It is quite clear to me that the southern 26-county Irish free state has officially disowned its Irish citizens in the northern territory of Ireland.
Unionists see the GFA as support for partition, legitimacy for British rule in Ireland. To be honest, so did I when I refused to participate in the referendum and they are right, that is the truth of what it is. It has given legitimacy to British rule in Ireland for the first time in Ireland’s history.
So we are where we are.
At the same time, the GFA offers a means of peacefully ending British rule in Ireland in a way that will guarantee independence while maintaining trade links and cooperation between our nations north-south and east-west, which like it or not is the only way we will eat.
Sinn Féin are the only party seeking independence through this mechanism. The alternative would be for all Irish citizens to avoid voting altogether to prove the brutish state cannot rule in Ireland with the support of its people. With the changing demographics and a nationalist catholic majority around the corner, that sounds the much more difficult and unlikely option to achieve.
So we have a choice as to whether or not we participate.
To be honest, I am becoming more and more tempted with the option of avoiding voting altogether. What I have decided is I will support Sinn Féin until there is a nationalist majority. Then, if Britain refuses a valid and informed referendum for independence – not unity – then my voting days are over. The GFA is already toast as far I am concerned. I am finding in hard to understand why we should want unification with Dublin at all?
I would prefer more options discussed than are outlined in the GFA, including 9-county independence, free from London and Dublin misrule.
The biggest law in the GFA, 32-county unification is the only option. If Dublin want partition, who says it has to be a 26- to 6-county border. A 6-county state is not economically viable.
I also want the flag of our nation to be the tricolour.
Unionists may not like that, but as they have shown us over the years, if it is what the majority wants, nothing else matters. Also, in the late 19th century the Irish Unionist Party used the slogan ‘Éirinn go Brách’ on a banner at one of their conventions, expressing pride in their Irish identity.
As Irish identity goes, it is a symbolic flag of reconciliation between orange and green, the two Irish traditions on this island, one of which does not exist in the 26-county state.
The southern state has no interest in Irish unity and has encouraged the support for a 26- county Irish republic through its media and its propaganda machine. That is fine, but this was not the ideology behind the flag of the Irish nation and they should find a flag more fitting for their new aspirations. I no longer have any interest in a 32-county Irish republic.
I want to see the flag of the Irish nation and that flag of reconciliation flying over council buildings throughout Ulster. I want it to represent the Irish nation to which I belong which is the vast majority in Ulster.
If Dublin wants to support partition and disown the Irish citizens in the north then so be it. But do not take our flag and do not assume Ulster will accept a border through our province.
I dispute that the tricolour is the legitimate flag of the 26-county state without the support of Ulster. Why not keep your 23-county state and let us seek a 9-county united Ulster instead, and if other counties wish to join us then why not, if traditional national boundaries mean so little?
Does anyone disagree?
you havent mentioned brexit in your piece surely this will create another rigmarole.you might get more than you wish for come june.
Although I share a certain antipathy with you towards Free-State politicians, I wouldn’t be too despondent or disconsolate…..I don’t believe the majority of Irish people could be as cringe-worthy or craven as the gombeens who represent them……A little anecdote.. A cousin of mine ,a Sinn Féin voter, tried unsuccessfully for years to get planning permission (on his own land )….out of desperation ( still a closet SF person) he joined the local branch of Fianna Fail……permission granted within weeks…..there is more than one way of skinning a cat ! Look where Unionism was a few years ago… masters of the own ( and our ) destiny , but Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. They had it all but were continually looking over their shoulders….all the dirty tricks of Racism, Sectarianism and Apartheid were used but their edifice still crumbled ,similar result in South Africa …..and who’s glancing backwards now at the rise of SF…..again every despicable , rotten trick is being played to hold onto their brown envelopes and “mercs with perks” and the rest will be history or this time our story.
@ Jessica
There’s a temptation to throw your toys out of the pram. I can understand your anger at the establishment media in the south. But we are where we are!
