d Greaves
on
Wolfe Tone,
father
of
Republicanism"; M a r c h 8th, Dr
F l a n n Campbell o n " J o h n Mitchel,
a r t i c u l a t e r e v o l u t i o n a r y " and
M a r c h 22nd, P r o f e s s o r E r i c T a p l i n
on
"James
Larkin,
Liverpool
Irishman". A final l e c t u r e for April
5 t h on Eamon D e V a l e r a is hoped
for but not yet a r r a n g e d .
DON
T H E 1987 series c o m p r i s e s three
l e c t u r e s on C o n n o l l y , o n the first
S u n d a y s of February and March
p l u s M a r c h 29th. O n February 1st
D e s m o n d G r e a v e s s p e a k s on the
" S i g n i f i c a n c e of J a m e s Connolly
T o d a y " ; on M a r c h 1st, Dr John
H o f f m a n of L e i c e s t e r University
t a l k s about " J a m e s Connolly's
P o l i t i c s " and on M a r c h 29th the
author
and
Celtologist
Peter
Berresford Ellis ( s e e his letter in
this issue) talks a b o u t "Labour in
Irish H i s t o r y " .
Agricultural Ministers to flaunt the
notion that a plan had been agreed
to cut EEC milk production. This
plan based on more quotas and
cutbacks in herds was an attempt to
reduce the costly butter and milk
powder mountains. 'Was'being the
operative word because within
hours of this plan being adopted the
price of milk was put up. Any
schoolboy economist will tell you
that if the price goes up sales go
down. Sales of milk are going down
to the point where there is serious
concern about calcium deficiencies
in the diet, especially amongst
women,
the low paid
and
unemployed.
The Milk Marketing Board and
its company Dairy Crest are having
to close creamery works because of
the quota system and butter
surplus. The Board now has no
national rational control over milk
or butter production. That has been
handed to Brussels with, again, loss
of jobs and the dumping of food
surpluses in Britain.
The same story goes for the
cereal surplus. Bread prices are
certain to rise following all the
rumours and denials that they will
not. Put the price up, sales go down
and the mountains get bigger still.
The cost of intervention buying,
storage and eventual destruction is
compounded, and we pay for it.
Effort to halt
treachery
J A N U A R Y 1987 h a s seen the
H i g h C o u r t in D u b l i n h e a r i n g o n e
o f t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t c a s e s since
the F r e e State w a s set u p by the
British in 1922.
It relates t o the
so-called
"Single European A c t " which
eleven governments have signed,
a n d Ireland a l o n e is h o l d i n g o u t .
T h e hearing t a k e s p l a c e against
the b a c k g r o u n d
of
almost
c o m p l e t e press b o y c o t t , a n d a
d e a f e n i n g silence e v e n a m o n g the
a n t i - i m p e r i a l i s t " l e f t " in Britain
whose
interest
in
Ireland
is
c o n f i r m e d to the o c c u p i e d area,
a n d s i m p l y d o n o t u n d e r s t a n d the
s t r u g g l e f o r i n d e p e n d e n c e that is
f o u g h t in the t w e n t y - s i x c o u n t i e s
year in year o u t .
D r R a y m o n d Crotty, a Kilkenny
f a r m e r a n d l e c t u r e r in e c o n o m i c s a t
T r i n i t y C o l l e g e , D u b l i n , is s u i n g t h e
g o v e r n m e n t on the g r o u n d s that the
President has illegally signed the
S i n g l e E u r o p e a n A c t in D e f i a n c e o f
the constitution.
The government argues that once
I r e l a n d j o i n e d t h e C o m m o n M a r k e t it
c o u l d d o w h a t e v e r it l i k e d in p u r s u i t
of the a i m s of the E E C .
T H E Single E u r o p e a n Act r ^ m m i t s
ENQUIRY COUPON
Please send me particulars of membership of the Connolly Association
Name
Address
Cut out and p o s t to:
CONNOLLY A S S O C I A T E "
244/246 Gray* Inn Road, Lom
VC1
E E C countries to military action and
t h i s , s a y s D r C r o t t y , is a f r e s h t r e a t y
and
was
not
covered
by
the
r e f e r e n d u m held w h e n I r e l a n d joined
t h e E E C . Therefore t h e r e s h o u l d be
another referendum.
W h a t the Fitzgerald coalition has
d o n e is t o e n d Irish n e u t r a l i t y in a
back-handed
way.
While
the
disastrous
consequences
of
EEC
m e m b e r s h i p a r e t h e r e t o b e seen by
a n y b o d y w i t h e y e s , t h e G o v e r n m e n t is
n o n e t o o keen on a r e f e r e n d u m ,
a l t h o u g h it c o u l d b e h e l d o n t h e s a m e
d a y as the general election without
a n y extra expense w o r t h
talking
about.
The
unpopularity
of
this
g o v e r n m e n t of i m p e r i a l i s t lick-spittles
is s u c h t h a t a r e f e r e n d u m m i g h t
completely block f u r t h e r progress
t o w a r d s their aim of
"European
U n i o n " so d e a r t o t h e h e a r t s of
international bankers a n d armament
m a n u f a c t u r e r s . Needless to say the
g o v e r n m e n t s i d e is p u l l i n g o u t all t h e
s t o p s , in t h e p o s s i b l e h o p e t h a t if t h e y
c a n ' t d e f e a t D r C r o t t y t h e y will
bankrupt him.
T H O U S A N D S o f p o u n d s w o r t h ot
legal b o o k s a n d d o c u m e n t s h a v e been
p u r c h a s e d on b o t h sides, a n d s o m e of
t h e s h a r p e s t l e g a l m i n d s in I r e l a n d
h a v e been c o n c e n t r a t i n g o n the case
for over a month.
T h e resources of the g o v e r n m e n t
a r e v i r t u a l l y i n f i n i t e a n d it is a g r e a t
rarity for a private citizen to take on
so formidable an o p p o n e n t .
I r e l a n d is t h e o n l y c o u n t r y in
E u r o p e able to p r o d u c e citizens w h o
a r e p r e p a r e d t o risk t h e i r f o r t u n e in a n
attempt
to
prevent
the
most
d i s g u s t i n g t r e a c h e r y o f m o d e r n Irish
history. For, whether the court holds
it l e g a l o r n o t , in p o l i t i c a l t e r m s t h e
a c t i o n o f t h e F i t z g e r a l d c o a l i t i o n is
despicable beyond words.
THE background to the above
examples which go to make up the
whole process of Britain's decline is
the reorganisation of western
Europe. This process has just
passed into an important but
unsignalled
phase
with the
ratification of the Single European
Act by both Houses of Parliament.
This Act passes yet
more
sovereignty to Brussels. That is a
major policy of this government
and everything
relevant
is
subordinate to that aim.
Mr Tebbit and the Prime
Minister
have in mind the
forthcoming genera! election. They
will blame unemployment, with all
the umpteen adjustments to figures,
and the economic decline on to
anything but the real causes. The
causes are not bad industrial
relations or councils because
neither are responsible for national
policies. The government and its
subservience
to
international
money and profit is to blame. To
have rejuvenated industries and
new industries massive investment
is required. This government
encourages the necessary capital to
be sent abroad where it will make,
in the short term, more profit than
if it were invested in either the
North or South of England. So
what is needed is a clear picture to
be put before the electorate
showing how membership of the
EEC plays a fundamental part in
Britain's decline.
Just
before
Christmas
the
drinking public in Ireland was
ordered to pay f o u r p e n c e extra on
its pint. Who by? W h o but the
massive
transnational,
Messrs
Guinness. The reason w a s not an
increase in costs of production, but
the need to finance investments in
Britain, in particular the take-over
of the Distillers' C o m p a n y .
Well now, was it worth fourpence
on the pint to witness the fireworks
that have followed. Twenty five
million pounds vanished into thin
air.
Resignations of
directors.
Resignations
of
directors
of associated banks. And a British
government investigation.
The question arises, why should
workers and c o n s u m e r s lie at the
m e r c y of international gamblers?
W h y , oh, why?
The
High Court
decided
that
breaking
the
women
T H E m o s t h i s t o r i c site in all
I r e l a n d has been s a v e d f r o m
d e s t r u c t i o n by q u a r r y i n g . It is the
f a m o u s " N a v a n F o r t " , in Irish
Eamhain
Macha,
sometimes
identified
with
Isamnion
on
P t o l e m y ' s m a p o f Ireland.
T h e site of the c a p i t a l o f the
a n c i e n t Ulaidh s t a n d s o n the
o u t s k i r t s of A r m a g h , a n d it is
s p e c u l a t e d that its p r e s e n c e as the
c e n t r e o f an i m p o r t a n t
Irish
k i n g d o m explains w h y A r m a g h
b e c a m e the ecclesiastical centre o f
Ireland.
T h e preservation o f the site
a r o s e f r o m a c a m p a i g n in which
i n t e r e s t has s o i n c r e a s e d that a
n e w periodical " E m a n i a " is n o w
b e i n g issued by N a v a n Research
G r o u p in the D e p a r t m e n t o f
Archaeology
in
Queens
U n i v e r s i t y , Belfast.
T h e current
issue
contains
p r e l i m i n a y s c h e d u l e s o f sites a n d
finds
in this
very
extensive
complex,
two
early
modern
descriptions, a draft summary of
W a t e r m a n ' s e x c a v a t i o n s and a
p r o v i s i o n a l checklist o f E a m h a i n
M a c h a in the a n n a l s .
T h e p r o d u c t i o n is illustrated
with
instructive
plans
and
p i c t u r e s . Perhaps b e f o r e l o n g we
m a y f i n d u n e x p e c t e d fresh light o n
t h e Red Branch s a g a s .
clinics
law
in
information
abortions
in
has
were
offering
on
Britain.
getting
With
respect to the distinguished
all
judge
t h i s s e e m s t a k i n g t h i n g s a bit f a r
It
may
be
abortion,
allowed
illegal
but
to
are
talk
to
perform
you
not
about
an
even
it?
The
d a n g e r is t h a t w o m e n w i l l c o m e t o
Britain
just
ignorant
the s a m e ,
but
being
o f t h e d a n g e r . - , will
run
into difficulties.
The
same could
explosives.
quite
At
legally
how
they
only
be when
read
were
be applied
present
I
a book
made.
I started
them that I might
Heritage
preserved
in D u b l i n
two
It
to
to
could
about
would
make
r u n in t r o u b l e .
There was an Irish contingent at
the sacked
print-workers'
demonstration
at
Wapping on
J a n u a r y 25th, and, my goodness,
didn't they get an e y e f u l of British
" d e m o c r a c y . " There was a massive
p r e s e n c e o f f o o t and mounted
police. These laid into the unarmed
peaceful
demonstrators
with
unexampled s a v a g e r y sparing
neither age nor s e x . TTiev even tried
t o stop a m b u l a n c e s going j the
assistance of the wounded.
It was clear they were out for
trouble from the start. It is a
s c e n a r i o dating f r o m the Miners'
strike. O n e of the printworkers'
leaders remarked " W e went there
unarmed. They went armed." S o
w h o is most likely to have started
the trouble?
The police claim that they were
attacked by trouble-makers. The
London "Morning S t a r " claims to
have spotted a g e n t s provocateurs
sent in with p o c k e t s full of missiles
to start the ball rolling.
Typically the H o m e Secretary
has refused a public enquit^.
Perhaps he k n o w s
the score
already.
The increasing lawlessness of the British
police was illustrated by the raids on the
premises of the " N e w S t a t e s m a n " and the
h o m e of journalist M r D u n c a n Campbell.
A p p a r e n t l y he discovered , a n d the " N e w
S t a t e s m a n " stated, that the G o v e r n m e n t
was planting a £500 million spy satellite
high over the Soviet Union so as to
m o n i t o r everything they got u p to.
Whether half the spying thai goes on
d o e s any good to t h o s e who d o it is ol
c o u r s e a n y b o d y ' s guess. But this was d o n e
w i t h o u t the c o n s e n t of Parliament by
m e a n s of ingeniously laundered funds.
T h e n the M.P.s were told that could not sec
the B B C film that the s t o r y was based on.
(Continued on page 8, column 5)
February 1987
IRISH DEMOCRAT
Page Four
February 1987
KIT CONWAY - HERO OF JARAMA
1 WO
excellent
books,
published
within the past few years. h a v e d o n e
m u c h t o recall t h e m e m o r > o f t h e 5 9
I n - ' u m e n w h o d i e d in d e f e n c e o f t h e
Republic d u r i n g the Spanish Civil
War
1 he b o o k s in q u e s t i o n a r e
Michael
O'Riordan's
"Connolly
( olumn"
and
Sean
Cronin's
b >graph> ,.i t r a n k ?.;->n. R e a d i n g
h -th o n e i i n s t a n t l y i m p r e s s e d bv t h e
c irage a n d d e d i c a t i o n of R y a n ' s
m e n . P e r h a p s t h e m o s t h e r o i c of t h e m
.'II w a s k i t C o n w a y , T i p p e r a r y m a n .
