As a teenager growing up in a republican community that experienced so many British army and RUC raids, you can imagine my surprise when a friend called me over into their home to listen to a record he had bought called ‘God Save The Queen’ by the Sex Pistols. My initial reaction was shock and to tell him where he could put it, but he was insistent I should listen so I did.
Back then, I would have equated the Queen, the British flag and any authority figures including the police and army as the baddies. The ones who brought the guns into our community, whose presence transformed the place into a panic-stricken battle zone, whose collusion with loyalist death squads as MT calls them, resulted in so many deaths including that of Sam Marshall just minutes after leaving a Lurgan police station after a random sign in, where a coordinated assault by loyalists tipped off on the timing killed Sam and injured a young Colin Duffy in a drive-by shooting. The collusion was so blatantly obvious it would consume Colin with hatred of the RUC who were most definitely corrupt right to their core in those days and they did little to hide it.
Today when I think of the Queen, I think of a little old lady dressed in green, speaking in Irish and reaching out the hand of friendship to the Irish people. A lady who in her free time at home watches GAA on RTE and has an obvious affinity with Ireland and is not afraid to show it. I certainly don’t equate her to the divisions remaining in Ireland today, unionist intransigence and British state forces including the army, though the same I could not say for her son who remains head of the Parachute Regiment and whom I would not trust with a packet of sausages bought in Tir Chonaill or not.
While unionism would claim to be supportive of the royal family, the gulf between them and her is immense. When unionism inspired by Ian Paisley began their sectarian campaign against the civil rights movement, the pogroms in 69 and attacks on Catholic homes to drive us out in our thousands, was it really inspired by Queen and Country or was it simply another excuse to legalise their bigoted actions in the name of a head of state?
Now the Sex Pistols are no wordsmiths or even intellectuals, but when you hear the first lines of their song, you might take an objective look at unionism even as it remains still today and ask yourself. were they on to something?
“God save the queen, The fascist regime, They made you a moron, a potential H-bomb”
Watching her on her 90th birthday struggling to climb stairs, for the first time I have noticed her looking ever more frail. Why do I have the feeling, that in the event of her death and shortly after her passing, everything is going to change and change utterly?
Thoughtful and provocative. As an Englishman, I always look forward to reading what you might say.
I take it you are living in Ireland Stu?
It will be interesting to see the reaction here when the head of state is the man ultimately responsible for Bloody Sunday and the Ballymurphy Massacre as well as a good friend of Lee Clegg whom he assisted in obtaining early release from a life sentence for murdering 2 kids here before promoting him back into the regiment again.
As an Englishman Stu, would you not agree that the popularity of the royal family is going to take a nose dive when she is gone, not least in Ireland. although recent scenes in Tír Chonaill would give any flag waving jackeen a run for their money.
She is still the head of a hereditary, sectarian monarchy which discriminates against Catholics and refuses to reform the act of settlement. I cannot therefore offer her any depth of feeling nor any adherence no matter what affiliation she thinks she has with Ireland. I believe all monarchies should be abolished as the system upholds class structure and endures imperialism. If Ireland had a monarchy I’d be against it too.
“If Ireland had a monarchy I’d be against it too.”
We don’t have a monarchy Ciarán, we have hurling.
If we had a monarchy, we’d have to have one in every other county and we’d kill one another over which one was the best.
Hurling gets it out of our system.
Well co. Derry are shit in the hurling Jessica so I follow the football instead at which we’re not much better, allow me then to reserve my bile for monarchy as there isn’t much point in wasting it on Derry’s hurling team.
That wasn’t quite what I meant Ciaran
Ireland did once have kingships and it didn’t work out either was more the point I was making.
Hurling was once a game played by warriors, but I suppose weaponry has moved on since then.
Sorry, was probably just a stupid comment by me.
I know what you were getting at, no worries Jessica. Speaking of god save the queen, that’s why I cannot bring myself to lend any support to the harland and Wolff team currently playing in the Euros. Even wales sing land of our fathers, they have not moved on nor tried to bring any sense of consensus to the team. Currently there many players in the team who I’m sure do not adhere to that anthem. Rugby has made strides yet the norneverland team seem entrenched in espousing the old adages. Even the flag I find an embarrassment. I know this may be veering off a little but I suppose it still encapsulates the whole broader thing.
parasite,the chains that hold ireland are forged in her front room.————-.Make your point without being abusive, billy..
“parasite,the chains that hold ireland are forged in her front room.————-.Make your point without being abusive, billy..”
The chains are now firmly linked to Dublin.
Irish freedom is a joke and Irelands soul is already dead.
Is that simple enough for you billy?
Jess, you are no doubt swayed by that amiable little woman, but she is still the head of that duplicitous bunch who gladly murder to hold on to what power they can – the expression Perfidious Albion was not coined for nothing.