Ask yourself, what Sovereign state anywhere in the world avoids having a bit of a land-grab? You guessed it, none apart from Southern Ireland. Nationalism is growing throughout Europe and the rest of the world, apart from Southern Ireland…….we should examine why! It appears the South desire and yearn for Imperialism. Not surprising as there’s been no great effort to separate Irish and British culture over the last 50 years. Nothing makes me more sickened than hearing some family member in the south talking about their team getting beat at the weekend…. What Carlow….. Laois? …. No Man United / Chelsea etc…..
A UI will happen as sure as the sun comes up in the morning. However, the dreams of a unified republic are dead and buried and are never coming back. It was a product of its time and not compatible with modernity. We are in the age of post enlightenment, where corporate greed converges upon social injustice and socially engineered political apathy. I am happy in my own skin these days, like you I used to be angry at how once a romanticised nation of heroes turned into grovelling bunch of ‘Ruth Duddly Brutons’ who have sold the country for a few of the Liz Windsor’s shillings.
But what does the future hold?
“What’s past is prologue” as they say. We once lived in a Red, White and Blue theme park where everything was Royal this and Royal that. The future, if not dealt with correctly will repeat itself with changed colours, the 6 counties will turn into a hyper-Irish version of Ireland. If everything currently plays out as the Southern Media Cartel wish, then we will have two very separate distinctive Irish states, one where the flag is truly representative of the people and the other a 26 county extension of England. I would not expect that to go down well with the southern population and therefore we will have a UI that falls short of our aspirations. Unionism ever shrinking will need to be ‘handed a face saving win’ to bring them on board. They need something to sell to the ‘No Surrenders’. I expect the words Cantons, Principalities and more importantly Commonwealth to become part of political discourse in the coming years.
The GFA was just an agreement, no more, no less. We don’t like it, we try again and again and again. A dark horse here that people are not paying attention to is the ‘Unicorn Killing BREXIT’. Bring it on !
“The future, if not dealt with correctly will repeat itself with changed colours, the 6 counties will turn into a hyper-Irish version of Ireland.”
I don’t understand anti nationalism.
I find it unbearable not to have a country of my own. All my life I considered myself Irish and considered Dublin my capital city, the tri colour my nations flag and the soldiers song my nations anthem. That is the Ireland I wanted to do well.
Well clearly in 2016, Dublin is not my capital city, the 26 county state has hijacked the flag of the Irish nation which since the removal of articles 2 and 3, it is clearly wrong that they continue to use that flag.
Are the Americans wrong to be nationalistic?
Is the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the untied states a bad thing?
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”,
Does gio consider this ein volk?
Is France wrong to be nationalistic?
Though from a working class family in a republican area that has seen enough trouble of its own, I have never been unemployed and never found it difficult to earn money.
Before the Celtic Tiger, I would have tried to spend as much money as I could in the republic. I hoped as they grew economy wise, one day we would be a united country.
Now I find myself wanting the north to be as you say, the more Irish part of Ireland and I find myself seeking to compete against the south economically.
The North should be the wealthiest part of Ireland and I know so confidently that it could be so easily. Talk of subvention frustrates me.
There will never be motivation in the north while under british rule, but under our own steam we could leave the south in the dust financially.
You are right, the united Ireland I always dreamt we would one day have, will never happen. We need new aspirations, and one should be persuading the republic of Ireland into changing its flag.
They should use the Rugby flag and anthem instead. They are more fitting for this separate country that is Southern Ireland.
your article could be right about not being wanted,see darby ogill the president has pulled out of a banquet in the city hall were he was to be the guest of honour at the 1916 event.maybe give his dinner to one of the homeless who are dying in the doorways of royal avenue as their stuffing their faces, no cherishing all the children of the nation for them.
Jessica, I feel your frustration and I empathise with you on many of your postings. However, I can’t agree with you that a United Ulster is a better alternative to a United Ireland, and I can’t see many people supporting that idea, at least in the 26 counties.
As an Irishman I find it very annoying that my fellow country men and women are so ignorant of our own history and that they are prepared to swallow so much wrong information because it comes from so called reliable public sources, all of which are well known to readers of Jude’s blog.