^ d e r a i l of t h e B l a c k a n d T a n s t r u g g l e
j i i d the Civil W a r .
Kit C o n w a y is n o w a c c l a i m e d a s t h e
h e r o of J a r a m a , a n d h i s d e a t h d u r i n g
tiiat m a r a t h o n F e b r u a r y b a t t l e 50
v e a r s a g o w a s a l e t h a l blow to his
comiades. Both Michael O ' R i o r d a n
and Sean Cronin have acknowledged
this. H o w e v e r , p a r t of M r C r o n i n ' s
information on Conwav
(FRANK
RYAN,
page
93)
is
slightly
mnacurate.
H e st;::cs:
"Kit Conwav
f r o m the G l e n
of A h e r l o w . a b o r n soldier with
long experience of tight situations,
led
the
Irish
in
the
British
was
thirtyBattalion.
Conway
eight
years
of
age
with
a
line r e c o i d
in t h e
Black
and
Ian W a r . "
Kit C o n w a v
was not. however, a
By
SEAN UA CEARNAIGH
n a t i v e of t h e G l e n ot A h e r l o w . H e
w a s , in f a c t , b o r n s o m e m i l e s s o u t h o f
the Galtee
mountains.
Always
reticent a b o u t his b a c k g r o u n d t o his
Dublin friends, he usually stated that
he was b o r n n o t f a r f r o m G a l t e e m o r e .
H e w a s b o r n in o r a b o u t t h e y e a r
1X97 — t h e d a t e is u n c e r t a i n — in t h e
Burncourt
area
of
South
West
T i p p e r a r y . A n o r p h a n b o y , he was
r e a r e d in C l o g h e e n p o o r h o u s e a n d a t
t h e a g e of 14 w e n t t o w o r k f o r a f a r m e r
in his n a t i v p a r i s h . H i s s t a r t i n g w a g e s
w e r e in t h e r e g i o n o f t w o s h i l l i n g s a
week.
M y k n o w l e d g e of Kit C o n w a y ' s
e a r l y c a r e e r is d u e t o t h e f a c t t h a t I
g r e w u p in t h a t s a m e c o u n t r y s i d e
w here m a n y of his y o u t h f u l years were
spent. My father, w h o was about two
y e a r s his s e n i o r , w a s K i t ' s b e s t f r i e n d
a n d f r o m h i m 1 l e a r n e d m o s t of t h e
f a c t s now d e t a i l e d .
Kit w a s a r e m a r k a b l e f i g u r e , e v e n in
h i s early d a y s . H i g h l y i n t e l l i g e n t a n d
articulate,
largely
self-taught,
lighthearted a n d h u m o r o u s , he h a d a n
e n o r m o u s capacity
lor friendship
Y e a r s a f t e r his d e a t h it w a s i n v a r i a b l y
the
humorous
episodes
that
his
f r i e n d s r e m e m b e r e d In T i p p e r a r y h e
w a s a l w a y s k n o w n as C h r i s t y — the
n i c k n a m e Kit d a t e s f r o m his D u b l i n
days.
He
was
always
a
republican
separatist. Yet he j o i n e d the British
a r m y in 1915. W h e t h e r it w a s a d e s i r e
t o e s c a p e f r o m h i s u n r e w a r d i n g life a s
a f a r m l a b o u r e r , a wish t o see f o r e i g n
c o u n t r i e s , o r a belief t h a t a w a r e f f o r t
bv Irishmen would hasten
Home
Rule, the r e a s o n f o r his enlisting a r e
n o t c l e a r . In a n y e v e n t , h e r e g r e t t e d
his d e c i s i o n a l m o s t i m m e d i a t e l v a n d
soon parted c o m p a n y with the a r m y .
H o w he d i d s o is a f a s c i n a t i n g s t o r y .
He devised a most effective plan. H e
feigned insanity. He must have been a
b o r n a c t o r . In a n y e v e n t , h i s a c t s o
c o n v i n c e d a n d a l a r m e d his s u p e r i o r
officers at
the
Military
Station
( K i l w o r t h , C o . C o r k ) t h a t he w a s
instantly discharged. Even the private
soldiers
billeted
with
Kit
were
c o n v i n c e d of his insanity.
H e fought with distinction d u r i n g
t h e 1919-1921 W a r of I n d e p e n d e n c e .
M v f a t h e r a s C a p t a i n of D C o m p a n y ,
6th
Battalion.
Third
Tipperary
B r i g a d e , c o m m a n d e d t h e I R A in t h e
a r e a . K i t s e r v e d f o r a b r i e f p e r i o d in
this C o m p a n y b e f o r e j o i n i n g D i n n y
Lacev's Flying C o l u m n . He was an
excellent soldier a n d a b o r n leader of
m e n . A s a m e m b e r of L a c e y ' s c o l u m n
he travelled over a wide area of S o u t h
T i p p e r a r y . M a n v s t o r i e s a r e told of his
d a r i n g exploits d u r i n g this time.
F o l l o w i n g the T r u c e , Kit r e v e r t e d
f o r a brief p e r i o d to his f o r m e r
occupation of farm worker.
The
T r e a t y a n d Civil W a r f o l l o w e d . Kit
look
a step then
which
greatly
surprised everybody. H e joined the
Free State a r m y a n d served at the
C u r r a g h , a n d l a t e r in C l o n m e l a n d
C a h i r B a r r a c k s . At this time nearly all
his old c o m r a d e s were on the antit r e a t y side.
J o i n i n g the F r e e State a r m y w a s a
d e c i s i o n Kit s o o n r u e f u l l y r e g r e t t e d .
H e f o u n d himself utterly o u t
of
s y m p a t h y with his treatyite a s s o c i a t e s .
All h i s f r i e n d s w e r e o n t h e o t h e r s i d e
a n d his h e a r t w a s v e r y m u c h w i t h t h e i r
cause.
During
the
few
months
he
r e l u c t a n t l y s p e n f in t h e F r e e S t a t e
a r m y he did, h o w e v e r , render v a l u a b l e
assistance to his f o r m e r c o m r a d e s .
LETTER
( ( ) \ ( IRATl I \ 1 I O N S
to the
Irish
D e m o c r a t on p u b l i s h i n g Patrick Byrne's
article " T h e Irish W h o M a d e C a n a d a : T i l e
Siorv ot the l-'enian Invasion', lush
D e m o c r a t . J a n u a r y . 19X7
l o Declare mv interest. I have been
w o r k i n g on lliis subject d u r i n g the last live
vears. spending time researching m
C a n a d a a n d tile I ISA. T h e main purpose ot
inv research was to use the b a c k g r o u n d ot
the invasion and the Battle ol Ridjieway.
J u n e , IX6fi, when a b r i g a d e ol I emails
d r o v e a s u p e r i o u r force ot British soldiers
t r o m the field at b a y o n e t - p o i n t , as the basis
ol an historical novel
f i n s novel The
Rising ol ibe M o o n is published bv
M e t h u e n I o n d o n L t d . . at £ 10.95, in
March It will also be p u b l i s h e d in tile LISA
b\ Si M.iitin's Press in J u n e .
I have also w n t t e n an a c a d e m i c study ol
the invasion and the battle which is
published in the c u r r e n t issue of The Irish
S w o r d , the journal of the Military History
Society ol Ireland, as well a s c o n t r i b u t i n g a
c h a p t e r for the book T h e Irish in C a n a d a ,
edited by Professor R o b e r O'Driscoll and
Dr
Lorna
Reynolds,
University
of
Toronto.
My paper in The Irish S w o r d contains
the first Fenian casualty list ot the Battle of
Ridgeway and the s u b s e q u e n t skirmish at
F o r t Erie ever published. T h i s list took me
s o m e time to compile, c h e c k i n g not only
c o n t e m p o r a r y reports a n d despatches and
n e w s p a p e r s but a c t u a l l y visiting local
cemeteries. Holy C r o s s at Buffalo, New
Y o r k , f o r example, c o n t a i n s t h e graves a n d
m o n u m e n t s of several F e n i a n officers a n d
men w h o gave their lives a t Ridgeway.
I h e s e graves still s t a n d sadly forgotten
e v e n by t h e l o c a l
11 i s l i - A m e r i c a n
community.
I would like to m a k e a couple ot
corrections to M r B y r n e ' s otherwise
excellent article. It w a s not at the
C i n c i n a t t i IRB C o n v e n t i o n
(January.
1X65) that the plan t o send aid to Ireland
w a s a b a n d o n e d a n d the idea of invading
the provinces ot British N o r t h America (as
C a n a d a then u a s ) was seriously discussed.
Only after the widespread arrest ot IRB leaders
in Ireland in September, 1X65, was the plan to
send help to the i n s u r g e n t s in Ireland felt to
be untenable. Il w a s at the O c t o b e r
C o n v e n t i o n in Philadelphia that the newly
elected Secretary for W a r , M a j o r - G e n e r a l
S w e e n y , was asked to m a k e a study for an
invasion ol C a n a d a .
William Randall R o b e r t s (ol C o r k ) was
n o t a US General He w a s an h o n o r a r y
militia colonel, a title g r a n t e d t o r his work
in recruiting for the Irish Brigade of the
U n i o n Army A New Y o r k businessman,
he b e c a m e chairman of the I R B Senate bv
p o p u l a r v o t e at t h e
Philadelphia
Convention
Michael Murphy, w h o commanded the
F e n i a n cavalry d u r i n g the invasion, played
a very minor role at this period a n d
certainly had n o t h i n g t o d o with the
f o r m u l a t i o n of the i n v a s i o n plan. He w a s a
c o l o n e l and not a g e n e r a l . T h e plan was the
b r a i n c h i l d of S w e e n y a n d his field
c o m m a n d e r s , w h o led t h e three pronged
i n v a s i o n , were G e n e r a l s Tevis, Lynch and
Spear.
Major-Gerrcral ' F i g h t i n g T o m ' Sweeny
( F r o m C o r k ) was -Still a serving U n i o n
A r m y o f f i c e r . H e was o n 'leave,of a b s e n c e '
a t ' t h i s time: H e h a d l o s r h t s right a r m at
C h u r u b u s c o during t h e U S - M e x i c a n W a r ;
had twice been w o u n d e d during the Civil
W a r before c o m m a n d i n g a brigade u n d e r
G e n e r a l Lew W a l l a c e at Shiloh a n d a
division of the XVI C o r p s
during
S h e r m a n ' s m a r c h against Atlanta. It is
significant that a f t e r the invasion he was
reinstated in the U n i o n Armv.
M r Bvrne d o e s n o t go into the
complications
of
the
IRB split
in
D e c e m b e r 1 8 6 5 / J a n u a r y 1X66 when the
President of the IRB, J o h n O ' M a h o n e y .
refusing to accept the d e m o c r a t i c decisions
of the Philadelphia C o n v e n t i o n , led a
b r e a k a w a y m o v e m e n t taking only 10 per
cent of the m e m b e r s h i p with him
O ' M a h o n e y c o n d u c t e d his own invasion
fiasco at New Brunswick in M a r c h , 1X66.
M r Byrne quite rightly says I R B
delegates went to see A m e r i c a n President
J o h n s o n to enlist his s u p p o r t . But he says
Secretary of State Seward was not
i n f o r m e d of the plan until the eve of the
invasion. This is not so. President J o h n s o n
knew a b o u t the plans a s early as O c t o b e r ,
immediately a f t e r the C o n v e n t i o n , a s
indeed did most of the
American
newspapers who r e p o r t e d on the plans!
T h e American A d m i n i s t r a t i o n actively
helped the a r m i n g of Sweeny's a r m y ,
allowing them to p u r c h a s e US ex-surplus
w e a p o n s , not just old muskets but new
repeating rifles a s well a s batteries of
artillery. The sanction f o r the Fenians to
p u r c h a s e fully e q u i p p e d e x - s u r p l u s
warships f r o m the U S Navy D e p a r t m e n t
h a d to c o m e f r o m a high g o v e r n m e n t
a u t h o r i t y . F o u r such warships were
p u r c h a s e d in p r e p a r a t i o n for the invasion.
G o v e r n m e n t i n v o l e m e n t w a s needed t o
allow a n a r m y of-25,000 men t o g a t h e r at
their a r m s d u m p s , a l o n g the b o r d e r a r e a .