And after she goes there will be many more to take her place, and none of them seem to have inherited anything like decency, so our lot under their military domination will not improve until we can get rid of them.
“Jess, you are no doubt swayed by that amiable little woman, but she is still the head of that duplicitous bunch who gladly murder to hold on to what power they can – the expression Perfidious Albion was not coined for nothing.”
Sherdy, I am under no illusion whatsoever about the trustworthiness of Britain, or unionism for that matter.
I was not trying to say, that her reaching out made British rule in Ireland any more acceptable, I was simply acknowledging it appeared genuine, unlike that of her son which seemed more like under instruction or parental guidance shall we say.
As if someone was feeling the strain and felt the time to hand over the reigns was long overdue but after decades of being a head of state, they know all aspects of their subjects on both these islands including their enemies.
We can hardly criticise unionism for not acknowledging and reciprocating Sinn Fein’s reaching out and turn around and do the same thing to similar gestures no matter who they are from.
There are also I believe elements in the southern establishment and their media who are fully on board and promoting this new found affinity with all things Irish while at the same time snubbing nationalists in the north right the way to the presidency.
There is a uniformity of purpose in the republic today that is rotten to the core and seems very co ordinated with London to me.
Lets just say I don’t think Charles has too much longer to wait and his recent trip to a butchers was no accident but part of a planned preparation of handover which the loyal Dublin plebs are part and parcel off.
Dublin was once the second city of the British empire and I dare say they would like it to be once again.
The British empire is at risk of collapse on her stepping down, Australia could become a republic and others may follow.
There aren’t many countries get 7 billion pounds from Britain, how did Cameron put it, to help a friend in need.
Since when did Perfidious Albion as you say, become so generous?
When I say I would not vote to unite with the republic as it is today, I am not joking and I am not swayed by the little old lady or the venomous viper that lies behind her. I am saying the little old lady will soon be gone and the viper now has another head which strikes from Dublin.
All changed, changed utterly: A terrible beauty has died.
Hi Jessica, like you I recall RUC/ Brit army harassment, especially when in possession of GAA gear and especially round Lurgan or Silverbridge however, I also remember what KAH stands for and remember that the queen of England is, Maiden name Sax Coberg and Gotha while her married name, should she choose to use it is, Battenberg, still Hun, still occupying our country( or part of) and we’re still paying for the pleasure.
“still occupying our country( or part of) and we’re still paying for the pleasure.”
There are different forms of occupation in the modern world Mark.
I would say she has more control of this country than many realise.
Which I oppose strongly just in case anyone is picking me up wrong.
But you are also bringing back memories Mark.
Kill all Huns was the graffiti retort to kill all taigs, nothing more that I can recall anyway.
North Lurgan and indeed Portadown faced a lot of RUC/ Brit army harassment but also a lot of attacks from loyalists.
I witnessed a lot of street fighting growing up and indeed there was also a strong rivalry between the two towns nationalist communities as to who was the best at taking on the huns and protecting our own areas. I spent a lot of time in both.
Co Armagh is probably a microcosm of everything that is wrong with partition and we probably have more of the traits of an older Ireland than modern Ireland.
Make no bones about it, she and her ilk are part and parcel of the same terrorist state. This often portrayed, harmless old woman, carries out her ‘duties’ obediently when asked by the men in suits. Her so called attempts at reconciliation to Ireland are no more genuine than Hilary Clinton talking about human rights. In fact her actions may have played a part in the apparent lack of importance by the free state concerning the national question in the present day.
For years we have listened to the propaganda that the royal residence doesn’t interfere in the politics end of affairs, hence why they don’t comment. This allowed them to worm their way out of condemning terrorists who happened to be her biggest fans. ‘For queen and country’! ‘ for queen and ulster’, were often the mantra of unionist militia when they were murdering Irish citizens. Could you imagine the tolerance shown if the IRA were claiming they were fighting for the president and Ireland? Could you imagine if the president declined to comment for fear of interfering in politics? Besides all that, if someone was killing in your name, surely all protocol would be ignored to condemn those who use your name? Nope not with greedy Betty. We told to accept this propaganda.
Furthermore, to again prove that they are liars, we had Betty unknowingly recorded commenting on why ‘we’ havnt extradited Abu hamza whatshisname. We have prince Charlie with his letters he tried hard to stop the public seeing. We had the strategic ‘leaks’ that the queen was concerned at scotland leaving the Union during the independence referendum, designed to impact the electorates decision. Her views were also leaked concerning the EU debate. You see there’s ways and means for greedy Betty to get her views across to her subjects. But alas it only really happens when there’s a threat to the UK not when the UK is threatening others.
Perhaps they were killing ‘For queen and country’
As for interfering in politics. Charles made no secret of his support of Lee Clegg and was instrumental in his pardon and promotion.
So they can and do interfere when it suits them
It is the extent of the interference behind the Dail and the Gardai I am more concerned with.