Things may not be as bad as they might appear and I believe that we do have an opportunity to enlighten our people. During the commemoration events in Dublin I did get a feeling of Irish pride among people in the streets, and among people who I engaged in conversation with. They may not have understood what they are proud of or what they are commemorating/celebrating but if ever there was a time to enlighten Irish people then this is the time to reach them.
The Easter Rising commemoration has indeed raised public interest, and conversations are taking place. As a result of the events, talks, films, exhibitions etc all over Dublin I can see that people are showing more interest and are more willing to discuss 1916, the troubles, tune into the TV programs on 1916 events, purchase books on the period etc. Hopefully this will translate into a more informed Irish public who will be more willing to critically question our politicians, historians, media and commentators.
At the same time constitutional nationalists/republicans do need to continue trying to reach out to our people who want to support a United Ireland. However, much of the good work can be undone if certain other nationalists/republicans continue to alienate the Irish public.
There is no doubt that the majority of Irish people do not support dissident republicans. This is very clear and I can’t see that ever changing. I believe that the dissidents are small in number but obviously they would like to give the impression that they have a bigger membership and lots of support. Among all the events in Dublin over the Easter weekend there was a parade where people wearing balaclava’s marched through a part of the city. This was manna to the media, just what they wanted, something to write about those nasty nationalists/republicans and tell us why we should all condemn those shinners who are contaminating our society.
I can imagine the mileage that FG, FF, Indo, Irish Times etc could get out of this type of activity. One newspaper reported how people were ‘intimidated’ by the marchers. I wasn’t there myself but personally I don’t think that I would have been intimidated by these people as I would more likely engage in a discussion with them, if they were willing. Like many Irish people, I agree with their cause but I don’t agree with their methods. Also, what these marchers didn’t understand was that they didn’t impress anybody, whatever their intentions. I believe that it had the opposite effect. I heard people making jokes about them like they would about a KKK gathering.
Such activities all feed into the big negativity that is working against Irish nationalism/republicanism. SF have a hard time answering false allegations that are continuously thrown at them, despite their peaceful and legitimate policies, and having very respectable and credible people in their ranks. With that in mind, how can the balaclava marchers not understand how their own activities can never possibly gain the support of the vast majority of Irish people, and that they are actually damaging the prospects of a United Ireland.
Jessica, the Easter Rising commemorations have stirred interest in the people residing in the 26 counties, and we need to run with that. We probably won’t be able to reach the dyed in the wool Fine Gaelers but there is a large enough body of people who do feel proud to be Irish and who want to show that pride, but they do need to understand why they are proud.
Our young people are well educated but unfortunately they can only see €, £ and $ in their immediate and future plans. Some parties and the media are managing to scare these young people with economic warnings about how SF could affect those plans. It would be a lot more helpful for the UI cause if SF softened their policies to be more inclusive instead of playing into the hands of their detractors.
Jude’s blog and others like it are helpful for countering the misinformation, and for our understanding of past and current events. I am sharing Jude’s blog with as many people who I think have open minds and I will encourage them to contribute. It doesn’t matter that some people reading the blog will be hissing in the background and ready to stick out their poisonous fangs whenever anybody offers an opinion. It’s all worth discussing, whatever your views.
“Jessica, I feel your frustration and I empathise with you on many of your postings. However, I can’t agree with you that a United Ulster is a better alternative to a United Ireland, and I can’t see many people supporting that idea, at least in the 26 counties.”
I agree Nuacht, I would have no problem milking Irelands history in conflicts on an all island scale to grow tourism to spread the wealth island wide and not solely in Dublin. I can assure you that the demand is there.
The GFA has provided a means of ensuring Irish citizens in the north are no longer mistreated by the unionist political majority inherited through partition, which didn’t come about until that majority was about to go into decline anyway, and I assure you we are not going to accept being pissed over now by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail.
I know very well that 23 counties would not support that idea, only 9 of the 32 would matter though. It might refocus attention though.
“There is no doubt that the majority of Irish people do not support dissident republicans.”