W h a t becomes a b s o l u t e l y clear is t h a t
President J o h n s o n initially s u p p o r t e d "the
F e n i a n plan for I r i s o w n political p u r p o s e s .
BY S. O. D i O C H O N
COLONIAL EXPLOITATION
Finally, h o w e v e r . Kit deserted.
F i n d i n g it i m p o s s i b l e t o c o n t i n u e t o
r e m a i n a m e m b e r of an a r m y he
o p p o s e d he d e s e r t e d
in the l a t e
a u t u m n of 1 9 2 2 . A i d e d b y my f a t h e r
and
other republican
friends he
managed to escape to Dublin. Soon
a f t e r his a r r i v a l t h e r e h e m a d e c o n t a c t
with an a n t i - T r e a t y g r o u p a n d f o u g h t
on the R e p u b l i c a n side d u r i n g the
r e m a i n i n g m o n t h s o f t h e Civil W a r .
A l t h o u g h he n e v e r revisited his
native county he d i d , f o r a n u m b e r of
y e a r s , k e e p in t o u c h w i t h s o m e o f h i s
f r i e n d s t h e r e . I n D u b l i n he w o r k e d
m a i n l y in t h e b u i l d i n g i n d u s t r y w h e r e
he acquired f i r s t h a n d knowledge of
t h e p r o b l e m s o f t h e u r b a n w o r k e r s . In
1928 he e m i g r a t e d t o N e w Y o r k b u t
r e t u r n e d t o D u b l i n in 1932 f o l l o w i n g
t h e d e f e a t of t h e C u m a n n na n G a e l
Government.
H e r e t a i n e d all h i s o l d r e p u b l i c a n
a r d o u r . W h e n t h e m o v e m e n t split in
1934 o n
ideological
issues.
Kit,
remembering
the
plight
of
the
Tipperary
farm
workers
and
observing now
t h e privations of
D u b l i n ' s p o o r , w e n t w i t h t h e l e f t . In
his heart I think he w a s always a
socialist. He b e c a m e actively involved
w i t h a n d h e l p e d t o t r a i n a n d drill t h e
reorganised Irish C i t i z e n A r m y .
In o u r o w n h o m e ( 1 h a d n o t , a s y e t ,
been born) my f a t h e r a n d m o t h e r were
r e m i n d e d of K i t e a c h e n d o f y e a r w i t h
t h e arrival of a C h r i s t m a s c a r d ,
invariably an Irish o n e . N o C h r i s t m a s
c a r d a r r i v e d , h o w e v e r , in 1936. T h e
r e a s o n w a s s o o n c l e a r . K i t w a s in
S p a i n with F r a n k R y a n a n d o t h e r
socialist
comrades
defending
the
threatened Republic against Franco's
f o r c e s . In a l l , o v e r 140 I r i s h m e n
f o u g h t for the S p a n i s h Republic a n d
5 9 o f t h e s e d i e d in a c t i o n .
Kit w a s t h e life a n d s o u l o f t h e little
g r o u p . He c o m m a n d e d a d e t a c h m e n t
w i t h d i s t i n c t i o n a n d g r e a t g a l l a n t r y in
Britain had s u p p o r t e d the Confederacy
d u r i n g the Civil W a r , a l l o w i n g C a n a d i a n
soil to be used as a base of operations by
the Confederates a g a i n s t n o r t h e r n towns.
T h e most f a m o u s incident was when
Confederate
irregulars
crossed
from
M o n t r e a l into New Y o r k a n d burnt the
t o w n of St A l b a n s . T h e American
Administration s o u g h t reparation a n d
J o h n had no c o m p u c t i o n but to use the
threat
of the
Fenians
to
squeeze
c o m p e n s a t i o n out of the British. It was
o n l y on the promise of reparation that
President J o h n s o n i n v o k e d the 1818
Neutrality Act and closed the border a n d
c o m m e n c e d the arrest of the Fenians. A
few years later Britain m a d e the payment
of
$15 millions
to
the
American
Government.
T h e Fenian invasion was n o wild schcme o f
i n d i v i d u a l s bul a carefully w o r k e d o u t a n d viable
p l a n The establishment o f a n ' I r i s h Republic-inFxile' o n the_soil o f British N o r t h A m e r i c a , to be
used
either
Fngland
or
as a base o f
a
bargaining
operations
pawn
against
lo
secure
i n d e p e n d e n c e for I r e l a n d , w a s q u i t e feasible. T h e
p o l i t i c a l c o m m e n t a t o r s o f the t i m e were all in
a g r e e m e n t thai h a d it n o t
been for
President
J o h n s o n ' s ' a b o u t face' t h e n it was fairly certain
t h a i the Fenian A r m y , c a l l i n g itself the I R A ( t h e
first time the initials w e r e u s e d officially) c o u l d
h a v e achieved their o b j e c t i v e s .
Looted at in Canadian terms, the Fenian
invasion '"is been acknowledged as the point at
which the tide ol Canadian public opinion swung
behind the formeily unpopular idea of
confederating the provinces of British North
America into one single state. A year later, in
186V, the provinces became the Dominion of
Canada. The Irish invasion had given birth to a
new state but not the one intended.
. ,. . .
Page Five
LAGAN LIGHTS IRELAND AND INDIA
m a n y of w h o m w o u l d h a v e b e e n
a r r e s t e d a n d i m p r i s o n e d w e r e it n o t
for Kit's timely tips. H e h a d access to
information
concerning
projected
raids and arrests w h i c h he passed on
to the republicans. M y f a t h e r was the
r e p u b l i c a n c o m m a n d i n g o f f i c e r in h i s
a r e a , a n d n o t a s i n g l e m e m b e r of h i s
C o m p a n y w a s a r r e s t e d while Kit
r e m a i n e d in t h e F r e e S t a t e f o r c e s .
I have p r e v i o u s l y m e n t i o n e d that
K i t w a s a l w a y s k n o w n a s C h r i s t y in
T i p p e r a r y . In D u b l i n he a d o p t e d the
n a m e of Kit R y a n ; t h i s w a s o b v i o u s l y
a subterfuge to a v o i d detection and to
o u t w i t the F r e e S t a t e a u t h o r i t i e s . A
year or two later w h e n the danger was
o v e r , he r e v e r t e d
t o his p r o p e r
s u r n a m e b u t c o n t i n u e d t o r e t a i n Kit in
preference to C h r i s t y .
IRISH DEMOCRA1
KIT CONWAY
who died at Jarama.
C o r d o b a in t h e s o u t h e r n p r o v i n c e o f
A n d a l u s i a . In F e b r u a r y , 1937, h e l e d
his
countrymen
in
the
crucial
e n g a g e m e n t at t h e J a r a m a valley n e a r
M a d r i d . N i n e t e e n I r i s h m e n fell d u r i n g
the m o n t h long battle. They included
E a m o n M c G r o t t y , a n ex C h r i s t i a n
Brother from Derry; Liam Tumilson,
a Protestant republican from Belfast;
Dick O'Neill, also f r o m Belfast; R e v
R o b e r t Hilltard, a C h u r c h of I r e l a n d
clergyman from near Killarney, a n d
the brilliant T y r o n e poet C h a r l i e
Donnelly.
Kit C o n w a y ' s h e r o i s m a t J a r a m a
has
been
widely
acknowledged.
Following the d e a t h s of s o m e of his
fellow officers he c o m m a n d e d three
separate companies at a particularly
_rucial juncture o n F e b r u a r y 12th,
1937. It w a s o n t h i s d a y , s o o n a f t e r 12
n o o n , t h a t he w a s f a t a l l y w o u n d e d .
One
of
his
comrades,
James
P r e n d e r g a s t , d e s c r i b e d his p a s s i n g :
" I reach reach the hill-crest w h e r e
K i t is d i r e c t i n g f i r e . H e is u s i n g a r i f l e
himself a n d pausing every while t o
g i v e i n s t r u c t i o n s . S u d d e n l y he s h o u t s ,
h i s rifle s p i n s o u t o f h i s h a n d , a n d h e
falls back.
' H e is p l a c e d in a b l a n k e t . N o
s t r e t c h e r s l e f t n o w . H i s v o i c e is
b r o k e n with a g o n y . ' D o y o u r b e s t
b o y s , h o l d o n . ' T e a r s g l i s t e n in o u r
eyes. M a n y are f r o m o t h e r c o m p a n i e s .
B u t all r e m e m b e r K i t a t C o r d o v a a n d
Madrid. His gallant leadership t h e n
a n d t o d a y w o n t h e m all.
'Kit is t a k e n a w a y . I see K e n S t a l k e r .
H e is t h e o n l y e x p e r i e n c e d m a n l e f t . I
r u n to him a n d he t a k e s c o m m a n d .
' I n t h e a m b u l a n c e I m e e t K i t . H e is
in t e r r i b l e a g o n y a n d c a n t a l k l i t t l e .
" H o w a r e t h e r e s t ? " is h i s c o n s t a n t
question.
'Next m o r n i n g they told m e o u r
great leader was d e a d . "
CONFERENCE
IN APRIL
T H E Standing Committee of the
Connolly Association met in
L o n d o n on Saturday, February
1st, and decided that the delayed
Annual Conference will be held in
London on Saturday and Sunday,
April 25th and 26th.
Prior to that it is hoped to
reorganise the Association in
London to provide for a number
o f functioning branches and a
L o n d o n co-ordinating committee,
whose main task will be in the
realm of organisation.
It has therefore been decided t o
call together all L o n d o n activists
—
though all members are
welcome — to a meeting in the
Marchmont C o m m u n i t y Centre,
near Russell Square, L o n d o n ,
W C 1 , at 2.30 pm on Saturday,
February 14th.
A m o n g matters to be discussed
apart
from
the
Annual
Conference will be the lectures o n
J a m e s Connolly, the conference
o n the building trade o n March
21st, the petition for the release o f
the Guildford F o u r , and further
action in relation to this.
Peter Berresford-Ellis
Mr EMh will Ucwv on James CommoUyU-Lak*mr in
Irii* Hiuory •• March l*tk « the flhidb—t Arm*
A L M O S T a century and a half
has passed since Robert Kane, the
Irish scientist, wrote:
"A very peculiar deposit o f fuel
-- the lignite o f Lough Neagh stretches f r o m Washing Bay in
Tyrone to Sandy Bay in Antrim.
In some parts the deposit of lignite
is so a b u n d a n t that the local
people sink pits to raise it when
fuel is scarce. The area of these
deposits" e x t e n d s o v e r o n e
hundred square miles. Therefore
this e n o r m o u s quantity of fuel is
of great public interest."
news for colonial and marginal
e c o n o m i e s like that of the Six
Counties.
This
multi-national
failed in property deals in Los
Angeles and San Diego. They lost
m o n e y on their coal
and
anthracite interests in
South
Africa and Pennsylvania and
owing to the Iraq-Iranian war,
Iraq did not pay them for work
done. The miners'year-long strike
in Britain cost them £300,000 per
month. In June 1985 dealings in
their shares o n the London Stock
Exchange were
suspended
pending re-structuring o f the
The local p e o p l e mentioned by company. A s part of this reRobert Kane were the Quinns, the structuring they sold the Crumlin
Devlins,
the
O'Hagan's,
the project to British Petroleum Coal
O'Neill's a n d the Donnellys o f Division for £ 8 million p o u n d s .
East Tyrone w h o settled in the B.P. n o w have the right to work
area around the tenth century. the deposit as the extractor and
Today they f o r m a closely-knit,, supplier o f the raw lignite.
deeply r o o t e d community
of
The British government then
fishing people, small farmers a n d
invited bids for the building and
some small light industry. They
operating o f a 450 megawatt
now feel that their mode of life
lignite-fired p o w e r station to be
and
indeed
their
continued
erected beside the mine and
survival as a c o m m u n i t y in this
estimated t o cost more than £ 5 0 0
area may be threatened by the
million.
T h e r e are
three
proposals of the Government and
contenders for this contract - t w o
big mining interests to exploit the
private and one public. The
lignite
deposits.
