People – including Enda Kenny – were talking yesterday about how ‘Ireland’ (that’d be the twenty-six counties) has proved itself a bold, splendid, equal…I can’t remember the exact words but I got the general drift …’Ireland’ had proved itself a wonderful ‘country’. Is he right?
Maybe. If we judge by the numbers of people who voted for same-sex marriage (a brief mention of that other referendum later), then the twenty-six counties is a state which has no problem of any kind with gay people – they are accepted as full and equal citizens. But that’s at the legal level. I wonder how true that is in what have been called the twigs and straws of life: the little encounters, the brief conversations, the passing glances. Is the south of Ireland totally free from homophobia? I suspect not. Which raises a question that was raised on BBC Raidio Uladh/BBC Radio Ulster earlier this morning: do the big gestures like handshakes impact at ground level?
As usual, Chris Donnelly got it just about right – he indicated that the hand-shaking of Gerry Adams and Prince Charles was a worthwhile event, but that we shouldn’t overestimate how it will change things on the ground. Indeed. That’s not to say these events shouldn’t happen. Leadership means taking actions that set the pace, raise the bar, whatever analogy you want to use, for the rest of us. It doesn’t mean that we instantly embrace reconciliation; but it does nudge that project a little bit further forward, and over time people gradually take their cue from that. Or if leadership revels in division and insult and noli me tangere, then that’s what the general public who follow such leaders will feel justified in following.
The key thing about the the handshake between Gerry Adams and Prince Charles was that it set in view that very old notion: a good example. Likewise the gay marriage referendum success: it says that all discrimination against gays is a bad thing. That may take a long time to filter down, particularly to those whose minds are closed to change. But the hope is that it will happen.
At the same time, we’d be mugs to over-estimate example. There can be little doubt that Sinn Féin have been setting example after example of reconciliation in action over the past number of years. Has it filtered through to the unionist community? I hope so – though looking at and listening to their political leaders, it’s hard to believe it has. In fact there are an increasing number of people on the nationalist/republican side who are near to despair. If unionism has seen fit to reject all overtures, even unto a pleasant word or the odd handshake, and this has been going on for seventeen years, is it not time to abandon what is clearly not working?
Final point: the people who embraced (if that’s the word) gay marriage at the ballot box on Friday also voted not to embrace the notion of letting people younger than 35 running for president It’s not the most pressing problem in society at the moment, but it does show ageism (this time against the young) in action. Not such good example there.
Will the ‘government’ step in?
“Although crimes may win an empire, they do not win glory.” The Prince – Machiavelli
Members of the DUP hope the legislative assembly will survive, although there is an awareness of the electoral consequences related to implementing draconian health and welfare cuts. It is amusing, if it were not so serious, to hear a minister talk of the need for ‘the government’ to step in if all else fails. Stormont was prorogued in 1972 as a result of discrimination. In 2015 a commercial enterprise is found guilty of discrimination. Seventeen years after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement/ Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta, we look forward to the possibility of civil servants controlling budgets with the relegation of the Assembly to a not so super council.
There was irony in the euphoria surrounding the visit of Charles et al to Ireland. For years the British Army spent a fortune blowing up and sealing border roads,there was no expense spared. The Irish government and Sligo County Council is currently facing a budget deficit associated with the cost of the visit given the need to repair roads and lay tarmac to facilitate the royal retinue. Only a boor would mention repossessions, water meters, protests, stealth taxes or question the role of the Irish Labour(?) Party in a coalition government at this historic juncture, except possibly in Carlow-Kilkenny.
“Tis twelve months come October since I left me native home
After helping them Killarney boys to bring the harvest down
But now I wear the gansey and around me waist a belt
I’m the gaffer of the squad that makes the hot asphalt.”
Charles was suitably impressed in St Patrick’s Church Belfast with the painting of the Madonna of the Lakes by the renowned Irish artist John Lavery. We are not privy to his thoughts about the sectarian behaviour of ‘loyalist’ bandsmen in the vicinity of Catholic churches generally or specifically the ‘musical’ rendition of The Famine Song/Sloop John B, outside St Patrick’s Church. What might he say about the aesthetic principles of the ‘Peace Walls’ in Belfast? I guess he might ponder the difference in being British in Belfast and being British in Finchley.
The man who is famously known as ‘The Man who makes up the Minds of the Mindless’, Esteemed Blogmeister, was in a fairly frilly-shrilly mood as he contemplated both his navel and the shellacking of the No side in the Referendum de-dum-to-cum and just gone.
‘It looks like a victory for articulacy. This was indeed a superb civic campaign. And it was marked by riveting eloquence’, penned Fintan O’Toole (for it is he !) . He then goes on to list a litany of such apostles of inclusivity as (gasp) Colm O’Gorman and Mary McAlesse all the way to the trimmings of (gulp) Noel Whelan and yet another Wexican called Colm, Toibin this time.
Curiously enough, no mention of the red carpet rolled our during the week in the Free Southern Stateen of Pink Thinkers to the ……….Emperor of Exclusivity (to be) and His Lady in Waiting.
Reconciling two traditions is one thing but reconciling those two irreconcilables is a ways beyond the mere two-bit grey matter of Perkie.
Yes-terday in our all-inclusive Cahillofat
Of the FSS we duly doffed our loyal hat
Showed the nose brown
To the heir to the Crown
(Being a Nat or a Cat is not where it’s at)
Jude
Filtered down? How far down the ladder are the Unionist community below lofty Sinn Fein?
“Filtered through” would perhaps have been less revealing.
And if we are to abandon what is not working, meaning I presume, friendly overtures positive gestures and any such Unionist outreach’ with what will we replace it?
There can be no way forward to a peaceful United Ireland other than through reconciliation of Nationalist with Unionist, no matter how difficult it may be.
Sinn Fein in the past have always been prepared to wage a long war,so they should surely be able to wage a long peace? Perhaps war is easier than peace, for old soldiers.
Try reading what I wrote, gio – the filtering down is from leaders to community – nothing to do with SF filtering down to unionists. And try not to think in such binary terms. The alternative to outreach is not violence – it’s what the unionist leadership have been following for 17 years now: boorishness, bad manners, churlishness. Maybe if SF were to mirror that for a while, unionist politicians might get the message. Clearly so far they appear to interpret outreach as submission.
Jude
What you wrote;
“There can be little doubt that Sinn Féin have been setting example after example of reconciliation in action over the past number of years. Has it filtered down into the unionist community?”
Down from Sinn Fein to the unionist community! Try reading what you wrote.
OK – fair point, Gio . If I make it ‘across’ or ‘up’ will that do?
‘Through’ , but only if you mean it!
Ok – I’ll oblige. But I think if you consider it you’ll see you’re finding offence where none is. We talk of things happening at grassroots level or on the ground, as distinct from what happens at official level or among politicians. Nobody says ‘How dare you insult me by saying I’m part of a grassroots level movement’ or ‘ You’re condescending because you said I knew how things were on the ground’. And the idea that I would consider unionists somehow of lower worth or dignity – now that is insulting. To me.
Jude
I’m not offended at all,I just thought it an interesting choice of words.
Perhaps your subconscious made you do it!
Turning it round to hear how it sounds can be a good test, as in;
‘The DUP have set a good example of reconciliation in action (unlikely I know) but it appears not to have filtered down to the nationalist community.’
I can’t help feeling that might evoke a few comments.
Anyway perhaps I am being pedantic,I certainly was not trying to insult you.
Jude
Now about “the gays”…..!!