The majority of dissident republicans friends and family don’t support them, but when you have lived through RUC and Army incursions and lived the history of conflict first hand, you are not too keen to get involved in the squealing business. 1, they are dangerous people so why risk getting hurt and for what???. 2, the British intelligence services are still recruiting dissidents on both sides and still manipulating them. The PSNI are still turning a blind eye to their activities and certain individuals can get away with whatever they like as they remain so protected its farcical.
“Among all the events in Dublin over the Easter weekend there was a parade where people wearing balaclava’s marched through a part of the city.”
The only one I saw was on Monday outside the GPO and they were wearing scarves over their faces not balaclavas so not sure if that is who you refer to.
The sad thing is, I felt more affinity with that parade and those people than I did the Irish army and the main parade.
I am not saying that is right but I am not going to lie to you. It was not the Irish army who helped nationalists during the troubles, it was the PIRA, those men and women in balaclavas. There may have been many wrongs done as with all conflicts but that’s what we were left to grow up with.
Though members of my own family were put up in Irish army field camps in Wicklow when they lost their homes. There was sympathy in the south back then.
The two sides in the north have dehumanised one another during the conflict, the south have dehumanised the north over media weariness about the conflict.
“One newspaper reported how people were ‘intimidated’ by the marchers.”
It wasn’t the one at the GPO then, as I was there and people flocked around them to get photos and didn’t look intimidated to me..
The ironic thing is that if it weren’t for the negative media campaign and activities of MI5, they would have no support at all by now. Instead, there is a growing anti Sinn Fein republican feeling, much of the growth is not the same dissidents from 10 years ago, but decent people I call friends who are anti violence but have given up on a united Ireland or any Ireland and have become disillusioned.
“how can the balaclava marchers not understand how their own activities can never possibly gain the support of the vast majority of Irish people, and that they are actually damaging the prospects of a United Ireland.”
If a few people in balaclavas are enough to damage the prospects of a United Ireland then Ireland is no longer Ireland but a little England and may as well re-join the UK.
“It would be a lot more helpful for the UI cause if SF softened their policies to be more inclusive instead of playing into the hands of their detractors.”
Which policies are not inclusive?
Jessica, I do understand your point about support for dissidents, what people in the north lived through and who came to their aid. PIRA help received during the troubles might be well regarded by your friends and family but the mention of the letters IRA means that most people down here will immediately think about the bad deeds that have been reported. Unfortunately, many people would not be able to distinguish between the different groups from either side of the conflict. This is what I mean about the great ignorance down here.
The parade I mentioned might have taken place on the quays, I don’t know where else they marched and it is also possible that balaclava’s might not have been worn. This is what I had heard through the media so it must be true 🙂 Also, I can’t imagine the general public being intimidated by this parade. You could be right about little Englanders amongst us but re-joining the UK is just not imaginable.
As most of us already know, every little incident is being used by FG, FG and the media to try tarnish SF and put the fear into us. For example, Enda Kenny was very quick to jump in with his attempt to connect SF with the Regency Hotel shooting after somebody claimed that dissidents were involved. He didn’t bother to retract that when the dissidents denied involvement. It didn’t matter to Kenny, it was just another opportunity to see if any muck can stick. The same connection was attempted by an Irish Times editor on the panel in a Vincent Browne show, two days after the dissidents denial.
What I mean by SF policies that are not inclusive are the economic policies that alienate some people. No need to rehash all the arguments that we heard during the election but as an example how can I reassure young professionals with good salaries and older people heading into retirement that they would be better off financially under an SF government. I expect that the country would benefit in the long term with a UI but few people would be prepared to accept any short term pain. Obviously, SF would have to compromise on some of their policies in they went into government but their current position is scaring off a sizeable number of people who would support a UI.
Nuacht, I do understand perfectly well what you are saying and I agree with you that Ireland north and south will not countenance far left wing policies.
I also do appreciate not everyone in the south feels the same and that we do still have genuine friends like yourself.
What I am also saying though, is I have already lived through being treated as a second rate citizen by a British administration, the demographic change has totally changed all that and will likely if anything turn it around if unionists maintain their intransigence.
So now that we are coming to a point where a nationalist majority in the north is not far away, for the first time, we will I hope soon be able to live in a society reflective of our traditions, where irishness will not be considered foreign and a british identity shoved down our throats.