When
they
U.S.A. Bechtel Corporation, with
watched a T . V . programme last
G.E.C. Turbine Generators as a
year which described how 26,000
minor partner are competing
people and five villages were
against the Costain Group and the
uprooted in West Germany to
Northern Ireland Electricity
make way for a lignite mine it did
Service. The interests of the
nothing to relieve their fears.
people of the Six Counties w o u l d
be best served in every way if the
If the G e r m a n authorities could
construction and operation of the
do that to their o w n citizens why
plant were given to the N.I.E.S.
should the mere Irish around
Mr Hadfield, chief executive o f
}
Lough Neagh put their trust in the
the N.I.E.S., says that his board,
British G o v e r n m e n t ' s decisions?
given the co-operation of the
The continuing political crisis
government,
could build the
over the constitutional position of
station just as quickly as any
Northern Ireland has killed the
private c o m p a n y . However there
public debate which should have
is little chance of that happening
evolved around the question o f
under this
present
Thatcher
the use of these (in Irish terms)
government. In fact leading Trade
enormous fossil fuel reserves. F o r
Unionists in Belfast consider that
example, in the
Government
t h e . e n t i r e project could be an
Stationery Office in Belfast there
experiment by the government for
j f i s not one scrap of printed
the privatisation of the supply and
^ information o n the lignite issue.
distribution o f electricity which
»
could, in the future, be foisted o n
;
In 1978 the British government,
the consumers in Britain.
through its Northern Ireland
v
Office granted a prospecting
The environmental and social
ilicence
to
Burnett
a n d impact of tearing up hundreds o f
iallamshire H o l d i n g s , a British- acres of land to get at the
based transnational
company lignite, if it is not strictly
vith interests in the U.S.A., Chile, controlled, could be disastrous for
|lhe Phillipines and South Africa. the local c o m m u n i t y . The Lignite
lis exploration, carried out in Action Committee, formed in
"the Crumlin area of Antrim,
1985, has been spurred to greater
i confirmed substantial reserves of activity by recent developments.
iignite up to 4 5 0 tonnes in this The Northern Ireland Office and
'istrict alone. In May 1984 the British Petrolium have so far
u r n e t t H a l l a m s h i r e g r o u p ignored the request of Lignite
ibtained planning permission and A c t i o n for an independent public
twelve-year mining licence to enquiry into the social, e c o n o m i c
(velop a site o f 515 acres with and environmental consequences
serves of 100 million tonnes, o f
the u n d e r t a k i n g .
The
hey proposed
t o p r o d u c e committee is not opposed to
rmually about ten million tonnes lignite mining but they will not
o f raw fuel over ten years from an accept it if the cost is the
open-cast pit 350 feet deep. In destruction of their community"
their annual report for 1985 they
In an interview with the "Irish
[^euphoricaliy d e s c r i b e d
t h e D e m o c r a t " Mr Niall Fitzduff,
orthern Ireland project as the chairman of Lignite
Action,
'largest venture o f all their world pointed out that East Tyrone is a
'ide operations.
low-lying area, only fifty feet
i
In the e v e n t
subsequent
levelopments were t o prove, as
lappened so o f t e n before, that
lulti-national c o m p a n i e s are bad
at its highest point above the level
o f Lough N e a g h . He claims
logically that f l o o d i n g will be an
inevitable consequence if o p e n :
A Y O U N G lady in Bristol is
writing a thesis on the relations
between the national m o v e m e n t s
of India and Ireland from the
1870s to the 1940s.
It i s a very useful and interesting
subject.
Every Irish person knows h o w
shaky British power had b e c o m e
in Ireland in 1919, what with the
declaration o f independence by
Dail Eireann, the Limerick Soviet
and the massive strike wave that
swept the country.
What is not so widely k n o w n is
that the s a m e year a mighty strike
wave a l s o struck India. The
British g o v e r n m e n t replied with
repression, and Indian militants
migrated to America only to find
themselves under deportation at
the time o f the notorious Palmer
raids.
The c o n t a c t between the t w o
m o v e m e n t s was probably sealed
when Indian T U C founder Lajpat
Rai c a m e to N e w York. He w o u l d
automatically contact
the
American U n i o n s and the very
active Irish Progressive League
which was supporting the Russian
revolution and anti-colonial
movements throughout the world.
T H E R E was a gradual "special
relation" built up between the
Irish and Indian movements. Rai
spoke o n Irish platforms for
example with Liam Mellows.
Indians
wrote
in the
Irish
nationalist papers. And o n St
Patrick's D a y 1919, as a result o f
Mellows's initiative, Indians t o o k
part in the parade.
It was, I think, C. P. Joshi, w h o
cast mining takes place. He
doubts that the highly-automated
extractive process will provide
more jobs than it will replace. On
Lough
Neagh
five
hundred
commercial fishing licences are
issued and produce about £3
million worth o f fish each year
with e m p l o y m e n t of up to 1,000
people. Niall Fitzduff estimates
that over three hundred fishing
jobs would be lost due to mining.
He is well aware that the laws
operate in f a v o u r of big business
against the c o n c e r n s of the local
community a n d affirms that his
committee a n d the local people
will fight to see that the interests
and welfare o f the community will
be given the priority that is its
right. He l o o k s to the Trade
Unions to support the demand for
an independent enquiry
now
before the situation is driven to
the point o f n o return by the bulldozing B P. C o a l .
While the U n i o n s have taken a
positive stand against the threat of
privatisation o f the electricity
system, the short-term prospect of
three or f o u r hundred jobs for
their members, and the lack of
informed public interest, may be
dulling their o u t l o o k to the
broader and longer-term problem
of how this vast source of mineral
wealth could be used to the benefit
of the Irish p e o p l e in the future.
As Niall Fitzduff says:
CHANGES
NEEDED
AT ARMLEY
told me first of the fact that secret
messages to Indian c o m m u n i t i e s
throughout the world were sent
through Irish Republican seamen,
and this was no doubt the way
Irish revolutionary literature was
MR J. T E M P E S T writes to us
taken to India, where it was avidly from Hull on behalf of the family
read by the newly developing of
Republican
prisoner
Con
national movement.
McFadden recently transferred
Are there any survivors from from Armley Jail.
those days? It was in New York
His mother, Mrs M. FcFadden.
that the alliance was sealed
though subsequently
I n d i a n wanted to visit him and secured a
national leaders visited Ireland. Visiting Order dated November
Some Irish people in Britain, for 9th. 1986. which was valid for any
example the daughters o f Mrs of the following twenty eight days.
Woods of Sligo. were active in
She contacted the prison on the
Krishna
Menon's
"India
League."
And
the
"League 17th and 18th to confirm the visit,
against Imperialism" had both and was told that all was in order.
Irish and Indian sections.
But when she arrived at the
If any readers of the "Irish
prison
on N o v e m b e r 19th. at the
Democrat", particularly in N e w
appointed
hour o f 3pm the visit
York, have any recollections o f
the Irish-Indian connection in was refused on the grounds that
those days, they could help bv there was no female officer
sending them
to the
"Irish available to search her.
Democrat" which will pass the
information on. — C . D . G .
BIRMINGHAM
SIX APPEAL
NOT before time the Home
Secretary has announced that he
accepts that fresh evidence has been
disclosed affecting the Birmingham
pub bombing case, and that the six
prisoners in jail over twelve years,
are to be allowed to appeal.
In no sense can this decision be
regarded as a vindication of
"British Justice". It was wrung out
of the Minister by public pressure
and it is an indictment of the British
judicial system that the men were
not allowed to appeal long ago.
The decision to refuse the right of
appeal to the Guildford Four is one
which
many
will
regard
as
possessing political overtones. It
wouldn't do to be enquiring into
police methods in too many places
simultaneously. S o the campaign
will have to go
The Home
Office pretence
t h a t no new e v i d e n c e ,
no
"consideration of substance", no
"fresh opinions" have emerged in
the Guildford and Maguire cases
holds no water. One factor is the
d i s c r e d i t i n g of the test f o r
nitroglycerine that was used by the
police.
Dr
Brian
Caddy
of
Strathclyde University is on record
as saying he would never have
deduced
the
presence
of
nitroglycerine from the test.
If this test is flawed then the
prosecution is left with nothing but
the confessions the police induced
the defendants to make. Unless of
course some of the policemen had a
direct telephone
line to the
omnmiscent Almighty as some of
them appear to be claiming.
It is typical of the British Tories
that they are completely without
one trace of generosity or feeling.
The right thing to have done would
be to say, the basis of the Crown
argument in all these cases has
shown a flaw. Even if the chances
are that an appeal would be turned
down, as long as the new issues are
not tested in court, the doubt
remains.
"With
multi-national
exploitation the regions never
get the best bite of the cake.
Scotland did not become rich as
a result of North Sea Oil and
Northern Ireland will not
become rich from the current
proposals for the exploitation of
The generous thing to do would
the lignite by transnational
be
just to M then all out.
corporations."
Mr Tempest d o e s not say where
. she had c o m e from, but says that
she incurred serious financial loss,
as well as the disappointment of
not seeing her son whom she had
not seen for over a year.
The situation would seem to call lor an
apolopv A s p o k e s w o m a n in the Welfare
Off ice told Mrs M c F a d d e n about a week
later that nothing could be done since she
had not c o n f i r m e d the identity of the
officer who assured her the visit was in
order. But when asked her identity she
refused to disclose it In a telephone
conversation later that day an officer
described as a "Class 4 G o v e r n o r " denied
all knowledge of the visit being either
accepted or refused, even though the
Visiting O r d e r had been signed by the
governor.
Particula rs ot the case have been sent by
Mr Ternpe.;t to the H o m e Office, local
M e m b e r s of Parliament a n d the National
Association of P r o b a t i o n Officers
Is this deliberate, politically motivated
h a r a s s m e n t ' ' Mr T e m p e s t a p p e a r s to think
it is. Or is it just o n e f u r t h e r example of the
a r r o g a n t i n h u m a n i t y of those drest in a
little brief a u t h o r i t y o v e r their fellow
h u m a n beings?
In either case there is a case for a change.
EISIMIRCE
0 T H U I T an toin as eacnamaiocht
na S e C o n t a e
Fichid
faoi
c h o m h r a i l t a s an G h e a r a i l t i g h
thainig meadu mor ar an eisimirce
on chuid sin d'Eireann, Meastar
gur thug an bad ban leis tuilleadh is
75,000 eisimircigh as an phoblacht
o 1961 i leith. Murb e an pleascadh
daonra a tharla ana blianta roimhe
sin beadh an lion ba isleariamh ann
fa lathair. Ar an chuid is lu h'fheidir
go gcaithfimid bheith buloch go nadmhalonn an Rialtas gurbh e laige
an gheilleagair agus easpa jabanna
is cuit leis an eisimirce seo.
Nuair a tharla an tubaiste ccanna
faoi rialtas Sheain Lemass fiche
bliain o shin duirt seisean narbh
fhadhb eacnamaloch amhain a bhl
san eisimirce ach g o raibh se i
nduchas na nGael le bheith ag
fanaiocht timpeall na cruinne Is rud
sonraioch e grub annamh a bhios
aon dlospoireacht sna S e Contae
fan eisimirce d'ainneoin an oiread
ceanna pro rata ag imeacht thar an
tir amach gach bliain. Sna blianta
roimhe seo ba iad na NAisiAnai is
m 6 ad'imigh tharsailearlorgoibre
ach sna laethe difhostaiochta ata
inniu ann bionn an oiread Dilseoirt
ar a n bhAdbhAff in aontacht leo.
v
-<
February 1987
WISH DEMOCRAT
February 1987
IRISH D E M O C R A T
Page Six
IRISH
SONGS
Edited by
PATRICK BOND
NANCY SPAIN
O l all lilt stars that t u r shone
Not one does twinkle like your pale blue eves.
I ike golden corn at harvest time, your hair
Sailing in my boat the wind gently blows and fills my sail.
Nour sweet scented breath is everywhere.
Davlight peeping through the curtains of
I hi' passing night time is your smile,
I he sun in the sky is like vour laugh,
( o m e back to me Nancy linger for just a little while.
S i n c e you left these shores I know no peace nor j o y .
W H F N b o y h o o d ' s fire was in my
blood,
I read of ancient freemen.
O f ( i r e t e e and R o m e who bravely
stood,
I hree hundred men and three men;
And then I p r a y e d I yet might s e e
O u r fetters rent in twain.
And Ireland long a province, be
A Nation o n c e a g a i n !
CHORUS:
\ N a t i o n o n c e again,
\ N a t i o n o n c e again,
\nd Ireland, long a pro.ince,
be
I'LL walk beside you through the world today,
While dreams and songs and flowers bless your w a y
I'll look into your e y e s and hold your hand,
I'll walk beside you through the golden land.
I'll walk beside you through the passing years,
Through d a y s of cloud and sunshine, j o y and tears.
And when the great ( all c o m e s - the sunset g l e a m s
I'll walk beside y ou through the land of dreams.
NIALL PLUNKETT O'BOYLE
\ N a t i o n o n c e again.
And from that t i m e through wildest
NANCY HOGAN'S GOOSE
\ n d she swore by all the high courts
That she would have the old gander hung!
