The United States has always been an important factor in Irish nationalism. In the mid-nineteenth century, John O’Mahony, a leading member of Young Ireland, established the Fenian Brotherhood in that country. When O’Donavan Rossa died in the US, the men who were to be the leaders of the Easter Rising hurried to have his body brought back to Ireland, where his burial allowed Pearse to make his famous “The fools, the fools” speech. Throughout the period of the Troubles, the US was a vital source of funding and arms for the IRA. The MacBride Principles, adopted widely in the US, committed companies setting up in the north of Ireland to fair employment and working conditions. When Gerry Adams and later Martin McGuinness secured visas to visit the United States, it was seen as a major breakthrough for republicanism.
And now from America we have the McGuinness Principles. They were launched a week ago, and their aims are summed up in four words: equality, respect, truth and self-determination.
Each word is linked to a specific goal. Equality links with a Bill of Rights, which was promised in the Good Friday Agreement but has yet to be legislated for. Respect links to the calls for an Irish Language Act, which was promised in the St Andrews Agreement but again not delivered by the British government. Truth links to the legacy of the past, and the consistent efforts that have been made to prevent the relatives of victims from knowing what happened to their loved ones. And self-determination links to calls for a referendum on Irish unity.
These dovetail exactly into the matters which Sinn Féin requires be given attention before it can return to Stormont. It’s only when you see these four headings laid out that you see how important they are and how outrageous it is that, having been promised, they remain unfulfilled.
Over the past twenty years, US support for and interest in the north of Ireland has waned considerably. I believe the clarity of the four principles will provide a focus for Irish-Americans who remain concerned about events in Ireland. I also believe the McGuinness Principles have been given a massive boost on this side of the Atlantic: my dear and attractive friend Nelson McCausland has announced his hostility to these principles.
Here’s the link to more detail about the four Principles, and a link to my dear and attractive friend Nelson’s views on the matter. Please don’t confuse the two.
https://www.irishcentral.com/news/politics/martin-mcguinness-principles-launched
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