Now that we have a cessation of violence, when we are coming out the other end of almost a century of having been left to the wolves only to find that the majority of what we thought were our fellow countrymen are no longer that. People in the south are no better educated or capable than we are in the north. But a false narrative has been nurtured and a disaffectedness encouraged by both state and media manipulations that has been tolerated and elected into power by a majority of the people there.
The british do not want the north of Irland, they want the south of Ireland. Dublin was once the second city of the british empire. The jackeen tradition has since spread far beyond Dublin.
So tell me, why after all we have been through already, should we swap one government who hates us for another who does so with seemingly equal venom?
There will be no further repartition of the north, what the south did to us, we will not do to our own. I would rather fight and die and to hell with what the people in the south think about it.
“re-joining the UK is just not imaginable”
Really, I think you need to look a little closer at what is going on in your own state. How much longer do you think it will be before there is talk of re-joining the commonwealth, possibly even for our benefit as a cover?
I want nothing to do with that.
you seem to be saying the men in 1916 had the support of the vast majority of irish people and it was right then but not right now.
Life’s too short, Jessica, for such bitterness and frustration. Move on and enjoy life.
“Life’s too short, Jessica, for such bitterness and frustration. Move on and enjoy life.”
Thanks for the pep talk MT.
What would I do without you
I totally agree with the good Dr on this one.
I will be ignoring SF on this one and voting for Brexit, then the chickens will come back to roost. What will the good loyalists do without their agricultural grants?
England’s difficulty, Ireland’s opportunity and all that.
As for Michael D he’s no James Connolly!
Believe it or not there are a lot of Nationalist/Republican farmers who get the same agricultural grants. As for a nine-county independent Ulster : pure lunacy.
“As for a nine-county independent Ulster : pure lunacy.”
You may be rght Willie D, but why do you consider it lunacy?
Would it not make more sense for an inclusive Northern Ireland to be actually inclusive of the north of Ireland and not just the north east?
Perhaps we should drop Ulster altogether and let people decide after a debate whether they want to be part of a new northern Ireland or southern Ireland.
Maybe Louth would feel closer to the north of the country than the south, who knows?
It isn’t lunacy to discuss such things, it is lunacy to bury your head in the sand and hope it doesn’t get up your nose.
An independent nine-county Ulster would be economically unviable, it’s not going to happen. It’s nothing to do with losing a Unionist majority in the present six counties, both Nationalists and Unionists in the latter entity wouldn’t support it and the people in Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal wouldn’t want it. Of course, in any future United Ireland everything would be negotiable, so in that context a devolved nine-county Ulster might be an option.
“An independent nine-county Ulster would be economically unviable, it’s not going to happen.”
I take it therefore that you also believe that a 6 county state is therefore also economically unviable?
“Of course, in any future United Ireland everything would be negotiable, so in that context a devolved nine-county Ulster might be an option.”
There should be no preconditions on what a future United Ireland should look like. A devolved Ulster sounds perfectly reasonable to me.
Mr D, would you be up for a semi devolved Ulster? (Maybe 8 county though, I doubt the ‘Ulster’ pedigree of many Cavan people…)
“Mr D, would you be up for a semi devolved Ulster? (Maybe 8 county though, I doubt the ‘Ulster’ pedigree of many Cavan people…)”
I thought there is a republican majority in Cavan.
Why do you think their loyalty would be more to Dublin than to Ulster?
I imagine Mr D,s concerns would be more with the losing of the unionist majority.
This would only be viable once that majority is gone anyway, and the north is no longer a British first citadel but reflects its true Irish identity.
Any redrawing of boundaries should not be for electoral political change but for economic values. The political changes should come first and I hope will be very soon.
I agree with some of this post, simply tacking NI onto a semi-interested republic is perhaps not a great idea.
What is a TERRIBLE idea though is retaining the green, white and orange tricolour.
It is repulsive to most people of a unionist or Protestant background due to the most basic and powerful elements of human reactions and psychology. There’s not a marketing firm worth its salt that would recommend this course of action.