" O h , you cannot hang my gander now
For she wanders over every morn
And w i g g l e s her bum so vou know she's g a m e . "
Hut a policeman c a m e next morning
And took the ol" gander o f f to jail;
Put him back to the next a s s i z e s
And don't let him out without strong bail.''
When the gander heard this sentence
l i e looked the old justice in the face;
S a y s he: "Is it for doing me duty
I hat I must leave me native place?"
I he j u d g e he listened to his plea
And s a v s he: "Young man, I'll set vou l o o s e .
Hut when vou get back to ( . r o g a n ' s store
Stay away from Nancy l l o g a n ' s g o o s e . "
liut when I gel back to (Irogan's store,
I II till myself with oats and grass
And I'll Hog Nancy l l o g a n ' s g o o s e
\ n d Nancy l l o g a n can kiss mv arse.
Sliabh Ra mBan
Sliabh Ka mBan
IS oth liorn feinig bualadh a n lae ud
Do dhul ar (iaeil bhocht" sua ceadta shlad;
Mar (a na meirlig ag deanamh game dinn
S a' nach einni led pike no slea.
Nior thainig ar Major i dtus an lae chughainn
Is ni rabhmar fhein ann i gcoir na 'greart,
Ach mar sheolfa aoireacht de bha gan aoire,
Ar thaohh 11a greine de Shliabh na mBan.
I a n I rancach faobhrach sa loingeas g l e a s t a ,
I.e c r a m a i b h geara 'ca ar muir le seal.
Is e sceal go bhfuil a dtriall ar Firinn,
S go gcuirfid Ciat.il bhocht' aris 'na gceart.
Da mba dhoigh lion feinneach go mb fhior an s c i a l ud,
Bheadh mo chroidhe chomh heatrom le Ion ar sceach.
('•» n>!i' -.idli claoi ar mheirlig, 'san adhairc da seide
• ' ' : , . jr. mo de Shliabh na m B a n .
Is That It? Bob Geldof. Penguin.
£3.95. 443pp. (p/b) Reviewed by
Donal Kennedy.
I'll walk beside you through the world tonight,
Beneath the starry skies ablaze with light;
And in your heart, love's tender words I'll hide,
I'll walk beside you through the eventide.
woe.
That hope h a s s h o n e a far light,
Nor could love's brightest summer
( horus:
glow
Outshine that s o l e m n starlight;
No matter where I wander I'm still haunted by vour smile.
It seemed to w a t c h above my head
Ihe portrait of your beauty stays the same.
In forum, field and f a m e .
Standing by the o c e a n , wondering where you've g o n e .
Its angel voice rang round my bed,
If you'll return again.
A Nation c o n c e a g a i n !
Where is the ring l gave to Nancy Spain?
It whispered t o o , that freedon's
O n the day in spring when the snow starts to melt and streams to flow.
ark.
And service h i g h and holy,
With the birds I'll sing to you a song.
Would be p r o f a n e d by feelings dark
In the while I'll wander down by bluebell grove
And passions vain and lowly;
Where wild f l o w e r s grow
For, Freedom c o m e s from G o d ' s
And I'll hope that lovely Nancy will return.
right h a n d .
- Barney Rush
And needs a G o d l y train;
And righteous m e n must make our
land
A Nation o n c e a g a i n .
S o , as I grew f r o m boy to man,
I bent me to that bidding
( A i r : I' i r t l a i r g e )
M v spirit of e a c h selfish plan
O i l . I w a s doing no-one harm
And cruel p a s s i o n ridding.
When to (.'rogan's store I set my course
For, thus 1 h o p e d s o m e day to aid.
\ n d 'twas there I spied Ned Flanagan's gander
O h , can such h o p e be vain
H o g g i n g Nancy Mogan's g o o s e .
When my d e a r country shall be
Oul' Nance was there and herself was c o a r s e .
made
And the Lord knows she had the divil's o w n tongue
A Nation o n c e a g a i n !
l or the goose herself she is to blame.
Kicks, Halfpence
and Band-Aid
I'LL WALK BESIDE YOU
A NATION
ONCE AGAIN
KILLETER
FAIR
A T T E N T I O N ! honest country folk
A wee while, if you please;
I'll sing for y o u a verse or two
To amuse y o u at your e a s e .
It's all about a handsome girl T o find her e q u a l would be rare;
And the first p l a c e that I met her
W a s at Killeter Fair.
H e r eyes did shine like diamonds.
Her c h e e k s bloomed like the
rose;
S h e is my first and only love,
No matter where she goes,
S h e completely stole my heart, m v
boys,
Ihe truth I now declare.
And the first p l a c e that 1 met h e r .
Was at Killeter Fair.
But now we have got married.
And we're happy as you know;
We're a l w a y s light-hearted.
Let it either freeze or snow.
And sitting by the fireside.
She laughs quite heartily there,
S a y i n g : " I h e first place that I met
you J o h n
Was at Killeter Fair."
We're blessed with a family.
Two girls a n d a boy .
They are the sunshine of our h o m e .
Our heart's delight and joy,
And little J o h n , the youngest.
Laughs when sitting in his c h a i r ,
S a y i n g : " T h e first place that y o u
met m y M a ,
Was at Killeter Fair."
The Bodham Makers. By John B
Keane. Published by Brandon.
Price £4.95. pps. 353.
(Killed bv ( ret Slate forces. Wicklow, F e b r u a r y , 1923)
W h laid h i m t o rest b y t h e r i m of t h e o c e a n ,
N e a r t h e h o m e of his f a t h e r s we laid h i m t o r e s t ,
O l d I r e l a n d h e lived with t r u e f a i t h a n d d e v o t i o n ,
H e f o u g h t a n d he d i e d f o r t h e c a u s e he l o v e d b e s t .
W h e n t h e call it w e n t o u t t o t h e s o n s of t h e h e a t h e r
O'Boyle w a s the foremost to answer the call;
T h e s o n s o f t h e R o s s e s he b a n d e d t o g e t h e r
T o drive the oppressor f r o m Dark Donegal.
O h b r a v e l y h e f o u g h t with t h e f o e all a r o u n d h i m
Till a l o n e a n d o u t n u m b e r e d , a c a p t i v e h e f e l l ,
T o the b a s t i l l e a t N e w g a t e , a p r i s o n e r t h e y b o r e h i m —
He escaped through a tunnel and bade them farewell.
Again on the
But it is
Oh no, 'twas
And the
hillside, u n d a u n t e d and d a r i n g ,
n o t t h e S a x o n t h i s t i m e o n his t r a i l .
t h e b l o o d h o u n d s of R i c h a r d M u l c a h y ,
m e n w h o sold I r e l a n d , t h e d r e g s o f t h e G a e l .
O n c e m o r e o n t h e hillside u n d a u n t e d a n d d a r i n g .
Till all h o p e a b a n d o n e d , h e t u r n e d o n t h e f o e ,
" L o n g live t h e R e p u b l i c , " h i s w o r d s r a n g o u t c l e a r l y ,
T h e n t h e g u n s t h u n d e r e d f o r t h a n d O ' B o y l e w a s laid l o w
N o w b r a v e l y h e s l e e p s b y t h e rim of t h e o c e a n ,
N o r w i n d n o w , nor, t e m p e s t his s l u m b e r c a n s p o i l ,
L o n g , l o n g 'we'll r e m e m b e r w i t h f a i t h a n d d e v o t i o n
T h e f a t e of o u r h e r o , N;all Plunkett O ' B o y l e .
NELL FLAHERTY'S DRAKE
O H my n a m e it is Nell, the truth for to tell,
I c o m e f r o m Cootehill which I'll never deny;
I had a fine drake, the truth for to speak,
That my g r a n d m o t h e r gave me and she going to d i e .
The dear little fellow, his legs they were yellow,
H e could f l y like a swallow or swim like a hake But s o m e wicked savage to grease his white c a b b a g e
Most wantonly murdered Nell Flaherty's drake.
His neck it w a s green, most rare to be seen,
Fie w a s fit for a queen of the highest degree,
H i s body w a s white that would you delight,
H e was plump, fat and heavy and brisk as a bee.
H e w a s w h o l e s o m e and sound and he weighed twenty pound,
And the universe round I would roam for his t a k e ;
Bad luck to the robber, be he drunk or sober,
That murdered Nell Flaherty's beautiful drake.
M a y his spade never dig, may his sow never pig,
M a y e a c h nit in his wig be as large as a snail,
M a y his d o o r have no latch, may his house have no thatch,
May his turkey not hatch, may the rats eat his m e a l .
M a y every old fairy from C ork to Dun Laoire
Dip him snug and airy in river or lake,
Where the eel and the trout they may dine on the snout
O f the m o n s t e r that murdered Nell Flaherty's drake.
May his pig never grunt, may his cat never hunt.
That a ghost may haunt him in the dead of the night;
May his hen never lay, may his ass never bray,
M a y his g o a t f l y a w a y like an old paper kite.
That the flies and the f l e a s may the wretch ever t e a s e
And a bitter north wind make him shiver and s h a k e .
M a y a big hairy bug make a nest in the lug
O f the monster that murdered Nell Flaherty's drake.
The only good news that I have to diffuse
Is that long Peter H u g h e s and blind piper M c P e a k e
That M i c h a e l O ' D w y e r and Cornie Maguire
H a v e e a c h g o t a grandson of my darling drake.
My treasure h a s dozens of nephews and cousins
And one I must get or my heart it will break.
To set my mind easy or else I'll g o crazy
S o ends the whole song of Nell Flaherty's drake.
Page Seven
O W I N G to the imminent arrival a n d the
a c t u a l birth of o u r first child, I h a d the
m i s f o r t u n e to read Ihe preface of this book
several times. It was only a f t e r things had
died d o w n s o m e w h a t a n d I f o u n d myself
with n o t h i n g to read that I reluctantly
p i c k e d it up again
Bob G e l d o f s story takes us f r o m an
u n h a p p y childhood in D u n L a o g h a i r e and
a miserable adolescence in Blackrock
College on an itinerary t h a t includes a
s q u a l i d squat a n d a d r u g - i n d u c e d suicide
a t t e m p t in L o n d o n , a jail in Helsinki, a bug
r i d d e n f l o p h o u s e in C a n a d a , a n
u n a p p e t i s i n g brothel in B a n g k o k , the
f a m i n e - p a r c h e d lands of A f r i c a , and the
insides of B u c k i n g h a m Palace, the White
H o u s e , the Elysee Palace a n d A r u s an
U a c h t a r a i n . The biggest s u r p r i s e is not that
he h a s n ' t lost the c o m m o n t o u c h , but that
he is a powerful a n d accomplished
storyteller. True, he h a d the help of a prizew i n n i n g journalist, but he leaves on each
line t h e imprint of his o w n c h a r a c t e r , a
character
as o f t e n e x a s p e r a t i n g
as
exasperated
G e l d o f was a l w a y s a n o m n i v o r o u s
r e a d e r , a n d he consciously e c h o e s Joyce in
t h e description of his C a t h o l i c e d u c a t i o n .
T h e r e are pieces t o o which recall Patrick
M a c G i l l ' s Children of the D e a d E n d , but
I ' m m o s t reminded of M y l e s n a G o p a l e e n ' s
" B e a l B o c h t " , satirically set in " C o r c a
D o r c h a " , a region of p e r p e t u a l darkness.
F o r example, he recalls the f o g horns,
w h o s e m o u r n f u l calls are f a m i l i a r t o those
of us raised on the D u b l i n c o a s t . You'd
n e v e r t h i n k , to read G e l d o f . t h a t the sun
a l s o shines there, m a k i n g D u b l i n a n d
Killiney bays the m a t c h of a n y t h i n g on the
Riviera. His father used t o t a k e h i m sailing,
a n o p p o r t u n i t y millions w o u l d e n v y , but
B o b was scared of water a n d d i d n ' t enjoy
it.
M r . Keane, what m a d e you start your
b o o k in such an inauspicious m a n n e r ? G o d
k n o w s h o w many p u n t e r s replaced your
b o o k o n t h e shelf a f t e r r e a d i n g t h e preface
a n d p l u m p e d f o r Jeffrey A r c h e r instead.
N o w , I have a question f o r your
p r o o f r e a d e r . Could you kindly tell us why
J. P. Crolly becomes P. J. Crolly h a l f w a y
t h r o u g h the b o o k ? A small p o i n t , I know
but upsetting when you a r e in full flow.
T h a t said, you will h e a r n o m o r e
c o m p l a i n t s a b o u t this b o o k f r o m me. In
the late I940's, the s m a l l h o l d e r s of
D i n a b e g are finding it m o r e a n d m o r e
difficult t o feed a n d clothe their families.