The flag has been sullied.
Tarnished.
Sh*t on.
I could no more expect an ordinary Protestant-cum-not-really-a-Protestant-anymore to accept the tricolour than I would expect James McClean to accept an Ulster flag.
The various Erin’s Harp flags have accompanied Irishmen to just about every continent (for various reasons), are recognisable as distinctly Irish and don’t have the negative attributes that the tricolour does.
After what’s been done in the name of the tricolour the idea that it means ‘peace between Catholic and Protestant’ holds as much water as the argument ‘the Union Flag represents all three key nations of the United Kingdom’.
It amazes me that nationalists can’t see this, it makes me wonder how much time they actually spend with non-nationalists.
Sorry Jessica, I enjoyed this piece but the tricolour is toxic to many people and I’m not just talking about fleggers.
“After what’s been done in the name of the tricolour the idea that it means ‘peace between Catholic and Protestant’ holds as much water as the argument ‘the Union Flag represents all three key nations of the United Kingdom’.”
So in a protestant majority, it is ok to swamp the place in red white and blue and have the union flag everywhere, but when there is a nationalist majority, you think we will turn our backs on the flag of the Irish nation?
After what has been done under the butchers apron, that is rank hypocrisy from you AG.
You should perhaps consider the lessons so harshly taught to us by unionists over the last century and by the free state today, that if it is ok with the majority, the minority doesn’t matter.
“After what has been done under the butchers apron, that is rank hypocrisy from you AG.”
It would be hypocrisy Jessica IF that’s what I said but I did not and am baffled as to how anyone could interpret my statement as such.
I framed the point around your laudable idea of a semi-independent 9 county Ulster, I merely highlighted a MEGA flaw in an otherwise good idea/out-of-the-box-thinking.
“You should perhaps consider the lessons so harshly taught to us by unionists over the last century and by the free state today, that if it is ok with the majority, the minority doesn’t matter.”
I consider it often and have deemed it to be ‘a bad idea’ hence why I’m so often at loggerheads with other unionists.
To summarise; highlighting the unsuitability of the tricolour is not the same as approving the Union flag and is certainly not the same as supporting the ‘ignore the minority’ opinion.
Again Jessica, please go by what I do write and not by what I don’t write.
“It would be hypocrisy Jessica IF that’s what I said but I did not and am baffled as to how anyone could interpret my statement as such.”
You clearly stated the Irish flag was not acceptable to protestants, in not so pleasant terms I should also add.
All I am going to say, it you greatly underestimate just how important that flag is to many nationalists.
I don’t even think the southern state understand this.
The reason it is rank hypocrisy as the union flag has been constantly rubbed in our faces since conception of the 6 county state without any such consideration of how the nationalist community feels about it. If we can take it, so can you.
“I consider it often and have deemed it to be ‘a bad idea’ hence why I’m so often at loggerheads with other unionists.
To summarise; highlighting the unsuitability of the tricolour is not the same as approving the Union flag and is certainly not the same as supporting the ‘ignore the minority’ opinion.”
Yes, you have AG.
And had they listened, your claims on the unsuitability of the tricolour could be considered valid, but they have not listened and therefore my point remains.
I want to see the tri colour on our state buildings as it represents my identity. I have no issue with the union flag flying along side it.
As I said, I will give Sinn Fein my vote until there is a nationalist majority. Then, if they do not make this place reflect my Irish identity then my voting days are over.
That is more important to me than a united Ireland and joining with what that pathetic state has become.
Can’t understand this obsession with flags. You’re as bad as the loyalists.
“Can’t understand this obsession with flags. You’re as bad as the loyalists.”
We are the same people MT. We just grew up with different points of view.
It is not loyalists I despise, but the middle class nationalist or unionists who would use and abuse working class people for their own ends.
Unionists were once proud of their Irish heritage. This was deliberately wrung out of the loyalist people to harden opposition to unification. A process which led to them suffering a lot more than their leadership class.
You need to loosen up. Relax and enjoy life. There’s more to it than flags and counties and politics. You’ll be a long time dead: don’t waste it.