The y o u n g e r people have emigrated t o
B o b ' s c h i l d h o o d w a s hit by t h e tragedy
E n g l a n d , leaving the o l d . middle-aged and
of his m o t h e r ' s d e a t h when he w a s very
the y o u n g e r children t o play o u t the
y o u n g , and his f a t h e r , a c o m m e r c i a l
t o w n l a n d ' s swan-song. They are m o c k e d
traveller, could only be h o m e at weekby the p e o p l e of Trallock a n d their age-old
e n d s . , H i s h o m e life was s h a r e d mostly with
St S t e p h e n s D a y wren d a n c e is surpressed
t w o o l d e r sisters, themselves still a t school.
by C a n o n Tott, the brutish all-powerful
His f a t h e r did his best, sending him to
priest. C a n o n Tott plans the d o w n f a l l of.
B l a c k b r o c k ' s j u n i o r d a y - s c h o o l , with, each
the one m a n who understands and speaks
w e e k , a cash instalment of his fees. When
u p f o r t h e smallholders, the school teacher.
a t t e r m ' s end the f a t h e r w a s still billed f o r
M o n t y W h e l a n . He plans t o replace him in
t h e m , Bob had spent t h e m . H e g o t a hiding
the s c h o o l by the d a u g h t e r of P. J. Crolly. a
a t s c h o o l , plus a n o t h e r f r o m his f a t h e r ,
rich local businesssman w h o subscribes
w h o b o u g h t a cane specially f o r the
heavily t o b o t h ( h u r c h a n d priest.
o c c a s i o n . That p r e m e d i t a t i o n w a s never
B l u e n o s e , the elderly leader o f t h e wrenf o r g i v e n by Bob, a n d , he says, t h e school
boys with D o n a l H a l l a p y the b o d h a m
never
forgave his ten
years
old's
player, the dancing Costigan twins a n d
t r a n s g r e s s i o n . F r o m high g r a d e s he slipped
o t h e r s p l a n their wren d a n c e in secret a n d
t o f a i l u r e grades a n d f u r t h e r p a t e r n a l
even repel a n attack by dissident wrenp u n i s h m e n t , right t h r o u g h
secondary
boys o n their liquor wagon b e f o r e g o i n g on
s c h o o l . Asthmatic, he d i d n ' t s h a r e the
t o their d a n c e , the o u t c o m e of which I will
r u g b y - b a s e d muscular C h r i s t i a n i t y of
leave
the
readers to discover
for
B l a c k r o c k , a n d he d e v e l o p e d a c o n t e m p t
themselves. There are plenty of o t h e r finely
f o r t h e s m u g a s s u m p t i o n s of t h e Irish
d r a w n c h a r a c t e r s . F a i t h f u l F e r g , the
m i d d l e class. He delighted in s h o c k i n g his
s h o p k e e p e r a n d Nora Devane, the C a n o n ' s
t e a c h e r s , presenting all his c l a s s m a t e s with
h o u s e k e e p e r . These a n d the o t h e r s I will
M a o ' s Little Red B o o k , picketed a rugby
also let t h e readers disepver f o r themselves.
I n t e r n a t i o n a l (against S o u t h Africa),
The b o o k has at its core the s t o r y of the
affiliated t o (Britain's) C N D , a n d , b e f o r e it
b o d h a m m a d e by Bluenose to be given to
was fashionable, opposed America's war
D o n a l H a l l a p y on the night of t h e wren
in V i e t n a m . He also h u n g a r o u n d cafes
dance. In a passage full of s y m b o l i s m ,
listening to American blues m u s i c a n d
Bluenose takes the finished d r u m into a
e x p e r i m e n t e d with d r u g s . Besides striking
c e n t u r y ' s old blackthorn fairy ring o n a
rebellious attitudes he involved himself
knoll at the highest point on his f a r m a n d
with
t h e Simon C o m m u n i t y
which
begins t o play a reel. The s o u n d is carried
b e f r i e n d e d D u b l i n ' s homeless, alcoholics
for miles across the bleak
wintry
a n d o t h e r " u n t o u c h a b l e s " , a p o r t e n t of
c o u n t r y s i d e , heard by the s m a l l h o l d e r s , the
things t o come.
people of TralLpck a n d the priest. It is the
His adolescent years were the late Sixties
h a u n t i n g s o u n d of the b o d h a m that
unhinges the c a n o n when it seems that he a n d e a r l y Seventies, when Ireland was
e n j o y i n g unprecedented p r o s p e r i t y , a n d a
has b e a t e n t h e wren d a n c e r s of D i n a b e g .
J o h n B. Keane is a m a s t e r story teller. ( r a s h ) c o n f i d e n c e in i t s p e r p e t u a l
He is t h e a u t h o r of over twenty b o o k s and c o n t i n u a t i o n . It was a lively c o u n t r y , the
plays. H e is a l s o a m e m b e r of A o s d a n a . t h e signs of liveliness including the u r b a n reIrish A c a d e m y of Arts. Set aside a few discovery of lri$h music, the q u e s t i o n i n g of
t v e n i n g s , read this book and you will be every m a t t e r u n d e r the s u n , a n d the
c o n f i d e n t self-assertion of the Civil Rights
richly r e w a r d e d .
m o v e m e n t in the N o r t h . T o read G e l d o f
WILLIAM J. WALSH y o u ' d i m a g i n e the c o u n t r y was static, a n d
>
t h o u g h elsewhere he shows sensitivity t o
the c u l t u r e of the E s q u i m o a n d t h e liturgy
of E t h i o p i a , nowhere d o e s he display a n y
acqu3inyn.ee with Irish l a n g u a g e , music or
GARLAND
and
Wolff, the
Belfast
history. His professed d e t e s t a t i o n of
Shipyard h a s a n n o u n c e d that 800 w o r k e r s
n a t i q p a l i s m seems sincerest w h e n d i r e c t e d
will be laid off. The yard n o w e m p l o y s just
at his fellow-nationals whilst his pacifist
>ver 4,000 p e r m a n e n t a n d t e m p o r a r y
leanings lie oddly with his recent Concert
workers. T h e a n n u a l subsidy is t o be
o n a 'British aircraft carrier in the d i s p u t e d
ttcreased f r o m £37 million t o £ 6 8 million. t e r r i t o r y o f G i b r a l t a r . T o be f a i r , he
V ) an a r e a with a population of 1.5 million, d o e s n ' t c l a i m t o be a p h i l o s o p h e r . I n d e e d
>>J,0Q0 registered workers a r e on the dole.
he a d m i t s t h a t ?pme of his s t ^ f d o p i n i p p s
. I r f t s i p l o y m e n t in Northern Ireland n o w
m a y be nonsense, or s o m e t h i n g t o tb#t
t a n k s ' a ; 22 p e r cent, twice the British effect.
Kvaeage. In Scotland, T r ^ f a l a e r H o y s e
G e l d o f m i g h t have settled in j o u r n a l i s m
uhn
o w
o — t i.L J_-r
a r
"
SCO" L i t h g o w yarcf h a s
n n o u n c e d t h a t its,workforce of 2,200 will
e reduced t o 300 in the. next q u a r t e r .
where he was showing promise d u r i n g a n
illegal s o j o u r n .BrOad
and
was
s u b s e q u e n t l y f r u s t r a t e d a s a p u b l i s h e r by
t h e p a c e of the Irish Posi O f f i c e , a n d the
t i m i d i t y of an Irish b a n k
manager.
W o r k i n g in dead-end j o b s he started his
b a n d - the Boomtown Rats, as a h o b b y He
w r o t e their songs and sang t h e m . - singing
m u s t be the least noticeable of his talents,
a n d t h r o u g h a genius lor publicity a n d selfp r o m o t i o n . created an alternative
Irish dance circuit lo t h e s h o w b a n d m o n o p o l i s e d halls and the b l a n d discos.
A f t e r an R T E interview in
Ireland
he w a s read out from the A l t a r a n d he
a r r i v e d with his band in E n g l a n d when
E n g l a n d ' s nihilitic " p u n k " m u s i c rebellion
w a s being examined by s o l e m n " p o p "
critics f o r sociological significance. This
new
priesthood
was scandalised
by
G e l d o f s honest manifesto of his aims - " t o
get rich, f a m o u s and laid". But t h e b a n d
n o n e t h e l e s s was popular with t h e public
a n d t w o of its records headed the British
c h a r t s . G e l d o f also learned the business of
product-plugging
both sides of
the
Atlantic.
Pictures of the Irish
The
pictures
collection.
above
"Portraits
p h o t o g r a p h s by L i a m
Elgy - Gillespie
are
of
in
the
the
Irish",
B l a k e . Text -
Price
II0.9S
P u b l i s h e d by A p p l e t r e e Press, p p s 96
T h e s e p i c t u r e s s h o w t h a t B l a k e is a
G e l d o f s career had peaked when the
A f r i c a n f a m i n e caught his a t t e n t i o n . This
i n s p i r e d Band-Aid. originally i n t e n d e d as a
" o n e - o f f " Christmas record calculated to
raise £70.000 for relief. G e l d o f cajoled
l e a d i n g p e r f o r m e r s to join h i m in the
v e n t u r e , the record c o m p a n i e s to f o r g o
their p r o f i t s a n d t o have the r e c o r d o n sale
with unprecedented speed. T h e sales
exceeded the wildest expectations a n d the
idea o f a world-wide TV m a r a t h o n with a
t a r g e t of 500 million dollars t o o k root.
Overheads
were cut d o w n
to
an
infinitesimal
sum.
The c a t e r e r s
at
Wembley Stadium expected
their
a c c u s t o m e d profits. Geldof told t h e m he'd
t e l l - t h e c r o w d to bring packed lunches.
Newspaper propr 'tors,
airlines,
b r o a d c a s t i n g companies, a n d o t h e r h a r d
nosed
businesses
found
that
their
i a v p l v e m e n t would cost t h e m , a s a n y
m o n e y t o be m a d e from the v e n t u r e was to
go t o t h e starving. Geldof had created a
n e w w o r l d - w i d e constituency o f goodwill,
to w h i c h a l o n e he was b e h o l d e n .
T h i s o p e n e d d o o r s for him which n o one
h a d e v e r been through. W h e n he visited
s t r i c k e n a r e a s he sought out famine-relief
w o r k e r s a n d he could meet Presidents a n d
Prime Ministers and tell them things their
o w n officials a n d the guest relief-workers
d a r e d n o t tell t h e m . He m a d e s u r e he w a s
p r o p e r l y b r i e f e d by authoritive s o u r c e s s o
that he c o u l d argue constructively with
politicians, but he ensured the media got
q u o t a b l e , o r , in polite society, u n q u o t a b l e ,
headlines. His views are not simplistic a n d
are w o r t h e x a m i n a t i o n .
When
G e l d o f visited A r u s an
U a c h t a r a i n he fell on Patrick Hillery's
neck a n d kissed him, telling the startled
President that he, Dr Hillery, represented
I r e l a n d . Ireland, through the President's
h a n d s , h a d just given Bob £7 million. It
was q u i t e a h o m e c o m i n g f o r the Pordigal
Son, t h o u g h the Fatted Calf was n o t f o r his
o w n c o n s u m p t i o n . The Prodigal Son had
been t r a n s f i g u r e d into the most unlikely,
and t h e m o s t spectacular. G o o d S a m a r i t a n
in h i s t o r y . H e ' s now aged 35, a n d r e m a r k s
he s h o u l d live a s long again.
Let's h o p e so. _ ^
B O
NAL
KENNEDY
FOUR
PROVINCES
BOOKSHOP
T h e best thing is to
call in to 244/246 G r a y s
Inn
Road, close to
Russell Square tube,
b u t t h e second best is to
send f o r a booklist,
which is available f o r
30p from the shop a n d
50p b y f i r s t class post in
answer t o post or p h o n e
enquiries. iPhone
jywpber
01-8.33-3022.
Closed Mondays.
fellow photographer.
show
,1 p a i n t e r
he can break out
In
o f llie
arts
m o u l d t h e r e is a l s o a h i s t o r i a n a n d a
world
famous
maturity
are
O'Flaherty.
v e r y gif t e d p h o t o g r a p h e r . In his u s e ol
Cusack
b a c k g r o u n d a n d l i g h t i n g h e is n e v e r
represented
itirist
Wisdom
represented
bv
The S t u a r t s
and
while
b\
the
that
and
I mm
Cyril
young
are
talented
film
predictable. The faces a r e a very good
d i r e c t o r Neil J o r d a n o f " M o n a 1 i s a "
b l e n d i n g of the m a t u r e a n d the young.
fame.
P o p stars are r e p r e s e n t e d
B l a k e k n o w s t h e l i m i t a t i o n s o f his
Bono
of
range
and
he
stays
within
c o n c e n t r a t e s o n p e o p l e in t h e
it
He
Arts,
the
112 g r o u p
and
by
Mary
B l a c k . C l a s s i c a l m u s i c is r e p r e s e n t e d
bv
Brian
Bovdall
a c t o r s , singers, musicians, writers, an
Bernadette
architect, a composer, a conductor, a
contralto
(composer)
Creevy
the
and
me//,<>-
— (>. (
SOVIET THREAT DENIED
I'eace Through Non-Alignment,
fThe case for British withdrawal
from NATO). By Author Lowe.
Price £1.50. pps 43. Sponsored by:
The Campaign Group of iMbour
MPs. The Socialist Society. The
Campaign for Non-Alignment.
W H E N looking at the sponsors of this
pamphlet I had high hopes that I was in for a
refreshing read. I can only say my hopes
were dashed. The most commendable
feature of the material presented was a fairly
well constructed critique of present Labour
Party p o l i c y to u n d e r t a k e nuclear
disarmament whilst nevertheless remaining
in NATO. That covers 9 of the 4 3 pages of
text.
My main disappointment was the virtually
c o m p l e t e absence of any
socialist
perspective for us in our struggle to free
ourselves from NATO. The question of nonalignment, advocated in the title, is dealt
with in the most casual of manners, and
briefly at that, at the end of the work.
It Is true that NATO is described as a
nuclear, military pact, dedicated above all
else to protect and advance the interests of
the Government of the United States; as
being undemocratic in content; as being
prepared and capable of striking at
democratic forces opposed to NATO
wherever they exist. All good stuff! Vet there
is little analysis of the nature of the class
system that NATO is dedicated to defend. A
paragraph on page 29 dealing with the
industro-military structures of this country
is hardly sufficient.
When dealing with our supposed enemy,
the Soviet Union, there is no expression of
socialist solidarity by the author, a member
of The Socialist Society. Instead we treated
to sniping, anti-communist descriptions that
must spread a grin of delight over the face of
our class enemy. For example, the Soviet
Union's response at the time to moves by the
Western Powers to set up NATO is described
thus (page 4): "Soviet leaders reacted to
these moves with a mixture of belligerent
rhetoric and acts of repression in Eastern
Europe."
What
belligerent
rhetoric?
Repressive acts against whom?
The pamphlet does attack the m y t h of the
"Soviet Threat' and concludes that it does
not exist. That conclusion however is based
on analysing Western assessments and there
to ao explanation of how socialism and war
art incompatible. There is scant attention to
the many peace initiatives that have cume
from the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact.
Maybe the internationalist outlook of the
pamphlet can best be summed up by quoting
in full a paragraph on page 10:
"A serious study of Ihe post-war wo<ld
leads one to the conclusion that Europe is
threatened with destruction (along with
other parts of the world) not because.of
any Soviet intent, but because of the
confrontation between the two blofs.
Apart from those whose political
imagery is derived from Ihe adolescent
'evil empire' films, no one has ever
explained what Ihe Soviet Union might
hope to gain from an attack on Western
Europe. The countries that do face
Soviet military pressure, especially in
Eastern Europe, also suffer as a direct
result of the bloc antagonism between
N A T O and the Warsaw Pact. The final
tightening of Moscow's control in
Eastern Germany, Czechoslovakia and
Hungary started in response to the
development of a powerful
antiCommunist bloc in the West, and the
Soviet Union has justified subsequent
military interventions, in East Germany.
Hungary and Czechoslovakia, as being
within the unwritten ground rules of the
bi-polar system."
If like the liberal section of the " - l s s
media in Britain you echo these sentiments
then perhaps this pamphlet is for you. I
choose to contest this outlook for it is in
essence the philosophy of "a plague on both
your houses". This philosophy, whilst better
than servility to the USA Government, is
insufficient for socialists and cannot lead to
success when combating NATO.
I could go on to deal with other points, but
this would be quibbling. In conclusion. I do
not feel that this pamphlet is really useful in
combating NATO. The danger is that
because of its apti-NATO content many will
identify with it. That would not be so bad if it
were not for the fact that it claims to be
arguing from a socialist standpoint.
Page Eight
Peter Mulligan's
peep show
T H I C O S T O F PARTITION — " T h e cost
of this runs ;it a r o u n d £ ! million a d a y , a
bill which falls four limes as heavily on
citizens of the Irish Republic as the cost of
the Rl ( a n d the Army falls on the
British " Guardian. This is p u t t i n g a very
low figure on it — Irish
Democrat.
A l l ! M P I S AT a British Solution —
August l<>69 10.000 British t r o o p s sent in:
August 1971 British soldiers collect a n d
intern V'7 k n o w n dissidents, by May 1972
over 1.?()(/people are interned w ithout trial
and m a i n are not released until D e c e m b e r
19"
197; Direct Rule: 1973/4 power
shannir
1975. convention: 1977 Roy
M a s o n s 'Five Point Plan' 1979 H u m p h r e y
Atkins ' W h i t e P a p e r ' o n d e v o l u t i o n : 1980
H a u g h e v / T h a t c h e r Summits: 1982 Priors
S t o r m o n t Assembly for Unionists: 1985
the Anglo-Irish Agreement, an American
invention
accompanied
by
an
'aid
p a c k a g e ' of 250 million dollars f o r the
British to spend in N. Ireland over five
years a n d an Fxtradition Treaty being
passed by Senate and Congress to return
wanted Irish Republicans to the British
Security
Services.
Await
further
developments.
P O C R O M — "Over 106 families in
Lisburn have applied to be r e h o u s e d
because of intimidation a n d petrol b o m b s
thrown in the middle of the night t h r o u g h
their windows. Seventy five have been
rehoused since the start of J u l y . N e a r l y 550
families have asked the h o u s i n g executive
to move, a n d nearly 300 of these have been
granted priority when a h o u s e c o m e s up.
There are 1 3 c a s e s o f i n t i m i d a t i o n a w e e k . "
G U A R D I A N . What the G u a r d i a n did not
say was the N o r t h e r n Ireland H o u s i n g
Executive will only give c o n s i d e r a t i o n t o
such a request if it is c o n f i r m e d by a Royal
Ulster C o n s t a b u l a r y officer t h a t the house
of the family in question is t h e subject of
sectarian violence. Many R U C o f f i c e r s will
not m a k e such a statement as they have put
the finger on such families, a n d a l s o their
houses are likely to be petrol b o m b e d by
protesting fundamentalists.
C O L L A B O R A T I O N — "The a g r e e m e n t
has p r o d u c e d this tension a n d the situation
where people are m o r e open t o n e w ideas,
sceptical of their original political leaders,
and losing interest and h e a r t in their
elected representatives. T h e
National
F r o n t has stepped in to capitalise o n this t h a t ' s why I am here - to build the
f o u n d a t i o n s of a much s t r o n g e r political
o r g a n i s a t i o n . " — J o h n Field full time
o r g a n i s e r in Northern Ireland in an
interview with the Belfast N e w s Letter, a
Unionist p a p e r .
" T H E O R A N G E O R D E R is not just a
ritualistic o r d e r , it is a religious-military
o r d e r on active service." Fr. D e s m o n d
Wilson.
S T R I P S E A R C H I N G — J u d i t h W a r d who
was sentenced to a m i n i m u m ot 30 years
for b o m b i n g a c o a c h l o a d of innocent
British soldiers on the M62 in F e b r u a r y
1974 has claimed that c o n s t a n t strip,
searching is effecting her h e a l t h . J u d i t h
w h o is incarcerated in D u r h a m G a o l s ' H '
wing was convicted on the basis of her
' c o n f e s s i o n ' which she w i t h d r e w in C o u r t .
She h a s always proclaimed her i n n o c e n c e
and is not recognised as a Republican
Political prisoner.
T H E WAV O U T — o n e w o m a n a n d 27
men h a n g e d themselves in p r i s o n s in
E n g l a n d a n d Wales last year a c c o r d i n g t o a
H o m e Office reply to an M P s q u e s t i o n .
CAPITAL
EXPORT
—
CementR o a d s t o n e holdings, the largest industrial
company
in
Ireland,
continues
its
' i n t e r n a t i o n a l e x p a n s i o n ' by investing 8.1
million in the USA T H E T I M E S .
Printed by Ripley Printers L t d (TU),
N o t t i n g h a m R o a d , Ripley, D e r b y s ,
a n d published by C o n n o l l y
Public a t i o n s Ltd, 244 G r a y s Inn R o a d ,
L o n d o n WC1. Telephone: 01-833-3022.
February 1987
IRISH DEMOCRAT
DIARIES, DOCTORS AND A RROKEN DREAM
TO JLDGE
from
the number
of
ihem
on display,
diaries
must
be
among
the
most
popular
gifts
at
Christmas
— popular with the givers at
any rate, whatever about the recipients'
I
have often resorted to manufacturing a diary
myself out of old notebooks in preference to
splashing out on the commercial product and
1 think I'd have done so again this year if
someone hadn't presented me with a shopone.
But
unlike
perhaps
the
vast
majority
of people
who have
diaries
given them
at Christmcs.
1
persevere
with mini
and at the end of
the
year the likelihood is that there may be only
one or two blank days at the very most. The
act of making a daily entry is something
that
at the time scarcely seems worthwhile
—
why bother putting down the trivia that
makes up most of our uneventful lives? —
but after the passage of a year or a few
months,
even, those same trivia
often
become quite interesting and I for one tike
to browse back among the pages of old
diaries, marvelling at the fallibility
of my
memory and often cringing at the evidence of
my
immaturity.
And
so to
anyone
contemplating
keeping a diary this year 1
would say, stick at it. No matter
how
pointless it may seem at the time, later on
you may be glad that you did. I wouldn't go
so far as to echo the words of the wise man
who told a younger (and presumably
less
wise one!) 'Keep a diary in your mouth, boy,
and it will keep you in old age!' That is
undoubtedly very good advice for
politicians
or those with a hand in the shaping of world
affairs but I don't think that the
ordinary
chap's diary will contribute to more than a
bit of wry amusement orfond nostalgia in his
old days — and sure, that itself, as the fellow
said, is not to be sneered at!
A problem for most diarists is that what
they write may be all too easily read by
others;
I have narrowed
down
that
possibility considerably by always
keeping
mine in Irish; it was something 1 did from the
very beginning, quite without motive let me
say — it just did not occur to me to write it in
English! But I often think it is a great pity
that more people were not literate in bygone
times and that of those who were literate
more of them did not keep diaries.
How
much poorer we would be without the works
of Samuel Pepys now. or the diaries of
Amhlaoibh O Suilleabhain! If there had been
a Pepys in every government department
or
in every walk of professional, commercial or
labouring
life,
how
enriched
our
understanding
of the past would be. And if
Irish spailpini and labourers from those who
worked on the Roaring U P. Trail to those
who tramped from the Liverpool boat with
their reaping hooks wrapped in straw rope to
the rich farmlands of East Anglia — if some
By
DONALL MacAMHLAIGH
of ihem at least had left us an account of
their lives and times, what they saw, thought
and felt, what they earned and what they
spent, how avidly we would dwelt on their
pages. Indeed — and I hope no one will take
it amiss for me to say this — I would have
preferred if Patrick MacGill himself had
kept a minute
diary of his
navvying.
tramping and tatie-hoking years in Scotland
and England rather than present us with that
experience in the fictionalised form that he
did. For popular and all as MacGill was in
his day. and considerable
and all as his
achievement was as a writer (against odds
that few w riters have had to contend with)
his work lacks that uniqueness which I dare
to suggest it would have had if his writings
had been done in the form of a diary with no
striving for literary effects, and with the
consciousness that what he was portraying
w ould fascinate generations to come.
READING GO LEOR
Sometime back in the 1930's a writer of. I
believe, considerable
note stayed in our
village in a horse drawn caravan, I vaguely
remember
the man and the time but /
remember
very clearly an incident
which
occured then in relation to him. The writer - no countryman,
it would seem
—
committed the cardinal sin of leaving a gate
open and in consequence some stock, a few
heifers or milch cows maybe, of a neighbour
escaped onto the long acre and had to be
brought back at some annoyance to their
owner. The owner, an old chap with a
battered
caubeen
hat on his head, a
perpetual dribble and a limited command of
the King's English berated the writer for
leaving the gate open — and in fairly
intemperate,
if almost
unintelligible
language too! The Ma happened
to be
passing and with a proper respect
for
published authors she was aghast at Tom
She4in's
lack of a similar respect;
she
remonstrated
with him. in the
following
words:
"Oh. Tom. you shouldn't speak to the
gentleman like that — he's a writer, you
know."