If “republicans” cannot even agree on a single united parade to honour the men and women of 1916 how do they propose to unite Ireland?
Jessica, I have been an avid reader of this blog for some time but rarely post, but I must say it was with sadness that I read your comments regarding no longer having any interest in a 32 County Irish Republic ( although entirely understandable). The attitude of many in the southern media towards the nationalist / republican community in the north is shameful and their revisionist attitude towards history is at best embarrassing and at worst unadulterated propaganda.
How often I have read and heard comments which are not only extremely hurtful but generally inaccurate and ill informed presenting partisan commentary on the events and people north of the border. This was most evident during coverage of the recent election, the gloves came off and the masks didn’t so much slip as were tossed away by a media which for the most part appeared to revel in its lack of professionalism and impartiality, displaying absolute contempt for the electoral process on a daily basis. This carried through into the commemorations to mark the Easter Rising with every available sanctimonious, anglicised Irishman and woman shipped back across the pond to lecture the natives on the unsportsmanlike conduct of those involved.
As a result a naivety has been exposed in republicanism, for too long we have looked at the republic through rose tinted spectacles with reunification with the 26 counties the holy grail. We have ignored the cronyism, the corruption and the contempt for the welfare of its people because we looked at it through the prism of the principles espoused by the proclamation.
What interested me throughout the election was that Sinn Féin appear to have moved beyond simple reunification and are advocating the creation of a new republic. This will need to be an attractive, viable option, one which can achieve prosperity for all the people of this island and in my opinion represents a maturing attitude within republicanism. This is what the establishment within the Free State fears and that is why the dogs have been let off the leash. For us we have to have accept that within any society there are wildly opposing opinions and those in power will always seek to hold on to it by all means available. Rather than simply walk away in exasperation we need to recognise it for what it is and meet it head on by creating an opposing narrative (well done Jude!).
Bottom line, don’t be too despondent, as many of us have done at one time or another you have thrown the head up (in the vernacular, mine anyway!). Our sense of identity is in our language, our unique sports, our music, dance, art and literature. It is in our ownership and not within the gift of others to offer or rescind.
JoeMc , interesting analysis …..in total agreement , the holy grail of re-unification needs to get a mass injection of political “energy boosters” , The romantic Ireland of past generations has died a sad and lonely death…..we are in a dog eat dog world , fighting to put bread on a plate and keep a roof over our heads. We need new visionaries , we need discussions all around the country ( 32 counties ) asking people for their hopes and aspirations….we can’t force a ” New Ireland ” on anyone ,we must ask their permission , we ARE so unique in this world with our language , music , song ,dance and games and this includes unionism ……for up until recently, all this was shared. The enemy is not each other , but apathy and indifference to the plight of each other. We can force politicians to listen….because ,ultimately, they are the servants of the people …not the masters .
Eolach, I agree that re-unification needs energy boosters. What would you suggest ? How do we break through the apathy ?
“Eolach, I agree that re-unification needs energy boosters. What would you suggest ? How do we break through the apathy ?”
Apathy was not instilled overnight, nor will it be undone easily Nuacht.
The republic is today what its people have made it. I believe in the truth. The British are covering up many appalling acts under the guise of national security and the republic is complicit in this cover up, including Dublin monaghan bombings once the direct links to the British state forces were made.
If the truth is the state in the republic has nurtured a one sided view and turned its people against us in the north, to the point they wish it didn’t exist, then that is the reality we must accept and live with to move on.
We have been telling the truth for decades about British acts which continue today. We have had to deal with them and build peace on our own, so what is new really except we are finally being more honest with one another?
I would rather have the truth warts and all any day.
Perhaps we need a real Love Ulster parade in Dublin
“Perhaps we need a real Love Ulster parade in Dublin”
Please no.
The last thing we need is another parade.
We are where we are.
What’s done is done.
Like you I would not support a socialist republic. Like the people in the south I want to see economic prosperity. If we unite and grow together, it will work. If we do it separate with the south setting the agenda, we will be in competition and unity will not happen for many generations.
I may be republican but I am also a realist
Neither side can have our cake and eat it.
We are either in this together or we aren’t.