Tom
Sheain
transferred
his
outraged attention from the author to the
Ma and sez he without putting a tooth in it:
"A writer. Mary? Sure he is a writer, he has
nothin' else to do — isn't it readin' and
writin' the likes of them do be always? He
hasn't a puck goat to his name not to speak
of a cow. only livin' on the side of the road
like a tinker — what else w ould he do only be
readin' and writin'?"
Hell 1 can't lay claim to a goal or a cow
myself and contrary to w hat a lot of my
friends seem to think I haven't made any
money worth talking of from writing but I do
have bags of lime for reading at the moment
and over the Christmas in particular
-anything rather than let the attention
be
fastened
by
the
so-called
festive
programmes churned out on the Box. Among
the books I have read this Christmas
are
Meda Ryan's Liam Lynch, the Real Chief
and Noel Browne's Against the Tide. I hope
that these t w o b o o k s will be reviewed in the
Irish Democrat by someone more properly
equipped for the job than yours truly but that
needn't stop me expressing my
appreciation
of them. Tm sure. Meda Ryan's Liam Lynch
published at £6.95 b v Mercier. Cork, held
me glued to each page until I had finished it.
Elsewhere in a review I headed the article I
wrote The Grief and the Glory for if glory
there was in the fine struggle put u p by
volunteers against the might of the Crown
Forces there was shame and sorrow in the
civil war that followed the Truce.
Liam
Lynch
was
totally
opposed
to
any
acceptance
of less than an
all-Ireland
Republic and he seems to the ordinary reader
like myself to have entertained a far too
optimistic belief that the original goal was
achieveable
— even in the face of that
infamous
threat
of Llovd
George's
of
immediate and terrible war.
But Lynch strove with might and main to
prevent the break between old comrades and
unlike many others he never stooped to
pettiness
or vindictive
revenge.
A fine
character it would seem. Liam Lynch must
have embodied
all that was best in the
generation that won independence for the 26
countries as all too many of his comrades in
time came to symbolise all that
Mis^orst.
But as we know to our cost he strove in vain
to prevent the civil war that has left its
baleful influence on Irish politics to this day.
The final chapters in which the defeat of all
he had fought for loomed up like a spectre
before
him make grim, in
fascinating
reading ... Liam Lynch's last words were:
"God pray for me. All this is a pity. It should
never have happened. I am glad now to be
going from it all. Poor Ireland.
Poor
Ireland!"
Liam Lynch must be essential reading for
anyone
wanting
to widen his or her
understanding of those glorious and tragic
years but before I pass on to Noel Browne's
book a word
about
another
Mercier
publication,
The Stalker Affair (£3.95) by
/ournalist
Frank Doherty.
This book
is
subtitled 'Including an account of British
secret service operations in Ireland'
and
contains some terrible indictments
of the
Irish Government
for. its role in
tolerating
cross-border intrusions where not
actually
colluding with them. Perfidy could hardly be
exceeded, it seems, by some of our people in
power today, politicians, members of the
Irish army, Gardai and others — but read it
for youself and iudge. Judas must have many
disciples in Ireland
today!
Noel Bro wne s book is praised, as they sa >
in Irish, if I never opened my mouth. It is a
most
excellent
autobiography
by
any
standards but of course its main interest for
Irish people will be the role that Dr Browne
played in Irish politics, his efforts
to
introduce the Mother and Child Scheme and
his successful
war on T.B. a disease
that
caused more dread in its time than the
present scourge of AIDS. The book was an
eye-opener for me in many ways and though
people who are far better qualified to speak
of these matters have said to me that Dr
Browne was unfair to Sean MacBride
and
others on some points — though not as
regards their cowardly submission
to the
Bishops when the Mother and Child
Scheme
was to be brought in — I read
thex(ortured
pages with a mixture of disbelief and shame
that Irishmen could have been so craven in
the face of clerical power. Small wonder that
Orangemen can throw it at us that we are a
priest-ridden people! Even the bravest of the
old IRA
veterans,
the Blacksmith
of
Balinalee and others, cowered at the thought
of a clerical rebuke. And Labour 'h'ow-arevou! A Jesuit said at the time of the
hulabaloo that the introduction of such a
scheme would reduce medical treatment
to
the level of the dispensary service
then
available to the poor — without seeming to
be aware at all that here was a terrible
reflection on that same service! (If I may go
from one level to a lower one many
Irish
people took exception to what I said myself
in my own first book. Dialann Deoraf. about
v
the state of Irish dispensaries. dim. cold and
forbidding,
and the arrogance
of
Irish
doctors). Gill & Macmitlan
publish,Against
the Tide at £9.95 — and it's worth
every
penny of it!
Nottingham
development
FIFTEEN people attended a
. meeting held in the International
Community Centre, Mansfield
Road, Nottingham, to hear Mr
Desmond Greaves explain the
We were i n t r o d u c e d t o a c o m m u n i t y future, policy and prospects, of
w o r k e r , a middle-aged m a n of rock-solid the Connolly Association,
c o m m o n s e n s e , a n d a n ironic way of
It was agreed to re-establish the
m a k i n g t h e p o i n t , w h o c h a t t e d with her for
half a n h o u r on m a t t e r s o f c o m m o n Nottingham Branch, amongthose
interest. He was the type of m a n , w h o , in present being Imelda Connolly
a n y c o m m u n i t y on e a r t h , w o u l d be turned who
was active with Chris
to by n e i g h b o u r s f o r advice o r help. But, as
Maguire in the fifties.
we were on holiday, a n d h e a d i n g f o r the
Moving spirit is Josephine
West of I r e l a n d , I'd f o r g o t t e n h i m , until,
three d a y s later, his p h o t o g r a p h l o o k e d out Logan, uasal, and her mother,
at m e f r o m the Irish Press. H e w a s carrying both
of them socialists and
a c o f f i n , within which lay the b o d y of his Liverpool-Irish.
s o n , Sean D o w n e s , killed a t p o i n t - b l a n k
After the meeting, members
range by a plastic bullet f i r e d b y a n R U C
m a n . Sean D o w n e s , with his wife a n d went to the Irish Centre, secretary
i n f a n t , h a d a t t e n d e d a p u b l i c meeting in Mrs Walsh, and enjoyed an
A n d e r s o n t o w n held b y Sinn F e i n .
evening of music provided by the
local Comhaltas Ceolteori, which
The last person I recall, I met with and spoke
at some length, in the Lobby of the House of
is very strong in Nottingham and
Commons, and I also exchanged letters with
is planning a visit to the Irish
him. I liked him, though his politics and mine
Centre in Liveipool.
were diametrically opposed. Why should I say
that? I've never found that liking anyone hinged
BIRMINGHAM
on agreeing on any subject. Some of the people I
Plans are being discussed for a
most dislike hold similar views on politics and
religion! He was my local MP, Sir Anthony conference on Labour policy in
Berry, and he died in the Brighton Bombing. I
Ireland to be held in Birmingham
was recently clearing out old papers and I came
early
in May, 1987.
'
on a copy of a perhaps too emotional letter I sent
MEMENTO MORI - Donal Kennedy
C O N S I D E R I N G the times we live in,
I've m e t , seen, or spoken with, few p e o p l e
w h o died by violence or were t o u c h e d by it.
A friend of mine tells me that his f a t h e r - i n law in D u b l i n , a law-abiding citizen, k n e w
five or six murdered in that city o v e r a
period of little more than a year. My sister,
w h o lives in Dublin, recalled a recent
tragedy, where a young m a n died. She
passed by the scene shortly a f t e r w a r d s , a n d
was relieved to hear it was an a c c i d e n t .
A p p a r e n t l y like hurricanes in H a m p s h i r e ,
haccidents in Dublin 'ardly hever ' a p p e n .
For the benefit of those whose m a i n s o u r c e
of Irish intelligence is the British p r e s s ,
Dublin is in the Irish Republic, w h e r e
death f r o m political causes is relatively
rare, c o m p a r e d with the area blessed with
British rule. But all those I'm dealing with
here died f r o m political causes. O d d l y ,
though I k n o w some will say I'm n a m e d r o p p i n g a g a i n , none of the c a u s e s was a s
o b s c u r e as the law of averages w o u l d
suggest.
The first one I met, a b r o t h e r of a f r i e n d
of m i n e , died in battle, leading a n Irish
p l a t o o n t h r o u g h a tunnel in Elizabethville,
in the C o n g o , or the secessionist s t a t e of
K a t a n g a . He died in the service of t h e U N ,
a n d the Belgian press, which s u p p o r t e d t h e
Belgium mining interests b e h i n d t h e
secession, described his b e h a v i o u r a s
heroic, t h o u g h how much c o n s o l a t i o n t h a t
was t o J i i s family I never t h o u g h t t o a s k .
T H E N E X T one, w h o m I saw r i d i n g in
an o p e n car to lay a wreath at A r b o u r Hill
was J o h n F. Kennedy, At the t i m e , like
most I r i s h m e n , I'm a f r a i d I t o o k t h e U S a t
its o w n valuation a n d its President b y t h e
p r o p a g a n d a a s to his own virtue. I c o n f e s s I
was later relieved to find that he d i d n ' t
quite fit t h e h a l o of St D o m i n i c Savio,
whose b l a m e l e s s and f o r e s h o r t e n e d life
was h e l d u p as a realistic e x a m p l e to
C a t h o l i c y o u t h trying to c o m e t o terms
with p u b e r t y . It was less than five m o n t h s
a f t e r his t r i b u t e to Connolly a n d Pearse,
M a c D o n a g h a n d MacBride, t h a t K e n n e d y
fell t o rifle-fire in Dallas. As my m o t h e r
h a d d i e d five weeks to the day, a l m o s t t o
the h o u r , previously, I've never been able
to d i s e n t a n g l e the e m o t i o n s caused by
b o t h , a n d t h e night before K e n n e d y d i e d , I
was r e a d i n g Rex MacColl's a c c o u n t of the
d e a t h o f Michael Collins, which s h o o k
Ireland, even those in a r m s a g a i n s t h i m .
T h e next person I r e m e m b e r , I s p o k e
with, a n d sat in a cafe with. H e d i e d ,
a p p a r e n t l y a f t e r j u m p i n g f r o m a block of
flats in his native Newry. N o t l o n g a f t e r I
s p o k e w i t h him in North L o n d o n , he a n d
his wife were dragged f r o m their b e d by
police w h o b r o k e down the d o o r t o their
flat. T h e y were held for eight d a y s u n d e r
the so-called Prevention of T e r r o r i s m Act,
then r e l e a s e d , with n o charges against
t h e m , t o r e t u r n to their h o m e , w h e r e the
f r o n t d o o r remained k n o c k e d o f f its
hinges. W h a t e v e r h a p p e n e d d u r i n g his stay
a p p a r e n t l y u n h i n g e d the m a n , f o r h e g r e w
p a r a n o i d , a n d his death seems t o be a
direct r e s u l t of his being pulled in. T h e
D e m o c r a t d e a l t with the incident in detail,
a n d it w a s the basis o f t h e p l o t of a n
episode in t h e T V series " B l a c k S i l k . "
In August 1984 I had occasion to visit
Belfast for a day, and my (English) wife,
whose work involves dealing with young
people who get into trouble with the police,
contacted a Belfastman with similar
concerns shorn she'd met on a course. We
visited his project, and later went for a
drink in the GAA club in Andersonstown.
him when the first H-Block Hunger Strike
started in 1980.1 wrote thqt if the hunger striken
died and the bodies came out from the Kesh with
Tncolors on them, all the Queen's horses and all
the Queen's men couldn't avert an upsurge in
violence, and that although I wanted such Horses
and men removed from Ireland, I wanted them
removed in a way that would mimmtse
bloodshed and recrimination. He wrote me a
polite letter.
As I said, these violeat umes have barelv
impinged on my serene life, and maliy a street in
Belfast or Deny could give intimate accounts of
scores of people untimely obliterated.
iiiTaiiP
Continued from p a g e 3
The Attorney-General sent a ciitular to
n e w s p a p e r editors d e m a n d i n g an
undertaking that they would not publish a
word about the affair. They refused togive
j
i t So the Special Branch turned: over t h j f W
w
NS and Mr Campbells and took a w y a ^ -'
of documents that had nothing t o f k y ' o t
h
the case.
Makes you wonder wher^jp,
1
Chile or South Africa.
Why not turn over some o n B K ,
Offices for evidence of insidet i r i a m q F y t